MASS MURDER (21 page)

There was a pause.
Then Rocky whispered, “And don’t throw a fit.”

Giorgio recognized that Rocky had just finished a childhood rhyme and chuckled
.

“Yeah, and don’t throw a fit.”
He moved over and sat next to his brother.
“I don’t know what it’s like to lose someone like Rebecca.
I’m sure it’s a pain you’ll never get over, but there are people here who don’t want to lose you, too.”

“I know.”

“Then don’t quit on me.”

Giorgio recognized the moment was about to crumble into a sophomoric show of emotion and decided to end it.
He took a deep breath.
“Okay, so you interviewed Julio and Frances.
They’re two of the new recruits, right?”

Rocky took a deep breath.
“Julio is from the
Chicago
area, apparently a “boys in the hood” kind of background.
Joined a gang and got arrested a few times.
Father somebody-or-other g
ot a hold of him and turned him
.
He decided to become a priest and attended seminary school in
Forest Park
.
When he graduated, he was referred here.
He’s been here only about six months.”

“Not much to go on.”

“No.
Of course, he says he didn’t know anyone at the conference and was working in the library last evening
with another monk
.
An older monk, a Father O’Leary, was with
the two of them
most of the time.”

“Most of the time?”

“After dinner, O’Leary became ill and went to the infirmary.
Not an airtight alibi, but he doesn’t seem to have any reason to commit murder.”

“What about Frances?”

Rocky took a deep breath and pulled his shoulders back.
“Not much better.
He’s from
San Francisco
.
His parents were both teachers.
He lived there most of his life.
Both parents dead.
No siblings. Decided the monastic life might be for him and came here just five months ago.
Likes it, but says it gets pretty quiet.”
Rocky smiled.
“He strikes me as the kind of guy who won’t make it.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He seems a little too slick for a place like this.
He seemed more interested in knowing if I’d ever been to
San Francisco
than talking about life here at the abbey.”

“No literary writing in either one of their backgrounds?”

“None.
In fact, in the case of Julio, I doubt there is writing of
any
kind.
I’ve got a feeling he got a lot of help in school.”

Giorgio sighed and got up.
“Make sure McCready gets your notes.
We still have to talk to Father Daniel.”

“I think Swan has him cornered now.”

“Good.
Then, let’s go.”

Chapter Thirteen

He watched the two officers leave the monastery grounds just before noon
−
the tall, good looking one and the shorter one he’d passed in the gift shop.
Someone had told him they were brothers, although they didn’t look alike.
He’d spoken briefly to the tall one in the hallway.
The man had
introduced himself as Officer Salvatori
.
An Italian.
A brother of sorts.
The officer had asked him much more probing questions than the young red-haired cop h
ad
.
He’d quickly realized he had to be careful not to contradict anything he’d said earlier.

It was the shorter officer though that worried him more. This was a man with an unwavering sense of confidence, a man focused on the outcome.
He was clearly in charge and someone who knew what he was doing.
He had to be the detective with homicide experience, the one who wasn’t supposed to be available to take the case.
Something had changed to make him available.

A murder like this had probably never happened in this sleepy little town.
It almost made him laugh.
They should live in New York where murders were common place, where he’d been weaned on death, where he and his older cousins grew up knowing that to live on the streets you had to have ice in your veins and follow the code or you were dead.

He turned and retreated down the
hall
thinking about his uncle and his many cousins left behind.
He’d
been gone six months, unable to call or talk with anyone he knew, living as a ghost among people he generally detested, never being able to relax his guard.
Until he was twenty-two, he’d had only one thing in mind
−
avenging his father’s death.
But he
’d
sc
rewed up.
Someone had seen him
,
and his uncle had stepped in
as he always did.
Even now the echo of his uncle’s words rang in his head
.

“You were always my favorite nephew, Danny. You’re like a son to me, but your mistakes are now my mistakes.
Mistakes I can’t afford.
So now you disappear – for good.
If I ever see your face again, if I ever hear of you again, I’ll kill you myself.
That’s a promise.”

An accident had been staged that very night on a lonely road in upstate New York.
A body, burned beyond recognition was found next to the twisted frame of his BMW.
His identification was found next to the body
,
and there was an eye witness who would swear he saw the car go off the road.
His uncle had given him money and the name of a willing plastic surgeon.
But he had no intention of staying hidden forever.
He had a life back in
New York
and wasn’t willing to give it up.
He’d always had a plan to return
,
and this little situation would
help him to get there.

Chapter Fourteen

Rose Calhoun sat on a stool behind the cash register at Mom’s Diner, her dyed
blonde
hair pulled up into a French roll, her skin showing every wrinkle of her seventy
-
plus years.
Posters of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe scattered the walls, along wit
h chrome hubcaps,
and a
framed
poodle skirt.

“You boys want some lunch?” she slurred through a set of heavy dentures.
“You should try the chili today.
Made it myself.”

Giorgio smiled
,
thinking that would be the last thing he’d order.
“We’ll probably go for the Pepperoni pizza today, Rose.”

“Suit yerself,” she said, dismissing him.
She hopped down from the stool, grabbed a couple of menus and led them to a back booth.
“I heard about that murder up at the monastery.”
She leaned a gnarled hand on the table as the brothers slid into their seats.
“You ask me, that monastery should have been torn down back when
the abbot
was murdered.”

“Whoa, there was another murder up there?” Rocky said in alarm.

“When they ran the boy’s school,” Giorgio informed him.
“One of the students killed the head priest.”

“Now, here we go again,”
Rose pursed her lips, accentuating the ruby red lipstick that crawled up the lines of her mouth.
“It don’t seem like such a holy place to me.”
She winked a heavily made up eye, turned on her heels and walked away.
“I’ll be back with your drinks.
The usual I presume.
”

“You didn’t tell me about that other murder,” Rocky scolded.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with Olsen’s murder, but it will give the media a lot to talk about.”

“No kidding.”
Rocky drummed the table with his fingers.

“
By the way, h
ave you heard anything about any kids on the grounds?”

“No.
Why would there be any kids there?”

“I saw one on the second floor landing last night.”

“It probably belonged to one of the conference attendees.
That or you’re imagining things.”

Giorgio grimaced, keeping his thoughts to himself.

“Got any theories yet?” Rocky asked, tapping the table
.

“I think whoever Mallery Olsen had a drink with strangled her in her room.
What I can’t figure out is how he got her down to the kitchen closet.
The only way to the first floor from her room is by that main staircase.
The two back staircases only lead to the monks
’
quarters
,
and there’s a wall in between the two wings of the building
on the second floor
.”

“Pretty risky to bring her down the main drag.”

“Someone at that conference knew Mallery Olsen.
The question is, did they come to the conference with the intention of killing her, or did something happen at the conference that precipitated her murder?”

“Are you going to her apartment this afternoon?”

Rose returned with their drinks
.
Rocky reached for his Root Beer. Giorgio waited
until she was out of ear shot.

“I want to talk with the caterers first.
Why don’t you finish with the monks?
Someone had to see something.
When do
you go off medical leave?”

Rocky stopped drumming his fingers.

“Three weeks.”

Giorgio shrugged his shoulders.
“Great.
I’ll keep you busy.”

“You don’t have to keep me busy, Joe.”

“I just thought you might find this more interesting than watching the Wor
ld Wrestling Federation
.”
He attempted a smile but came up short.

A young waitress saved the moment when
she arrived with their food
.
Rocky
grabbed a slice of pizza, successfully landing a large bite in his mouth.
Giorgio just stared at the table
.