Delusion in Death

area with a bold-colored sofa, brightly striped chairs. A comfortable home, Eve thought, with cheerful colors, deep cushions, surfaces holding framed photos, flowers, pretty little bowls.
    “Sit down, won’t you? I didn’t expect … I’ve already talked to the police.”
    “I know. We’re doing a follow-up. If you could answer some questions, Mrs. Cattery.”
    “Are you seeing everyone? There are so many. So many. I’ve stopped watching the news. Are there more? Has something else happened?”
    “No, ma’am. Mrs. Cattery, there are many, too many. And every one who died deserves our time and attention.”
    “I wasn’t here, you see. I’d taken the kids to see my mother and my brother. Now they’re here, with us. But I wasn’t home. Joe was working on that campaign. He worked so hard on it, so long, and I’d justfinished up a project for work. I thought I’ll get the kids out of his hair for a few days, they can keep up with school on screen, have a nice visit with my family. Everybody could just take a breath, I thought. So we weren’t here, and he didn’t come home. If I’d been here—”
    “Mrs. Cattery.” Peabody reached out, laid a hand on Elaine’s. “You can’t think that, or wonder that.”
    “That’s what my mother says, and still … I’m pregnant.” On a choked sob, Elaine pressed her fingers to her lips. “I found out, confirmed, while I was at Mom’s. We weren’t trying, weren’t not trying. We said we were finished, then we both got this itch. Let’s just see what happens, that’s what Joe said. I never got the chance to tell him. I wanted to tell him when I got home, but it was too late. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t think of what I’m going to do.”
    “I’m sorry,” Peabody murmured. “I’m so sorry for your loss. We’re going to do everything we can to find the person responsible.”
    “Will it help? My brother, he’s so angry, and he’s so sure when you find who did this, put them away, it’ll help. But Joe still won’t be here. He won’t watch his children grow up. He won’t see this one born. So I don’t know if it’ll help.”
    “It will,” Eve assured her. “Maybe not right away, but it will.
    You’ll know the person who did this won’t ever be able to hurt anyone again. He won’t ever take another father from his children.”
    “Joe never hurt anyone. He’s such a sweet man, so easygoing. Sometimes too easy, that’s what I’d tell him. He never pushed at work, and the kids could always twist him around their fingers. He never hurt anyone.”
    “He was up for a promotion.”
    “Was he?” The faintest of smiles touched her lips. “He didn’t tell me.”

    “He may not have known, but it was in his file. He put a lot of work into this last campaign.”
    “Yes, he did. The whole team did.”
    “You know the people he worked with.”
    “Yes. Nancy—Nancy Weaver, his boss—she’s been by. She’s been wonderful. Steve and Lew, they both contacted me. Steve sent food. This huge ham with bread and … things. For sandwiches.”
    “And I wish you’d eat a little more of it.” Dana came in with a tray, set it down.
    “I will. I promise.” Elaine took her mother’s hand, drew her down.
    “Sometimes when people work so closely together, on an important project, there’s conflict,” Eve began. “Was there any conflict within the team?”
    “It’s hard to fight with Joe,” Elaine said while her mother poured out the tea. “He loves his job, and he’s good at it. He likes being part of a team.”
    “Was he aware Vann and Weaver had an affair?”
    Again, that faint smile. “Joe’s a quiet man, and quiet types see things. He knew.”
    “Did it bother him?”
    “No. It bothered me, some. I thought—said—how Steve covered all the bets. Family and sex, but Joe just laughed it off. And Steve did good work. He loves his boy. I guess that goes a long way with me—and with Joe. When a father loves his son, and it shows.”
    “That leaves Callaway.”
    “Lew?” Elaine curled up her legs, pretended to drink her tea. “Another quiet type, but not as naturally outgoing or easygoing as Joe. Joe used to say Lew had to work at the grip and grin. He did better with ideas—big pictures. Joe liked to fiddle and finesse, dig in. I’d get annoyed sometimes when Joe worked out Lew’s concepts, spentall the time to bring them in line, if you understand me. And most of the time, he wouldn’t take credit for it. But I