snow because I didn’t know what else to do. Finally I repeated, “What did you mean when you said you killed Pat?”
“Andy Gershowitz,” she said.
I waited for more, but she seemed to feel she’d said it all.
“Who’s Andy Gershowitz?” I asked.
“The guy I went with before Pat.” She looked at me with her soggy eyes. “Do you have a Kleenex?”
I rooted in my purse and found the package I hadn’t been able to offer Curt last night. She took a tissue and blew her nose. She ignored her tears.
“I’ve got to go,” she said.
“But I need to know more about Andy Gershowitz,” I said. “Are you saying he killed Pat?”
“He didn’t want me to marry Pat,” Hannah answered. And she climbed into her car and drove away.
I watched her go, worried about any drivers she might encounter. She’d never see them through the tears and snow.
I went back into the Martens’ house. Liz, Annie and the boys were sitting where I had left them.
“She’s gone,” I said.
Liz nodded. “She’ll be back.”
“She seems to blame herself for Pat’s death,” I said.
Annie nodded. “She’s told us.”
“And you believe her?”
“Who knows? I do know she’s had trouble with some guy.”
“Andy Gershowitz?”
Annie nodded. “That’s the name. He’s harassed her since she began dating Pat.”
“Really?” Could someone really be that jealous over pale, wan Hannah? Then I remembered the shining woman in the engagement photo.
“He kept calling her and driving by her house,” Annie said. “Often he’d show up wherever she and Pat went for a date. The unnerving part was that he could only have known where they were if he followed them.”
I frowned. “He was a stalker?”
“I guess you could say that,” Annie said.
“Did she tell the police about him?”
Liz shook her head. “What’s to tell? He never really harmed her. He just wanted her back.”
“Did he threaten Pat?”
“He called a few times and asked Pat to leave her alone.” Liz smiled. “Pat politely said he loved Hannah and would leave her alone only if she asked him to. Which, of course, she didn’t. Pat even tried to tell Andy that Jesus loved him.”
“Uncle Pat always told everybody that,” Pete said.
I smiled and wished I had known Pat.
“She’s given his name to the police since the murder, hasn’t she?” I asked. If she hadn’t, I certainly would. He might be the one stalking me now.
“Grandmom,” Pete said. “I’m hungry.”
Liz looked at the boy, then at me. “I’ve got to feed him,” she said.
“And I’ve got to go.” I got quickly to my feet. “You have been very gracious to talk with me.”
“Just make it very obvious to people that he was wonderful,” Pat’s mother said fiercely. She left the room, Pete and Jonny trailing her.
Annie walked me to the door, and I went out into a wild, white world. I drove slowly back to the office, my mind whirling like the fat flakes that were already covering lawns and sidewalks. I parked in the small lot behind The News building and went inside.
Andy Gershowitz.
The News had nothing on him in the e-files, but Sergeant Poole certainly reacted to the name when I called him.
“How’d you hear of Gershowitz?” he asked.
“I was talking with Patrick’s fiancée.”
He grunted.
When he said nothing more, I said, “And what does umph mean?”
Sergeant Poole grunted again. “Let’s just say we’re looking for him for questioning.”
“That means you think he’s the one?”
“That means we want to question him.”
“And he’s missing?”
“Mmm.”
“Since when?”
“Since we’re not certain.”
“So when was he last seen?”
“We’ve talked with the guys he ate lunch with Wednesday, the day of the murder, but it seems he never went back to work.”
“Where’d he work?”
“Brandywine Steel.”
“I know Mittal Steel in Coatesville, but I don’t know that company,” I said.
“They’re a small steel fabricator over
“Andy Gershowitz,” she said.
I waited for more, but she seemed to feel she’d said it all.
“Who’s Andy Gershowitz?” I asked.
“The guy I went with before Pat.” She looked at me with her soggy eyes. “Do you have a Kleenex?”
I rooted in my purse and found the package I hadn’t been able to offer Curt last night. She took a tissue and blew her nose. She ignored her tears.
“I’ve got to go,” she said.
“But I need to know more about Andy Gershowitz,” I said. “Are you saying he killed Pat?”
“He didn’t want me to marry Pat,” Hannah answered. And she climbed into her car and drove away.
I watched her go, worried about any drivers she might encounter. She’d never see them through the tears and snow.
I went back into the Martens’ house. Liz, Annie and the boys were sitting where I had left them.
“She’s gone,” I said.
Liz nodded. “She’ll be back.”
“She seems to blame herself for Pat’s death,” I said.
Annie nodded. “She’s told us.”
“And you believe her?”
“Who knows? I do know she’s had trouble with some guy.”
“Andy Gershowitz?”
Annie nodded. “That’s the name. He’s harassed her since she began dating Pat.”
“Really?” Could someone really be that jealous over pale, wan Hannah? Then I remembered the shining woman in the engagement photo.
“He kept calling her and driving by her house,” Annie said. “Often he’d show up wherever she and Pat went for a date. The unnerving part was that he could only have known where they were if he followed them.”
I frowned. “He was a stalker?”
“I guess you could say that,” Annie said.
“Did she tell the police about him?”
Liz shook her head. “What’s to tell? He never really harmed her. He just wanted her back.”
“Did he threaten Pat?”
“He called a few times and asked Pat to leave her alone.” Liz smiled. “Pat politely said he loved Hannah and would leave her alone only if she asked him to. Which, of course, she didn’t. Pat even tried to tell Andy that Jesus loved him.”
“Uncle Pat always told everybody that,” Pete said.
I smiled and wished I had known Pat.
“She’s given his name to the police since the murder, hasn’t she?” I asked. If she hadn’t, I certainly would. He might be the one stalking me now.
“Grandmom,” Pete said. “I’m hungry.”
Liz looked at the boy, then at me. “I’ve got to feed him,” she said.
“And I’ve got to go.” I got quickly to my feet. “You have been very gracious to talk with me.”
“Just make it very obvious to people that he was wonderful,” Pat’s mother said fiercely. She left the room, Pete and Jonny trailing her.
Annie walked me to the door, and I went out into a wild, white world. I drove slowly back to the office, my mind whirling like the fat flakes that were already covering lawns and sidewalks. I parked in the small lot behind The News building and went inside.
Andy Gershowitz.
The News had nothing on him in the e-files, but Sergeant Poole certainly reacted to the name when I called him.
“How’d you hear of Gershowitz?” he asked.
“I was talking with Patrick’s fiancée.”
He grunted.
When he said nothing more, I said, “And what does umph mean?”
Sergeant Poole grunted again. “Let’s just say we’re looking for him for questioning.”
“That means you think he’s the one?”
“That means we want to question him.”
“And he’s missing?”
“Mmm.”
“Since when?”
“Since we’re not certain.”
“So when was he last seen?”
“We’ve talked with the guys he ate lunch with Wednesday, the day of the murder, but it seems he never went back to work.”
“Where’d he work?”
“Brandywine Steel.”
“I know Mittal Steel in Coatesville, but I don’t know that company,” I said.
“They’re a small steel fabricator over
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