Swan Dive

in the door here when they called. Then I drove back to my dad’s house.”
    ”Why didn’t you stay here?”
    ”I. . She stopped, resignedly reaching a decision. ”All right, I was scared, okay? I knew the kind of people Roy was in with could have killed him, and I was scared they’d be around to see me.”
    ”Did you know where Roy was going last night?” Kelley uncrossed his arms. ”The hell kind of question is that to ask?”
    ”Mr. Kelley, she was going to have dinner with you. That suggests that your daughter knew that Roy wasn’t going to be here for dinner. That suggests—”
    ”If you’re saying my daughter knew that bum was hanging around with a hooker, I’ll bust your face like—”
    ”Dad!” The tears started to flow; she wiped her forearm across her face just once, violently, then turned to me. ” Roy was a bastard. He two-timed his wife with me, and me with her... the prostitute. He didn’t deserve all the things he had, but I loved him, mister, I loved him and I’m miserable he’s gone.”
    ”Honey, how—”
    ”Dad, shut up!”
    ”Sheilah, in front of—”
    ”Just please shut up!”
    Kelley’s face fell. He looked at me. ”She’s upset. She don’t know what she’s sayin’.”
    ”Ms. Kelley?”
    I could have poured a beer in the time it took her to say, ”Yes?”
    ”The Boston police tell me Roy ’s connection is a pretty rough character. I think it’d be a good idea for you to stay out of sight for a while. Especially if they didn’t find what they were looking for here.”
    ”She’s gonna stay with me. Back home in Tullbury. I was in the department twenny-seven years. Leo Kelley, Engine Company Number One. I got friends all over town. They can’t touch her there.”
    Sheilah Kelley chewed on her lip. She didn’t look too sure.

I detoured back to Peabody and found Hanna’s street after only one wrong turn. The lights were on in her apartment as I walked up the path.
    She pulled back the door, surprised to see me. ”John Cuddy. You are all right?”
    ”Yes.”
    ”The police, they said you were... hit?”
    ”Mugged. But I’m all right. Can I come in?”
    ”Oh, sure, sure.” Hanna turned away. ”Vickie is taking the nap now.”
    Since I couldn’t see Hanna’s face, I just said, ”I’ll be quiet.”
    I followed her into the living room and sat down across from her.
    ”The new kitten you got for Vickie, it is doing so much good.”
    ”I’m glad. Hanna, the police have questioned you?”
    ”About the... Roy and the woman?”
    ”Yes.”
    ”They come here this morning. They want to know about me.”
    ”Where you were?”
    ”Yes. I was here with Vickie all the night.”
    ”The police seem to accept that?”
    ”Yes. They say, ‘Who can tell us this?’ And I say, ‘Nobody.’ I did not see Nerida, and Vickie was asleep. But there is nothing I can do about that.”
    ”Hanna, I’ve been to Roy ’s house.”
    ”My house now.”
    ”So Chris tells me. The nurse, the woman Roy was seeing, she’s moving her things out.”
    Hanna sighed. ”You know, I cannot blame her. Roy was, I don’t know the English for it, but the women always like him. For the wrong reason.”
    ”Some people are that way.”
    ”Tell me. Do the women like you for the right reason?” She didn’t smile at me, keeping her expression even and open, showing me assurance I don’t think she felt.
    ”There’s one in Boston who I hope does.”
    Hanna nodded, a little too vigorously. ”That is good. That is the right way.”
    ”Hanna, the house, your house in Swampscott, was searched by somebody.”
    ”Burglars? I hear they watch the newspapers for the dead, then...”
    ”No. At least I don’t think so. I think it was somebody looking for something.”
    ”Money?”
    I didn’t answer her. She looked down and twisted her fingers. She said, ”The drugs.”
    ”Why didn’t you tell me?”
    ”I told Chris. He was my lawyer. He didn’t say to tell you. I thought you knew from Chris. I’m sorry.”
    ”That’s not the problem now. The problem now is that if Roy ’s playmates didn’t find what they were looking for, they may think of other people to ask.”
    ”I think I knew that something like this would happen to him. He was such a little boy about life. He really thought he could do anything and not be punished....”
    ”The police think Roy had some drugs he was supposed to distribute. If you have any idea where they are...”
    She almost laughed. ”With the