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FISH ALMOST BLEW OFF Lexi’s question, but she had a point. Gunther was good. Very good. “You’re saying Gunther took advantage of being in the spotlight in San Francisco the way we suspected, but it wasn’t to roll heads with his local people. It was to punish whoever’d broken his no fouling my nest rule—whether it was one of his people or someone new trying to encroach on his territory. Burnside was a hands-off zone.”
“I think it’s worth considering. Do you?” Lexi said.
He had to admit she’d made a valid point. So far, surveillance efforts had done nothing more than vouched for Gunther’s innocence. “Yes. What can we do?”
“I’m working on it. Damn, I wish I had my laptop. Can you get whoever has it to send it back?”
“I’ll ask. First thing tomorrow,” he said.
“I can touch base with our DEA contacts in Indy.”
“Gunther has an Indy connection.”
“I’ll figure something out.” Her brows bunched. “You think Cataline’s hooking to supplement her income?”
“No attire in her closet suggests she’s working the streets. Mostly jeans and Stop and Shop t-shirts. My hunch, based on what Sofia said, is that she used the store as a place to meet men, and then invited them to her house. Some stayed, some didn’t.”
Another text from Manny interrupted their discussion. Fish tapped the screen. His heart did a triple backflip when he read the message.
“What?” Lexi’s sharp tone snapped him into the moment.
“Cataline. They couldn’t save her. She’s dead.”
Lexi gasped. Swiveled her gaze toward the spare room, where Sofia slept. When Lexi turned back, her eyes brimmed with tears. She blinked. “Overdose?”
He nodded.
Lexi’s expression turned stone cold. “I want a complete autopsy. I’ll pay.”
“Do you think it’ll do any good?” Fish asked. “The ME will run a tox screen, with or without an autopsy. Do you need more? It could take weeks, or longer, before they get to her.”
He understood she wanted to know if there was evidence pointing to Gunther’s involvement, but he couldn’t see them needing more than what drugs were in Cataline’s system. It was too late to do anything tonight, and she might be thinking more clearly in the morning, when the initial shock wore off.
“Sofia,” Lexi whispered. “I have to tell her, but how do I explain it?”
“Wait until tomorrow,” he said gently. “Let her get a good night’s sleep. In fact, it might be good to stick with her normal routine so she’s in school while we take care of everything that has to be done. Once we know more, we can tell her.”
“It’ll be a nightmare. I have no legal claim to Sofia, but I refuse to let her go into foster care.”
Fish imagined it would be like a circus performer trying to keep plates spinning while juggling blazing torches and walking a tightrope when it came to dealing with the death of someone who was little more than a stranger. Had Cataline left a will? What about bank accounts? Did she have life insurance?
“I’m going to bed,” Lexi stood. “I need to absorb this.”
Fish let her go. Like Lexi, he still had contacts, coupled with the resources at Blackthorne. She wasn’t going to do this alone. He picked up his phone.
***
LEXI EASED THE STUDY door open, listened to Sofia’s slow, even breathing. By the faint glow from the living room, Lexi made out Sofia’s form, curled up in the sleeping bag, her toy mouse tucked between her arms.
Lexi tiptoed into the room and grabbed a notepad from her desk. Sofia stirred, but didn’t waken.
“Sleep tight, Princess,” Lexi whispered. “We’ll work this out. I promise.”
In her bedroom, Lexi sat cross-legged on the bed, making lists. She’d dealt with an unexpected death when Brian had been murdered, and never thought she’d have to do it again. The issue would be finding a way to access the information she’d need.
First, she’d have to prove that Cataline’s death wasn’t a self-inflicted overdose, but rather a homicide. Once an investigation was opened, Lexi would find a way to insert herself into the process.
She’d filled three pages with notes when the words blurred beyond recognition and her eyes refused to stay open. Knowing she needed a clear head in the morning, she got ready for bed and slipped under the covers. She assumed Marv had decided to spend the night on the sofa bed, still acting as her protector.
She didn’t look at the clock when she drifted awake and felt a warm body lying beside her. She inhaled Marv’s scent, stroked his neck, then his arm, then down his side, pausing at his hips.
She needed one more night with him. Of him. She loved him, she realized, but starting tomorrow, her life would revolve around Sofia. She’d find a safer job outside Burnside PD. One with hours that would let her be a full-time guardian. Marv’s life with Blackthorne was like that of a cop, but double. Not only dangerous with long, unpredictable hours, but he’d be gone a lot, and coming home safe and sound wasn’t a given. She didn’t think carrying a picture of her would guarantee his safety.
She let her hand roam to his belly. And lower. She’d have the memories for the lonely nights to follow.
The next morning, Lexi woke early to fix breakfast, letting Marv sleep. She hoped he’d have fond memories, too. While Sofia, who’d crawled out of bed shortly after Lexi, prepared for school, Lexi penned a note to Miss Webster. Taking Fish’s advice, she kept the note short, saying they wanted the day to be as normal as possible, that they were going to break the news to Sofia later, and not to mention Cataline’s death to anyone else.
Struggling with the concept of normal herself, Lexi didn’t say anything to Marv other than what she’d written to Miss Webster. They drove Sofia to school, Marv trying to engage Sofia in a recap of last night’s reading time.
“You can wait. I’ll be right back,” Lexi told him when they arrived at the school.
Lexi walked Sofia to her classroom and handed the note to her teacher. The woman’s eyes widened, but she nodded and gave Sofia a warm welcome.
“I can’t stay today, Princess,” Lexi said. “I’ll pick you up in the library after school, okay?”
“Okay.” Sofia hung up her jacket and chatted with friends.
Lexi paused in the doorway, wishing there was a way to let Sofia know she should savor every moment.
Next up. Talking to Marv. She dragged her feet getting back to the car, trying to delay the inevitable.
He was working his cell phone, as expected. Had Blackthorne sent him the news? From the way he ignored her, yes. As she drove, he continued, either too engrossed or too angry to meet her eyes or talk. The silence suited her fine. She didn’t trust her voice, and no matter how many times she’d tried to find the words, they’d all sounded lame.
She parked the rental—his rental—at the rear of the house. He got out, stormed to the door, but had to wait for her to unlock it. He motioned her in first, then followed and shut the door. Kudos to his restraint. Had the situation been reversed, she’d have slammed it.
“When were you planning to tell me?” he said.