Fall Guy

telling the other what we knew, each of us for his own good reasons.
    „I have to get back to the house,“ he said.
    I reached out and put my hand on his arm. „Is she safe?“ I asked him.
    „I've alerted the Piermont police. They'll drive by, look in on her, make sure she's okay.“
    A lot of good that will do, I thought. I glanced toward O'Fallon's kitchen. No sign of Maggie yet.
    „Thank you for bringing her to the door,“ I said, knowing what I had to do now, knowing I had no choice in the matter.
    My hand was still on his arm. He took it in his, held it for a moment, then turned to leave. I closed the door and stayed in the living room, giving Maggie all the privacy she might need. When she came back out, she'd washed her face and combed her hair.
    „The man who was living here with Tim...“
    „Parker Bowling.“
    „Yes. Wasn't that the way his aunt was murdered, a broken neck?“
    „Yes. That was what I was told.“
    Maggie was looking across the room, toward the windows and the half-open shutter, the light coming in over the top.
    „Do they think that this person, the man Tim was helping, might have killed them both?“
    „I don't know,“ I said.
    „But they're looking for him, aren't they?“
    „Yes, I was told they are.“
    „For questioning?“
    „Yes,“ was all I said, not knowing where she was going, where I should go with this.
    „And Tim?“
    I felt my breath catch up in my throat.
    „Do you think he killed Tim, too?“
    „Would it make a difference, Maggie, if he hadn't done it himself, if someone else...“
    Maggie took a deep breath, thinking before answering my question. „Yes. I know it seems odd. Either way, he's gone and I'll never see him again. Either way, it's a terrible tragedy. But I can't bear the thought that he was that unhappy.“ She put a hand to her lips and shook her head. „Detective Brody said they were looking for Parker for the other two murders. He didn't mention Tim. Of course, when there's been suicide in the family, it's not supposed to come as a surprise when it happens again. But it always does. It's the same with any death. Someone could be mortally wounded or terribly sick or frail and ancient, but the family always acts as if the death was the last thing on earth they expected. They act as if keeping a vigil at the ICU had nothing to do with anyone actually dying.
    „I had a patient last year who was in her nineties and fading very quickly. The family was there a lot—her children, her grandchildren, even a second cousin. They came every day for three days. When she finally died, very peacefully while they were in the cafeteria taking a break, they seemed devastated when they returned.“
    „Because they hadn't been there when she died?“
    „No. That would have made some sense. What they said to the doctor was, 'You didn't say it would be today.' „
    „As if he should know that.“
    „Do you think Parker did this, Rachel?“
    „No,“ I said. „I don't think Parker killed anyone.“
    Maggie's mouth opened, then closed again. She got up and walked over to the windows, unlatching the shutters and opening them wide. For a moment, she just stood there, her back to me, looking out at the street or lost in thought.
    „Then who?“
    „I don't know,“ I said.
    „No thoughts? No theories? Then why all those questions?“
    „What would be the point of speculating, maybe this happened, maybe that happened? It would only create more sorrow.“
    „What was the point of any of this—of Tim killing himself, of that poor Elizabeth Bowles getting murdered, and of someone killing Dennis? On top of everything else, why Dennis?“
    „I don't know. I wish I did.“
    For a while, neither of us spoke.
    „You must be so tired,“ I said at last.
    „I am, yes.“
    „I have everything ready. All the things you set aside are packed up.“
    She nodded. „You've been so kind. You've been especially good to me. What you said about my bums, about wanting you to know, I've been thinking about that.“
    „And?“
    „And about the no-talk rule, the way we grew up, about how it cripples you. The odd thing is, you take pride in what you're doing. You take pride in being a good liar, in doing the best job possible of keeping everything looking nice on the surface. And look where it leads, Rachel. Look where it leads.“
    „The day of the fire ...“
    „I know what you're going to ask, Rachel. I do. It wasn't anyone's fault. That's the truth.“
    „Then how