A Perfect Grave Part 5

"Let's see, the pizza man came halfway through Green Acres. Green Acres. After him, the second man came." After him, the second man came."

"The second man? When was that?"

"When Love Boat Love Boat started. I love that old show." started. I love that old show."

"Did you notice if the second man rang the bell?"

"No, it seemed like he just walked in like the door was open."

"Had you ever seen him before?"

"I couldn't be sure. He's hard to describe. Just a man, tall, I think."

"White, black, Asian?"

"Hard to say for certain. I think white."

"Any distinguis.h.i.+ng clothing? Or in the way he walked?"

Bernice shook her head.

"I don't remember. It was dark; he was more like a silhouette. It was like he had business there. I thought maybe he was a priest. I thought nothing at all of it because the sisters get a lot of visitors."

"What came next?"

"Well, it was right near the end of Love Boat Love Boat when I noticed strange lights in Sister Anne's apartment?" when I noticed strange lights in Sister Anne's apartment?"

"Strange, how?"

"Like someone was going around with a lamp, or flashlight. At first I thought Sister Anne may have lit a candle, for prayers, or maybe she'd lost power."

"Did you see Sister Anne arrive home?"

"No, I never did. I got up to get my cats some milk and I made myself a little snack, some cheese and crackers just before Fantasy Island Fantasy Island started. Then I noticed it was all dark again." started. Then I noticed it was all dark again."

"And after that?"

"Some time at the start of the show, the lights in her apartment came on and through her curtains, which were closed but are sheers, I saw shadows. The usual kind when Sister Anne is there, but then, I think I saw two figures inside."

Grace had been taking careful notes.

"And that's all you noticed tonight? A man at the door and unusual lights and movements in Sister Anne's apartment?"

"Well, that's what I told the officer, and that nice reporter, but come to think of it, I remember a bit more."

Grace looked up from her notebook.

"I saw a man leave the building. I think it was the same man who'd entered after the pizza man."

Has to be our guy, Grace thought as Bernice continued.

"He walked between the buildings to the back alley. No one ever goes that way. He was walking fast, not running, but walking fast. I thought, gosh, what's wrong? So I stood and watched him go that way."

"North?"

"If that way's north, that's right. I saw his arm move like he was tossing something small, then he stopped for a few seconds and I saw a red glow, like a flame at his head."

"Like he was lighting a cigarette?"

"Yes. And then he was gone."

"Anything after that?"

"I think I fell asleep. It was the sirens and all the commotion that woke me. Then a police officer came to my door."

Bernice took one of her cats, Lulu, into her arms and stood at her window watching the increased activity at the police tape below. More news crews and more police vehicles had arrived. Emergency lights strobed across her face.

Grace saw it reflected in the gla.s.s, saw Bernice's concern turn to fear, dawning with the realization that just out there, a few feet beyond her windowpane, an unseen horror had visited her neighbor. Lulu jumped from her arms.

"Is Sister Anne hurt?"

Grace went to her and gently touched her shoulder.

"It's something more serious than a burglary, isn't it?" Bernice asked.

"Much more serious."

Bernice could not breathe, her knees weakened. Grace steadied her, helping her into her chair, comforting her and gazing into the night, the same night that was hiding a killer.

Chapter Eight.

The Mirror Mirror's newsroom was empty when Jason Wade returned.

There was no way he would get the nun's murder into any late edition, as the last staffers on the night s.h.i.+ft had left for home. The presses had long since completed their last run. The delivery trucks were gone and all over the metro area today's Mirror Mirror was already plopping on doorsteps. was already plopping on doorsteps.

The newsroom's silence was punctuated by the solitary clicking of his keyboard as he wrote about the murder for the Mirror Mirror's online edition, to a.s.sure readers-and his editor-that he was on it. The Seattle Times Seattle Times and the and the Post-Intelligencer Post-Intelligencer would be doing the same. TV and radio would be hammering on it all day today. And the a.s.sociated Press would surely move something soon. would be doing the same. TV and radio would be hammering on it all day today. And the a.s.sociated Press would surely move something soon.

He could not fall behind.

Jason made calls to Grace and the precinct to confirm the murdered nun's name. And ask her what was going on out back.

No luck at the precinct. And no luck with Grace. She probably wouldn't talk to him anyway. Well, he'd play it safe. He'd leave Sister Anne's name out of print until he was certain it's her, he advised himself while pounding out a tight item with bare-bones facts. And he held off using the exclusive stuff he'd gotten from Bernice Burnett. He didn't want to help his compet.i.tion. He'd offer it all up later today when the Mirror Mirror put together a fuller story for tomorrow's paper. As he read it over, his cell phone rang. put together a fuller story for tomorrow's paper. As he read it over, his cell phone rang.

The number was blocked.

"Wade."

"You the reporter who was asking about the murder by Yesler tonight?"

Jason didn't recognize the voice.

"Yes, who's calling?"

At the scene he'd floated his card to a group of young men gathered near the tape. Most were teens in hooded sweats.h.i.+rts, watching and talking quietly. He'd figured they'd be good for knowing something and suspected that one of them was on the line now.

"You hearing if police got a suspect?" the caller asked.

"Nope, nothing. I didn't catch your name?"

"I got some information for you but first I want a deal, all right?"

"First, I want a name. Who are you?"

"Tango."

"Tango? That a real name?"

"As real as you need. You going to take this to the next level, or do I end it?"

"What do you want?"

"We trade. I tell you what I know, you tell me what you know, and we don't tell n.o.body where it's comin' from. Deal?"

Jason was interested, but guarded against giving up anything. "All right, but I've got nothing at this point."

"Come on, man, police always give you guys the inside track."

"All I know is what everyone knows: a woman was murdered."

"Yeah, but you got that she was a nun, right?"

"Really? What was her name?"

"Sister Anne."

"Sister Anne who?"

"Don't know, but word is she was stabbed and they found the knife out back. They were taking pictures and doing their CSI thing."

A knife. That was new. Jason made notes. "Anything else? What kind of knife? What kind of questions are the detectives asking neighbors?" Jason made notes. "Anything else? What kind of knife? What kind of questions are the detectives asking neighbors?"

He was answered with silence.

"Got anything more for me, Tango? Anybody see anything? This connected to any other cases?"

"It might be something to do with a thing the Sister did a long time ago."

"Like what?"

"A gang thing. I can't say right now for sure, but this might be some kind of revenge thing."

"Revenge thing?"

"Payback."

"Payback against a nun?" Jason's grip tightened. "Payback for what? Tell me?"

"No. Can't do that yet. What've you got to trade with me?"

"Like I said, I've got squat. But you've got to give me your word you won't talk to other reporters."

"I'll try you out, that's the deal."

"Can I get a number?"

"No number, I'll call you, that's how it's got to work."

"What's your concern? Does this have something to do with you?"

"The sisters do all the good in the hood. Anyone thinks they can invade and hurt one, like what happened tonight, is going to pay. Vengeance is mine, understand?"

Jason understood.

On the crime beat you get strange calls. Whackedout people claiming to have information. Or people claiming to be psychic. Disturbed people who confessed. Pathetic types who needed to feel important. And sometimes, people with the truth.

They all called.

Jason wasn't sure about this one. Tango offered possibilities on why Sister Anne was murdered. A gang thing? Maybe. Or maybe he was trying to play him for information.

Or maybe Tango was the killer?

There was no way for Jason to know.

It's why he had a habit of taping his calls. After the line went dead, he checked his microrecorder and replayed a bit. Good. He had it. He would follow up later. It might be useless. It might be gold. He returned to polis.h.i.+ng his story. Once he finished, he e-mailed it to the Mirror Mirror's web staff, who worked 24/7 in Redmond, a few miles east of Seattle.

It would be posted online within minutes.

Then he sent the morning a.s.signment editor an e-mail with contacts and suggestions for the day side staff to follow when they got in, a few hours from now.

Leaning back in his chair, he finished the last of his potato chips, downed his c.o.ke, and considered Tango's tip. The nun's murder was payback for something she did. The nun's murder was payback for something she did. What could that be? He ran a quick check of the What could that be? He ran a quick check of the Mirror Mirror's databases but it didn't yield much.

His body ached for sleep and he contemplated things as he started his Falcon and headed home. Ever since the Brian Pillar fiasco, he'd embarked on a selfa.s.signed special project. He'd been randomly mining old stories as candidates for anniversary features. Missing persons, unidentified corpses, unsolved murders and robberies.