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message slips until the end of the month, and then I archive them and take out the oldest month. There’s supposed to be six months of messages in here all the time, but I haven’t been here long enough to do that yet. Her calendar is on the computer and it’s synced with her phone.”
    “Do you save the phone records?”
    “Yes.” Hannah answered. “But it won’t have the last three weeks.”
    “I’ll call the phone company,” Archer said.
    “I can get it online. I have her password.”
    “Okay.” Archer was going to point out that Tug-o-War was for picnics, but he held his tongue. “What’s in the boxes?”
    “Old case files. She had me bring them from storage. She has a lot of stuff in storage.”
    “She defended a lot of rich scumbags before she came to her senses.” Archer muttered as he scooted over to the boxes and opened them.
    “Do you ever say anything nice?” Hannah asked.
    “Yeah.”
    Archer left it at that, but was relieved when he caught site of Hannah’s slight smile. His relief turned to remorse when he opened the first box and saw the files were People v. Hannah Sheraton. He put the lid back on and pushed the box aside. Josie was probably boning up for the custody hearing in a few days. The scumbag comment had definitely been uncalled for.  He opened the next one and pulled the original filing. The date showed it was a case Josie worked on long before they knew one another.
    “Want to do the calendar, messages or her notes first?”
    Archer abandoned the file search and turned back to the desk. Hannah was putting the messages into neat piles, trying to make them evenly stacked.
    “These are just personal things, so we can probably throw them away.”
    “Don’t do that.” Archer took one of the slips.
    “It’s from the plumber,” Hannah objected.
    “You never know.” Archer took the rest of them and fanned the pieces of paper. “Here. Carpet cleaner. He could be on parole. The plumber could have a beef about compensation. Maybe one of them saw something or someone that didn’t look right. It’s all worth looking at even though it might not be a priority. There’s another from the shop where she takes her Jeep. I know those folks. Unless they’ve had some personnel change I won’t spend too much time on them. Still, they might know something about the condition of the Jeep. What else do you have?”
    Hannah slid a few more messages his way.
    “These are ones from clients or potential clients. Mr. Horton is a potential new client. He asked for an appointment. Abby Wingate has a third DUI. She was really scared when she came in to see Josie. We can put her in the pile with the plumber.”
    Archer took those slips and put them in the low priority stack. Hannah was surprised but Archer paid no attention. When she was right, she was right.
    “Okay. Judge Kramer called.”
    “When was that?” Archer asked.
    “A week ago.”
    “I thought he retired when the South Bay courthouse closed. Did he say what he wanted?”
     “No. Maybe they just like to get together.”
    “Maybe.”
    Archer put that message aside and then fingered the first slip in that pile.
    “What do you know about this one? Horton.”
    “Nothing. But he said it wasn’t urgent.”
    “Is that it?”
    “No, a guy named Peter Siddon called. He didn’t leave a message. He never does. He sounds creepy. Angie might know more.” She handed the yellow slip to Archer who glanced at it.
    “This guy is in the high desert,” Archer mused. “When was the first time he called?”
    “About three weeks ago, but I don’t know if Josie talked to him.”
    “Okay,” Archer muttered and put it with those he would follow up on. He was reaching for the next pink slip when his phone rang. He was quick on the draw and quicker still to hang up.
    “They found Josie’s car.”

CHAPTER SIX:
    An Outbuilding in the California Mountains
     
    Someone was behind her.  Josie’s toes touched an ankle and then a narrow foot.