For You(77)
“The neighbor, name’s Carly,” Sully went on, “said that Marie finally figured it out. Marie came over one day, an absolute mess, cryin’ and carryin’ on. Carly calmed her down and Marie said she had an appointment at the hair dresser but popped into Meems’s to get a coffee. It was morning, Feb was there. You came in and before you left, you said something like, ‘Hey February, tell Morrie so and so,’ and Feb said, ‘Sure, Alec.’ It freaked Carly out so much, because it freaked Marie out so much, she remembered what Marie told her, word for word.”
“That’s because it’s freaky, Sully,” Colt spoke the truth.
“Well, yeah,” Sully agreed, “this is where it gets scary, though these two couldn’t have known it would.”
“Go on.”
“They decided to find out what the deal was with Denny, Feb and you. Carly said Marie was allowed to go out, get her hair done, manicures, stuff like that, shit Denny wouldn’t want to do with her. Marie asked questions, so did Carly, they found out a lot about you two.”
Colt wasn’t surprised. Townsfolk talked, Colt knew that and no matter how many years slid by, Feb and Colt were always a favorite topic of conversation.
Sully continued. “They never understood it, or at least not what it had to do with Denny. Marie got fed up playing sleuth and told Carly she was gonna confront Denny with it. Find out. She was getting ready to leave. She was done with the rough sex, the games, him only gettin’ hard if she called him your name. Him never saying hers when he was doin’ her.”
“So she confronted him and he went into a rage.”
“That’s what I figure.”
“You find anything in the house?”
“Big house, lots to go through. No shrines to Feb, no pictures of her, nothin’ that would link him to her, though they’re still at it. And we don’t know why he was withdrawing money which started awhile ago, before he killed Marie. Andy thinks Marie’s been dead over a week. We found out their cleaner was in Texas last week, visiting family. Denny must’ve forgot about her Monday visits.”
“Denny probably didn’t hire her or think about the house gettin’ cleaned,” Colt noted.
“Yeah,” Sully said.
“That all you got?”
“Bit more, nothin’ big. Marie was liked in the ‘hood. Neighbors were upset, said she was sweet. Made good cookies. Always remembered their kids’ birthdays and would get them cards and generous gift certificates. She went visiting a lot, considerin’ her whole world was mostly that street. Denny, not so much. He’d attend a dinner party but mostly they said he was quiet and he wasn’t popular, always choppin’ wood.”
Colt could imagine.
“Anything else?” Colt asked.
“Her parents are comin’ down, spendin’ the night at the Holiday Inn by the highway,” Sully answered. “We got an interview set up first thing tomorrow. And Feds are at Denny’s office as we speak. Took the head man away from his dinner table to go open up the offices. I’ll know more tomorrow.”
“What’re they doin’ about findin’ this guy?”
“APB. Got his picture circulating, description, info about his car, had agents all over stop by different places Feb worked, asking questions, flashing his picture, leaving warnings. So far, nothin’. Nowakowski called, said it wouldn’t hurt if Feb made another list.”
Colt clenched his teeth again, not looking forward to asking Feb to do that.
“Got anything else for me tonight?”
“Nope, but I’ll call you when I know more tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
“How was Reggie’s, beer and Feb?” Sully asked, his tone deceptively casual, sharing serious information work voice gone, he now sounded nosy.
“You turn into a woman since I last saw you?” Colt asked back.
He heard Sully’s chuckle before he said, “Just curious.”
“Like I said, you’ll know when I know.”
“Shit, Lorraine’s gonna be pissed. She told me to get something meaty.”
“Tell Raine she’s goin’ empty-handed to the coffee klatch tomorrow.”
“Like I said, she’s gonna be pissed.”
Colt didn’t try to stop his smile.
“Later.”
“Later.”
Colt looked to the hall before he dropped his phone on the table and settled back, half expecting to see Feb standing there. But she wasn’t probably because she took one of Doc’s pills.
Therefore it was a surprise when, not a minute later, the door opened and he heard Feb’s soft footfalls on the carpet in the dark.