“Thank you,” A.L. said. “What time did you leave your house?”

“Six thirty. Maybe even a few minutes earlier. Emma was still sleeping when I left. The last thing I did was look into her room.” She turned to her husband.

He took the ball. “I woke her up about 6:45. She got dressed and ate a bowl of cereal. She watched a little television while we were waiting for Leah’s mom to pick her up.”

“She was late?” Rena asked.

“No. We were early. I guess I was anxious to get going. Leah normally takes care of mornings. I do afternoons. Anyway, Leah’s mom got there and she brought Emma here.”

“Anything odd or off about the pickup?” A.L. asked.

“No. I mean, I saw her pull up and Emma and I met her at the car. She made a comment about it. That I hadn’t even given her a chance to come inside.” He looked at his wife.

“My mom...repeats herself,” Leah said, almost apologetic. “I guess I’m used to it, but it drives Troy crazy.”

“I needed to get to work,” Troy said, his tone testy. “I have to work. Especially...” His voice trailed off.

A.L. gave him a minute.

“Especially now. We’re busy,” he said.

Definitely some tension between Troy and Leah. A.L. had a feeling it wasn’t the first time they had argued about her mother. It was the kind of argument he was familiar with. His ex-wife had been a daddy’s girl and her dad had been a pompous ass that got in A.L.’s grille whenever possible. But A.L. had generally bit his tongue. Even now, on the rare occasions when the whole family gathered, he tried to remember that whatever immediate pleasure might be derived from going toe-to-toe with the man would quickly dissipate if Traci felt torn between her father and her grandfather.

His ex-wife had never been very good as peacemaker and he wasn’t quite sure yet if Leah Whitman was giving it a go. A.L. focused on Troy. “So she and Emma drive off. What do you do?”

“I went to work.”

“Where do you work, Mr. Whitman?” A.L. asked.

“Garage on Division. It’s my business.”

A.L. caught a shift in Rena’s eyes. Brief. Nobody else probably saw it. He made a mental note to ask her later. Garage on Division had been a Baywood landmark since the sixties. It had changed hands some years back. That must have been when Troy Whitman had purchased it. “You worked all day?” A.L. asked.