The dead body belonged to a male about my height with an athletic build. His thighs, calves, and hands were bloody from wounds. One hand was larger than the other. A large pool of blood congealed between his legs, which were slightly open. I stepped around a cordless drill. It had a small, bloody bit in its mouth. Close to the refrigerator, a stained handsaw lay on the fashionable Spanish tiles of the upgraded kitchen. The body was missing its head.
Even in Phoenix, there probably weren’t that many headless bodies at the moment.
“Jax.” I whispered it.
Vare shook her head. “Is that his name? Your girlfriend’s…”
“She’s…not!” Something in my voice actually made her take a step back.
“Well, she’s looking at some major trouble, Mapstone. She’s lying. I can tell it. You can, too-don’t deny it. I can’t tell if you’re lying because I never believe you anyway. You both had better start cooperating.”
I asked her how she had found the body. It didn’t look as if any of the neighboring houses were occupied, so this was no place for a block watch. A tip, she said.
“A tip? From where? What kind of tip?” I turned away from the corpse and faced her straight on, trying not to let my anger take over. It wasn’t easy.
“I can’t tell you that, sir,” she said, wagging a finger at me, emphasizing that last word, leaving no doubt that I was now just a civilian. She had a large gold wedding band on her hand with diamonds in it. Somebody once told me she had three children. I couldn’t imagine. She went on, “Let’s go through it again. Jax Delgado…”
So I went through it again: I’d known him for six weeks, since about the time he and Robin had started dating. She met him at a First Friday gallery exhibit. Lindsey and I liked him and invited them both for drinks and dinner. His grandfather was from Cuba and he’d grown up in Miami. I’d seen him maybe a dozen times, mostly fleeting.
“You’d better notify New York University,” I said. “He’s on the faculty. They’ll have next-of-kin information.”
Vare laughed, showing her prominent incisors. “Mapstone, if you’re telling the truth, you’re a fucking idiot.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time both those things were true.”
The new voice was deep, commanding, familiar. I turned my head to see Mike Peralta filling my vision. Behind him was Robin.
Vare rounded on him. “This is not your jurisdiction. You’re almost ou…” She stopped herself.
Peralta smiled slightly. “Everything is my jurisdiction, Kate. For a few more days, at least.”
