Iris Johansen - Blood Game

“Why do you put up with it, Patty?” Jane asked.

“I owe him. He wasn’t always like this. When I was a kid, I remember him as being…” She made a face. “Well, he was never sweet, but he took me in after my parents broke up, and he did the best he could. It was only when he got sick that it got bad.” She went to the sink and rinsed out the carafe. “You don’t want to hear this. Why did you come to see me?”

“We just wanted to make sure you were all right,” Eve said. “You weren’t answering your cell phone.”

“I didn’t have it. Granddad pitched a fit when he heard me talking on it last night, and I had to give it to him to pacify him.”

“Why was he angry?”

She grinned over her shoulder. “I was talking to Charlie Brand. He called me and asked me to dinner tomorrow night.”

“Charlie?” Jane smiled. “Good. I knew he liked you.”

“And I like him. We talked about fifteen minutes before Granddad pulled the plug.”

“You shouldn’t have let him take your phone,” Eve said. “He had no right.”

She shrugged. “It’s easier to let him have his way. It makes him feel as if he still has power. One of the sad things about getting old and sick is that everyone seems to have power but you. I usually just let him keep it for a little while, then pick it up on one of my trips into his room.”

“You’re more patient than I’d be,” Jane said. “He still has it?”

“I didn’t need it. It was storming, and Granddad wanted me to sit with him. We had a blackout last night. We must have lost power.”

“Is that why your house phone wasn’t working?”

“Probably. I was out in back when you came, trying to check the ground line from the pole.” She frowned. “It looks sort of funny. I have to get a better look at it as soon as I get Granddad settled again.”

“Leave it to the power company,” Eve said.

“I’ll be careful. I just want to make sure it’s not some simple connection that I could do myself.”

“Patty!”

“Coming,” she called. “I’d better get his juice back to him.”

“We’ll go,” Jane said. “We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Then she nodded. “Oh, all those police cars down the street. I was wondering. Something nasty?”

“Something very nasty,” Jane said. “Promise that you’ll take your phone back from your grandfather so that you can reach us.”

“Sure.”

“And keep your doors locked and be very careful.”

Patty gave a low whistle. “It must be pretty ugly. It has to have something to do with the reason Charlie was tagging you last night.”

“Right.” She paused. “I was afraid I might have pulled you into it. That bastard could have seen you with me.”

“And that would make me a target?”

“We don’t know,” Eve said. “But we have to assume it’s a possibility.”

“So you ran to my rescue.” She suddenly smiled. “Next time, could you send Charlie? I might as well get something out of this.”

Jane chuckled. “I’ll ask Joe to pull some strings.” Her smile faded. “If your grandfather will let him come around. Are you going out to dinner with Charlie?”

“Hell, yes. I pick my battles. I know you think I’m a wimp, but I take what I need.”

“That doesn’t appear to be very much,” Jane said dryly.

“My choice, Jane,” Patty said quietly. “In the end, we all have to decide what we’re willing to give up for payback. We all have parents or grandparents or children who will need us. Agonizing decisions sometimes. You have to weigh the memories and the debt against what’s being taken from you.”

“Yes, your choice.” Jane gave her a quick hug. “But it wouldn’t hurt to let someone help. Call me if you need me.”

“Only if you promise to send Charlie.” She made a shooing motion. “Now get out of here. Granddad can’t walk very far, but if he gets mad enough, he’ll stomp in here and give us all hell.”

“We’re going,” Eve said. “Good-bye, Patty. Be careful.”

“Within reason. I can take care of myself. Granddad does a good enough job of keeping me a prisoner without my helping it along.” She was heading for the fridge. “Bye. Give Toby a hug for me.”

Jane didn’t speak until they had reached the car. “Damn, I was scared.” She frowned. “I wish she was more frightened. She didn’t seem too worried. She thinks she can handle anything.”

“If she can handle that old man, she may be right.” They were passing the entrance to the park. “There are two media trucks there now. All hell will probably be breaking loose anytime now.”

“It already broke loose.” Jane was silent a moment. “Can we get surveillance for Patty?”

“We’ll try. We have to show cause. Once the media publishes details, I’m sure everyone in this neighborhood is going to want police protection.” She smiled. “But Patty had a good idea. Why don’t you call Charlie Brand? I’m sure he’d volunteer.”

JOE CALLED EVE AFTER NOON THATday. “The victim is Heather Carmello. Age twenty-five, prostitute, throat slit, naked.”

“Footprints?”

“Clean as a whistle. How the hell he managed it in all that rain and mud is a wonder.” He paused. “There was no goblet at the scene.”

“And what does that mean?”

“Beats the hell out of me.”

“But you still think it’s Jelak?”

“Hell, yes.”

“Jane and I were afraid the victim might be Patty Avery. Jane thought that she might have led Jelak to her last night. Is there any way we can get a house watch?”

“Maybe, not from the department. I can hire someone.” He added, “I’ll look into it later. I’ve got to tie this up and get back to the precinct. Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll answer the question you didn’t ask. No, to my profound relief, Heather Carmello has decided to stay dead. No ghostly appearance.”

“That’s good… I guess.”

“No guess about it. And you can do me a favor and call Seth Caleb and get him to come back and answer a few more questions.”

“Really? You practically tossed him out of the house.”

“I wasn’t going to have him shadowing my every move, and the less I have to do with the spook brigade, the better I’ll like it. But since Heather Carmello has decided that I’m not to be her significant other, I feel like I’m on a roll. I can afford to let Caleb into closer quarters. And I need to know about that goblet. It seems to be a part of the ritual, and I want to know what the omission means.”

“I’ll call him. When do you want to see him?”

“Tonight. I should be through with the paperwork by six. Let’s meet him at Rico’s Restaurant near the precinct. I’ll get back to you later.” He hung up.

Eve slowly pressed the disconnect before she said to Jane, “Heather Carmello. No goblet. He wants to ask Caleb if there’s any significance.”

“Well, you said Bйla Lugosi usually took the blood straight from the source. Maybe Jelak thinks he’s moved up in the world.”

“Guesswork again. We need to know.” She reached in her pocket and took out the card Caleb had given her. It was heavy plain paper with only the cell number scrawled on it. “So let’s see if Caleb can tell us.”

Before she could place the call, her phone rang.

Montalvo.

“I saw the Heather Carmello murder on the news. I would have liked to have heard it from you. Purely in the name of cooperation.”

He was obviously not pleased. She probably should have told him since she couldn’t discount the information he’d given them. Well, she just couldn’t help it. She was having enough problems. “I’ve been busy.”