Hints of Heloise by Laura Lippman Page A

door to Lillian after all that had happened. Not that Lillian was going to be living there long. Just as the cobbler’s children go barefoot, the Simmons heirs turned out to have hardly any insurance. Except for Lillian, on whom Dan had taken out a huge policy earlier this summer. That information, along with the selected correspondence that Meghan showed the police—the CD, the poetry, but never the Bible verses—and the autopsy findings of some odd, calcified spots in Dan’s brain, probably months old, took care of everything. Dan had lost his mind. His obsession with Meghan, the rape, his plans for Lillian, the disturbing pornography that he had neglected to clear out of his computer before he died—it didn’t exactly add up to anything, but it served the scenario Meghan had created. Unhinged Dan tried to rape Meghan and she killed him. It made as much sense as anything. It certainly made more sense than the truth. And if the police ever looked into the death of Brian Duffy for any reason, Dan would probably take the rap for that, too. Who was going to contradict Meghan? Not Heloise, certainly.
    Nature versus nurture. Heloise glances in the rearview mirror, sees her redheaded son looking out at the passing landscape, thinks of the redheaded man who fathered him, of the grandfather he never knew, of the aunt who has killed two men, of the mother who lies as naturally as breathing.
    â€œMom!” Scott’s yell is horrified, embarrassed. “You’re crying. ”
    â€œSorry, honey. You’re just growing up so fast.”

Form 95: An Original Story
    To: Captain Hookes
    Â 
    Jan. 21, 2000
    Â 
    Began assigned surveillance of subject, name unknown, connected to Valentine Day Deluca, target of CID vice investigation. Subject was identified via hotel clerk who is familiar with Deluca’s operations. Clerk indicated that of all the women who work for Deluca, the subject is the only one who ever leaves hotel during the day. Purpose unknown.
    Subject arrives at 10:40 in white van with four other women. She and two of those women enter hotel; the other two walk west. Men begin arriving at hotel shortly after 11 and appear to stay in increments of 45 minutes to 90 minutes. What appears to be the last customer on the noon "shift" departs 14:25. Until 16:00, all traffic in and out of hotel seems to be legitimate guests - older couples, foreigners. (Asian.) Then there is another steady stream presumed customers until 19:45. Subject never leaves hotel. Can’t blame her. It’s cold as fuck and the storeroom above the soup kitchen is unheated, although I can smell the cabbage they’re cooking for dinner. Nineteen degrees for the high today. I love my job.
    The van, driven by a No. 1 male, arrives at 19:30 and departs by 20:00.
    Â 
    Respectfully submitted,
    Â 
    Detective Tom Bradford
    Â 
    February 3, 2000
    Â 
    To: Captain Hookes
    Â 
    Â 
    Subject finally left premises for first time since surveillance began. I was beginning to doubt the clerk’s info and am still skeptical about the clerk overall
    Subject arrives at 10:45. Clients begin to arrive at 11:00. Last client clears premises at 14:15. Lull generally lasts until 16:00. It appears that Deluca has worked out some sort of lunchtime/post-work trade, which allows men to make appointments during the workday, thus keeping spouses and/or bosses from being suspicious. The appointments are probably run through a phone booker in another location, although not Deluca’s home, per results of wiretap last year. Hotel staff almost certainly paid off, as the only people who don’t realize what’s going on are the foreign tourists who must think the Lady Baltimore Hotel is a lot more central than it is. I realize that Simpson swears by clerk as a reliable confidential informant, but we should consider possibility that CI is playing both sides against each other and tying up a good police (me) on a completely bogus