Irving Sample snapped the magnification lens closer to his worktable as he began a side-by-side comparison of the two crossword puzzles. The notes Lena had collected from the Brants’ bulletin board were laid out on the light box off to the side, along with other examples of their handwriting she’d pulled from the files in their desk, just in case. Sample hadn’t wanted to come in. And in the end, he didn’t. They were sitting in his study at his home in La Cañada, a small, affluent town in the hills overlooking Glendale. When Lena had made the call, he told her that he would prefer to examine the documents here. It was Sunday, his children were visiting from out of town, and he had everything he needed at the house to give them a preliminary finding. Lena didn’t mind, nor did Novak. La Cañada was only a twenty-minute drive from Parker Center and both of them needed to get some fresh air. What she didn’t expect when they arrived were the peacocks roaming freely about the neighborhood.
