21st Birthday (Women's Murder Club #21)(18)
Lucas’s ramblings made no rational sense, except as a glimpse inside his clearly conflicted mind.
I said, “Back to you, Mr. Burke. We’ve been told that you’re seeing one of your students.”
The photo of the note was on my phone. I found it, showed it to Burke. I read it out loud.
“Dear Misty, I’m in love with you. I promise that I will be free and we will be able to get married by the end of the school year. Love, Luke.”
“Look, it’s a fling. Misty is in my creative writing class. She’s very dramatic and we were playing at elopement. It was stupid of me, but as God is my witness, I had no intention of leaving Tara. Misty knows it wasn’t real. Ask her.”
“I intend to do just that,” I said.
“Tara is a terrible pain in the ass,” he said, “but I still love her.”
Brady said, “I had a bad marriage once, and I understand the pressure you’ve been under. But you have to come clean with us. Maybe something with you and Tara got out of hand. Did she attack you? Come at you with something heavy? Point a gun? Did you have to protect yourself? Is that how it happened? Because if that’s the story, we can help you, Mr. Burke.”
“No. No, no, no.”
Brady said, “Your motherin-law has filed reports against you for abusing Tara. Any truth to that?”
“No, damn it. I was not charged. Tara didn’t accuse me; it was her nutty mother. Tara and I had a fight about money, that’s all. Shouting and door slamming. Both of us. I left her in the kitchen crying and that’s all I know.”
Brady was still standing.
He unhitched a pair of cuffs from a belt loop and told Burke to stand up and put his hands behind his back.
“We’re holding you as a material witness while we check out your story.”
“I don’t get it. You said I could leave,” Burke said, not moving.
“Changed my mind. You have a right to have an attorney,” Brady said, and then continued reading the man his rights. “Do you understand your rights?”
“You’re not charging me, but you’re holding me?”
“You’re a material witness, sir. Last one to see your wife and daughter. We have to verify your story, and as soon as we’re satisfied we’ll either charge you or release you. Hands behind your back.”
Burke looked up at the two of us. He wasn’t a big man, while Brady’s arms are massive and I’m a fit five foot ten. The door was locked. Burke didn’t stand a chance of getting out.
He stood and put his hands behind his back. Brady cuffed him and left me with Burke while he went to get guards to take Burke to holding on the sixth floor.
“This is for your own good, Mr. Burke. If we don’t find evidence of your involvement in murder or kidnapping, you’ll be in the clear. Meanwhile you’ll have a cell of your own. I’d advise you to sleep. Do you have a lawyer?”
“Divorce lawyer, that’s all.”
Interesting. “You want to call him or do you want a —”
“Harold Tish. Number’s on my phone.”
I used Burke’s phone, tapped on Tish’s saved number, and when a receptionist answered, I said that Lucas Burke was calling. When Tish got on the line, I put him on speakerphone and held Burke’s phone up to his face so he could hire his lawyer. When the arrangements were made, Burke was escorted to his cell.
What did all of this boil down to?
We had nothing on Burke. But we had him. And we were just getting started.
CHAPTER 25
RICH CONKLIN AND HIS new partner, Inspector Sonia Alvarez, sat in Brady’s glass office, waiting for him to arrive. Conklin had met her at the elevator a minute later and walked her back to the corner office. He sized her up as they waited together in awkward silence.
He guessed she was mid-thirties, about five six, 130. Looked strong. Had an efficient haircut, no makeup, but her great big eyes made up for it. She wore Dockers and a man-tailored shirt, serious cross-trainers, a necklace with a little charm: horseshoe, presumably for good luck. No other jewelry that he could see. His impression was of a good-looking girl in a tough job with no interest in drawing attention to herself.
Conklin said, “So, Vice, right, Alvarez? Was this sudden? Or you’ve been planning to make a change?”
“Sudden, yah. Chief Clapper calls me Monday and makes me an offer. I mean, took me a couple of days to process, but it’s time to switch things up. I’ve been living in Vegas most of my life. My cousin is putting me up for a while. You like it here?”
“San Francisco? Or SFPD?”
“How about both?”
“God, yeah on both.”
Alvarez said, “Anything you think I should know?”
“I mean, it’s hard and we’ve been stretched for a while, but it’s a clean operation.”
Christ. What was he supposed to tell her? He didn’t know what Clapper had in mind for him. Brady, either. He glimpsed Brady through the glass wall as he strode up the center aisle and came through the open door.
“You two have met. Good.”
Brady closed the door, introduced himself to Alvarez. They shook hands and he told her to sit back down and he’d take her through a four-minute orientation. After that, Conklin would bring her into the loop.