Echoes in Death (In Death 44)

Eve sat back, felt her stomach twist. “You’re sure?”

“Only a few weeks. She told her mother, and they told Xavier’s parents, and me. Only last week. Only last week, and we were so happy.”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Washington. I’m very sorry for your loss. And I know it’s painful, but I need to ask you some questions.”

“I know. I told Officer Aaron some. She said I’d have to tell you, and more.”

“Did you work here yesterday?”

“No.”

Nina drew air through her nose, brushed both hands back over the hair she wore in a single thick braid. After knuckling a tear away, she clasped her hands together on the table.

“No, I didn’t come in yesterday. Miko said the snow was coming, and it was supposed to be very bad. She said I should stay home, and everything was fine. She was at her work. She helps at a homeless shelter. She does good work. She said she was leaving early, and Xavier was coming home early, too. She said they were going to come home and stay home.”

“Is that the last you spoke to her?”

“It was in the morning, about eight, and she texted me in the afternoon, when she got home, and Xavier got home. Just so I knew. I think it was around three-thirty. She said not to come today early, and not to come at all unless it was clear enough.” Nina’s voice wobbled again. “She took care of me, too.”

“So you didn’t come here today until ten.”

“I usually come at nine. Sometimes Miko’s here until later, and sometimes she goes to the shelter to help earlier.

I thought they’d gone to work. I thought…”

“So you started your work.”

“Yes. I cleaned off the steps outside. It was only a couple inches, and I thought Xavier cleaned them off before they went to bed, but it snowed more. I cleaned them off so it wouldn’t be slippery when they got home from work, and then I started in here. I picked up the apples and some flowers on my way here, so I washed the apples, and put the flowers in the vase. She likes fresh flowers. I cleaned the kitchen, and put away the dishes from the dishwasher.

“I’d have gone upstairs sooner, because I do laundry on Mondays and Fridays, but I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t here to do the laundry on Monday, but I wasn’t thinking, so I didn’t go upstairs to get it.”

“Okay. You’re doing fine.”

Nina pressed her lips together. “I cleaned the dining area, and the sitting room. Scrubbed the powder room, and changed the guest towels, and all the things I do. I—I had an apple and some yogurt, and sat there, over there at the counter and watched a show I like on my break. And all that time, they were—”

“Ms. Washington.”

“Nina. Everyone calls me Nina.”

“Nina, you were taking care of them. Let me ask you if, when you were cleaning down here, did you notice anything missing or out of place?”

“Miko’s Daum dragon. It’s not in the living area, but sometimes she puts it upstairs. And in the sitting room, the old nested wooden boxes Xavier’s grandfather made years and years ago. But I didn’t think—”

“That’s okay.”

“I turned the droid on to vacuum down here, and I thought, all of a sudden: For God’s sake, the laundry. I was annoyed with myself, went right upstairs. I always change their sheets on Mondays and Fridays and do the laundry. I walked right into their bedroom, and— I saw them. I saw Xavier and my Miko.”

She began to weep again, fast, fat tears.

“Did you go into the room, Nina, did you touch anything?”

“A few steps in, because I wasn’t thinking, and I saw them and I screamed. I screamed and screamed, and I fell down. I just fell. I couldn’t stand up at first. I couldn’t get up again. There was so much blood, so much, and I could see they were gone. I could see I couldn’t save them. I had to crawl away because I couldn’t stand up. I was going to be sick, but I wouldn’t be sick.”

Anger slashed through the grief-thickened voice. “I had to get help, but I couldn’t stop shaking. I dropped my ’link because my hands were shaking, then I made myself stop, and I called for help. The person who answered said help would come, and she’d stay with me. She kept talking to me even when I couldn’t stop crying. And when the police came she told me to let them in, so I did. I—I have to call her mother. I have to tell his parents.”

“We’re going to take care of that.” Eve glanced over when Peabody came in. “This is Detective Peabody. She’ll contact someone if you want someone to come, be with you.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”