“I’m sorry to bother you,” I said. “I know you’re working.”
“It’s okay. What’s the matter?”
Because she knew something was the matter. She always knew.
“I just wanted to tell you,” I said to my sister, “I met this woman. She was acquitted of murder forty years ago. No one has ever been sure if she’s innocent. She agreed to do an interview with me. I’ve been talking to her for weeks now.”
“Alone?” Esther sounded alarmed.
“Yes. I thought it would be fine. She’s been telling me things. Some of it might be lies, but I think most of it is the truth. I don’t think she did the murders, but I think what really happened might be worse. There are ghosts in her house that terrify me. And I met Michael, my private detective, face-to-face for the first time, and I kissed him. The second time, not the first time. And I got a cat by accident. His name is Winston Purrchill.”
“Okay,” Esther said.
“So I’ve had a lot going on, too,” I said. “Things I haven’t been telling you. You said I’ve been so far away, and I know that’s true. I don’t want to be far away anymore. I want to tell you everything. If you have a baby, I want to be part of it, as much as you’ll let me. You’re my best friend. If you called me and told me to get you a U-Haul and some garbage bags again, I’d do it. I’d do it as many times as you asked me to.”
“Oh.” There was a pause, and I knew Esther was crying. “Oh, Shea. Of course you’ll be part of it. You’re my best friend, too. But I worry about you. This thing you’re involved with sounds dangerous. You need to walk away from it. You need to let it go.”
“I can’t.” People were passing me on the sidewalk, ignoring me. The bus was coming. “I have to see it to the end.”
“Don’t. I don’t like the sound of it. I can rescue you this time, Shea. Let me do it.”
I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “I can finish this. I have to. And then I’m going to change things, Esther. I promise.”
I hung up before I could change my mind and beg my big sister to come get me and fix everything. Right away, my phone rang. Michael.
I answered it. “Did you get my message?”
“Is this what I think it is?” He sounded excited.
“If you mean Lily, then yes. It’s her.”
The bus pulled up, and the doors opened. I got on, my phone still to my ear.
“I’ll call my contacts,” Michael said. “One of them will know something. The coroner likely has a theory about cause of death. She just didn’t share it with the press.”
“I want to know if Beth’s blood or saliva was taken in 1977. If it wasn’t, I can get you a sample.” I thought about the glass Beth drank from, her grapefruit juice and soda. Maybe it was still sitting on the table.
“Wait a minute,” Michael said. “Where are you right now?”
“I’m going to the Greer mansion.”
“You’re going to talk to her?”
“No. She isn’t there.” That had been in the file I’d read. “She’s in Portland for a medical test. She won’t be back until tomorrow.”
“So you’re going to—what? Break in? That isn’t a good idea, Shea.”
“It’s the only way to get answers. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call the police. I don’t plan to steal anything, I promise.”
“Jesus, Shea—”