The Killing Vision - By Will Overby Page 0,69
“Great. You head on over there, and I’ll call Sheri and tell her to meet you at the front door with a monster margarita.”
Halloran laughed. “Just a beer will do.”
* * *
5:10 PM
Joel pulled the cable truck into Wade’s driveway and immediately knew something was different. Marla was sprawled in a lawn chair on the porch, and you didn’t have to be psychic to know she had been drinking. Her eyes were glassy and unfocussed, and her face was colored with a flush Joel knew wasn’t sunburn. “What’s up?” he said, sliding out of the truck.
“Not a goddamned thing,” Marla said, and Joel winced at her slurred speech. “How’s my favorite brother-in-law?”
“Any more news from Wade?” Joel asked. “You talk to the attorney again today?”
“No.” She turned up her glass and Joel caught the strong whiff of alcohol. Marla had evidently been at this for a long while.
“Did you try to call him?”
“What for? I’m sure he’ll call if he knows anything.”
Joel shrugged. “Okay, whatever.” He turned to go. “Well, let me know if you hear anything else.”
“Hey, Joel,” Marla said, “when all this is over, we should go on a trip. You and me and Derek. All three of us.”
“Sure.”
“We should go to Disney World. I always wanted to take Derek to Disney World.”
“Whatever you want.”
“We’d have a real good time,” she said. She reached over and grabbed his arm.
And suddenly he saw it all. He saw the struggle with Abby, Marla strangling her with the iron cord, then dumping her on a secluded road. He saw the years of beatings and verbal lashings from Wade, the brutality and cruelty, and he knew his fear was real. She had set Wade up. Had wanted to see him punished. And she had done it the only way that would keep him from retaliating against her. And she was proud of it. She had used Wade’s own indiscretions against him.
He backed off from her, staring at her. He was sure his face gave away what he knew, but Marla was too drunk to notice. “I’ve got to go,” he managed to sputter. He whirled around and headed to the truck.
Inside the cab, he pulled Halloran’s card from his wallet and dialed the police station with shaking fingers. But the call was answered by Chapman, and Joel remembered he was the younger detective he had seen yesterday. “Is the lieutenant in?” Joel asked.
“Already gone for the day,” Chapman said. “Anything I can do for you?”
“This is Joel Roberts. I’ve got some. . . information about my brother’s case. It’s urgent. I need to talk to him.”
“Tell you what,” Chapman said, “I’m getting ready to leave here myself. How about I just swing by your place on my way home and talk to you there?”
“Sure,” Joel said. Talking to Chapman surely would be just as good as talking to Halloran.
* * *
5:37 PM
Halloran pulled into the drive at Chapman’s modest brick house. Even though the grass needed to be mowed and a couple of toys littered the lawn, the place looked comfortable and homey. He thought of his tiny apartment across town, with no one waiting there for him but Mel, and he suddenly felt old and worn-out. He knew he was just tired. After tomorrow he would finally be able to get some rest.
Sheri met him at the door before he could even ring the bell. “Come on in,” she said, and stepped back to let him enter. She was blond and petite and moved with the grace of a pixie.
Halloran sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”
“Enchiladas,” she said.
He looked about for Chapman’s daughter. “Where’s Isabel?”
“Taking a nap,” Sheri said. “She’ll probably wake up just in time to be cranky for dinner.”
Halloran followed her into the kitchen. “Hope you don’t mind me coming over like this.”
“Not a problem,” Sheri said. She stirred the rice on the stove. “I’m used to John bringing home strays.” They laughed, and then she whirled around. “Oh, I forgot. He just called and said he’s going to be a little while. Said he would tell you about it when he got here.” She opened the fridge. “You want a beer? You can relax for a while in the den until dinner’s ready.”
“Sounds great, thanks.” He smiled. Sheri certainly knew how to take care of a man.
* * *
5:57 PM
Joel opened the door just as the detective stepped up onto the porch. “Saw your car pull in,” he said. “Thanks for coming out here.”
“My pleasure,” Chapman said. He