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bsp; The closer they came to Joan’s home on El Camino Del Mar, the ain, as Mallory had done when Joan had first woken up in the ue, but the call went unanswered

“I’htened now,” Joan said to Conklin “What if we find hi was part of a larger plot?”

“Everything’s going to be okay, Joan We’ll investigate every piece of evidence we find If a clue surfaces in your memory, you knohere to reach me”

The brass house nuateposts that flanked the driveway leading to a handsoate was open, revealing ardens inside the walls Conklin pulled his car up the long driveway and parked it between a blue Mercedes XL sedan and a silver Bentley

“Which one is Robert’s car?” he asked Joan

“The Mercedes The Bentley is mine”

Conklin went around to the passenger side and helped Joan out of the car He retrieved her handbag from the foot well and held it open for her while she searched inside it for her keys When she found them, she handed the set to him

They reached the front door, and Conklin unlocked it He pushed the door open and said, “Stay here I’ll go in first tois safe”

Conklin took three steps into the roohts were on inside the house, but the security alarms weren’t set

He called out, “Mr Murphy? This is the SFPD”

There was no answer Conklin drew his gun and held it out, but he kept the h the foyer, which e area decorated withthe far wall looked out over laith topiary and a s pool was across the lawn and off to the right

He called Mr Murphy’s na frolass doors, where a set of teak outdoor furniture faced the ocean

Aa sheaf of paper in his hand He was big, not just tall, but well-built and handso what looked to be a cashn of injury

Conklin said, “Mr Murphy?”

The et into my house?”