He stayed another hour, taking us over the afternoon and evening over and over. Just when I was beginning to think we were home free, Koenig said, 'And now we come to an interesting point. Who was the man in the lobby with you last night, the man who sent Dr. Nunley on his way?'
I'd wondered when he was going to get around to Rick Goldman. 'His name is Rick Goldman. He's a private detective, he told me,' I said carefully. 'He was in the class at the cemetery, so he was there two mornings ago. According to him, he signed up for Occult Studies because the—well, a faction of the governing board, whatever it's called—was a little uneasy about Dr. Nunley's class. According to him, they'd asked him to take the courses, observe what happened, and report back to them.'
'You got his card?'
'We aren't on those terms.'
Koenig snorted. He'd taken a couple of notes. Now he put his little notebook back into his pocket. I was a bit surprised that he didn't use something higher-tech, like a BlackBerry.
'One more question,' he said, wanting me to relax so he could spring something on me. I refused to take his unspoken invitation to breathe easier. 'When you two went out last night, why'd you return to the St. Margaret's cemetery?'
ten
I'D been waiting, like a cartoon character with a piano hoisted over its head, for the big collapse of the conversation, and here it was.
Tolliver and I glanced at each other. We had a choice to make. Did Koenig know we'd been there because he had solid evidence of our presence? Was this sheer conjecture, a stab in the dark to see if he hit a nerve? Or did he only know we'd taken our car out?
Tolliver tilted his head slightly. Up to you, he was saying.
'We went for a long drive. We had cabin fever,' I said. 'We just looked at Memphis. We've never been here before. But we avoided anywhere we might be recognized. We don't want any more media attention. We want to be out of here, and out of the public eye.'
'You're one of the few people I could hear say those words without wanting to laugh in their face,' Koenig said. He passed a hand over his crisp dark hair. 'And I can't impress on you how lucky you are that it's me investigating this case, instead of…'
'One of your colleagues who wouldn't believe I can do what I can do?' I said.
His mouth snapped shut. After a second, he nodded.
'No one knows, right? Where you work? That you're a believer.'
He nodded again.
'How long have you realized there's more to this world?'
'My grandmother could see spirits,' he said.
'You have a big advantage over people whose minds are closed,' Tolliver said.
'Most days I don't think so,' the agent admitted. 'Most days, I'd be happy to be like the other people I work with. Then I could just dismiss you people, all of you. But I believe you have exceptional abilities. That being said, I don't think you're telling me the truth. In fact, I think you're lying.' Koenig looked at us with a kind of profound disappointment. I almost felt guilty.
'We didn't kill him,' I said. That was the important truth. 'We don't know who killed him, or why.'
'Do you think the Morgensterns killed Clyde Nunley? Do you think they killed their daughter?'
'I don't know,' I said. 'I hope to God they didn't.' I hadn't realized how much I hoped that the Morgensterns were innocent of their daughter's death. And if they hadn't killed Tabitha, I couldn't imagine why they would kill Clyde Nunley. I was assuming that the same person or persons had killed both victims.
That assumption might not be true. 'Tolliver and I have been invited to their home for lunch today,' I said, just to change the subject. 'We'll see more of the family then, I guess.'
'Do you want to see what you can get from the body?' Koenig asked as casually as if I'd been a fiber expert or a pathologist. 'That is, if I can arrange it.'
This was kind of exciting, being taken seriously by a law enforcement professional.
'I'll do Nunley if you let me do Tabitha,' I said.
He looked genuinely surprised. 'But you've already, uh, 'done' Tabitha.'
I didn't really want to review Nunley. Been there, done that. I'd do it, though, if I could have another chance at the little girl. 'That day, I was so upset and shocked when I realized there really were two sets of bones in the grave. Maybe I could get more.'
'It may take some time, but I'll see what I can do,' Koenig said. I couldn't help but notice his eyes flicked over my bare legs again. Well, he was a male, after all. I didn't think Koenig was particularly interested in the person who used those legs.
'It drains her to touch a body,' Tolliver said, trying to force Agent Koenig to acknowledge that I was making a generous offer.
'Interesting,' he said, and that was his only comment. 'Let me know when you return from the Morgensterns' house, would you? Maybe you'll pick up some impressions from someone there.'
'Hey, once again, not psychic. The only time I get impressions is when I touch a corpse, and I'm not planning on there being any at the Morgensterns' house. In fact, I'd just as soon this case get solved so quickly I wouldn't have to locate another body until we travel to our next job.'
