Near Death by Glenn Cooper

Author:Glenn Cooper [Cooper, Glenn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780692260548
Publisher: Lascaux Media
Published: 2012-06-01T07:00:00+00:00

Twenty-eight

The Chinese grad student in Alex’s lab who picked up the phone finally told an insistent Cyrus she thought her boss might be working out at the Harvard indoor track. He liked the idea of catching Weller off guard so he jumped in his car and headed to Cambridge. Avakian was at a parent-teacher meeting at his daughter’s school so Cyrus went alone, trying hard not to think about all the future parent-teacher meetings he’d be missing.

He parked near the Harvard football stadium and showed his badge to get into the Gordon Indoor Track. This late in the morning there weren’t many runners. He spotted Weller immediately, tall and lanky, ponytail bobbing against the back of his t-shirt as he circled the banked brick-red oval. Cyrus climbed onto the bleachers and watched him for half a circuit. He was fluid, a natural runner, and Cyrus felt a pang of jealousy at Weller’s long, seemingly carefree lopes. He’d been a good runner himself years ago. He tried to imagine the fine feeling of cruise speed but it was difficult to remember. Perhaps one day he’d start again. Maybe in the spring.

Weller came out of the turn and promptly locked onto Cyrus. He didn’t slow down or stop, didn’t register surprise or alarm—only a thin-lipped smile and a jabbing finger to his wristwatch, a sign that Cyrus would just have to cool his jets.

I’ll wait for you, Cyrus thought. You’re running in circles.

Weller eventually stopped in front of the bleachers and stood, hands on hips, while Cyrus climbed down. In between breaths he said, “Sorry to keep you waiting … but you lose the benefit when your heart slows down … at least that’s the theory.”

“Do a lot of running?” Cyrus asked.

“Just enough to counteract the beer.”

Cyrus refused to respond in kind. “Do you know why I’m here?”

“Frank Sacco?” Alex asked. “Is the FBI involved with Frank’s murder?”

“We’re aware of it. I’m interested in what you know.” He studied Weller’s eyes for an evasive glance, a twitch, but there was nothing.

“I know what I’ve seen on the news, read online. It’s horrible. I’ve known the lad for three years. He was a good worker, a pleasant fellow; never had issues with him. I was shocked he was involved with anything like this.”

“Anything like what?”

“Whatever it was that would have led to someone killing him!” Alex had a water bottle and towel on the lowest bleacher step. He reached for them.

“Do you know where he lived?”

“Of course. Revere.”

“Ever been to his house?”

“We didn’t have that kind of relationship.”

“Did he ever go to your house?”

“Yes, several times.”

“I thought you didn’t have that kind of relationship.”

“He attended my salon.”

“The Uroboros thing.”

“That’s right.”

“Active participant?”

“He wasn’t much of a talker.”

“When was the last time he attended?”

“A couple of weeks ago. Early January sometime.”

“I thought you said you’d invite me to the next one you had.”

A sip from the water bottle. “Must’ve slipped my mind.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“At work the day he died. He seemed perfectly normal.

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