The Artist and the Actor – 28

 

As Detective Randall had promised, a police security expert stopped by Colin's house twenty minutes after he got home. The officer checked the system and then called Randall, while Colin listened, to tell him that Colin had arrived home around ten Sunday evening.

 

"He armed the system, and it wasn't disarmed until just after noon on Monday. He says that's when he let a friend in. There's no way he could have tampered with the system to change the time-stamps."

 

Colin was relieved to hear him say that. Not that I've got a clue how to mess with it, but at least that leaves me in the clear for Logan's murder.

 

Once the man had left, Colin started up to his studio before deciding he really was not in the mood to paint—a rarity for him. "But after my meeting with the good detective," he grumbled. "Talk about a mood killer."

 

He'd missed lunch and was hungry, so he debated making something, nuking one of the frozen dinners in the freezer, or going out.

 

"Maybe Shane's finished with his rehearsal." He wasn't certain why he wanted to have his company for dinner, as they'd already planned on doing that on Saturday. Lonely? Need someone to talk to and he's available, maybe? Because I want to see him, in spite of everything that's happened in the past, and telling him about Randall gives me a good excuse? All of the above? He figured that was probably it. Taking out his phone, he brought up Shane's number and called. It went to voice mail, so he said, "If you get this in the next half-hour, call me."

 

With nothing to keep him busy at the moment, he picked up the paperback he'd been reading and settled on the sofa. He was deeply engrossed in it when his phone rang.  

 

"What's up?" Shane asked when Colin answered.

 

"Any chance you can get away for dinner?"

 

"It's not Saturday."

 

Colin's shoulders slumped. "I guess that answers that question."

 

"I was teasing," Shane replied. "You bet I can. Where?"

 

Colin named a downtown restaurant, Shane agreed to meet him there at five, and they hung up.