“I doubt the McAllisters are thinking that right now.”
“You’re still meeting with her this morning?” Nappa asked.
“After I pay Professor Bauer a visit.”
“Not without me you’re not.”
Megan looked up and down the avenue, wondering if there were hidden cameras, as if this was some kind of punk gone awry. “What the fuck? Excuse me?” She was stunned at the chauvinistic tone Nappa used and had very little temperament for that kind of attitude. She followed her grandfather’s advice: Megsy, don’t take guff from anyone. Ever. “Hold on just one fucking second, Nappa!”
“No! You hold on! I’m going with you, partner.”
“What, you think I can’t handle going head to head with this asshole?”
“It has nothing to do with you personally.”
“The hell it doesn’t.” Megan began to punch the air with her index finger as she prepared to lay into Nappa, and it wasn’t the kind of lay they came close to experiencing the night previously. “Nappa, let’s be clear about this. You are the one who said I needed this case. You were the one who practically begged me to be on this case. This case! Well, I am! And, I’m also lead detective. Got that? You”—the air was now Swiss cheese—“are going to check out the newspaper; Rasmussen and Palumbo are working the case from last night to see if there are any more connections between the vics. So that, partner, is that! I’m calling on the prick professor.”
Goodbyes come in many forms; within the context of this conversation, it was wrapped in a bow of hang-ups. She slapped her cell shut three consecutive times.
_____
Megan stormed into Professor Bauer’s office. Unfortunately, there were no recipients for the sword-wielding mood she was hoping to inflict. It was empty and his pit bull secretary was on break. Megan took it upon herself to check his schedule and discovered he was teaching a class at the moment. She had to ask directions from a student, but she found it and the professor with little difficulty.
She entered Professor Bauer’s lecture as he was knee-deep in enthrallment with the sound of his own voice. Of course, the first two rows of students were all women, staring starry-eyed at their teacher. Megan leaned against the wall, purposely opening her coat, displaying her badge and gun to be seen by all. The students noticed her and her credentials immediately. It wasn’t until their whispers and awkward glances distracted Professor Bauer that he realized he had a visitor.
“Well, class, it seems we have a guest. Have you decided to expand on your community-college education, dear?”
Megan smiled at his snide remark. “I’ve thought about it, but for now I’m more interested in finding Shannon McAllister’s killer. Which is why I’m here. But don’t let me interrupt. Please, continue.”
Rage filled Bauer’s face as he stared Megan down, but she refused to look away. Hyde had to turn back into Dr. Jekyll to deal with his students. “I think that will be all for today. Remember to read the assigned chapters for our next class. Thank you, and have a good week.”
The gossipy murmurs began as the class slowly shuffled out of the room. Professor Bauer slammed the door behind the last student leaving. He forcefully stuffed papers into his briefcase. “This is bordering on harassment, Detective.”
“I don’t think asking you questions borders on harassment.”
“You come in here while I’m teaching, interrupt my class, take time away from my students’ education. Then—”
“You know what, Bauer? I’ve had enough. During our last discussion—”
“That was hardly a discussion, it was an interrogation.”
“I don’t give a shit if you call it a discussion, an interrogation, or a verbal colonoscopy. Call it whatever you want. I’m here because I want to know how two women in less than one week are murdered and you are connected to both of them.”
“What are you talking about?” The crease between his eyebrows deepened. “Whoa, whoa, you think I’m some how connected to the girl I read about this morning?”
His arrogant laugh made Megan grin. She was getting to him, and they both knew it.
“What are the chances when I go back through Eve Scott’s university files, she would have had a lecture, a class,” Megan raised a palm, “maybe even been seen with you socially?” She stood closer, her words turned into a whisper, “Y’know, for tutoring?”
He placed his work papers much more thoughtfully into his leather case before adjusting his glasses and stepping toward Megan, forcing her back against the wall.
“Detective, where’s your knight in shining armor? Your partner?”
“He’s hooked to my holster and filled to capacity with rounds. Want to meet him?” She used her forefingers to nudge Bauer back. “You’re invading my personal space.” She was so close, she could smell the light scent of alcohol on his breath.
“I’ll invade more than that if you keep pressuring me.”
“Threatening an officer, now that’s not nice.”
The door flung open and a young woman with black hair sashayed in. “Marty, I can’t make it until—“
Bauer recoiled. The tension didn’t fall short on his current conquest.
“Am I interrupting?”
Megan ignored her, focusing instead on the professor. “Until our next discussion.” Megan walked toward the door. “See you again, real soon.”
“Not without my lawyer,” he said as she left the room.
Megan mocked the young woman’s girly tone. “But Marty, I didn’t think you had anything to hide?”
twenty-one
Megan arrived at the office wanting to meet with her boss as soon as possible. The door to Walker’s office was closed, but she was clearly there, given the level of noise emanating from within.
“Is she in there regarding this?” Megan showed Joanne, Walker’s assistant, her copy of the morning headlines.
“Her phone hasn’t stopped ringing.” Joanne was always two steps ahead and was rarely flustered by Walker’s demanding personality. She had tight blond curls and hazel eyes and was blessed with full lips that 99 percent of the time had a smile exposing the slight gap in her front teeth. But not this morning.
“Who is she on with?”
“The mayor, and he’s pissed.”
“It’s not like we leaked it. Jesus.” Megan handed the paper to Joanne. “Do me a favor. Mrs. McAllister is coming in this morning. You see any of these hanging around, get rid of them.”
Joanne nodded. “You got it.”
“Thanks.” Megan nodded in the direction of the conference room. “I’ll be in there. Are Palumbo and Rasmussen in yet?”
Joanne shrugged.
“Find them, now.” Megan felt bad about the tone she used. “Thanks, Joanne.”
Megan spent the next half hour processing Shannon’s personal items, as few as there were. The lab wanted to continue running tests on the clothing Shannon wore during the attack. Only the jewelry remained: Shannon’s watch and the Claddagh ring.
Walker rapped on the door and leaned her head into the conference room. “You have some time?”
“Of course. Obviously you’ve seen the paper.”
“Jesus Christ, how did that get out?” Walker asked.
“Not from this end, I can tell you that much.” Megan wasn’t being defensive, just honest, and Walker knew that.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. I know that. I should have prepared for a leak with a situation like this. I’ve been on the phone with the mayor, chief of police, and Mr. McAllister’s lawyer. It’s a mess.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, you look great. You didn’t have to go to all that trouble for a meeting with little old me.”
Walker wore a red suit with a cream-colored silk blouse and a gold necklace with matching gold earrings. It was an outfit that looked more like something a woman doing h
igh tea on Madison Avenue would wear, rather than a woman in her fifties who carried a firearm.
“I didn’t. My daughter asked me to speak in front of her women’s studies class today. So I’ll be sneaking out of here around lunchtime.”
“Which daughter, Sophia or Serena?”
“Sophia.”
“A women’s studies class? How old is she now?”
“Sixteen.”
Megan released a playful groan. “Sixteen? I remember when she just got her braces. I’m feeling very old right now.”
“Please, you and me both. She’s already talking about which colleges she wants to apply to.” Walker was stressed and cut the chitchat. “Is Nappa in?” She joined Megan at the table.
“No, he’s checking on a lead. That’s one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to get you up to speed on a few things.”
Megan pushed The Catholic Times across the table for Walker to inspect. “Read the highlighted section.”
Walker had to put her glasses on to read the small print. “What the hell …?” She flipped to the front of the newspaper, just as Megan had when she first read it. “What’s the date on this?”
“One week prior,” Megan answered.
Walker smacked the paper down on the tabletop. “Nappa is checking on this right now?”
“Yes.”
“It says, ‘You’ve been returned.’ What do you think that means?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How in hell did you come to find this?” Walker asked.
“I was visiting my mom at the nursing home. The man who delivers the newspapers and magazines gave it to me to read. I ended up throwing it in my purse. I didn’t even realize I had it. Nappa found it when we were waiting out the rainstorm at the sex-gone-bad crime scene.”
There was a light knock at the door, and Joanne peeked through the small opening she allowed for herself. In a slight whisper she said, “Excuse me, Mrs. McAllister is here. I have her waiting in your office.”
“Mr. and Mrs. McAllister?” Walker inquired.
“No, just Mrs. McAllister. She came alone.”
In circumstances like this, usually the parents of the victim are seldom apart.
“We’ll be right there,” Walker answered.
“Everything is done. I did it myself.” Megan took the paperwork out of the envelope. “We need her signature on a few of the forms, that’s about all.”
“Good. Let’s get this over with.”
“McGinn,” Palumbo interrupted as she and Walker walked over to meet Mrs. McAllister. “You’re going to want to hear this.”
Megan turned to see Eve Scott’s roommate seated at Palumbo’s desk with two men wearing suits. One of the men had a briefcase on his lap, while the other stood behind the young man; neither looked pleased to be there.
“Who is that?” Walker asked.
“The roommate of the girl who was murdered last night,” Megan answered.
“With his father, and his father’s attorney,” Palumbo added.
“Christ, don’t tell me …” Megan rubbed her head and looked toward Walker’s office. She could see Mrs. McAllister seated across from Walker’s desk.
“Yep. He wants to give a full confession,” Palumbo said.
The three looked at one another. All sharing the same wishful thought: Wouldn’t it be great if every case could be solved this way?
“Where’s Rasmussen?” Megan asked.
“He should be here any minute.”
“Good. I’m not sure how long I’m going to be.” Megan clutched the envelope of Shannon’s personal items and nodded in the direction of Walker’s office. “Start when Rasmussen gets in, and then I want to meet with both of you, got it?”
“Got it,” Palumbo answered.
“Can there be any more surprises today?” Megan whispered to Walker.
“Be careful what you wish for, Detective.”
Shannon’s mother sat across from Walker’s desk. Her hands held the end of the seat cushion. It seemed to be the only thing steadying her. Her hair was pushed back behind her ears, emphasizing her pale, gaunt face. When Megan and Walker entered the office, Mrs. McAllister turned, offering a small smile. She was a painfully polite woman even in the depths of her grief. “Detective McGinn, Lieutenant Walker, good morning. It’s nice to see you again.” Of course, it was anything but. Mrs. McAllister stood, holding her hand out to greet them. Her grasp was weak—more a gentle squeeze than a handshake.
“Please, have a seat. Did my assistant offer you any coffee or a glass of water?” Walker asked.
“Oh, yes, she did. I’m fine, thank you.” She sat back down as she clutched her purse. She eyed the envelope Megan held but didn’t inquire. “Detective, here’s Shannon’s laptop, as you requested.” She handed Megan a black computer bag.
“Thank you for remembering that. I’ll return it to you as soon as I can.” Megan set the case on Walker’s desk.
“Unfortunately, my husband wasn’t able to make it in today. He wasn’t feeling up to it. My sister is meeting me at Shannon’s apartment. It’s still okay for me to go there, isn’t it?”
Megan nodded. “Yes, we have everything we need. It’s not a problem.”
Walker approached the indelicate morning news, “Mrs. McAllister, regarding the information in this morning’s newspaper, I’d like to—”
Mrs. McAllister shook her head, politely skirting the painful topic. “Shannon has a beautiful dress at the apartment. It’s lilac, with tiny white flowers on it.” Through an uncomfortable smile, she continued, “She said it brought out her eyes, and hid her child-bearing hips. Shannon was always so hard on herself.” Mrs. McAllister stared off into space, recounting the last time she saw Shannon wearing it. “She bought it for my husband’s corporate spring outing. It’s a beautiful dress.”
Both Megan and Walker offered a solemn nod, silently acknowledging that the topic of the leaked information was off the table for Mrs. McAllister.
“The funeral home should be working with the coroner’s office for you. If there’s a problem, we can make a few phone calls,” Walker offered.
“Thank you. We’re having the main service at St. Thomas More here in the city, and then a more intimate gathering near our home in Connecticut. Most of her friends are down here, so we felt it made sense.”
“St. Thomas More is near where I live. It’s a beautiful church,” Megan said.
Walker glanced as if she were thinking, First she’s reading The Catholic Times and now she’s familiar with a church. The surprises are neverending.
“Shannon loved that church. It’s where she would go for service and for Ash Wednesday. We went to St. Thomas More a few months ago when Katelyn, Shannon’s best friend, was married there.” She paused a moment, cracked a smile, and threw out a nervous laugh. “It astonishes me. Never in a million years did I think a few months ago that I’d be arranging my baby girl’s funeral at the same church.”
Walker pulled a box of tissues out of her desk drawer and offered it Mrs. McAllister.
“Oh no, thank you.” She had a travel pack of tissues in the side compartment of her purse; she took them out and held them up for viewing. “I come equipped. Hey, never leave home without them, especially when your daughter’s been murdered.” Tears dropped down her now flushed face. “I have no idea what just made me say something like that. I’m so sorry. It’s so unlike me.”
Megan tried to give a comforting smile and said, “It’s your coping mechanism. There’s nothing to be embarrassed or feel badly about. Everyone deals with it differently. There’s no wrong or right way.”
“Thank you, Detective.” Mrs. McAllister cleared her throat and continued, “Well, I guess you have Shannon’s things?”
“Mrs. McAllister, I first want to say how profoundly sorry we
are that someone spoke to the press regarding your daughter’s case. It’s certainly not something this office condones,” Walker said.
“I just don’t understand people. My daughter will now be remembered as one of The Tailor’s victims. Doesn’t that matter to anyone?”
“Yes. It matters to us.” Megan squeezed Mrs. McAllister’s hand. “It matters to us.”
She responded with a silent nod.
Megan handed her the envelope as well as a few forms. “We’ll need you to look at all the items and then sign off on them.”
Shannon’s mother stared at the unopened envelope, unable to respond to Megan’s request.
“Mrs. McAllister? Are you okay?” Walker asked.
She stammered, “Do I have to look at them right now? Couldn’t I just sign the forms?”
Megan looked at Walker for guidance. Typically, she would have no problem bending the rules—she did it most of the time anyway—but in front of her superior, she had to hold out.
Walker nodded. “That’s fine. You can just sign the forms.”
Mrs. McAllister scribbled her name where Megan indicated. “And you’ll let me know of any developments with her case?”
“Absolutely,” Walker answered.
“And, Detective, I’ve been trying to put a more comprehensive list together of Shannon’s friends, previous jobs, things like that. I’ll get that to you as soon as I can.”
“Thank you. That will be a big help,” Megan said.
Mrs. McAllister rose from her chair again, thanking both Megan and Walker for all their hard work.
Walker looked unsure of her next move. She seemed to need to offer something to Shannon’s mother. “Mrs. McAllister?”
“Please, call me MaryEllen.”
“MaryEllen, it won’t always be like this. It won’t always be this hard for you.”
Shannon’s mother stopped and gave a smile of appreciation for Walker’s attempts to console her. “Yes. Yes, it will.” She walked out of the office, shutting the door behind her.
“That was a stupid thing for me to say. Damn it. She’s picking up her slain daughter’s personal effects and I’m telling her it won’t always be this hard. What was I thinking?”
Never Alone Page 14