couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that they were building a murder case against Darby, and they were going to use me to make it stick.
“You can go wherever you want to for now,” he said. “Mr. Tapley will be arraigned Monday morning, and I assume you’ll want to be here for that.”
“I don’t even know where I am,” I said. “How am I supposed to get back to the condo?”
“There’s someone in the lobby for you,” he said. “You can ask them.”
He strode out of the room. I felt sick. I put my coat on and picked up my purse. The same female officer from before came into the room. She gave me a sympathetic smile and said, “I’ll show you the way out, Mrs. Raines.”
I felt like I was shuffling along behind her. It took all of my energy to pick up my feet and walk. I was exhausted.
She pushed the door to the lobby open and simply nodded a good-bye. Or was it a dismissal? I walked into the lobby, but no one was there. Detective Malloy said someone would help me. I sat down in a chair to wait.
A few moments later, Detective Bentley entered the lobby from a hallway on the other side of the room. The sight of him released everything I had been holding back. Tears came quickly, and I was soon crying uncontrollably as I stood and walked toward him. He walked faster toward me and put his arms around me. I sobbed into his chest for several minutes before I could find my voice and say simply, “Thank you.”
“Come on, Susan,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here. Do you know the address where you’re staying?”
I shook my head no. “It’s down the road from Ditka’s Restaurant on East Chestnut,” I said. “If we can get there, I can find the condo.”
“Ok,” he said. “Do you have a hat? Gloves? It’s like a blizzard out there, so bundle up.”
I had a scarf my mother had knitted for me and a pair of gloves in my coat pocket. I put them on.
It was a miracle we were able to get a cab. The weather had deteriorated, and visibility was only a few feet at best. Traffic was light, but the roads were icy, and it took nearly an hour for the cab driver to reach the condo. The detective and I didn’t speak on the way over. He didn’t initiate any conversation, and I supposed it wasn’t a good idea to talk about a murder in front of a cab driver anyway. I was grateful for the quiet time. I needed to set aside my discomfort with him and view him as a friend and someone who could help us now.
Terry wasn’t on duty at the condo, but the night doorman, Benny, braved the blizzard and ran out to open the cab door for us and take the detective’s bag.
Inside the building, Andy was standing behind the reception counter. He smiled when he saw me, and I introduced Detective Bentley to him.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Andy said. He looked at me and asked, “Where’s Darby? Did you guys win today?”
I didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to start crying again, so I said quickly, “He’ll be back later, and yes, he did win first place for his cake.” I smiled at Andy, but my heart wasn’t in it. “Come on, Chuck. This way,” I said to the detective as I led him to the elevator.
Inside the condo, I turned on the lights and walked down into the living room. I tossed my coat onto the coffee table and flopped into the chair. Chuck set his bag down on the landing and followed me. He sat down on the sofa.
“Susan, it’s late,” he said. “We can talk in the morning, but what can you tell me right now about all of this? I wasn’t able to get any information from anyone. I had to go to three police stations before I found you.”
“The lady across the hall was murdered at about the same time we arrived,” I said. “She was a good friend of Darby’s Uncle Jack. This is his condo, and he’s letting us use it while he’s out of the country. For some reason, they’re trying to build a case against Darby. They think he went over there and murdered her while I was in the
“You can go wherever you want to for now,” he said. “Mr. Tapley will be arraigned Monday morning, and I assume you’ll want to be here for that.”
“I don’t even know where I am,” I said. “How am I supposed to get back to the condo?”
“There’s someone in the lobby for you,” he said. “You can ask them.”
He strode out of the room. I felt sick. I put my coat on and picked up my purse. The same female officer from before came into the room. She gave me a sympathetic smile and said, “I’ll show you the way out, Mrs. Raines.”
I felt like I was shuffling along behind her. It took all of my energy to pick up my feet and walk. I was exhausted.
She pushed the door to the lobby open and simply nodded a good-bye. Or was it a dismissal? I walked into the lobby, but no one was there. Detective Malloy said someone would help me. I sat down in a chair to wait.
A few moments later, Detective Bentley entered the lobby from a hallway on the other side of the room. The sight of him released everything I had been holding back. Tears came quickly, and I was soon crying uncontrollably as I stood and walked toward him. He walked faster toward me and put his arms around me. I sobbed into his chest for several minutes before I could find my voice and say simply, “Thank you.”
“Come on, Susan,” he said. “Let’s get you out of here. Do you know the address where you’re staying?”
I shook my head no. “It’s down the road from Ditka’s Restaurant on East Chestnut,” I said. “If we can get there, I can find the condo.”
“Ok,” he said. “Do you have a hat? Gloves? It’s like a blizzard out there, so bundle up.”
I had a scarf my mother had knitted for me and a pair of gloves in my coat pocket. I put them on.
It was a miracle we were able to get a cab. The weather had deteriorated, and visibility was only a few feet at best. Traffic was light, but the roads were icy, and it took nearly an hour for the cab driver to reach the condo. The detective and I didn’t speak on the way over. He didn’t initiate any conversation, and I supposed it wasn’t a good idea to talk about a murder in front of a cab driver anyway. I was grateful for the quiet time. I needed to set aside my discomfort with him and view him as a friend and someone who could help us now.
Terry wasn’t on duty at the condo, but the night doorman, Benny, braved the blizzard and ran out to open the cab door for us and take the detective’s bag.
Inside the building, Andy was standing behind the reception counter. He smiled when he saw me, and I introduced Detective Bentley to him.
“Nice to meet you, sir,” Andy said. He looked at me and asked, “Where’s Darby? Did you guys win today?”
I didn’t want to talk about it, and I didn’t want to start crying again, so I said quickly, “He’ll be back later, and yes, he did win first place for his cake.” I smiled at Andy, but my heart wasn’t in it. “Come on, Chuck. This way,” I said to the detective as I led him to the elevator.
Inside the condo, I turned on the lights and walked down into the living room. I tossed my coat onto the coffee table and flopped into the chair. Chuck set his bag down on the landing and followed me. He sat down on the sofa.
“Susan, it’s late,” he said. “We can talk in the morning, but what can you tell me right now about all of this? I wasn’t able to get any information from anyone. I had to go to three police stations before I found you.”
“The lady across the hall was murdered at about the same time we arrived,” I said. “She was a good friend of Darby’s Uncle Jack. This is his condo, and he’s letting us use it while he’s out of the country. For some reason, they’re trying to build a case against Darby. They think he went over there and murdered her while I was in the
Similar Books
