“What time did you leave?”

“Just before nine. I remember because I was thinking that I was going to miss Matlock.”

“Was there anyone else in the office?”

“No, everyone was gone.”

“Did Mr. Duvall say anything to you before you left?”

“He said he was staying over and asked me to order him a sandwich from Moe’s across the street.”

“Staying over?”

“Spencer kept an apartment here in town. He often stayed there when he worked late because he hated driving home to Sanibel.”

“So you got him a sandwich?”

She nodded slowly. “Corned beef on rye with thousand island dressing and a cream soda, same as always. Then I left.”

She paused. “No, wait. That isn’t right. After I brought the sandwich back, Spencer asked me to go down and get the Cade file.”

Louis had been looking around the room and he turned. “He asked to see Jack Cade’s old file?”

Ellie nodded. “We store the old files downstairs. I went down and got it.” She nodded to the desk. “Last time I saw the Redweld, it was right there.”

“Redweld?”

“Redweld. That’s what we call them. It’s a brand name for the file folder.”

“You told the police this?”

She nodded. “I guess they took it, with all the other files and stuff that was in here.”

Louis had a million other questions, but he knew Ellie Silvestri couldn’t answer them. He had to get his hands on the police file, and he knew the only way he was going to do that was to go through Mobley.

Ellie was staring at the desk, arms wrapped around herself. Louis knew she was seeing Duvall’s shattered head lying on top of the file.

“Miss Silvestri,” he said gently, “did Mr. Duvall tell you why he needed the old file?”

She shook her head slowly. “That was the last time I saw Spencer. I mean, besides the funeral. But the casket was closed.”

Suddenly, she looked tired, every bit her sixty-some years. He had one more question. He touched her arm and she looked back at him.

“Why do you think Mr. Duvall asked you to get him that old file?” Louis asked.

“I told you, he didn’t say.”

“I know. I was asking your opinion.”

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’ve been asking myself that same question. Spencer knew Cade would get nowhere with a suit because of the statute of limitations. He had nothing to worry about from that old case.” She paused, shaking her head.

“What is it?” Louis said.

“But he was worried,” she said. “Maybe worried isn’t the right word. I mean, he was fine that morning, then after Jack Cade left he stayed in here all day and I didn’t even see him until I brought him the sandwich. He was upset about something.”

“What do you think it was?” Louis asked.

“I thought it was because Cade threatened him. But I don’t know. When he asked me to go get that old file, it was more like he was just. .”

“What?” Louis prodded gently.

She looked at him. “Sad,” she said.

Her eyes drifted to the closed door. “I’d better get back out front,” she said.

He followed her back past Lyle Bernhardt’s door and out into the outer office. Ellie paused behind her desk. Louis realized she was looking at him oddly.

“You’re working for Jack Cade, aren’t you,” she said.

Louis hesitated.

“Everybody thinks he did it,” she said.

There was something in her voice and Louis had to ask, “Do you?”

“I think Jack Cade killed that girl twenty years ago. But Spencer kept Jack Cade out of the electric chair.” Her brows knitted. “Why would you kill the man who saved your life?”

Louis was silent for a moment. “Miss Silvestri, you probably knew Spencer Duvall better than anyone on earth. If you were me, who would you talk to?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who else would want Spencer Duvall dead?”

Ellie trained her green eyes on Louis. “Candace?”

Louis tried not to let his disappointment show. The old thing had seen too many episodes of Matlock. “What makes you suspect Mr. Duvall’s wife?”

“She wasn’t very good to him,” Ellie said, her mouth pulling into a thin line. “Personally, I think she’s crazy.”

Oh great. Overly protective secretary secretly in love with powerful boss and hates his wife. Episode 502.

“Spencer was going to divorce her,” Ellie said.

Louis couldn’t hide his surprise. “He told you this?”

“Well, no, but I knew something was wrong between them,” Ellie said. “He had been staying at the apartment more and more.” She paused. “She was here that morning.”

“The day Spencer was shot?”

Ellie nodded. “I was shocked to see her. She never came down here unless she had to. She never even called. Not like she used to when they were first married. He married her right after college, you know. I thought it was strange to get divorced after all that time.”

Louis shook his head. “But you have no proof your boss was getting a divorce.”

Ellie was staring at the desk. “Wait,” she said. “I made an appointment for him. It was with another lawyer here in town, a man named Brian Brenner. He handles a lot of divorces.”

“They could have just been meeting for lunch,” Louis said.

Ellie looked dubious. “No, I knew Spencer. Something was wrong at home.”

“Did Mr. Duvall keep the appointment with the other lawyer?” Louis asked.

“No, it was for the following week. I’d look it up for you, but the police took Spencer’s appointment book.”

Louis heard voices and turned to see Bernhardt coming down the hall, leading his client out. Bernhardt’s eyes darted between Louis and Ellie.

“I need to see you. Now,” he said to Ellie. Bernhardt went back down the hall to his office. Ellie let out a big sigh.

“Are you going to get in trouble for this?” Louis asked.

“I don’t care,” she said with a shrug. “I could never work for a man like Lyle. Maybe I’ll retire. My daughter lives over in Clewiston and says she has a room ready for me.” She paused, her green eyes hopeful. “I’ve never been there. Have you?”

Louis shook his head.

“Clewiston,” she said softly. “I think I’d miss the water.” She started toward Bernhardt’s door.

“Thank you,” Louis said.

“For what?”

“For helping me. You didn’t have to, and I appreciate it.”

She hesitated. “Do you believe Jack Cade killed Spencer?”

“I believe a man has a right to be believed until the evidence proves he shouldn’t be.”

She gave him a small smile. “That sounds like something Spencer would say.”

Chapter Eight

When Louis called Brian Brenner’s office, his secretary told him that Brenner had already left for the day and wasn’t expected back in the office for several days. Louis quickly concocted a lie that he was an old college friend in town only for a day. The secretary obligingly offered up the information that Brian had gone to the family home on Shaddlelee Lane to meet a real estate appraiser and that Louis could still catch him there if he hurried.

Shaddlelee Lane turned out to be just south of downtown, in an old residential enclave sandwiched between McGregor Boulevard and the river. The lane, paralleling the river, was dense with old-growth trees and lined with gracious homes. Most weren’t large, but their lots were, great sweeps of tamed jungle that buffered them from their neighbors’ windows and brought back an air of a slower time.

Louis drove slowly, looking for a FOR SALE sign. He didn’t see one, but saw a wrought iron gate with a large B on it. There was a small weathered tile plaque on one of the stone pillars that said CASA COLIBRI. The gate was open and at the end of the long driveway, Louis could see a large home with a black BMW parked in front.

“What the hell,” he murmured, and swung the car in. He pulled up next to the black car and killed the engine.

He got out. He saw no one, but the Beemer’s vanity plate said B2. He thought about calling out Brenner’s name, but the quiet was so intimidating he decided against it. He looked around.