“Why did you arrive at the cabin so late at night?”
“I had some business to attend to up in ‘Frisco. I didn’t finish it until seven or so, and then I drove back down to our house here in San Marcos. When I got home, I found my wife’s note saying that she was going up to spend the night at the cabin. I decided to join her, so I packed a suitcase and went. You know the rest.”
“Do you still have your wife’s note?”
Surprisingly, Stoneham seemed momentarily stunned, and he had to think carefully before he answered. “Why, uh, no, I threw it out.”
Maybe I could be a bank guard or a night watchman, Maschen thought, then discarded the idea immediately. It would be too great a jump in prestige from Sheriff to guard and, if nothing else, he would have to maintain the dignity of the office. “Is th
