Patrick stopped by the table, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder.
"Calling it a night?" I said.
"I am." He leaned over and lowered his voice. "Keep talking to me. Smile. Nod. Look happy."
"Why?"
"The old folks think I've done something right for a change. I see no point in disillusioning them. Just look like you're pleased to see me. You, too, Gabriel."
"What do we get for it?" I asked.
"My gratitude, which is valuable beyond reckoning."
I snorted. Gabriel smiled and sipped his coffee.
Patrick turned to him. "How are you doing, Gabriel?"
"Very well, thank you."
"Very well?" An enigmatic smile. "I'm glad to hear it." He straightened. "All right, kids. Enjoy your meal and ignore the old folks." He started to leave, then turned. "Did I hear that the body of Ms. Conway disappeared in transit the other day?"
"It did," I said.
He pursed his lips. "Won't that impede the investigation?"
Gabriel shrugged. "It'll mean no autopsy, but there's still a coroner's report and crime scene analysis. They have what they require to proceed."
"Ah, right. Interesting." He seemed to look at the elders as he hefted his bag again. "Interesting."
He smiled over his shoulder and left.
--
Gabriel followed me home after dinner. That was understandable, given that he'd parked out front. Except he didn't stop at his car when we got there.
"I want to show you something," he said. "A personal project that will improve your research skills."
"Do I get paid for it?" I asked as I followed him up the steps.
"Did you catch the personal part? I'm assisting you with something I believe you'll be interested in, and you'll receive the benefit of my experience in lieu of cash."
"I'd rather have the cash."
When we entered the apartment, TC went nuts, as if he hadn't seen me in days. I gave him a pat then bumped him off the kitchen table and set up my laptop.
"Okay, so what are we doing?" I asked.
"A public records search."
"You really know how to show a girl a fun night, don't you?"
He lowered himself into the other chair. "Records searches are one of the most necessary skills for a researcher. Also, one of the most tedious. Which is why I'm passing my knowledge on to you."
"Oh, joy." I opened a browser window and hit a bookmarked site. It brought up the online search for the Cook County records.
"Ah," Gabriel said. "Doing prep work, I see. Unfortunately, for tonight's purposes, that's the wrong county." Gabriel punched in the search terms and bookmarked another site for me. "We're going to pull up property records for the house where you found Ciara Conway's body." He glanced over. "That interests you, does it not?"
It did. After seeing those omen friezes and hearing Rose's story, I wanted to know more about the woman who owned the house.