The Electrician's Code by Clarissa Draper Page B

pushed open the door and entered.
    When he knocked at the door to flat 31, the door just swung open.
    “Dorland?” Theo called into the flat.
    “Come in,” Dorland replied. “I’m running a bit late this morning.”
    “You’re always running a bit late. What’s wrong with your car this time?”
    “Oh, must be something major, the engine won’t turn over.” He came out of his bedroom, tying a thin and shiny silver tie. “Jady will get it looked at today, won’t you, Jady?” Dorland looked behind him into his bedroom.
    Jady squeezed behind him and ruffled his hair. She wore a full-piece red bathing-suit, gray flip-flops, and nothing else. She pulled her blond hair up into a ponytail.
    “I told you I was, didn’t I?” she replied. “Does this suit make my butt look fat?”
    Theo turned away. This was a question he didn’t want to answer even if his wife was asking.
    “No, you look beautiful in it,” Dorland replied, poking her in the stomach.
    “I may be home late,” Dorland continued.
    “You work him so hard,” she complained..
     
    The law office was only a twenty-minute drive from Dorland’s flat so before they knew it, the detectives were standing at the reception desk. The receptionist for the large firm of over twenty solicitors held a receiver to her ear, pressed a blinking button, and repeated, “Please hold while I transfer you.”
    Who are you looking for? the woman behind the desk mouthed to them as she half-listened to an extremely loud male voice shout obscenities in her ear over the phone, but before Theo could give the name, she spoke into the phone, “Yes, yes, I understand, but unfortunately there is nothing I can do for you. He is in a deposition and cannot be disturbed. I can transfer you to his voicemail and you can leave another message.” She looked at Theo and rolled her eyes as he continued his boisterous tirade.
    Theo held up a paper with the name Nick Garner written in neat block letters. The receptionist pointed to the chairs behind them. Theo listened as the receptionist cut off the rude client with a “hold please.”
    Nick Garner met them within minutes of being paged and offered them coffee. Theo had to refuse when he heard that it was made from instant coffee powder. He loved coffee, but only when it came from what resembled beans. What solicitor’s office served instant coffee?
    Nick looked to be in his forties and was dressed sharp with the exception of the large square glasses that took up half his face.
    “Thank you for meeting us. We’re here about Doc Tipring. He was found murdered two days ago. I suppose you know him as Maddock Tipring,” Theo said when they were seated in his office.
    “I figured it was only a matter of time before the police came. It was unimaginable. I couldn’t believe it, and I pulled his file just to compare the spelling of the names to make sure I got it right. But how many people are named Maddock?” Nick lifted the opened file close to his face to read it. “I’m sorry, this morning on the way to work I broke my glasses and have had to use this antiquated pair that I found in my desk drawer. It’s quite an old prescription and so I have had a terrible headache all morning.”
    Theo squinted at him and asked, “When was it Mr. Tipring did up his Will?”
    “Oh, seven years ago now. He came into the office without an appointment and I was the only one available to see him. Usually we prefer our clients to make an appointment but he hobbled in with only one leg . . . Well, I couldn’t turn him away.”
    “Did he ever say why he decided to make up his Will?”
    Nick leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “While it’s true most people don’t just decide to make their Will, he never expressed a danger or urgency about it. I told him it could take up to a week to prepare it and he seemed fine with that. He didn’t ask for me to rush or anything. And seven years have passed since he first made his Will.”
    “Was