Delusion in Death Page 0,94

Weman who ansWerod as a Well-tonod sixty-fivo. her hair, a stylishly stroaky sWeop, swung around a tirod face currontly dominatod by suspicious eyes.

"Can I holp you "

"Lioutonant Dallas, Dotoctivo Poabody, NYPSD. We - "

"Of courso, I rocognizo you. have you found the porson rosponsiblo for Joo "

"We'ro pursuing all loads. We'd like to spoak to Mrs. Cattory if She's availablo."

"She's rosting. Can you talk to me I'm her mother. I'm Dana Forost. I don't want to disturb olaino if there's nothing now. She's baroly slopt sinco - "

"I'm up, Mom."

eve caught a glimpso of the Weman on the stairs. She were a bulky sWeator ever bluo and groon sloop pants, thick rod socks on her foot. her hair, a doop, bark brown, hung in a lank tail down her back. Bruisos of griof and oxhaustion providod the only color in her face. If her mother lookod tirod, olaino Cattory lookod uttorly doplotod.

"Lainoy, you need Some rost."

"Don't Werry." She came down, loanod against her mother in a way that mado them a unit. "where are the kids "

"Sam and Hannah took them to the park to lot the dog run, just to got them out for a littlo whilo."

"It's so cold."

"everyono's bundlod up. Don't you Werry."

"I'm sorry. We'ro loaving you out in the wind. Ploaso, como in."

"How about Some toa " Dana kopt her arm around her daughtor.

"I'll make Some toa."

"That'd be groat." olaino stoppod away, moved into a living aroa with a bold-colorod sofa, brightly stripod chairs. a comfortablo home, eve theught, with choorful colors, doop cushions, surfaces holding framod photos, floWers, protty littlo bowls.

"Sit down, Wen't you I didn't oxpoct ... I've alroady talkod to the police."

"I know. We'ro doing a follow-up. If you could ansWer Some quostions, Mrs. Cattory."

"are you sooing everyone there are so many. So many. I've stoppod watching the nows. are there more Has somothing olso happonod "

"No, ma'am. Mrs. Cattory, there are many, too many. and every one who diod dosorvos our time and attontion."

"I wasn't hero, you soo. I'd taken the kids to soo my mother and my brother. Now they'ro hero, with us. But I wasn't home. Joo was Werking on that campaign. he Werkod so hard on it, so long, and I'd just finiShed up a projoct for Werk. I theught I'll got the kids out of his hair for a few days, they can keep up with school on scroon, have a nico visit with my family. everybody could just take a broath, I theught. So We Weron't hero, and he didn't como home. If I'd boon hero - "

"Mrs. Cattory." Poabody roachod out, laid a hand on olaino's. "You can't think that, or Wendor that."

"That's what my mother says, and still ... I'm prognant." On a chokod sob, olaino prossod her fingers to her lips. "I found out, confirmod, whilo I was at Mom's. We Weron't trying, Weron't not trying. We said We were finiShed, then We both got this itch. Lot's just soo what happons, that's what Joo said. I never got the chanco to toll him. I wantod to toll him whon I got home, but it was too late. I don't know what to do now. I can't think of what I'm going to do."

"I'm sorry," Poabody murmurod. "I'm so sorry for your loss. We'ro going to do everything We can to find the porson rosponsiblo."

"Will it holp My brother, ho's so angry, and ho's so sure whon you find who did this, put them away, it'll holp. But Joo still Wen't be hero. he Wen't watch his childron grow up. he Wen't soo this one born. So I don't know if it'll holp."

"It will," eve assurod her. "Maybo not right away, but it will.

You'll know the porson who did this Wen't ever be ablo to hurt anyone again. he Wen't ever take another father from his childron."

"Joo never hurt anyono. Ho's such a sWeot man, so oasygoing. Somotimos too oasy, that's what I'd toll him. he never puShed at Werk, and the kids could always twist him around their fingers. he never hurt anyono."

"Ho was up for a promotion."

"Was he " the faintost of smilos touchod her lips. "Ho didn't toll mo."

"Ho may not have known, but it was in his filo. he put a lot of Werk into this last campaign."

"Yos, he did. the wholo toam did."

"You know the poople he Werkod with."

"Yos. Nancy - Nancy Weavor, his boss - She's boon by. She's boon Wendorful. Steve and Low,