we know, he’s the only person around here who knows of your existence. But eventually I have to turn over what I find out.”
“I understand.” She dropped the little book in her bag. “I don’t know why I trust you, but I guess I have to trust someone and you’ve been nice to me. All I ask is that you tell me what you know before you call the police.”
“I will do that. Ariana, your parents were careful people. They must have told you what to do in case of their death.”
“They did. I was just thinking about that. I know they had a will written in Massachusetts when we lived there, but they did it again in New York State when they moved. I have a copy of their will but it’s back home in Chicago. The lawyer’s name and address are with the will. He may have instructions from them that I don’t have.”
“Have you read the will?”
“Just once when they gave me the copy. There’s nothing complicated about it. I think they have bonds put away somewhere. It’s all written down.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to go back and get it,” I said.
“There’s something else. I have to bury—” She stopped, overcome with grief. “My parents,” she said finally.
“You’ll have to identify yourself to claim them.”
“I hate to think of them in a morgue. I want them safe in a nice green cemetery.”
I said nothing. This was the big decision she had to make and she had to do it by herself.
“I tell you what,” she said. “Let’s give it two weeks. If we don’t make any progress, I’ll reconsider.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Now I think I should get back to the motel. I’m feeling tired and I need to rest and be alone.”
“Do you have money?”
“That’s not a problem.”
“I’ll drive you back.”
10
Ariana Brinker was staying at the local motel where Sister Joseph had once stayed when we were working on a local homicide. I suggested she rest as long as she wanted and then call me. We could all have dinner together chez Brooks and plan a strategy later on in the evening. I told her I had a five-year-old and that we might be off at the town pool later in the afternoon, but she could leave a message.
Eddie and I left for the pool. His swimming was becoming more even and less like play and I was glad we had given him lessons last summer. He remembered how to coordinate his breathing, and I was pleased to see how much he wanted to continue learning. We swam side by side in a lap lane, and he was grinning when we came to the end.
Back home, we dressed and went downstairs to get dinner together. The phone rang as I was mixing good spices into our rosemary meat loaf. Might as well use the oven while the kitchen was still cool enough. We would have enough months of grilling starting anytime soon.
“This is Ariana.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Yes. I didn’t expect to. And I’ve made a reservation to fly to Chicago tomorrow and return here on Wednesday. Is that all right with you?”
“It’s fine. I assume you’re going to pick up the will and come right back.”
“Yes. And get some more clothes. I’ll need to talk to the lawyer when I get back. I’m sure the name and address are with the will. I expect the lawyer has no idea my parents are dead.”
“Right. You and I are the only two people at this point who know their real names.”
I told her I would pick her up in twenty minutes. Then I let Eddie know we were having company for dinner. “Her name is Ariana,” I said.
“Is she your friend?”
“She’s a young lady I just met. She’s very nice, honey. I think you’ll like her. She works in a bookstore.”
That provoked his interest. He started to tell me about all the books he needed.
“Maybe we’ll go to our bookstore when school is out. You’ll need some books to read over the summer.” He wasn’t exactly reading yet, but he knew what I meant.
I explained to Ariana that my husband was a police lieutenant in New York City. She tensed as I said
“I understand.” She dropped the little book in her bag. “I don’t know why I trust you, but I guess I have to trust someone and you’ve been nice to me. All I ask is that you tell me what you know before you call the police.”
“I will do that. Ariana, your parents were careful people. They must have told you what to do in case of their death.”
“They did. I was just thinking about that. I know they had a will written in Massachusetts when we lived there, but they did it again in New York State when they moved. I have a copy of their will but it’s back home in Chicago. The lawyer’s name and address are with the will. He may have instructions from them that I don’t have.”
“Have you read the will?”
“Just once when they gave me the copy. There’s nothing complicated about it. I think they have bonds put away somewhere. It’s all written down.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to go back and get it,” I said.
“There’s something else. I have to bury—” She stopped, overcome with grief. “My parents,” she said finally.
“You’ll have to identify yourself to claim them.”
“I hate to think of them in a morgue. I want them safe in a nice green cemetery.”
I said nothing. This was the big decision she had to make and she had to do it by herself.
“I tell you what,” she said. “Let’s give it two weeks. If we don’t make any progress, I’ll reconsider.”
“That sounds reasonable.”
“Now I think I should get back to the motel. I’m feeling tired and I need to rest and be alone.”
“Do you have money?”
“That’s not a problem.”
“I’ll drive you back.”
10
Ariana Brinker was staying at the local motel where Sister Joseph had once stayed when we were working on a local homicide. I suggested she rest as long as she wanted and then call me. We could all have dinner together chez Brooks and plan a strategy later on in the evening. I told her I had a five-year-old and that we might be off at the town pool later in the afternoon, but she could leave a message.
Eddie and I left for the pool. His swimming was becoming more even and less like play and I was glad we had given him lessons last summer. He remembered how to coordinate his breathing, and I was pleased to see how much he wanted to continue learning. We swam side by side in a lap lane, and he was grinning when we came to the end.
Back home, we dressed and went downstairs to get dinner together. The phone rang as I was mixing good spices into our rosemary meat loaf. Might as well use the oven while the kitchen was still cool enough. We would have enough months of grilling starting anytime soon.
“This is Ariana.”
“Did you sleep?”
“Yes. I didn’t expect to. And I’ve made a reservation to fly to Chicago tomorrow and return here on Wednesday. Is that all right with you?”
“It’s fine. I assume you’re going to pick up the will and come right back.”
“Yes. And get some more clothes. I’ll need to talk to the lawyer when I get back. I’m sure the name and address are with the will. I expect the lawyer has no idea my parents are dead.”
“Right. You and I are the only two people at this point who know their real names.”
I told her I would pick her up in twenty minutes. Then I let Eddie know we were having company for dinner. “Her name is Ariana,” I said.
“Is she your friend?”
“She’s a young lady I just met. She’s very nice, honey. I think you’ll like her. She works in a bookstore.”
That provoked his interest. He started to tell me about all the books he needed.
“Maybe we’ll go to our bookstore when school is out. You’ll need some books to read over the summer.” He wasn’t exactly reading yet, but he knew what I meant.
I explained to Ariana that my husband was a police lieutenant in New York City. She tensed as I said
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