Of course, I had no way of knowing if she would ever see her paintings again. But is there a greater sin than robbing people of hope, particularly when thieves who break in and steal have taken everything from them?
“Why would anyone smear my home with excrement? It’s not dog feces, either. I think it’s from a human being.”
“We’re talking about a sick person, Jo. That’s how you have to think about this. The person who did this is not human, he’s a disease. You don’t hate a disease.”
“You think it was Darrel Vickers?”
“He’s a good candidate.”
“Why just a candidate? Who else would do this?”
“Benbow said the intruder took the envelope of money Henri Devos left for you.”
“That’s right.”
“And there was a note to you on the outside about the money?”
“Yes.”
“That bothers me a little bit.”
“I don’t understand,” she said.
“Why wouldn’t the intruder just put the envelope in his pocket instead of tearing it open and throwing it on the floor, maybe leaving his fingerprints?”
“Maybe he had gloves on.”
“If he had gloves on, he wouldn’t waste time digging the bills out of the envelope. He would put the envelope in his pocket.”
She looked into space, her eyes clouding, as though a fly had swum into her vision.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I didn’t see the envelope until the cops got here. It was on the floor. Henri must have left it on the counter to surprise me.”
“So you never saw the money?”
“No.”
I looked away. The implications about the torn, empty envelope that had supposedly held money were coming together in her eyes.
“You’re saying Henri did this?”
“I didn’t say that, Jo.”
“I can’t think straight. Only a monster could do this. Henri isn’t a monster.”
“I know what you mean,” I said disingenuously. “Look, let’s get something to eat. Then I’ll help you clean up.”
“I wouldn’t push this off on anyone,” she replied.
“I’m not anyone,” I said.
She sat down on a counter stool, her face listless, her mouth gray, the knees of her jeans soaked with water and Ajax and mop string that looked like dead worms. She blew out her breath. “Some fun, huh, boss?” Then her eyes closed slowly and her arm slipped off the edge of the counter. Her head jerked up. “Oh, sorry. I think I’m going to fall down. Before I do that, I need to ask something of you.”
“What is it?”
“Stay with me. Don’t go anywhere. Just stand there for a long time.”