Page 73 of A Winter of Discontent for Henry Milch

“No. It is not.”

I looked at Bernie, and said, “Can we step over here and chat?”

“Yeah, sure.”

I offered Opal the car seat, and asked, “Could you?”

“Are you insane? My maternal instinct died with Punky Brewster.”

Punky Brewster was not dead, but I got her point.

“I’ll take her,” Patty said.

I was a horrible brother, handing my sister over to a confessed murderer.

“Just rock the car seat?—”

She’d already put the car seat on a desk and was releasing Emerald from its clutches.

“Or… that.”

Bernie pulled me into an empty office and shut the door. I peeked through a window that was located next to the door, and watched Patty bounce my sister and coo at her. Opal watched them in disgust.

“So… what do you have?”

“Patty and Brian are romantically involved.”

“Yeah, I figured that out.”

“Brian’s father died last year of a heart attack. They blame Bobbie because she stole a shoebox full of his medicines, including his heart meds.”

“You think that’s what he’s telling Lehmann?”

“Yes.”

“Any evidence they did it together?”

I hadn’t thought of that. What would it be, though? Phone messages, texts, notes, diagrams, overheard conversations. None of which I had.

“Why would each confess if they did it together?”

“Because his defense is that she confessed and her defense is that he confessed. Reasonable doubt. Lehmann is going to need something more. A witness, or something forensic.”

“Do you want me to?—”

“No, no, no… nada. Don’t do anything else. We want to cross our fingers and hope Lehmann can’t find anything.”

“You don’t want me to do anything, really?” That didn’t feel right.

“Not a thing.”

Then we heard a commotion. Bernie opened the door, and we went back out. Detective Lehmann was standing there with Brian Belcher and an older man I didn’t recognize. He had gray hair, and a scowl that made anger look like a genetic condition.

Patty was crying, still holding my sister.

“Brian, Brian you shouldn’t—” To Lehmann she said, “He’s just trying to save me. Don’t you see that?”

I rushed over and took Emerald back. My sister had a confused look on her face. She wasn’t used to other people crying. She was also very moist and in need of a change.