Faithless in Death (In Death, #52)(17)

“A different century.”

“Yeah, you could say. Gwen and I got involved that summer. She made the moves, only because I was too shy. We’d sneak out at night—that my parents wouldn’t have approved of—and were together. I was just crazy about her. She’s beautiful, and smart, and, well, adventurous, at least back then. So into the second week of my stay, somebody told her parents. At least that’s what I think, what her brother thought.”

“What did they do?”

“They left. Just left. I got a text from her saying we were done. Like: Bitch, we’re over.”

“Nice. Nothing else?”

“No, sir. I tried texting her back, but they didn’t go through. I knew where she lived in the city, where she hung out. I haunted those places for the rest of the summer just to talk to her, to figure out why she dumped me that hard. But I didn’t see her again until right after school started. She went to private school uptown, and I saw her coming out of the building. When she saw me, she, well, basically, she told me to fuck off, stay the hell away from her. I’d ruined her whole summer, but I wasn’t going to ruin her life.

“Broke my heart.”

“How’s it doing now?”

“Oh, it healed up a long time ago. But you don’t forget your first. And you don’t forget when that person turns on you that way. She meant what she said. I’d ruined her summer. That’s all it was to her. All I was. I got over it.”

She blew out another breath. “The thing is, Lieutenant, I know you can look through heart eyes at fifteen, but we had feelings for each other. It wasn’t just sex. But she cut those feelings off. She did the same with her brother. Appearances, in her world—her parents’ world—they’re priority.”

“She wouldn’t be the first to kill to maintain appearances.”

“No, sir, but … she’s more likely to lie. She’s really good at it, or was. I’m betting she’s even better at it now. Practice usually does that. And she knows how to play the victim. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s hard for me to see her picking up a hammer and caving in a skull. That’s, well, that’s messy. She’d use tears, manipulation, charm, lies to get around anything, anyone.”

“Okay, Shelby. This is helpful.”

Shelby rose. “I want to say her brother? He’s a good guy. He took off right after that summer—maybe during it. They cut him off, sir, in every way. Financially—at least according to him—they put blocks on his trust funds. But more than that, they just cut him off, forgot him. He doesn’t exist. Not to them, not to Gwen. There’s a coldness in that. It’s in her, too.”

“Are you going to have a problem if I put any of this into my report?”

“No, sir, Lieutenant, none at all. I’m a cop. Anything I can do to aid your investigation I’ll do. No question, no problem.”

“You’re a solid cop, Shelby. That’s why I brought you into Homicide.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. Can I ask if you’ll keep me apprised of the situation when it’s appropriate?”

“Already planning on it. If you need time to settle—”

“No, sir. I’m fine.”

“Good. Ask Peabody to come in—and if she hasn’t yet sent uniforms to House Royale, Huffman’s residence, to obtain any security feed on staff and service exits, alternate exits, you and Officer Carmichael head uptown and take care of that. See Felicity on the desk.”

“Yes, sir.” When she reached the door, Shelby hesitated, turned back. “Lieutenant, I don’t want to be a suck-up, but I want to say, I’d have related all of this information to any primary investigator or supervisor. But I wouldn’t have been as comfortable doing so with anyone else.

“Thanks for the coffee.”

Eve sat a moment, digesting all of it. Then began to write it up. She continued working when she heard Peabody’s boots clomp in the hallway.

“I started to come back before, but your door was closed.”

“That’s right. Shelby had some information and insight on Huffman.”

“No shit? She knows Huffman?”

“Knew is more accurate. Close the door.”

Intrigued, Peabody closed the door. She contemplated the visitor’s chair, and opted to stand.

“I’m writing it out, but quickly, Shelby and Huffman had a brief but intense romantic relationship when they were teenagers.” Eve stopped, swiveled in her chair. “Huffman’s parents found out—likely from some weasel—and broke it up. The parents are part of Natural Order.”

“Jesus, those people are—”

“Lunatics,” Eve finished. “Bigoted asshole lunatics. The thing is, Shelby sought out Huffman back in New York, and got kicked hard to the curb. Meanwhile Huffman’s brother was and is friendly with Shelby’s. They stay in touch. Huffman not only kicked Shelby, but, along with her parents, cut off the brother.”

“Cold.”

“Cold’s one word for it. Shelby’s take is while she doesn’t see Huffman as violent, she is—confirming my take—an inveterate liar, manipulative, a status seeker. I’m adding to that. This is a woman without loyalty or genuine emotion. I’m going to share all this with Mira, get her opinion.”