Swann Songs (The Boston Uncommon Mysteries Book 4) (18 page)

“Maybe, just maybe, someone wanted to anger us and make us even more determined to find the murderer.” Another name zoomed to the top of my hit parade. “Remember Melanie’s reaction? She literally begged me to stay involved in the case.”

“Aha! You had her in this apartment, didn`t you?” Anika nodded. “Melanie could size up this building right away. Her family is very comfortable.”

Very comfortable
is a Swann catch phrase for outrageously wealthy. As they say, everything in life is relative.

“Let`s sleep on this,” Bolin suggested. “Right now all we have is speculation. Tomorrow may change everything.”

A sound suggestion and one I heartily endorsed. The day`s drama had exhausted me both physically and mentally. Like Hamlet, I yearned for sleep and the chance to dream away my troubles.

“Get some rest, you two.” Anika kissed my cheek. “You both look tired.”

“Cato. I have to walk him,” I said.

Deming squeezed my hand. “I`ll take care of him, although I`m sure I`ll regret it. You get ready for bed. Go on now. Scoot.”

I considered resisting, but ideology wasn`t nearly as compelling as the thought of soft, comfy sheets and a down quilt. After a cursory protest I marched off, washed my face, and fell into bed still wearing my chemise.

I felt the warmth of Deming’s body as he slipped in beside me and gathered me in his arms. That simple act swept aside my anxiety in a tidal wave of love.

“I waited so long to find you, Eja. The thought of losing you . . .” He tightened his grip. “Don`t you see? When we`re together, I can finally breathe.”

I turned toward him, brushing the nape of his neck with my lips. “Don`t worry. I promise to be careful. Nothing bad will happen.”

As I dozed off I heard him whisper. “Love you forever.”

Chapter Twenty

PHINEAS KEEGAN believed in being punctual. His appearance on our doorstep the next morning at 10:00 a.m. sharp confirmed that. Although I tried to rise to the occasion, I wasn`t at my party best. Sagging curls and bleary eyes seldom flatter any woman. Even Anika’s complexion had an unaccustomed pallor. As luck would have it, her look of fragility totally captivated Keegan.

“This must be difficult for you,” he said, gazing at Anika, “but the tech boys have to do their thing. Probably futile, but you never know.”

“So good of you to come here, Lieutenant.” Anika beamed some magic his way.

I should have followed her lead, but the whole charade was so gag-inducing that I had to act.

“We know who did this,” I said. “My father-in-law already told you.”

That broke the love spell and returned Keegan to his normal snarling self.

“Thanks for the bulletin, Ms. Kane, but I`d like some hard evidence before we pick up this Nadia Pinsky. Helps break down the suspect.”

I closed my eyes, wishing that Deming were there. Keegan needed some lawyerly jibes to keep him on his toes and off mine.

“Why would this woman harass you?” Keegan asked. “Some kind of cat fight, was it? Over a man, maybe?”

Deep breaths, tranquil thoughts. I recalled my yoga training and chose the high road. Self-control was key when dealing with an obvious chauvinist like Keegan. He expected an outburst—hoped for it probably. No way would I gratify his wish.

“Puzzling, isn`t it?” I said. “We have some ideas about that.”

Anika described our conversation with Fess Paskert yesterday, emphasizing Nadia’s curious conduct on the day of the murder and her presence at the chemistry lab.

“I`m not suggesting that she murdered anyone,” Anika said. “But she does pop up in the oddest places. Gabriel might know more about her.”

Keegan’s sex-detector sprang into action. “Wait a minute. This woman is another of Dr. Mann`s conquests? Man, that guy does get around.” He shot an evil look my way. “Anything you`d like to contribute, Ms. Kane? Opinions, facts, suppositions? You know him better than anyone else.”

“Nope. More than enough suspects were milling around the day Sonia died. Six by my count. That can`t make things easy for you.”

Suddenly the song “Cold as Ice” came to mind. Keegan’s eyes flashed the blue glacial ice in the chilly waters off Alaska. They shot death rays as he digested my comment.

It was go for broke time, so I plunged ahead. After all, Keegan was in my home. He could hardly throw me out or clap me in irons.

“We wondered about the cyanide,” I said. “It can`t be that easy to get.”

Cops have all kinds of tricks at their disposal. Keegan chose stony silence. He expected me to blurt out something, but I surprised him. I sipped espresso instead.

Anika played her part perfectly. She sat upright, the perfect lady with hands folded, ankles crossed, and lips parted. The power of two overwhelmed Keegan until he finally cracked.

“We`ve checked all the known commercial sources of cyanide,” he said. “No luck so far. Your tip about Paskert’s field trip is our first lead.”

I nodded. “It`s the key to the whole thing, wouldn`t you say? Someone who knew Sonia’s idiosyncrasies used them against her or tried to. Duff Ryder paid the price but in the end so did Sonia.”

One of Keegan’s minions whispered something into his ear and scurried away.

“Okay. They`re finished with your door, Ms. Kane. No useable prints on the door handle, but that`s no surprise.” A change in his posture alerted me to a new development. Keegan uncoiled his long legs and straightened up, looking like a much larger man. “Amateurs. They try to be careful, but they still screw up. We found a print in the middle of your door right near those blood drops. Guess whose it was?”

I refused to dignify that request. Two can play the stony silence game.

He waved his arm in disgust. “You`re no fun. We found Nadia Pinsky’s perfect little pinky right there. The boys are going to round her up right now. Tell your husband or Mr. Bolin Swann to call me. You can press charges if you want to.”

I stood and shook Keegan’s hand. “He`ll be happy about that.”

Keegan twirled around as if he were a magician. “Thanks, ladies. I`ll be in touch.”

I USED ALL MY powers of persuasion to restrain Deming. “It`s classic good cop/bad cop scenario,” I said. “Relax and don`t butt in. Let Keegan grill her first. You know from experience what a bulldog that man is. Then we`ll step in and play nice with her. Sun Tzu—remember?”

“I know how to handle things, Eja. Remember, I`m the attorney in the family.”

When Deming gets huffy, I pay obeisance to the legal gods and fold my tent. After all, how can a humble MFA compete with those credentials? Luckily his snits never last long. Within five minutes, Deming is swamped with remorse and full of apologies. When the subject involves Gabriel, he sometimes holds out a bit longer, but in the end my husband always acquiesces.

He grunted something rude and grudgingly agreed to my plan. After Keegan cracked her like a lychee nut, Nadia would welcome having friends at court, and I was fully prepared to play that role.

When Keegan phoned, I left everything to Deming. He made a production of it, retreating to his study, closing the door, and emerging some minutes later with a smug smile on his handsome face.

“Nadia Pinsky is toast,” he gloated. “Keegan gave her what amounts to the third degree, and she folded like a cheap fan. She told him it was all her idea. She was afraid that we were losing interest in the case and wanted to stir things up in Duff Ryder’s name.”

“No one egged her on?” I asked. “Strange. Did he charge her with anything?”

“Standard stuff—malicious mischief, unlawful entry. You know the drill. Naturally, if we elect not to press charges, she`ll get a stern lecture and that’s it.”

“So Keegan thinks she`s clean in Sonia’s death? I`m not so sure.”

Deming held up his hand. “Stop. I didn`t say that. You know how cagey that guy is. He braced her about the day Sonia died. Got her to admit that she was involved with Gabriel, but that`s it. Keegan is keeping an open mind about her role in the murders. She`s an awfully convenient suspect, always on the scene. After all, she and Dr. Gabriel Mann might have been in it together.” His eyes glistened at the prospect of Gabriel standing in the dock. The spectre of capital punishment would have completed his fantasy had the Bay State not eliminated that possibility some time before.

“Maybe you`re right,” I said, pinching his cheeks. “Come on. Let me see those dimples. Love can make a woman do strange things sometimes.”

Soft words instantly cure him of the sulks, and Deming responded with some clever moves of his own. Later that evening when Anika texted us with the details of Sorrel’s gathering, Deming was surprisingly agreeable. He folded his arms like the Grand Poohbah, grumbled just for show, and acquiesced.

“Tomorrow evening, huh? I guess it`s okay although I`m expecting a real snooze fest. For crying out loud, we just saw half these people at Duff Ryder’s service. Zealots bore me to death. They are so one-dimensional.”

I shrugged. “Whatever. It does seem like an ideal time to quiz Nadia though.”

Deming’s eyes met mine. “Very clever, Mrs. Swann. Full marks to you.”

I made a half bow and refocused on the task at hand. Tactics and strategy were a winning combination. Even Deming couldn`t argue with Sun Tzu.

“I wonder who`s on the guest list,” I said. “All the usual suspects? Maybe we should divvy up the names. Divide and conquer, you know.”

When Deming acts clueless it`s an obvious charade. After all, the man once edited the esteemed
Harvard Law Review,
an honor accorded only to superior students. He gave me a blank stare and shrugged.

“I have no idea what you`re saying. You and Mom are the schemers anyway. I only care about protecting you and my property.”

“Thanks loads for lumping me with your other possessions.” I kept my tone sugar sweet despite a compelling urge to pinch his nose. “I`ll speak with Anika and let you know.”

Before I left Deming added one more thing.

“Why are you so consumed by this case, Eja? It can`t be the true crime book nonsense. You don`t even enjoy that kind of writing.” He treated me to the Byronic frown. “I hope you`re not launching a crusade to save your ex-husband. He`s still numero uno on Keegan’s list, you know.”

I bit back the retort that was right on the tip of my tongue, replacing it with a mysterious smile that would shame the
Mona Lisa
. Then without another word I strode into my office, closed the door, and immediately sketched out a plan based on the assumption that both Duff and Sonia were felled by the same hand. Personally, I don`t believe in coincidences or the theory that a crazed killer stalked Concord University, randomly savaging any woman in his path. My ideas centered on Sonia and the devastation that trailed her every move. Love affairs, lurid books, and lookism converged into the perfect emotional storm for violence. Each of Sorrel’s probable guests had a reason to bitterly resent the lovely lady professor and the opportunity to make her pay.

By my recollection, the whole gang had attended the Bella Brigade fundraiser, and surprisingly the same crowd had converged on Sonia’s work area the day of her death. Nadia, Gabriel’s latest lover and Duff’s loyal pal, had personally felt the sharp sting of Sonia’s tongue. Had she finally reached the boiling point and clobbered her rival? That scenario was plausible, but it didn`t explain the cyanide and Duff’s death. If Nadia had mistakenly killed her friend, it would have devastated her, and I doubted that Nadia could hide it. She would have babbled like a swollen brook full of remorse. I discounted the possibility that Nadia was a psychopath who was immune to normal human emotions. In the past a clever crazy had deceived me about that, but I held firm in my belief. Deming called it the triumph of hubris over reason.

Zarina, on the other hand, was calm, calculating, and fully capable of anything she set out to do. As a psychologist, she knew how to manipulate others and anticipate their reaction. I`d felt that sense of menace myself when we spoke on the Common. Sonia would be easy prey for a woman the size of Zarina. She had no love for Sonia and didn`t try to hide it. Her loyalty was to the movement and the goals it espoused. Would Zarina commit murder to fell an apostate? I simply didn`t know.

Despite Deming’s suspicions, I had no feelings for Gabriel—no positive ones, that is. I knew the man, realized late in the game that he was a supreme egotist who was also vain and lazy. Gabriel was bright enough to plot a crime and amoral enough not to feel any guilt. But after calculating the odds he was unlikely to do so—too much downside risk for him. On the other hand, he was fully capable of nudging one of his admirers into doing the dirty work. Shades of Henry II and Becket, Deming was right about that one. If either Melanie or Nadia had eliminated Sonia, Gabriel might well have egged her on.

My head spun with spurious theories that got me nowhere. Even Fess Paskert had a whopping big motive for silencing Sonia, and he had ample opportunity to abscond with a pinch of cyanide. Plenty of suspects but no proof—I was back where I started from.

I cleared my mind and analyzed Deming’s last question as dispassionately as I could. Why
was
I so involved—not obsessed, merely involved—with this case? The answer was complicated. Long ago I warned Deming that I was curious, nosey even. I hadn`t pursued this conundrum until Gabriel Mann dragged me, Anika, and the Swann boys into a messy situation with tragic consequences. I didn`t give a fig whether or not Gabriel was clapped in irons and left to rot. As that old, trite saying went, he`d made his bed . . . over and over again.

Duff Ryder, that true disciple of a failed leader, was a different story. She deserved better, no matter how mixed her motives were. Duff was young. You`re allowed some missteps in your twenties, and from everything I`d heard, she had infinite promise. I refused to let her be swept aside in death as she had been in life, a footnote to Sonia’s superior star power.

Introspection had a cleansing effect. I felt vindicated, even a bit self-righteous. Then I recalled another of my failings: arrogance. Hubris, some called it. All my life I had been the smartest kid in the room, even among gifted types like Deming or CeCe. Others had more wealth, family connections, or beauty, but I had that genetic quirk that produced genius. Solving crimes, besting the professionals, was ego balm to me. At times I craved it as slavishly as any other addict did. It validated me and conferred a secret satisfaction. On a couple of occasions, my overconfidence had endangered others and almost led to my own demise. That realization sobered me up in a hurry.

I felt chastened when I phoned Anika. She listened to my plan, added a few suggestions, and buoyed my confidence with her enthusiasm.

“You`re right on target, Eja. I`ll fill Bolin in on everything we discussed. This is so exciting, I can`t wait!”

I surveyed my desk, that beautiful French bureau plat that Cecilia Swann had so loved. At times like this I felt her presence, from the exotic scents she favored to the soft sweet strains of jazz that she hummed. At times like this I especially missed my friend and yearned for her presence.

CeCe was never maudlin, and she loathed self-indulgence. She had lived in the present, enjoyed every day, and embraced the future. “Snap out of it, Eja. Stop moping.” Her voice was as clear in my mind as if she were standing next to me. I resolved to heed my friend`s advice and make a no whining pledge. Maybe tomorrow.

When CeCe was taken, I had avenged her murder. The same traits that drove Deming crazy had brought his sister`s killers to book. Whether through ego or sheer madness, I could again help to right a grievous wrong. It was my duty. At least that`s what I told myself.