Delusion in Death (In Death #35)(83)

“Mrs. Cattery.” Peabody reached out, laid a hand on Elaine’s. “You can’t think that, or wonder that.”

“That’s what my mother says, and still … I’m pregnant.” On a choked sob, Elaine pressed her fingers to her lips. “I found out, confirmed, while I was at Mom’s. We weren’t trying, weren’t not trying. We said we were finished, then we both got this itch. Let’s just see what happens, that’s what Joe said. I never got the chance to tell him. I wanted to tell him when I got home, but it was too late. I don’t know what to do now. I can’t think of what I’m going to do.”

“I’m sorry,” Peabody murmured. “I’m so sorry for your loss. We’re going to do everything we can to find the person responsible.”

“Will it help? My brother, he’s so angry, and he’s so sure when you find who did this, put them away, it’ll help. But Joe still won’t be here. He won’t watch his children grow up. He won’t see this one born. So I don’t know if it’ll help.”

“It will,” Eve assured her. “Maybe not right away, but it will.

You’ll know the person who did this won’t ever be able to hurt anyone again. He won’t ever take another father from his children.”

“Joe never hurt anyone. He’s such a sweet man, so easygoing. Sometimes too easy, that’s what I’d tell him. He never pushed at work, and the kids could always twist him around their fingers. He never hurt anyone.”

“He was up for a promotion.”

“Was he?” The faintest of smiles touched her lips. “He didn’t tell me.”

“He may not have known, but it was in his file. He put a lot of work into this last campaign.”

“Yes, he did. The whole team did.”

“You know the people he worked with.”

“Yes. Nancy—Nancy Weaver, his boss—she’s been by. She’s been wonderful. Steve and Lew, they both contacted me. Steve sent food. This huge ham with bread and … things. For sandwiches.”

“And I wish you’d eat a little more of it.” Dana came in with a tray, set it down.

“I will. I promise.” Elaine took her mother’s hand, drew her down.

“Sometimes when people work so closely together, on an important project, there’s conflict,” Eve began. “Was there any conflict within the team?”

“It’s hard to fight with Joe,” Elaine said while her mother poured out the tea. “He loves his job, and he’s good at it. He likes being part of a team.”

“Was he aware Vann and Weaver had an affair?”

Again, that faint smile. “Joe’s a quiet man, and quiet types see things. He knew.”

“Did it bother him?”

“No. It bothered me, some. I thought—said—how Steve covered all the bets. Family and sex, but Joe just laughed it off. And Steve did good work. He loves his boy. I guess that goes a long way with me—and with Joe. When a father loves his son, and it shows.”

“That leaves Callaway.”

“Lew?” Elaine curled up her legs, pretended to drink her tea. “Another quiet type, but not as naturally outgoing or easygoing as Joe. Joe used to say Lew had to work at the grip and grin. He did better with ideas—big pictures. Joe liked to fiddle and finesse, dig in. I’d get annoyed sometimes when Joe worked out Lew’s concepts, spent all the time to bring them in line, if you understand me. And most of the time, he wouldn’t take credit for it. But I guess people noticed anyway. He was up for a promotion, Mom.”

“Nobody deserved it more.”

“So he never complained to you about his coworkers?”

“Well, he’s not a saint. He’d gripe now and then, in his Joe way. Steve took another two-hour lunch, or left early for a hot date. Lew’s on the broody train again.”

“Broody train?”

“Joe’s expression. Lew’d get moody—kind of sulk, I guess, when his ideas got shot down or re-imagined. Stuff like that rolls off Joe’s back, but I guess it stuck to Lew’s.”

“Did you know Carly Fisher?”

“Not really. I met her, and I know Joe thought she was bright, and had a strong future. I hated hearing she’d been killed. She was Nancy’s favorite.”

“Was she?”

“Absolutely. I think Nancy saw a lot of herself in Carly. Joe said he was looking at his next boss.”

“It didn’t bother him?”

“Not Joe. He didn’t want to be the boss. He wanted to be one of the team. That’s what he was good at.”

After they’d left Elaine with her mother, Eve stood out in the wind for a moment. “What did we learn?” she asked Peabody.

“That Joe Cattery was a nice guy who enjoyed his work. His wife loved him, and they’d built a nice life here.”

“And other than the eulogy?”

“But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Nice guy with a nice life. Not the big idea guy, not the driven guy, the flashy guy. But the nice guy who’s working his way up because he likes his work and he’s good at it, because he’s a team player by nature. He’s willing to help, to take the extra step without making a big deal out of it. And apparently the brass noticed. So he got the juicy bonus, and would’ve been promoted. Then there’s Callaway. He’s got the big ideas. He’s driven. He’s no team player but he pretends to be. Everybody’s always f**king with his concepts, nudging him aside so somebody else can slide by him on the way up. So he sulks and the brass notices.”