Page 24 of Deathtoll

“Where is everyone?” Murph asked as he walked in.

The captain looked up. “Leila had to take her aunt for waxing. Rest of the squad are out setting up the streets for the Mushroom Festival, dropping off cones and cordons. We’re shutting off six streets this year. Vendors need room to set up their tents.”

“Hard to believe it started with a single Sunday.”

“Festival’s growing.” Bing flashed a pleased smile. “Good for local business. Restaurants are packed already. Gift shops all stocked up. No downside to adding an extra day, other than the inevitable half a dozen drunk fights around the beer tents.” He set down the stack of envelopes he’d been holding.

“Wait.” Murph’s brain caught up with him. “Did you say Leila took her aunt forwaxing?”

“The aunt is having some feminine surgery tomorrow, and she’s…” Bing had a don’t-make-me-say-it look in his eyes.

Murph didn’t make him say it. “Okay!”

“Okay.” There was an awkward second, then Bing rolled on. “But you didn’t come in to check on Leila’s aunt or the festival.”

“I was wondering if you had any news on Betty Gardner.”

“What kind of news?” Bing asked in a deceptively casual tone.

“She wasn’t taking out the garbage when she slipped.”

The captain nodded. “Gabi said the same thing. Doesn’t mean much. Betty could have gone outside for any number of other things. Fill the bird feeder, check that the outside basement door was locked, fresh air.”

“Nobody saw it happen?”

“Midmorning, most people are at work.” The captain paused for a second before he added, “No reason to suspect foul play. Nothing’s missing from her house that we can tell. All valuables are accounted for, wallet, phone, her jewelry.”

“All locked up tight?”

“Kate made sure.”

She would. She was good at taking care of people.

“The leaves were raked, walkway clear.” Murph’s instincts kept prickling every time he thought of the accident. “What made Betty slip?”

“Old age? What’s this about? Anything to do with Kate?”

“How would Kate come into this?”

“If the neighborhood turned bad, you could offer to be her private security? Or talk her into moving back into your apartment? Hell, if I know, dammit.” Bing pointed at Murph. “But I know a desperate man when I see one. Want to talk about it?”

Murph rolled the man’s words around in his head. Was he looking for an excuse to stay near Kate? “I’d like to think I’m not that pathetic.”

“Whatever this is, it’ll pass.”

Murph swallowed the frustration that was bubbling up in his throat. “I hope it does, before she drives me crazy.”

“You want to marry her, you have to get used to the driving-crazy part. It’s half the job description. The other half…” A wistful, lovesick expression came over his face. “It’s worth it.” He paused, as if unsure whether to say the next bit, but then he did. “Sophie and I had our ups and downs.”

“Yeah. Nobody who’s ever seen the two of you together will believe that.”

Bing almost smiled, then that hint of amusement disappeared and he turned police-captain serious. “You focus on fixing whatever went wrong between you and Kate and leave the investigation to us.”

He didn’t have to show steel for Murph to know that it was there behind the still-congenial demeanor. And yet… Murph promised nothing.

While he drove from the station to work, he considered how much he really needed to be concerned about Kate’s and Emma’s safety. And then thinking about Kate’s sister made him think of his own brother, so Murph called him.

“What’s up?”