Willing to Die (Alvarez & Pescoli)

“Just trying to help. I know you have to talk to everyone in the family, eliminate them. This isn’t my first rodeo, for God’s sake. I can help with the investigation, but only if you let me.” She looked from one impassive face to the other. “Okay,” she said, “I get it. You have your procedure. But this interview is over. There’s not a lot more I can tell you. It’s been a long day—I found out Brindel was murdered just this morning. I haven’t even seen my other sisters yet.” She stood. “I think we’re done here.”

Tanaka’s eyes flared.

Pescoli was definitely stepping on her toes.

Too bad. Brindel was dead. Murdered.

Paterno said, “Okay, let’s go see your sisters. They’ve been waiting long enough.”

Tanaka said shortly, “They can wait as long as it takes.” Then before Pescoli could object to her hard attitude, she added to Pescoli with meaning, “This isn’t your case.”

“Let’s move on, okay? Talk to your sisters, then move on.” Paterno shot a warning look to his junior detective, as if expecting her to argue again, then added, “Once the forensic team is finished, I don’t see any problem with walking you through the house.” He rapped his knuckles on the desk, as if he’d just made a decision, and stood. Tanaka managed to keep her thoughts to herself, but resentment still shimmered in her eyes. “All right then. Let’s go. This way.”

Pescoli wanted to argue, to fight, to explain how she could help, to force herself on them if need be. But she didn’t. It was all she could do to bite her tongue and follow Paterno.

He led the way walking down a short hallway to a room with an open door, large table, and chairs that had seen better days. Collette and Sarina were inside, waiting, their jackets folded over the back of an empty chair, an umbrella braced against the wall. Collette busy on her iPhone, her lips compressed, her makeup intact and apparently recently reapplied. Sarina hadn’t bothered. She looked like hell as she rolled a can of Diet Pepsi between her palms. Though not crying, she was still blinking back tears as she glanced over her shoulder and her gaze met Regan’s.

“Oh, thank God,” she whispered, rolling back her chair, leaving the soda on the table. “You’re here!” And then as Tanaka and Paterno hesitated in the hallway, Sarina flung herself into Regan’s arms and the waterworks began all over again.

Chapter 5

“I don’t like this.” Tanaka placed a hand on Paterno’s arm to keep him from stepping inside the conference room. They slid to the far side of the hallway as two uniformed cops, deep in conversation, passed by.

“I never would’ve guessed.”

The Montana detective had joined her sisters, but Tanaka ignored the sarcasm and, keeping her voice low, said, “She’s not calling the shots here. She’s not with the department.”

“So when does another set of law enforcement eyes hurt an investigation?”

“When those eyes are too close to the case—as in being the sister of one of the victims. Who knows what her motives are? She could be in the will. We haven’t found that yet. Or the beneficiary of an insurance policy, or the appointed guardian of the kids or whatever.”

Pretty much what Paterno had just put forth. “She’s a good cop.”

“Who admits she didn’t know her sister, probably didn’t like her. And from the looks of it, the Lathams have money.”

“She’s legit. I Googled her.”

“So did I. She’s known to have bent the rules.”

He gave her a look that said, haven’t we all? Haven’t you?

“But she’s gone rogue. Killed a suspect in a kid pornography ring not long ago. No camera. There was talk that she killed him in cold blood.”

“I spoke to her superior. Sheriff Blackwater. He vouches for her.”

Her eyebrows slammed together. “What’s he gonna say? That he’s got a loose cannon in his department, that she’s known to go off on her own? Of course he’d say that. To make his department look good.”

“For the love of Christ, Tanaka, Pescoli’s a dedicated police officer.”

“And I’m telling you, I’m suspicious.”

“You’re suspicious of everyone.”

“A good quality in a cop!” she said, defending herself.

“Maybe. You’ve got to layer that with reason.”

“And gut feeling.”