Fall Guy

much.“ Maggie took a deep breath, gathering her strength. „But I'm sure I didn't tell him that nearly often enough, and I'll always regret that.“
    „He knew you loved him,“ Jin Mei said, her arm around Maggie's shoulders. „He knew we all loved him. Now let's eat some food, drink some wine and celebrate his life.“
    I went inside and brought out the little pot with all the keys, letting everyone pick their own. Jin Mei hesitated. „Now if I'm locked out, I'll have to call a locksmith.“
    „I know a good one,“ I told her. „I'll give you his number.“
    „It's not that,“ she said.
    I nodded. „I know.“
    „It's the end of something good.“
    I nodded again, out of words for the moment.
    „Did you keep his keys as well?“
    „He didn't need keys to get in.“ She mimed picking a lock.
    I started to smile at her joke, but Jin Mei was dead serious. I thanked her for all the work she'd done and went to join Maggie.
    „I'm so glad you came today.“
    „So am I.“
    „Can you stay a while longer? I thought I'd run out now and get some more boxes and then we can have some supper before you drive home.“
    „I'd like that, Rachel. Do you want to ask Tim's partner to join us?“
    I turned around too quickly so that she wouldn't see the expression on my face. Someone had put a box in front of the tables for Irwin, who was filling a plastic plate with Jin Mei's treats. Kevin and Rob appeared to be arguing at the far end of the garden. Bill was talking to Helene, who was now holding Emma. Jin Mei was standing all by herself, looking very small and lost. I looked for Brody, but he was gone.

CHAPTER 21
    I borrowed a stepladder from Irwin so that Maggie could take down the books from the top shelves. I put out two rolls of paper towels so that she could dust the books she wanted to take and handed her the extra set of keys, but that made her shake her head, as if I'd handed her something too hot to hold. She put them on Tim's desk and I was pretty sure they'd be there after she left for home.
    I remembered the pretty beaded purse then, wondering why it had been on the floor of Parker's closet. Had he been about to steal it when Tim had come home earlier than expected, or when the cops arrived? I took it out of the drawer and put it on the daybed with the things Maggie had gathered to pack and take home. There wasn't much there—a dozen or so framed photos that had been hung around the room. With the walls empty and the rectangles of paler paint exposed, the room looked really depressing. No wonder Maggie didn't want a key. I was starting to wish I didn't have to come back again either.
    She was up on the ladder when I was ready to leave. I thought I'd head the other way, toward Greenwich Street, then over to D'Agostino's. Large grocery stores that delivered orders to their customers always had boxes lying around and they usually let people take a few if they needed them. I thought three more would do the trick, and three would be all I could manage with Dashiell along. I grabbed the leash and told Maggie I'd be back soon. Up on the ladder, a book open in one hand, she was reading something. She didn't turn around. She only waved her free hand.
    The moment we were out of the house, Dashiell began searching the tree pits again. I was about to tell him to knock it off when I realized how bored he must have been, spending the day surrounded by grief with no way to work it off. After a pet-therapy session, I'd always take him for a long hike or play ball with him. I weighed the disappointment he might feel at not making a find against the search itself and let him continue. It wasn't a bad idea for him to understand that not every search would be successful. It was one of the many realities he'd have to deal with eventually.
    He checked each pit, putting his nose between the plants and sniffing the earth below deeply. Each time he decided there was nothing there to warrant his attention, he went quickly to the next one, on and on toward the sidewalk bridge surrounding the comer town house. There was a hole cut into the bridge for the tree next to the house, but the tree pit had been covered with plastic. Someone probably thought they were being kind, protecting the tree from construction dust, but they were also protecting it from getting water. It was anyone's guess whether or not the tree would survive the amount of construction dirt on top of the bridge and the lack of sunlight below.
    It was still light