Sacrifice Fly (33 page)

She slid out of the booth and made her way to the back, past the small stage. She
looked back to make sure I was watching. Just like the first time we’d met. The bar
was now filled, and most of the patrons were watching the Mets game. They were up
by two in the sixth. Caroline returned, nose freshly powdered.

“Did I tell you that the office was broken into last night?”

I gave her a shocked look. “No. What happened?”

“Came in through the back door. Picked the lock.”

“They get anything of value?”

She smirked. “Like what? Blank tickets? Any cash comes through that place is out before
five. Everything else is done over the phone. Credit cards.”

“Why would anyone bother to break in then?”

“Probably just some kids screwin’ around.” She took a sip from her drink. “To see
John—Mr. Roberts—though, you’d think it was the end of the world.”

I nodded. “That’s understandable. His place of business was violated. People react
strongly in that kind of situation. What did the cops say?”

“He didn’t call them.” She leaned into me, still smelling like a vacation. “I can
see why Willy thought you were a cop. You talk like one.”

Our faces were inches apart. “Teachers, cops. I guess we all kind of sound the same.”

“I guess so,” she said. “Feel like movin’ on?”

I looked at my watch. “It is getting late.”

She took my wrist in her long fingers. “I didn’t say the evening was over.”

“No,” I said. “No, you didn’t. Let me take care of the bill.”

“Just leave some money on the table.” She stood up and smoothed her hands over her
pants. “Willy’ll figure it out.”

I did a quick calculation in my head, took a last sip of beer, and left two twenties
under the empty bottle. Caroline grabbed my hand and led me to the door. She waved
over to the bar. Willy waved back. “See ya,” he shouted to us as we exited.

Outside, the air was sticky and warm. After sitting for so long, my knees took a while
to warm up. I don’t think Caroline noticed. There was little traffic on the street
as she took both my hands in hers and asked, “Now what, Mr. Donne?”

“Are you going to call me Mr. Donne all night?”

She pulled me close and whispered in my ear. “I just might. And how long do you think
all night might be?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It is a school night.”

She released my left hand and readjusted her bag over her shoulder. “Wanna see if
we can find us some music around here?”

“That sounds good.”

“Good? Boy, you don’t know the half of it.” She reached into her bag and pulled out
her lighter. She rummaged through it for a few more seconds, and instead of pulling
out her pack of cigarettes, she said, “Shit.”

“What?”

“I left my wallet at the office.” She closed her eyes. “Middle drawer.” She squeezed
my hand. “I’m sorry. We have to swing by the agency.”

I held out my arm. “Let’s go.”

It took less than five minutes to stroll to the office, and arm-in-arm with a sweet-smelling,
beautiful woman was the way to do it. Caroline got out her keys, and the two of us
lifted the gate. Once inside, she punched in the alarm code and locked the door. She
didn’t bother turning any lights on as she carefully made her way over to her desk.
After opening the middle drawer, she spun around to face me, waving her wallet.

“Ready when you are,” I said.

“You know, Mr. Donne. We do have this whole place to ourselves.”

I looked around. “And a very romantic place it is at that.”

“Oh, come on.” She took a few steps toward me. “We could have just as much fun here
as we could listening to music.” When she reached me, she put her arms around my waist
and pulled me into her. “You ever do it on an office desk before?”

“No.”

“This could really be your night, then.” She leaned forward and kissed me. I could
taste the burger, whiskey sour, and cigarettes as she slid her tongue into my mouth.
She ran her fingers up and down my back before she pulled away. “You kiss pretty good
for a white guy.”

“I’d like to think I kiss pretty good for any color.”

She laughed and kissed me again, this time taking her hands around to my front and
looping her thumbs on my belt. “Pick a desk,” she whispered.

“Excuse me?”

“Any desk.” She pushed me back. “How about Marsha’s?”

“You don’t think she’d mind?” I asked, my butt resting up against what I assumed to
be Marsha’s desk.

Caroline smiled as she slowly unbuckled my belt. “She would totally come undone.”
I could feel my belt slipping through the loops of my pants. I took Caroline’s face
in my hands and kissed her again. She dropped my belt and I moaned as her fingers
worked to get the top button of my pants undone. When she’d succeeded, she slowly
pulled down the zipper.

“Shit,” she said.

“What? Is it stuck?”

“Not that.” She pulled the zipper up quickly and stepped back. “That.” She pointed
toward Roberts’s office.

I looked over and saw what she meant. There was a light coming from under the door.
We were not alone.

Caroline put her finger to her lips. “Shhh.” She took a step toward the office and
turned to me. “I was the last one out of here tonight. He must have come back.”

I gestured at the front door. “Let’s go.”

She took another step. “I don’t hear anything. What’s he doing in there so late?”

I shrugged. “Let’s just get out of here, okay?” I had the feeling if Roberts saw me
one more time, he might just call Detective Royce, and I did not need that kind of
trouble.

Caroline waved her hand at me, went over to the office door, and placed her ear against
it. After a few seconds, she put her hand on the doorknob and turned it. She was halfway
through the door when she screamed.

I ran over to her as she stumbled back out of the office. She grabbed me hard and
started to breathe heavy through tears. I took her by the shoulders and said, “What?”

She motioned with her head to the office. “Oh, my god.”

I loosened my grip on her and opened the door the rest of the way with my foot. There
was Roberts. Slumped over his computer, looking like he’d fallen asleep while working
late.

Except for all the blood.

Chapter 28

“JUST THAT ONE TIME,” I SAID
for the third time in the past half hour. “Yesterday. Here at his office.”

Roberts had been taken away by an ambulance almost an hour before. He was still alive,
but from what I overheard from the EMS crew, he’d be lucky to make it to the hospital.
I was being interviewed by a detective, Lund or Lind, I didn’t quite get his name,
as he seemed rather annoyed at working at this late hour and had a bad habit of slurring
his words. He had his jacket hanging over the driver’s side door as we stood outside
Roberts’s in the late-night humidity. The sweat stains under his arms were threatening
to reach his belt. He was a tall man. Tall and fat. The kind of fat you get from sitting
on your ass eight hours a day for ten or more years. The kind that makes it difficult
to see your shoes.

“And you were here, why?” he mumbled.

“Then?” I asked. “Or tonight?”

He looked down at his notebook. “Tell me both. Again.”

I reminded myself to keep my tone respectful. “I was here the other day to ask about
his nephew. A student of mine. Tonight, because Ms. Pierre left her wallet behind.”

Still looking at his notebook, flipping through the pages, he said, “You’re a teacher,
is that right?”

“Yes. Can I see Ms. Pierre now?” It was pushing ten, and I hadn’t seen Caroline for
almost thirty minutes. She was inside being interviewed by this guy’s partner.

“Soon as Detective Vincent’s done with her.” He gave me a look, more guy-to-guy than
professional. “You planning on taking her home tonight?”

“Just as soon as the other detective’s through. She’s had a rough night.”

“Right.” He flipped to a new page. “How long you known Miss Pierre?”

“Less than a week,” I said, because it sounded better than “two days.”

“Whaddaya think?”

“I don’t understand your question.”

“You think she coulda taken a swing at her boss’s head?” He locked his eyes on me
in an attempt to come across astute.

“No,” I said. “She was with me all night. I told you that.”

“She was here until seven. Coulda done the deed, locked up, had dinner and drinks
with you, and brought you back so you could both discover the body.” He made that
quotation mark gesture with his fingers to highlight the word “discover.”

“Not possible. She was perfectly calm when I saw her.”

He smiled. “C’mon, Mr. Donne. Looker like that? Ice water in their veins. And the
black ones?” He got close enough to my face where I could smell the coffee on his
breath. “How’d you think she got the keys to this place? You ask me, Mr. Roberts is
the victim of Jungle Fever.”

“You’re an asshole.” Maybe I was too tired, too frustrated, or just too pissed off,
but the words came right out, and I didn’t care. I waited a few seconds for his reaction.

He leaned away from me. Instead of shock or anger, he gave me a grin that bordered
on delight. “Maybe so,” he said, pointing his pencil at me. “But I think I’m right.”
He flipped his notebook shut and turned to go back inside the travel agency. “Stay
here. Please.”

After a few minutes, I placed my hands on top of his car and started to stretch. I
was beginning to feel the effects of the evening from my neck down to my hip. I was
about to reach for my toes when I heard a voice behind me.

“Sorry about the wait, Mr. Donne.” I looked up to see the other detective exiting
the building. This one looked as if he spent much of his free time in the gym. He
offered his hand. His grip was impressive without being intimidating. “Detective Vincent,”
he said.

“Your partner’s an asshole,” I returned.

“And a racist. He’s also grossly overweight, smokes way too much, and has breath that’d
make a camel cry. He’ll probably be dead in less than two years, and he’s not my partner.
Still, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about him like that.”

I put my hands up. “Sorry. It’s been a long night.”

“For all of us.” He took a look at his notes. “Raymond Donne. Is that right?” I nodded.
“I had an instructor at the academy with that exact name.”

“I have an uncle who sometimes instructs at the academy with that exact name.”

Detective Vincent smiled. If he was surprised or impressed, he didn’t let it show.
“Sorry if Lynn gave you a hard time. He doesn’t know any better.”

“How’d you get stuck with him?”

“I’m the guy with the shiniest new shield, so I get the honor of riding with the big
man. Paying my dues. I know it’s a pain in the ass, but would you mind going over
what you already told Detective Lynn? I’d like to hear it from you.”

It took less than three minutes to once again recap the night’s activities. Vincent
listened carefully, didn’t interrupt once, and never wrote one word down in his notebook.
When I was finished, he repeated the key details for me to verify. “So neither you
nor Ms. Pierre saw Mr. Roberts this evening, is that right?”

“Yes. Caroline—Ms. Pierre—said she closed up the agency just around seven and came
right to the restaurant.”

“Shorty’s? Willy bust your chops?”

I smiled. “Tried to.”

“Best burgers this part of Brooklyn. You understand I’ll have to check on your story?”

“Sure. Can I take Ms. Pierre home now?”

“Just let me make sure Detective Lynn is through questioning her.”

Must be tough for this guy, working with someone you know is an idiot and yet having
to go through the motions of respect. I admired the ease with which he did it. A minute
later, Caroline came out of the agency, followed closely by the two detectives.

“We’ve called the wife,” Vincent told me. “Gonna take her a while to get someone to
watch her kid and get down here. Lives upstate, you know.”

“What’s the word on Roberts?”

“Made it to the OR. See what happens after that.”

Detective Lynn stepped forward. “Thanks for all your help, Mr. Donne.” All respectful
now. I guessed he’d had a brief chat with his partner regarding my uncle. “Hope we
didn’t cause you too much inconvenience.”

I shook my head and took Caroline by the hand. “Not at all. We can leave now?”

“Yes.” Vincent stepped forward and gave me his card. “If you think of anything…”

“Absolutely,” I said. “You going to tell us not to leave town?”

He laughed. So did Lynn, after a second or two. “Wouldn’t think of it. Thanks again.”

The two of them went back inside and a couple of uniforms stayed in front of the building.
Caroline took my hand and led me up the street. When we were a block away, she turned
and wrapped her arms around me. She began to shake and cry and held on to me for a
minute. When she was done, she stepped away.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was holding that in and didn’t want to do it in front
of those detectives.”

“I understand,” I said, and she gave me a look that told me I really didn’t. “You
want me to take you home?”

She shook her head. “Just walk me to the car service.”

“Sure.”

As we continued up the street, she told me that the detectives had taken Roberts’s
keys and would lock up. When Roberts’s wife showed up at the hospital, she’d get them
back.

“What did you tell them back there?” I asked.

“Not much I could tell them. That one guy—the fat one—kept pushing it. Like I knew
something I wasn’t saying.”

“Did you tell them about Rivas?”

“Yes, I did. You don’t think—”

“They will check it out,” I said. “Did you mention last night’s break-in?”

“I wasn’t sure if John—” She stopped. “What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know. Let’s hope the cops figure it out before someone else gets hurt.”

She shivered at that thought, and I put my arm around her. When we made it to the
corner, I put Caroline in a car and gave the driver a twenty. I leaned in through
the window and kissed her on the cheek.