Fall Guy

asked him.
    „He did.“
    „And someone went there to see if anyone remembered seeing him at the time he claimed to be there?“
    Brody laughed. „You neglected to read me my rights. This'll never hold up in court. Yes, someone went there. Parker's covered for the time he claims he was out.“
    „Which commenced prior to the time Jin Mei heard Tim?“
    „Yes, ma'am.“
    I picked up a piece of the pizza and gave it to Dashiell.
    „I thought you said he ate.“
    I shrugged. „Life is too hard without pizza,“ I said, „even for a dog.“
    Maybe it was too hard even with pizza. Brody didn't say so, but I had the feeling that's what he was thinking. I told him I'd gotten the death certificate. I asked him what „pending further investigation“ meant. He told me they were probably waiting for the tox screens to come back.
    „Do they expect anything?“
    „No. It's routine.“ He reached over and took the matchbook from Hell. „Like collecting evidence at the scene. When it's a suicide and it doesn't appear to be staged, it's not all that important.“ He compressed his lips, lifted a hand in the air, shook his head.
    „Not really your personal opinion?“
    „Definitely not. You always want it done by the book, no matter what you think it is. Opinions change. You want to have that evidence, just in case you might need it.“
    I could see the muscles in his cheeks jumping, see the tension in his shoulders, the disappointment that, whether or not it had been necessary, an important job had been botched.
    „Thanks for this.“ He dropped the phone into his jacket pocket; the matchbook, too.
    I thought about O'Fallon's notebook, but the cops had seen the previous ones and had left them at his apartment. I thought that was reason enough for me to look at the notes first, then decide if they were something Brody would want to see.
    When the rain started, it was just a fine mist. For a while, we stayed where we were. Then Brody got up, picked up his jacket and headed for the gate, Dash and I following behind him.
    „There's a memorial for Tim on Saturday, at four, in the communal garden. His sister and brother will be there. Will you come?“
    He squeezed my shoulder, letting his hand stay for a moment. „I will,“ he said.
    While I was locking the gate, I heard the rain beating on the cars parked along Tenth Street. I saw Brody start to run. I did the same.

CHAPTER 17
    I hadn't had time to look through O'Fallon's notebook when I'd found it. I didn't know how long Maggie would take to change into her uniform and I didn't want to be asked to leave it with her. I thought it more expedient if she didn't see it in the first place, at least not until I knew what sort of notes her brother had made and thought he needed to hide under the driver's seat of his car.
    After Brody left, I made a cup of tea and had Dashiell find the notebook for me. I was feeling guilty that he'd just been hanging out with me but that I hadn't been giving him enough to do. Riding in a car or watching me pack up someone else's belongings, even finding Parker's cell phone, these things did not qualify as work for a strong, intelligent dog. Talking to Brody about the cadaver-recovery work I'd been doing with Dashiell made me promise myself I'd get back to it soon. I'd packed up a lot of O'Fallon's possessions and gotten rid of his car. I thought I'd probably be finished with the apartment in a week or so. It wasn't unusual for a landlord, even here in New York City, to forgo a month's rent when a long-term tenant has died. After all, by putting in a little bit of money—a new refrigerator, a new kitchen floor, a better sink in the bathroom—he could raise the rent sufficiently that in very little time he'd more than make up what he'd lost. Getting rid of a rent-stabilized tenant, one way or another, always benefited a landlord. Even if that was not the case, O'Fallon's rent was cheap for New York and the estate could afford to pay for another month if that was what I needed. Dashiell and I both needed time. I decided to take the next day off, to work with Dashiell and go swimming at the Y.
    I took the notebook from Dashiell—he had done one of the things he loved best: he'd found something that was out of place—and sat down on the couch to read. Opening it for just a moment at Maggie's house, I'd seen Parker's name in it. So I expected the notes to be mostly about him. But that wasn't the case.
    This notebook, unlike the ones I'd seen