[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.“I’m going to let you go for now, Welch, but don’t do anything stupid like skipping town.” He then turned to Bess.“I’m sorry, Mrs.Houdini, but I need to ask where I can get a hold of you should we need you to answer more questions.”Where can we go? Martin had made a generous offer, but she couldn’t take Erich there, especially after he’d put the police on their trail.Between the two men, she’d much rather spend the evening with Erich — couldn’t imagine spending it without him.“I guess we’ll get a room at the hotel, but first I want to go back to the house and see it for myself.”Coming out of the cell, Erich wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in and kissed her forehead.She eased into him and let go of the stress that had clenched her stomach since the moment she’d heard of the fire.“That’s not a good idea, Bess.I’ve been there-”“I’m a big girl.That’s my home, and I need to see it for my own eyes.”“I think maybe your friend is right.” Stanley said.“Last I knew, the fire was still smoldering.”“I didn’t say I wanted to rummage around in the ashes, but I do need to see it.Please, Erich, will you take me?”He tightened his grip.“If that’s what you want.”What do I want? The answer should be easy.But she didn’t even have a clue.Chapter Twenty-Three“You know what I think we should do?” Erich asked, but didn’t wait for an answer.“Go straight to the train station and get on a Brooklyn bound train.”Bess twisted around in the car seat to look at him.“Don’t be ridiculous!”Even without the glare, he knew she was angry and why.His eyes darted back and forth between her and Will, who drove the car toward what remained of the house.“It made no sense to lie to the police.Someone burnt your house to the ground, and instead of being angry at them, you’re upset at me for being honest.”“You pointed the police to Martin and Gail with no real evidence.”“I didn’t make anything up.”She threw her hands in the air.“You are just like Harry.He condemned the two of them for his version of the truth, and for something that he was guilty of doing himself.”Will raised his hand between them and then touched her shoulder.“Bess.You’re upset.”“Damn straight I am.”“And for good reason, but lashing out at Erich doesn’t fix anything.If Martin or Joseph really had nothing to do with this, then the police won’t find anything.But they can’t do their job if you don’t cooperate.You and Erich should stay with me and the wife.”“We can’t.”“Of course you can.Not a good reason in the world why you can’t.” Will parked the car in front of the lot and twisted his body so he could look over the seat.Erich watched as Bess’s eyes scanned the devastation that was once her home.Tears streamed down her cheeks unchecked.The fire department had nailed a sign to one of the trees — condemning the property — and everything on the lot from the shed to the outlying flowerbeds was singed black.It was pure luck the fire hadn’t spread to the shed or the neighbor’s homes.Bess sighed and gripped Will’s hand.“It’s not the house, not really.The things.Harry’s things.I only kept a few choice items, but now, even those are gone.”Like that old wool stage coat she wears.Erich watched Bess step out of the car and then slid across the seat.Coming up behind her, he laid his arm over her shoulder.“I’m sorry, Bess.You’ve lost so much…it isn’t fair—”“Life rarely is.” She pushed her hair back over her ear.“There’s the cabinet in the shed with the last few things for the museum.The key was in my bureau drawer.You picked the lock once, do you think?”He laid a finger against her cheek and nodded.They said their goodbyes to Will and promised to call him in the morning.Then, Erich gripped her hand and led her across the yard to the shed.Inside, it took less than a minute to work his magic.The lock slipped away, and he reached for the handles, but the feel of the cool metal snapped something in his brain.None of this was his, not really.Not the way he’d assumed in the beginning.Stepping back, he waved his hand toward the cabinet, allowing Bess to claim whatever she needed.She ran her fingers over the wood and then pulled the door open.Looking over her shoulder, Erich got a first glance of what she’d hid away.Chains, locks, shackles and his ring of master keys: one to open each and every lock made.She reached out, picked up a plastic bag from the middle shelf and opened it, removing a straightjacket.She held it in her hands and fingered the nylon ties.Bringing it to her face, she inhaled deeply.As she exhaled, he saw her upper lip quiver, but she regained composure and steeled again.She slipped it back in the bag and returned it to the shelf.“Come on, we should check in at the hotel and stop by the department store since everything we own is ash.”“All right.Let me lock this up.”Bess took the lock from him and tossed it to the corner of the shed.“Don’t bother.The rats and thieves can have it for all I care.If anything had to burn why couldn’t it have been that?”With her open hand she pounded the front of the cabinet so hard it fell back against the wall, but Erich didn’t take his tear-filled eyes off her.He pulled her tight and laid his head on hers.“I’m sorry.So sorry [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]