could not protect her.
The house was chilly. Betsy had forgotten to turn on the heat.
Eventually the cold made her uncomfortable.
Betsy sat up. She felt old and wasted, chilled to the bone by the icy air, as if her blood had been drained from her, leaving her too weak to cope with the horror that had invaded her life.
The thermostat was in the hall. Betsy adjusted it and listened to the rumble of the furnace starting up. She drifted aimlessly from room to room. The silence overwhelmed her. It was rare for her to be completely alone.
Since Kathy's birth, she had always been surrounded by sound. Now she could hear every raindrop fall, the creak of timbers, water dripping in the kitchen sink.
So much silence, so many signs of loneliness.
Betsy saw the liquor cabinet, but rejected the idea of numbing herself She had to think, even if each thought was painful. Liquor was a trap.
There was going to be a lot of pain in her future and she had to get used to it.
Betsy brewed a cup of tea and turned on the television for company. She had no idea what show she was watching, but the sound of laughter and applause made her feel less alone. How was she going to get through the night, if getting through the day was so unbearable?
Betsy thought about calling her mother but rejected the idea. Rick's body would be discovered soon and Rita would learn that Kathy was missing. She decided to spare her mother suffering for as long as possible.
Stewart called at four to check on Betsy. He had talked to his contacts at the utility companies and the phone companies and had hired several investigators he trusted to scour the real estate ads for the relevant time period. Stewart insisted on coming by with Chinese takeout. Betsy knew he was doing it so she would not be alone. She was too tired to tell him not to come and she appreciated the company when he arrived.
Stewart left at six-thirty. An hour later, Betsy heard a car pull into her carport. She hurried to the door, hoping, irrationally, that her visitor was Samantha Reardon bringing Kathy home. A police car was parked in one side of the carport. A uniformed officer was driving. Ross Barrow got out of the passenger side. He looked troubled. Betsy's heart beat wildly, certain he was here to tell her about Rick's murder.
'Hello, Detective,' she said, trying to sound nonchalant.
'Can we step inside, Ms. Tannenbaum?' Barrow asked.
'Is this about Martin's case?'
Barrow sighed. He had been breaking the news of violent death to relatives for longer than he cared to remember. There was no easy way to do it.
'Why don't we go inside?'
Betsy led Barrow into the house. The other officer followed.
'This is Greg Saunders ' Barrow said. Saunders nodded.
'Do you want some coffee?'
'Not right now, thank you. Can we sit down?'
Betsy walked into the living room. When they were seated, Barrow asked,
'Where were you last night and today?'
'Why do you want to know?'
'I have an important reason for asking.'
'I was home.'
'You didn't go out? No one visited you?'
'No,' Betsy answered, afraid to mention Reggie Stewart.
'You're married, aren't you?'
Betsy looked at Barrow for a moment, then looked down at her lap.
'my husband and I are separated. Kathy, our daughter, is staying with him for a few days. I've been taking advantage of the peace and quiet to sleep late, catch up on some reading. What's this all about?'
'Where are Mr. Tannenbaum and your daughter staying?' Barrow asked, ignoring her question.
'Rick just rented a new apartment. I have the address written down. But why are you asking?'
Betsy looked back and forth between Barrow and Saunders. Saunders would not meet her eye.
'Has something happened to Rick and Kathy?'
'Ms. Tannenbaum, this isn't easy for me. Especially since I know you.
The door to your husband's apartment was open. A neighbor found him.'
'Found Rick? How? What are you talking about?'
Barrow looked Betsy over carefully.
'Do you want some brandy or something? Are you gonna be okay?'
'Oh, God, Betsy said, letting her head drop into her hands, so her face was covered.
'The neighbor has 'already identified Mr. Tannenbaum, so you'll be spared that.'
'How did he…?'
'He was murdered. We need you to come to the apartment. There are some questions only you can answer. You don't have to worry, the body's been removed.'
Betsy suddenly jerked upright. 'Where's Kathy?'
'We don't know, Ms. Tannenbaum. That's why we need you to come with us.'
Most of the lab technicians were gone by the time Betsy arrived at Rick's apartment. Two officers were smoking in the hall outside his door. Betsy heard them laughing when the elevator doors opened. They looked guilty when they saw her step out. One of them held his cigarette at his side as if he was trying to hide evidence.
The door to Rick's apartment opened into a narrow hall. At the end of the hall, the apartment fanned out into a large living room with high windows. The lights were on in the hall. Betsy saw the blood immediately. It had dried into a large brown stain. Rick had died there.
She looked up quickly and followed Barrow as he stepped over the spot.
'In here,' he said, gesturing toward the guest room.
Betsy walked into the room. She saw Kathy's book bag.
Dirty jeans and a green, striped long-sleeve shirt lay crumpled on the floor in a corner. On the ride over, Betsy wondered if she could fake crying when the time came.
She Deed not have worried.
'They're Kathy's,' she managed. 'She was so proud, because she packed everything herself There was a commotion at the front door. Alan Page tore into the apartment and went directly to Betsy.
'I just heard. Are you okay?'
Betsy nodded. Gone was the self-confidence Page had seen in court. Betsy looked like she could break into a million pieces at any moment. He took her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.
'We'll get your daughter back. I'm putting everything we've got into this. I'll call in the FBI. We'll find out who has her.'
'Thank you, Alan,' Betsy answered dully.
'Are you through with her, Ross?'
Barrow nodded.
Page led Betsy out of the room and into a small den.
He made Betsy sit down and he sat opposite her.
'Can I do anything for you, Betsy?'
Page was concerned by Betsy's pallor. Betsy took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She was used to thinking of Alan Page as a stone-hard adversary. Page's show of concern disarmed her.
'I'm sorry,' Betsy said. 'I just can't seem to focus.'
'Don't apologize. You're not made of iron. Do you want to rest? We can talk about this later.'
No. Go ahead.'
'Okay. Has anyone contacted you about Kathy?'
Betsy shook her head. Page looked troubled. It didn't make sense. Rick Tannenbaum had probably been killed the day before. If the person who took Kathy was after ransom he'd have called Betsy by now.
'This wasn't a robbery, Betsy. Rick's wallet was full of money. He had on a valuable watch. Can you think of anyone with a reason to hurt Rick?'
Betsy shook her head. It was hard lying to Alan, but she had to do it.
