The detectives were driving back to Monterey when Laura got a call from Kate on her cell. “The Institute office brought me a message that you needed to talk to me,”
“To give you a heads up,” Laura said. “The autopsy indicates that Eastwick was murdered. The assailant probably filled him full of drugs until he divulged the combination to his wall safe. Once the perp got the money, they rolled Eastwick to the conference-center deck and threw him off.”
“Cold. Sounds like a professional hit.”
“That’s what I thought. Someone who knew what they were doing.” Laura paused. “One more thing, we consider it likely that the killer is still around. Unless they hiked in and out, the perp is still on campus.”
“Wonderful. When are you guys coming back?”
“Probably not until Thursday. Tomorrow we’re going to San Francisco to check Eastwick’s other office and, hopefully, ‘liaise’ with the FBI.”
“The masters of the liaison.” Kate chuckled.
“Only following orders,” Laura said.
“Okay. Thanks for the heads up. I’m going to go up to the Institute office and get my pistol out of their wall safe.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to use it,” Laura said.
“Better to be prepared than sorry.”