I nodded at Dr. Clement, who nodded back at me as she strode out the door.
I looked at my watch. All of two minutes had passed, most of it spent lecturing me. If she spent only two minutes with each patient, what in the world had she been doing when I’d been sitting in the waiting room for forty-five minutes?
Before Laurie was born, I spent a good deal of time interviewing pediatricians. I had liked Dr. Clement the best. She had taken her time during the process and had patiently explained the first steps I’d take with Laurie. Now I wondered if all the time I’d spent in her waiting room, she’d been recruiting new patients instead of tending to existing ones.
At least we didn’t have to come back for another month. It would be nice to have a month off from doctor’s visits. Except, of course, for my own. I still had to schedule that one. I knew I was avoiding it because I didn’t want to go back to work. I pulled out my to-do list and added “tummy time” and the ob-gyn appointment.
From the pediatrician’s office, I headed across the street to the hospital. I hated bringing Laurie into the hospital but rationalized that it wasn’t much different from Dr. Clement’s office.
I asked about Galigani at the front desk and was directed to the cardiology department.
Cardiology?
Not poisoned!
No one had tried to murder Galigani. Relief washed over me. Definitely reassuring, especially if I was going to consider poking my nose around some more in Brad’s affairs.
When Laurie and I arrived at his room, he was propped up in bed, connected to several flashing beeping monitors at his chest, oxygen tubes in his nose, and a remote in his hand. What is it with men and remotes? He was watching Fear Factor.
Ah. Daytime TV.
“What, no Days of our Lives?” I asked, gently tapping on the room door.
Galigani’s face lit up. “Come in.”
He put the TV on mute! I tried not to be offended. After all, if I wasn’t captivating enough, even during labor, for my own husband, I couldn’t expect a perfect stranger to turn the TV off.
I shuffled Laurie’s bucket onto a chair.
“Let me see her,” Galigani said.
I tilted the bucket up to show off a sleeping Laurie, who managed to pry one blue eye open and peer at Galigani.
“Adorable. Thank you. Makes me feel better to see such a sweet face.” He paused, taking inventory of the monitors around him. “Had a heart attack. They said the person who dialed 9-1-1 saved my life.” His eyes shone. “I think a ‘thank-you’ is in order.”
Laurie cooed and kicked as if to say, “You’re welcome.”
“They’re not going to release me quite yet. I have to have open heart surgery. Bypass. Not out of the woods yet.”
“Is there anyone I can call for you?”
“I’m on my own.”
Where was his family?
I nodded. “When’s the surgery?”
“Scheduled for tomorrow.”
I patted his hand in reassurance. “You’re going to be fine.” I dug out Galigani’s notebook from the ever-present diaper bag and placed it on his nightstand. “This belongs to you. It fell out of your car yesterday.”
His eyes lingered on the notebook. “Doc says I need to slow down. No more tracking down murderers.”
“You’re dropping the case?”
“Yep. Got to. Doctor’s orders.”
“Is there someone in your office who’ll take over?”
His mustache twisted up. “I work alone. Partners aren’t what they’re cracked up to be.”
McNearny had been his partner. What had happened between them?
“I went by your house yesterday to tell you I’d found your brother-in-law.”
“You did!”
Galigani laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised, okay? I’ve been doing this a long time.”
“Sorry. How is he? Where is he?”
“Alive and kicking. I found him at Pier 23. Claims he was with Michelle Avery on the night Brad was killed.”
“Yeah. She told me the same thing.”
Now it was Galigani’s turn to be surprised. “Really?” He wagged a finger at me. “You didn’t say anything to the police about that.”
I smiled. “How do you know what I said and didn’t say to the police?”
His eyes twinkled at me. “Been doing this a long time.”
Laurie fussed. I moved the car seat to the floor and seated myself on the chair, then rocked the bucket with my foot. The rocking assuaged Laurie. She began exploring her hands as though she’d never seen them before. “I didn’t say anything about George because. .” I took a deep breath.
How could I explain the impulse to protect George?
“Let me guess.” Galigani said. “Your husband and his brother don’t really get along. George is a problem for the family, probably has been his entire adult life. Hasn’t ever held a real job, was on the streets for a while. Has a history of threatening people, although he’s never really taken any action on it. Probably asks for a lot of favors, borrows a lot of money, never repays anything, burns a lot of bridges. Stop me if I’m getting any of this wrong.”
“You know all this because you’ve been doing this a long time?”
“That and I ran a background check. Anyway, you and your husband didn’t say anything to the police because deep down he still loves his brother, and you, of course, love your husband and everyone is in denial that he could be a murderer.”
The small room seemed to close in on me, and what I’d intended as a question came out as a statement. “You think George killed Brad.”
“Not really. I don’t have a motive. Do you?”
I shook my head helplessly. “No.”
“My money’s on the girl. The supposed affair.”
“You think Michelle lied about that?”
“No. I’ve had several people tell me it’s true, but no one’s coughing up any names.”
“What about Kiku, who’s she?”
Galigani’s eyes flashed surprised, then amusement. “Why, Mrs. Connolly, don’t you know?”
I shrugged. “The supposed other woman?”
Galigani blinked up at me. “Maybe you should go talk to her.”
“Why would I-”
Galigani interrupted me by clearing his throat. I stared at him, silent. He tugged at his blanket. “I haven’t got around to telling Gloria Avery that I’m dropping the case.”
I continued to watch him, not daring to speak. He pressed the palms of his hands together and studied me.
After a moment I squeaked, “I can tell her.”
Galigani nodded his head slowly and smiled.
As Laurie and I drove to the Sea Cliff, one of the wealthi est neighborhoods in San Francisco, I daydreamed of Mrs. Avery hiring me as Galigani’s replacement. It could be my first official case. I could launch my own business, not have to return to my corporate nightmare, work from home, and be with Laurie.
I fantasized becoming so successful that I could be Mrs. Avery’s neighbor.
Then reality/insecurity hit me. Would I really be able to get her to pay me for being nosy? If I could get answers that perhaps the police couldn’t, that would be worth something to her, wouldn’t it? And how exactly was I going to do that?
I pulled up to the huge house. It was gorgeous, with spiraling towers, Spanish steps, and a manicured front lawn. I rang the bell, enjoying the view of the Golden Gate Bridge as I waited for Mrs. Avery to open the door. Instead, a small Hispanic woman in a maid’s uniform appeared.
“Hello, I’m Kate Connolly. Mr. Galigani sent me. Is Mrs. Avery in?”
“Ay, la Señora Avery, sí, sí.” She motioned me inside. “Que bonita,” she said, gesturing to Laurie.