Lisa Jackson's Bentz And Montoya Bundle Part 130

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I have no idea where those might be. You could check with the Archdiocese, of course, and go through whatever we have here, but the hospital has been closed for so many years, I'm not certain those records still exist." She blinked several times then anxiously touched the crucifix dangling from her neck. "They must, of course. I'll search for them."

"An officer will be a.s.signed to help you," Bentz said, and the little nun's eyebrows raised over her rimless gla.s.ses. Though it was un-stated, she knew that Bentz was doggedly pursuing evidence, that he trusted no one, not even a woman who had pledged her life to the Lord forty years earlier.

They questioned everyone and found out little while the crime-scene techs vacuumed, photographed, videographed, and dusted the scene. As Bentz and Montoya left, the techs were still searching the grounds for trace evidence. So far no one had discovered how the killer had breached the walls of the inst.i.tution. The gates had been locked, as they had been for the past few years, and the perimeter appeared undisturbed.

Bentz glanced up at the walls. They were certainly not impossible to scale, especially with the use of a ladder, but they'd found no impressions in the mud to indicate that a ladder had been used, nor had they yet discovered any boot-or shoe print. But it was still early.

The killer couldn't be so lucky.

Not all the time.

Sooner or later, he'd slip up.

Bentz only hoped it happened before another person was butchered.

"For Christ's sake, Eve! What the h.e.l.l is he doing here?" Kyle demanded, eyeing Cole as if he were Satan incarnate.

"I was invited," Cole said, though Eve knew that was a bit of a stretch. "What about you?" He'd made it clear to her more than once that he'd never much cared for either of her brothers. Obviously, he didn't see any reason to be polite now.

"We're here because of our father," Van said as he tossed his cigarette over the railing to sizzle in the dewy gra.s.s. He was shorter and fairer than Kyle, his hair straight and dirty blond while Kyle's was thick and the color of dark coffee. Both of them had inherited the same icy blue eyes of their father, or so Melody Renner had claimed, though Eve had never so much as seen a photograph of the man.

"But this is the guy you accused of murdering Kajak, and now you're what-?" Kyle ranted. "Sleeping with him? Are you out of your f.u.c.kin' mind?"

"Let's not get into it out here," Eve said calmly, stepping out of the doorway to allow her brothers inside. "And keep it clean, would you, Kyle? I have neighbors."

"For the past three months you claimed that this guy murdered Kajak and tried to kill you!"

"I was wrong." She slammed the door shut and tried counting to calm down.

"Just like that?" Kyle snapped his fingers while Van looked like he wanted to melt into the floor and disappear. "This is f.u.c.king unbelievable."

"She said to clean it up," Cole said, bristling, the muscles on the back of his neck rigid.

"So the minute you're out of my sight, you hook up with this...this killer killer and lay on your back for him. What kind of weird fantasy are you having now?" and lay on your back for him. What kind of weird fantasy are you having now?"

"You'd better leave," Cole bit out, eyes narrowing, the sizzle of a fight in the air.

"Take your own advice," Kyle said, his face red, his nostrils flared. He jabbed a finger at the floor. "This was our grandmother's house, man. You have nothin' going on here!"

"Enough!" Eve stepped between them. "I think we've heard and seen way more testosterone this morning than we want to." She looked from Kyle to Cole. "Both of you, just back off and take it down a notch or two."

Kyle muttered tersely, "Don't be an idiot, Eve. He's playing you."

Every muscle in Cole's body flexed, but his voice was cool, the detached counselor, when he said, "If anyone's playing anyone, Renner, I figure it must be you. Why are you here now? Because of your old man? Don't forget, I represented him. I know how close you were. You two boys just rolled into town to pick over his corpse."

"That's not the way it is!" Van sputtered, but he was nervous, and when Cole focused on him, Van looked away.

"So, let's start over," Eve suggested. "And be civil about it."

No one said a word for a few seconds. Eve's brothers eyed the foyer, parlor, and staircase as if they'd never been inside Nana's old house before. As she shepherded them toward the kitchen, Kyle ran a finger along the top of the hallway wainscoting and Van stared at the pictures, light fixtures, rugs, and furniture as if he were doing a mental tabulation of what it was all worth.

"Nice place," Van observed, clearly trying to defuse the situation.

Grateful that the fight had abated, Eve realized it had been years since either of them had set a foot on the ancient floorboards. "We just finished breakfast, but there's coffee and toast," she offered.

Cole led the way and somehow managed to scoop up Faith Chastain's file and place it under a stack of three-month-old magazines.

"Don't bother," Kyle said as she reached for cups in the cupboard. He wiggled a finger at her arm in its sling, as if he finally noticed she might be hurt. "What happened?"

"I fell."

Van glanced at Cole. "Yeah?"

"Over my own two feet," she said tightly. "A real klutz move, but I can still make and pour coffee."

"I'm okay," Kyle said.

"Me too. Coffeed out." Van nodded. "We're here about Dad. To see if you need any help with the funeral or the estate."

"To be honest, I haven't thought of either yet. The police still haven't released Dad's body."

"How long does that take?"

"Depends. On a lot of things." Cole picked up an apple from the basket, pa.s.sing it between both hands, a release of tension. "You can request it, but until the police have all the information and tests they need, you'll have to wait." He tossed the apple upward and, without watching it, caught it one-handed. "In a hurry?"

"No need to drag it out." Kyle reached into his pocket for his cigarettes, shook one out, and jabbed it between his lips. He found his lighter in the same pocket and was about to light up when he caught Eve's discouraging gaze.

"Oh for the love of G.o.d, Eve, you won't let me smoke? After all the time you stayed at my place?"

"Outside." She tossed him the phone. "And call your wife while you're at it. She's half out of her mind with worry about you."

"Half out of her mind is about right. That woman!" But he took the phone.

"Call her cell. She's on her way down here."

"Oh fu-!" Sending her a dark glance, he hauled the phone and his cigarettes outside.

As the door closed behind him, Van said, "Listen, Eve, I'm sorry I didn't come and see you more often, you know, while you were recuperating, but I was busy and...well, I know that isn't much of an excuse, but you know I've never really caught a break." His lips compressed. "Not one d.a.m.ned break. I've just been trying to make ends meet. h.e.l.l, I even moved to Arizona because an old army buddy of mine said things were booming out there."

"Not so?" she asked while Cole stood near the window, where he could watch Kyle outside.

"More like a bust. I was about to pull up stakes anyway. I'd already called Kyle."

"He never said anything."

"I don't think he wanted to worry you or Anna."

Bull, Eve thought but held her tongue.

Van ran a hand through his hair. "So the thing of it is, I'm..."

"Broke," Cole guessed.

Van nodded, glanced through the window, and frowned. "So the faster we could wrap up Dad's estate, you know, the better it would be for me. For Kyle. h.e.l.l, for you too."

"I'm not the executor, Van. At least I don't think so."

"You don't have a copy of the will?"

She shook her head.

"Then it must be at his house." Van brightened at the prospect.

"The farm is a crime scene. I'm not sure the police have released it yet."

"Jesus, how long does it take?"

"A lot longer than on television," Cole said.

"So how do we find out about the money? He was loaded."

"I don't know anything about it," she admitted.

"But someone must," Van insisted. "I could really use the money."

"Who says you're ent.i.tled to any?" Cole asked. "Terrence might have left everything to charity, for all you know."

"Nah. He couldn't. He wouldn't." Van seemed almost frantic. He shoved his long hair from his eyes. "Look, Eve, we have to get this settled."

"We will, when we get into his house and find the will."

Cole pushed away from the window. "Check with Guy Perrine at O'Black, Sullivan and Kravitz. I'm not sure, but Terrence might have worked with him. You'll be better off not mentioning my name. I'm still persona non grata down there."

"And if this person, this Guy, doesn't have the will?"

Cole's cool gaze met Van's anxious one. "Then I guess you're s.h.i.t out of luck."

"Let's not go there," Eve said as Kyle pushed the door open so hard it banged against the wall.

"She's on her way," he said, glowering at Eve as if all his marital problems were her fault. "And she's really freaked out about the nun."

"The nun?" Eve asked blankly.

"The Reverend Mother at Our Lady of Virtues."

"Sister Rebecca?" Eve's knees threatened to give out as she read the message in Kyle's eyes. Something horrible had happened.

Kyle nodded. "That's the one. Anna Maria says it's all over the news. Guess she was killed last night."

CHAPTER 23.

Bentz was walking with Montoya toward the cruiser when his cell phone rang. Caller ID showed that Eve Renner was on the other end of the line.

For the first time all morning, he picked up. "Bentz."

"This is Eve Renner. I just heard the news about Sister Rebecca. He's struck again, hasn't he?"

"I can't discuss the case, Ms. Renner, but I can confirm there's been a homicide."

"The news people have identified the victim as the Mother Superior," Eve went on, and Bentz wondered who had already leaked that information. "I know...you know it's the same guy. I want to help. I, uh, found something I think you need to see."

"What?"

"I think you'd better see for yourself.'"

Bentz didn't like the game-playing. "Okay, where?"

"At the hospital."

"What hospital?" he asked, but he felt a chill run through his blood as he understood.

"Our Lady of Virtues."

"I'm already at the campus."

"Then open the hospital main gate, and I'll be there in half an hour or so."

"Can't you just tell me what this is all about?" Bentz demanded testily.

"It's complicated, and you'll want to see it for yourself."

Her voice was firm, but there was a drip of fear in it. "Believe me, this is important. I also have something you'll want. Something I took from there," she said. "Faith Chastain's medical history."

"What!"

She hung up. Just like that.

"Son of a b.i.t.c.h!"