specifically remember locking it, but I've never left it
open before. There are," her voice caught, "small things that
seem out of place. It's just a feeling, nothing I can define. After
what's happened, I can't...I'm terrified, Mick."
It sounded like she had been crying. Maybe she had
just been absentminded and forgot to lock the door, but that
didn't change the fact that she was frightened. "Do you want
me to come over?"
My question was followed by a long pause. "Mick,
would you mind if I packed some things and stayed there for a
while. I've visited Sabine before. I know she has an extra room.
I wouldn't get in your way. I usually leave early and get back
late. If you prefer, I'll eat out."
"Come anytime you want, Alexandra. How could I say
you can't stay at Sabine's? I'm the one who shouldn't be here.
As far as her husband is concerned, my business with him
should be done. I'll go to a hotel."
"No! I'd feel safer if someone was there."
It was nearly midnight, when she rang at the door.
Dark skin under her eyes contrasted with the pallor over the
rest of her face.
I helped her with her bags. "Is there anything I can do?
Fix food or drink?"
"No. I'm just grateful that you were around. It makes
me feel safe."
While Alexandra went to take a bath, I checked the
doors and windows to make sure they were locked. When I
went to bed, I punched the pillow a few times, got up and
checked the locks again. I returned to bed.
Alexandra's presence somehow brought visceral
memories of Sabine. I felt her hair across my chest.
Tasted her kiss.
Heard her voice.
I feel that Trevor is alive and well, but maybe scared.
I also think you'll figure all this out and bring him back.
That statement didn't mesh with anything I'd learned
about their relationship, unless it was less contentious than
evidence suggested.
I don't know how safe Alexandra felt right now, but I
was afraid. For her.
Chapter 16
Alexandra was out of the flat with little more than a
"Good morning." If she stayed in this weekend, I might cook
one of my specialties. Back home I got raves for pinto beans,
ham hocks and rice. Maybe I'd touch it off with a bold claret
that had hints of hackberry and a pawpaw bouquet.
Maybe not.
I went through Trevor's correspondence yet again and
lingered over the invitation to her to visit his Monaco home. If
he owned it, it would be part of the estate. As far as I knew,
Trevor's brother was his only heir.
I called McNulty and asked him to check with the
brother. If we could get an address, it might be worth a trip to
look the place over.
McNulty said he would. He also said he had found the
house of Tom Hall, the LIFFE systems chief, but had not been
able to install surveillance devices. He would try this evening
before Hall got home.
I called Pascal and asked him to look at Trevor's notes.
His local insight might spot something I'd missed. We met for
lunch at his favorite back-alley Indian restaurant.
"Your friend Trevor sounds like he needed a doctor."
Pascal pointed to the side of his head and wiggled his finger.
"You know?"
"From the letters it does. It never came out in person
though."
"How well did you know him?"
Truth is, I hadn't known Trevor at all outside of our
working relationship, so I shrugged. Other than my own bias
that he and Sabine were too intellectually ethereal to succumb
to criminal passions, there was no rationale to ignore the
implications that were apparent from circumstantial evidence.
As for genius and foul acts, historically there was hardly reason
to believe that one precluded the other.
"Her husband, seems satisfied with the Shakespearean
theory of homicidal jealously. But he gave us today-plus-nine
to nose around."
"Why, if he's satisfied?"
"Maybe he's not convinced completely. Or he's
humoring me, because I suspect there could be more to it. Even
Alexandra, an associate at Trevor's firm, had said she believed
it was possible it could have been Trevor. Last night she called
and said she thought
open before. There are," her voice caught, "small things that
seem out of place. It's just a feeling, nothing I can define. After
what's happened, I can't...I'm terrified, Mick."
It sounded like she had been crying. Maybe she had
just been absentminded and forgot to lock the door, but that
didn't change the fact that she was frightened. "Do you want
me to come over?"
My question was followed by a long pause. "Mick,
would you mind if I packed some things and stayed there for a
while. I've visited Sabine before. I know she has an extra room.
I wouldn't get in your way. I usually leave early and get back
late. If you prefer, I'll eat out."
"Come anytime you want, Alexandra. How could I say
you can't stay at Sabine's? I'm the one who shouldn't be here.
As far as her husband is concerned, my business with him
should be done. I'll go to a hotel."
"No! I'd feel safer if someone was there."
It was nearly midnight, when she rang at the door.
Dark skin under her eyes contrasted with the pallor over the
rest of her face.
I helped her with her bags. "Is there anything I can do?
Fix food or drink?"
"No. I'm just grateful that you were around. It makes
me feel safe."
While Alexandra went to take a bath, I checked the
doors and windows to make sure they were locked. When I
went to bed, I punched the pillow a few times, got up and
checked the locks again. I returned to bed.
Alexandra's presence somehow brought visceral
memories of Sabine. I felt her hair across my chest.
Tasted her kiss.
Heard her voice.
I feel that Trevor is alive and well, but maybe scared.
I also think you'll figure all this out and bring him back.
That statement didn't mesh with anything I'd learned
about their relationship, unless it was less contentious than
evidence suggested.
I don't know how safe Alexandra felt right now, but I
was afraid. For her.
Chapter 16
Alexandra was out of the flat with little more than a
"Good morning." If she stayed in this weekend, I might cook
one of my specialties. Back home I got raves for pinto beans,
ham hocks and rice. Maybe I'd touch it off with a bold claret
that had hints of hackberry and a pawpaw bouquet.
Maybe not.
I went through Trevor's correspondence yet again and
lingered over the invitation to her to visit his Monaco home. If
he owned it, it would be part of the estate. As far as I knew,
Trevor's brother was his only heir.
I called McNulty and asked him to check with the
brother. If we could get an address, it might be worth a trip to
look the place over.
McNulty said he would. He also said he had found the
house of Tom Hall, the LIFFE systems chief, but had not been
able to install surveillance devices. He would try this evening
before Hall got home.
I called Pascal and asked him to look at Trevor's notes.
His local insight might spot something I'd missed. We met for
lunch at his favorite back-alley Indian restaurant.
"Your friend Trevor sounds like he needed a doctor."
Pascal pointed to the side of his head and wiggled his finger.
"You know?"
"From the letters it does. It never came out in person
though."
"How well did you know him?"
Truth is, I hadn't known Trevor at all outside of our
working relationship, so I shrugged. Other than my own bias
that he and Sabine were too intellectually ethereal to succumb
to criminal passions, there was no rationale to ignore the
implications that were apparent from circumstantial evidence.
As for genius and foul acts, historically there was hardly reason
to believe that one precluded the other.
"Her husband, seems satisfied with the Shakespearean
theory of homicidal jealously. But he gave us today-plus-nine
to nose around."
"Why, if he's satisfied?"
"Maybe he's not convinced completely. Or he's
humoring me, because I suspect there could be more to it. Even
Alexandra, an associate at Trevor's firm, had said she believed
it was possible it could have been Trevor. Last night she called
and said she thought
Similar Books
