The younger brother shifted his feet again.
The signals were obvious. Every time Gabriel said something that Christian didn’t agree with, he couldn’t hold still. He kept his mouth shut, but the energy of his objection came out through his movements. Mercy wondered if their differences were due to the divorce. It appeared they’d both been left behind with Brenda Lake, their bonds broken with their father. But Gabriel’s commitment to his mother had continued, while Christian seemed to have slowly drawn away from both parents.
Gabriel was painting a picture of his family, but Mercy didn’t know if it was an accurate picture or simply the one he thought the investigators should have.
“When did you last speak to your father?”
His shoulders slumped. “Two days before his death, I talked to him on the phone. If I’d known I’d never speak to him again, I would have said something more meaningful.”
“What did you discuss with him?”
“Ummm . . . I can’t quite remember. It was purely a check-in call. You know . . . ‘What’s going on? What are you up to?’”
“You don’t remember what he said he’d been doing?”
“Nothing’s sticking in my head, so it must have been the usual reports about his fund-raisers and golfing trips.”
“Do you call him often?”
Gabriel lifted one shoulder. “I’m better than I used to be. I was angry with him for a long time after the divorce, but we’ve worked through it over the last five years or so.” His face brightened. “Now I remember what we talked about!” Gabriel launched into details of a case that he’d shared with his father and some of the restaurants he’d mentioned eating at on his last trip to Palm Springs.
Her time was ticking away. He had looked at his watch a few times while they talked, clearly marking off the minutes until he could escape.
How can I keep him talking?
“Did you hear about Rob Murray?” she asked Christian. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabriel perk up.
“Who’s that?” he asked.
“A guy who does some work for me,” said Christian. “What’s up with Rob? I told him I wasn’t upset about the Lexus.”
“He was murdered yesterday.” Mercy watched both men.
Christian stared at her, the blood draining out of his face. Gabriel tilted his head and frowned. He spoke first. “That’s horrible. Did you know him well, Christian?”
Christian swallowed. “Wait a minute. I saw him yesterday.” His voice was hoarse. “He came up to apologize about the SUV.”
Mercy leaned toward him, Gabriel momentarily forgotten. “What time was that?”
He stared at the floor as he thought. “Right before lunch. I’d just finished in the gym and was starving when he came.”
Truman had visited Rob in the morning. So Rob did go somewhere after Truman’s visit. She knew the information would relieve some of Truman’s anxiety.
“His body was discovered not long after lunch,” said Mercy.
“What happened to him?” Gabriel asked, his gaze probing.
“He was killed in his apartment. I really can’t discuss more than that.”
“You’re sure it’s murder?” asked Christian.
“Positive.”
“I can’t think of anyone who’d want to hurt him,” Christian said. “He was usually easygoing, but I guess I didn’t know him all that well. I know he did some painting when he wasn’t working here. That’s about it. Does that make me a crappy boss?”
“Ease up on yourself,” suggested Gabriel with sympathy. “You can’t know everyone.”
Christian turned a thoughtful gaze on his brother. “I try very hard to get to know the people who work for me. I think it’s important. But I’ve focused on my employees at the office. Not here at the house. Do they have a suspect?” Christian asked.
“I don’t know yet. But I’ll let the detective know you saw him yesterday, so you’ll probably get another visit.”
He sighed but nodded. “Did Rob have family?”
“I don’t know. But he lived alone.”
“That’s good . . . I guess.”
“The investigator will want to talk to your manager, Brent Rollins.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” said Christian.
“I saw him this morning out by the garage,” added Gabriel. “He was shoveling the walk.”
Christian slumped a bit. “I’ll tell Brent about the death. I wouldn’t say he and Rob were friends, but he’ll still be shocked.”
“Are you done with me?” Gabriel spoke up.
Mercy mentally shifted back to her interview of Gabriel. “No. Did you father ever tell you he was worried for his life? Did he ever express worry for his safety during a case? Did he ever mention threatening letters, calls, or concern over a visitor?” Mercy rattled off the questions.
“No, yes, and yes.” He didn’t expand.
Mercy waited.
“Come on, Gabriel,” Christian urged.
Gabriel shot a look at his brother. “He got a lot of publicity during the D’Angelo trial. People from all over the world sent him mail and tried to call. Some positive contact, but a lot of it wasn’t. People liked that he mouthed off to D’Angelo, but they didn’t like that he wasn’t convicted. Dad got threats, but I don’t think any of the senders got physically close to him. People are comfortable hiding behind a phone or computer screen to say crap. Standing in front of you face-to-face is different.”
“And that was a dozen years ago, right?”
“Right.”
“No more fallout from the case since then?” Mercy included Christian in the question.
He took a quick look at his brother and shook his head. “Not that we’re aware of.”
“That’s the only case you recall where people bothered your father?
Gabriel threw up his hands. “We don’t know. He didn’t tell us anything. Neither of us have lived with him since I was twelve and Christian was eight.”
“Your mother never remarried,” Mercy stated, jumping to a different subject. “And you just said she still cares about your father. Thirty-two years is a long time to carry a torch for someone.”
“She’s not in love with him,” Gabriel said. “Not after what he did to her and us. She simply acknowledges that he helped bring their children into the world.”
“She can’t stand to be in the same room with him,” Christian clarified. “Or the same city.”
“Leaving your wife and kids for another woman is a pretty low thing to do,” Mercy said. “She must have been very angry.”
Gabriel grinned. “I can see what you’re doing. I’m a lawyer, you know.”
“It’s a fair statement,” said Mercy. “You can’t tell me it was rainbows and ponies during their divorce.”
“More like hurricanes and alligators,” said Gabriel. “Our mother wouldn’t wait over thirty years to murder our dad. She would have done it back then. And made him suffer.”
He did suffer.
“Is the FBI ready to start looking for the real murderer?” Gabriel asked. “Are you done hounding our family yet?”
Mercy smiled at him. “I can see what you’re doing. I’m an investigator, you know.”