Fitzsimmons from the DA's office arrived shortly after the boys and girls from the crime lab.
He came over to Mitch. 'I suppose you expect me to tell you what a good job you did. Getting a confession and all.'
'First of all, I didn't ''get' the confession. He told me willingly. Second of all, I wouldn't want a compliment from you. It would spoil your track record.'
'I suppose I was kind of a jerk this afternoon.'
'This afternoon? Fitzsimmons, you've been a jerk all your life. And someday somebody's going to wipe that smirk off your face.'
'I take it you'd like that privilege?'
But Mitch was sick of him. Fitzsimmons already had the aura of celebrity about him. Somehow he'd manage to take credit for solving the caseat the very least he'd take credit for pushing the police department so hardand then he'd find a reason to hold seven or eight press conferences over the next week or so. Everybody knew by now that Fitzsimmons wanted to be Governor in the next two or three terms.
Mitch went in to see Sievers.
Just as he arrived, Randy Dupree went into the bathroom. Closed the door. You could hear him barfing.
Sievers shrugged. 'Second degree, maybe even manslaughter. He pushed her, she fell. There won't be much to contradict that from the lab boys.'
'Yeah, but Fitzsimmons'll be able to ride it all the way to the state capitol. Wonder how he'll like prosecuting somebody from his own class.'
Sievers laughed. 'I could promote one hell of a boxing match between you two.'
Mitch nodded. 'Yeah, I guess I do sound pretty childish.'
'Fitzsimmons is a spoiled, arrogant prick. But there are a lot worse people in this world, Mitch. There really are.'
Randy Dupree came back. He looked pale and shaken. He sat down and stared at the floor. Mitch felt sorry for him but he also felt sorry for the victim. She was already forgotten and depersonalized'victim'no name, just 'victim.' She'd had a long life ahead of her.
'I guess I'll go see that girl I was telling you about,' Mitch said quietly to Sievers.
'That Cini?'
'Yeah.'
'Well, you can spend a little more time on that case now.'
'Yeah.'
'But not full-time, Mitch. We're up to our elbows in work so I'm going to need you.'
'I understand.'
He nodded to Sievers, glanced at Dupree again, and left.
The call came just when Jill was putting her eighth cookie to her mouth.
She was thankful for the phone call. It gave her an excuse to put the cookie down.
'Hello.'
'Jill.'
Didn't recognize the voice.
'Jill, this is Doris.'
'Doris? Are you all right? You sound kind of'
'I just woke up. I was taking a nap.' Pause. 'I'm sorry but I won't be able to keep our lunch date tomorrow.'
Jill had been looking forward to seeing Doris again. She'd also suspected that Doris had been going to tell her something about Eric Brooks' murder.
'Did something happen, Doris?'
'No. But I was wondering if you could come out here tonight.'
'Out there? But'
'Don't worry about Mother. She's gone out to one of her board meetings and she won't be back till late. They've just bought a new company in Argentina.'
'I'd feel uncomfortable, Doris. Going out there, I mean.'
'It'd just be us, Jill. Just the two of us.'
'Well'
There was a pause. 'I need to talk to you about Eric Brooks, Jill.'
'Can't we talk now?'
'Not over the phone. Iwell, you know how paranoid Mother is. I guess I got that from her. I never discuss anything personal over the phone.'
Unthinkable, really. Driving out there. Entering into the shadows and gloom of Evelyn's prison.
But Doris really did seem to know something about Eric Brooks' death.
She spoke without thinking: 'It'll probably take me a little while to get there.'
'There's no hurry.'
'You're sure everything's all right?'
'Everything's fine, Jill. I just woke up, that's all. Sort of muzzy, I guess.'
'I guess I'll come out, then.'
'I'm looking forward to it. See you in awhile.'
Jill hung up slowly. The receiver hadn't been cradled for more than ten seconds, when its ring shattered the silence.
'Hello?'
'Need some company?' her friend Kate said.
'God, I'd love to see you. But I've got to go somewhere.'
'Ohwhere?'
'You're not going to believe this,' Jill said. 'Out to Evelyn's mansion.'
He had fed Doris coffee and nicotine pills and then dragged her into the shower and run cold water on her for ten minutes. He tried not to notice her naked body. He had always dreamed of sleeping with his sister someday but had never been able to bring himself to it.
He thought of Rick Corday, the other man Adam had accused him of being.
He wished he were Rick Corday now.
He put Doris on the phone and made her call Jill, whispering orders to her as she obviously looked for some way to warn Jill away from coming out here.
Every few moments, Doris would look up at the face of this total stranger and shake her head. How could this be her brother? Hadn't her brother died in the electric chair?
He took her downstairs to the den.
She screamed when she saw her mother's head on its side over by the fireplace.
He slapped her and made her help carry away the bodies of both her mother and the maid.
Then they sat down and waited for Jill to come.
It would be so sweet after all these years, he thought. So sweet to pay that bitch back for what she'd done to him. First Evelyn and now Jill. At last.
CHAPTER 63
Winter wonderland. That's how Mitch saw all the snow now. Yesterday, before he'd found Cini, Mitch looked
