to Orson Island?
“I don’t know where he is.”
“I heard you do. Nerine says you do.”
So the first and second Mrs. Corelli were now on speaking terms? The divorce had clearly not been amicable. Nerine had seemed to concur on that point. But maybe time had healed some wounds. Or maybe Mario’s death made the old injuries irrelevant.
Swift replied, “I don’t know where Nerine got that. I went to see her in the hope that she knew where he was.”
“She wouldn’t know. Tad wouldn’t go to her for help. He’s my son.”
Here be dragons. “Right. Well, she seemed to agree with that. Do you have any idea of where Tad might go?”
Cora shook her head.
“Do you know where his girlfriend—?”
“Tad doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Cora interrupted.
“Oh.” Swift considered this, deemed it wise to let it ride. “What about friends? I know he used to hang with Hodge Williams and Denny Jensen.”
“Denny, yes. Hodge and Tad grew up together. But they don’t have so much in common anymore. Not after Tad quit the football team. Most boys think poetry is for pansies.” Meeting Swift’s eyes, she shrugged. “Sorry, but that’s the way it is.”
“I know some people think that way,” Swift replied, because what purpose would be served by debating it with her? This was a woman who believed she was her son’s best friend. “Are they still close enough that Tad would go to Hodge or Denny for help?”
“I already asked Hodge. He said Tad went to you.”
Now they were getting somewhere, because how could Hodge know that Tad had been to see Swift unless Tad had told him? It wasn’t something Max was likely to spread around.
“Mario wanted Tad in his life. What was Tad’s relationship like with his father?”
“Mario was not a good father.”
Swift’s father had been one of the best. Unfortunately he hadn’t realized it at the time. But maybe that was true of most kids. “Is that what Tad thought?”
“Of course that’s what Tad thought. It’s what everyone thought. Mario was never there when Tad needed him. Not there in body and not there in spirit. And when he got mad, watch out.” Cora wiped at the tears, smearing her mascara.
“He hit Tad?”
“Tad, me, anyone who pissed him off.”
“Did you ever file assault charges?”
“No!” Cora sounded like Swift had said something ridiculous. She looked at the black smudges on her fingers. “Can I use your little girl’s room? I need to freshen up.”
Swift raised an eyebrow, restrained himself, pointed. “It’s the white door around the pillar there.”
Cora thanked him and disappeared between the carved pillars.
Swift went into the kitchen and put the teakettle on. He felt certain he was going to need a quiet, calm cuppa once the ex-Mrs. Corelli departed.
She rejoined him in a few minutes, her boots clicking as she marched up the steps to the kitchen. “This is a church, isn’t it?”
“It was, once upon a time.”
“That’s a sin, isn’t it?”
“It’s deconsecrated.”
She looked unconvinced. “It doesn’t seem right. You’ve got an oil painting of St. George.”
“The building is just stone and wood now. Like any old building.” Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration. Swift did feel there was a special serenity between these walls. Sanctuary. It was a good thing.
Cora shook her head, still dissatisfied.
Swift thought it best to change the subject. “Who do you think killed your ex-husband?”
“That bitch Nerine.”
Okay. Some wounds never healed. This one was still wet and gaping.
“Why do you say that?”
“It’s obvious.”
“If it was obvious, wouldn’t the police focus on her rather than Tad?”
“Mario was shot . Tad hates guns. Nerine is president of Women on Target.”
“What’s Women on Target?”
“The women’s branch of our local Rod & Gun Club.”
That was interesting, but not something Max was likely to have overlooked. “It’s interesting that you accuse Nerine. She
“I don’t know where he is.”
“I heard you do. Nerine says you do.”
So the first and second Mrs. Corelli were now on speaking terms? The divorce had clearly not been amicable. Nerine had seemed to concur on that point. But maybe time had healed some wounds. Or maybe Mario’s death made the old injuries irrelevant.
Swift replied, “I don’t know where Nerine got that. I went to see her in the hope that she knew where he was.”
“She wouldn’t know. Tad wouldn’t go to her for help. He’s my son.”
Here be dragons. “Right. Well, she seemed to agree with that. Do you have any idea of where Tad might go?”
Cora shook her head.
“Do you know where his girlfriend—?”
“Tad doesn’t have a girlfriend,” Cora interrupted.
“Oh.” Swift considered this, deemed it wise to let it ride. “What about friends? I know he used to hang with Hodge Williams and Denny Jensen.”
“Denny, yes. Hodge and Tad grew up together. But they don’t have so much in common anymore. Not after Tad quit the football team. Most boys think poetry is for pansies.” Meeting Swift’s eyes, she shrugged. “Sorry, but that’s the way it is.”
“I know some people think that way,” Swift replied, because what purpose would be served by debating it with her? This was a woman who believed she was her son’s best friend. “Are they still close enough that Tad would go to Hodge or Denny for help?”
“I already asked Hodge. He said Tad went to you.”
Now they were getting somewhere, because how could Hodge know that Tad had been to see Swift unless Tad had told him? It wasn’t something Max was likely to spread around.
“Mario wanted Tad in his life. What was Tad’s relationship like with his father?”
“Mario was not a good father.”
Swift’s father had been one of the best. Unfortunately he hadn’t realized it at the time. But maybe that was true of most kids. “Is that what Tad thought?”
“Of course that’s what Tad thought. It’s what everyone thought. Mario was never there when Tad needed him. Not there in body and not there in spirit. And when he got mad, watch out.” Cora wiped at the tears, smearing her mascara.
“He hit Tad?”
“Tad, me, anyone who pissed him off.”
“Did you ever file assault charges?”
“No!” Cora sounded like Swift had said something ridiculous. She looked at the black smudges on her fingers. “Can I use your little girl’s room? I need to freshen up.”
Swift raised an eyebrow, restrained himself, pointed. “It’s the white door around the pillar there.”
Cora thanked him and disappeared between the carved pillars.
Swift went into the kitchen and put the teakettle on. He felt certain he was going to need a quiet, calm cuppa once the ex-Mrs. Corelli departed.
She rejoined him in a few minutes, her boots clicking as she marched up the steps to the kitchen. “This is a church, isn’t it?”
“It was, once upon a time.”
“That’s a sin, isn’t it?”
“It’s deconsecrated.”
She looked unconvinced. “It doesn’t seem right. You’ve got an oil painting of St. George.”
“The building is just stone and wood now. Like any old building.” Okay, perhaps that was an exaggeration. Swift did feel there was a special serenity between these walls. Sanctuary. It was a good thing.
Cora shook her head, still dissatisfied.
Swift thought it best to change the subject. “Who do you think killed your ex-husband?”
“That bitch Nerine.”
Okay. Some wounds never healed. This one was still wet and gaping.
“Why do you say that?”
“It’s obvious.”
“If it was obvious, wouldn’t the police focus on her rather than Tad?”
“Mario was shot . Tad hates guns. Nerine is president of Women on Target.”
“What’s Women on Target?”
“The women’s branch of our local Rod & Gun Club.”
That was interesting, but not something Max was likely to have overlooked. “It’s interesting that you accuse Nerine. She
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