Jan Burke - Liar

“Yes. And this is my friend, Rachel Giocopazzi.”

“I’m Esther Woolrich. Miss Woolrich, by the way, which is something no mailbox can tell you,” she said with a wink. More solemnly, she said, “Mary told me she’d be sending you by for Briana’s things. I’m sorry for your loss, although from what Mary tells me…”

“Yes,” I said quickly. “Well, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

She didn’t move. “Sorry if I was a little brusque, but twice in the last few weeks, someone has tried to rob this apartment. Now that the cops are going away, we don’t want anyone to start trying to break in again.”

“Mary mentioned something about break-ins, but-only this apartment?”

“Yes. I’ve told the police about it, but they don’t do a thing.”

“You told the homicide detective?” Rachel asked.

“No, no. As I said, this was before we knew what had happened to poor Briana. Started not long before she died. I called the regular number, not homicide. They think I’m some old crackpot. You’d think I’d have to wait until the thieves actually broke in.”

“You came down those stairs thinking we were burglars?” Rachel asked. “Miss Woolrich, next time, it might be better to call the police. If we had been here to commit a burglary-”

“You probably would have run off. That’s what the others did.”

“What others?” I asked.

“First time, it was a man. Come right up to the front door, bold as brass. I’d seen him here before-parked out front. Casing the joint, that’s what he was up to then. That was before Briana died.”

“I’m confused-did he try to rob Briana’s apartment while she was still alive?”

“Yes. He parked out front and watched her leave, then came up and read the mailboxes, just like you did.”

“You couldn’t see that from your apartment,” I said.

She sighed, then startled us by calling out, “Open the door, Ruby.”

Behind us, the door to apartment number one opened a crack, and a short, stout woman who appeared to be near Esther Woolrich’s age peered out.

“Put the gun away and come out and meet Mary’s grandniece,” Esther said.

Rachel and I quickly exchanged horrified looks.

“Oh, don’t worry! She’s trained to use it,” Esther said.

We were not entirely reassured. Anyone with a parrot that had learned to say “Stick ‘em up” might be a little trigger-happy. But when Ruby stepped out into the hall, she greeted us warmly, with no sign of any intention of shooting us.

“You ever ridden with Mary in that car of hers?” she asked me as she shook my hand.

“Several times,” I said.

Rachel looked at me questioningly.

“A cherry ‘68 Mustang convertible,” I said, getting nods of agreement from Esther and Ruby.

“I’ve got to meet this woman,” Rachel said.

“Who lives in the other apartment?” I asked, pointing to the one across the hall from Esther’s.

“Oh, that guy. He’s spending a month back east with his grandkids,” Esther said, then added with a note of disapproval, “He’s like your aunt was-he keeps to himself.”

“But I take it you all keep an eye on one another?” I said to Ruby.

“Yes. That’s how we caught the burglars. Esther scared them off- didn’t have to use my little semiautomatic. Only a twenty-two, not much stopping power. But it will do in a pinch. I must say I’m relieved to have you take Briana’s belongings away from this place.”

“Tell us more about these attempted burglaries,” Rachel said. “The first time you saw him, he parked out front, came up to look at the mailboxes, then left?”

“Yes,” Ruby said. “Esther spotted him first, and called me. We watched him while he was watching the place. But he didn’t try to get in that time. Later, we sat down and figured out that it had been just before the accident.” She shook her head. “I feel so terrible about that! Briana kept to herself more than most, so we didn’t always know what she was up to, if you know what I mean. We knew she wasn’t home, but recently she’d taken to leaving for a few days at a time, and we just thought she might have gone visiting some friends or relatives. But then to find out…” Her voice trailed off as she caught Esther’s censorious glare.

“To answer your question,” Esther said, “the man showed up just before Briana died, and watched the place. Then he came by again, after the accident, but before we knew what had become of her. He had a set of lock picks with him.”

“Lock picks?” Rachel said. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Ruby said. “Saw them plain as day through the peephole.” She pointed out a small opening in her apartment door.

“I scared him off,” Esther said. “And I got a good look at him, too.”

“Mind describing him for me?” I asked.

“He’s tall,” Esther said, “about six foot, I’d say, and handsome enough, I guess.”

“Hoo!” Ruby exclaimed. “A regular silver fox!”

“Control yourself,” Esther said, but added, “To be fair, he was a somewhat attractive man. I’d put him in his mid-to-late fifties. Broad shoulders. He must have been dark-haired at one time, but mostly gray now. Cut short. And he was clean-shaven.”

“I smelled booze on him,” Ruby added.

“Oh, now, Ruby!”

“I was right down here near him, Esther, and I tell you I smelled booze.” She turned to us. “Do you know him?”

“Now Ruby Hambly, why on earth would they know a drunken burglar?” Esther exclaimed. “Of course they don’t.”

“You said there were two attempts?” I asked.

“Yes,” Esther said. “The second time was just a day or two ago. Didn’t get as good a look that time-slender fellow, trying to break in through a back window.”

“How tall?” Rachel asked.

“That’s hard to say, too. I only saw him at night, and from my upstairs window. Saw someone in dark clothes and a knit cap, which was an odd thing to be wearing on a spring evening. Heard him trying to pry the bars off. Stupid thing to try. I shouted down at him and he ran off. I’d guess him to be younger than the fellow who was at the door, and definitely not as tall.”

“Sure it wasn’t the same man?” I asked.

“That much I’m sure of. Different build.”

Rachel asked a few more questions, but the ladies seemed not to be able to recall much more. There was an argument over the make and color of the drunken burglar’s car. It was American, a sedan, dark green or brown.

“I appreciate your watching over things,” I said. “I’m going to try to get everything moved out this weekend, so with any luck this place won’t seem so attractive to thieves.”

They again expressed condolences, then went back to their apartments.

I unlocked Briana’s apartment door, and Rachel followed me in and shut it behind us.

“I’ll open a couple of windows,” she said.

The room we stepped into was warm and close. I felt a mild sensation of claustrophobia, and if Rachel had not hurried to let some air in, I might have stepped back outside. I glanced back at the door and saw a crucifix above it, dried palm leaves from a Palm Sunday Mass placed behind the cross. I turned my attention back to the job at hand.

I reached over a small, tattered sofa and raised the blind on the picture window, filling the room with sunlight. Looking more closely at the sofa, I saw tufts of shredding on the corners and arms; the type that can only be made by a cat who has decided to use the upholstery as a scratching post. For a moment I worried that some feline had been horribly neglected after Briana’s death, but saw no other signs that a cat had been living in the apartment-no scent of a cat or a litter box, no fur, no food dishes, no cat toys.