compliment. 'Okay, Tommy. You can keep it.'
Her brother looked shocked. 'Really?'
'Yes,' she answered. 'I’m so happy you like it.'
Nick wasn’t about to be left out. 'Damn it, I want to see it,' he said.
'All right,' she agreed.
Noah winked at her, and she suddenly felt like laughing. 'Yes, I mean it, but I’ll warn you, it’s not one of my best efforts. I can do much better.'
Nick’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. Smiles vanished in a heartbeat, and the atmosphere in the kitchen became tense with anticipation. Nick answered as he walked into the pantry for privacy.
Pete was on the line, and he had stunning news. Tiffany Tara Tyler’s phone had been found in Steve Brenner’s white van, neatly tucked under the front seat. This new evidence put a lock on the case. They had their man.
'Did they find any prints?'
'He wiped it down, but he was a little sloppy,' Pete said. 'He missed a spot on the bottom of the phone. The tech found what looks like a partial thumbprint next to the metal charger. He thinks it’s going to be enough for a solid match. It looks like they’re about to wrap this one up, Nick.'
Nick was shaking his head. 'It doesn’t feel right,' he said. He paused and then added, 'So that’s it. Case closed. Right?'
'Just about,' Pete agreed. 'There’s other evidence, of course ' he said. 'But as I understand the situation, Agent Wesson didn’t share what he had collected against Brenner with you.'
'How did you know that?'
'I spoke briefly with Agent Farley.'
'So Wesson has enough to convict?'
'With the woman’s phone in his car? Yes, he has quite enough.'
'That could have been planted.'
'We don’t believe that’s the case,' he said. 'Had you been given information as it was being collected, I think you’d be feeling more confident that Brenner’s our man. You were kept out of the investigation,' he added. 'And I plan to address that problem with Agent Wesson’s supervisor first thing Monday morning. This will not happen again,' he added emphatically. 'As for you, I suggest you take Father Tom fishing. Relax a little. God knows, you’ve earned it.'
Nick rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease the knots of tension. He was weary and frustrated. 'I don’t know, Pete. My instincts are telling me that this is all wrong. I think maybe I’m losing it.'
'Your objectivity?' Pete asked.
'Yeah, I guess. I really did figure it all wrong. Tell me something. They’re running a voice match from the confessional tape and Brenner’s interrogation, aren’t they?'
'Yes, of course they are.'
'Brenner hasn’t confessed, has he?'
'No, not yet.'
Nick was filled with self-doubt. Maybe he just didn’t want to believe what was staring him in the face. From the very beginning, Wesson had put him in the position of trying to work the case blindfolded. Tiffany’s phone was found in Brenner’s van. That should have clinched it. And yet he still wasn’t convinced.
'Why are you fighting this?' Pete asked. 'We’ve had a good result here.'
Nick sighed. 'Yes, sir, I know. I guess I do need to take some time off. You were right,' he finally admitted. 'I got too personally involved.'
'With Laurant?'
'You saw that coming?'
'Oh, yes.'
'Yeah, well, I’ll deal with it. You’ll let me know what the lab results are?'
'Yes ' Pete promised. 'Give my best to Father Tom and Laurant.'
Nick disconnected the call and stood in the pantry for a long minute staring into space. He was trying to work it out in his mind, to go with it, to believe that it was over. He told himself he was trying to make the case more complicated than it was. Some cases were easy. Like this one. Yeah, it was finished. Case closed. They had their man.
And still the nagging doubt wouldn’t go away.
Chapter 33
The nightmare was finally over. Tommy and Laurant were astounded to learn that Tiffany’s phone had been found in Brenner’s car.
Nevertheless, both brother and sister were overjoyed that the killer was now behind bars. When Noah suggested they celebrate, Tommy nixed the idea. He reminded him that two women had been murdered and said that he was going to go into the church to say a prayer for the souls of Tiffany Tyler and a young woman named Millicent.
'He sure was good at masquerading his voice when he was whispering to me in the confessional,' Tommy said. 'He fooled me all right,' he added with a shake of his head.
'He fooled all of us,' Laurant said. She felt weak with relief. She decided to join her brother in the church for a prayer.
She stood and looked directly at Nick when she asked, 'So you and Noah will be leaving soon, won’t you?'
'Yes,' Nick answered without a second’s hesitation.
'No reason to hang around, is there?' Noah looked at Nick as he asked the question.
'No,' he answered curtly. 'No reason.'
Laurant turned away so he wouldn’t see how his words had hurt her. She knew she was overreacting. From the beginning, she had known he would leave when his job was finished. His life was in Boston. He had stopped everything to help his friend, but now he would, of course, need to get back home.
'Places to go, people to see…,' she said.
'Right,' he agreed.
Tommy was holding the door for her. 'Come on, Laurant. Quit dragging your feet.'
She put her napkin down on the table and hurried after her brother. Nick and Noah followed. When they reached the back of the church, Nick pulled Noah aside while Laurant and Tommy went on ahead to one of the pews and knelt down together.
There were at least a dozen workmen rushing around trying to get the church ready in time for the wedding. Five of them were dismantling the scaffolding from the center aisle while a couple of others were folding up the tarps and carrying paint cans outside. The people from the local flower shop were standing up front, holding vases of lilies, impatiently waiting for Willie and Mark to finish wet mopping the steps and marble floor in front of the altar.
Nick and Noah moved under the balcony to get out of the way when the double doors opened behind them and two strapping men rolled in a baby grand piano on a dolly.
'Where do you want this, Father?' one of the men asked Noah.
'I don’t know,' Noah replied.
'Geez, Father. This thing’s heavy. Could you find out for us?'
Justin hurried down the aisle toward them. He was carrying a video camera and had a long, red extension cord looped over his shoulder. He slowed to say hello.
'Do you know where the piano’s supposed to go?' Noah asked him.
'Sure I do,' he answered. 'They’re putting the choir on the south side of the church in that little alcove.'
He backed out of the way so the men could roll the piano around to the side aisle.
