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“I’d like the number for the Los Gatos, California, Police Department,” she told the operator.
“The emergency number?” the operator asked.
With Clayton dead, the emergency was long over. “No,” Joa
She spent what seemed like several long minutes waiting on hold before a desk sergeant finally took her call. “My name is Joa
The desk sergeant sounded terminally bored. “Name?” he said.
“Clayton Rhodes.”
“No. The daughter’s name.”
“Reba Singleton.”
“Address.”
“943 Valencia,” Joa
“You say this Singleton woman is the stiff’s daughter?”
“The deceased’s name is Clayton Rhodes,” Joa
“And this is the most recent address information you have for his daughter?”
Joa
“That may be true, but it could be out of date. The phone number is.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our area code’s been 650 for years now. If the dead guy didn’t bother to fix that in his book, the address listed may be out of date as well. What did he die of, by the way-murder, natural causes, old age?”
The word “suicide” stuck in Joa
“Tell Ms. Singleton that the cause of her father’s death has yet to be determined,” Joa
“I’m sure that’ll suit our officers just fine.”
“Will you notify me once they’ve talked to her?” Joa
“That’s not how we usually do it,” he said.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d do it that way this time,” Joa
“We’re not equipped-” he began.
Joa
“Carlin,” he replied after a short pause. “Sergeant Richard Carlin.”
“Thanks so much, Sergeant Carlin. You’ve been most helpful. It’s always a pleasure to work with someone who really cares about inter-departmental relations.”
She hung up before he had a chance to reply. Then, shivering against the cold, she turned on the porch light and waited on the front steps of Clayton Rhodes’ house to see who would be the first to arrive. The wi
Sitting alone on the top step, Joa
Clayton Rhodes hadn’t given Joa
She was still lost in thought some time later when Deputy Lance Pakin showed up fresh from his traffic investigation. She directed him to assist Debbie in bagging and loading Clayton’s body into the medical examiner’s van. While the two deputies went about doing that, George Winfield came up the gravel walkway and sat down beside her. “How’s tricks?” he asked.
Dr. George Winfield was a permanent snowbird who had come to Arizona from Mi
She looked up at him and gave him a wan smile. “Not so hot,” she answered. “Why’d Clayton go and do that, George? Why did he have to commit suicide?”
“Who said anything about suicide?”
“Well, I thought…”
“You thought he locked himself in that garage with the engine ru
“Didn’t he?”
“Deputy Howell,” George called out. “Mind bringing that bag of evidence over here?”
Debbie Howell came toward them carrying a clear plastic bag. Inside it were several glassine envelopes. George held it up to the light and pointed to a rectangular black-and-white object inside. “What does that look like?” he asked.
“A garage-door opener?”
“Right you are. And guess where I found it?”
“I don’t know.”
“In Clayton Rhodes’ shirt pocket-pressed tight up against the steering wheel. My guess is the garage door was open when he turned on the engine. But then something happened-a heart attack maybe, or possibly even a stroke. We won’t know exactly what until the autopsy. Whatever it was, he slumped forward onto the steering wheel. When that happened, the weight of his body pressed against the button, shutting the door.”
“You’re saying he didn’t commit suicide after all?” Joa
“Are you kidding?” George Winfield returned. “To do that, the place would have had to be airtight. And it’s not. Definitely not. If there wasn’t plenty of air, the engine wouldn’t have been ru
“So you’re saying he most likely died of natural causes?” Joa
“Or smoke inhalation. That could be the culprit as well. In any event, for right now I don’t believe Clayton Rhodes took his own life. You didn’t find a note or anything to indicate otherwise, did you?”
“No.”
“Well, he wasn’t bright red, either, which pretty well rules out carbon monoxide, but as soon as I have autopsy results, I’ll let you know. Meanwhile, what about notifying next of kin?”
Joa
“I found Clayton’s daughter’s address and telephone number. Reba Singleton lives in Los Gatos, California,” Joa
“Good. Glad that’s being handled.”
“What next, Sheriff Brady?” Debbie Howell asked. “You calling in the homicide guys?”
Joa