Practice to Deceive

most of the trash discolored by dried blood. The receipts were the kind everyone has—from grocery stores and restaurants. The murder victim had patronized 7-Eleven, Applebee’s, Starbucks, Fred Meyer, Chevron, Barnes & Noble, Sleepwater Surf, and a number of clothing stores, including one company that advertised clothes and accessories specifically designed for transvestites.
    There was a Washington State Ferry receipt from Clinton to Mukilteo from December 13, and some bank slips. It didn’t appear that someone had rifled through the Tracker searching for something. Rather, Douglas’s SUV was cluttered by someone who wasn’t concerned with neatness. They found nothing that might be of much evidentiary interest. Still, they bagged and labeled into evidence everything they found.
    The two detectives located a fanny pack in the Tracker. It contained a book of thirteen unused ferry tickets, two bank ATM cards, a checkbook with Russel Douglas’s name, many assorted condoms in flavors ranging from mint to chocolate, a Nextel ID card, receipts from Amour on the Boulevard in a shopping mall, a business card from Las Vegas Limousines, and seventy-six dollars in paper currency in various denominations from twenties to ones.
    One dollar bill had writing on the back: the name “Francisco C.” It did not resemble Douglas’s handwriting. Francisco was probably someone who had signed the bill before Russ Douglas ever got it.
    Mark Plumberg and Mike Birchfield saved even the most infinitesimal items because one day they might be priceless to the investigation. They had to find some connection between the killer(s) and his/their victim. Something as simple as a matchbook might make that link possible.
    They did locate Russ’s missing laptop computer. Tracy Harvey, his brother’s fiancée, said it had come from his apartment. Matthew agreed that it had been in his custody since then, most of the time in the trunk of his car. He had intended to give it to the investigators at his brother’s memorial service.
    Brenna Douglas had voluntarily brought one of her husband’s computers to her first interview at the Island County Sheriff’s South Precinct. If she knew where his work computer was, why didn’t she tell detectives about it then?
    At her mother-in-law’s suggestion, Brenna hired a lawyer—Jessie Valentine. Ms. Valentine advised her client to participate in no more interviews with detectives unless she was present.
    Mike Birchfield asked Lieutenant Harry Uncapher to examine the computer and its case for latent fingerprints. He was puzzled when he learned that there were no fingerprints to be found. How odd. The computer had to have been taken out of its case innumerable times; it and the case should have more than a sprinkling of prints. But neither the mouse nor the keyboard gave up any obvious or latent fingerprints.
    “It’s my opinion,” Birchfield said, “that someone wiped the computer clean of any prints.”
    Was it possible that Russ Douglas had been murdered because of something he knew that was part of a high-tech war? There are many high-profile electronic device companies around Seattle. In most of them, visitors have to clear security and sign agreements that they won’t disclose what they might see beyond the security-monitored doors.
    It seemed hardly likely that Douglas had high-security clearance or knew any high-tech secrets. But then his murder itself was hardly likely.
    * * *
    B Y SERVING A SEARCH warrant on the Bank of America where Russel Douglas kept his account, Mark Plumberg was able to get a glimpse at his lifestyle, to know where he went on certain days, when he made deposits and withdrawals, where he made regular payments. Ever since he moved away from his home in the spring of 2003, he had been dependable with support checks for his children.
    Russ’s job with Tetra Tech paid well, but he was far from wealthy. He paid rent on his apartment, monthly payments on his new GEO Tracker, and he spent quite a lot of money on his hobbies and on sports and fitness.
    Russ had no mortgage payments; the house in Langley where Brenna and their children lived was rented from a woman named Peggy Sue Thomas. Peggy had worked for Brenna at Just B’s Beauty Salon for a while, but she had moved away from Whidbey Island sometime before, and the house was up for sale. Reportedly, Brenna hoped to buy it but didn’t have enough for a down payment. This was the second mention of “Peggy” that had