“And we have the rope,” Hank said, and looked at King. King nodded and Hank continued, “You tied him up and killed him. We found the rope in the back of your truck along with traces of Norton’s blood.”

Shaft narrowed his eyes. “What right have you to search my truck? You’re making this all up.”

“I’m afraid not,” King said. “We got a warrant to seize your truck and search the house.”

Hank picked up a sheet of paper from the folder. “You made a withdrawal for six thousand dollars cash from your bank account on Tuesday morning. We know the money was to pay off the hitman.”

“You’re both crazy,” Shaft said. “I didn’t hire a hitman and you can’t prove otherwise.”

“What was the money for then?” King asked.

Shaft sat back, folded his arms, then winced and held his ribs. “It was to pay off a gambling debt.”

“Can you prove that? Who’d you pay off?”

“My bookie. And no, I can’t prove it.”

“And you have no alibi for the time of either murder,” Hank added.

“I told you where I was before.”

“Yes, you did. When your brother was murdered you were home alone. And when Norton was murdered you claimed to be at a restaurant. We checked. Nobody remembers you there.”

Shaft’s eyes flared and he slammed a fist on the table. Then he closed his eyes a moment, took a deep breath, and spoke quietly. “I think I need a lawyer now.”

Chapter 43

Thursday, 7:20 p.m.

JAKE FINISHED WIPING down the Firebird, pulled it into the garage, and shut the overhead door. He didn’t like to leave his baby outside overnight; you never know what the weather would be like.

He went through the door into the kitchen and found Annie at the table helping Matty with his homework. They were working on some math problems, and Annie was showing him how to figure out the answer without the aid of a calculator.

“I’m exercising my brain,” Matty said. “Mom says it’s important, and I guess she’s right. It’s a lot harder, though.”

“Your mother’s right,” Jake said.

Matty yawned and faked a pout. “Are we done yet?”

“Just a few more,” his mother said.

“How many’s a few?”

Annie laughed. “Do three more. If you get them right then you can watch TV.”

Matty sighed, his shoulders slumping, and chewed on the end of a pencil as he attacked the next problem.

The doorbell rang and Jake went to the door. It was Hank. “I’m on my way home,” the cop said. “Thought I would drop by and see what’s going on with you two.”

“Annie and Matty are in the kitchen. Come on in,” Jake said.

Hank followed Jake in, greeted Annie, and gave Matty a fist bump. “What’re you working on there?”

“It’s math,” Matty said. “Boring stuff.”

“Sure it’s boring,” Hank said. “But when you need it, it can be fun.”

Matty dropped the pencil and looked at Hank. “Fun? How?”

Hank laughed. “Okay. Maybe not fun, but useful.”

Matty sighed and went back to work.

“Anything new with you guys?” Hank asked, looking back and forth between Jake and Annie.

“Not a lot,” Jake said, as he sat. “My ribs are feeling better.” He touched his side and twisted in his seat to prove it. “I might be a little stiff in the morning, but I think I’ll live.”

“Can’t say as much for Rocky Shaft. He’s still in pain.” Hank grinned. “Oh, by the way, we arrested him. Charged him with first degree murder in the death of Michael Norton.”

The Lincolns listened intently as Hank described the assault on Lisa and the discovery of the rope and blood in Shaft’s vehicle.

“So that’s it?” Annie asked. “You have it wrapped up?”

“Not quite,” Hank said. “We still have nothing on him in the murder of his brother. It still looks like Norton killed Werner Shaft. I’m presuming Rocky Shaft then killed Norton in revenge.”

“It’s all too neatly wrapped up,” Jake said, shaking his head. “I’m not so convinced Shaft is dumb enough to leave such damning evidence laying around.”

“Frankly, I’m not convinced either,” Hank said. “But we have no choice other than to follow the evidence.”

Matty listened intently, twiddling the pencil between his fingers. “Did you catch a bad guy, Uncle Hank?”

Hank chuckled. “It looks like it, Matty.”

Annie leaned forward. “Matty, finish your homework, please.” She turned to the cop. “Hank, I went to see Sharon Stipple today. That’s the Norton’s next door neighbor. I showed her a photo of Werner Shaft. She told me she saw him having a beer with Norton in their back yard.”

Matty’s head was down, his homework forgotten as his wide eyes peeked up.

“We always assumed there was more to their relationship than their wives let on,” Hank said. “It doesn’t prove anything.”

“It proves somebody’s lying,” Jake said. “If they lie about one thing, we can’t believe much else they say.”

“And what about the money?” Annie asked. “Any luck in finding that?”

Hank shook his head. “Rocky Shaft still denies all knowledge of it, and the other two are dead. It might never show up.” Hank sat back and crossed his arms. “We had a tail on him until he was arrested, and he never made a suspicious move. And when they searched Shaft’s apartment downstairs, nothing of interest showed up. No money. No weapons. Nothing.”

“Just in his truck,” Jake added.

“So if what you assume is true, and there’s more to this than meets the eye,” Hank said. “Who framed Shaft?”

“Maria Shaft? Maybe Tammy Norton, or how about the guy who cracked Shaft’s ribs?” Jake touched his side. “And almost cracked mine.”

“Stanley Asher,” Hank said. “Nope. He’s got a solid alibi for both murders.”

“You’ve ruled out the drug dealers, Hank?” Annie asked.

“Not a hundred per cent. But I can’t find anything on them.”

“I assume you still haven’t located Norton’s car,” Jake said.

“Nope. When Shaft killed Norton—or whoever did, he disposed of it somewhere. So far it’s eluded us.”

“Something doesn’t add up,” Annie said. “If Shaft killed Norton, why’d he tie him up first? Why not shoot him on the spot?”

“He had to have been holding him for a while,” Hank said.

“Why?”

Hank thought a moment. “Maybe so he could frame Norton for the murder of Werner Shaft before he killed him.”

“If that’s correct,” Jake said. “And Rocky Shaft is smart enough to do all that, then his last stupid move was to leave evidence in his truck? Makes no sense to me.”

Hank chuckled. “Seems like we’ve been over all this before, and yet the evidence circles back to Rocky Shaft. Don’t forget, he’s hotheaded, and he was stupid enough to assault Lisa Krunk. Perhaps his anger got the better of him more than once.”

“Good point,” Jake said, but he wasn’t so sure.

Hank yawned and stood. “I guess I’ll get going. I want to drop by and see Amelia for a while, and then get to bed early. It’s been a long day.”

“See you later, Uncle Hank.”

“Later, Matty.”

Jake stood, saw Hank to the door, watched until the cop drove away, and then went back to the kitchen.

“Do you think this case is wrapped up?” Annie asked Jake, as he sat at the table.

“I have my doubts.”

“Me too.”

Chapter 44

DAY 5 - Friday, 8:40 a.m.

ANNIE HUSTLED MATTY off to school, cleaned up the kitchen, and went into the living room to enjoy her second cup of coffee for the day.

She heard the Firebird roar in the garage and the overhead door whined open. Jake was off to get something done to his car—she wasn’t sure what it was and didn’t ask. The house was all hers for now and she intended to catch up on some reading.

She settled into the armchair, curling her legs underneath, picked up her book from the stand beside her chair, and opened it at the bookmark.