“And, Molly,” Hobart said, “I told you I also believe he has a second safe. I did some research on the floor plans of his house. A company in Omaha did the construction.”

“You can find things like floor plans and look them over?” Molly sounded awestruck. Wyatt sure hoped she didn’t abandon teaching and housekeeping for detective work.

“Yes, those things are available if you know where to look. I couldn’t find where the safe was installed, but I found that a second one was purchased. It’s not uncommon in a grand house, and that monstrosity Hawkins owns qualifies. I suspect it’s in his bedroom because I searched the rest of the house from top to bottom many times. Well, not the third floor. You’ll have to find a time to search his bedroom for the safe. It’s probably behind a clothes chest or behind another picture on the wall or under the floorboards. And there will be a secret switch or lever or something that will have to be used to lift up a section of the floor or move a panel on the wall. You’ll have to find it and—”

“This is ridiculous!” Wyatt flung his arms wide. “Now she’s got to find a hidden safe with a secret switch? And do you have the combination for that, too?”

Giving him a narrow-eyed look, Rachel smiled faintly. It could almost be called a smirk. “Actually, I do. There was a second number on the piece of paper I found. I copied both, not sure which one would work on the safe in his study. I’m still not sure, so if one doesn’t work, you’ll have to try the second. At first, I thought maybe he’d changed it and hadn’t scratched out the old number. Now I’m sure it’s for that second safe.”

“And what am I looking for in these safes?” Molly’s jaw was firm. “What can he possibly have hidden in there that would tie him to crimes he committed years ago?”

Hobart got very quiet. Her eyes appeared to burn as she studied Molly. It was a long stretch of seconds before she answered with grim regret. “A man who kills a woman because he abuses her is one kind of criminal. He may have a history of battering other women, but often he’ll marry, and the wife has no way out of the abuse. Or sometimes a woman can be so worn down by the abuse she thinks she deserves it.”

Molly watched Hobart as if she were absorbing every word.