Page 86 of Return of the Spider

A maroon Chevy Blazer came down the road toward him, slowed, and turned into the drive. A magnetic sign advertising the same real estate agent clung to the driver’s-side door.

Soneji considered following the car and asking to see the place, but that would be sloppy. Besides, the agent at the wheel was a big guy. And there was a client in the passenger seat.

Too risky. He went back toward the interstate, telling himself that he had to be patient. He would find the right place. He flat-out knew it.

By the time he reached his home in Wilmington, dusk was falling. Roni greeted him at the door. He swept her up in his arms and tickled and kissed her.

“Daddy home!” she cried and ran into the kitchen. “Mama, Daddy home! Gamma, Daddy home!”

Soneji followed his daughter, chuckling. She really was a ball of energy.

He went inside and found Missy, her sister, Trish, and his mother-in-law, Christiana, sitting at the kitchen table with several large open three-ring binders between them. Trish had three kids of her own under five and looked like she could use a nap. As always, Missy’s mother was very polished and put together.

“Trish,” Soneji said. “Get some sleep.”

“In about five years,” Missy’s sister said.

“Christiana,” Soneji said to his mother-in-law. “I love the new hairdo and nails. How are things?”

Christiana smiled at him, but it felt forced. He wondered how much Missy confided in her mother and sister and started to feel as if he were being closely observed. He hated that.

He and Christiana had not gotten off to a good start. But after her husband died and she saw just how much business he was bringing into the Atlantic Heating Company, she’d warmed to him. Somewhat.

“Gary,” his mother-in-law said, nodding. “We are as good as we can be with five weeks to plan a wedding reception.”

“Five weeks?” he said, taken aback. He’d figured the following summer at the earliest.

“Christmas Eve, hon,” Missy said.

“You want to get married on Christmas Eve?”

“Perfect timing,” Trish said. “Everyone’s in a great mood, ready to party.”

“And it’s the only time of year my entire family is guaranteed to be in the area,” Missy said, looking at him hopefully.

“And just as important,” Christiana said, “my brother, Missy’s uncle Ari, has a barn he rents out for events. It’s available on Christmas Eve and he’s agreed to let us have it.”

“It’s decided,” Trish said, nodding.

Very close to the top of all things Soneji most despised was being at the whim of others, being under someone else’s thumb. It was bad when men forced him into things. It was worse when women told him what to do or made decisions about his life.

He felt anger building like lava in his brain and he had to summon every bit of control not to blow his top.

“Christmas Eve it is, then,” Soneji said finally and made himself grin as he picked up his daughter. “We’ll have a grand old time, and Roni will be our flower girl, and Missy will make me the luckiest man alive a second time.”

CHAPTER

71

The afternoon before thanksgiving,after more than a week of failing to get another line on the killer in the white van, Pennsylvania state police detective Tommy French called me. His friends at the DMV had compiled the results of the search Chief Pittman requested.

“They got a hit on an old registration,” French said. “A 1977 White Ford Econoline van, license plate TNS eight five four. It was last registered to a Michael and LeeAnne Lawton of Oxford, Pennsylvania. Both are now deceased. I’ll fax you the VIN and the address. You’ll have to take it from there. I’m headed home to my family for the holiday.”

“We’re right behind you, Tommy,” I said. “And we owe you.”

“Maybe,” the detective said. “You might want to check land records in Chester County, see who owns the Lawtons’ place now.”

I called the Chester County Recorder’s office after we hung up but got a message saying they were closed for the holiday and wouldn’t reopen until Friday morning.