Still watching, he moved closer. His slow advance made the skin on her neck tingle and her stomach do a slow turn. Are your eyes really that color, or do you wear contacts?
Ah. Amused at her overreaction, she allowed a smile to bloom. Theyre mine. Im a throwback to my great-grand-mother Rostov. Mahogany hair and winter-lake eyes, or so my great-grandfather described her in the poems he wrote. He was a terrible poet, but he painted a portrait that I swear could be me. Its a bit spooky, actually.
Winter-lake, huh?
My drivers license says blue. Is anyone here? she called out. She waited a beat, then added, Police.
Returning to the threshold, Jacob glanced down the hall. I could cite you for impersonating an officer, Romana.
I was hoping to attract someones attention. Ohhello.
She spied a man whose whiskers reached halfway down his chest. He was huddled in a lopsided chair, studying her intently. Im Romana Grey. Do you live here?
He completed his head-to-toe scrutiny. You dont look like police.
Well, I am. I was. She pointed to the door. He is. Is there someone in charge we can speak to?
Bevin. The old man watched Jacob leave the door. Hes doing a bed check. Gotta be in by nine. I stay down here to catch the stragglers.
And get a mickey of whiskey for your effort, Jacob said in an undertone. The old man didnt hear him. Romana did and jabbed his ribs.
Do you know a man named Warren Critch? she asked.
Met him once. Dont expect to again. Thisll be the second night his beds been empty.
Broken the terms of his parole already, huh? Somehow, Romana wasnt surprised.
The old man shrugged. He spent Wednesday night here. Had to. But when I saw him leaving with his gear yesterday morning, I said to myself, this ones gonna skip. Sure enough, he did. Bevins mad as a hornet.
Has he reported it?
Dont know. Its a blot on his record, so maybe not. You wanna talk to him, go upstairs, but that pretty face of yoursll only make him madder. The old man showed a set of chipped, brown teeth. The pretty ones never paid Bevin much mind. Stuck in his craw-like losing Critch is gonna do.
Romana turned to Jacob. Im okay with avoiding him. How about you? You and OKeefe can get us the answers we need.
Horses mouth is faster. Jacob gave the door frame a contemplative tap. Five minutes upstairs, and were out of here.
Romana debated but let him go without an argument. Blue Christmas drifted into the room. She perched on the arm of a second chair and removed her gloves finger by finger. Whos the Elvis fan?
A smile split the old mans whiskered face. Pretty lady whos not a cop, have I got a story for you.
ONE ELVIS IMPERSONATOR KNIFED another Elvis impersonator over a woman they were both dating. Didnt mean to kill him, but he was a little drunk, and he had a temper. Evidently, this stabbing took place outside the restaurant where both men worked as singing waiters. Romana had forgotten how weird the world could be from a street cops perspective. It happened right here in Cincinnati, Jacob. How could I have missed it?
The Doran case, was all he said.
She didnt have to think about that name. The guy who went postal six years ago, shot five of his coworkers in the office lunchroom, then went upstairs and killed his boss.
Before finally offing himself.
His coworkers earned more money than he did. Boss was responsible. Bang, bang, everyones dead, and were back to an even beginning.
Or ending.
She ran chilled fingers through her snow-dampened hair. You have an awfully gloomy perspective, Jacob. Still, any way you look at it, media-wise, Dorans crime would take precedence over the death of a drunk Elvis impersonator.
In retrospect, she supposed it might also have taken precedence over the investigation into Belinda Critchs death, which had occurred a mere two weeks later.
Opinion within the department had been divided on the Critch case. Some people believed that Warren Critch had murdered Belinda, others thought one of her lovers had done it. And, of course, an ungracious few had pointed the finger of guilt at Jacob.
Unfortunately, the forensic evidence had been negligible, and the crime scene investigators hadnt done much better.
Throughout the holiday season that year, seven major homicides had been committed. Dorans rampage had been the biggest bloodbath. Media attention had remained focused on him even in the wake of Belinda Critchs death. Naturally, the department had downplayed any suggestion of internal impropriety and, by Valentines Day, interest in her case had dropped to zero.
Romana looked over, but Jacob kept his eyes on the increasingly slick street. He drove one-handed, and with his elbow resting on the door frame, ran the fingers of the other under his lower lip.
Silence stretched out between them. She raised a speculative eyebrow. Are you awake, Detective Knight?
He glanced at her. Sorry. Im used to riding alone.
She couldnt resist. Why no partner?
Im better alone.
It was an answer of sorts, though not an encouraging one. When he reached out to turn up the heater, Romana welcomed the warmth on her face and hands. Im not sitting here comparing you to Doran, you know.
Because youre absolutely certain I didnt murder Belinda Critch.
You said you didnt, and I believe you.
Now he smiled. Bull.
Her temper stirred. If I thought you were guilty, Knight, I wouldnt be here with you now.
Where would you be?
I might be grading papers. But probably not because the first term was over and the second didnt start until January. I might also be having dinner with Sean-or Brendan, or Anthony. With one of my brothers, anyway.
A crease formed between Jacobs eyes. How many brothers do you have?
Six, all older than me. Theyve given me eleven nephews and one niece named Teresa. My oldest brothers an engineer. He and his wife lived in Chile for a while. When they came back, they brought two-year-old Teresa with them. She was an orphan, very sweet, and, because females are rare in our family, completely spoiled.
Are you spoiled, too, Romana?
By my parents and my mothers very Irish parents, yes. By my fathers mother, no. Im Grandma Greys namesake, and shes one tough cookie. She raises thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Shes putting one in the Derby next year. I have a great deal to live up to, in her eyes.
In what way?
Top of the list, Im obliged to bear another namesake. My brother, Brendan, hoping to ease the pressure on me, named his first son Roman, but it didnt work. Grandma Grey wants a girl. She came from a completely male-dominated world, and shes hell-bent on flipping the status quo.
Huh. How did Grandma Grey feel about you becoming a cop?
Oh, she was fine with that. Didnt agree with my college-age marriage, but she helped me get through the divorce and the repercussions of Connors unlawful activities relatively unscathed.
How did your ex come out of it?
The way a Hanson always does, with only a few surface scratches, and a huge family debt, which hell pay for the rest of his life.
You dont sound very sympathetic.
I dont, do I? But Im not as resentful as you might think. She played with the fingers of her white gloves. It seemed like everything came to a head six years ago. Belinda Critch died and her husband tried to kill you. Connors crimes were discovered, the hospital and the police department were simultaneously roasted in the press, I started to realize that being a cop wasnt what I wanted, and on and on and on. Before Critch even went to prison, I realized I couldnt shut off my emotions, and I couldnt push them down far enough on a daily basis to be a really effective officer. So I sat down and thought.
About your marriage or your career?
Both. I shouldnt have married Connor, I knew that almost before the ceremony ended. But I was eighteen, and he was twenty-seven, and our mothers were college roommates, so Ive known him for pretty much my whole life.
And he was charming and handsome, and he swept you off your feet.
This is my fairy tale, Knight. Ill draw the characters.
But he was charming.
To an eighteen-year-old, yes. He was also handsome and insecure and a lot angrier than I realized.
Angry at his family?
Cigars yours, Detective. Getting back on track, I thought about the decisions Id made, both marital and career. I even made a pro/con list. Topping the pro list was the fact that Id graduated from high school at sixteen, so I already had three years of college under my belt when I entered the Academy.
Long story short, after a visit to Grandma Greys Kentucky ranch and a couple of really gruesome CSIs, I decided to go back to school. Now I teach kids rather than arrest them. So you see, it all turned out well in the end.
You like teaching, huh?
Love it. She cocked her head, sent him a grin. As it happens, Im also good at it. When my parents moved to Boston two years ago, my father wanted me to come with them and work there. But I grew up in Cincinnati, five of my brothers are here, and I just plain enjoy the city. End of the Romana Grey story. She let a teasing light enter her eyes. That was a lot to say, Knight, even for me. Now I know youre not a talker, but play fair, and tell me one small thing about your life. Anything will do, even your favorite color.
When he braked for a red light, Jacob regarded a twinkling Christmas logo on the delivery truck ahead. Belinda and I were involved for three months twelve years ago. It ended before she married Critch. The goodbyes were mutual.
Surprised hed taken that direction, Romana offered a casual, Obviously you stayed friends.
We were never friends.
Then why did? She waved a glove. Sorry, not my business.
And thats going to stop you from asking?
I dont pry. Well, not much.
Pryings what we do.
Not on a personal level. Ive always been fastidious about separating my career from my private life. She summoned a sweet smile. What did Critchs parole officer have to say?
His stare seemed to reach right into her head. When amusement tickled her throat, Romana went with it and gave her drying hair a final fluff.
Weapons down, Knight. Were not fighting a duel. This is a third-party threat, directed at both of us. My guess is Critch plans to pull the trigger on the twenty-first.
Dont count on that.