Poisoned Prose (A Books by the Bay Mystery)

phone, only to find that the battery was nearly dead. “Stupid little machine,” she muttered and then froze.
    “What is it?” Rawlings waited by the open door. His body was tense with impatience, but he looked at her as if he had all the time in the world.
    “I think I know how Lowell snuck out,” she said. “In fact, he might still be in the hospital—on another floor or hiding somewhere. He can’t leave without a change of clothes and some cash, right? Or a ride.”
    Rawlings tapped on his radio. “Tell me and I can pass on the info to my men.”
    “When I went to visit Leona, I shared the elevator with a robot. It delivered medicine from the pharmacy to certain floors,” Olivia explained. “And though you and I couldn’t hide inside, a child could. Or a dwarf. The cabinet was kept locked, but I don’t think that would have stopped Lowell from getting in.”
    “I’ll see if New Bern will bring in their K-9 unit,” Rawlings said.
    After Olivia locked the cottage, she and Rawlings ran to her car. The rain pelted them as they moved. Rawlings held the passenger door open for Olivia and then raced around to the driver’s side. Wiping a strand of wet hair from his forehead, he made a succession of rapid calls. While he gave succinct commands, Olivia stared at the water-speckled windshield, lost in thought.
    “Back to the station,” Rawlings said and put his seat belt on.
    Putting a hand on his arm, Olivia said, “We need to get Haviland and then I want to come to the station with you. I’d like to see Violetta’s trunk.”
    Rawlings knit his brows together. “Why?”
    “Because Lowell’s a thief. He may have wanted to change his ways, but once he heard about the diamonds, I don’t think he could resist their allure. I believe he cared about Violetta and that she trusted him, but only to a certain extent. After Hicks died, I think Lowell finally discovered where she hid the diamonds but didn’t have an opportunity to grab them until the night Violetta was murdered.”
    Rawlings was gazing into the middle distance. “That’s why he was assaulted.”
    “Sometime after they’d murdered Violetta, Greg and Amabel must have also figured out where the diamonds were kept and went after Lowell to see if he had them. It’s one of the reasons Lowell took off right after Violetta was killed. He was afraid, yes, but he’d committed a crime too.”
    “If he didn’t have the diamonds on him when he was attacked, then he’s stashed them somewhere,” Rawlings said. “In his car or at the Weavers’ house.”
    “If so, then he won’t truly disappear until he stops in Oyster Bay one more time to collect his prize.”
    Nodding, Rawlings handed her his cell phone. “Call Grumpy. If he isn’t at the hospital with Dixie, tell him to go home and keep an eye out for Lowell.”
    As Rawlings backed down the driveway, Olivia cast a long look at the lighthouse. “Good-bye, Flynn,” she whispered in a low, heartsick voice.
    • • •
    Haviland trotted into the police station in high spirits. His brown eyes darted around the lobby, and Olivia suspected he was hoping to catch a glimpse of Greta, Oyster Bay’s canine officer. Greta was an attractive German shepherd who enjoyed Haviland’s attention, but the female officer manning the front desk informed the expectant poodle that Greta wasn’t on duty.
    “Every cop on the force is here
but
her,” she added sotto voce, but Rawlings heard her nonetheless.
    “I know you haven’t had much time with your family lately, Officer Brooks, but I also know that you’re devoted to this town and its people.” There wasn’t a trace of rebuke in Rawlings’ tone. “We’re almost there, Brooks.”
    The young woman stood a fraction taller. “Yes, sir. We have your back, Chief. We’ll see this to the end.”
    “Let’s hope the end happens soon,” he said and led Olivia and Haviland down the hall. After depositing Haviland in his office, he took Olivia to the evidence room.
    Violetta’s massive trunk was pushed against the back wall. It looked forlorn and diminished beneath the weak light of the fluorescent bulbs overhead. “Do you have a flashlight?” she asked Rawlings. He handed her the one from his duty belt. Directing the narrow beam on the trunk’s center latch, she said, “Can you see how the leather is a deeper color brown around this area? That’s because a padlock hung here. When Lowell dragged the trunk onstage to kick off the performance, he