Tess Gerritsen - The Keepsake

“No.”

“Any archaeologist friends who’d know how to turn a woman into a mummy? Or a shrunken head?”

“That knowledge is available to a lot of people. You don’t have to be an archaeologist.”

“But your friends are archaeologists.”

Josephine shrugged. “I don’t have all that many friends.”

“Why not?”

“As I told you, I’m new to Boston. I only got here in March.”

“So you can’t think of anyone who might have stalked you? Stolen your keys? Anyone who might try to terrify you by putting a body in your trunk?”

For the first time, Josephine’s composure slipped, revealing the frightened soul beneath the mask. She whispered: “No, I don’t! I don’t know who’s doing this. Or why he chose me. ”

Jane studied the young woman, begrudgingly admiring the flawless skin, the coal-dark eyes. What would it be like to be so beautiful? To walk into a room and feel every man’s gaze on you? Including gazes that you don’t welcome?

“You understand, I hope, that you’re going to have to be a lot more careful from now on,” said Frost.

Josephine swallowed. “I know.”

“Is there somewhere else you can stay? Some place you’d like us to take you?” he asked.

“I think…I think I may leave town for a while.” Josephine straightened, as though heartened by having a plan of action. “My aunt lives in Vermont. I’ll stay with her.”

“Where in Vermont? We need to be able to check on you.”

“Burlington. Her name is Connie Pulcillo. But you can always reach me on my cell phone.”

“Good,” said Frost. “And I assume you won’t do anything as foolhardy as hiking all alone again.”

Josephine managed a weak smile. “I won’t be doing that anytime soon.”

“You know, that’s something I wanted to ask you about,” said Jane. “That little hike you took today.”

Josephine’s smile faded, as though she realized that Jane could not be so easily charmed. “It wasn’t a wise thing to do, I know,” she admitted.

“A rainy day. Muddy trails. Why on earth would you want to be there?”

“I wasn’t the only one in the park. That family was there, too.”

“They’re out-of-towners and their dog needed a walk.”

“So did I.”

“Judging by your muddy boots, you did more than take just a stroll.”

“Rizzoli,” said Frost, “what are you getting at?”

Jane ignored him and kept her focus on Josephine. “Is there something else you want to tell us, Dr. Pulcillo, about why you were up at Blue Hills Reservation? On a Thursday morning, when I assume you’re supposed to be at work?”

“I’m not due at work until one.”

“The rain didn’t discourage you?”

Josephine’s face took on the expression of a hunted animal. She’s scared of me, thought Jane. What am I not getting about this picture?

“It’s been a really hard week,” said Josephine. “I needed to get outside, just to think. I’d heard the park was a pretty place to walk, so I went.” She straightened, her voice now stronger. More assured. “That’s all it was, Detective. A walk. Is there something illegal about that?”

The two women locked eyes for a moment. A moment that confused Jane because she did not understand what was really going on.

“No, there’s nothing illegal about it,” said Frost. “And I think we’ve pressed you hard enough today.”

Jane saw the young woman abruptly look away. And she thought: We haven’t pressed hard enough.

“Who appointed you the Good Cop?” said Jane as she and Frost slid into her Subaru.

“What do you mean?”

“You were so busy making goo-goo eyes at Pulcillo, you forced me to play the Bad Cop.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Can I make you a cup of coffee?”Jane snorted. “Are you a detective or a butler?”

“What’s your problem? The poor girl just got the crap scared out of her. Her keys were stolen, a body’s in her trunk, and we’ve impounded her car. Doesn’t that sound like someone who needs a little sympathy? You were treating her like a suspect.”

“Sympathy? Is that all you were giving her in there? I was waiting for you to ask her out on a date.”

In all the time they’d worked together, Jane had never seen Frost truly angry at her. So to witness the fury that suddenly flared up in his eyes was more than unsettling; it was almost scary. “Fuck you, Rizzoli.”

“Hey.”

“You’ve got some real issues, you know that? What is it about her that ticks you off? The fact that she’s pretty?”

“Something about her doesn’t add up. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“She’s scared. Her life’s just been turned upside down. That’s got to freak a person out.”

“And you want to swoop right in and rescue her.”

“I’m trying to be a decent human being.”

“Tell me you’d be acting this way if she looked like a dog.”

“Her looks have nothing to do with this. Why do you keep suggesting I’ve got other motives?”

Jane sighed. “Look, I’m just trying to keep you out of trouble, okay? I’m Mama Bear, doing her duty and keeping you safe.” She thrust the key into the ignition and turned on the engine. “So when’s Alice coming home? Hasn’t she been visiting her parents long enough?”

He shot her a suspicious look. “Why are you asking about Alice?”

“She’s been gone for weeks. Isn’t it about time she came home?”

That elicited a snort. “Jane Rizzoli, marriage counselor. I kind of resent it, you know.”

“What?”

“That you think I’d ever go off the rails.”

Jane pulled away from the curb and merged into traffic. “I just thought I should say something. I’m all for heading off trouble.”

“Yeah, that strategy worked really well on your dad. Is he talking to you these days, or did you piss him off for good?”

At the mention of her father, her grip on the steering wheel tightened to a stranglehold. After thirty-one years of apparent marital bliss, Frank Rizzoli had suddenly developed a hankering for cheap blondes. Seven months ago, he had walked out on Jane’s mother.

“I only told him what I thought about his bimbo.”

Frost laughed. “Yeah. Then you tried to beat her up.”

“I did not beat her up. We had words.”

“You tried to arrest her.”

“I should have arrested him for acting like a middle-aged moron. It’s so frigging embarrassing.” She stared grimly at the road. “Now my mom’s doing a pretty good job embarrassing me, too.”

“Because she’s dating?” Frost shook his head. “You see? You’re so damn judgmental, you’re gonna piss her off as well.”

“She’s acting like a teenager.”

“Your dad dumped her and now she’s dating, so what? Korsak’s a good guy, so let her have some fun.”

“We weren’t talking about my parents. We were talking about Josephine.”

“ Youwere talking about Josephine.”

“There’s something about her that bothers me. Do you notice how she hardly looks us in the eye? I think she couldn’t wait to get us out of her apartment.”

“She answered all our questions. What more did you expect?”

“She didn’t give us everything. She’s holding something back.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know.” Jane stared ahead at the road. “But it wouldn’t hurt to find out a little more about Dr. Pulcillo.”

From her window above the street, Josephine watched the two detectives climb into the car and drive away. Only then did she open her purse and pull out her ankh key ring, the one she’d found hanging on the apple tree. She’d said nothing to the police about the return of these keys. If she’d mentioned it, then she would also have had to tell them about the note directing her there, the note addressed to Josephine Sommer. And Sommer was a name they must never know about.