Vendetta in Death (In Death #49)(44)

“No problem. Lieutenant Dallas. My partner, Detective Peabody.”

“Yes, I know very well. My grandmother’s going to be disappointed she missed you. The Icove Agenda was her favorite vid from last year. She’d hoped to attend the awards, but she hasn’t been well. Please, sit and tell me what— Oh thank God.”

She let out a rusty little laugh as the droid came in with a tray.

“Coffee. Thank you, Ariel, just set it down. I know you both drink coffee, as I’ve seen the vid myself. More than once,” she added as she sat and began to pour the coffee, “since I spend a lot of time with Grand. She contracted pneumonia over the winter, and it’s been a long recovery. She’s still weak and needs considerable rest.”

“I hope she’s fully recovered soon,” Peabody put in. “I admire her work, on all fronts. In fact my own grandmother marched with her at the first Stand Up protest in East Washington. Well, I think it was still D.C. then.”

“Is that right? She’ll be delighted to hear it.” Darla handed Eve black coffee, doctored Peabody’s, then added a splash of cream to her own. “Now. Ariel said you needed to speak to me about an investigation. I have to admit I’m nervous and curious. Am I in some sort of trouble?”

Rather than answer, Eve pushed straight in. “You were married to Thaddeus Pettigrew.”

A quick flicker of what might have been pain, a tightening of the lips. “Yes, I was. We divorced two years ago.”

“Amiably?”

“Not really. Is there truly such a thing as an amiable divorce? We were married eleven years, together for thirteen. Unlucky thirteen, I suppose.”

“He wanted to end the marriage?”

“Yes. It’s an uncomfortable subject for me, Lieutenant, and a private one.” Her mouth, her eyes, her voice all tightened. “I can’t imagine why you’d ask me about it.”

“Mr. Pettigrew’s dead.”

“What?” Darla’s face went blank, as if swiped clean of all expression. “That can’t— What?”

“He was killed in the early hours of this morning. Can you verify your whereabouts between nine last night and four A.M. this morning?”

“I— What?” The coffee cup shook so violently in her hand Peabody reached over to take it from her.

“If you could verify where you were between nine last night and four this morning.”

“Thaddeus.” She pressed both hands over her mouth, began to rock. “Thaddeus. Are you sure? No, no, it’s not possible. It must be a mistake.”

“It’s not a mistake.”

“But how? No, no. How can he be dead?”

“He was murdered.”

Her hands dropped, gripped the edge of the chair seat. “Oh my God. Oh my God. That woman. Was it that woman?”

“What woman?”

“The one he left me for, of course.” She started to push to her feet, swayed, sat again, pale as death. “Marcella Horowitz.”

“Ms. Horowitz was out of town, that’s verified, at the time of his death. I’d like to verify your whereabouts, Ms. Pettigrew.”

“You think I’d hurt him, kill him? I loved him.” Now she pressed a hand to her heart. “Despite everything, I loved him. He’s the love of my life.”

Eyes brimming, she looked up at the portrait. “I’m like Grand that way. We love forever. How did it happen? How did this terrible thing happen to Thaddeus?”

With her eyes steady on that pale face, those shocked eyes, Eve pressed. “Your whereabouts, Ms. Pettigrew.”

“Here. I was here.” Darla fumbled a napkin off the coffee tray, dabbed at her streaming eyes. “I rarely go out. I told you my grandmother isn’t well. I’m her primary caregiver.”

“Was anyone with you?”

“Grand, of course. The day nurse left at five. She’s very pleased with Grand’s progress. We took a short walk yesterday afternoon, then the nurse helped her bathe.

“I can’t think, I just can’t think! Oh, Thaddeus.”

“And after the nurse left,” Eve prompted.

“We had dinner about six, I think. Grand was already tired—she tires so easily. It frustrates her, as she’s always been so active. By around eight, I had her in bed, and we watched a vid. She drifted off watching it, but I sat with her, finished watching it. I went to my own room to read. I keep an intercom by the bed so I can hear her if she’s restless or ill. I checked on her before I went to bed. I think by midnight. I woke about three, I think. I don’t know why. I thought I heard her, but when I went in to check, she was fine. Sleeping. I went back to bed.

“I haven’t been out of the house since we took the walk with Donnalou—the nurse. Thaddeus,” she murmured as those brimming eyes spilled over again. “I just can’t believe it. Did I wake because I sensed … That’s crazy, I know it’s crazy, but I woke and felt something was wrong. I thought it was Grand.

“Thaddeus.”

She pushed to her feet. “I’m sorry, you have to excuse me a moment. I need a moment.” She rushed out of the room.

“Man. This hit her hard.”

“You think?” Eve said, cold and cynical. “You’re married for a chunk of your life to a guy who decides to ditch you for a younger skirt, and takes the bulk of the money from a company you co-own—and maybe, like the divorce, didn’t want to sell. Are you going to still have stars in your eyes over him?”