The Devil She Knows by Bill Loehfelm

Author:Bill Loehfelm
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Published: 2011-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

At the curb outside the library, Waters leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed. Maureen toed the sidewalk with her boot, hiding her face from the people walking by. What did they take her for, she wondered, as she stood there wilting in front of this obvious cop? Was she a prostitute? A runaway? If she were a guy, she’d be a thug. These strangers wouldn’t stare right at her if she were a guy. They’d be too afraid. Sebastian’s words, his questions, beat their wings against the walls of her skull.

“So you’re sure,” Waters said, “that your mom hasn’t talked to Gloria since this morning.”

“I called her while I was waiting for you. That’s what she said, nothing since this morning at the house.”

“So what he’s got,” Waters said, “is your job application from the Narrows. Think about it. Who’s listed as your emergency contact?”

“My mom.”

“Right. Her name, home phone number, work number. Listen, I don’t think he’s got a small army out surveilling and stalking your mother. He’s in some back office at campaign headquarters or in the backseat of his limo messing with your head between interviews. You told me yourself that Sebastian and Vic go back. He leaned on Vic for info and got the application. End of story.”

“You’re sure? This is my mom we’re talking about.”

“Think about it,” Waters said. “What’d he say to you? That the two of you look alike. He saw that this morning. He’s known that for twenty-odd years. She works at the Macy’s in the mall. Phone number’s on the app. Not exactly a deep dark secret. Anything more than that?”

“No.”

“So what does what he said really prove?”

“Not a whole lot,” Maureen said. “But I’m telling you that really might’ve been him, right across the street.”

Waters shook his head. “Not unless that cab took him back in time. When you called me, I was at the precinct watching him on television while he started a quality-of-life speech outside the old Black Garter Saloon, which means he was calling you from the other end of the island. No cab is getting him from here to the South Shore in the ninety seconds it took you to call me.” Waters leaned closer to Maureen. “If you want, we can run over to Macy’s right now. I’ll even wait in the car while you go check on her.” He waited for an answer. “I’m serious.”

“No. My problems are not her problems,” Maureen said. “What are we gonna do about Tanya?”

“I’m looking but I’m not optimistic, especially if he’s calling from her phone.”

“This is the part,” Maureen said, “where you tell me he screwed himself by calling on her phone, right? Now you can bust him.”

“Hand me your phone.” Maureen gave it over. Waters thumbed through her calls until he landed on the one from Sebastian. “What do you see there?”

“Tanya’s number.”

“No, you don’t,” Waters said. “You see a phone number with no name that you say is Tanya’s. Even if I

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