“I’ll take a coffee,” Bree said. “Cream, no sugar.”
“A Mr. Pibb,” I said. “Haven’t had one of those in years.”
“I’m partial to them myself,” Pedelini said, and he disappeared down a hallway.
“I like him,” my wife said.
“I do too,” I said. “He’s solid.”
A female deputy came into the room carrying an armful of files and mail that she distributed to the various desks. When she got to Pedelini’s, she said, “Guy here?”
“Getting us something to drink,” Bree said.
She nodded, put several dusty old files on his desk, said, “Tell him these came over from the clerk. He’s been asking after them.”
“We’ll do that,” I promised, and the deputy moved on.
I had a crick in my lower back suddenly, and I stood to stretch. When I did, I happened to look down at the files; I saw the faded labels on the tabs, and felt my head retreat by several degrees.
The label of the file on top read Cross, Christina.
The one below it read Cross, Jason.
I picked up the file on my mother and was about to flip it open when Bree said in alarm, “Alex, you can’t just start going—”
“Oh, Jesus,” Pedelini said.
I looked up, saw the detective balancing a coffee mug and two cans of Mr. Pibb on a small tray. His skin had lost three shades of color.
“I am so sorry, Dr. Cross,” he said, chagrined. “I…I ran your name through our databases, and those files came up. So I…requested them.”
“My name?” I said. “What are these?”
Pedelini swallowed, set the tray down, and said, “Old investigative files.”
“On what?” Bree said, standing to look.
The detective hesitated, and then said, “Your mother’s murder, Dr. Cross.”
At first I thought I’d misheard him. I squinted and said, “You mean my mother’s death?”
“I don’t think so,” Pedelini replied. “They were filed under homicide.”
“My mother died of cancer,” I said.
The detective looked puzzled. “No, that’s not right. The database says murder by asphyxiation, case eventually closed due to the death of chief suspect, who was shot trying to escape the police and fell into the gorge.”
In total shock, I said, “Who was the chief suspect?”
“Your father, Dr. Cross. Didn’t you know?”
Part Three
Underworld
Chapter
31