Part 30 (1/2)
Yesterday had not been the best of days. Kara had swung between depression and anxious agitation. But he had enjoyed being with Jill. The kid was a joy. Plus having her along had forced Kara to keep it light most of the time.
Rob dragged them around on a tour of his personal favorite sights in Manhattan, from the New York Yacht Club on 44th Street with its second-story windows that looked like the stems of Spanish galleons, then to the Dakota, then for a ride on the Roosevelt Island cable tramway, and finally to the top of the Chrysler Building. Kara seemed to perk up a little, but whenever Jill was out of earshot, Kara had rambled on about strange dreams, and Gates being there. Rob was beginning to worry about her mental stability.
Maybe today would be better.
”What's the beef?” Rob said to Manetti.
”This Bannion case-it's turning into a pretzel.”
Manetti dropped into the chair next to Rob's desk. He was a compact, well muscled man with jet black hair, fas.h.i.+onably short on top and sides, and long in the back. He and Rob had come up about the same time arid often worked together.
Rob said, ”The unknown prints from the Plaza and the electric bill match Bannion's, right?”
”Right. That was a d.a.m.n good guess.”
”A deduction, my dear Augie. A deduction.”
”No s.h.i.+t, Sherlock. But I went you one better. I had the M.E. take a bite impression from Bannion. And guess where it found a perfect match?”
”Kelly Wade's shoulder!”
”Riiiiight!”
Manetti held out a hand, palm up. Rob slapped it.
”That's better than prints!” Rob said.
”You know it. The prints don't say when he was there. But the bite match says he was with Kelly Wade at the very end. And I expect the DNA match on the s.e.m.e.n to show he was in in her as well!” her as well!”
Rob wondered how Kara would take that. Not well, he figured.
”Nice work.”
”Found the murder weapon, too. One of the kitchen knives. Traces of Bannion's blood in the groove between the handle and the blade. No prints on it, though.”
”Still, it sounds like you had yourself a pretty good Sunday, Augie.”
”Up to a point. Then things get screwy. I mean, Bannion writes the name of Kelly's psychiatrist in his own blood on the floor. But nowhere in the place is there a single print that belongs to this Dr. Gates.”
”d.a.m.n. Probably wore gloves.”
”Maybe. Maybe not. Because you know whose prints the place is lousy with?”
”I can hardly wait to hear.”
”The other Wade girl. Kelly's twin. What's her name-Kara?”
Rob froze. He stared at Manetti. He wasn't kidding. Why would he? He didn't know of Rob's past history with Kara-or of his continuing interest.
”Christ!” Rob said.
”My sentiments exactly! See what I mean about screwy? We got a dead guy named Bannion we can link to the death of Kelly Wade, maybe not as her killer, if indeed she was killed, but right there on top of the scene of her death-and right there on top of her, as well, if you know what I mean and I think you do. And we can put Kelly Wade's twin sister at the scene of this Bannion guy's death. But whose name does Bannion write on the floor in his own blood? The psychiatrist who was treating Kelly Wade!”
”You want another twist in your pretzel?” Rob said, still 'numb from the news that Kara had been in Bannion's apartment.
”Sure. Why not? Hit me.”
”Dr. Gates is Kara Wade's psychiatrist, too.”
”No s.h.i.+t!” Manetti clapped his hands and laughed. ”I'm gonna have to write a book about this one!”
A book, Rob thought. Kara was writing a book. He hoped she wouldn't have to finish it in jail.
”So!” Manetti said. ”What do we do now? Pick up the twin?”
Rob stopped himself from shouting No No! But it wasn't easy. He forced himself to lean back in the chair and look as if he were seriously considering the suggestion. He had to buy Kara some time. She hadn't killed Bannion. He was sure of that.
At least he thought he was sure.
”Not yet. If her prints were on the knife or if Bannion had written her her name on the floor, we'd have her all but sentenced. But they're not and he didn't. He wrote 'Gates.' So I'm going to look into Gates. In the meantime, why don't you run a background check on Kara Wade.” name on the floor, we'd have her all but sentenced. But they're not and he didn't. He wrote 'Gates.' So I'm going to look into Gates. In the meantime, why don't you run a background check on Kara Wade.”
That ought to buy us a couple of days.
”Will do.”
Manetti headed for his desk while Rob sat and brooded at his own. He was faced with unanswerable questions.
But what would he do when the time ran out? And how could he tell Kara she was at Bannion's place without sending her off the deep end?
The only way he knew how: Come right out and say it.
1:30 P.M.
”Maybe I was was there, Rob,” Kara said. there, Rob,” Kara said.
She was surprised at how calm she felt. But after all, she had been antic.i.p.ating this moment all day. Memories of the other night's dream had prepared her for it.
”You were there, Kara,” Rob said. ”Fingerprints don't lie.”
She nodded, echoing him. ”Fingerprints don't lie.”
”But another thing they don't do is tell us when when you were there.” you were there.”
”It was probably Sat.u.r.day morning. But just my body body was there. was there. I I wasn't.” wasn't.”
”You mean... Janine.”
She didn't answer him. They were sitting twelve stories up in the front window of Ellen's co-op, overlooking East 46th Street. They were alone in the living room for the moment. Ellen was out at a luncheon. Jill was in the kitchen helping the cook with a batch of tollhouse cookies. Kara looked down at the snarled traffic below as she debated whether or not to tell Rob what she had come to believe. It was so incredible, so outre, that she scarcely believed it herself. But it explained everything.