The Last Mile (Amos Decker, #2)(50)

Decker nodded. “I get that. Only I’d feel a lot better if the timing were different.”

The cop nodded in understanding. “Meaning her husband just being executed?”

“Right.”

“You don’t think she committed suicide, do you?”

“By blowing herself up?” said Decker skeptically.

“No, but she could have tried putting her head in the oven or something like that and then it just blew. You said she was a smoker. She could have struck a match for some reason.”

“That’s one theory, but I don’t think it’s the right one.”

Decker left the officer and joined Davenport and Jamison.

“What now?” asked a soaked and visibly irritated Davenport.

“Well, since they’re not finding what caused the explosion, now we talk to the neighbors.”

“Can we at least wait until it stops raining?” asked Davenport.

“You can,” said Decker.

He turned and headed to the nearest house.

Jamison glanced at Davenport. “You coming?”

Davenport stared after Decker, annoyance flitting across her features. “Actually, I think I’ll wait with Melvin. It might be more productive.”

She stalked off toward the car while Jamison hurried after Decker.

*



Folks in six of the duplexes had not noticed the Toyota Avalon. The seventh door was opened by a tiny, bent, white-haired woman, who looked to be close to a hundred. She wore a fuzzy white bathrobe, used a walker, and had to tilt her head back to take in the full scope of the huge Decker. Her glasses were Coke-bottle thick, and Decker was not holding out much hope that she would be able to tell them anything.

She invited them in, looking excited, because, as she said, “a G-man” was here to talk to her.

“And G-lady,” she said, nodding and smiling at Jamison as they settled into chairs around a small, battered coffee table. “I guess even the FBI has learned that the women can get things done better than the men.”

“Guess so,” said Jamison with an impish look at Decker.

“My name is Patricia Bray, but you can call me Patti. All my family and friends do—well, they did when they were alive. I’m really the only one left now. The last of nine siblings.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Patti,” said Jamison.

A fat tabby jumped up into Bray’s lap and the old woman stroked it. “But I’m not alone. This here is Teddy. He’s sixteen, and it’s anyone’s guess who’ll outlive the other.”

Decker said, “You heard what happened to your neighbor?”

Bray nodded, her lips curling into a frown. “I knew Regina. What a life that woman had. But I heard Tommy is okay, thank the Lord. He’s a nice young man. He’s helped me around the house lots of times. I watched him grow up. They moved here when that husband of hers was transferred to the prison down the road.”

“We know.”

“They just electrocuted him,” added Bray. “And now this.” She started. “My goodness, that means Tommy’s an orphan. Who’s going to look after him? He’s still in high school.”

“They’re working on that right now,” said Decker. “He’s staying with his football coach for the time being.”

“Oh, that’s very nice. He’s a good football player. Regina would go on and on about him. Very proud momma.”

“So you two spoke a lot?” asked Decker.

“Oh yes. I used to bake and I’d bring things around. Now I’m too old for that, so Regina would do shopping for me, help around the house some. She’d send Tommy over to do things too. Nicest woman in the world.”

Decker glanced a bit guiltily at Jamison. “I didn’t know that about her.”

“Oh yes. She’s had a hard life, like I said. But lately she seemed happier. I mean, it might have been because she could see the light at the end of the tunnel. What with her husband and all. And then she had Tommy in her life. I think that’s what she was clinging to. Seeing him get into a good college. Being there for him.”

“Did she tell you about her plans for the future?” asked Jamison.

“Oh, sure. She was going to be moving from here, which made me sad in one respect. But she has her life to lead and I don’t have all that much life left. She was going to follow Tommy to college. I mean, she wasn’t going to attend college, but live nearby. Look after him, you know. He was all she had.”

“Did she say how she was going to manage that financially?” asked Decker.

“She said there was some insurance money. So I guess that husband of hers was good for something.”

“Did you see anything last night that looked suspicious?” asked Decker.

“Suspicious? I thought it was a gas explosion.”

“The police are still investigating. At this stage they have to explore every possibility.”

“Oh, sure, I see. Well, I went to bed early. Something didn’t agree with me that I ate apparently. Next thing I know I hear what I thought was a bomb going off. I pulled on my robe and got to the front door and…” Her voice trailed off and the hand she was stroking Teddy with began to shake.

Jamison swiftly put her hand on top of Bray’s. “It’s okay. You don’t have go into that. We know what happened.”