ahead. But my Joey has been gone for seven years now. I don’t know what you expect to find after all this time. Haven’t you read his file?”
I nodded. I’d perused the admittedly sparse file over breakfast. His boss had been concerned after Joseph missed work and called the police for a welfare check. Joseph had been a conscientious employee, early to come in and late to leave each day. Skipping work without calling just hadn’t been in his repertoire.
The officer who’d done the welfare check had found the apartment undisturbed, the door locked and the alarm set. It wasn’t until the next day that a fair worker found his car in the parking lot at Zappa Fair.
The pictures of the crime scene were gruesome and peaceful, all at the same time. The driver’s side window and the windshield were covered with a spray of blood, while Joseph was slumped over his steering wheel. A half unwrapped sandwich was on the floorboards, indicating he’d been about to eat. He almost looked like he was sleeping… minus the bullet lodged in the back of his head.
The lead detective had labeled the ex-boyfriend, Alexander Gilroy, a person of interest, but his suspicions seemed based on conjecture. There was precious little evidence, forensic or otherwise, which was surprising considering the bloody crime scene. Obviously, the killer had come prepared.
“What can you tell me about Joseph’s ex-boyfriend?” I asked. “Was he the violent sort?”
“Alex?” She shook her head. “God, no. I know they suspected him, but I never believed that.”
“So you liked him?”
“I never said that, either. He was polite and well-spoken and quiet, the kind of man you’d want your son to bring home. But he was also married. That made me very uncomfortable, especially considering how close he and Joey were.”
She raised her eyebrows unnecessarily to make sure I got what very close entailed. I nodded to show I understood before she pulled out a couple of sex puppets and acted it out. “Did you think they were having an affair?”
“I won’t go that far. My Joey had standards, after all. But I do know I wouldn’t want my husband that close with an ex.”
“How did Alex’s wife feel about that?”
“I guess you’d have to ask Alex’s wife.” She shrugged. “I was hoping Joey’s new love interest would pan out, though. Milo was such a nice young man.”
“Does this Milo have a last name?”
“Something that begins with a W, I think. It’s been so long.” She snapped her fingers. “He gave me his business card once, though. He’s a dog groomer. I think I still have it around here somewhere.”
“When was the last time you saw or spoke to Joey?”
“We spoke on the phone about a month before… before.” She seemed to have trouble speaking about the murder itself, which was understandable. It probably took her back to a time she wished she could forget. “I hadn’t seen him in two months, though.”
“Two months?” I furrowed my brow. I’d been under the impression that Joseph had been very close to his mother. “Was that about usual for the two of you?”
“He had a very demanding job and sometimes he would get busy.” She smiled. “I understood. I told him he was doing very important work.”
I held in a wistful sigh. If only my mother would be so understanding about me shirking communications. Please excuse Rain from early morning yoga. He is doing very important work.
Valerie glanced up at the sky and made a tsking noise. “We should get inside. It’s getting a little too hot out here. And I’ve got to get you that bread to go with your honey.”
“That’s quite all right.”
“I insist. Especially since you’re helping me lug around this crate.”
After a moment of staring at her blankly, I caught on. I chuckled and hefted the crate of honey, which was even heavier than it looked. Must be all the mason jars. I followed her through a garage with a blue MINI Cooper, a lawnmower, a grill, and a couple of humming deep freezers. She held the door open for me, and I entered the cool, dim interior of the house.
When my eyes adjusted, I saw that we were in a cozy living room, as warm and inviting as the exterior. I sat the crate of honey on the coffee table as I took a gander around. The walls were seafoam green with white trim, and large, taupe couches took up most of the space. The only thing cluttered about