“My reflexes aren’t that bad, Atticus,” Hal reminded me.
“Right. Shield your eyes, then,” I said, stepping out of the car and dropping my towel. “Naked Irish guy.”
“Aggh! I’m snow-blind!” Hal said. I flipped him the bird and then transformed into one, lifting myself with a dozen strokes to the top of my shop, where my clothes and phone lay precisely where I’d left them. Perched on the back edge of my store, I couldn’t see any of the police cars in the front, which meant they couldn’t see me either.
When Hal hissed up at me that he was in position, I carefully dropped my phone, jeans, and shirt down to him, and then one sandal at a time. I saved my underwear for last, just to make a point, and Hal very pointedly did not catch them. Oh well. I’d just have to go commando.
After checking my many missed calls, I punched up Granuaile’s number.
“Hey, sensei. Is the widow okay?”
“Yes, she’s fine. But you’ve heard about Perry.”
“Yeah. It’s horrible. You’re going to get them back, though, right?”
“Yes, tonight. But right now I have to talk to the cops.”
“Okay, but before you do, can I just tell you one of the many reasons I love you?”
“Sure,” I said, recognizing her code for an incoming alibi.
“While we were watching Kill Bill: Two so that you could try to learn the Five-Point Palm Exploding-Heart Technique, your fly was open the entire time. It was adorable.”
“That’s right, ninjas don’t hold back, baby,” I said, trying and failing to impart some levity into my tone. I regretted the decision now to masquerade as a wannabe martial artist. It had been amusing at the time, but I didn’t feel like playing a part while trying to deal with Perry’s death.
“Thanks,” I said. “Some guys are coming over tonight for a Lord of the Rings festival.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, it’s going to be great. You’d better get steaks out of the freezer, though. Big meat-eaters, those guys are.” We rang off and then I nodded to Hal. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”
Hal and I emerged from the alley next to my shop in time to see crime-scene photographers taking pictures of Perry’s body, sprawled faceup with one hand on his chest, a small pool of blood underneath his head where he’d cracked it on the cement.
I’ve seen a lot of dead people in my time. Looking at them gets easier when you’ve had as much practice as I’ve had. Kids still get to me, though-the innocent who never get a chance to choose whether they will take up swords or plowshares.
Perry had never been a swords kind of fella. The most violence he’d ever done was to his own earlobes, with those ridiculous silver gauges. But he’d never been a plowshares fella either; he never could remember the difference between chamomile and creosote, no matter how many times I explained that they were completely different plants.
She must have lured him outside somehow; she couldn’t have thrown that killing curse, whatever it was, inside my shop. Probably had no trouble either. Perry would have looked at the black leather and the bonanza of her bosom and stepped right out to ask how he could help.
I didn’t have to pretend to be upset when Detective Geffert spotted me. I should have seen this coming. The divination had even warned me that death approached one of my male friends, but I had interpreted that as Oberon rather than Perry.
“Mr. O’Sullivan,” Detective Geffert said, walking briskly over to where Hal and I were standing. I didn’t make any sign that I’d heard him, because I couldn’t take my eyes off Perry.
“Mr. O’Sullivan,” Geffert tried again, “God knows how you must feel right now, but I need to ask you a couple of questions.”
It was a surprisingly considerate approach. I’d half-expected him to be belligerent and suspicious.
“Go ahead,” I said woodenly.
“Begging your pardon, Detective,” Hal interrupted, “but you’re with homicide, aren’t you? On what basis have you decided that this is a homicide?”
“We won’t be able to make that determination until we get the coroner’s report,” Geffert admitted, “but we’re collecting evidence and taking statements just in case. Due diligence, you know.” Hal nodded curtly and subsided, and the detective turned back to me. “Mr. O’Sullivan, where were you this morning before you arrived here?”
“I was at home,” I said. “With my girlfriend. Watching Kill Bill: Two.”
“Is she still there, at your house?”
“Yes.”
“Did you get your home phone number changed? We’ve been calling there using the number in our files for some time now, and no one’s answered.”
“I never answer. It’s always telemarketers on the other end.” My voice had all the richness of expression of a cement block.
“Don’t you normally work on days like this?”
“Normally, yes. But I was planning on going out to the Superstitions today, so Perry was going to open the store.”
“How’d you hear about what happened here?”
“Hal dropped by.” I jerked my head.
“And how’d you hear about it, Mr. Hauk-did I remember correctly?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Hal replied, then explained, “We have a police radio in the office. When I heard my client’s address mentioned, I naturally came to investigate.”
“I see.” Geffert took a moment to catch up with his notes in a small handheld pad, then returned to questioning me.
“How long did the victim work for you?”
“More than two years. I’d have to look up the exact hire date if you want that.”
“Was he a dependable employee?”
“The very best.”
“Did he have any enemies that you know of, any trouble outside work at all?”
I shook my head. “He was a quiet dude. If he had troubles, he never showed it.”
“How about at work-was there any friction with you, or another employee, maybe a regular customer?”
“He and I got along like peanut butter and jelly. Can’t speak for anyone else.”
“Could you name any other employees and your regulars?”
“Rebecca Dane is my other employee. Just hired her the day before yesterday. My regulars are Sophie, Arnie, Joshua, and Penelope… I don’t know their last names. They come in first thing every morning for Mobili-Tea, rain or shine. They would have already shown up before this happened.”
“What’s Mobili-Tea?”
“A tea I make that helps with arthritis.”
“Is there any video footage in the store?”
“Yes, I’ll get the tape for you.” He had to have known the answer to that already. My security-camera footage was precisely what Hal was using to sue Tempe in my wrongful shooting weeks ago.
“Any drug use that you’re aware of?”
“No.”
“Any other health issues that he may have exhibited or shared with you?”
“Nothing, dude.”
“All right. Is there anything else you can think of, anything at all, that might have hinted that this was coming?”
Besides my divination that morning? No. A giant flock of guilt flew in and settled down upon my shoulders. “ ‘Not a whit,’ ” I said softly, past a tightening throat. “ ‘We defy augury.’ ”
“Beg your pardon?”
“ ‘There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow,’ ” I whispered, my vision blurring a bit, Perry’s still form losing focus.
“Did you say Providence? As in Rhode Island?”
