"Another what?"
"Murder."
"Where?"
"Bay View. Cooper's Linen Shop. Ruth Cooper."
"Christ."
"Get over there."
"Right."
Getting into his car, Colin wondered what he'd do if any murders happened past Riverhead. He wasn't sure he'd be able to go. The truth was even Riverhead was alien to him. Since he'd been on the North Fork he hadn't gone past Mattituck. That was twenty miles from Seaville. Riverhead was twenty-five, and his panic attacks weren't getting any better. But it was useless to worry about that now. Now there was another murder.
Starting the car, he wondered if a B was carved into Ruth Cooper's chest.
LOOKING BACK -75 YEARS AGO
Some miserable wretch, without a grain of self-respect or an atom of conscience, stole the hospital collection box in the post office some days ago. If the guilty person has really enjoyed the loose change which had been deposited therein for the purpose of charity, he has sold every speck of honor he ever had, if he ever had any. The box was torn from the writing desk in the office, to which it had been attached.
NINE
When Ruth Cooper did not come home for Sunday dinner, Russell Cooper, who had prepared roast pork, potatoes, asparagus au gratin, and a salad, became worried. He called the store, but there was no answer. So he turned off everything on the stove, sick that the dinner was going to be ruined, and got into his new silver Toyota Tercel and drove down to the shop. The door was locked. He knocked. There was no answer. Ruth's car was parked in front of the store, which alarmed Russ further, thinking she'd had a heart attack. He shouted Ruth's name, but nothing happened. Officer Dan Reeves of the Bay view police was driving by, saw Russ and came to his aid. Reeves gave the front door a flat-footed kick, and it broke open like a cracked egg.
One minute after they were in they found her-throat slit from ear to ear, blood everywhere. Her blouse had been torn open exposing her chest, which displayed long bloody slashes. It took Colin to tell them what it was.
"It's an A. Like the other one."
"What other one?" Bay View Chief of Police Ed Webb hadn't been informed by Chief Hallock of the details on Saturday's homicide.
Colin, fighting nausea and dizziness, explained.
Webb said to Officer Reeves, "See if you can get Chief Hallock here."
Although Bay View's police department was autonomous, technically they were under the authority of Seaville Township, and Colin could see that Webb was already thinking about dumping this mess into Hallock's lap.
"What do you think, Chief?" Colin asked.
"I dunno. Maybe a Ten-Three. She probably surprised him. The window in the back was open."
Colin knew it was no Ten-Three. "Don't you think the A on her chest means it was something other than a burglary?" he asked gently, not wanting to offend.
"All I got is you saying these cuts are an A. How the hell do I know what's what when I get no official word? A, he tells me." Webb walked away, watched the fingerprint men sprinkling powder on the window ledge.
"Hey, Chief," Reeves said, "I couldn't get Hallock, but they said he's on his way."
Webb snarled, "Chief Hallock."
"Yeah, Chief Hallock," he repeated, not understanding.
Colin walked into the other room, away from the body, to where a white-faced Russell Cooper was sitting. The man was in shock, Colin could tell-could remember. A good newspaperman would interview him; he would have before, but not now. He couldn't do it, intrude like that. Maybe he'd have to find some other work. Jesus, who thought there were going to be murders out here in the sticks? It was the whole point in coming, and now it was getting to be like some nightmare.
Hallock and Charlie Copin arrived looking serious. When they saw the A they would know they had a serial murderer on their hands. Colin followed them to the back, keeping far enough away so he didn't have to see her again, saying nothing, listening.
"Ed."
"Waldo."
"What've we got?"
"A Ten-Five."
"I know that. Lemme see." Hallock bent down, knees cracking. "Christ. Look at this, Charlie."
Copin leaned over. "Same fucking thing."
Webb asked, "What's that?"
"An A. See." Hallock traced the line of the A in the air, above Ruth Cooper's chest.
"Maybe," Ed said.
Hallock said, "It's no maybe, Ed. That's an A, all right." He turned to Colin. "What did Griffing say the A might be?"
"A for Adulteress."
"I dunno," Hallock said, standing up. "What do you think, Charlie?"
"Could mean anything, Chief. Well, one thing we know, he ain't gonna go through the alphabet." Charlie grinned.
"Swell. Just twenty-six A’s, huh?"
"I didn't think of that," Charlie admitted soberly.
"Where the hell's the M.E.?" Hallock asked.
Ed said, "We called him. Didn't you, Reeves?"
"Who, me?"
"Jesus fucking Christ! Get on that phone and call him now, you shit-for-brains moron!" Webb yelled.
Reeves said defensively, "I got the I.B. boys here."
"You want a medal?"
"No, I just… ah, shit."
Colin blinked as a flashbulb went off. He didn't know any of the men from the identification bureau and stayed out of their way. He wondered what more he could learn by hanging around, knew he didn't dare leave. But the smell of blood was getting to him. Making him think of Nancy. He wished he could recall the perfume she wore instead, but he never could. It was the smell of blood he would forever identify with her, not Je Reviens.
Casually, he sat on the top step of three that went down to the back room. His head was throbbing; his eyes ached. He wrote some details in his notebook.
Fifteen minutes later, Dr. Hubbard, the M.E., came in and went past Colin down to where the body was. Another fifteen minutes passed before he heard the ambulance pull up. When the men came in with the gurney, Colin got up from his spot on the steps, making room. It was awhile before they took her out, but when they did Russell Cooper spoke to Colin.
"Should I go with them? Is that what I'm supposed to do?"
Colin felt for him, put a hand on his arm. "No. They're taking her to the morgue. There'll be an autopsy."
"Autopsy?"
"Yeah." He knew that Cooper was wondering why. It was clear how she died. Colin remembered wondering that himself. "They have to. It's the law."
Hallock came over to them. Copin behind him, stood to the side, his notebook and pencil ready.
Hallock said, "I'd like to ask you a couple of questions, Russ."
"Okay."
"Have you or Ruth received any threatening letters or telephone calls in the last month or so?"
Cooper ran his tongue over his dry lips. "No. Nothing like that."
"Would any of the girls who worked for Ruth have anything against her? Maybe one of them wanted a raise, and Ruth wouldn't give it to her? Anything like that?"
"I don't think so. Ruth would've mentioned it if there'd been any trouble. Wait a minute. Sondra Segal wanted to take her vacation the same time Jane Williams wanted to take hers. Ruth had approved Jane's time way back, so Sondra lost out."
"Was she mad about that?"
"Who?"
Hallock turned to Copin. Copin consulted his notes. "Segal. Sondra Segal."
Russ answered, "More annoyed than mad, I think."
Hallock gave Copin a look as if to say, check her out anyway. "Anybody else besides those two work for your wife?"
"No. That's all."
"Okay. I understand Ruth always came to the store on Sundays, is that right?"
"Right after church."
"Who knew about that?"
"Just about everybody, I guess. It wasn't a secret or anything," Russ explained.
"You mean, everybody at your church knew?"
"I guess. Other people, too. Other friends."
"Could you make up a list of all the people who knew about Ruth coming to the store on Sundays, Russ?"
He nodded, shoulders drooping as if even the thought of the task was too much for him.