Origin in Death (In Death #21)(43)

"Ah ... Will and myself, of course. His father-his father did. The domestics."

"Anyone else?"

"No. Will was very cautious about security. We changed the codes every few weeks. A bother," she said with the barest hint of a smile. "I'm not very good with numbers."

"How was your marriage, Mrs. Icove?"

"How was my marriage?"

"Any problems? Friction? Was your husband faithful?"

"Of course he was faithful." Avril turned her head away. "What a terrible thing to ask."

"Whoever killed your husband was either let into the house or knew the codes. A man, under stress, might send his wife and children out of town for a day or two in order to spend time with a lover."

"I was his only lover." Avril's voice dropped to a whisper. "I was what he wanted. He was devoted. A loving husband and father, a dedicated doctor. He would never hurt me or the children. He would never stain our marriage with infidelity."

"I'm sorry. I know this is difficult."

"It doesn't seem real. It doesn't seem possible. Is there something I should do now? I don't know what I should do."

"We'll need to take your husband's body in, for examination."

Avril winced at that. "Autopsy."

"Yes."

"I know you have to. I don't like the thought of it, of what will happen. One of the reasons we rarely discussed Will's work was because I don't like the thought of the ... the cutting and lasering."

"Squeamish? A doctor's wife-and a woman who likes crime drama."

There was a hesitation before that ghost of a smile. "I guess I like the end results, but could do without the blood. Do I have to sign anything ?"

"No. Not now. Is there anyone you'd like us to call for you? Anyone you'd want to contact?"

"No. There's no one. I have to get back to my children." Her hands came out of her lap, pressed to her lips as they trembled. "My babies. I have to tell my babies. I have to take care of them. How will I ever explain?"

"Do you want a grief counselor?"

Avril hesitated again, then shook her head. "No, not now. I think

they'll need me. Just me, for now. Me, and time. I have to go to my children."

"I'll arrange to have you escorted back." Eve got to her feet. "I'm gong to need you to stay available, Mrs. Icove."

"Of course. Of course I will. We'll stay in the Hamptons tonight. Away from the city. Away from this. The media, they won't leave us alone, but it'll be better there. I don't want the children exposed. Will

would want me to shield the children."

"Do you need anything from here?"

"No. We have all we need."

Eve watched her go, drive away in the sedan, this time with a police escort.

When she was satisfied with her on-site, Eve gestured to Peabody. "My home office is closer. I'm going to write the report from there, and arrange for your transport home."

''You want me with you?"

''For the moment." She headed out to her car, handing Peabody the record of her interview with Avril Icove. "Listen to it, then give me your impressions."

"Sure."

Peabody settled into the car, switching the replay on as Eve drove.

Eve drove through her own gates, listening to Avril's voice, her own questions.

"Shaky," Peabody said. "Teary, but holding up."

"What's missing?"

"She never asked how he died."

"Never asked how, never asked where or why or who. And never asked to see him."

"Which is strange, I grant you. But shock can make for strange."

"What's the number-one question a shocked family member asks when informed?"

"Number one's probably: Are you sure?"

"She never asks, never insists on proof. She starts off with the 'Was there an accident?' routine, fumbles around to find her balance. Okay on that. She was shaking when I took her in, that works, too. But she never asks how he died."

"Because she knew? That's reaching, Dallas."

"Maybe. She never asked how we got in-how we found him. Never said: 'Oh God, was there a break-in, a burglary?' Never asked it he went out and got himself mugged. I never told her he was killed in the house. But if you watch her face on the record, she looked through the doorway toward the stairs going up several times. She knew he was dead up there. I didn't have to tell her."

"We can verify whether or not she was where she said she was during the time frame."

"She'll have been there. She had that pat. She'll be alibied tight. But she's in this somewhere."

They sat in front of the house, Eve frowning through the windshield.

"Maybe he was catting around on her," Peabody suggested. "She uses what happened to his father as inspiration, and gets somebody to off him. Maybe she was doing the catting, and figured she could lap up more cream with him dead. Gets her lover the security code, clears his voice print prior. He sticks the husband, mimicking the MO from the first murder."

"Where'd the tray of fruit and cheese come from?"