The Electrician's Code by Clarissa Draper Read Free Book Online Page A

morning: a sixty-two-year-old man was stabbed.”
    “Oh?” Sophia didn’t want to seem too interested, but she knew Crystal was too clever to fool. “That’s too bad. Why would anyone want to stab an old man? Was he mugged?”
    “No, murdered while fetching the paper. Do you want the details?” Crystal pointed at her computer screen.
    “Nah, it sounds unexciting. What is she doing now?” Sophia pointed at the monitor. Elaine Smith had moved on from vacuuming to the computer.
    “Tweeting.”
    “What’s she been tweeting?”
    Crystal turned the screen and Sophia read the list, The cat wants out. It’s 10:35 and I’m on my second pot of coffee. I can pay loads for the London look and look like a whore. I should be crying at the airport not watching the bloody airline commercials. The cat is going to scratch my screen door to shreds. Sophia turned to her aide and signed, “Do you think there’s a message somewhere in there?”
    “Sure. I see it loud and clear. Something to the effect that she needs a life.”
    “There’s no way she does this every day, does she?”

Chapter Ten
    T he only Tipring found in Maddock’s address book were Henry and Diane Tipring. A phone call revealed that Henry was father of the deceased and Diane his sister. The family lived not far outside of London so Theo and Dorland set an appointment to meet them at one the same afternoon.
    Henry and Diane Tipring lived in luxury with gates, gardens, and stables. Theo drove his Jeep up the long gravel drive to an entrance porch held up by four columns. When they rang the large pull bell an older lady opened the door and ushered them into the entrance hall. Theo could imagine young ladies in Empire dresses making their entrance to the ball down the stone staircase with a detailed iron balustrade.
    “Diane Tipring?” Theo asked.
    “Follow me, please,” the woman said, and led them into a reception room to the right of the hall. An older man sat in a wheelchair by the bay window with a plaid blanket over his lap. His eyes were closed, and he seemed content letting the sun shine upon him.
    “Who is it?” the older man asked. “I don’t want any of it, you hear. Don’t you be buying any of their wares. You hear, Diane, do you hear me? Salesmen.”
    “It’s the police, Father. They’re here about Maddock.”
    “I don’t want to see the doctor.” He lifted the blanket to his chest and frowned a pitiful, childlike frown. “Why can’t they just leave me in peace?”
    Diane smiled weakly and gestured for the two officers to have a seat on the antique sofa. Theo sank deep into the cushions. “Daddy’s ninety-two this year. He’s getting a bit cantankerous in his old age.” She sat and flattened her brown wool skirt in front of her. “So what would you like to tell me about Doc?”
    Theo was about to reply when the housekeeper entered the room and placed her hands on her hips. Diane asked, “Would you like tea?”
    “Um,” Theo started, sitting forward. He didn’t think he would be here long enough for a cup of tea, but after the long drive, he felt like one. “That sounds—”
    “Yes,” interrupted Diane, “bring us tea.” She waved the housekeeper away.
    “So, you’ve come to tell me Doc has died,” she continued as if she were telling the officers she had bought a car or that she had discovered a new flavor of coffee.
    “Has someone contacted you?” asked Dorland.
    She shrugged. “Why else would you be here to talk about my brother? How did he die?”
    “Someone stabbed him,” Dorland replied.
    “I see.” She blinked. After staring at them for a while, she asked, “Well, who did it?”
    “We don’t have any idea,” Dorland said.
    “We were hoping,” said Theo, “you had information that could help us. Can you think of anyone who might have a motive?”
    “A motive?” She sat back against the sofa and put her fist to her mouth. “A motive?”
    “Yes, a reason why someone might want to kill