TJ.
'I wonder if they're still in love,' Amanda said.
Lucy doubted it. She didn't believe in true love. 'Well, it is written in stone.'
Amanda laughed. 'I think that was probably done back when this place was apartments.'
'When was this an apartment building?'
'I think up until maybe 1999. Something like that,' she said. 'I think it was kind of a famous place, too.'
'How so?'.'Well, mostly because of that little girl. You know about that, don't you?'
'What are you talking about?'
'I'm not a hundred percent sure what happened — you could ask Sergio. He'd definitely know.'
Sergio was an older guy who worked in maintenance. He had been with the building for a long time.
'But, from what I understand, a little girl got killed here,' Amanda added.
Lucy shuddered. 'What do you mean, killed? Like an accident or something?'
'No. Like killed killed.'
'What are you saying? She was murdered?'
'Yeah.' Amanda wiggled her fingers at Lucy, made spooky Halloween noises. 'They say her ghost walks these very halls.'
'Stop it.'
Amanda giggled. 'You're so easy.'
'How old was the girl?'
Amanda shrugged, peeled off another section of tangerine, offered it to Lucy. Lucy declined. 'Not sure. But not too old, though. Ten or eleven, maybe.'
'How did she… you know.'
'How did she die?' Amanda shrugged. 'No idea. But I don't think they ever caught the guy that did it.'
As creepy as Lucy already felt today, the feeling had just doubled.
'I think it's one of the cases this bunch of nut jobs who are staying here this week are investigating,' Amanda said. 'Or talking about investigating. God only knows what they do.'
Lucy was speechless for the moment. Amanda stood up, threw her tangerine peels in the nearby Dumpster.
'So, are we on?' Amanda asked.
At first Lucy didn't know what Amanda was talking about. Then she remembered. She had told Amanda that she would go out with her for a drink at Fluid, a dance club on Fourth Street, on Halloween Eve Night — always a crazy time in Philly, to say the least — and, according to Amanda, a ton of cute college guys always showed up. This year they were probably all going to be dressed up like Robert Pattinson.
'Yeah,' Lucy said. 'Why not?'
'Awesome. And you are definitely going to let me do something with your hair. We've got to babe you up, chica. Maybe get you laid.'
'Amanda.'
Amanda giggled. 'I'll be by your mansion around eight.'
'Cool beans.'
Amanda walked back into the hotel but Lucy stayed put. She couldn't stop thinking about the little girl Amanda had mentioned. Murdered. At the place Lucy worked. She had to find out more about it, although she wasn't sure why. Maybe because there was a dead zone in her own life. Maybe it was because for the past nine years she had felt a dark kinship with all young girls who had been touched by evil. They were her sisters.
They say her ghost walks these very halls.
Thanks, Amanda, Lucy thought. Thanks a lot.
Chapter 29
Doylestown was a quaint township of about eight thousand in Bucks County. The Ulrich Art Supply store was a standalone building, a converted ivy-veined coach house on North Main Street, across the road from the Mercer Square Shopping Center. The front windows held a display of paints, canvases, brushes, easels. Halloween decorations ringed the window and door.
On the way to Doylestown Jessica and Byrne decided not to approach the store in any official capacity. Because this was the only store within reach of the city that carried the paper used in these homicides, there was a chance that they might tip their hand by approaching the store as law-enforcement officers looking for information. If someone in the store was acquainted with the killer they might get on the phone the minute they left. If Plan A failed, they could always come in with guns and badges blazing.
They watched the store for a few minutes. There was a woman behind the counter, working on a small display rack. No one entered the store and they did not see anyone else working.
'Looks like you're up,' Jessica said.
'I thought you were the undercover queen.'
'I am,' Jessica said. 'But I think metrosexual is out of my range.'
'What did we say about that word?'
'Sorry.'
Byrne took a moment, scoping the terrain. 'Who am I again?'
Jessica gave it some thought. 'I'm thinking Bennett Strong.'
Byrne nodded. It was a good choice. Tough but suitably fey, given the venue. 'Where was the show?'
Jessica turned her iPhone so that Byrne could see it. She had searched the web on the way into Doylestown and found a recent print show in Philadelphia. She had also looked up the art supply store's website. There she found the owner's name. Alicia Webster.
Byrne pulled his badge from his belt, along with his weapon and his holster, put it all in the back seat. He took off his jacket.
'Want some hair gel?' Jessica asked.
Byrne just gave her a look.
Alicia Webster was in her mid to late thirties. She wore a beige knit cardigan and black corduroy slacks. Her eyeglasses hung around her neck on a rawhide lace.
She glanced up as Byrne entered the store accompanied by a ring of a bell. 'May I help you?' she asked. Pleasant smile, bright eyes.
Byrne proffered a business card. On it was simply a name — no phone number, no address, no email, no website. He had a stack of them in his briefcase. Ten different names. You never knew.
'My name is Bennett Strong,' he said. 'I am the owner of Strong Galleries, New York City.'
The woman's face lit up.
'You are Miss Webster?'
The woman looked surprised that he knew her name.
'I am.' She held up her left hand, wiggled her ring finger. 'But it's Mrs.'
Byrne put a hand to his heart. 'Mea culpa.' He smiled at her. 'Mrs. Of course.'
A blush. 'How can I help you, Mr. Strong?'
'I love your store, by the way. Did I see Kolinsky sables on the way in?' It was something Byrne had seen on the store's website. He knew that the woman carried the brushes.
'Yes,' she said. 'You know your brushes.'
'And now to the point. I recently attended the PortPhilio show in Philadelphia. Did you manage to make it to the affair?'
Say no, Byrne thought. Please say no.
'No. I wanted to, but I'm all alone here since my son went back to school. I couldn't get away.'
'It was fabulous.'
The door opened behind them, ringing the bell again. A woman entered the store. Alicia's eyes flicked over to the new customer, then back.
