Sibs. Part 30

Yesterday had not been the best of days. Kara had swung between depression and anxious agitation. But he had enjoyed being with Jill. The kid was a joy. Plus having her along had forced Kara to keep it light most of the time.

Rob dragged them around on a tour of his personal favorite sights in Manhattan, from the New York Yacht Club on 44th Street with its second-story windows that looked like the stems of Spanish galleons, then to the Dakota, then for a ride on the Roosevelt Island cable tramway, and finally to the top of the Chrysler Building. Kara seemed to perk up a little, but whenever Jill was out of earshot, Kara had rambled on about strange dreams, and Gates being there. Rob was beginning to worry about her mental stability.

Maybe today would be better.

"What's the beef?" Rob said to Manetti.

"This Bannion case-it's turning into a pretzel."

Manetti dropped into the chair next to Rob's desk. He was a compact, well muscled man with jet black hair, fashionably short on top and sides, and long in the back. He and Rob had come up about the same time arid often worked together.

Rob said, "The unknown prints from the Plaza and the electric bill match Bannion's, right?"

"Right. That was a d.a.m.n good guess."

"A deduction, my dear Augie. A deduction."

"No s.h.i.t, Sherlock. But I went you one better. I had the M.E. take a bite impression from Bannion. And guess where it found a perfect match?"

"Kelly Wade's shoulder!"

"Riiiiight!"

Manetti held out a hand, palm up. Rob slapped it.

"That's better than prints!" Rob said.

"You know it. The prints don't say when he was there. But the bite match says he was with Kelly Wade at the very end. And I expect the DNA match on the s.e.m.e.n to show he was in in her as well!" her as well!"

Rob wondered how Kara would take that. Not well, he figured.

"Nice work."

"Found the murder weapon, too. One of the kitchen knives. Traces of Bannion's blood in the groove between the handle and the blade. No prints on it, though."

"Still, it sounds like you had yourself a pretty good Sunday, Augie."

"Up to a point. Then things get screwy. I mean, Bannion writes the name of Kelly's psychiatrist in his own blood on the floor. But nowhere in the place is there a single print that belongs to this Dr. Gates."

"d.a.m.n. Probably wore gloves."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Because you know whose prints the place is lousy with?"

"I can hardly wait to hear."

"The other Wade girl. Kelly's twin. What's her name-Kara?"

Rob froze. He stared at Manetti. He wasn't kidding. Why would he? He didn't know of Rob's past history with Kara-or of his continuing interest.

"Christ!" Rob said.

"My sentiments exactly! See what I mean about screwy? We got a dead guy named Bannion we can link to the death of Kelly Wade, maybe not as her killer, if indeed she was killed, but right there on top of the scene of her death-and right there on top of her, as well, if you know what I mean and I think you do. And we can put Kelly Wade's twin sister at the scene of this Bannion guy's death. But whose name does Bannion write on the floor in his own blood? The psychiatrist who was treating Kelly Wade!"

"You want another twist in your pretzel?" Rob said, still 'numb from the news that Kara had been in Bannion's apartment.

"Sure. Why not? Hit me."

"Dr. Gates is Kara Wade's psychiatrist, too."

"No s.h.i.t!" Manetti clapped his hands and laughed. "I'm gonna have to write a book about this one!"

A book, Rob thought. Kara was writing a book. He hoped she wouldn't have to finish it in jail.

"So!" Manetti said. "What do we do now? Pick up the twin?"

Rob stopped himself from shouting No No! But it wasn't easy. He forced himself to lean back in the chair and look as if he were seriously considering the suggestion. He had to buy Kara some time. She hadn't killed Bannion. He was sure of that.

At least he thought he was sure.

"Not yet. If her prints were on the knife or if Bannion had written her her name on the floor, we'd have her all but sentenced. But they're not and he didn't. He wrote 'Gates.' So I'm going to look into Gates. In the meantime, why don't you run a background check on Kara Wade." name on the floor, we'd have her all but sentenced. But they're not and he didn't. He wrote 'Gates.' So I'm going to look into Gates. In the meantime, why don't you run a background check on Kara Wade."

That ought to buy us a couple of days.

"Will do."

Manetti headed for his desk while Rob sat and brooded at his own. He was faced with unanswerable questions.

But what would he do when the time ran out? And how could he tell Kara she was at Bannion's place without sending her off the deep end?

The only way he knew how: Come right out and say it.

1:30 P.M.

"Maybe I was was there, Rob," Kara said. there, Rob," Kara said.

She was surprised at how calm she felt. But after all, she had been antic.i.p.ating this moment all day. Memories of the other night's dream had prepared her for it.

"You were there, Kara," Rob said. "Fingerprints don't lie."

She nodded, echoing him. "Fingerprints don't lie."

"But another thing they don't do is tell us when when you were there." you were there."

"It was probably Sat.u.r.day morning. But just my body body was there. was there. I I wasn't." wasn't."

"You mean... Janine."

She didn't answer him. They were sitting twelve stories up in the front window of Ellen's co-op, overlooking East 46th Street. They were alone in the living room for the moment. Ellen was out at a luncheon. Jill was in the kitchen helping the cook with a batch of tollhouse cookies. Kara looked down at the snarled traffic below as she debated whether or not to tell Rob what she had come to believe. It was so incredible, so outre, that she scarcely believed it herself. But it explained everything.

And it was the reason she had skipped her session with Dr. Gates today.

"I don't know," Rob said slowly. "I don't know if this multiple personality thing is going to carry much weight with a jury if the evidence puts you in Bannion's apartment Friday night or Sat.u.r.day morning."

Kara took a deep breath. Might as well go for it Might as well go for it.

"Maybe it's not a multiple personality disorder. Maybe it's Dr. Gates."

Rob stared at her. "I don't get it."

"That letter I got-on the back of the electric bill? Maybe it's true. I think it's possible Dr. Gates can take over bodies and use them."

She explained what she remembered of her dream from Sat.u.r.day morning-disjointed s.n.a.t.c.hes of monologue as her own voice told Ed Bannion Dr. Gate's story of how he used women's bodies for "fun," of a knife, of blood, and Ed falling to the floor.

Rob's expression was stricken. "Kara... Kara..."

"I know how crazy it sounds, but doesn't it explain everything? It explains the note-it's from one of his former 'toys'-and it explains this so-called Ingrid personality in Kelly and this Janine in me. And most of all, it explains why Ed wrote Dr. Gates' name on the floor instead of mine!"

"Kara, there isn't a jury in the world that will buy that."

Kara fought the sinking, trapped feeling that threatened to overwhelm her. The apartment walls seemed to be closing in.

"I'm in big trouble, right?"

Rob nodded. "Your prints are all over the apartment, you can't account for your whereabouts at the time of the murder, and you've got what might be construed as a motive."

"Motive? I didn't know he'd... he'd been with Kelly until you told me yesterday!"

"You know that and I know that, but-"

"But what will a jury say? Is that it?"

Rob shrugged and remained silent.

"Do you think Ed might have thrown Kelly out that window?"

"He was there."

Yes. Ed Bannion had been there, and he'd bitten bitten Kelly! He'd also been alone with Kara in Kelly's apartment. She felt cold all over. Kelly! He'd also been alone with Kara in Kelly's apartment. She felt cold all over.

"Then what was he doing hanging around me? Do you think he wanted to kill me?"

"Maybe. I doubt we'll ever know."

"And what about the other man they say was with Ed at the Plaza? Is he out there lurking about?"

Rob reached over and squeezed her hand.

"I'll be keeping an eye on this place-and it's here here I want you to stay. Not that apartment." I want you to stay. Not that apartment."

Kara felt her back begin to stiffen at being told where to stay, but she made herself relax. Rob was right.

"But what if I'm... dangerous after I go to sleep?"

"Can't you talk to Ellen? Find some way to lock you in a bedroom when you call it a night?"

Kara thought about that. She could tell Ellen and Jill she'd been sleepwalking.

"That might work. What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm going to be all over Gates. He's in this up to his neck. Not like you say-sorry, but there's no way I can buy that. But he's involved. After all, it was his his name Bannion wrote on the floor. So that means the good doctor's got some questions to answer. And I'm the guy who's going to be asking." name Bannion wrote on the floor. So that means the good doctor's got some questions to answer. And I'm the guy who's going to be asking."

The grim determination in Rob's eyes offered her a glimmer of hope.

Jill came running into the room, a plate in one hand and her ever-present chopsticks in the other.

"Rob! Rob!" she cried, then caught Kara's sharp look. "Mr. Harris! Look at this!"

Kara watched his face brighten at the sight of her. He put an arm around her waist and drew her close. With the contact, all the tension seemed to run out of his body.

"What are they?"

"Guess!"

"Spotted rocks."

She giggled. "No! They're uncooked cookies."

"Don't look like cookies to me. Cookies are flat. Those are round."

"They flatten when they cook. But watch this!" She picked up one of the b.a.l.l.s of raw cookie dough with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. "See? I can do it now!"

"Well, I'll be!" Rob said, hugging her closer. "You did that just like a real Chinese! Can I have one?"

Jill picked up another with her chopsticks and got it to Rob's mouth.

"Hmmmm," he said. "Tell the cook it needs more vanilla."

"Not me!" Jill said. "You tell her!" tell her!"

Jill ate another dough ball.

"You know," Rob told her, "you're so good with those, I think we can take you to a sushi bar."

"What's that?"

"That's where they eat raw fish on rice b.a.l.l.s."