City of the Dead (Alex Delaware, #37)(67)

“And…”

“She came back smiling and said, ‘Good job, guys. I’ll take you home.’?”

Rodney said, “She did.”

Renny said, “We didn’t sleep and we both had to pee all night.”

“All night a lot,” said Rodney. “And we didn’t even protein-load that much.”

“It was a light-protein day and we still peed crazy,” said Renny. “Maybe our kidneys got scared.”

Milo said, “Feeling okay, now?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.”

“That’s great. I gotta tell you guys, you’ve been really helpful. And if you keep being helpful, we should be able to help you. Okay?”

Twin nods.

“In order to help you, I’m gonna need you to tell your story again over at the police station. Do you think you can do that?”

They looked at each other.

Rodney said, “How do we get there?”

“We’ll drive you—Moses Reed will drive you.”

“Okay.”

“Before that, while we wait, I’ma read you something, okay? Maybe you’ve seen it on TV. Don’t be scared it’s just something I need to read to you so I know you understand.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Here goes, then. You have the right to remain silent…”





CHAPTER


    30


Reed showed up ten minutes later with Alicia. Moments later, a black-and-white screeched up and four officers got out.

Again, I was left with the Tabash twins as Milo went outside and conferred. The Miranda warning had caused the brothers no anxiety. Maybe it was being left on the couch unshackled. Or maybe they didn’t get it.

I said, “Some day, huh?”

That seemed to puzzle them. I was still figuring out what to follow up with when Moe Reed came in.

Four eyes lit up.

“Hey, guys.” Reed mimed an overhead press.

The twins giggled.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Reed said, “My boss—the lieutenant—said you’ve been super-helpful. Thanks a ton, guys. If you’re ready, I’ll drive you back to the station.”

“Okay.” Renny made it sound like a question. “What will happen there?”

“I’ll get you guys something to drink and eat and you can tell the same story you told the lieutenant. Ready?”

Rodney said, “Guess.”

The twins exchanged glances and got to their feet. The couch sighed in relief and rose several inches.

Moe stood back and allowed them to pass, then said, “The blue car,” and led them to an aqua sedan, not his usual ride.

A pair of monumentally powerful suspects. At worst, accessory before the fact. At best, conspiracy to commit murder. Despite that, no cuffs. Sometimes you need to be creative.

I wondered if some defense attorney might seize upon that. Is that your usual method, Detective? No? Then obviously, you didn’t regard them as true suspects?

I found myself mapping additional strategy for the twins. Wondering how they’d score on an IQ test, a neuropsych exam…

Moe reached the blue car first and held the rear door as the Tabashes wedged themselves in. When he opened the driver’s door, a dome light went on and I saw the steel mesh partition isolating the back of the car.

Creative but not stupid.

As Reed drove away, Milo opened the door to the Impala, said something, waited, reached in and drew Lisette Montag out with effort.

No struggle; she’d switched to passive resistance, closing her eyes and going limp and making him work.

Not for long. A couple of uniforms, both females, hurried over and took charge. Carrying Montag with ease as her white hair streamed like cotton candy.

Unceremoniously sliding her in back of their cruiser and belting her in. Milo dismissed the second black-and-white and returned to the house.

I was outside, checking messages.

He closed the pink house’s door and said, “Let’s go.”

I said, “No search?”

“No paper, John says better to wait in case the twins retract or my afterthought Miranda causes problems. Spoke to Sean and by luck Montag has the same carrier as Hoffgarden so he’s got a contact to fast-track her calls.”

“She say anything?”

“Fuck you, pig. I want a lawyer. Then some really mean stuff. Then she tried to bite me, failed but succeeded with another nice load of spit.” Fingering a spot on his right cheek.

I said, “Anti-police brutality.”

He laughed all the way to the Impala. Stopped and a look back at Montag’s house and shook his head. “Talk about weird. I go in prepared to be subtle, find the behemoths right there and they can’t wait to express themselves. Would you call them developmentally challenged? Or whatever the acceptable term is now.”

I said, “Probably borderline but they’re still eyewitnesses with a detailed account. You just got a gift, my friend.”

He said, “Yeah, but assembly required.”





CHAPTER


    31


Assembly took the better part of that evening and the following day. Lots of moving parts.