The Borrowed and Blue Murders (The Zoe Hayes Mysteries) (3 page)

Despite Sam’s stinking cigars and Tony’s tendency to float, I was enjoying their visit more than I’d expected. I’d been raised as an only child and was intrigued at having brothers, even if they were only in-laws. Beyond that, through Nick’s siblings I was meeting a new part of him, the big brother part. It was fascinating how he slipped into his old role, how easily he ordered the younger ones around, how mercilessly he razzed them. In fact, Nick glowed in his brothers’ company. And Nick was not alone; Molly worshipped both her uncles, climbing onto one lap or another with neither shyness nor hesitation, as if either were her domain.

But now, our celebration had been disrupted. I stood locked in Tony’s arms, absorbing their affection. When he released me, I began to explain what had happened. But as he stared at me in disbelief, Sam came red faced, huffing, out of the fog, and I had to begin the horrific story all over again.

D
ETECTIVE
D
ONALLY
LET ME
go upstairs to change Luke’s diaper. The baby stirred and yawned, but having a full tummy, he didn’t completely wake up. I tucked him into his crib, covering him with his dinosaur comforter, my arms suddenly cold and empty without his warmth. I stood by the crib, watching him, stalling, avoiding going back downstairs. But voices rose. Men, agitated.

“Oh yeah? Well, I guess you’re going to have to shoot me. Cuz I’m going in.”

“Step back, sir.”

“Move aside, Detective. I have a right to know what’s—”

“I warned you.”

“—out there.”

“Stop right there, sir!”

There was a scuffle. Footsteps pounded. Furniture scraped the hardwood floors. Something slammed to the floor. Sam yelled, “Tony?” And Tony called, “Sam!”

I ran down the stairs and, following the commotion, found everyone in my living room, suddenly silent and motionless. Donally and another detective stood beside my overturned wing- back, hands at their hips, ready to draw their guns. Two uniformed officers stood near the fireplace, weapons already drawn. And Sam and Tony, like bug-eyed twins, stood side by side, oblivious to the police, staring out the patio door.

“Okay? Happy now? You two seen what you wanted?”

On the patio, forensic workers froze, gaping at the scene in my living room.

“Oh, this is bad.” Sam’s growl was lower than usual. “Zoe said there was a body, but this—I didn’t expect this; did you?” He waited for a response, but Tony didn’t say anything. Tony didn’t move, didn’t blink.

“This is bad.” Sam rubbed his face. “This is— This is bad.”

“Okay? Now, if you will, gentlemen, back away from the door.” Detective Donally stepped forward, arms out, apparently protecting his crime scene.

Ignoring him, I stepped over my wingback and joined the brothers.

“Ma’am.” Donally glowered my way. “That includes you. Step back. Unless you want me to arrest the whole lot of you for interfering with a homicide investigation.”

But we didn’t step back. Sam reached for my hand, shaking his head. “This is bad.” It seemed to be all he could say.

Tony remained dazed, his eyes riveted on the body, his skin the color of a kosher dill. The detectives watched us warily, the officers’ guns still aimed at us as if they thought we might storm the patio.

Gently, I touched Tony’s arm. “Tony?”

Tony blinked, as if suddenly awakened. Without a word, he pivoted and ran from the room. Nobody stopped him as he dashed past police with drawn weapons, heading for the powder room. Slowly, Sam and I moved away from the sliding door and slumped onto my sofa. When the guns were holstered, I made proper introductions and, then, the questioning resumed.

I
TOLD
D
ETECTIVE
D
ONALLY
what I knew and what I’d seen, which didn’t amount to much. No, I did not know the woman. I’d never seen her before. I’d heard nothing unusual. I had no idea why she’d come onto our patio. I’d been out all morning with the baby. I hadn’t touched anything.

Sometime during my statement, Nick appeared. At first glance, I thought it was Tony. But then, I saw the scar etched into Nick’s face. Thank God. Nick was here. We would all be all right. I thought he’d embrace me as Tony had, but he didn’t. He turned to Sam, furious.

“Sam, what the hell went down here?” As if Sam, the next eldest, should have taken charge, should have somehow prevented the murder.

Sam hunched slightly, as if dodging blame. “Tony and I came in and this is what we found. We tried to call you.”

“Yo—Stiles?” Detective Donally seemed surprised to see Nick. In the confusion, no one had thought to mention that Nick, a senior homicide detective, lived in the house. “What brings you here?”

“Do I need your permission to be here, Detective?” From Nick’s tone, I guessed he wasn’t a fan of Donally.

Donally eyed Nick. “I took the call, so I repeat my question: What brings—”

“Don’t repeat. I live here.”

“What?” Donally was stunned. “No shit.”

Nick scanned the room, then the patio, coldly, quickly, taking in details.

“We got to talk, Stiles.”

Nick raised a hand, making Donally wait as, finally, he stooped and took my hands, his blue eyes searching me. “Are you all right?”

I nodded. I was, now that he was home. “But I have no idea what happened.”

He touched my face. “Where’s Luke?”

I pointed at the ceiling. “Sleeping.”

Nick looked from me, to Sam, to the body beyond the sliding door. Then he stood. “Okay, then. Jim, Al? A word?” Nick put his arm on Detective Donally’s shoulder and guided him to the far corner of the room where they and the other detective conferred in hushed tones, heads together.

Beside me on the sofa, Sam kept sighing, rubbing his chin. “Never saw a thing like that in my whole life. How can that son of a gun do it?” I thought he meant the killer, but he was watching Nick. “What kind of a frickin’ job is that? Tell me. Isn’t there a better way to make a living? Why does he do it? Dealing with crap like this? Seeing stuff like this? It’s no kind of life. If he’d go into business with me like I tell him, he’d make ten times as much, believe me.” He sighed again. “But that’s Nick. Him and frickin’ Eli. Always was drawn to the dark side. Don’t ask me why.”

We sat silently, watching Nick gather information, working with the small army that had set up in our home. Sam’s cell phone rang repeatedly; repeatedly, he told callers he’d get back to them, a family situation had come up—the darnedest thing—and he’d tell them all about it later. Nick and the other detectives were outside on the patio when Tony finally emerged from the powder room, still pale, and delicately lowered himself onto the sofa between Sam and me.

“You okay?” I knew it was a stupid question even as I asked it; his face looked grayer than the dead woman’s.

He nodded. The three of us sat unmoving as if joined at the hips, waiting.

After a while, Tony cleared his throat. “That woman?” His voice was scratchy. “I’ve seen her before.”

I looked from Tony to Sam, who was looking at me. “Wait. What?”

“You know her?”

Sam and I spoke together.

Tony hunkered down, watching the sliding door. “This morning. I went out to get the newspaper.” His voice sounded raw. “I bent down to pick it up, and she ran right into me. I mean, smack into me. Full force. Bam. I nearly went down.”

“You’re sure it was her?”

“Positive.”

“But why—I mean, how come she’d run into you? Didn’t she see you?”

Tony shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe she wasn’t looking.”

I didn’t know what to say, and I had no idea what the significance of the collision might be.

“Are you sure it’s the same broad?” Sam used words like
broad.

“Christ, Sam—yes, I’m sure. She just about fell on top of me.”

“But how can you be? That chick out there—she’s all messed up.”

“Sam. It’s her. Her face isn’t messed up. And I recognize her sweat suit—it’s University of Michigan. Her ponytail. Her eye shadow. How many women joggers were dressed like that this morning on this street? It’s her. I’m absolutely positive.”

Sam seemed unconvinced.

“She slammed into me, Sam. She grabbed on to me to steady herself. We both almost hit the ground. We were like holding on to each other, face-to-face, and—I don’t know. We had a moment.”

“You had a moment?” Sam blinked. “You? With a dame?”

Tony shrugged. “Not everything is about sex, Sam.”

What? Wait, what were they saying? Was Tony gay?

“Says you.”

“I’m telling you, we had a moment. A purely nonsexual one, a human-to-human moment. It was intense. Like her eyes bored a hole into my head.”

Sam paused, as if absorbing the information. “This is unbelievable. You’re telling us that this morning, that dead dame came on to you.”

“She didn’t come on to me—”

“But it’s the same broad. You’re positive?”

“How many times do I have to say so? Yes. I’m positive.”

“Son of a gun.” Sam shook his head, baffled. “The kid doesn’t even like women, but he goes out for the paper and some hot blonde jumps him.”

“She didn’t jump me. She collided with me.”

“Whatever. A few hours later, she ends up gutted like a deer. In the back of the place where you’re staying.”

Again, for a moment, the three of us sat silent. I wondered why Nick hadn’t mentioned that Tony was gay. Not that it mattered, but still. And I didn’t know what it meant that Tony had seen the victim before. In fact, I wasn’t sure it meant anything at all. But, clearly, the police had to be told. I stood to go get Nick and almost tripped over Oliver, who’d been watching us beside the wingback. Damn, I’d forgotten about Oliver—it had been hours. He must need to go out. But I couldn’t let him out back; it was a crime scene with a body on the ground. I’d have to take him out front. I knocked on the window, motioning Nick to come inside.

Oliver gave out an accusatory bark. Then, watching me, slowly and deliberately, he lifted a leg and piddled on my hardwood floor.

B
Y THREE O’CLOCK, THE
fog had mostly burned off, and Sam and I waited at the corner for Molly’s school bus. Sam tried to divert my attention from the crime by talking about various time- share properties he was selling, pushing me to think about investing in the Bahamas or Playa del Something-or-other, just outside of Cancun. After all, with two kids, Nick and I would want a place for family vacations. I tuned Sam out, watching for the bus, wondering how I would explain to Molly why police cars were blocking the street, double-parked in front of our house where the bus normally dropped her off. At least there were no sirens or flashing lights.

Finally, the bus pulled up to the corner, and Molly burst out the door and bounced down the steps, yellow curls flying as she looked up the street. “Mom, what happened?”

Not “hello.” Not a kiss or hug. Molly greeted us with a wide, suspicious gaze and a direct question.

“How was your day, Molls?” I dodged. Actually, her question hadn’t entirely startled me. Molly had an unflinching way of confronting trouble. But so soon? Even before hello? My explanation wasn’t ready. I glanced at Sam, who glanced at me.

“Here’s my girl.” He reached for her, scooped her off the ground. “Give your uncle a hug.”

But Molly wouldn’t be distracted, even as she perched in Sam’s hefty arms. “Why are you guys here? You never wait for my bus.”

Ouch. She was right. I hadn’t greeted her bus in months, not since Luke was born. Did she feel neglected? Guilty, I fumbled for an answer. I never lied to Molly, but I hadn’t fully figured out what I was going to say. The day had passed in a blur, and suddenly it had been time for her bus to pull up. How could I explain the confusion going on inside her house? The place was still crawling with police and forensic people. The body had been removed, but blood stained the back deck and yellow tape surrounded the yard. Molly watched me, waiting. From Sam’s arms, her eyes were level with mine.

I took a breath, deciding to be blunt. “Well, actually—”

“It’s so warm out, we figured it was a good day for you to take me to the zoo.”

The zoo?

“The zoo?” Molly frowned, peering into Sam’s face, perplexed. “But it’s a school day.” To her, the idea of going to the zoo on a school day was clearly preposterous.

She turned to me. I closed my mouth, trying not to look surprised at Sam’s invitation.

“It was a school day,” Sam acknowledged. “But it’s Friday. No school tomorrow. And it’s not a normal Friday, either. First of all, it’s finally nice outside. And, second, your uncle’s visiting and needs a young lady to escort him around town.”

Molly looked from him to me, from me to him. My daughter was no fool, and she wanted to know what was up. I made myself smile. “Molls, it’s okay. You can go if you want.”

“Something happened, didn’t it? On our street.”

“Everybody’s okay, Molls. We’ll tell you all about it later.”

“What happened?” She wouldn’t be put off. “Where’s Luke?”

“Luke’s fine. He’s home with Nick.”

“And Uncle Tony?”

“Tony’s fine, too. We’re all okay, but—” Oh dear. How to say it? “But somebody got hurt. A woman—”

“The police are taking care of it,” Sam interrupted. “But while we’re standing here yakking, time’s wasting. What do you say, Molly? Let’s go. We’ve only got a couple hours till they close.”

“You mean you want to go right now? This minute?”

“Yes, ma’am. This very one.” Sam set her down and helped her remove the book bag from her shoulders.

“But, Mom, I have a project. It’s due on Monday.”

“No problem. You have all weekend. I’ll help you.”

“Mom?” Molly was still suspicious. “Luke’s really okay?”

“Yes. I told you. He’s with Nick and Tony.”

“Wait—Nick? Why’s Nick home so early? Because of the woman? So she’s dead? Why didn’t you tell me she was dead? Who was she?” Molly’s mind worked quickly, putting facts together. Too comfortable with murder, too familiar with Nick’s work.