Shattered (Michael Bennett #14)(37)

Our bench was next to a running trail. I felt a pang of guilt every time a runner darted past us. Each giant bite of the gyro seemed to calm me down.

I said, “Harry Grissom told me to come home.”

“Will you listen?”

I cocked my head at her and said, “What do you think?”

Roberta started to speak in a stream of consciousness. She said, “I wonder if there are politics involved. Are agencies guarding their turf? Even though the kid from the FBI is working with you, is he telling the truth? Is that why the DC cops talked to you? I wonder if you’re close to something.”

I said, “I don’t feel like I’ve gotten far.”

“Compared to what? You’re used to working mostly drive-by shootings. You can solve those with a few interviews. This one might take some time. There’re just too many factors. Hell, for all we know, Emily Parker’s murder could be random.”

I liked this sort of spitballing. It helped me form my own ideas. But when Roberta suggested Emily’s murder might be random, I said, “What about Michelle Luna’s death? They were in the same social circles. They died by similar methods.”

Roberta said, “What angle are you looking at? You think it could be a lover? If you think someone’s going to let you talk directly to the justice, you’re crazy.”

“I don’t know why this investigation feels so different to me.”

Roberta said, “I know why. I can’t believe you don’t see it. You’re used to working cases in New York. No matter how bad a serial case can be or how bloody a domestic murder is, you still go home to the kids and Mary Catherine every night. I think you’re overwhelmed. You don’t get to take a break. All you hear is information about Emily’s murder all day and all night.”

I just stared at my friend. “Oh, my God, I think you’re right.”

“You, of all people, need your family. You’re a classic ‘family man.’ Don’t try to run from it. Embrace it.”

I swallowed the last of my gyro. “Thanks,” I said. “You always seem to know what’s bothering me.”





Chapter 47



I didn’t drive to my hotel. My recent experiences told me nothing good happened at that place. I’d had to talk to people I didn’t want to. I’d even had a scuffle with someone. And everyone seemed to know the address.

Instead, just a few minutes after I left Roberta, I found myself headed north. North on I-95. The only slowdown I hit on my four-hour trip to New York City was in Philadelphia. And it wasn’t too bad.

It didn’t matter how rough the trip was. It would be worth it when I saw the faces of my wife and kids as I stepped through the door. It was a risk. I might catch them on a night when everyone was out. Or I might catch everyone in a bad mood. It didn’t matter to me. I just needed my family. Even if it was for only a single night.

The first face I saw as I stepped through the door was Juliana’s. She was working on the dining room table, frantically writing on a legal pad as she paged through books spilling all across the width of the table. I stood in the doorway and stared at my beautiful oldest daughter.

She had the tip of her tongue stuck out the left side of her mouth. A sure sign of concentration since she was a little kid. She turned her head to see who’d opened the front door but not come through the dining room yet. That’s when I saw the grin spread across her face. I didn’t know what was more stunning: the dimples from her smile or the white, perfect teeth giving me faith she’d make it as an actress one day.

She was on her feet and running to me as she squealed, “Dad.”

That brought a chain of responses throughout the house. I could hear Mary Catherine asking what the commotion was about as she marched toward the front door.

Juliana literally leapt into my arms. She hadn’t done that since she was a little girl. Instantly, I realized I’d made the right decision to come home.

Then I was hit by guided missile after guided missile. Chrissy, Shawna, and Fiona would’ve made good linebackers the way they hit me and held on.

My world seemed to freeze as I saw Mary Catherine. She was wearing jeans and a T-shirt and looked like she’d been helping Fiona craft. Sparkles and some glue globs clung to her fingers. A blue ribbon was stuck to her leg, but I wasn’t going to mention it. I just stared at her beautiful face. Her blond hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. Her blue eyes opened wide as she saw me.

The kids made way, and she came right at me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and planted a big kiss on my lips. Big enough for a couple of the younger kids to turn away in disgust. To me, the kiss was just right.

When Mary Catherine stepped back, she said, “Where’s your bag?”

That’s when I had to level with her. “I’m only home for a visit.” It hurt to see the kids’ smiles drop almost immediately. I thought Chrissy was going to cry.

I looked to soften the blow. “I just missed you guys so much that, after lunch, I couldn’t go back to my hotel. Once I got on I-95, I didn’t even think about turning back.”

Brian and Ricky wandered in from the living room. Their greeting was much more restrained. “Hey, Dad.” They both gave me a quick hug. But the others were still staring at me like they deserved an explanation.