P Is for Peril

because she never mentioned it. Or maybe she didn't care. That was always a possibility with her. In the background, I could hear metal banging, the scraping of chairs, and assorted shrieks: Blanche's four rowdy kids spending the day at Grandma's. With Fiona's bare cement floors, it sounded like a roller rink or bumper cars. I said, "I have the answer to your question about the person living in that house on Bay. Turns out it's Clint Augustine's father and Clint's living with him…"
    "I told you they were having an affair."
    "Well, not quite."
    Jill appeared and set a mug of coffee on my desk. I blew her a kiss and went on to describe Clint's medical condition, which I gave Fiona by name. I'd read about dermatomyositis in the Merck Manual I have sitting on my desk at home. Altogether not good, and his particular symptoms seemed severe. "I'm guessing that in the last year, he's been in no shape to engage in a sexual liaison or any other kind, for that matter." I found it a relief to be talking about something other than the night before.
    Fiona's response was grudging. "Perhaps I've misjudged her."
    "Hard to know," I said, not wanting to rub it in.
    "What about the missing money?"
    "The cops are looking into it so I'll leave that to them. I won't be charging for the time I put in."
    She seemed to shake off her disappointment. "Well, I suppose that takes care of business. If you like, you can calculate what I owe you and deduct it from the balance of the retainer. No need for a final report. This call will suffice."
    "Sure, I can do that. I'll put a check in the mail to you this afternoon."
    There was a moment's hesitation. "I wonder if I could ask you to bring me that in cash?"
    "Sure. No problem. I can have it up there this afternoon."
    I was sitting at my desk, cleaning and organizing my files when Jeniffer came in and handed me a note.
    Kinsey,
    Sorry I had to do that to you, but I didn't have a choice. Here's the difference between us: basically, you're decent and have a conscience. I don't.
    Mariah
    "Where'd you get this?"
    "It was just sitting on my desk."
    Feeling sick, I lifted the receiver and dialed 713… the Houston, Texas, area code… and then 555-1212, for Directory Assistance. When the operator came on, I asked her for the sheriffs department in the county where Hatchet was located. She gave me the number and I made a note of it. I let it sit on my desk while I took out the file Mariah Talbot had given me. I glanced through the news clippings until I spotted the name of the sheriff who'd handled the Hevener murder case. I tried Mariah's number first and got the same recorded message I'd heard before. "Hello, this is Mariah Talbot. You've reached the offices of Guardian Casualty Insurance in Houston, Texas,…" I depressed the plunger. Anyone can leave a recorded announcement on an answering machine. Anyone can have a stack of business cards printed.
    I dialed the Texas number and asked for Sheriff Hollis Cayo. I identified myself and told him where I was calling from. "I'm wondering about two murders you investigated in 1983. This was Jared and Brenda Hevener."
    "I remember them," he said. "They were both fine people and deserved better than they got. How can I help?"
    "I thought I should pass along some information. Tommy Hevener died last night. His brother shot him in the heat of an argument."
    There was a moment of quiet while he took that in. "I can't say I'm surprised. I hope you're not telling me Richard's headed this way."
    "No, no. The cops picked up him and put him in the county jail out here. I understand he's broke so the public defenders office will probably handle the case," I said. "One thing I was wondering. Was Casey Stonehart ever caught?"
    "No, ma'am. He's gone, disappeared right after the murders, probably the work of them two boys as well. Our best guess is he's dead, but we may never know. Texas is a big state. Lot of acreage available for unmarked graves."
    "I understand Brenda Hevener's sister and Guardian Casualty Insurance intend to file suit. Have you heard about that?"
    "Yes, ma'am. I believe they're in the process of gathering information even as we speak. What's your interest?"
    "I had an insurance investigator come into my office a week ago and I wondered if you knew her. This is a woman named Mariah Talbot."
    I could hear the smile in his voice. "Yeah, we know her. 'Mariah the Pariah.' You're talking five foot nine, a hundred and forty pounds, twenty-six years old. Blue