He started crossing the street as Vincent broke away after his latest raid. They'd now come down to about a block from Hardy, and his son stopped and stared down at him. After a beat, the recognition became certain, and he screamed in what seemed complete abandonment and happiness. "Dad!" Five seconds later, he plowed into Hardy at full speed, arms and legs all around him. Then a real hug before Hardy put him down. "I didn't think you were coming. Mom said you were too busy."
"I decided not to be."
Rebecca, too, ran down and threw her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here, Daddy. It's such a perfect day, isn't it? I can't believe how beautiful it is here. I am so happy."
"Me, too." Hardy held her for a moment, then raised a hand, sheepishly greeting his wife. "Hi."
She had her arms crossed. "Hi."
Rebecca, who never missed a thing, asked, "Are you guys mad at each other? You're not getting divorced, are you?"
"Never," Hardy said, still holding his daughter. "Even if we were mad, we wouldn't get divorced."
"You're sure?"
"Jeez, Beck." Vincent didn't have much patience for his sister's paranoia. "How many times they got to tell you? They're not getting divorced." He whirled on his parents. "Right?"
"Right," Hardy said.
Frannie still hadn't ventured a word on the subject, but suddenly the expression of frustrated bemusement that she'd been holding shifted, and she walked the remaining few steps to where Hardy stood with his arms around the Beck. "I love your father very much," she said, planting a kiss on his cheek, "and we will never get divorced, ever." She gave him a long look. "Although someday I might have to kill him."
His daughter's jaw dropped, her eyes wide in terror. "Mom!"
"Joke, Beck. Joke." For his parents' benefit, Vincent rolled his own eyes at his sister's stupidity. "Like she's really going to kill Dad." Suddenly, then, seeing an opening, he poked at her with a finger again. Immediately, with a squeal of delight, she spun out from Hardy's embrace, after him down the hill.
Leaving Hardy and Frannie, standing there.
"Do you want me here?" he asked.
"Of course. Although I wish it didn't have to take kidnapping your children to get your attention."
"I wish that, too. But I guess sometimes it does."
"I don't think you're hardwired for that. Maybe you could work on it."
"That's what I'm doing, believe it or not. I'm trying. Even as we speak," he added. Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry."
She put an arm around his waist, started walking down the hill. "I'll get over it."
Bracco lived in three converted rooms over a stand-alone garage behind his father's house out in the Sunset District, on Pacheco Street.
He'd been pulling long hours this past week, so this morning he slept in. After an hour on free weights, he'd done some jogging and eaten five bananas with most of a box of Wheaties. Now, showered and dressed, Darrel sat with his father at a wooden table by an open window in the kitchen. The back of the house had a southern exposure and sunlight washed half the table. From time to time, a wisp of breeze would ruffle the lace curtains at the window.
Angelo Bracco had once looked a lot like his son, and there was still a resemblance in the face. But he'd lost his wife six years before-she'd cooked him healthy meals and also kept him interested in looking good. After she was gone, he went back to meat and potatoes. Then he started driving for the mayor, sitting all day. In these past few years he'd bulked up to where his five-foot, nine-inch frame carried around two hundred and twenty pounds. This morning he was wearing a form-fitting T-shirt. After they'd had their first sips of coffee, Darrel decided to say something. "You know, you wanted, you could use my weights sometimes. They're just sitting out there."
His father chose not to answer directly. "I saw you go out this morning. How far'd you run?"
A shrug. "I don't know. Five miles maybe. It was a good day for it."
"Couldn't resist, huh? Feel the burn, is that what they say?" Angelo sipped his coffee. "If I ran five miles, I'd drop dead."
"You probably would, but you don't start there. You work up to it."
He saw that his son meant well, and nodded in acceptance. "Well, maybe I will."
"I'd walk with you if you wanted. You got to start doing something, Dad. Lose a little of that." He pointed at the belly. "They say walking is as good as running."
"For what? You believe that?"
Darrel had to break a smile. "No. But it's a start. But the weights…I mean, there's lots of things nowadays. You could join a club, even."
This brought an outright laugh. "Maybe I'll walk, okay. Really. I'll think about it. But a club is out, okay? If I'm going to be in that much pain, I don't want anybody else to see it." He sat up straighter in his chair, sucked his gut in marginally, then let it back out. "So is that why you knocked at my door? To preach me the benefits of working out?"
"No," Darrel said soberly. "I just happen to notice my old man's put on some weight and it's probably not doing him a whole lot of good, that's all. Maybe I'd like him to stay around a while longer, okay?"
"Okay."
"So what I came over for is Harlen."
"What about him?"
"Well, here it is Saturday and we're both scheduled off, which I've got no problem with if nothing's happening. Except now we're in the middle of this homicide and we've got witnesses to interview if we're going to get anywhere, which it seems like we might if we keep at it. But he's got his family and it's Saturday…I only just now talked to him."
"So what's your problem?"
"My problem is we're partners and I don't want to cut him out, but I want to go talk to some people."
"So call him again, tell him what you're going to do, and go do it."
"That simple, huh?"
His father nodded. "It usually is."
"Today's date is April 14, 2000, Saturday. The time now is twelve twenty hours. This is Inspector Sergeant Darrel Bracco, star number one six eight nine. I am currently at a residence at 2555 Lake Boulevard. With me is Mrs. Jamie Rath, DOB 6/12/58. This interview is pursuant to an investigation of case number 002231977."
Q: Mrs. Rath, how well did you know Carla Markham?
A: She was my best friend. I've known her since our girls were in kindergarten together.
Q: And when was the last time you saw her?
A: Last Tuesday. I went to her house when I heard what happened to Tim.
Q: How late were you there?
A: I left around nine thirty, quarter to ten.
Q: And who outside of the Markham family was still there when you left?
A: Dr. Kensing was still in the living room. But the rest of us left in kind of a knot.
Q: Did you know Dr. Kensing before that night?
A: I knew of him, but we hadn't met. I know Carla seemed surprised when he arrived.
Q: Why was that?
A: Well…it was just awkward. He and Mr. Markham didn't get along, and then him being the doctor that day. Of course, this is before I knew that Dr. Kensing had killed Tim.
Q: I don't think we know yet that he killed Mr. Markham.
A: Well, I do. And I think he almost expected Carla to thank him for getting rid of him. Except what Dr. Kensing didn't know is that they'd patched it up.
Q: You're saying that prior to his death, Mr. and Mrs. Markham hadn't been getting along, is that it?
A: That's fair to say. But then, just this last weekend,
Carla told me that they patched things up. Tim bared his poor little psyche-told her all about his affairs, his job problems, the incredible stress, the creep. So she was hopeful. Again. That's where they were on Tuesday, and it's why she couldn't believe he was gone, so suddenly. It was like whiplash.