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“Why?”
“They’ll be wondering where we are…Dan and me. I should tell them.”
“This isn’t that big a town, Theo; they’ll have heard.”
“They should hear it from me.”
Gus started to say something and then stopped, thinking better of his objection. “I’ll meet you there if you like…walk you home.”
Theo shook her head. “You can’t go in late and leave early.”
He smiled. “I’m a partner.”
Theo laughed. It sounded strange, felt strange to laugh. Still, she would not countenance asking anything more of her brother’s time, his life. She didn’t want to become that relative…the one who imposed, who always needed looking after. Gus had already cheerfully done more for her than anyone had a right to expect. But she could see that he was worried.
“I’ll take Horse with me,” she said as the hound rested its large head on her arm and looked hopefully at her pancakes. “He’ll protect me—won’t you, Horsey?”
Gus groaned. “Please don’t call him that—it makes you both sound ridiculous.”
Regardless, Horse seemed amenable to the plan, and so it was decided. Once Horse had finished the pancakes, Theo and Gus made their way to the Lawrence Police Department as promised. They gave their statements again. Theo answered questions about her relationship with Daniel Murdoch, and her memories felt desecrated by the harsh factual detail demanded, the knowing looks that passed between the officers. They asked her about Dan Murdoch’s friends and relatives. She directed them to Benders…Perhaps someone there knew more… As for kin, he had never spoken of any. They asked about her last conversation with Dan, persisting until she had given them an almost verbatim account.
“So you felt angry that he refused to help you?”
“No…just embarrassed.”
“Why?”
“Asking for help is difficult, I guess.”
“Especially when it’s refused.”
Theo said nothing. It was true. She’d been humiliated.
“And after you’d slept with him.”
“That wasn’t why I—” Theo choked.
“So you were in love with Mr. Murdoch?”
“Yes.” Theo stopped trying to deny it. It was a just a fledging love, but however new and fragile and impulsive, it had been love.
Detective Mendes leaned back, tipping his chair onto two legs. “So you went to his house to confront him about his refusal to help you…?” he prompted casually.
Theo looked up sharply. “Of course not.”
The detective glanced at the file before him. “Our records indicate you found Mr. Murdoch’s body.”
“Yes, I did…I just meant that I didn’t go to confront him.”
“What were you doing there?”
“I…I wanted to invite Dan to dinner.”
Mendes snorted derisively.
Gus spoke up. “Look, George, I asked Theo to invite Murdoch to dinner. I wanted to meet the bloke.”
“Why?”
