“You’r
e certainly frank about yourself,” she said.
“Look, I’m the son of fabulously wealthy parents, and I’ve never really had to work for a living. I don’t put on airs, and what I do I do as well as I can. However, I know that’s not why you’re here. So go ahead with your questions.”
“Had you ever seen Junior Deaver around here?” asked King.
“Sure, he did a lot of work for my parents. Junior’s also done work
for me and Dorothea, and we never had a bit of trouble with him. That’s why I can’t understand the burglary. He was making good money off the family, but maybe not good enough. I understand there’s a lot of evidence tying Junior to the crime.”
“Maybe too much,” answered King.
Eddie looked at him thoughtfully. “I see what you mean. I guess I haven’t given the matter a lot of attention. We’ve been pretty preoccupied with family issues lately.”
“Right. We were sorry to hear about your father.”
“It’s funny. I always thought he’d outlive all of us. Mind you, he still might. The man’s used to getting his way.”
There was a pause before King said, “This question might seem a little awkward, but I have to ask it.”
“Well, I guess the whole situation is a little awkward, so fire away.”
“Apparently, your father had a secret drawer in his closet that things were taken from. Your mother didn’t know about the drawer and thus didn’t know what might have been in it. Did you know about any of that?”
“No. As far as I knew, my parents didn’t have any secrets from each other.”
“Yet they kept separate bedrooms?” said Michelle abruptly.
Eddie’s sunny smile faded. “That’s their business. It didn’t mean they didn’t sleep together or didn’t love each other. Dad smoked cigars and liked his room a certain way. Mom can’t breathe around cigars and she likes her things a certain way. It’s a big house, and they can do anything they damn well please in it.”
King looked apologetic. “I told you it was awkward.”
Eddie looked ready to bark at them again but then seemingly mastered this impulse. “I didn’t know about any secret drawer Dad had. But I’m not his confidant.”
“Does he have a confidant like that? Maybe Savannah?”
“Savannah? No, I’d cross off my little sister as a potential inside information source.”
“I guess she’d been away at college,” prompted Michelle.
“She’s been away all right and it started long before college.”
“I take it you two aren’t that close,” said Michelle.
Eddie shrugged. “It’s no one’s fault, really. I’m nearly twice her age and we have nothing in common. I was in college when she was born.”
“Your mother mentioned to us what happened to you back then,” said King.
Eddie spoke slowly. “I don’t remember much about it, to tell the truth. I’d never even seen the person who kidnapped me until they showed me his body.” He blew out a long breath. “I was really, really lucky. My mother and father were so happy when I got back they conceived Savannah. At least that’s the official family anecdote.”
“Your mother said Chip Bailey became a good friend.”
“He saved my life. How do you ever repay that?”
King glanced at Michelle. “I know what you mean.”
They heard a car driving up, and it screeched to a stop near the front door.