The Next Victim (18 page)

"It happens."

"Like if he slipped and hit his head or something?"

She nodded.

They sat in silence for a moment. The air was warm, the moon just a sliver.

"I'm going to miss him," Todd said.

"Me too."

Todd rocked forward and stood. "Well, thanks. You're easier to talk to than my mom."

"Any time." Kali looked at the slender, shaggy boy she'd first held when he was only hours old. He was taller than she was now, but his eyes held the same solemn bewilderment they had fifteen years earlier. Her heart went out to him. "I mean it," she added. "Any time."

Todd headed back inside and Kali followed not long after. Sabrina and Peter had gone off to bed. Todd had joined Joey and Jeremy in front of the television. Kali said good night and wandered off to her own room. It wasn't until she was under the covers that she remembered the porn DVDs she'd found in John's collection. Short of barging in and retrieving them, which was bound to raise questions, she could only hope the boys didn't go looking for something new to watch.

As strains from a recording of The Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn!" filled the funeral hall, Sabrina inched closer to Kali in the pew and grabbed her hand. "I'm not sure I can do this," she whispered.

"You'll be fine," Kali told her. "Just remember to breathe." Breathe and try not to think about what's happening--it was advice that had carried Kali through a lot over the years.

Kali'd had no idea what kind of turnout to expect, but as she turned and surveyed the room, she was surprised to see more than a handful of faces. She wondered how many had actually known John and how many were simply curious onlookers or media personnel. They'd passed by news cameras coming in, and she was sure there were reporters inside as well.

The music ended and she turned her attention to the front of the room.

The service was simple and relatively brief. Peter talked of John's energy and sense of adventure. Joey spoke of his uncle's kindness and goofy sense of humor. Kali added a few words about their childhood, recounting tales of John's determination in sports; his love of all things mechanical; and his devotion to the family dog, Sierra. Sabrina had insisted she wasn't up to the task, but several of John's friends offered words of their own. A. J. Nash, the attorney from Logan Foods whom Kali had met earlier, a neighbor she'd talked to by phone, a man with whom John played tennis. Fond memories with a sprinkling of light moments, and nothing of the terrible crime of which John had been accused, nor of the unseemly manner of his death.

Kali got through her own short speech by following the advice she'd given Sabrina. It wasn't until she sat down again that the reality of John's death took hold anew. She'd lost a brother--her only brother--without ever knowing him.

Following the service, when coffee and cookies were served in an adjoining room, Kali finally had a chance to study those who'd come to pay their respects. She recognized only a smattering of faces: A. J. Nash, of course; John's secretary, Alicia; a few neighbors; and Graciela, the housekeeper, who huddled uncertainly near the door. She left before Kali had a chance to thank her for coming.

People mingled in small groups, then briefly sought out Kali and Sabrina to offer condolences and a few kind words about John, though it was clear all were uncomfortably aware that John had been a murder suspect. There were so many questions Kali wanted to ask. Had any of them known John was abusing drugs? Had he seemed depressed in the weeks before his death? Had he talked to anyone about his difficulties with Sloane? And most of all, did they know why he might have had a photo of Olivia Perez hidden inside the pages of his office dictionary?

Instead, she nodded numbly and shook the hands of strangers, many of whom seemed to have known her brother better than she had.

At one point, Nash approached, and Kali introduced him to Sabrina.

"It was good of you to come," Kali told him. Not many people from Logan Foods had. She hadn't really expected that Reed would, although a part of her had held out hope, but she had thought more of John's coworkers might have shown up.

"Were you and John close friends?" Sabrina asked Nash.

"I wouldn't say we were close, but we shared an interest in cars. Did a couple of track days together, in fact." Nash scratched the fair skin of his cheek. "We'd go out for a drink on occasion. If I needed financial advice, I'd sometimes run it by John. If he had a legal question, he'd come see me. As I told your sister the other day"--he nodded in Kali's direction--"John was well liked in the company. Dedicated and hardworking. Someone whose opinion I respected."

"Thank you. That's nice to hear considering..." Sabrina paused and bit her lower lip. "Considering everything."

Nash cleared his throat, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I understand the girl's family might be pursuing legal remedies."

"How'd you hear that?" Kali's gaze had drifted to a baby-faced black man standing alone by the coffee urn, but now her attention snapped back to Nash.

"I got a call from their attorney," he said. Kali's expression must have revealed her surprise because he hastened to add, "It was a fishing expedition. I didn't tell the woman a thing, I assure you. In fact, I tried hard to discourage her."

"Fishing for what?"

He shrugged. "Whatever she can get, I imagine. She's not entitled to police records, not officially at least, so she's got to build her case from scratch."

Assuming the lawsuit went forward. Kali was hoping it didn't come to that.

Sabrina's displeasure was evident from her expression. "The attorney's got a lot of gall, if you ask me."

"I'm sorry," Nash murmured, shaking his head in apology. "I shouldn't have said anything. Not today. But I wanted you to know that we, Logan Foods, that is, aren't involved in this in any way. I can't speak for Reed personally, but the company isn't taking sides."

"We appreciate that," Kali told him.

"I'm available if there's any way I can help." Nash's hazel eyes met hers warmly. "John was someone I considered a friend."

When he'd gone, Sabrina fanned herself with her hand. "Nice man, but I wish he hadn't brought up that stupid lawsuit."

"I think he was trying to be helpful." Kali appreciated the fact that Nash had come to the funeral while most of John's coworkers hadn't. And he'd gone out of his way to be friendly.

The hall was thinning out. Kali saw Peter glance at his watch a couple of times. He and the boys were heading back to Scottsdale that afternoon, and Kali knew they were eager to get going.

She turned to Sabrina. "Why don't you go on back to John's with Peter? I'll finish up here."

"You sure you don't mind?"

"There's hardly anyone left but staff. I won't be long."

When Sabrina had gone, Kali wandered over to the refreshment table, suddenly feeling drained. She wasn't hungry, but she picked up an oatmeal cookie and nibbled on it anyway. It was sugary and tasteless. She wrapped what was left in a napkin and dumped it in the trash.

The baby-faced black man she'd noticed earlier joined her and held out a hand. "Doug Simon," he said. "You're John's sister?"

She nodded and shook his hand. "Kali O'Brien. Were you a friend of my brother?"

He shifted uncomfortably. "Not exactly."

"Why are you here, then?" She wondered if Simon might be a reporter, though he was hardly the most inconspicious person the newspaper could have sent.

"I'm afraid that came out wrong. I didn't mean we
weren't
friends." He smiled to put her at ease. It was a warm smile, accompanied by a twinkle of his eyes. "Can we talk privately?"

"Now?"

"It won't take long." Simon took her elbow and led her aside where their conversation wouldn't be overheard. "I actually never met your brother, but I did talk to him by phone." He paused. "I'm a private investigator."

"A...PI?" It was the last thing she'd expected. Her mind set off in a spin. "John hired you?" Then another, more worrisome thought struck her. "Or was he the subject of your investigation?"

That smile again. "No, he hired me."

"What for?"

Simon rubbed his palm against his pant leg. "First I want to apologize for crashing a funeral like this. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I just wanted to get the lay of the land before talking to you."

Kali shook her head in confusion. "You've lost me."

"John asked me to run a background check on a couple from Oregon. Ray and Martha Adams."

Now she was really lost. "Adams? Did he say why?"

"We were working in stages," Simon explained. "John was going to tell me more. In fact, he had something else he wanted me to check. But he died before we had a chance to discuss it."

"When did he hire you?"

"A little over a week ago."

Right around the time of the murders. The bite of cookie Kali had just eaten felt like lead in her stomach. Were the Adams couple involved somehow?

Simon frowned. "So the name means nothing to you?"

Kali shook her head. "My sister might know, though. Did you find these people?"

"I was able to get some of the information for him. And since he paid for it, I'd like to pass it along. That's why I wanted to get the lay of the land first. If you and your brother were in a pissing contest--" Simon held up his hands. "Sorry, that just slipped out. What I mean is, if there was a lot of hostility in the family, well, I didn't want to give out information that might cause more problems."

"How do you know there's not? Hostility, I mean?"

"Well, it's something of a gamble, I admit. But usually I'm a pretty good judge of people." He looked at her intently, but with that same twinkle in his eye. "You're not going to prove me wrong, are you?"

She shook her head. "No hostility." As for causing problems, a lot depended on what John's interest was in Ray and Martha Adams, and who they were. She fervently hoped it wasn't going to lead to problems.

"What makes you think he was interested in the information for himself," Kali asked, "and not acting on behalf of his employer?"

"He was clear about that."

Kali knotted her fingers. "So what did you find out?"

"I've got a report I'll send you. The short of it is the couple divorced eleven years ago after seven years of marriage. Martha Adams died eight years later in an auto accident. Ray remarried not long after the divorce and has two kids by his second wife. He manages a Chevy dealership in San Diego."

"How old is Ray?" Kali asked. Maybe he was someone John knew from college.

"Forty-eight. Martha was a year younger."

That made them both older than John. "Did they have any children together?"

"One daughter. Martha got custody in the divorce, but I believe the girl went to live with her father and his new family after her mother's death." Simon squinted at her. "None of this rings a bell with you?"

"Not at all."

"I was sure hoping it would. Your brother was eager to get the information. He paid a premium for expedited service."

Fragmented thoughts and questions whirred in Kali's brain until she thought her head might explode.

"I don't suppose you want me to continue with the investigation?" Simon asked.

"I...I don't know. Let me talk to my sister." With luck, Sabrina would put an end to the mystery. "Do you have a card?"

Simon reached into his wallet and handed her his card. "Where shall I send the report?"

"We're staying at John's. You can send it there. I assume you have the address?"

Simon nodded.

"What information did John give you besides the names?" Kali asked.

"Only that they were living in Portland, Oregon, in 1991."

Portland. John had moved around quite a bit, but Kali didn't recall him ever living anywhere in Oregon. "And what was it he wanted to know about the couple?"

"Present whereabouts, general background, family. Pretty much what I've told you."

Kali fingered Doug Simon's card, then tucked it into her pocket. "Do you think you can get me the report soon?"

"It will probably be a couple of days, at this point, before I can get it written up."

"I'll be looking for it."

The house was quiet when Kali got back to John's. Peter's car was gone, and so were the Game Boys and iPods and assorted boys' shoes that had only that morning been strewn about. She wondered for a moment if Sabrina had gone back to Scottsdale as well, then remembered she'd seen her car in the driveway.

Kali checked the living room and bedrooms, then called out Sabrina's name.

"In here," she answered.

Kali followed the sound and turned on the light in the darkened den when she entered. Sabrina was curled on the leather couch holding a tall glass of clear liquid in her hand. Water or vodka and tonic, and Kali was willing to bet it was the latter.

"It's only two o'clock," Kali said.

"So?"

"So, it's a wee bit early, wouldn't you say?"

"Who appointed you master of the universe?" Sabrina giggled and started to get up. She listed to the left, grabbing the arm of the sofa to steady herself. "Guess I'm a bit tipsy."

"Honey, you're more than tipsy. How much have you had to drink, anyway?"

"Not that much, really." Her words were slurred. "This is only the second one, I think."

"You think?"

"It's not the booze," Sabrina said. "I took some of John's Valium. One before the service, and another when I got home." Tears sprang to her eyes. "Then one more when Peter left. Don't lecture me, okay? It's just that I can't face my life. Not today. I needed a little break, is all."

"Well, looks like you've got it. I just hope you don't feel like crap tomorrow."

"I don't want to deal with tomorrows. Any of them. Ever."

Kali sank onto the couch beside her.

"You want something?" Sabrina asked, wiping at her eyes. "Take your pick. Vodka or Valium, though mixing them probably wasn't such a great idea."

"Probably not."

That didn't stop Sabrina from taking another sip before offering the glass to Kali.