In death 59 passions i.., p.33
In Death 59 - Passions in Death, page 33
“So you stole and secreted this—appropriate—jewelry because you were looking out for your impulsive, emotional friend’s best interest?”
“I removed them to safekeeping for Shauna’s best interest, yes.”
“You like to decide what’s in others’ best interest. Such as…” She opened the file. “LeRoy Vic, a former assistant manager at your place of employment. You decided it wasn’t in his best interest to move to Brooklyn with his pregnant wife and take the manager’s position at another store—and took steps to prevent that.”
“What is this!” Outrage sizzled, and burned two spots of color in his cheeks. “You dug up a former employee—a classically disgruntled employee—to try to undermine me? He wasn’t ready for the position and lacked the necessary leadership qualities to—”
“But served as your assistant manager?”
“Assistant is key,” Barney snapped back. “I was doing my best to groom him, mentor him. A few more years under my supervision, and—”
“His sales were excellent, and his previous evaluations prior to this desired move? Also excellent.”
“He wasn’t ready.” Barney did the chin-jut thing again, and this time folded his arms. “And what does my decision as a manager have to do with any of this?”
“In your capacity as manager, you also decided what was best for Sharlene Wilson.”
“Oh, for God’s sake.”
“On several occasions you suggested Ms. Wilson should resign her part-time position and take professional parent status instead.”
“She had children at home.”
“I see. So in your opinion, women who choose to have a child or children shouldn’t also choose to work outside the home?”
“If I recall correctly, Sharlene’s professional mother stipend would have been more than her monthly pay from On Trend, where she worked, essentially, a handful of hours a week.”
“Especially after you hired another part-time—male—employee and cut her hours.”
“That was a managerial decision, and I don’t have to explain it to you.”
“No, you don’t, mostly because it explains itself. You like to manage people. You get to decide what they should do, how they should do it. How they should live. What’s best for them. Then you take the necessary steps to see they stay inside the lines you’ve drawn.”
Eve studied him, tapped her fingers on the table. “It makes me wonder, Greg. What do you do when they refuse to stay inside those lines? How far would you go? Obviously, stealing isn’t off the table.”
“I’ve explained that. I’m not going to keep repeating myself. Shauna will understand, and will back me a hundred percent, so your intimidation tactics are a waste of time. If you had any common sense or any respect for the position you somehow found yourself holding, you’d let me speak with her and clear this up.”
“I bet it pissed you off she put what you gave her in a box.” Peabody drew his attention back to her. “And stuck the box in a drawer with her gym and slop clothes. Never wore what you gave her.”
“You don’t know the first thing about it.”
“Tell us about it, Greg,” Peabody urged. “Tell us how it felt to have Shauna put Shaunbar away, and live her life the way she chose. How even after college, she wasn’t interested in taking Shaunbar out for another spin.”
“That was a mutual decision. We’d both moved on.”
“Speaking of moving,” Eve picked up, “after college, after a brief adjustment period back in the old neighborhood, she moved to Manhattan. And you followed right along soon after, like a puppy. Even moved into the same building.”
“For employment, and convenience to my employment.”
“So the fact you took employment near hers, moved into the same apartment building had nothing to do with good old Shaunbar.”
“Why shouldn’t I move into the same building as a good friend?” he demanded, but looked away. “When it’s convenient to my work.”
“Then, lo and behold, you start dating another old schoolmate. And one Shauna’s connected with, made good friends with. In fact, what they both consider best friends.”
“What’s strange about that? Becca and I began seeing each other, initially through Shauna. We fell in love.”
“Did you? Or was she just second choice because Shauna didn’t want you?”
“How dare you!” He slapped a fist on the table. “How dare you speak about the woman I’m going to marry that way.”
“Oh, you’re engaged.” Peabody clapped her hands together. “Congratulations.”
“Not yet. We will be.”
“When you decide?” Eve asked. “When you decide it’s the best time, it’s best for her?”
“That’s how it works!” As he had during the arrest, he sputtered. “When I feel it’s right, I buy the ring, I pick the time, the place, and I propose.”
“And naturally, she accepts. You decide when and where you’ll get married, then if and when to procreate. And if you do procreate, she’ll set aside her career until such time as you decide the offspring is old enough for her to pick it up again. If ever.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but when I take a wife, I will be head of the household. When we have children, I will provide for them, and she will mother them. This is how strong families are built.”
Take a wife, Eve thought. That was a good one.
“So parents who both opt to maintain a career aren’t building strong families?”
“That’s my personal opinion, to which I’m entitled.”
“Sure you are. But what if both parents are men, or both are women? Who’s the mom who stays home then?”
“The fact there’s that question only demonstrates why such arrangements only foster confusion and difficult family dynamics. I want to speak to Shauna. Now!”
“But this conversation’s so interesting. Aren’t you interested, Peabody?”
“Fascinated. You know, my aunts Gracie and Lottie have been married for … golly, I think it’s forty-odd years. Three kids—grown now—I think it’s six grandkids and counting. Gracie’s a large animal vet—you know, horses, cows, like that. Lottie’s a teacher—history, high school level. They’re a pretty strong family.”
“In your opinion,” Barney commented.
“Yeah.” Peabody just smiled. “Everybody’s got opinions. Of course, I come from a Free-Ager background.” Peabody caught the smirk and only smiled more brightly. “And we’re big on tolerance and inclusion.”
“And from my scan of your background, yours isn’t in the Free-Ager area.”
“Decidedly not. No offense,” he said to Peabody.
“Oh, absolutely none taken.”
“Given your background and stated opinions,” Eve began, “what did you think when Shauna became involved with Erin?”
“That she was, again, acting on impulse and the emotion of the moment. She’d dated men who’d disappointed her, or didn’t suit her, so she experimented. Unwisely.”
“How unwisely?”
He let out an impatient breath. “Aren’t we sitting here right now due to that? Aren’t I being interrogated and humiliated because of that? You’ve arrested the woman responsible for this upheaval in our lives. A person Shauna would never, ever have associated with prior to her involvement with a woman like Erin Albright.”
“A woman like Erin?”
“A lesbian, for God’s sake. A street artist, basically living hand to mouth, who counted strippers, trans people, gay people, people who constantly engaged in indiscriminate sex among her so-called friends. Freaks and losers.”
“Clearly you didn’t approve of the relationship.”
Fury lived in his eyes as he leaned forward.
“I’ve known Shauna since we were ten. She comes from a strong, traditional family. She may have pushed some limits in college, that’s almost expected. But she maintained her basic values.”
“Which, you feel, mirror yours. Until Erin.”
He spread his hands. “What happened to Erin is tragic. It’s horrible, and only more so since she was killed by someone she believed was a friend.”
“I completely agree.”
Bolstered, he nodded. “How it affects Shauna is heartbreaking. As someone who basically grew up with her, who cares deeply about her, it breaks mine. In time, she’ll move past it, and find herself again.”
“Pick up those old values,” Eve said, “and put away the lifestyle that was more…”
“Bohemian?” Peabody suggested.
“Bohemian. Good one. Is that accurate, Greg?”
“Yes.”
“So as tragic, horrible, heartbreaking as it is, Erin’s death cleared the way for Shauna to get back to where she belongs.”
“I don’t forgive ChiChi Lopez for what she did, but it does. Yes.”
“Well.” Eve looked at Peabody, nodded, looked at Barney, nodded again. “No wonder you had to kill her.”
“What!” He surged up. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Sit down!”
“I will not listen to this.”
“Sit down.” Eve rose slowly. “Or I’ll put you down. And believe me, I’ll enjoy it.”
“You have no right to treat me this way.” But he sat. “No cause to say such things to me. You’ve got Erin’s killer. You arrested her.”
“We arrested Lopez for assault, on Shauna. Not for Erin’s murder—that was your assumption. And boy, did that fit right in for you. The stripper with the garrote in the sex club.”
“Hey, like Clue! Love that game. But,” Peabody pointed out, “it turns out to be the overbearing ex-boyfriend with the garrote in the sex club.”
“Sure does. And when you add ex–high school boyfriend, it’s only more pathetic.”
“I take mementos for safekeeping, and suddenly I’m a killer?”
“That sure helped. You looked so damn guilty and twitchy when you walked into that hallway and saw me. I knew you’d taken something you shouldn’t have. You should’ve left that alone and I might not have started focusing on you the way I did. That was weak, that was stupid, like it was stupid to try to push the lowlife stranger killer in the sex club on me. I’m a fucking professional.”
“That only proves I care about my friend, not that I killed anyone. If you try to tell Shauna I did, I’ll sue your lying ass off.”
“Oh, she already knows. She knew when she couldn’t find the red box with the cheap, high school jewelry. She’s been over you for years, Greg. Now, she’s done with you. No more Shaunbar.”
“She’d never believe you. Never.”
“Why? Because you’re so good at playing the great guy, good friend? One who hovers, manipulates, and thinks he knows best? Who believes that, so deeply, he’ll kill for it? For her? You killed Erin for her. You had to protect Shauna, whatever it took. Had to save her from making a terrible mistake. Save her before she married another woman, a bohemian—good word—who would and had led her astray.”
“How could she love Erin,” Peabody added, “when she’d been half of Shaunbar? How could she disrespect you, and what you are, by loving a woman?”
“She didn’t love Erin, but that’s beside the point.”
“She was about to marry Erin,” Eve pointed out.
“She was caught up, but beside the point.”
“What is the point?”
“I didn’t kill anyone, you idiot! In fact, I more than tolerated Erin. For fuck’s sake, I have two of her substandard paintings in my apartment. It’s obvious now you haven’t been able to pin this on the stripper, so you’re looking for a scapegoat. I will not be your scapegoat.”
Eve tried on some insulting patience—and she believed she wore it better.
“Then you shouldn’t have been stupid, Greg, and you were. So damn stupid.” She rounded the table as his face splotched red with angry color, as she moved behind him. Leaned in, just a little.
“You shouldn’t have left the case, the tickets, the note. You should’ve gotten rid of those. Nobody knew what was in that case but Erin, and you killed her. But you couldn’t be sure, could you? Maybe Donna looked in it, because you sure as hell did.”
Now she leaned close to his ear, lowered her voice. “And it burned you, burned hard. Maui? You couldn’t take that insult. You were supposed to take Shauna there, on your honeymoon. That was the dream. How could you let this happen? Shauna had to suffer, too. She had to pay, too, for allowing it.
“But then”—she straightened, met his eyes in the mirror—“you always planned to kill Erin—remove that obstacle. I think you hoped to kill her right before the wedding, but the whole Maui thing opened another door.”
“I’m with Becca.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, you couldn’t be disrespected this way, couldn’t have what you had smeared and defiled like this.” She tapped the box as she walked around the table again. “You couldn’t let this lesbian, this bohemian, this street artist who had sex with strippers lure Shauna into that life. You couldn’t have Shaunbar defiled—would you take it to defiled? Yeah, you would. Defile what you were, what you are.”
“And Shauna wouldn’t listen.” Peabody spoke quietly, in direct contrast to Eve. “She wouldn’t be manipulated and maneuvered this time. No matter how you tried to influence her, she resisted. Because of Erin. Because she loved her.”
“She did not! Erin manipulated her, maneuvered her, influenced her. Shauna in some sex club, dancing on a stage half-naked? Kissing another woman, and in public!”
“The horror,” Peabody muttered.
“Playing house with another woman? None of that, none is who she is. Erin twisted something in her. Oh, she could be charismatic, no question. Exciting, adventurous. It was a fling, one that went too far, but a fling. It would never have lasted, so I had no reason to kill Erin.”
“You did it for yourself.” Eve sat back as she studied him. “It embarrassed you. It diminished you. And yeah, enraged you. Because you’re a small, petty, stupid man.”
“I’m a man!” He shouted it. “And you know nothing. Yes, their relationship embarrassed me. For Shauna. She was making a fool of herself. I actually said that to Becca once, and what did she say? She laughed, and said, ‘A fool for love.’
“Women are so predictable. Love is the reason, the excuse, the fall guy for everything.”
“You detested Erin.”
“What if I did! She was ruining Shauna’s future. She demeaned my past. We had something special, Shauna and I. Yes, we were young, but we had something special. We were something special, and what she was doing with Erin, what she intended to do with Erin despite all sense, demeaned what we had and what we were.”
“You were never going to give Shauna back that jewelry.”
“So what? So the fuck what? I gave it to her with an open heart. I took it back because she didn’t deserve to have it.”
“Because of Erin.”
“Yes, because of fucking Erin. Maybe I’m not as sorry as you think I should be that she’s dead. But I didn’t kill her. And you have nothing, absolutely nothing, to say I did.”
“Actually, we have this one thing. Because you’re a stupid man, Greg. A stupid man who thinks he’s smart. A small-minded, stupid man who believes he’s special. You’re not special. You’re pitifully ordinary.”
“Fuck you. You have nothing.”
“Well, we’ve got this.” Eve reached in the evidence box, pulled out the piano wire. “Something else you should’ve ditched.”
His face paled, then reddened again. “I’ve never seen that before.”
“We found it in your drawer, Greg.”
“Then you put it there. You’ve probably planted evidence countless times, cheating to get where you are so you can strut around with your stunner and your ridiculous diamond and harass innocent people.”
“Every minute of the search is on record, and the recording is also in evidence.”
“Then Becca must have put it there.”
“Whoa.” On a quick laugh, Eve sat back. “You’re going to throw the woman you intend to marry under the maxibus.” Eve shook her head. “Yeah, you’re pitifully ordinary.”
“And talk about predictable,” Peabody added.
“Plus, more stupid.” She tapped the package. “The name of the shop where you bought it’s right here. And you weren’t even smart enough to pay cash or go too far out of your own neighborhood to buy it. Then you fucking kept it. It took one goddamn ’link call to verify you bought it.
“What’s below idiot, Peabody?”
“I think moron.”
“That’s you, Greg. You’re a moron. Tell us, why do you have piano wire in your drawer when you don’t own a piano?”
A light sweat sheened that all-American face. This time when he fussed with his tie, he loosened the knot.
“It’s not against the law.”
“Jesus, do you honestly think we can’t match this to the wound you put on Erin Albright’s throat? What’s below a moron?”
“Maybe imbecile.”
“He’s getting there. A garrote’s a mean way to kill, but she deserved it. So you bought the wire, and you looked up how to make a garrote. EDD’s had time to go through your e’s by now. Why don’t you tag them up, Peabody, so we can close this out?”
“Stop it! Stop it! None of that proves anything.”
“If there’s something below imbecile,” Peabody said, “I’m out.”
“We’ll just say Greg Barney. You have the wire, you have a search for the fashioning of a garrote on your e’s. You detested her. She demeaned who you were, and she was leading Shauna into a deplorable—in your view—lifestyle.
“And.”
She pulled the last bag out of evidence. “You kept your old ’link, Greg. We didn’t need EDD to find your communications with Erin. She trusted you. She asked you for a favor, a favor she wanted so she could surprise Shauna. She didn’t tell you what the surprise was—that was her big secret.”
“And you agreed. It’s all on there,” Peabody told him. “When, you asked, where, and how. Such a good guy, such a good friend.”
“The when? The day of the party, because she didn’t want Donna feeling pressured to get back in time. The where? She’d bring it to you before you left for work—after Becca had already left. Then the how. She’d meet you when you took lunch, give you the swipe.”
