Never say never, she said, but claiming that an entire section of the residential wing is too dangerous to enter because of hazardous mold spores is a good way to keep folks from going anywhere near there and inadvertently discovering a potential murderer.

Jamil frowned.

Whats wrong? Jessie asked him.

He kept his eyes down as he spoke, as if he felt bad even voicing his thought.

I dont want to be the wet blanket here. But arent we kind of out on a limb with this? Weve made a lot of suppositions, based on not that many facts. If were wrong, it could go really badly for all of us.

Jessie thought about the twenty-two-complaint lawsuit shed been served yesterday. Jamil had no idea how right he was. If they were wrong, Otis, and possibly Gilliard, would sue them until they were ground to dust.

She decided to keep that to herself. If they were wrong, and maybe even if they werent, she was facing years in court. But Karen and Jamil wouldnt have to. Shed take the heat for all of it. There was no reason for them to pay the price for her wild speculation.

Youre right Jamil, she said. So I guess we should find out if were wrong. What time is it?

Eleven forty-seven, he said, looking at his watch. Why?

Because Karen and I need to head out. Weve got a search warrant to execute.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Jasper waited until no one was around.

When he was sure the hallway was clear, he pulled down the zipper on the plastic tarp that sealed off the first floor residential wing from the rest of West House. It would look awfully suspicious if anyone saw him entering an area marked off limits zone: hazardous material warning.

He opened the large doors that closed off the wing from the rest of the house and then walked down the hall to the bedroom at the far end of West House. Jasper had put Paul there because, other than his own personal wing, it was the most isolated part of the residence. It also had its own bathroom, dining room, and small entertainment room, making it perfectly self-contained.

He was carrying a bag with a lunch made up of a turkey, compote, and brie sandwich, hummus and carrots, a ripe peach, and sparking water. Ever since Sunday morning, hed asked the kitchen staff to make him two of every meal, one of which he personally delivered to Paul.

He wanted to keep the circle of information small. No one else knew Paul was here, although Nancy clearly suspected something was up. She was the one who suggested the mold cleanup idea when hed told her the residence needed to be cordoned off for several days. She pointedly hadnt asked any questions.