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“She’s a good person, Lieutenant. I know how this must seem to you, but it’s costing her to walk away from this.”
“It should. Don’t you Family Court suits stand for the rights of the child?”
“For the family—and for what’s in the best interests. After talking with Jenny, after seeing Matt, I can’t state that trying to hold them to their agreement is in Nixie’s best interests.”
“You could hold off a few days, see if they change their mind.”
“I have to file the papers, at her request. But I can slow things down a little. And I will. But I can tell you, they won’t change their minds. They’re leaving the city after the funeral. They’ve already made arrangements to move upstate, with her family. Matt’s been given a leave of absence, and she’s closed her practice. It’s . . .”
He lifted his hands, let them fall again as he sat back. “The lives they had are destroyed. They may build another—I hope they do. But it won’t ever be the same. Nixie’s part of what they lost. They can’t—won’t—have that reminder. I’ll do whatever I can for Nixie. I can probably swing temporary custody. I’ll speak with the blood relative she has left, see if that’s the right direction.”
“I’ll need you to keep me apprised of any movement or progress in the resolution of her guardianship.”
“I will. My God, I’m sorry. Sick and sorry for everyone. Look, can I get you something? I need some water. Gotta pop a blocker. I’ve got a headache coming on.”
Don’t we all, she thought. “No, I’m good. Go ahead.”
He rose, went to Vending for a bottle of water. When he returned, he popped a small pill, washed it down.
“Lieutenant, the Dysons are good people. It’s costing Jenny to walk away from Nixie, from the promise she gave to people she loved. She’s never going to forgive herself for it, but she just doesn’t have anything left. And Matt, he’s broken to pieces. I’m not having an easy time holding it together myself.”
“I need you to do just that. I need to ask you about some of Grant Swisher’s cases.”
“Anything I can tell you.” He drank more water, capped the bottle off. “If I can’t, Sade can. She’s got a brain like a motherboard.”
“Cases where Judge T. Moss presided.”
“Judge Moss? He was killed some years ago. Horrible tragedy. His boy, too. Car bomb. They never caught who did it.”
“I’m aware of that. Can you remember any cases, anything that stands out where Swisher was attorney of record, Moss on the bench, and a caseworker named Karin Duberry was involved?”
“Duberry.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he concentrated. “Something vaguely familiar, but I don’t know anybody by that name. Hold on.”
He reached for his pocket ’link. Within seconds, Sade was on-screen. “Did Grant work with a CPS rep, Karin Duberry?”
“The one who was strangled last year?”
“I don’t—” He looked toward Eve, got a nod. “Yeah.”
“Sure. They were on cases—same side and opposing. Why?”
“How about both of them going before Judge Moss?”
“Had to, I’d think. Odds in favor. What’s the deal, Dave?”
“I don’t know.”
“Mind?” Eve asked, and before he could answer took the ’link herself. “Lieutenant Dallas. Do you remember any threats by any participant in a case where Moss, Duberry, and Swisher were all involved?”
“Nothing springs. You’ve got copies of the case files. There’d be notes. Jesus, these are connected? You think the people who killed Grant blew up Judge Moss, killed the caseworker?”
“I’m looking into it. I’ll need you available if I need to talk to you again.”
“You can count on it.”
Eve handed the ’link back.
“Thanks, Sade. I’ll pick you up at two-thirty.” He shut off the ’link. “We’re going to the funeral together. Look, Lieutenant, I can go over the case files myself. See if any of them bring back any coffee-break chatter. Grant and I bitched to each other plenty. You know, partners.”
