Shallow Graves

agree. It gets worse if we try one of the party-goers.“
    “Explain it to me.“
    “Start with Shinkawa. He could have gotten into the building if he had a key to the front door, gone upstairs, and gotten Tina to open her apartment door. He kills her, then leaves the building and rings Sinead to be let back in. He suggests to Puriefoy and Fagan that they go up to Tina’s apartment, then climbs the stairs alone to knock and yell at Tina’s door before coming back down to get the others.“
    “Simpler. What’s wrong with that?“
    “The chain was on Tina’s door. Whoever left her apartment after killing her couldn’t go out her door and leave it still chained. And Sinead would have spotted him coming down the fire escape.“
    Danucci shook his head again, sipping the cappuccino. I hadn’t touched my hot chocolate.
    The old man said, “Same for the colored photographer?“
    “I think so. Puriefoy could have left Sinead’s apartment to go out for wine, but instead he climbs the stairs, gets Tina to let him in, and kills her. Then he actually goes out for the wine and comes back all innocent. But with the chain on, he would have to go out the bedroom window and down the fire escape past Sinead in her kitchen. Since we know Tina was taking a shower with the water running through Sinead’s pipes just a few minutes earlier, it’s hard to imagine either Shinkawa or Puriefoy could have timed it just so. Besides, they wouldn’t have had to try.“
    “I don’t get you.“
    “Tina knew both of them well enough to buzz them into the building and let them into her apartment. Either one could have killed her any time he wanted without planning a split-second, Mission Impossible caper around the party.“
    The blood started to rise through Danucci’s face. “I’d take it as a favor, Mr. Detective, you didn’t use old television shows to talk about my granddaughter’s death.“
    “Sorry.“
    Danucci pushed his cup and saucer three inches to the side. Zuppone immediately came over and asked if he wanted another. The abrupt nod and Primo was off to the counterman.
    While he was gone, Danucci used a low, menacing tone to me. “So, you’re saying it’s family?“
    “Not necessarily. It could be anybody who didn’t know about the party at Sinead’s that night.“
    “Why?“
    “Because somebody who didn’t know about the party wouldn’t be trying to time things so closely. If the guy had a front door key and knew about the second-floor key, he could have gone to the house that night and opened the building door by coincidence when Sinead’s door was closed and neither Shinkawa nor Puriefoy were coming or going.“
    Zuppone brought Danucci his cappuccino and leaned back against the wall.
    I said, “The guy then goes up to Tina’s apartment, has a key to her door or she lets him in, then he puts the chain on—“
    “Wait a minute. Why him with the chain?“
    “Somebody had to put the chain on, and Shinkawa said Tina never used it, broke a nail on it a couple of times.“
    “Broke a nail?“
    “Fingernail.“
    Danucci shook his head. “Okay, okay. The guy puts the chain on.“
    “And then kills her. He hears Shinkawa at the door and probably freezes, then panics and realizes from the noise that the party is coming to him. So he runs to the kitchen, gets the key to the second floor, and goes out the fire escape and then into the second-floor window.“
    Danucci tasted the new cappuccino. “That makes a little sense, maybe.“ He set the cup down and watched me, then seemed to steel himself. “But you still think it’s family.“
    “I haven’t seen or heard anything that leads me to believe that anybody other than Ooch knew Tina kept the second-floor key in her kitchen drawer. And the key was back there when I checked on it Friday.“
    “So, you’re saying the guy didn’t take that key with him.“
    “Or he put it back before I checked the drawer, which seems tough. If we eliminate Sinead Fagan, too, because of the close timing problem and plenty of other opportunities, we’re left with family, I think.“
    “What, because Ooch had his own key?“
    “I don’t follow you.“
    Danucci said, “What I mean is, everybody’s got then own keys, Mr. Detective. I got mine, Joey’s got his—Hey, Primo?“
    Zuppone came off his wall. “Yes, Mr. Danucci?“
    “You got a set of keys to the Falmouth property, right?“
    Zuppone didn’t get angry this time. “Somewheres.“
    Danucci came back