It was a terrible moment of d j vu, a return to so many instances over the past few years, him shouting at her for her inability to understand, for just not getting it, and her responding with silence.
A few seconds passed, and when she spoke again, it was with the careful, measured tone that he’d always found infuriating because it made him feel so small. Damn her composure, her constant control.
“I understand that might be a little difficult,” she said. “But I’m worried that if you didn’t offer some explanation, you’re going to create problems for yourself.”
“I’m not short on problems, Claire. Let’s add more to the pile, what the hell.”
“All right,” she said. “That’s one approach.”
He rubbed his temples again, but this time there was no headache. Why was he snapping at her? Why did he always resort to this, no matter the situation?
“Where are you?” he said.
“With my parents.”
Oh, how he wished she’d said a hotel. Now Paulie could step in and protect her, clean up yet another of Eric’s messes. He was probably enjoying the hell out of it.
“I don’t know if that’s such a good place. If anybody’s looking for you, that will be near the top of the list.”
“They have good security here.”
Indeed they did. They were twenty-six floors up in a restricted-access, luxury condo building overlooking Lake Michigan. Was going to take a damn long grappling hook to get up there.
“Dad’s been making calls,” she said.
“What? Why in the hell is he making calls?”
“To find out about the man who was murdered. Gavin Murray.”
“Damn it, Claire, the last thing I need is your father stirring up more trouble.”
“Really? Because it seems to me what you need is some help, Eric. It seems to me you need some answers. Who hired this guy, and why?”
Grudging silence. She was certainly right on the need for answers, and Paul was well connected in the Chicago legal community. He just might be able to get some.
“Tell him to start with the Bradford family,” he said finally. “Start with Alyssa, and then see who surrounds her. She shut me down today, and it wasn’t her decision. She was following instructions. Her only advice for me was to leave. Real insight, huh? Oh, and she said the old man is dead. Campbell. Or some version or impersonation of Campbell. Whatever the hell he was, he’s dead.”
“What? How?”
“Died today in the hospital, I think. She hung up without offering details.”
“Wonderful. One more person who can’t verify what you’ve told the police.”
“He couldn’t talk anyhow,” Eric said, thinking, except to me. He could talk to me, no problem at all. But let’s not share that with the police just yet.
“Have you heard back on the water test?” she said.
“Not yet. I need to call Kellen back. Then the police.”
“I don’t think you should do that. My father said you shouldn’t.”
“I can’t just blow them off, Claire, you just said that yourself.”
“I didn’t say blow them off. But Dad said that under the circumstances you absolutely should not talk to them again without a lawyer in the room.”
“But I’m just a witness.”
“You’ve told them what you know, right?”
“But he said he had more questions and I—”
“Here are some of his questions, Eric—he wants to know if you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse or violent episodes.”
“What?”
“Those were high on the list of questions when he called me, which was what I was going to explain before, but you cut me off. He seemed disappointed when I told him we were still on good terms. In other words, never say I can’t lie for you.”
Nice shot.
“I can’t believe he called you,” Eric said.
“Well, he did. And when I told my dad what was said, his response was that you need to get a lawyer. Your background isn’t relevant unless they consider you a suspect.”
“He doesn’t think I should talk to them at all?” Eric said, hating to give any credence to Paul Porter’s advice, but recognizing that the man had been a criminal attorney for many years.
“Not if you’ve already given a statement. He said he’ll get a lawyer if you—”
“I can find a lawyer.”
“All right. Great. You need to do that, and then you need to come home. You can’t stay down there anymore. You can’t.”
His response came without any thought: “But the water’s here.”
“The water? Well, take the bottle you have and come home and go to see a doctor! That’s what you need to be doing.”