Bram said, “What time?”
“Two?” Luke asked.
Michael said, “What about Uncle Caleb? He’s going to want to be here.”
“You’re right,” Bram said. “I’ll call him. How about three? That should give him enough time to get out here.”
Nods all around.
Bram turned back to Michael. “‘A memorial service at three P.M., First Church of the Christ Child. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Dr. Sparks’s name to local charities.’ Sound okay?”
The room fell silent.
Bram spoke to Michael: “Go make the message, Mike, then call Dad’s service and let them know the plan.”
“I should get this cleared with Pastor Collins,” Michael said.
“Fine. Call him up. I’m sure you won’t have any problems.”
Without protest, Michael left the room.
Bram looked at Decker. “My father was a very prominent man. I’m sure he’ll get a big crowd. Any way the police can help us direct traffic so we can make this thing as orderly as possible?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Decker said.
“Thank you,” Bram said. “Who wants to pick up Uncle Caleb from the airport?”
“I’ll do it,” Paul said. “Just get me the information.”
Again, nobody spoke.
“How’d the news get out so fast?” Paul demanded of Decker.
“Newspeople have lots of contacts.” Decker took out a notebook. “Somebody had a big mouth and leaked it. I’m sorry.”
Maggie came back in with the tea, handed it to the priest. He said, “You should lie down. You’re pale.”
“I’m fine,” she said weakly.
Bram said, “Then come sit with me.”
Maggie nestled deep into her brother’s arms.
Paul sat down, blinking hard. “Can someone tell me what’s going on?”
Decker took out a pad. “Your father’s car was discovered by a busboy in the alley behind Tracadero’s, around…eight-thirty tonight.” Decker said, “The Buick was parked at an off angle. He peeked inside and saw a homicide victim—”
“How…” Paul asked. “How did it—”
“I don’t know about the rest of you,” Maggie interrupted, “but I don’t want to hear details.”
“I don’t, either.” Luke turned to his twin. “It was bad?”
Bram just shook his head. Decker’s eyes moved between the twins. They not only looked alike, but sounded exactly alike. Soft, deep voices, similar inflections.
To Paul, Decker said, “If you’d like, Mr. Sparks, I can tell you more privately. But first, let me say this. We haven’t got a suspect or a motive right now. I’ve got men at the scene—”
“Does anyone know what Dad was doing at Tracadero’s?” Luke asked.
Bram said, “Lieutenant Decker and I were talking about that. I don’t have the faintest idea.”
“Me, either,” Michael said, reentering the room.
Paul stood, stared at the ceiling. It seemed to calm his tic. “Maybe it was somebody’s birthday. Somebody at the hospital.”
“Your brother Bram mentioned that as a possibility,” Decker said. “But I just found out that Dr. Sparks had dinner at the hospital.”
“That sounds like Dad.” Michael turned to Decker. “You should be questioning people at the hospital.”
Decker said, “I’ve got detectives at New Chris right now. We will be questioning hospital personnel extensively. Tonight, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow…as long as it takes until we’re satisfied.
“After I leave here, I’m going back to the crime scene. Right now, I have men canvassing the area, going door to door, questioning everyone around the area. All the necessary forensic professionals have been called in. I’m investigating every angle of this case. Which means…” Decker tapped a pencil on his notebook. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask all of you some questions.”
“Now?” Paul said. “It’s after eleven.”
“I know it’s late, Mr. Sparks. But these things tend to get solved quickly once we get leads. Best time to get leads is within twenty-four hours of the onset of the case. Information that you may think is trivial could turn out to be vital to us. I hope I won’t take up too much of your time. But we’re pushing hard on this. Help us out.”
“No objections,” Luke said.
Paul batted his eyes. “Me, either.”
“Eva, are you with us?” Bram asked.
She turned her head, eyes red and angry. Bram said, “Sit next to me.”
She did, sitting on his left side, her spine ramrod straight. Bram put his arm around her. She collapsed under his touch and leaned against her brother. It relaxed her coiled features.
Decker said, “My questions might upset you. I’m sorry if they do, but I have to ask them.” He turned to Paul. “Can I start with you?”
“Me?” Paul blinked furiously. “Why?”
“Because I also found out from my people that you called your father around seven-thirty. Can I ask you what it was about?”
Paul became crimson, his eyes a series of spasms. “It was private. Why is this important?”
Decker didn’t answer.
Paul said, “It has nothing to do with my father’s death. I don’t have to answer it.”
The room was quiet. Luke said, “Must be money.”
Paul shot his brother a deadly glance.
Luke said, “It’s no big deal, Paul. So you borrowed money from Dad. We all did from time to time.”
Nobody spoke.
Decker looked at Paul.
Paul’s eyes worked like strobe lights. “I called to ask him for a small loan—”
Michael let out a small laugh. Bram threw him a razor-sharp glance that shut him up.
Paul said, “Anything else?”
Decker said, “You asked him for money. What did he say?”
“He said, yes, of course. My father was a generous man.”
“Did you make the call from home?” Decker asked.
“From work. I work at Levy, Critchen, and Goldberg. I’m a stockbroker.”
“You were at work the entire evening, then?”
Paul’s eyes worked furiously. “No.” A meaningful pause. “After I made the call, I took a ride…by myself.”
“Must have been a long ride,” Decker said. “You made the call at seven-thirty. Your brother-in-law didn’t get hold of you until around ten-thirty.”
Silence.
Paul looked upward again. “Well, there goes any semblance of my privacy.”
“If you’d like, Mr. Sparks, I can ask you these questions one on one.”
Paul was quiet, his hand mowing through his pile of black curls. “Oh what the hell!” His smile was bitter. “I had words with my wife over asking my father for money. I was angry and didn’t feel like going home.”
More silence.
Paul said, “I had just asked my father for money about four months before. I didn’t feel like hitting on him again. My wife didn’t understand that.”
“What was the last loan about?” Decker asked.
Paul glared at Bram. “Why don’t you tell him. I know Dad tells you everything.”
Bram’s face was flat.
Paul blinked hard. “I had a margin call and didn’t have enough cash to cover it. Dad footed me a loan, one that I’m currently in the process of paying back rapidly because my stocks have since shot up. Tonight’s phone call had to do with the kids’ tuitions. You have no idea how expensive private schools can be. I didn’t want to do it, but my wife practically accused me of being a negligent and rotten father if I didn’t.”
Paul fell into the empty overstuffed chair.
“So those were my last words to my father. Asking him for money.” He dammed back tears. “Wonderful.”
Again, the house turned quiet.
Eva said, “Well, while we’re on the subject of loans, I guess you’re going to find out anyway. We borrowed…m
y husband and I…borrowed money about a year ago. My dad co-signed the loan. We’re also in the process of paying it back.”
Paul threw his sister a grateful look.
“Can I ask what the loan was for?” Decker said.
“My husband owns a chain of discount clothing stores.” Eva pronounced the word discount with disdain. “He took over the family business, thank you very much. Retail apparel took a dip. He had to close up some of the smaller boutiques and with the leases and mismanagement, he accrued some debt.” Her face grew tense as she talked. “I didn’t want to ask him. But my husband put me in a bind. Because he got caught in an interest crunch and had already taken out a second loan on the house to expand two years before. Rather than get stuck with exorbitant rates, David asked Dad to co-sign a secured loan based on his assets.”
“Which are many,” Luke added.
“It seemed easier at the time,” Eva said. “And it hasn’t cost Dad a penny. David’s paying it back.”
“Where were you this evening?” Decker asked Eva.
“At home until I heard…” She looked down and turned away.
Decker’s eyes went to Luke.
“I was at work,” he said. “I finished up with a client around eight and was in my office doing paperwork until Bram called me.”
“You work at the Bomb Shelter?” Decker asked.
Luke rolled his eyes. “Yes, I work at the Bomb Shelter. Yes, I was an addict. Yes, I no doubt ingested thousands of dollars up my nose. Yes, I am now flat broke. Yes, I am now also sober. Yes, I’ve been sober for three years. Yes, I was alone for two hours in my office. No, nobody saw me. And no, I didn’t kill my father.”
Bram stifled a smile. Luke caught it and smiled back. Paul said, “I’m glad you two can find humor at a time like this.”
Luke said, “My dad is…was a wealthy man, Lieutenant. He and my mom hardly spent a dime. They, unlike me, are simple, modest people. I also went to him when I needed something especially in my glorious drug days. We all borrowed from Dad…well, not Bram. He’s the golden boy—”
Paul said, “Guy made a vow of poverty, and he’s the only one of us with money in the bank.”
“Church gives him everything,” Luke said to Decker.
Quietly, Bram said, “Can we change the subject?”
Luke said, “All I know is you’ve upward of fifty grand—”
“Luke!” Maggie said.
“What would you like me to do with my stipend, Lucas?” Bram said.
“Give it to me,” Luke said.
“Speaking of money,” Bram said, “did Dad have a will?”
No one answered.
Michael said, “I know Dad has a lawyer. The guy from the church.”
“Which guy, Michael?” Luke asked. “There are lots of guys—”
Michael glared at Luke. “With the white hair and the veiny, red nose.”
Luke said, “Well, that narrows it to about three thousand—”
“He’s an elder on the council,” Michael tried again. “He lost his wife a couple of years ago. Gosh, I can’t think of his name!”
“I know who you mean,” Maggie said. “Waterman.”
“Waterson,” Luke and Paul said simultaneously.
“William Waterson,” Bram said. “Paul, you take care of the funeral arrangements so Mom doesn’t have to be bothered with them.”
Paul’s eyelids twitched. “You expect me to pay?”
Bram was patient. “No. If need be, I’ll pay. But if Dad had a will and left us anything, maybe we can borrow against some of the funds to pay for the funeral. Save Mom some unnecessary heartache. And since you know about finance, it makes the most sense for you to call up Waterson and ask the questions.”
Paul’s voice was tight. “I have no problem with that, Abram. I just didn’t know what you meant.”
“So, now you know,” Bram said. “I’ll handle the service tomorrow. I’ll do as much of the calling as I can tonight, then I’ll finish up in the morning. I’m not going to sleep anyway. Any objections?”
No one spoke.
“If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to get started. Dad had lots of friends and admirers, and it’s going to take me a while.” Bram turned to Decker. “Can you drive me back to St. Thomas’s?”
“I’d be happy to,” Decker said. “I just need a little bit more information.” He turned to Eva. “Can I get your last name, ma’am?”
“Shapiro.”
Decker’s pause was fractional before he wrote it down. Suddenly, Eva burst into tears. “It was all so stupid!” She looked at Bram with wet eyes. “Why is life so stupid!”
“I don’t know why.” Bram turned to Paul. “Maybe you should take her home.”
“Everything is so meaningless!” Eva opened a Gucci bag, pulled out a silk handkerchief, and dabbed her eyes. “I didn’t even have a chance to say good-bye. Or to say I love you. And just when we were starting to get along!”
Maggie broke down into heavy sobs. Bram said, “Michael, could you check on Mom? It’s been a while.”
Wordlessly, Michael went up the stairs.
Eva faced Decker. “My parents and I haven’t been on very good terms for some time.”
Bram said, “You don’t need to get into this, Eva.”
“He’s going to find out anyway,” Eva said. “It’s actually my husband and my father. They don’t get along. I’m caught in the middle.”
Bram said, “Eva, honey, maybe we should save this—”
“You see, my parents are very devout people,” Eva continued. “Religious, good people. But…”
“But your husband’s Jewish,” Decker said. “It’s created some problems.”
Eva stared at him, dumbfounded.
Bram rubbed his eyes. “Last name, Eva. It’s a giveaway.”
Decker said, “I can understand how intermarriage might cause conflict.”
“It isn’t that David’s religious,” Eva said. “Quite the contrary, he isn’t religious at all. Neither are his parents. David never grew up with any kind of religious training. And from the start, he’s had no objection to me raising the kids as Christians. They’ve been baptized and confirmed. The kids and I attend church regularly. David doesn’t care. But for some stubborn reason, he refuses to convert! Jews are very stubborn peo—”
“Eva,” Bram chided.
“Bram, you can’t deny that it says right in the Bible that they’re stiff-necked—”
“Eva, enough.”
“It doesn’t say that in the Bible?”
“You’re quoting Bible to me?”
Eva stood up from the couch, fire in her eyes. “I’m telling you what it says right in the holy book.” She picked up the Bible from the coffee table. “Would you like me to find the passage?”
“Exodus thirty-two, nine,” he said wearily. “You’re being literal—”
“And you’re being condescending.”
“Eva, can we save the biblical exegesis—”
“You know, Bram, maybe I don’t know Hebrew like you do. But I do know Jews—”
“Fine, Eva, you’re a mavin on contemporary Jewish Zeitgeist. Can we move on?”
“What in the world is a Zeitgeist?” Paul asked. “Sounds like something from a fifties horror flick.”
“Honestly, Bram, I think you pull these words out of a hat!” Eva exclaimed.
“Isn’t it a sociology term?” Maggie said.
Bram said, “It’s the intellectual, moral, and cultural state of a people in a given era.”
“Sure, I knew that,” Luke said.
“What’s a mavin?” Paul asked.
“Expert,” Bram said. “Comes from the Hebrew word lehaveen—to understand.”
“So why didn’t you just say ‘so you’re an expert on Jews.’” Eva crossed her arms and tapped her foot. “You’re just infuriating sometimes. Always complicating everything. Just like David. He couldn’t make things easy on me and the family and just convert. No, he had t
o be spiteful—”
“Maybe the poor guy was just trying to assert himself,” Paul said. “Dad can be very intimidating.”
“The word is bossy,” Luke said.
“How can you talk about him like that after what happened to him!” Eva yelled out.
“You know, Eva, you don’t have a monopoly on grief,” Luke said. “I’m just as devastated as you are.”
Eva went on. “If David really cared about his family, he could have converted. Of course, now it’s too late!”
“Cold nights ahead for David,” Luke muttered.
Paul stifled a smile. A beeper went off. The priest looked at his belt, checked the number, then stood up. “Excuse me for a moment.”
After Bram left the room, Eva turned her ire to Paul. “You know when Spencer was sick, David sure didn’t mind Dad handling all the surgeries and the medical expenses. Suddenly, Dad’s take-charge attitude didn’t bother him a bit!”
“What was wrong with Spencer?” Decker asked.
“He was born with a cleft palate,” Eva said. “It was a very difficult labor. Afterward, I ran a high fever and started hemorrhaging. David was completely useless. Couldn’t deal with it. He just went off and buried himself in his work. Left me to fend for myself—”
“He was very upset, Eva,” Paul said. “He just didn’t know what to do.”
“Well, he might have stuck around instead of bolting.” Eva looked at Decker. “My father had to step in—not only for me but for Spencer. My mom took over the care of my other children while David composed himself. And you know what, Lieutenant. My father never lorded it over my husband—”
Luke interrupted, “Well, that’s not quite true—”
“Excuse me, Lieutenant,” Eva said forcefully. “I’d like to check on my mother now. Any other questions I can answer?”
Decker kept his face flat, shook his head.
Eva turned on her heels and trotted upstairs.
The woman had her opinions. Then Decker remembered her position in the family. The little girl after three boys. No doubt Eva had been indulged.
Luke said, “I loved my father dearly, Lieutenant. But it wasn’t that simple.”
Maggie said, “It’s Eva’s business.”
“I just don’t want the lieutenant here thinking that David’s a total jerk.”
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