Gallagher’s voice. “He claims that Sunday night he was with Marina. And he might just be telling the truth about the prints. He could have helped Marina replace the statue. The shelf is high.”
“If not, he is a quick thinker.”
“Or maybe the two of them could have been in it together. He bashes the professor, then disappears.”
“Wouldn’t it seem more chivalrous for him to stay with the body and let her slink away?” Gallagher yawned again.
“Chivalry is clearly dead, Gallagher,” Kate said.“Besides, he would have no valid reason to be in the office.”
“True. The girl says they were together in his room up to just before she found the body. And she’s sticking to the story, which is one of the reasons we don’t have an open-and-shut case, Katie girl.”
Again, Kate chose to ignore the sarcasm.
She ran down her notes. “Let’s see, there was the janitor, Luis Neves—says he was sweeping at the time. Officers found a pile of dirt that looks like he is either very clever or very innocent. Tony Costa is the only other person who lives on the property, besides the nuns, and he claimed he was with about one hundred other Portuguese at a hang-out in Santa Clara. I checked it out. Bartender remembers him.”
“How come the bartender remembered one guy in a crowd that big?”
“Seems Costa is a regular. Plus he gets as belligerent as hell when he has had more than his share. So the bartender keeps an eye on him.”
Gallagher shrugged. “Figures. What about the nuns?”
Kate stared at him in disbelief. “They were all together in the Community Room. Several verified that. All, that is, except Cecilia, the president, who was at an important Board of Directors’ Meeting. Mayor’s sister-in-law was with her. It’s this shadow on the stairs, the one the old nun thinks she saw, that interests me. Now, I’ll bet that’s our murderer. Maybe one of the Portuguese the professor helped,but didn’t help enough. Maybe a disgruntled student he flunked.”
“Good thinking, Kate!”
“Anyway, in case our Leonel doesn’t work out, I’m getting a list of failing students from the Registrar’s Office. And Marina told me she’d put together a list of people Villanueva is known to have helped.”
“We can pick that up tomorrow.” Gallagher checked his watch again. The Homicide Detail was growing dim. “Let’s take the guy upstairs and get the hell outa here,” he said.
The two inspectors rode down in the elevator. “Do me a favor, will you, Kate?” Gallagher asked as they walked across the Hall of Justice parking lot.
“What is it, Denny?” Kate fumbled for her car keys, unlocked the door, and slid in.
“Will you handle that old nun?”
“Why?” Kate frowned.
“Because I’ve had one session with her already, Kate, and frankly, you two deserve each other.” He slammed her door shut.
Waving, Gallagher walked toward his car.
Kate giggled. Poor Denny. But then, he was not the only man who had trouble dealing with strong women. There had been her father. Poor Pa. Turning on her lights and windshield wipers, Kate merged into the downtown traffic. Fog had blunted the city. In a few minutes, she’d be home. Signaling left, she turned toward 34th Avenue—and Jack. He should behome already. She could hardly wait to tell him about her day.
On the way toward the avenues she passed the college. It had been nice going up there today, she thought. Seeing Sister Eileen and all the nuns again. She felt a little nostalgic. College had been such a safe, stable time in her life. Everything had been so certain. Pa reading the paper, ruling the household. Ma cooking, cleaning, loving every minute of waiting on them.
Everything had been so secure. That is, until her senior year. Pa had sent her to this small Catholic liberal arts college, so she would be prepared to take “a woman’s proper place in the home.”
“So as you’ll make some man a good wife and a good mother to his children,”
“If not, he is a quick thinker.”
“Or maybe the two of them could have been in it together. He bashes the professor, then disappears.”
“Wouldn’t it seem more chivalrous for him to stay with the body and let her slink away?” Gallagher yawned again.
“Chivalry is clearly dead, Gallagher,” Kate said.“Besides, he would have no valid reason to be in the office.”
“True. The girl says they were together in his room up to just before she found the body. And she’s sticking to the story, which is one of the reasons we don’t have an open-and-shut case, Katie girl.”
Again, Kate chose to ignore the sarcasm.
She ran down her notes. “Let’s see, there was the janitor, Luis Neves—says he was sweeping at the time. Officers found a pile of dirt that looks like he is either very clever or very innocent. Tony Costa is the only other person who lives on the property, besides the nuns, and he claimed he was with about one hundred other Portuguese at a hang-out in Santa Clara. I checked it out. Bartender remembers him.”
“How come the bartender remembered one guy in a crowd that big?”
“Seems Costa is a regular. Plus he gets as belligerent as hell when he has had more than his share. So the bartender keeps an eye on him.”
Gallagher shrugged. “Figures. What about the nuns?”
Kate stared at him in disbelief. “They were all together in the Community Room. Several verified that. All, that is, except Cecilia, the president, who was at an important Board of Directors’ Meeting. Mayor’s sister-in-law was with her. It’s this shadow on the stairs, the one the old nun thinks she saw, that interests me. Now, I’ll bet that’s our murderer. Maybe one of the Portuguese the professor helped,but didn’t help enough. Maybe a disgruntled student he flunked.”
“Good thinking, Kate!”
“Anyway, in case our Leonel doesn’t work out, I’m getting a list of failing students from the Registrar’s Office. And Marina told me she’d put together a list of people Villanueva is known to have helped.”
“We can pick that up tomorrow.” Gallagher checked his watch again. The Homicide Detail was growing dim. “Let’s take the guy upstairs and get the hell outa here,” he said.
The two inspectors rode down in the elevator. “Do me a favor, will you, Kate?” Gallagher asked as they walked across the Hall of Justice parking lot.
“What is it, Denny?” Kate fumbled for her car keys, unlocked the door, and slid in.
“Will you handle that old nun?”
“Why?” Kate frowned.
“Because I’ve had one session with her already, Kate, and frankly, you two deserve each other.” He slammed her door shut.
Waving, Gallagher walked toward his car.
Kate giggled. Poor Denny. But then, he was not the only man who had trouble dealing with strong women. There had been her father. Poor Pa. Turning on her lights and windshield wipers, Kate merged into the downtown traffic. Fog had blunted the city. In a few minutes, she’d be home. Signaling left, she turned toward 34th Avenue—and Jack. He should behome already. She could hardly wait to tell him about her day.
On the way toward the avenues she passed the college. It had been nice going up there today, she thought. Seeing Sister Eileen and all the nuns again. She felt a little nostalgic. College had been such a safe, stable time in her life. Everything had been so certain. Pa reading the paper, ruling the household. Ma cooking, cleaning, loving every minute of waiting on them.
Everything had been so secure. That is, until her senior year. Pa had sent her to this small Catholic liberal arts college, so she would be prepared to take “a woman’s proper place in the home.”
“So as you’ll make some man a good wife and a good mother to his children,”
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