In Their Blood (3 page)

Jeremy went downstairs and into the kitchen. His aunt Selma was putting platters of food and casserole dishes into the refrigerator.

“Hey, Aunt Selma.” He kissed her cheek.

“Jeremy,” she said, holding him tight. “Oh Jeremy.” She was very skinny with white-blonde hair like cotton candy, and she had always
been nice to Jeremy and Elise in the unnatural way some childless people were with kids.

“Ah, Jeremy. Here you are,” Dwight said, coming from the direction of the guest bedroom. He gave Jeremy an awkward hug, pulling away quickly. “We’re so sorry, Jeremy. What a tragedy for all of us. My big brother. I still can’t believe it. Thank God my parents aren’t alive to witness—”

“You should have waited, Dwight.”

“Waited?” His uncle cocked his head. He looked like a warped version of Jeremy’s father.

“The memorial services. I should have been there.”

“But we did wait, Jeremy. We waited as long as we could. I had to make a judgment call. I couldn’t tell when your flight would finally get in and everyone was already there.” He pulled on his thin mustache. “I couldn’t very well ask people to leave and come back another time.”

“They were my parents. I should have been there.”

“Yes, you should have.” His uncle’s voice rose with the same clipped intonation his father’s had. “And maybe if you’d checked your e-mails. Or maybe if you hadn’t gone off in the first place—”

“Dwight,” Selma rested her hand on his arm. “Please don’t.”

Dwight pulled his arm away. “You think you’re the only one affected by this, Jeremy? The only one that’s suffering? He was my brother, damn it. My big brother. He taught me how to ride a bike, for chrissake. How to throw a ball. You don’t think that I’m devastated by what’s happened?”

“I don’t know, Dwight. I honestly don’t know.”

“Jeremy,” Aunt Selma said. “Please, honey. You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re upset.”

Jeremy was trembling. “You’re right.” He took a deep breath. “Where’s Elise? Is she okay?”

Dwight shook his head and took a sandwich off a platter on the counter.

“She hasn’t been herself,” said Aunt Selma.

“She’s as unfathomable as you,” Dwight said. “Won’t talk to us. Won’t eat with us. Locks herself in the guest room or goes for long walks.”

“Wait,” Jeremy said. “Guest room? What are you talking about?”

“She’s been staying with your aunt and me at our apartment.”

“What?”

“Where did you think she was? The police only released the house from crime scene a couple of days ago. And then we had to get a clean-up crew in here.”

Jeremy tried to block that last remark. “I figured she was with my grandfather.”

“He can’t cope with a teenager.”

Damn. Jeremy had assumed Elise and their grandfather had been together. How had they gotten through this past week? “She can stay here with me tonight,” Jeremy said.

“That’s fine with me.” Dwight threw the half-eaten sandwich in the sink.

Geezer had followed Jeremy downstairs. He sniffed Selma and Dwight, then went to lie down in the front foyer. “I wasn’t expecting the dog to be here,” Dwight said.

“Who’s been taking care of him?” Jeremy asked.

“The housekeeper,” Selma said. “I forget her name. She had him at her place for a few days, but no pets are allowed there, so she brought him back here after the police left. She’s been feeding and walking him twice a day. ”

“Flora,” Jeremy said. “Her name’s Flora.”

“Of course,” Selma said. There was a smudge of lipstick on her chin. “She seems like a nice person.”

His uncle had gone over to the liquor cabinet in the adjacent family room and was pouring himself a glass of Scotch. “Not everyone would be willing to work at a house where there’d been—”

“Have a sandwich, Jeremy,” his aunt said. “The Castillos wanted you to have this food. There was a lot more, but I didn’t think it would fit in the fridge.”

Dwight held up the bottle. “Want some, Jeremy?”

“No thanks.”

Dwight took a sip. “Listen, Jeremy. I know you and I never got along well, but in times of crisis, we need to work together.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Whatever our past differences, I’m still your uncle. I want what’s best for you and Elise.”

“That’s a bit of a change from when our parents were alive.”

“Your father and I had a few issues. But that doesn’t mean he and I didn’t love each other. And now, I feel responsible for you and Elise.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Well, Elise then.” His uncle rested his glass on the counter. “We need to think about what’s best for her.”

Elise. Jeremy’s chest tightened at the thought of her. Alone this past week. Without their grandfather. Without Jeremy.

“Tonight you’ll be here at the house with her, but what about tomorrow? I need to know your plans, Jeremy. Selma and I have to make arrangements.”

“I don’t know my plans.”

“So you don’t know when you’ll be going back to Puerto Rico?”

“Portugal. I was in Portugal.”

“That’s right. It’s hard keeping up with you in your virtual world. No wonder your father was so aggravated. You don’t call home. You don’t respond to e-mails. Don’t you think of anyone but yourself?”

“Please, Dwight,” Selma said. “There’s no reason for this.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I haven’t slept much.” Dwight ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “I’ve been trying to hold everything together. The funeral arrangements, your sister, the police.”

“What about the police? Have they found anything? Do they have a suspect?”

“I talked to the lead detective for a bit,” Dwight said. “Detective Kuzniski. Seems like a good guy. Anyway, Kuzniski says they’re homing in on someone.”

“Give me Kuzniski’s number. I want to talk to him.”

Dwight reached into his wallet and handed Jeremy a business card. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Jeremy. I know how you feel right now, but there’s really no point in your getting involved with the police.”

“You don’t know anything about how I feel.”

“Sure I do. You’re angry, frustrated, ineffectual. I feel the same way myself.”

“Your parents didn’t just get killed, Dwight. You couldn’t possibly feel like I do.”

“Jeremy, Jeremy, why are you fighting me? I’m not your enemy. I’m just trying to help. You’ll be gone soon, then what? You think you can rush through here like a tornado, then leave when you’re bored? What about Elise? What happens to her?”

“I’ll work things out with my grandfather. Either he’ll come live here or Elise will move into his house.”

“Your grandfather?” Dwight said. “Why would you do that?”

“Because he’s Elise’s guardian.”

“Maybe you should have a look at your parents’ will.”

It seemed to Jeremy that Dwight was holding back a smile, but he must have been imagining it.

The front door opened and slammed shut. Jeremy recognized his sister’s voice murmuring to the dog.

“What are you talking about, Dwight?”

“Your parents entrusted your aunt Selma and me with Elise’s guardianship.” Dwight took a sip of his Scotch. “And we have no intention of letting them down.”

Chapter 3

Elise rushed into the kitchen and threw herself into Jeremy’s arms.

He held her. Just held her. He couldn’t speak if he wanted to. His sister. His baby sister. “You must always take care of her,” his mother had said, placing the newborn infant in his arms. It had been terrifying holding her. What if he dropped her? He wasn’t even seven. How could he take care of his sister?

“Where’ve you been, Elise?” Dwight asked, assuming an authority that he had no right to. He was full of shit about the guardianship. Jeremy’s parents would never have left Elise in Dwight’s care.

Elise buried her face deeper against Jeremy’s chest.

“We should go, Dwight.” Selma tugged on her husband’s arm.

Dwight took a quick glance around the room.

“If you kids need anything,” Selma said.

“Thank you, Aunt Selma,” Jeremy said.

The front door slammed.

They were alone.

“Hey Ellie.” Jeremy lifted his sister’s face by the chin. She had their mother’s pretty green eyes. But now they were red and swollen. How long had she been crying? All week? A week all alone?

He felt a surge of anger. Couldn’t his uncle have tried harder to find him? But it wasn’t fair to blame Dwight. Jeremy had arranged things so he wouldn’t be found.

Elise curled up on the sofa in the family room, letting her shoes
drop to the floor. The leather was covered with scratches from where Geezer made his bed when they watched TV. His mother was always rubbing the marks with a rag dipped in oil, but it never seemed to help.

His mother.

Always take care of your sister,
she’d said
.

“I looked for you at the Castillos’,” Jeremy said, sitting beside her.

“They told me. I-I ran right over when I heard you were home. Oh God, Jeremy.”

“I’m here now.”

“I-I can’t stand being around people.” The hesitation and slight stutter was something new. “So, so I went. So I went to the park. To the big old banyan tree. You know, where we used to go when I was little. ‘The grotto.’”

“I remember. It’s a good place to hide.”

Her tears soaked through his shirt.

“I called you from Portugal,” he said. “After I got the news from Dwight.”

“Oh no, you did? I-I turned my phone off. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I-I didn’t think you’d call.”

“It’s okay. I just wanted to let you know I was coming home.”

“Dwight told me.” She wiped her cheek. “I hate him. He keeps saying he and Selma are responsible for me now. That they’re going to move into our house. But he’s such a liar.”

“Move into our house?”

“He said that’s what Mom and Dad wrote in their wills. But, but I don’t believe him. Mom and Dad would never do that to me. Never.”

“What does Grandpa say?”

“Poor Grandpa.”

Jeremy understood. His grandfather wouldn’t have been much comfort or help to Elise. He’d be too shattered losing his only child.

“But you’re staying with me now,” Elise said. “Right?”

“Sure.” This wasn’t the time to explain that he didn’t belong here. That what he’d told his father a week ago hadn’t changed.

Geezer rested his head on the sofa and Elise buried her face in his fur. “He smells so bad. Mom needs to give him a bath.” She stopped short. “Oh no, Jeremy.” And she began to cry hard. “Who’s going to give Geezer his bath?”

“It’s okay,” Jeremy said. “We can do it. We’ll give Geezer a bath together.”

She took a crumpled Kleenex from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

“Do you want to talk about it, Ellie? If you don’t, that’s okay.”

“I, I’m afraid.”

“Of what?”

“I have these dreams,” she said.

“What kind of dreams?”

“A dark shadow.”

“Does that mean something to you?”

“It’s him. The killer. I, I see him.”

“His face?”

“Just a shadow. A dark shadow. But then I wake up. And I think, ohmygod, he’s coming back.”

“But he isn’t, Ellie. He isn’t coming back.”

“But, but I can’t stop dreaming it.”

“Maybe it would help if you told me what happened that night.”

She leaned back against the sofa. One of her bare feet touched his hand. It was ice cold. “That night,” she said. “I was really angry with them. Well not them. Dad, mainly.”

“Why?”

“Because of the fight he had with you in Madrid. I-I didn’t think you’d ever come home.”

Jeremy massaged her foot.

“And I just wanted to talk to someone. To Carlos. But they said I-I couldn’t go see him. And I ran up to my room and stayed there until—”

“Until what, Ellie?”

“Oh Jeremy, I’m such a terrible person. They told me not to go, but, but I didn’t listen. I-I snuck out of the house while they were walking Geezer.”

“You were upset. You couldn’t have known anything bad would happen.”

“But, but I shouldn’t have gone after they told me not to. I never disobey them.”

“I know, Ellie. You’re a good kid. Mom and Dad know that. Tell me what happened next. After you left the house.”

“I ran the whole way to Carlos’s. We watched a movie, but we fell asleep. Then, when we woke up, it was very late. And I remember thinking. Mom’s going to kill me.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “Do you believe that? I’m thinking Mom’s going to kill me.”

“Hey.” He pulled her against him.

“But if I hadn’t disobeyed them, m-maybe I could have stopped him.”

If Elise hadn’t disobeyed their parents, he might not be holding her now.

Take care of your sister.

“I-I didn’t say good-bye to them,” she said.

“I know,” he said. “I didn’t either.”

The house was quiet. Too quiet. There’d always been music. His father’s music. How much that used to annoy Jeremy.
Can’t you play something besides classical, Dad?
“Then what happened?” Jeremy asked.

“Carlos walked me home. W-we could see something was wrong. The front door was open.”

“Open?”

“Unlocked.”

“You mean someone used a key to get in?”

“I guess.”

Jeremy’s mind was racing. A burglar wouldn’t have a key.

“It was dark in the house. And I remember thinking, they wouldn’t have turned the lights out. They knew I was coming home soon.” Elise bit down on her lower lip. “And the smell. It was so strange. Carlos said it smelled like gunpowder, and we should leave.” Her eyes flitted around the room. “And then, I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

“Liliam said Carlos pulled you out of the house,” Jeremy said softly. “That he ran to get the security guard.”

Elise looked at him blankly. “Is that what happened?”

“Isn’t it? You were there.”

She put the end of her long dark braid in her mouth. “I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

Chapter 4

It bugged Jeremy. The door being unlocked. Either someone had a key or his parents had opened it. And they only would have opened the door at that hour for someone they knew.

But they were shot in their bed. So that had to mean the killer used a key to get in.