The Murderers (Badge of Honor 6)

“Is there a phone around here, Mr. Bailey? I’ve got to check in.”

“There’s a pay phone outside,” Bailey said. “But most likely somebody ripped the handset off for the fun of it. You go see Miss Kathy, and tell her I said to let you use hers.”

“Thank you,” Tiny said.

When he was out of earshot, Officer Bailey nodded approvingly.

“Nice boy, Foster,” he said. “You should be proud of him.”

“I am,” Lieutenant Lewis said.

Men in light blue uniforms, suggesting State Police uniforms, with shoulder patches reading “Nesfoods International Security,” stood at the gates of the Detweiler estate. They were armed, Matt noticed, with chrome-plated Smith & Wesson .357 caliber revolvers, and their Sam Browne belts held rows of shining cartridges.“Anyone trying to shoot their way in here’s going to have his hands full,” Matt said softly as he slowed and lowered the window of Amy’s station wagon.

“You really have a strange sense of humor,” Amy said, and leaned over him to speak to the security man.

“I’m Dr. Payne,” Amy said, “and this is my brother.”

One of the two men consulted a clipboard.

“Yes, Ma’am, you’re on the list,” the security man said, and the left of the tall wrought-iron gates began to open inward.

Matt raised the window.

“And you’re back on Peter’s list, too, I see,” Matt said.

“Matt, I understand that you’re under a terrible strain,” Amy said tolerantly, either the understanding psychiatrist or the sympathetic older sister, or both, “but please try to control your mouth. Things are going to be difficult enough in here.”

“I wonder how long it’s going to be before Mother Detweiler decides that if I had only been reasonable, reasonable defined as resigning from the Police Department and taking my rightful position in society, Penny wouldn’t have stuck that needle in her arm, and that this whole thing is my fault.”

“That’s to be expected,” Amy said. “The important thing is that you don’t accept that line of reasoning.”

“In other words, she’s already started down that road?”

“What did you expect?” Amy said. “She, and Uncle Dick, have to find someone to blame.”

“Give me a straight answer, Doc. I don’t feel I’m responsible. What does that make me?”

“Is that your emotional reaction, as opposed to a logical conclusion you’ve come to?”

“How about both?”

“Straight answer: You’re probably still in emotional shock. Have you wept?”

“I haven’t had time to,” Matt said. “I didn’t get to bed until about three.”

“More people showed up at your apartment?” Amy said, annoyance in her voice.

“No, I went to the bar where the Homicide detectives hang out with Jason Washington. He was trying to make me palatable to them.”

“What does that mean?”

“When I go back on the job, I’m going to spend some time in Homicide.”

“What’s all that about?”

“It’s a long story. What I will ostensibly be doing is working on the Inferno job.”

“What’s the ‘Inferno job’?”