were Mac’s assistant, Liz Hanley, and NYPD Detective George Brennan. Instantly Nell had known that something was terribly wrong, but they insisted on not talking until they were inside the apartment.
Then, as gently as he could, Detective Brennan told her about the accident, and with an apology said he needed to ask her some questions.
There were witnesses who had seen her husband getting on his boat, he told her, followed by at least three more people. Did she know the names of his companions? he asked.
Too stunned yet for reality to sink in, Nell had told him that she understood it was to be an associates’ meeting, and that Winifred Johnson, Adam’s assistant, was also going to be there. She told him the names of the associates, even offered to look up phone numbers, but the detective demurred. He told her he would take it from there for the night, and that she should go to bed and try to get some sleep. The media blitz would start tomorrow, and she would need all her strength.
“I’ll be back to talk with you in the morning, Mrs. Cauliff. I’m so terribly sorry,” he said, then walked with Liz Hanley to the door.
As the detective left, both Mac and Gert arrived at the apartment, having been called by Liz.
“Nell, go to bed,” Mac said immediately.
Mac’s voice always has had a peculiar ability to sound both brusque and concerned at the same time, Nell thought objectively.
“Mac’s right, Nell. The next few days aren’t going to be easy,” Gertrude MacDermott coaxed, taking a seat on the couch next to Nell.
Nell looked at these two people, the only family she had now. With a slight smile, she remembered how one of her grandfather’s aides had commented once, “How can Cornelius and Gertrude look so much alike, yet be so different?”
It was true. Both of them had a shock of unruly white hair, vivid blue eyes, thin lips and a jutting chin. But the expression in Gert’s eyes was tranquil rather than fierce like Mac’s; her demeanor was as retiring as her brother’s was combative.
“I’ll stay with you tonight,” Gert volunteered. “You shouldn’t be alone.”
Nell shook her head. “Thank you, Aunt Gert. But I need to be alone tonight,” she said.
Liz came back to say good night, and Nell got up and walked her to the door. “Nell, I’m so sorry. When I heard the news on the radio tonight, I came right over. I know you mean more to Mac than anything else in the world, and I know he feels terrible about Adam too, even though he was always a little hard on him. If there is anything I can do . . .”
“I know, Liz. Thanks for coming so quickly. Thanks for taking care of so many things already.”
“Tomorrow we’ll talk about arrangements,” Liz said.
Arrangements? Nell thought with a start. Arrangements. A funeral. “Adam and I never really discussed what he would want if something happened to him,” Nell said. “It was just not something that seemed necessary. But I do remember that one time in Nantucket, when he’d been out fishing, he said that when his time came he’d like to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the ocean.”
She looked at Liz and understood the surge of sympathy in her eyes. Nell shook her head and forced herself to smile. “I guess it looks like he got his wish, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll call you in the morning,” Liz said, taking Nell’s hand and squeezing it gently.
When Nell returned to the living room, her grandfather was standing up and Gert was looking for her pocketbook. As Nell walked Mac to the door, he said gruffly, “You’re smart not to have Gert stay. She’d be going on all night in that channel-babble nonsense of hers.” Mac stopped and faced Nell, putting a gentle hand on each of her arms. “I’m more sorry than I can express, Nell. After what happened to your mother and father, you certainly don’t deserve to lose Adam this way.”
I especially don’t deserve to lose him after a quarrel, Nell thought, feeling a
Then, as gently as he could, Detective Brennan told her about the accident, and with an apology said he needed to ask her some questions.
There were witnesses who had seen her husband getting on his boat, he told her, followed by at least three more people. Did she know the names of his companions? he asked.
Too stunned yet for reality to sink in, Nell had told him that she understood it was to be an associates’ meeting, and that Winifred Johnson, Adam’s assistant, was also going to be there. She told him the names of the associates, even offered to look up phone numbers, but the detective demurred. He told her he would take it from there for the night, and that she should go to bed and try to get some sleep. The media blitz would start tomorrow, and she would need all her strength.
“I’ll be back to talk with you in the morning, Mrs. Cauliff. I’m so terribly sorry,” he said, then walked with Liz Hanley to the door.
As the detective left, both Mac and Gert arrived at the apartment, having been called by Liz.
“Nell, go to bed,” Mac said immediately.
Mac’s voice always has had a peculiar ability to sound both brusque and concerned at the same time, Nell thought objectively.
“Mac’s right, Nell. The next few days aren’t going to be easy,” Gertrude MacDermott coaxed, taking a seat on the couch next to Nell.
Nell looked at these two people, the only family she had now. With a slight smile, she remembered how one of her grandfather’s aides had commented once, “How can Cornelius and Gertrude look so much alike, yet be so different?”
It was true. Both of them had a shock of unruly white hair, vivid blue eyes, thin lips and a jutting chin. But the expression in Gert’s eyes was tranquil rather than fierce like Mac’s; her demeanor was as retiring as her brother’s was combative.
“I’ll stay with you tonight,” Gert volunteered. “You shouldn’t be alone.”
Nell shook her head. “Thank you, Aunt Gert. But I need to be alone tonight,” she said.
Liz came back to say good night, and Nell got up and walked her to the door. “Nell, I’m so sorry. When I heard the news on the radio tonight, I came right over. I know you mean more to Mac than anything else in the world, and I know he feels terrible about Adam too, even though he was always a little hard on him. If there is anything I can do . . .”
“I know, Liz. Thanks for coming so quickly. Thanks for taking care of so many things already.”
“Tomorrow we’ll talk about arrangements,” Liz said.
Arrangements? Nell thought with a start. Arrangements. A funeral. “Adam and I never really discussed what he would want if something happened to him,” Nell said. “It was just not something that seemed necessary. But I do remember that one time in Nantucket, when he’d been out fishing, he said that when his time came he’d like to be cremated and have his ashes spread over the ocean.”
She looked at Liz and understood the surge of sympathy in her eyes. Nell shook her head and forced herself to smile. “I guess it looks like he got his wish, doesn’t it?”
“I’ll call you in the morning,” Liz said, taking Nell’s hand and squeezing it gently.
When Nell returned to the living room, her grandfather was standing up and Gert was looking for her pocketbook. As Nell walked Mac to the door, he said gruffly, “You’re smart not to have Gert stay. She’d be going on all night in that channel-babble nonsense of hers.” Mac stopped and faced Nell, putting a gentle hand on each of her arms. “I’m more sorry than I can express, Nell. After what happened to your mother and father, you certainly don’t deserve to lose Adam this way.”
I especially don’t deserve to lose him after a quarrel, Nell thought, feeling a
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