“Just tell us what you know,” Vince said impatiently.
“It’s my understanding that Milo managed to take a look around, inside the head guard’s house.”
“And?”
“It appears as if that guard had thrown a lot of his clothes on his bed, grabbed some of them, and took off. Milo couldn’t find a large suitcase anywhere in the house. And everybody has one large suitcase in their home.”
“What about his family?”
“He has none. That’s why it was an easy tell that this guy took off in a hurry.”
“So it’s confirmed he’s on the run?” Vince asked.
“He’s on the run,” said George. “But you know Milo. He’s a bulldog. He’ll find him.”
“What’s Milo’s take on what he’s hearing?” asked Vince.
“He believes once we find that head guard, then we’ll not only find Erica’s killer, but we’ll also find out exactly what’s going on: Who bombed that house. Who ran you off the road. All of it.”
“That’ll be a relief.”
“So just relax and let us handle this. I take it you’re going to Linda’s retirement party tomorrow night?”
Ricki looked at Vince. What retirement party?
“Yes, I’m going. She’s worked for me for many years. It’s a must.”
“Driving or flying?”
“Flying. My long-distance driving days are over for right now.”
“Because of this situation?”
Vince looked at Ricki. “Among other things, yes. My pilot will be at the airfield around noon tomorrow.”
“Might I catch a ride? I’m a fan of Linda’s too.”
“You can go only if Milo doesn’t need you. This case is priority, not a retirement party.”
“Understood,” George said. They discussed other matters, including the arbitrator ruling in Vince’s favor over his ex-wife’s demand for more money. And then they ended the call.
“What does all of this mean, Vince?” Ricki asked him.
“It means your sister didn’t hang herself.”
“And it means she didn’t kill Dr. Proctor either,” Ricki added.
Vince nodded. “More than likely, that’s correct.”
Although he could see the relief on her face, he saw something else there too. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.
“Nothing’s wrong.” Then she looked at him. “But you’re leaving tomorrow?”
“We’releaving tomorrow, yes.”
She looked at him. “We?”
“We’re going to leave town for a few days.”
