Loyalty in Death (In Death #9)(105)

When she’d seen him smile for the first time, Mavis had sensed victory. She’d drawn him into talking about his work. She didn’t understand a damn thing, but she’d made interested noises and kept her glowing, copper-colored eyes on his face.

They’d settled into the main parlor in front of the fire Summerset had built in anticipation of her arrival. And when Summerset had brought in the tea and cakes, Zeke had taken a cup out of politeness.

By the time Mavis had charmed, nagged, and bullied the full story out of him, Zeke had gone through two cups of tea and three cakes.

He felt better. Then felt guilty because of it. When he’d been detained at Cop Central, it had seemed he was paying for his crimes, for not completing his ride to Clarissa’s rescue. But here in the beautiful house, with the fire crackling and his body warm from fragrant tea, it was like being rewarded for his sins.

Mavis curled her legs under her and felt as comfortable as the cat who stretched out on the top of the sofa above her. “Dallas said you killed a droid.”

Zeke jolted, set down his tea. “I know, but I don’t see how that’s possible.”

“What did Peabody say?”

“She said — she said it was a mechanical they pulled out of the river, but — “

“Maybe she’s saying that to make you feel better.” Mavis turned her body toward him, nodded with her eyes wide and guileless. “Maybe she’s covering up for you. Oh, and I know! She’s blackmailing Dallas to go along with it so you get away with the whole thing.”

The idea was so absurd, he would have laughed. But he was too shocked to do more than goggle. “Dee would never do that. She couldn’t.”

“Oh.” Mavis pursed her lips into a pout, then moved her shoulders. “Well, I guess she must have told you straight then, huh? I guess it must be like they said, and you knocked over a droid that looked like this Branson guy. Otherwise, Peabody’d be lying and breaking the law.”

He hadn’t put one and one together in quite that way before. Now that Mavis had, he stared down at his hands. Thoughts whirled inside his head. “But if it was a droid… Clarissa. Dallas thinks Clarissa did all this. She has to be wrong.”

“Maybe. She’s hardly ever wrong about this sort of thing though.” Mavis stretched luxuriously, but her eyes stayed sharp on Zeke’s. It was getting through, she thought. Poor guy. “Let’s say Clarissa didn’t know it was a droid. She really thought you’d offed her husband, and then… oh that won’t work.” She furrowed her brow. “I mean, gee, unless they ditched the body, the cops would’ve tagged it as a droid right off. She’s the one who got rid of the body, right?”

“Yes.” It was indeed getting through, and his heart cracked like an egg. “She was… scared.”

“Yeah, well, who wouldn’t be, but if she hadn’t lost the body, it would’ve been all over that same night. Nobody would’ve thought Branson was dead. The cops wouldn’t have wasted all that time and given Branson the lead to get clear and stuff. I guess, hmmm.” She tilted her head. “I guess if Dallas hadn’t figured a droid, they’d never have found the body anyway. Then everybody would think the guy was fish food, and Clarissa had run off because she was so weirded by the whole scene. Wow!”

She sat up as if the idea had just occurred to her. “That means if Dallas hadn’t clicked to it and pushed until she had the proof, they’d have gotten away with it, and you’d still believe you’d killed a guy.”

“Oh God.” It didn’t just get through now. It burst through, ripping out his guts. “What have I done?”

“You didn’t do anything, honey.” Mavis swung her legs off the sofa, leaned forward to lay a hand over his. “They did it all. Danced a number over you. All you did was be who you are. A nice guy who believes the best of people.”

“I have to think.” He got shakily to his feet.

“Sure you do. You want to lie down? They’ve got amazing guest rooms in this place.”

“No, I… I said I’d work on Dallas’s car. That’s what I’ll do. I think better when I’m using my hands.”

“Okay.”

She made him put on his coat, bundled him up, and added a motherly peck on the cheek. Closing the door behind him, she turned, and let out a squeak of surprise when she saw Roarke on the steps.

“You’re a good friend, Mavis.”

“Roarke!” This time she squealed and bounded up the steps. “I got something for you. Dallas said I could.” With this, she threw her arms around him and gave him a hard, noisy kiss.

For a little thing, Roarke mused, she packed a punch. “Thank you.”

“I’m going to tell you about the tour, every second of it. But not now, because Dallas said you’d be busy.”

“Unfortunately, I am.”

“So I thought Leonardo and I could take you guys out to dinner — maybe next week? Sort of celebrate and fill you in and thank you. Thank you, Roarke. You gave me the chance for everything I wanted.”

“You did the job.” He tugged on one of her curls, watched it, with some fascination, spring out and back. “I’d hoped to take Eve to your final show in Memphis. But things got complicated.”