Stepping carefully, Mr. Hoffman made his way into the warehouse. Dust hung in the air, and the smell of water, smoke, and flour clung to everything. Light filtered in from open windows high up in the walls under the eaves.

“I was up the street when the explosion happened, and it knocked me to the ground even at that distance.” Daniel pointed toward the hall where the offices lay. “I cannot imagine what it felt like to be in the building.”

Mr. Hoffman pressed his hand against a support column, giving it a brief shake. Dust cascaded down, but the wooden post stood firm. “The stone walls were both an asset and a liability. They contained the blast, but they also condensed and directed the force both upward and through these halls. It isn’t unusual for roofs to be blown completely off in cases like this. However, it appears the explosion did no damage to the roof supports here in the warehouse. By the time the impact got here, it had already diminished. This area will not need much in the way of repairs.”

“I had a feeling the damage could have been much worse. Do you think the blast was set off as a warning of more to come?”

Hoffman paused. “You are thinking this was deliberate sabotage?”

Daniel shrugged. “It’s possible. There were threats. At least one anonymous letter promised trouble if Montgomery went ahead with the proposed renovations.”

“Interesting.” Hoffman’s bright-blue eyes were like pinpoints, and Daniel could almost see the gears turning in his head as he took in the new information.

“Let’s look in the owner’s office, Mr. Hoffman. That’s where the murder took place.”

“Are you counting the deaths here to be murder before you know if the blast was intentional?” The engineer’s head turned a quarter of the way around, his brows rising symmetrically.

“It’s possible the blast was accidental, but Mr. Montgomery did not die in the explosion. He was already dead, shot to death in his office sometime before.”

Hoffman tapped his chin. “That is most disturbing. Let us proceed.”

The smoke smell increased as they moved toward Montgomery’s office. Soot caked the walls of the stone hallway, and debris littered the floor.

Daniel indicated two places on the floor. “Two men were killed here. I understand they were cleaning up a flour spill. The impact threw them into the wall. Here are the shovels and the cart they were using.” He lifted the broken handle of one shovel and tossed it onto the pile.

“Was it breezy that day?” Hoffman asked.

Daniel thought back. “I do not believe so. There was a chill in the air but no wind.”