In Death 23 - Born in Death

didn’t respond to the buzzer, but before Eve could use her master, a woman’s voice piped through the speaker. “You looking for Mr. Byson?”
    “That’s right.” There was a security screen, and Eve held up her badge. “Police. You want to buzz us in?”
    “Hold on.”
    The door buzzed; the locks clicked. They stepped into a tiny communal lobby where someone had gone to the trouble to set a leafy green plant in a colorful pot. Because she heard the elevator clanging its way down, Eve waited.
    The woman who stepped off was dressed in a red sweater and gray pants, with her brown hair pulled back in a stubby tail from a pretty face. She had a baby of indeterminant age and sex perched on her hip.
    “I buzzed you in,” she said. “I’m Mr. Byson’s neighbor. What’s the problem?”
    “That’s something we need to discuss with him.”
    “I don’t know if he’s home.” She jiggled the baby as she spoke. The kid stared owlishly at Eve, then plugged its thumb in its mouth and sucked as if it contained opium. “He should be at work this time of day.”
    “He’s not.”
    “It’s weird, because I usually hear him leave. We’re on the same floor, and I hear the elevator. Didn’t catch it today. And he had the plumber scheduled, turns out. When they’re having one of the crews in—they’re rehabbing—he stops by, asks me if I can let them in, you know? He didn’t do that today, so I didn’t. You can’t be sure. Might be somebody with a pipe wrench just going in to rob the place.”
    “So you’ve got the key to his place?”
    “Yeah, key and code. Something’s wrong, isn’t it? You want me to let you in? You’ve got to give me some idea. I wouldn’t feel right letting you in if I don’t know something’s up.”
    “Something’s up.” Eve held up her badge again. “Mr. Byson’s fiancée was killed.”
    “Oh, no.” She shook her head slowly from side to side. “No. Come on. Not Nat.”
    Her voice rose and cracked. In response, the baby unplugged its mouth and wailed.
    “You knew her.” Eve took a subtle side step away from the baby.
    “Sure. She was here a lot. They’re getting married in a few months.” The woman’s eyes filled as she shifted to hold her baby closer. “I liked her a lot. We’re all looking forward to being neighbors. Bick and Nat, me and my husband. We…I can’t believe it. What happened? What happened to Nat?”
    “We need to talk to Mr. Byson.”
    “God. God. Okay, okay.” Obviously shaken, she turned to call for the elevator. “It’s going to kill him. Ssh, Crissy, ssh.” She bounced and jiggled and patted the baby as they jammed into the elevator. “They were nuts about each other—but not sickening about it, if you get me. I liked her so much. Maybe there’s a mistake.”
    “I’m sorry” was all Eve said. “Did she mention any problems? Anything, anyone bothering her?”
    “No, not really. Some wedding jitters, just typical stuff. They were getting married up in Cleveland, where she’s from. Hunt and I were going—our first trip since Crissy came. Hunt’s my husband. Look, I’ll go get the key,” she added when the doors opened into a hallway. “That’s his place, there. We share the floor.”
    “Just the two units up here?”
    “Yeah. Nice space. Good light. Hunt and I bought our apartment when I got pregnant. It’s a nice neighborhood, and we’ve got three bedrooms.”
    She unlocked her own door, tirelessly jiggling the baby who now had the slack-jawed, glaze-eyed look of a satisfied junkie. Holding the door open with one hip, she snatched a set of keys from a bowl on a table by the door.
    “We didn’t get your name,” Eve told her.
    “Oh, sorry. Gracie, Gracie York.” She turned the key in the lock, typed a code in on a minipad over it. “Maybe Bick had errands to run or something. I didn’t hear him go out before, so he must’ve left early. Crissy’s been fussy so I slept in a little this morning. She’s teething.” Gracie started to open the door, but Eve held up a hand to block her.
    “Just a minute.” Eve knocked. “Mr. Byson,” she called out. “This is the police. Open the door, please.”
    “I really don’t think he’s home,” Gracie began.
    “Even so, we’ll wait a minute before going in.” Eve knocked again. “Mr. Byson, this is Lieutenant Dallas, NYPSD. We’re coming in.”
    The minute she opened the door, Eve knew Byson was home, and that his neighbor’s earlier words had been right on