The Puzzle Lady vs. the Sudoku Lady by Parnell Hall Read Free Book Online Page B

police.”
    Minami patted him on the cheek. “That would not be wise. There is a back door?”
    â€œYes. Why?”
    â€œBecause the front door is not damaged. There are two possibilities. Your wife let the killer in. Or the killer broke in through the back. We must see which is true.”
    Minami swept through the pantry to the back door. It had a top lock with a sliding bolt. “You keep this locked?”
    â€œYes, I keep it locked. It is locked now; it was locked then.”
    Minami unlocked the back door, inspected the lock on the knob. “There are no signs of forced entry. If the killer got in this way, it was because the door was open.”
    â€œWell, it wasn’t.”
    â€œ You did not leave it open. You cannot speak for your wife.”
    Along one wall of the pantry was a freezer chest. Minami lifted the lid and peered in. “You do not have much food.”
    â€œSo what?”
    â€œSuch a big freezer. And you have only boxes of frozen peas.” Minami leaned over, inspected the bottom. “What is that?”
    â€œWhat?”
    In the frost built up in the bottom of the freezer was a reddish stain. “That looks like blood.”
    Jason shrugged. “Some meat leaked.”
    â€œYou have no meat.”
    â€œI have no meat now. I had it. It leaked. I ate it. Big deal.”
    â€œThen why is there none? If you keep meat in the freezer to eat, why do you not have any?”
    â€œIt’s out of season.”

    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDeer-hunting season.” Jason sounded exasperated. “In deer-hunting season, I fill the freezer with meat. When the meat is gone, I don’t use the freezer until next season. Are you satisfied? Is that enough for you?”
    â€œYou hunt the deer?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIn hunting season?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œYou have a gun?”
    â€œI have a rifle.”
    â€œLet me see.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œDo the police know you have a gun?”
    Jason said nothing.
    â€œIf you do not show me the gun, then I must tell the police that you have a gun that you do not wish to show. They will want to see it and—”
    â€œAll right, all right.”
    Jason led them to a hall closet under the stairs. He reached behind a set of golf clubs and pulled out a rifle. “There. You satisfied?”
    â€œLet me see.” Minami grabbed the rifle, raised the barrel to her nose, sniffed. “This rifle has been fired.”
    â€œOf course it’s been fired. I use it to hunt.”
    â€œIt has been fired recently.”
    â€œNo. I …”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI do some target practice. Down at the dump.”
    â€œThey let you shoot at the dump?”
    â€œNo. Sunday. When the dump is closed. What difference does it make? My wife wasn’t shot.”

    â€œYou are sure of that?”
    Jason wasn’t sure of anything. His head was coming off. Everything the crazy Japanese lady said seemed to make things worse and worse. Maybe he shouldn’t be talking to her. Maybe it wasn’t just the police. She was the one who said it was all right. What would his lawyer say? Did he have a lawyer? Was that part real? He fished in his pocket, came out with Becky Baldwin’s business card.
    Jason marched into the living room, picked up the phone.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Minami said.
    â€œCalling my lawyer.”
    Michiko’s eyes twinkled. “Hah!”
    â€œWell, we must be going,” Minami said, and herded her smiling niece out the door.

Chapter 15
    Cora was looking through the real estate section in the morning paper. It wasn’t a huge task. In a town the size of Bakerhaven, the real estate section was half a page. Nothing seemed appropriate. Everything was either a room in someone’s house or a building the size of a college dorm. Or a summer rental while the family went to Europe. No small cottage with modest heat and electric bills suitable