Friday, February 27,

11:30 a.m.

Drake closed the door to his office. „They’re getting closer.“

Jacob leaned back in his chair. „How do you know?“

„Spinnelli left the mayor’s office without getting chewed out.“

„Ah, yes. Your niece in the mayor’s office. How is she?“

„As lovely and as loyal as ever.“

Jacob fidgeted with his cuff link. Elaine had roused herself enough to lay out his clothes for him this morning before she’d gone back to bed. His wife was in a constant drug-induced stupor these days. Sometimes he envied her. But someone had to run the household.

„The Medical Examiner released Angelo’s body this morning,“ he said.

Drake’s shoulders sagged. „Jacob.“

Jacob looked away, unable to bear the pain on his friend’s face, knowing it was a reflection of his own. „There can be no viewing.“ There wasn’t enough of Angelo’s face left. The thought of it made him nauseous all over again. My son. „We’ll have a closed casket ceremony tomorrow.“ But on the heels of his sorrow came blessed rage, cold and exacting. „I want Angelo’s killer before then, Drake.“

Drake stood up. „I’ll call you when I know something.“

„How is Miss Mayhew?“

„Scared. She’s never without a bodyguard. Her circle’s closed ranks, too. We almost got the little girl from the school, but one of the Reagans got there before we did.“

„Disappointing.“

„There’s a family christening tomorrow.“

„Better. Keep up your watch of Mayhew and Reagan. I want you to get to this parasite before they do. I don’t want him to stand trial. Juries are terribly unreliable. Oh, and Drake?“

Drake stopped at the door. „Yes, Jacob?“

„What have we done with the Richardson woman?“

A slight pause. „She’s no longer a problem.“

Jacob regarded the defensive set of his friend’s back, knew his… appetites. He’d always overlooked this side of Drake, because it was a man’s own business how he found gratification. But perhaps now it could be put to good use. „You have her, then?“

„I do.“

„Will she be missed?“

„She told her boss she needed time to let the Alden scandal die down because it was affecting her ability to get good interviews.“

„Was she convincing?“

Drake half turned, a wolfish gleam in his eye. „Very.“

„It’s a closed casket, Drake.“ Jacob let the statement hover between them, then watched as Drake caught his meaning.

„She wanted an interview with a Conti,“ Drake murmured. „I’ll see she gets one.“

Jacob watched the door close behind Drake, knowing his oldest friend would see that business was done, then turned his mind to the matter of the investigation at hand. As soon as they knew the identity of Angelo’s killer, Miss Mayhew would no longer be required. He hoped Drake’s appetites extended to redheads.

Friday, February 27,

4:30 p.m.

„Detective Reagan.“

On their way back into the station, Abe looked over his shoulder to see Richardson’s cameraman hurrying behind him. „Haven’t they done enough?“ he gritted.

The cameraman jogged up to meet them, no camera in his hands. „I’m Scott Lowell.“

Abe narrowed his eyes. „I know who you are. What do you want?“

„I know you hate me and I don’t blame you. I just wanted you to know that Zoe’s gone.“

Abe and Mia exchanged a quick glance. „What do you mean, gone?“ Mia asked.

„She went to request an interview with Jacob Conti yesterday.“

„God, the woman’s got balls,“ Mia marveled.

„She went alone,“ Scott said.

„More like rocks in her head,“ Mia amended. „So she didn’t come back?“

„No, she came back. Mad as hell and muttering about how she’d nail Conti to the wall. Then this morning she calls in to say she’s taking a leave of absence until this thing with John Alden blows over.“

„And you don’t believe her,“ Abe said.

„She would never walk away from a story. She wanted Conti, but she wanted Mayhew even more.“

„You mean she wanted the vigilante story,“ Mia said.

„Sure she wanted the story. It was her ticket. She was getting calls from CNN and NBC, for God’s sake. But she really hated Mayhew. She never would have just walked away.“

„Why does she hate Kristen so much?“ Mia asked.

Scott shook his head. „Don’t know. Don’t want to know. It was bad enough having to capture it all on film. I could say I was only doing my job, but I know that’s no excuse. Please tell Miss Mayhew that I’m sorry.“

Abe clenched his teeth and Mia continued. „I’ll give her the message, Mr. Lowell. Did you report Richardson’s disappearance?“

Scott shrugged. „Didn’t seem to be any point. She made the call herself. I just wanted you to know in case it becomes important. I have to go. I got reassigned to a different reporter today. Good luck.“

He walked away and Mia sighed. „A killer who takes out scum. Wealthy scum like Conti beat up old men, then take out Richardson. I’m not sure who the good guys are anymore.“

Friday, February 27,

4:45 p.m.

„Leah’s mother is dead,“ Abe announced when they’d gathered in the conference room. „She died of cancer three years ago.“

„Leah hasn’t been seen for a year by anyone we talked to,“ Mia went on. „Her pastor said she’d become more and more depressed, then one day she didn’t come to church. They found she’d moved and left no forwarding address. I’m sorry, Kristen.“

Kristen tried to push aside the sadness, but it was hard. „Poor Leah.“

„We searched Paul Worth’s house,“ Jack said. „Found a bunch of different prints, but still none that match the partial Julia found on Conti’s body, which she released to the family today, by the way. In Worth’s garage we found the Oldsmobile without its plates and between a table saw and a rolling tool chest there was an empty space just the right size for that Craftsman vise that was used on Skinner. The house itself was deserted. They have a cleaning service come in every other week. Nobody saw anything.“

„Well, I can tell you Paul Worth himself is not involved,“ Miles said. „He’s not lucid and hasn’t been since his stroke last year. I saw him at the nursing home myself.“

„Any visitors?“ Abe said.

„None.“ Miles looked sad. „Hell of a way to spend the end of your life.“

„Oh,“ Mia said, „and Zoe Richardson is missing.“

This caused a bit of a buzz until Spinnelli raised his hand for silence. „Nothing we can do until she’s declared a missing person. Let’s not get sidetracked from our goal here, people. We know that Robert Barnett is the illegitimate son of Hank Worth and Genny O’Reilly, and that Barnett is Paul Worth’s nephew, but what is the connection between the Worth family and Leah Broderick?“

„We haven’t been able to find any yet,“ Abe said tightly.

„There were no pictures of her anywhere in Worth’s house,“ Jack added. „Sorry.“

Spinnelli sighed. „What’s next?“

„Murphy and I started checking area death certificates for Leah,“ Kristen said quietly. „Murphy sent out her picture to the State Police before I sent him home to sleep and Julia helped by sending copies to ME and county coroner’s offices in Illinois. She was thinking there might have been an unclaimed Jane Doe.“ Kristen’s throat closed. Such a waste.

Friday, February 27,

6:00 p.m.

„Looks like the gang’s all here. Mom’s having a little family party tonight There’s a big party following the christening tomorrow,“ Abe said, squeezing the SUV between Sean’s minivan and Aidan’s Camaro. Then he sighed. „This should be interesting.“

There was a high-end Lexus parked in front of the mini-van, and instinctively Kristen knew to whom it belonged. „Debra’s parents?“