Page 116 of Kill For Me Kill For You
‘I fell that morning. Frosty sidewalk. Didn’t have you around to save me,’ she said.
‘The guy, Quinn, was a money launderer for the mob. He had fat stacks of cash lying around and he was moving huge sums of money through different online accounts. He was a bad guy, Amanda. Also, he looked very similar to Patrick Travers, Ruth’s first victim. And a lot like the guy Ruth was targeting that night we picked her up.’
Amanda said nothing. She held her breath, watched Farrow as he took a sip of coffee and stared out of the window at people passing by on the street. He said nothing for a time, and Amanda discreetly let out her breath, clasped her hands around her coffee cup to stop them shaking.
‘Do you know what nickname they gave me at the precinct?’ he asked, still not looking directly at her.
‘Saint Jude. Hernandez told me once,’ said Amanda, trying to keep her voice level, fighting down the sick feeling that was beginning in her stomach.
‘Patron Saint of hopeless cases,’ said Farrow, staring idly out the window. ‘You know how I close most of my homicide files? I’m not any smarter than any other cop. I just don’t give up. Ever. I feel like I owe something to those victims. And I carry it around with me. It’s heavy. A burden. But I take it on and I keep going until I break the case. Hernandez thinks I’m obsessed. She says sometimes I have to let go.’
Amanda said nothing, her heart thumping in her chest.
Farrow stared out at the street, said, ‘I think I might have to let this Quinn case go unsolved. He probably got caught skimming funds. The mob don’t take kindly to be being cheated. Your DNA being on that wall? Like I said, it was a partial match. Could be a fuck up at the lab. I don’t know . . .’
He shook his head, then turned toward her and asked, ‘How’s your knee?’
He knows it was me, thought Amanda. He just knows.
‘It’s fine now,’ said Amanda finally.
‘Good, because it’s dangerous out there on those sidewalks,’ he said, glancing out of the window, then fixing her with a dead-eyed stare. ‘If you were to slip and fall again, I wouldn’t be there to catch you next time.’
Amanda said, ‘I’m going to stay home in future.’
He searched her face, making sure she was telling him the truth, then nodded, said, ‘Come on, I’ll drive you to work. There’s one more piece of news. The press haven’t got hold of it yet and I wanted to be first to tell you.’ Farrow got to his feet slowly.
‘Tell me what?’ said Amanda, suddenly nervous again.
‘Crone’s dead.’
‘He’s what?’
‘A garbage man found him at four a.m. He’d been stripped naked and tortured, then somebody had just thrown him into a dumpster.’
‘Jesus Christ,’ she said, her heart fluttering.
‘There was a strong chemical smell off the body. Maybe chloroform. Looks like he was drugged before someone went to work on him.’
Amanda said nothing. She couldn’t process it. Not yet.
‘Just so I know, and I’m not for one second suggesting you’re involved, but seeing as how his lawsuit against you is just as dead as he is, could you tell me where you were last night?’ asked Farrow.
‘I was at the Dolly Parton concert. A friend of mine sent me tickets.’
‘Which friend?’
‘Billy. You met him that night we found Ruth.’
‘And was Billy with you at the concert?’
‘Ah, no, he couldn’t make it. I went with a new friend from work, Abbey.’
‘Fair enough. Can’t say it’s a loss to the city. Hernandez found out about a half hour ago and she’s already organized a party. Come on, I’ll give you that lift.’
They walked a block and a half to Farrow’s car. With each step, Amanda grew lighter. The air still felt cold, but no longer abrasive. It felt . . . clean. New. The sun split through a chestnut tree on the corner, and for a moment Amanda and Farrow were bathed in golden sunlight. The light turned orange, red and gold as if it was aflame.
Amanda got into the police cruiser. Farrow reached over to her side and opened the glove box. Inside were CD cases, most of them open, and some broken and cracked. He found a case that was still closed, opened it up and slotted the CD into the dash player. He handed the case to Ruth as the music started up.
