manager's desk and crossed his ankles. "Okay, Detective Lawson. Who is Juliet—"
"Gillian. Last name Lloyd. Her nude body was found in her bed this morning. She was the victim of multiple stab wounds, most of them to her lower abdomen and pubic region. We think—hope—that most were delivered postmortem because it was a fuckin' bloodbath. In fact, her killer wrote obscenities on her bedroom wall in her blood." He finished snidely. "Do I have your attention now, Colonel?"
He did definitely have Chief's attention. Genuinely sobered and subdued, he said, "I'm sorry. Truly. It's... that's terrible. But I still don't understand why you're talking to me. I didn't know this lady. I never met—"
Then it all congealed. Moving slowly, he uncrossed his ankles and came to his full height. "Jesus," he whispered. "I just got it. Lloyd. Melina's sister? Her twin?"
Lawson nodded.
Chief expelled a long breath and ran his hand around the back of his neck. For a moment, he stared into near space, trying to absorb the shocking news and the rippling impact it would have, especially on Melina. Only a few hours ago, he'd been making love to her. Now she was somewhere in this city trying to come to terms with the brutal slaying of her identical twin.
He blinked Lawson back into focus. "Is Melina all right?" "She's bearing up."
"I'd like to call her." Her number was on the itinerary. He'd already called it twice this morning but had gotten no answer. He had planned on calling it until he reached her, not just a voice mail. But he hadn't planned on calling to extend condolences.
"Not a good idea," Lawson told him as he removed his cell phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. "She's got more distractions than she can handle right now."
He hoped that Melina would look upon a call from him as something other than a distraction. He hoped she would welcome hearing his voice. But he wasn't going to discuss Melina or what had happened between them last night with this detective. Replacing his telephone he mumbled, "I guess you're right."
"What do you know about her?" Lawson asked.
"I only met her yesterday. She'd been retained—" "Yeah, she explained her job to me."
"She's very good at it. Competent." He smiled at the memory of her at the news conference, bossing the reporters in a way they seemed to adore. The women as well as the men. "She's very capable."
Remembering her smile as she gave in to his pleas that she stay just a little while longer, he wondered if she was blaming herself, wishing that she'd left when she had first tried to go, wishing she hadn't been with him at all last night, castigating herself for not protecting her sister.
It was crazy thinking, of course. But people tended to think irrationally, and often with self-chastisement, when a loved one died unexpectedly, like in an accident. But murder? That would thrust someone's guilt into overdrive.
Backing into the edge of the desk again, he said, almost to himself, "God, she must feel awful." He raised his head and looked at Lawson again. "Do you know who did it?"
"Not yet."
"Any clues?"
"A few. The writing on the walls, for instance. That's what linked this crime to you."
"To me?"
Up till now, it hadn't occurred to Chief why the homicide detective had sought him out. Upon hearing the staggering news, his initial concern had been for Melina and how she must be feeling. He hadn't connected all the dots. But Law-son's last statement made the connection. It put him in the picture. He just couldn't yet tell what the picture was.
"I never even met Gillian, Detective. If there's any doubt of that, you can ask Melina."
"In fact, it was Melina who put us on to you."
He shook his head. "I don't get it." "You will. We'll explain it all."
"We, who?"
"Me. Melina. At a meeting downtown. Two-thirty today."
He felt sorry for Melina, but for the life of him, he couldn't imagine why he was being dragged into her sister's murder investigation. "At two-thirty today, I plan
"Gillian. Last name Lloyd. Her nude body was found in her bed this morning. She was the victim of multiple stab wounds, most of them to her lower abdomen and pubic region. We think—hope—that most were delivered postmortem because it was a fuckin' bloodbath. In fact, her killer wrote obscenities on her bedroom wall in her blood." He finished snidely. "Do I have your attention now, Colonel?"
He did definitely have Chief's attention. Genuinely sobered and subdued, he said, "I'm sorry. Truly. It's... that's terrible. But I still don't understand why you're talking to me. I didn't know this lady. I never met—"
Then it all congealed. Moving slowly, he uncrossed his ankles and came to his full height. "Jesus," he whispered. "I just got it. Lloyd. Melina's sister? Her twin?"
Lawson nodded.
Chief expelled a long breath and ran his hand around the back of his neck. For a moment, he stared into near space, trying to absorb the shocking news and the rippling impact it would have, especially on Melina. Only a few hours ago, he'd been making love to her. Now she was somewhere in this city trying to come to terms with the brutal slaying of her identical twin.
He blinked Lawson back into focus. "Is Melina all right?" "She's bearing up."
"I'd like to call her." Her number was on the itinerary. He'd already called it twice this morning but had gotten no answer. He had planned on calling it until he reached her, not just a voice mail. But he hadn't planned on calling to extend condolences.
"Not a good idea," Lawson told him as he removed his cell phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. "She's got more distractions than she can handle right now."
He hoped that Melina would look upon a call from him as something other than a distraction. He hoped she would welcome hearing his voice. But he wasn't going to discuss Melina or what had happened between them last night with this detective. Replacing his telephone he mumbled, "I guess you're right."
"What do you know about her?" Lawson asked.
"I only met her yesterday. She'd been retained—" "Yeah, she explained her job to me."
"She's very good at it. Competent." He smiled at the memory of her at the news conference, bossing the reporters in a way they seemed to adore. The women as well as the men. "She's very capable."
Remembering her smile as she gave in to his pleas that she stay just a little while longer, he wondered if she was blaming herself, wishing that she'd left when she had first tried to go, wishing she hadn't been with him at all last night, castigating herself for not protecting her sister.
It was crazy thinking, of course. But people tended to think irrationally, and often with self-chastisement, when a loved one died unexpectedly, like in an accident. But murder? That would thrust someone's guilt into overdrive.
Backing into the edge of the desk again, he said, almost to himself, "God, she must feel awful." He raised his head and looked at Lawson again. "Do you know who did it?"
"Not yet."
"Any clues?"
"A few. The writing on the walls, for instance. That's what linked this crime to you."
"To me?"
Up till now, it hadn't occurred to Chief why the homicide detective had sought him out. Upon hearing the staggering news, his initial concern had been for Melina and how she must be feeling. He hadn't connected all the dots. But Law-son's last statement made the connection. It put him in the picture. He just couldn't yet tell what the picture was.
"I never even met Gillian, Detective. If there's any doubt of that, you can ask Melina."
"In fact, it was Melina who put us on to you."
He shook his head. "I don't get it." "You will. We'll explain it all."
"We, who?"
"Me. Melina. At a meeting downtown. Two-thirty today."
He felt sorry for Melina, but for the life of him, he couldn't imagine why he was being dragged into her sister's murder investigation. "At two-thirty today, I plan
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