Abe searched the faces of each parent, choosing his words carefully. „I won’t insult your intelligence by acting as if I assumed otherwise. I won’t debase my own integrity by acting as if Ross King deserves my compassion. But it’s my job to investigate murder, regardless of how I feel about the victim. I don’t expect you to accept that, but that doesn’t make it any less of a reality.“
There was absolute silence in the room. Then one of the women started to cry. Her husband stood, helpless rage on his face. „Tell us this, Miss Mayhew. Did he suffer?“
The woman looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. „You owe us that much.“
Kristen looked up at Abe over her shoulder and for a moment the sobbing mother’s anguish was reflected in her eyes. Then it was gone. She looked back to the waiting parents. „I can’t give you details on an ongoing investigation.“
„Goddamn you to hell!“ Still another father jumped to his feet. „We did what you said. We put our boys through hell because you said you could put him away.“ Dropping back into his seat, his chin dropped to his chest and his shoulders started to shake. „Goddamn you,“ he whispered.
Abe could feel her hesitate, then her breath left her in a silent sigh. „I can’t give you details,“ she repeated. „But…“
The father looked up and Abe felt his own eyes sting at the man’s sheer misery. „But?“ the man whispered.
„He suffered,“ Kristen said simply.
„A lot,“ Abe added flatly, wondering what the parents would do next. They looked at each other, grim relief the predominant theme. „I realize that when we find King’s murderer you all are likely to send him a thank-you card, but – “
„Try a twenty-year-old bottle of scotch.“
„A week in my Florida time-share.“
„Season tickets to the Bears.“
Abe held up a hand to quiet them. „I get the picture. Still, I hope you’ll give me your cooperation. Did anyone see anything that would help establish the time the notes were delivered?“ No one said a word and Abe sighed. „You are obviously smart people. You know from the news that King is not the only one that’s been killed. You also know that we can’t condone vigilante justice. If you did condone it, you would have offed King yourselves.“
„How do you know we didn’t?“ Reston asked carefully.
„I don’t,“ Abe said. „But like I said, you’re smart people. You know you’re all on my suspect list. You also know your being there won’t make this any easier for your kids. They’ve already been through hell. Now, I’m thinking the only reason you didn’t off King yourselves three years ago was because you didn’t want your kids to grow up visiting you in Joliet.“ He saw them flinch at that and knew he’d made his point. „I need to know when you got the notes, then I’ll need to know where you were the night King disappeared.“
„What night did he disappear?“ Mrs. Reston asked.
„First things first.“ Abe took out his notepad. „Since I only know the Restons here, I need to know your name, where you found the note, and when did you receive it?“
Mr. Reston shrugged. „I fell asleep on the sofa the night before last. I woke up at three a.m. and opened the front door to lock the storm door and saw the note stuck in the frame.“
„Good.“ He wrote it down. „Next?“ All the other parents said they’d seen the notes when they woke up. One at six, then others at seven a.m.
He’d gotten responses from all but the man who’d shouted at Kristen. That man was still sitting with his head hung low. Abe waited, but the man didn’t say anything.
Kristen had said nothing since during the questioning. Now she bent over and touched the man’s shoulder. „What time did you get home, Mr. Littleton?“
He looked up, narrowed his red eyes. „What are you talking about?“
His wife sighed wearily. „You know what she’s talking about, Les. He got home about one-thirty.“ She glanced up at Abe. „Les and Nadine Littleton.“
„Was the note there then, Mr. Littleton?“ Kristen asked.
„Yes.“ Littleton turned away. There was more, Abe knew it.
„Did you see anyone deliver it?“ Kristen pressed, but gently.
Littleton hesitated, then nodded. „He slid the envelope through the mail slot.“
Abe waited, but the man said nothing more. „And? What did he look like?“
Littleton shrugged tightly. „Dressed in black. Average height. Nothing else.“
„A car?“ Kristen touched his shoulder again. „Please, Mr. Littleton.“
„White van. That’s all I know.“
Kristen straightened. „Can I speak to you alone for a moment, Mrs. Littleton? You can start on whereabouts,“ she murmured to Abe. „We’ll be right back.“
As she led Mrs. Littleton into the kitchen, he turned back to the group. To a couple they all swore they were at home with each other on the night in question. Kristen returned with Mrs. Littleton and pulled on her gloves.
„I have the Littletons’ whereabouts, Detective Reagan.“
He shot her a puzzled glance, then closed his notepad and bagged the five envelopes on the table. „I’d like to ask you all not to speak to the press.“
„And if we do?“ Reston asked.
Abe sighed. „It’s your right, of course. But Zoe Richardson isn’t interested in anything more than a sound bite. You kept your kids’ names out of this the first time. I hope your priorities are still in the right place.“ He left them with that and he and Kristen walked back to the SUV in silence. When they were both buckled in, he started the engine. „I’m waiting.“
She sighed. „Mr. Littleton has developed a drinking problem since the trial. He was arrested a few months ago for a bar fight. Mrs. Littleton came to me and asked me to help.“
„That must have been hard for her to do.“
One russet brow lifted wryly. „You have no idea. Anyway, I worked with the ASA on the case to plead Littleton down to a lesser misdemeanor with probation and participation in a sobriety program. I just guessed he was out drinking last night. Mrs. Littleton gave me the name of the bar and the cab service that brought him home. Maybe the cab driver saw something. Mr. Littleton was also out the night of King’s disappearance. He was at the bar until the cab brought him home.“ She looked away, back up at the Restons’ house. „I didn’t see the need to make him air his problems in front of the others.“
Abe put the SUV in gear. „Well, I’ve learned a few things here.“
Her face was still turned to the window. „Such as?“
„Our boy drives a white van, goes for the trite statement in black evening wear, delivered the notes sometime between one-thirty and three A.M. and…“ He waited until she met his eyes. Warily.
„And?“
„And you are a very kind person, Kristen Mayhew.“
Her eyes widened in undisguised surprise and her cheeks reddened, but she didn’t look away and the moment stretched on, Abe suddenly aware of the quickening of her breath. It matched the beating of his own heart. She swallowed hard, her whisper coming out husky. Incredibly sexy. „Thank you, Abe.“
His eyes dropped to her slightly parted lips, then lower to where her pulse fluttered at the hollow of her throat And because the air was undeniably charged and because she pulled her full lower lip between her teeth and especially because getting back to work was absolutely the last thing on his mind, Abe resolutely turned in his seat and pulled the SUV away from the curb. „You’re welcome.“
Friday, February 20,
1:00 p.m.
Zoe was seething, even the information she’d managed to pull from a technician inside the ME’s office a bitter victory. Here they sat, in front of the courthouse waiting for the queen to emerge from hiding. Dammit. „I can’t believe you lost them.“
Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. „I said I was sorry every one of the ten times you said that. You think you can keep up with a cop who doesn’t want to be followed, fine. You drive next time and I’ll shove a mike down some poor bastard’s throat.“