A Discount for Death (7 page)

“Which one?”

“Tiny Tots, over on Grande.”

“And then what happened?” Estelle asked.

“And then…and then I guess you could say that
Rick
happened again. He wants Colette to move to Las Cruces to live with him. Last time he was here, I heard them talking about that.”

“Colette didn’t want to go?”

Barbara Parker sighed. “
I
certainly didn’t want her to go. Uproot the kids and all. But
she
wanted to, depending on which day you asked her. You know how kids are, Sheriff. And Rick’s a charmer. There’s no doubt about that. He walks into the room, and Colette just melts. I don’t know what it is. Ryan thinks he’s Mister Wonderful, too.”

“Chemistry,” Estelle said.

“I suppose.
I
don’t see it. And Perry doesn’t see it, either. He knows what kind of thug Rick is. He knew what would happen if Colette went back to Cruces with his brother.”

“What do you think was going to happen?”

Barbara leaned her head to the left until her hair just touched Mindi’s. “Do you know what FAS is, Sheriff?”

“Fetal alcohol syndrome? Yes, I do, Mrs. Parker.”

“Well, as far as I’m concerned, that’s Rick Kenderman’s gift to Mindi. I know, I know. Nobody held the bottle to Colette’s lips and forced her to drink while she was pregnant, but you know what I mean.” She shook her head helplessly. “She was doing so
well
, Sheriff. And now all of a sudden he’s back into her life.”

“That’s what the argument between Perry and Colette was about last night?”

Barbara nodded. “Perfect timing, I suppose. Colette’s been at the deli now for almost six months. The newness has worn off. She’s looking for something, although what I don’t know. The kids are doing well, but I guess that’s not enough for Colette. Rick comes back into her life, and off she goes. She’s supposed to pack everything in that awful little truck he brought up. Rick took her old Chevy back over to Las Cruces. It needs all kinds of work that he promises to do…and never will.”

“Perry tried to talk her out of going?”

“Yes. He came over, still on duty, I guess. They were arguing out in the front yard, putting on a good show for the neighbors. Something about the truck set him off—I haven’t seen him so angry in a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him raise his voice until last night. I tell you,
long suffering
is the term invented especially for Perry Kenderman. But he got angry this time, and I think it was the sight of his worthless brother’s truck. Then
she
got angry. You know how it goes. She got on her bike, with Perry trying to talk some reason. She
kicked
him, actually kicked him. I was watching from the window. Then she slammed her boot into the taillight of his patrol car. Oh, boy.”

“And then they took off?”

“Yes.” She reached over and stroked a strand of hair from Mindi’s eyes. “It was just one thing leading to another,” she said. “Just so stupid.” She ran a finger lightly down Mindi’s cheek. “And I just know that if they hadn’t had a fight, you know what Perry would have done? Eventually, I mean? Colette would have talked him into helping her pack that stupid truck. And he would have done it.”

“When was Rick here, Mrs. Parker? The last time.”

“Friday night. He brought the truck up Friday night.”

“Did you talk with him at that time? Did he say what his intentions were?”

“No. And if I never talk to him again, it’s too soon. I’m sure he’ll figure out a way to come over and get his truck.” She wrapped her arms around Mindi. “That’s
all
he’s going to get, Sheriff. I’m fifty-one years old. However many good years I’m blessed with are going to these two. I don’t care what it takes.”

Estelle drew a business card out of her pocket and slid it across the table. “Will you call me, Mrs. Parker?”

“I don’t know what you can do.”

“Sometimes it’s nice to have another voice when you’re dealing with custody issues.”

“Richard Kenderman has no custody, Sheriff. Let me tell you that right now.”

“If he’s the father, yes he does, ma’am. Because there was no formal marriage involved, and Richard wasn’t actually living here, the court might order paternity testing…if he’s the father, he has a legitimate claim of custody, whether he lives here or not. That’s something that you’re going to have to deal with, I think. In the meantime, our concern is with his brother, Mrs. Parker. There’s one more thing I need to ask you. Last night, you told Sergeant Mears that Perry and Colette had been ‘going together’ for six months. “That’s not really the case, is it?”

“From Perry Kenderman’s view, it might be,” Barbara Parker said.

“And you told the sergeant that you didn’t hear what the argument was about?”

Barbara flushed. “I was trying to keep things simple for a few minutes, Sheriff. I wanted time to think. I know how stupid that sounds, but it’s the truth. And I really
didn’t
hear them…I’m
assuming
that they were arguing about Colette’s wanting to go to Cruces. Perry will tell you.”

Estelle nodded. She pointed at the card. “Use that, Mrs. Parker.” She got up and pushed the chair back in place. “I promised to look at Ryan’s car.”

“Oh, you don’t have to waste time on that,” Barbara Parker said. “He’s on to something else by now.”

“I don’t think it’s a waste,” Estelle said.

Out in the living room, Ryan Parker had indeed moved on to something else. He was curled up on the sofa, a large red cat stretched on its back across his lap. The cat’s front paws were poised like a boxer, waiting for the imminent attack of a tiny stuffed bear advancing over the top of a pillow.

Beyond the battle scene, the front window looked out on the street. Estelle saw an older-model pickup truck parked behind hers. Perry Kenderman, dressed in civilian clothes, was leaning against the front fender of Estelle’s county car, obviously waiting.

“Ay,” Estelle whispered to herself. She crossed to Ryan, bent down, and stroked the massive cat’s belly. The animal squirmed and purred. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“That’s Franklin. He’s lazy.”

“I see that.” She stroked the cat’s chin, and the animal closed his eyes, turning up the volume until the purr became a rattle. “Hello, Franklin. You take care of Ryan for me, okay?”

“Are you coming back?”

“Yes, I am.” She reached over and ruffled the stubble on Ryan’s head, then let her hand rest there motionless for a moment. The boy blinked, and Estelle felt the slight nod.

“That’s good,” he said.

Estelle straightened up and turned to Barbara Parker. The woman stood by the front door, Mindi in her arms.

“You know who’s waiting out front, don’t you?” she said.

“Yes,” Estelle replied. “I saw him.”

“I hope things work out for him. You know, I really like him. And none of this is his fault.”

Estelle nodded. “We’ll just have to see,” she said. “I need to ask you to stay inside with the children.” She stopped short of the front door and pulled out her cell phone. “Brent,” she said when Sutherland answered, “I’ll be talking with Perry Kenderman at the Third Street address. Have a unit circle around that way, code one.”

“I hope you’re not expecting trouble,” Barbara Parker said as Estelle put the phone in her pocket and reached for the door.

“I sincerely hope not, ma’am. But I’m not feeling particularly heroic just now.”

Chapter Nine

As the undersheriff approached, Perry Kenderman drew himself up so that he wasn’t slouching against the car. One hand rested on the fender, the other was thrust into the pocket of his jeans. That pose didn’t work, and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Estelle walked up so close she almost stepped on Kenderman’s feet. Her face was less than twelve inches from his. He stood a little straighter and tried to meet her gaze, but looked away after a few seconds.

She leaned even closer, and when she spoke it was no more than a husky whisper. “I’m testifying before the grand jury in fifty-five minutes, Perry. That’s enough time for you to tell me what happened, don’t you think?”

“I…” he started to say and bit it off.

“No, you didn’t,” Estelle said, finishing his thought for him. “You’ve lied to me since minute one.”

He managed to face her then, so close she could smell his breath.

“I…”

“You and Colette had an argument last night. Right here at the Parkers’. Start from there.”

He looked past her toward the house. “You know about my brother?”

“Yes.”

“She was going to move back to Las Cruces. To live with him.”

“Go on.”

“Well, I…”

Estelle remained silent, trying to read through the amber-speckled blue of Perry Kenderman’s eyes to the backside of his mind. While they stood there, two vehicles passed, and Estelle heard a third idle to a stop further up the street. She glanced in that direction and saw Deputy Jackie Taber’s unit. Kenderman saw it as well, and that seemed to prompt him.

“All I wanted was for the kids to be safe,” he said, turning back to Estelle. “That’s all I wanted.”

“They’re safe with their grandmother, Perry.”

“No, they’re not. Not if he comes back for ’em. You don’t know my brother.”

“You’re right, I don’t. Has he threatened them?”

“No. Nothing outright.”

Estelle frowned. “It was you who was chasing Colette when she slammed into a utility pole, Perry. Not your brother.”

The bluntness of her comment brought a flash of pain that made his eyes blink.

“What was the argument with Colette about?”

He nodded as if the question put him back on ground that he understood. “She was going to give up her job and everything. Move back to Cruces.”

“To be with Richard?”

Perry nodded.

“And you didn’t want that.”

He shook his head.

“So tell me what happened.”

He looked down at his boots. “She got mad, said some things. I said some things I shouldn’ta said. I tried to talk some sense into her, tried to make her understand what Rick was doin’ to her.”

“And what was he doing to her?”

“You been inside?”

“Yes.”

“Then you met Mindi.”

“And Ryan.”

“Yeah, well…” he stopped.

“Did you attempt to physically restrain Colette last night?”

“No. I tried to take her arm once, when she was gettin’ all wound up. That was all.”

“And then?”

“And then she got on her bike and rode off.”

“That’s it? Nothing else?”

Kenderman shook his head.

“What about the taillight of your patrol car?”

His eyes snapped back to Estelle’s, and then he slumped in resignation. “Yeah, well. She was takin’ off on the bike, and kicked the light. It broke the plastic cover.”

“Is that why you chased her?”

“Partly, I guess. I chased her because I was angry. Because I wanted to talk some sense into that stupid little head of hers. If she moves them kids down to Las Cruces, there’s no way to tell what’ll happen. She’ll be stoned half the time; they won’t have nobody to take care of ’em. That’s why I wanted to talk with her.”

“So you pushed her in a high-speed chase halfway across town…just to talk with her.”

“I…”

“You…what?”

“I didn’t see it as me chasin’ her. She was runnin’, wouldn’t listen to sense. I was just tryin’ to keep up. I figured that maybe she’d cool down a little. Maybe we could go somewheres and talk it out.”

“When she crossed the Twelfth Street bridge, how close were you, Perry?”

He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes. “I hit the bridge just as she went off the south end. I was about a hundred, maybe two hundred feet behind her.”

Estelle regarded him for a moment and then stepped back to give him room. “Tell me something, Perry.”

“What?”

“If Colette didn’t want to live with you, if she wanted to live with your brother, didn’t she have the right to do that? That was her choice, wasn’t it?”

“I thought that maybe I could talk her around to my way of thinking.”

“Were things different between the two of you once upon a time?”

Kenderman grimaced. “A whole lot different.”

Estelle shifted position ever so slightly, watching the light play on Perry Kenderman’s eyes. The rest of him wasn’t much to look at, at least not now, with all the steel taken out of his spine. His eyes, though…

She reached out a hand and rested it on his shoulder. He was taller than her by a good six inches, but slumped half off the curb, his butt resting on the car, the two of them were eye to eye. He started to twist away, and she dug her thumb in just above his right collarbone—not enough to hurt, but enough to weld them together for that brief moment.

“Perry,” she said. “I need to know one more thing.” She jogged her grip on his shoulder until his eyes met hers.

“Nothing you or me has got to say is going to bring her back,” he said.

“No, it’s not. But you and I both know there’s some unfinished business, or you wouldn’t be standing here right now.” Perry Kenderman didn’t respond, and Estelle released her grip on his shoulder. “Ryan’s your son, isn’t he.”

She watched his throat work, but no sound came out. Up the street, another car backed out from a driveway and drove off. The neighbor’s dog had returned and taken up his sentry post under one of the elms, patient and watchful.

“I think so,” Perry said finally.

“You
think
so?”

“That’s right.”

“You of all people should know how simple it would be to establish paternity, Perry.”

“I just…” and he shrugged helplessly.

“Let me lay it out for you in a nutshell, Perry,” Estelle said. “If you are Ryan’s father, that gives you some rights in this whole mess. Not to mention a few minor responsibilities.” He heard the acid in her tone and met her gaze. “That’s important,” she continued. She held out her hands. “Just as your brother’s paternity of Mindi gives
him
some legal leverage. Unless both of you agree to leave Ryan and Mindi with their grandmother, the courts are going to have to decide who gets custody of whom.”

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“That’s the simple part,” Estelle said. “The kids are fine with their grandmother. They stay with her until you have time to unsnarl the rest of the knot. There’s a possibility that your brother isn’t the least bit interested in the kids.”

The young man looked pained.

“And we don’t know what Perry Kenderman wants to do either, do we?” she added. He didn’t reply. “What I want you to do right now is go home. Go about your business. Hash things out in your mind so you know where you stand…so you know what you want to do.”

“I want what’s best for those two kids.”

For an instant, a half smile of sympathy softened Estelle’s face. “That’s easily said, Perry. It’s the
doing
of it that’s the hard part.” She reached out again and lightly punched his arm. “You decide what
you
want to do. And work up a plan for how you’re going to do it. Judge Hobart will want answers, Perry. It would be a good idea to find yourself a lawyer.”

“I can’t afford that.”

“You don’t have much choice, Perry.”

“What about last night?”

“I don’t know,” Estelle said. “I’m going to talk with the sheriff, and I’ll be seeing the district attorney in about…” She glanced at her watch. “…thirty minutes. He was there last night, too. We’ll have a chat and see what he wants to do. And I’ll almost guarantee, from the way they were talking last night, that your lawyer’s going to be doing double duty. You made some mistakes, Perry. It’s that simple. That’s the fairest answer I can give you.”

“If it was up to you…”

Estelle could see the agony in Perry Kenderman’s eyes. “Just hang in there, Perry,” she said. “I’m not promising anything. You made some mistakes, and there’s no way to brush them under the rug. Right now, go home, get yourself together, and be thankful for grandmothers.”