“Fred and Ellen Ewes are dead.” Before Devine could reply in a shocked manner, Ekman turned and looked at him. “We know you already know.”
Devine nearly swallowed his tongue on that one.
“And we know you got an alibi. We talked to your ‘friend’ Helen Speers. You were with her at the town house during the time in question.”
“You talked to Helen? When?”
“That’s none of your concern,” pointed out Shoemaker. “I thought you’d be thrilled she’d provided an alibi.”
“So is that when they were killed?” he asked.
Ekman nodded. “Between eleven and one that night, yeah. Stabs to the heart. Died pretty quickly. But whoever it was just kept right on stabbing them. It was damn vicious. I’ve been doing this job a long time. It was one of the worst I’ve seen.”
Shoemaker said, “You have friends in high places. You should have told us.”
“I would if I could have.”
“So three people dead who were connected to Sara Ewes, who was also murdered. And what was her sin?”
“She was connected to Brad Cowl, who has disappeared.”
“So, he killed her?”
“He was probably in the building that night. He got a call that I believe was from Stamos on the night she was killed. He headed out in time to murder her. Her phone records should show that.”
“And why would he do that?”
“My friends in high places didn’t enlighten you?”
“The only message we got was that you were a good guy on a government mission and to have your back.”
Ekman added, “So, what’s so special about Cowl?”
“Some things have come to light. But I can’t share them with you. Not that I don’t want to, but fruit-of-a-tainted-tree sort of thing. If I infect the cops with it, the case is dead and the man walks.”
Ekman nodded. “Okay, that makes sense. So, Cowl is a bad guy. Is his money dirty, is that what this is about?”
“It’s not his money. It belongs to other people. People from outside this country. And that’s really all I can say. If the folks above me want to say more, that’s up to them.”
Ekman and Shoemaker exchanged a look. Ekman said, “Okay, but we’re homicide. Financial crimes are another division. We just want whoever killed these people. And it looks like it’s Cowl to you?”
“Or someone working for him. Rich guys don’t usually do the deed, do they? They hire others to do it. Like that Hancock guy. Speaking of, why would he focus on me out of all people?”
“We don’t know,” said Ekman.
“And he also knew before it was made public that Sara had not killed herself. That it was murder. Did you give someone a heads-up on that?”
Shoemaker said, “Brad Cowl is a very important guy in this town. He’s been very generous with certain people at NYPD and City Hall. I’m not saying any heads-up came from there, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.”
Ekman interjected, “But from what you said, Cowl might have done Stamos himself.”
“He might have. There might not have been time to hire a gun. By the way, how did she die?”
Ekman glanced at Shoemaker. “It goes no further, Devine.”
“It won’t.”
“The killer drugged her, then tied her to her bed, and then carved the word bitch on her belly. She bled out.”
Devine felt the little breakfast he’d eaten start to come back up on him. He bent forward and stared at the floorboard, his breathing short and choppy. After about thirty seconds he sat up straight and looked at the two men.
Shoemaker almost appeared sympathetic. “Yeah, I know,” he said quietly. “Pretty sick.”
“Was Stamos pregnant?”
“No, that’s what we thought, too. ME confirmed that she wasn’t,” replied Ekman.
“So why do it . . . that way?”
“It was to send a message, is what I’m thinking. What that message was, who knows.”
“And no one saw anything?” asked Devine.
“Nope. We’ve checked. That late on a weekday in that neighborhood, not surprising. We think the killer got in through a window in the back. Stamos was on the first floor. No signs of a struggle. Same with the Eweses. They were probably dead asleep.” Ekman blanched. “Sorry, bad choice of words.”
“So, the Ewes family got wiped out,” said Shoemaker thoughtfully. “Which seemed to be the killer’s intent. But why? Why did they have to die? They just got to the country. What possible beef could someone have with them? Is it just the connection with their daughter?”