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“I just wanted her to poke her head out,” Lawrence implores. “Show me she was okay. I didn’t need hours of her time. Hell knows,Ididn’t have hours to spare. But she wasn’t answering the phone, and then she wasn’t answering the door. I knew something was up, but short of kicking the door in and getting myself arrested, I had no choice but to leave.”
“And the next morning,” Janine sniffles, bringing a shaking hand up to wipe beneath her nose. “It was too late.”
“I don’t know which would be worse,” Lawrence mutters. “Suicide, or murder. They’re both so unfair. She still had so much life to live.”
“She didn’t commit suicide.” Minka hardens her tone and finds solace in talking death. This is where she’s comfortable, when so few others are. “She didn’t do this to herself. So hopefully, you can take comfort in knowing she was strong and wanted to live. Life had been unfair to her, leaving her all alone in this world to survive on her own. But she was tough, and she was doing it.”
Lawrence’s sharp stare, the one he would have perfected as a fearsome district attorney, jumps to me. “You need to figure out who hurt her, Detective. Figure out who took her life. Then you give me his name ten minutes sooner than you give it to anyone else.”
I choke out a soft laugh and shake my head. “Not happening.”
“I won’t touch him,” he promises darkly. “I won’t go anywhere near him.”
“And yet,” I ponder wryly, “I feel like he’ll turn up dead in the bay.”
Bringing my hand up, I rub it across my chin and think. Sift through days of information, and try to sort out everything we know so far.
Michel Heenan: security. And he cared about her.
Ever Mathers: therapy. Cared about her.
Gina Waters: publicist. Cared about her income, which, in a way, transfers to caring about the person.
Walter James: ex piece of shit. He cares only about himself. But whoever killed Anna was someone she trusted. Someone she let into her home.
Then we have the entire Copeland Condors basketball team: none of which really cared about her on a personal level. But none so far, except maybe Vance Perry, are popping for me. And even he doesn’t have my instincts jumping up and down.
“I don’t know where to look next.” I scrub my hand over my jaw until the crackle of my stubble becomes audible. “She knew too many people, and too many of them wanted something from her.”
“We think,” hesitantly, Janine steps forward, “that whoever hurt her, needs to have had access to her for the better part of a week. Not just the night of the murder, but for days prior. Someone Anna would’ve trusted and spent several days with, someone who could come and go from the house freely. You’re looking for someone who has no alibi for an entire week.”
“We’ll keep running everyone she knew,” I assure her. “Probably should take another swing with the maid and find out who came by the house most often. Get a feel for who’s comfortable there.” But then I bring my gaze up again and lock onto Lawrence’s. “Your failure to speak to the police is a crime, Mayor.”
He scoffs. “Minimally.”
“It’s interfering with an investigation. Looks pretty damning to me.”
He glances to Minka and shakes his head. “I didn’t hurt Anna. And I only ‘collect’ women that I consider to be really special.”
He loves the good doctor, even if he can’t say it out loud.
He would lay his life down for her, but can’t tell her so without risking a freakout.
Mayor Lawrence, like me, fell head over heels in love with Minka Mayet after their first meeting. But our loves are different. Our intentions. Interactions. It’s all different. But at the end of the day, it’s about making sure she’s happy and safe.
And there isn’t a chance in hell I’d make that kind of unconditional love go away.
“Would you like to stay for dinner, Doctor Mayet?” Janine nervously wrings her hands together. “It’s about that time, and we’re all under considerable stress. I doubt you’ve eaten properly since this began.”
“No thanks. I had a late lunch, so I’m not really hungry.” Minka tries her hardest not to screamhell fucking no!and turns to me for rescue.Get me out of here. Please don’t make me have dinner with the mayor.
Taking pity on her, I extend my hand and tug her closer when she grabs on. “We have plans tonight, Mrs. Lawrence. But thank you for the invitation.” I look to the mayor, whose eyes glitter with something a little lighter now. Humor at Minka’s reluctance to stay, instead of bone-deep grief for the woman he lost.
If he cared for Anna the way he cares for Minka, then the loss he’s feeling this week would crush a lesser man.
It would destroyme, I’m not ashamed to admit.
Not that I would have to live long without Minka. If it was her already laid up in the morgue, I’d be running the investigation… but I’d be doing it without a badge and a departmentally supplied weapon. I’d do it quietly. Underhandedly.
