In Death 24 - Innocent in Death

weep. Now step back, or you’re going to be sitting in holding for the next several hours.”
    “I’m just doing my job.”
    “Aren’t we all.” Eve moved by him, then paused. “Have you seen the au pair this morning?”
    “Cora? She went out about nine. Errands. She said Mrs. Straffo wasn’t feeling very well, and activated the privacy mode. She hasn’t come back yet.”
    “What about Mrs. Straffo? What time did she get back this morning?”
    “About eight-thirty, maybe a little later. Didn’t look well either.”
    “On foot, or by car?”
    “Walking. Walked the kid to school. It’s about ten minutes away. They were scooting some. The kid said she’d be late for her meeting if they didn’t hurry.”
    “Doesn’t the au pair usually take the kid in, pick her up?” Peabody wondered.
    “Most of the time, sure,” the doorman confirmed. “One of the Straffos takes her now and then.”
    Riding up to the penthouse, Eve worked on the timing. Leaves the school, walks home.
    Takes a good fifteen minutes to do it. Not hurrying then. Goes upstairs, gives the au pair errands to run. Shuts down.
    Wants privacy.
    At the penthouse, Eve pressed the buzzer. The security blinked, and the computer clicked on.
    We’re sorry. The Straffo family has activated full privacy. If you care to leave your name and contact information, one of the family will return your call when available.
    Eve held her badge to the scanner. “This is police business. You’re ordered to override privacy mode and inform Mrs. Straffo to open the door.”
    One moment, please, while your identification is verified…ID verified. Please wait…
    Eve was just toying with the idea of pounding a fist on the door when it opened. The doorman had it right. Allika Straffo didn’t look well.
     
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    She may have been dressed in silk lounging pajamas, but they were wasted on her as she stood pale and hollow-eyed.
    “Please, can’t this wait? I’m sick.”
    “You were well enough to walk your daughter to school this morning. Something happen there that made you sick? Or maybe you’ve been feeling a little off since your husband agreed to defend your lover.”
    “He isn’t my lover. He was a mistake. Please, leave me alone.”
    “Not going to happen.” Eve laid a hand on the door before Allika could close it. “You fix that mistake this morning?”
    “I’m tired.” Tears began to gather and fall. “I’m just sick and I’m tired. I just want all of this to go away.”
    “So you helped Williams go under for the third time?”
    “What are you talking about? Oh, God, come in then. Just come in. I’m too tired to stand here arguing with you.” She turned away from the door, went to the living area to sit on one of the sofas, dropped her head in her hand.
    “I was such a fool, such a stupid fool ever to let him touch me. Now, how much am I going to have to pay for that?”
    “Did he put the squeeze on you for money?”
    “Money?” She lifted her head. “No, no. That he would call Oliver, convince Oliver to defend him. What kind of a man is that? And he had those vials in his bedroom? Now, how can I be sure he didn’t use them on me? I feel sick.”
    “So you confronted him this morning?”
    “No. I intended to. I tried to talk Oliver out of representing him, but Oliver’s determined.
    I had to know what Reed said to him, had to convince Reed to find another lawyer.”
    Eve sat. “Let’s get this on record, just so everyone’s protected. I’m going to read you your rights.”
    “But-”
    “You’re married to a lawyer. You know how this works. Record on.” Eve recited the Revised Miranda, watching Allika’s face as she did. “Do you understand your rights and obligations in this matter.”
     
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    “Of course, I do.”
    “You took your daughter to school this morning, arrived about seven-thirty.”
    “Yes, I thought if I took her in, and Reed was there…I saw that he was, on the sign-in screen. So I walked Rayleen to the theater and I went back. I thought, at that time of the morning, he’d be in the fitness center. But I didn’t see him there. I decided to check the pool. I heard them as I stepped through the doorway of the locker room.”
    “Heard who?”
    “Reed and Principal Mosebly. Arguing, shouting at each other. She told him he was done, that he would no longer be attached to the school. If he didn’t resign, she’d see he was terminated.”
    “Why would that upset you?” Eve asked.
    “It