First to Die

Chapter25

THE FIRST WEEK of the bride and groom investigation was gone. Unbelievable. Jacobi's team had pounded the jacket-and-champagne search, but so far they had come up empty. Raleigh and I had spoken to twenty wedding guests, from the mayor to the groom's best friend. All of them were numb and sickened, but unable to put a finger on any one thing that might move us along. All I could focus on was that we needed something firm- fast- before this guy who took the rings killed again. I underwent my second transfusion. I watched the thick red blood drip into my vein. I prayed it was making me stronger, but I didn't know. It had the slow, steady beat of a ticking clock. And the clock was ticking. Mine, Chief Mercer's. Saturday at six, Jacobi closed his pad, put on his sport jacket, and tucked his gun into his belt. "See ya, Boxer," he said. Raleigh stopped by before heading out. "I owe you a beer. You want to collect?" A beer would be nice, I thought. I was even growing used to Raleigh's company. But something told me that if I went with him now, I'd let everything out: Negli's, my treatments, the fear in my heart. I shook my head. "Think I'll stick around," I said with a polite shrug. "You got plans tomorrow?" "Yeah. I'm meeting Claire. Then I'll come in here. What about you?" "Jason's in a soccer tournament in Palo Alto. I'm taking both boys down." "Sounds nice." It did sound nice. It had the ring of something I might miss out on in life. "I'll be back tomorrow evening." He had given me his beeper the first day we hooked up. "I'm an hour away. Call if anything comes up." With Raleigh gone, my corner of the squad room became shrouded in silence. The investigation was shut down for the night. One or two of the night staff were chatting out in the hall. I had never felt so lonely. I knew that if I went home now I'd be leaving behind some vital nexus to the case. Failing some unsaid promise I had made to Melanie. One more look, I said. One more pass. Why would the killer take the rings? A wave of exhaustion washed through my veins. My new fighting cells were sapping my strength even as they defended me, multiplied. The cavalry, charging in to the rescue. Hope attacking doubt. It seemed crazy. I had to let David and Melanie sleep for the night. I bound the thick crime file up in its elastic cord and placed it in the gray bin marked "Open Cases." Next to similar files, with similar names. Then I sat at my desk in the dark squad room for a couple of minutes more. I started to cry. Book Two