Delusion in Death (In Death 35)

“I’m up, Mom.”

Eve caught a glimpse of the woman on the stairs. She wore a bulky sweater over blue and green sleep pants, thick red socks on her feet. Her hair, a deep, bark brown, hung in a lank tail down her back. Bruises of grief and exhaustion provided the only color in her face. If her mother looked tired, Elaine Cattery looked utterly depleted.

“Lainey, you need some rest.”

“Don’t worry.” She came down, leaned against her mother in a way that made them a unit. “Where are the kids?”

“Sam and Hannah took them to the park to let the dog run, just to get them out for a little while.”

“It’s so cold.”

“Everyone’s bundled up. Don’t you worry.”

“I’m sorry. We’re leaving you out in the wind. Please, come in.”

“How about some tea?” Dana kept her arm around her daughter.

“I’ll make some tea.”

“That’d be great.” Elaine stepped away, moved into a living area with a bold-colored sofa, brightly striped chairs. A comfortable home, Eve thought, with cheerful colors, deep cushions, surfaces holding framed photos, flowers, pretty little bowls.

“Sit down, won’t you? I didn’t expect … I’ve alre

ady talked to the police.”

“I know. We’re doing a follow-up. If you could answer some questions, Mrs. Cattery.”

“Are you seeing everyone? There are so many. So many. I’ve stopped watching the news. Are there more? Has something else happened?”

“No, ma’am. Mrs. Cattery, there are many, too many. And every one who died deserves our time and attention.”

“I wasn’t here, you see. I’d taken the kids to see my mother and my brother. Now they’re here, with us. But I wasn’t home. Joe was working on that campaign. He worked so hard on it, so long, and I’d just finished up a project for work. I thought I’ll get the kids out of his hair for a few days, they can keep up with school on screen, have a nice visit with my family. Everybody could just take a breath, I thought. So we weren’t here, and he didn’t come home. If I’d been here—”

“Mrs. Cattery.” Peabody reached out, laid a hand on Elaine’s. “You can’t think that, or wonder that.”

“That’s what my mother says, and still … I’m pregnant.” On a choked sob, Elaine pressed her fingers to her lips. “I found out, confirmed, while I was at Mom’s. We weren’t trying, weren’t not trying. We said we were finished, then we both got this itch. Let’s just see what happens, that’s what Joe said. I never got the chance to tell him. I wanted to tell him when I got home, but it was too late. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t think of what I’m going to do.”

“I’m sorry,” Peabody murmured. “I’m so sorry for your loss. We’re going to do everything we can to find the person responsible.”

“Will it help? My brother, he’s so angry, and he’s so sure when you find who did this, put them away, it’ll help. But Joe still won’t be here. He won’t watch his children grow up. He won’t see this one born. So I don’t know if it’ll help.”

“It will,” Eve assured her. “Maybe not right away, but it will.

You’ll know the person who did this won’t ever be able to hurt anyone again. He won’t ever take another father from his children.”

“Joe never hurt anyone. He’s such a sweet man, so easygoing. Sometimes too easy, that’s what I’d tell him. He never pushed at work, and the kids could always twist him around their fingers. He never hurt anyone.”

“He was up for a promotion.”

“Was he?” The faintest of smiles touched her lips. “He didn’t tell me.”

“He may not have known, but it was in his file. He put a lot of work into this last campaign.”

“Yes, he did. The whole team did.”

“You know the people he worked with.”

“Yes. Nancy—Nancy Weaver, his boss—she’s been by. She’s been wonderful. Steve and Lew, they both contacted me. Steve sent food. This huge ham with bread and … things. For sandwiches.”