It all happens in less than a minute. After the car leaves, she’s aware that the howling from within the house hasn’t stopped. She hesitates for a moment, then begins to walk quickly up the driveway. That’s when she sees a flashing light approach the edge of her vision. No. Two separate sets of lights. Two cars. They arrive within seconds of each other. An official police car parks in the street, and the other car pulls up and stops behind hers.
She watches Wisdom exit the car and face the house. The sounds from inside still wash over them, but now seem more fragmented as if the wailer stops to draw breath every few seconds.
Wisdom motions to the uniform standing by his car some twenty feet below him.
“Stay with her. I’m going inside.”
He waits until the uniform arrives before trotting up to the entrance steps. Brigid follows his passage and sees that the front door is slightly ajar. Wisdom draws a pistol from somewhere under his jacket and gently pushes at the door. The volume of the sobs increase as the door swings fully open. She watches Wisdom lower his weapon and step through the doorway. He closes the door behind him and the sound almost disappears as if someone’s just turned the radio volume down.
CHAPTER 20
“Perhaps you’d be more comfortable in your car.”
The uniformed policeman is attentive and well spoken.
She thanks him and returns to the Audi. She lights a cigarette and turns the ignition key just enough to be able to open the window halfway down. She pinches a finger and thumb together to pluck an invisible speck of tobacco from her tongue. Another police car arrives followed by an ambulance. Within seconds, yet another car arrives. The driveway is now crowded with police. Two ambulance workers move up to the house together with an equal number of officers. They enter and leave the door open. The wailing sound starts up again for a few moments more and then stops abruptly. She smokes the cigarette down and lights another from the stump of the first. The air suddenly feels chilled. Even surrounded by the police, she feels somehow threatened. She starts the car, closes the window, and adjusts the heater. It is too cool for the pink-and-white dress she wears, and she’s embarrassed by her show of cleavage.
After several minutes, she sees Wisdom emerge from the house. He says a few words to a small group of people who replace him. As he walks down the driveway, she leaves her car and meets him.
“What happened in there, Peter?” She’s never used his first name before and the familiarity seems to give him momentary pause.
“Posner’s wife is dead.”
“Dead?” She gasps and staggers backward a step. He reaches out and cups her elbow.
“I’m all right.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. What happened?”
“We found her just inside the front door. There was a large needle on the floor under her and Posner was rocking her in his arms. Whatever was in it acted right away. Posner’s barely able to talk and the doctor just sedated him. The upstairs is a complete mess. They must have had some fight.
“Did you see anything?”
As he speaks, he gestures to a patrolman and makes a scribbling motion with his hand. The officer joins them and pulls out a pad and pen.
“I was in the driveway. Right next to my car. The one over there.”
She points to the red Audi, which is conspicuous as the only car in the driveway other than the Lexus amid the crush of police cars.
“This man comes running out of the house. He stops for a moment as he passes me. Shouts something. I think it was, ‘No,’ then he runs down to his car and drives away.”
“Can you describe him?”
“Tall. Like you. Brown hair, I think. Nice looking. Around my age. I think he wore a jacket.”
“Did he speak to you?”
“No. I mean other than to scream, ‘No’ a few times.”
“Do you remember the car he drove?”
“No. Only that it was white.”
“White?”
“Yes.”
“One last question for now. Did you recognize him?”
“No, but I think it must have been Heidi’s boyfriend. The doctor.”
“Okay. I won’t ask you now why you decided to go ahead with the masquerade we originally planned or how you found the address.”
“I’m sorry. Herr Weis helped me.”
“Of course. Herr Weis. Save us all from diplomats.”
He rolls his eyes as he speaks. The message that there’s a difference between law enforcement and diplomacy is clear. “Then there’s my friend and boss, Sergeant Rick Bennett. You conned him into telling you our local was Posner. Lucky for you that he called me about it right away.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have.”
“As long as you’re okay, but it might have gotten nasty.”
“I am truly sorry.”
“I said it was okay. And Bennett will be here soon to take over until we can pass it on to County. They handle capital-crime investigations. I’m sure they’ll want to interview you.”
“I know. Can I go home now? I’m feeling a bit funny.”
“Are you all right? Do you need to see a doctor?”
“No. I think I should rest a bit. That’s all.”
“Do you want me to send an officer with you?”
“No. I’ll be fine.”
She shakes her head sideways and offers him her hand. He takes it and feels the moisture in her palm. He holds on and looks up. She’s breathing rapidly. He can tell by seeing the movement in her chest.
“You’d better go home then and change out of those clothes. It’s getting chilly.”
She looks down at her dress and folds her arms across her chest.
“Yes. You’re right. Thank you again. Goodbye.”
“Bye.”
Wisdom watches her get back into the Audi and waves two police cars away so she can back out. She raises a hand in thanks and turns down the block. He spends the next several minutes answering questions from various sources. The press arrives, and he asks that they be kept away from the house and that any questions be referred to County. He speaks briefly with Bennett who will be here with a full local team within a few minutes. He walks back to his unmarked sedan at the foot of the driveway, stops, and strokes his chin before he calls a uniformed officer over.
“Drive over to the lady’s house in Montauk and be sure everything’s okay. Her name is Kashani. Dispatch has her address. It’s on Old Montauk Highway. Just past Gurney’s Inn.”
He watches the uniform drive away in a town cruiser. All he needs to do now is wait for Bennett to take over and find the doctor. He feels badly about Posner and his wife. He should have done more to warn him. Maybe he should have been there himself after he found out that Stern was hanging around.
But at least Brigid’s safe.
CHAPTER 21
The car sprints to seventy-five in seconds. Stern’s hands squeeze the wheel in unconcealed fury. The Chevrolet flies down the eastbound highway toward Montauk.
“No. It wasn’t her. She’s dead.” He repeats the words over and over. The road ahead is clear, yet all he sees beyond the windshield is Heidi in the pink-and-white dress. Why didn’t he stop when he saw her standing there? But maybe she wasn’t there. What if it’s all in his mind? Maybe she’s out there buried in the Montauk Overlook like Posner said.
But what if he was just lying to torture me? What if she’s not dead at all? Maybe she’s been living here with him all this time.
“The bitch! I’ll kill her. Right now. Today. The bitch!”
The car brakes with such suddenness that it skids into a double spin and comes to rest in the opposite breakdown lane of the momentarily deserted stretch of highway. He sits back and gasps. It could have been all over right there. No. He was spared because he still had one more urgent thing to do. But how?