Джонатан Келлерман - Serpentine

“My jewelry, my cash—I don’t leave a lot around, maybe a hundred dollars for odds and ends. Then”—she began ticking her fingers—“there’s my flat screen. I just got it for myself last Christmas. Then there’s my iPad—it’s been broken for a while so tough luck for them. Then there’s my wine, four bottles, it’s good wine, I got it on sale at Trader Joe’s.”

Mulhern turned to us. “The typical stuff.”

Deirdre Seeger huffed. “It doesn’t feel typical to me, Detective. It feels like a violation.”

“Of course, ma’am. It’s a terrible violation. As I told you, we’re searching aggressively for fingerprints and any other physical evidence.”

“What about other burglaries around here?” said Seeger. “Wouldn’t that give you a lead?”

“It would, ma’am, but there haven’t been any.”

Seeger’s eyes bulged. “See! I was singled out! It’s me they wanted to violate!”

“Why would that be, ma’am?”

Seeger shook her head. Gave Milo a quick peek. Grim, conspiratorial. She folded her arms across her chest.

Sherry Mulhern’s mouth got tight. “Mrs. Seeger, if you’d rather talk to them alone, that’s fine. I’ve got a few things to do inside investigating your burglary.”

“Go,” said Deirdre Seeger. As if realizing how harsh that sounded, she followed up with, “Thank you, Miss Mulhern. Appreciate your service. Like I told you, I know about detection.”

“It appears that you do, ma’am.” Mulhern traded cards with Milo and ducked under the tape.

Deirdre Seeger said, “No sense involving her, I didn’t want to get in the way of your investigation. Police work is specialized, Phil taught me that.”

“You think this could be related to our conversations about Phil’s last case?”

“You just heard what she said. This is a safe neighborhood, I was targeted. I mean, how long ago were we talking—few days and then this happens.”

A tech exited the house with a hard-shell equipment case. “Stomping all over my home.” More tears. “Sorry, I’m such a baby.”

“Seems like a reasonable reaction to me, Deirdre.”

“Phil and I bought it for thirty-one thousand dollars. They say it’s worth seven hundred thousand but I don’t care. Where am I going to go, to some rest home where they don’t pay attention and you die in a corner?”

Biting her lip. “I loved my home. Want to love it again but…like I told her, it’s only for the grace of God that I wasn’t here and who knows what would’ve happened to me.”

“Where were you?”

“Newhall, I’ve got a friend there, we play canasta twice a week, have a group, we rotate. The game was Friday night, Ada served snacks and prosecco, really delicious, I overindulged and knew enough not to drive. I was going to try one of those Ubers. Never did it before but what the hey, there’s a first time for everything. Ada said she wouldn’t hear of it, the spare bedroom was already made up, she keeps it that way for when her kids come home and they rarely do now, they all moved out of state, the taxes. So I slept over and then I got the call. From Mulhern.”

“Any idea when the break-in occurred?”

“She thinks at night because no neighbors she talked to saw or heard anything. She said it was a real burglary not a staging because in staging the drawers are pulled out but not everything’s removed and at least some valuables are left behind. But what do you think?”

“That sounds logical, Deirdre.”

“Well, maybe. But the main thing is where am I going to stay? Even if they cleaned up, which they’re not going to do, I’m not staying here by myself. Not until my mind settles and who knows how long that’ll take? If Phil and I had children it would be a different story but God didn’t shine that light on us.” Brief glance at the sidewalk. “I have nowhere to go!”

Milo said, “I’ll make a call, Deirdre.”

“To who?”

“Someone who might be able to put you up temporarily.”

“I can’t afford to pay one of those Air-Bee-Bees.”

“I know that. Gimme a sec to take a look inside and then I’ll see what I can arrange.”

He loped to the house, emerged a few minutes later, during which Deirdre Seeger clenched and unclenched her hands and fought back tears.

“He seems like a good man. I’ve got a nose for that. Phil was a good man. He always tried his best.”

I said, “Last time you spoke to Lieutenant Sturgis, you mentioned Phil’s books and magazines. Were any of those taken?”

“That junk, why would they be? Besides, they’re out in the garage, which I keep bolted.” Her lips trembled. “I keep the house locked, too, but they just ripped the rear door off its hinges. Phil put a good bolt on the garage because he kept his bikes there plus parts. People tell me it’s worth a lot, one day I’ll sell them but not now, that’s for sure. I can’t have bikers or who-knows-who coming by. Sir, I don’t know if I’ll ever feel safe again !”

“You will.”

“How do you know?”

“Experience.”

“Have you ever felt alone and scared?”

It’s called being the child of a raging alcoholic.

I said, “I have.”

“Really?”

I touched her arm. “Absolutely.”

“Well…maybe.”

When she’d remained silent for a while, I said, “Would it be possible for me to get into the garage?”

“You might be interested in the parts?”

“I’d like to take a look around.”

“Is this something that could help catch the bad guys?”

“It could be, Mrs. Seeger. Every little bit helps.”

“Hmm. Okay, you also seem like a nice guy. Nice goes with nice, Phil and I were like that. Everyone said it. He’s nice, she’s nice, adds up to a nice couple.” Sniff. “We were happy together.”

Milo joined us. “All arranged if you’re agreeable, Deirdre.”

“What is?”

“A comfortable bedroom in a nice big house in Los Feliz, totally free.”

“Big empty house? Uh-uh, no way, too spooky.”

“No, there’s a woman living there and she’s got a full-time guard looking after the premises.”

“Why? Why does she need a full-time guard?”

He explained.

Deirdre Seeger said, “Oh…so her mother’s the one Phil tried so hard to figure out? I don’t know…oh, shoot, why not? If Phil cared, that means she was worth caring about and like I just told this other detective, nice goes with nice so the daughter’s probably also a good person.” A beat. “Is she?”

“Lovely person,” said Milo. “She didn’t hesitate to say yes.”

“Los Feliz. I don’t even know how to get there.”

“You have GPS?”

“Hate computers.”

“How about this, then: I’ll drive you and have an officer bring your car.”

“Hmm. Okay, it’s a deal.” As if doing Milo a favor. “Now go talk to Miss Mulhern so she’ll let pack some of my stuff, it’s already a mess on the floor, I’ll just toss it into a suitcase. And I’ll also get the key to the garage for your nice partner.”

Milo looked at me.

I said, “Thought I’d check out Phil’s books and such.”

That answered nothing but he said, “Ah,” and walked Deirdre into the house.

—

They returned ten minutes later, Milo toting two large suitcases, Deirdre Seeger lacing a bony arm around his sleeve. He loaded the luggage in the trunk of the unmarked after removing a shotgun to make space and placing it in the clamp at the front of the car. Deirdre was guided to a rear passenger seat and left there with the door open.

He jogged back to me.

I said, “What’s it like inside?”

“Like Mulhern said, total trash job, valuables taken, does look real. She’s gonna do the usual: neighborhood canvass, see who has cameras, ask about vehicles that don’t belong, check if there has been anything similar in the Valley.”