“I don’t think so. I don’t always remember when I take things, but he kept yelling at me and said he was going to lose his job if he didn’t give it back to Mrs. Wall. It’s like when he thought I took a necklace from 4-B and he went through all my things looking for it.”
“So he took the cat up to 6-A?”
“Yes. He called up and nobody answered so he said he’d go while they were out.”
“What time was that, Denise?”
“About ten o’clock? I was trying to watch my program on HGTV and he kept going on and on about the cat and Mrs. Wall’s watch. Right after he left, that nice young colored couple chose the very same house I would have picked.”
“And that was the last time you saw him?”
She nodded. “I thought he was coming right back, but he didn’t, so I watched my channel for another hour and went to bed a little after eleven.”
Her eyes darted to Hentz’s face. “What happened to him?”
They told her as concisely as possible. “We think he may have interrupted a robber or it might be that someone followed him into 6-A. Was there anyone in the building that he didn’t get along with, Denise? The other employees?”
“If he had problems with them, he never mentioned it. He didn’t like Antoine.”
“Why not?”
“He thought Antoine was sneaky.”
“Why?”
She shrugged.
“What about the tenants?”
“They thought he was Mr. Wonderful.” Her tone turned bitter. “They felt sorry for him because of me. Like he could have had his pick of perfect wives.” She flashed an angry glance at Hentz. “You don’t have to keep pussyfooting around.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve watched enough crime shows. I know what happens when someone gets killed. The autopsy. You want to ask about Phil and me, don’t you?”
“That he was a woman?”
“He wasn’t!” she said, beginning to cry. “And don’t you go thinking dirty things about us. Don’t! You want to make out that I’m a lesbo and he was a dyke, but we weren’t. I like men and he
Her sobs grew louder and she turned to Dr. Penny helplessly. “What’s going to happen? How can I live without Phil? Who’s going to look after Puff-Daddy and me?”
CHAPTER
12
—
, 1909
There was no getting around the reality of murder. A man had been killed in this apartment, and yes, it was awful to think about, but Dwight and I have both seen our share of violent deaths and we know that life does move on whether or not we dwell on it. Besides, we had been together less than eighteen months and we were still new to married love. Which is to say that despite the way the day had begun, once everyone cleared out, Dwight and I reverted to honeymoon mode, and it was even more delicious than I had thought it would be.
For starters, we took our coffee and the
I know, I know. Silly and a total cliche, right? All the same… I mean, sometimes a man (Dwight) likes to see his woman (me) in something besides an oversized Carolina sweatshirt, okay?
He was too absorbed in what the Hurricanes were doing to pay any attention when I slipped under the covers beside him, so I quietly picked up the magazine section and tried to concentrate on world affairs.
As an academic exercise, Dwight had seemed to enjoy his brief busman’s holiday, looking over the shoulder of those New York detectives and mentally comparing their procedures to those he used back in Colleton County. Now, as if hearing my thoughts, he said, “It does feel weird, though.”
“What does?”
“To be on the outside looking in on this investigation.” He lowered the sports section and his eyes widened the instant they touched my new negligee.
I pretended not to notice. “Given your druthers, you’d be out there right this minute, questioning everyone in the building,” I teased. “Right?”
“Wrong.” He dumped the sports section on the floor in favor of a new sport, and pulled me toward him.
