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“He left on trip and I tried to go to the store to buy food when there was no more, but he was waiting for me when I returned. It was not good. He found out about the money.”
“He didn’t want the neighbors to see you or for you to talk to people without him,” Jack said. “He was afraid you would tell them the truth.”
“This is all I have. This is my home. He paid for everything. I have food and nice clothes. I have nothing without him.”
“Did you know he was married?” Jack asked.
“No,” she said. “He did not talk about that. Just business. Always business. He stayed over every Friday night. Like tonight. But he usually come during the day. Sometimes for breakfast, usually for lunch. He said he was busy man but had needs. Then he would leave until next time. It was really not so bad. He mostly left me alone.”
“You speak English well,” I said.
She nodded. “The house mother insisted we all learn languages. English, German, Italian. She told us if we could satisfy them well then our station might be elevated. She said it was great honor to be bought.”
“We believe someone targeted only David Sowers tonight,” Jack said. “Did he ever speak about being in danger or feeling threatened?”
“No,” she said. “He was always the one in control. I cannot imagine him being afraid of anyone.”
“What about his work?” I asked.
“I do not understand when he talks about work,” she said. “He uses big words. But I know he is very important. There is a man. Roger Goodwill I think is his name. There is a trial coming soon.”
I wasn’t familiar with the name, but I could tell by the look on Jack’s face that he was.
“The people you were having dinner with tonight,” Jack said. “Do you know them?”
“Not well,” she said. “Except for Mr. Kirby. Mr. David has only taken me to restaurant a couple of times. As a reward for obeying.”
“Kirby?” Jack asked.
“I do not know his other name,” Kateryna said. “Mr. David only told me I must call him Mr. Kirby. He was with Mr. David when Anna left.”
“Oh, was he?” Jack asked, and I could tell things were not going to go well for whoever Mr. Kirby was. “What about the drugs?”
Kateryna pressed her lips together tightly and her wan face managed to lose any remaining color.
“Drugs are bad,” she said. “House mother always said that we should not do drugs because that is how you end up dead, and when you are dead no one makes a profit.”
“Drugs are bad,” Jack agreed. “David Sowers used them.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” she said. “He want me to do it too, but I told him no. Sometimes I wanted to take them.” She looked ashamed, as if she were giving a grave confession. “Sometimes when he took the drugs he would go crazy. And I thought maybe if I took them too then it would not be so bad. Maybe I would not remember.”
“You were right not to take them,” Jack assured her.
“He always kept some here,” she said. “Can you take it? I do not know what to do now that he is gone. What to do with his things.”
Jack arched a brow. “He left his things here?”
“Yes,” she said. “Come to the bedroom. I will show you.” Then she looked back over her shoulder and smiled—the first smile I’d seen from her. “I say that to men before, but it is different this time.”
Her humor caught us both off guard and we laughed a little uncomfortably.
“Yes, it is different this time,” Jack said.
The bedroom was large and the corner picture windows looked out over the street. I could see the glow from the neon sign at the Purple Pig, as well as part of the park and the courthouse. The bed was as large as a lake, and like the other room everything was all white except for the colorful pillows and afghans. There were no personal pictures. No decorative pieces or jewelry that a woman normally had sitting around.
“These afghans are beautiful,” I said, touching one in hues of deepest navy that faded to sky blue.
