Part 31 (2/2)
Kathryn ignored her.
”I mean, she's so young. And she's pregnant. Or was.” Her voice was plaintive, like a child's.
”They were murdered less than three weeks ago.”
”You're not here to take her home?” Her eyes s.h.i.+fted from Ryan to me. I could see tiny yellow flecks in the green irises. ”You're not her parents?”
”No.”
”They're dead?”
”Yes.”
”Her babies?”
I nodded.
Her hand went to her mouth, then fluttered to her lap, like a b.u.t.terfly unsure where to light. Carlie tugged her skirt, and the hand dropped to stroke his head.
”How could someone do something like that? I mean, I didn't know them, but, how could someone kill a whole family? Kill babies?”
”We all pa.s.s through,” said El, placing an arm around the girl's shoulders. ”Death is merely a transition in the process of growth.”
”A transition to what?” asked Ryan.
There was no answer. At that moment a white van pulled to the curb in front of the People's Bank on the far side of Bay Street. El squeezed Kathryn's shoulders and nodded toward it. Then she gathered Carlie, rose, and extended her hand. Kathryn took it and got to her feet.
”I wish you the best of luck,” said El, and the two women set off toward the van.
I watched them a moment, then downed the last of my c.o.ke. As I looked for a trash can something under the bench caught my eye. The cover to Carlie's cup.
I dug a card from my purse, scribbled a number, and s.n.a.t.c.hed up the lid. Ryan looked amused as I bolted from the bench.
She was just climbing into the van.
”Kathryn,” I called from the middle of the street.
She looked up, and I waved the cover in the air. Behind her the clock on the bank said five-fifteen.
She spoke into the van then walked toward me. When she reached out I gave her the lid with my card tucked inside.
Her eyes met mine.
”Call me if you'd like to talk.”
She turned without a word, walked back to the van, and got in. I could see Dom's blond head silhouetted behind the wheel as they disappeared up Bay Street.
Ryan and I showed the snapshot at another pharmacy and several fast-food restaurants, then drove to Sheriff Baker's office. Ivy Lee told us his domestic situation had turned into a standoff. An unemployed sanitation worker was barricaded in his house with his wife and three-year-old daughter, threatening to shoot everyone. Baker would not be joining us that evening.
”Now what?” I asked Ryan. We were standing in the Duke Street parking lot.
”I don't think Heidi was making the night scene, so we're not going to accomplish anything running around to bars and clubs.”
”No.”
”Let's call it a day. I'll drive you back to the Love Boat.”
”It's the Melanie Tess Melanie Tess.”
”Tess. Is that something you eat with corn bread and greens?”
”Ham hocks and yams.”
”Do you want the ride?”
”Sure.”
We rode in silence most of the way. I'd found Ryan annoying all day and couldn't wait to be free of him. We were on the bridge when he broke the silence.
”I doubt she'd go to beauty parlors or tanning salons.”
”That's amazing. I can see why you made detective.”
”Maybe we should focus on Brian. Maybe he worked for a time.”
”You've already run him. There's no tax record, right?”
”Nothing.”
”He could have been paid in cash.”
”That narrows the possibilities.”
We turned in at Ollie's.
”So where do we go from here?” I asked.
”I never got that hush puppy.”
”I meant the investigation. You're on your own for dinner. I'm going to go home, take a shower, and make myself a scrumptious plate of instant macaroni. In that order.”
”Jesus, Brennan, that stuff has more preservatives than Lenin's cadaver.”
”I've read the label.”
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