seven

After David left, I rummaged around in the kitchen to see what I had to eat. I don’t keep a lot of food at the best of times, but my grandmother, Gloria, who’s a fabulous cook, is always packing up containers for me. Those were in the freezer and I didn’t want to spend time thawing them out. The pièce de resistance in my refrigerator was a large hunk of sharp cheddar cheese. I dug a box of crackers out of the cupboard, and yes, I had yellow mustard. Just the kind of nutritious snack I craved. I sliced the cheese, laid it on the crackers, and liberally squirted mustard over everything. I managed to pop one bite in my mouth before the phone rang.

“Julia?” It was my grandmother. “I tried your cell but you didn’t answer.”

“Oh, I had a client here. Sorry. I had to turn it off.”

“I just saw the news on TV. There was a murder at David’s firm?”

Oh no. Jack’s murder had hit the news. “Yes. I meant to call you this afternoon. I’m sorry.”

“But weren’t you there today? You said you were going to fill in at the firm!” I could hear the first hints of panic in Gloria’s voice.

“I was there, but it actually must have happened some time over the weekend. I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. David closed the office and I left early.”

“Well, I hope he plans to keep it closed! You’re not going back there, are you?”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. I’ll go back in the morning, but the office may not stay open. I really don’t want you worrying about me. Please.”

My grandmother sighed. “Well, I do, dear. That’s my job.” I smiled in spite of myself. I wanted to reach through the phone line and give her a great big hug. “Stay in touch this week, will you?”

“Of course, and I’ll see you Thursday night.”

“Kuan says he’s planning a special treat for me but he won’t tell me what it is.”

I knew whatever party he organized would be perfect. “Well,” I teased, “you’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I’m not very good at that. I get so impatient.”

“He’d be so upset if you spoiled his surprise.”

“I know,” she grumbled. “Make sure you call me this week. I don’t like to think you could be in any danger, darling.”

“Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ll be very safe there.”

“You better be. Otherwise I’ll go right down the street and give David Meyers a piece of my mind.”

I sighed and replaced the phone. I hated to think of Gloria worrying about me. She deserved a peaceful life. So did I, come to think of it.

The doorbell rang. My first thought was that David had left something behind. I hurried down the stairs to the front door. I hesitated as I saw a woman’s figure through the glass. Maggie! It was Maggie.

I threw the door open and we hugged. Michael’s sister and I have gotten along famously from the first moment we met. Maggie probably understands better than anyone how I feel since Michael’s death, and even though we don’t stay in touch as much as we used to, every time we meet it’s as though no time has elapsed at all.

I stepped back and took a good look at her. She wasn’t smiling. “Maggie? What is it?”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course. Yes.” She was quiet as we climbed the stairs. She headed straight for the kitchen and sat down at the table. I joined her. “What’s wrong?”

“Something’s come up.”

“About …”

“Yes.” She didn’t have to say it. I knew she meant Michael.

“What’s happened?” Part of me hoped against hope that we might find an answer some day about the hit-and-run. Another part of me just wanted the sadness and unknowingness to go away.

“Let me try to tell you in some kind of order.” She took a deep breath. “Do you remember the elderly man who used to live across the street from Michael’s old apartment?”

I nodded. I did remember. Michael’s apartment at 45th and Taraval was just a few blocks from my old place in the Sunset District. “Michael and I used to see him when he walked his dog. And then”—I shrugged—“there was a time when we didn’t see him as much.”

“Well, I think what happened was his son took the dog because it became too much for the old guy. But the dad didn’t want to leave his home so the family arranged some care and a companion for him.” I waited, not sure what Maggie’s story had to do with Michael. “Apparently, the old man was always taking pictures. He wasn’t any kind of a real photographer, but he liked to do that. He was always fooling around with his camera.”

“Yes, I remember now. He’d even take pictures of the flowers in his yard.”

“He died a couple of weeks ago. And his son and his daughter-in-law are putting the house up for sale. They’ve been there every day, moving stuff out and selling a few things to the neighbors. The thing is … they found a box of photos. The father had an old-fashioned camera that he used, and then he’d—”

“Maggie …” I couldn’t imagine where she was going with this story.

“They found a photo of Michael. On the street. Just as that car hit him.”

I gasped and covered my mouth. My heart was racing wildly. “He saw. He saw who hit Michael?”

“He must have. He must have tried to take a picture of what happened from his window.”

“Why didn’t he ever say anything?”

Maggie shook her head. “I don’t know. I really don’t. Maybe he didn’t want to get involved. Maybe he was afraid he’d have to testify.”

As much as I dreaded looking at what Maggie had described, I still needed to see the photo. “Do you have it with you?”

“I don’t. The old man’s son and his wife knew what it was. They didn’t know Michael, but they knew there’d been a hit-and-run in the neighborhood and that someone had died, so they turned it over to the police.”

“Have you seen it?”

“Yes, they showed it to me and my mother. She’s hysterical right now.” Celia, Michael’s mother, had been nothing but cold to me since his death. She wasn’t on firm ground to begin with, but after the accident, in her convoluted logic, she blamed me for her loss. If Michael hadn’t been in such a hurry to meet me, he would have been more careful, he wouldn’t have been killed.

“I can imagine.” I didn’t envy Maggie the emotional turmoil she must be dealing with.

“I told you before, Julia, she’s made a shrine of Michael’s room and I’m so worried about her. She never wants to go out or do anything. Once in a while I manage to drag her to a restaurant for brunch or something, but even her old friends have given up calling her.”

“What can they tell from the photo?”

“Not much. Michael is lying on his side on the street, and …” Maggie’s voice shook. “And you can just see the edge of the car. It’s dark or black and there’s a bit of a bumper and the corner of the right rear tire. The police think the driver must have panicked and taken off. The old guy might have been looking out his window when it happened and just snapped it really quick. They’re going to try to get as much information from it as they can, but they don’t really hold out much hope.”

“Who’s in charge of this?”

“Actually, a retired detective has volunteered to work on it. The case was never closed, but this is the first thing they’ve had to go on at all. I can get you the name of the detective in charge downtown, and maybe he’ll give you more information. I’ll let him know you might want to talk to him.”

“Thanks, Maggie.” My heart sank. In all this time, no witnesses to the accident had come forward. One woman at the end of the block remembered a dark vehicle traveling fast, but she couldn’t swear it had anything at all to do with the car that had hit Michael. “We shouldn’t get our hopes up.”

“I want some answers, Julia!” Maggie’s voice had risen. “And I’m sure you do too. It’s not right. What this has done to our family, to me, to you. All our lives have been changed because of this. I want to see someone pay for what they did.”

I nodded. “I do too. It won’t change anything. It won’t bring him back. But you’re right. We’ve all gone through so much …”

“I have to go.” Maggie stood suddenly and I realized she hadn’t even taken her coat off. “I’m staying at my mom’s for a little while. I’m so worried about her. I don’t like the thought of her being all alone in that big house.”

“Okay. Stay in touch and let me know what you find out?”

“I will.” Maggie leaned toward me and I put my arms around her, holding her tight. I felt her chest rise, a quiet sob. “I’m sorry to arrive on your doorstep like this, but I had to tell you face to face.”

“I’m glad you did, Maggie. I’m glad you did. And maybe we’ll learn more.”

Maggie pulled away. I could see tears forming in her eyes as she rushed down the stairs.