Page 114 of Almost Dead (The Cahills 2)

“I’ll talk to Elyse,” Sybil heard herself promising.

“Good. Do that! Somethin’s not right over there.”

Sybil thought she could use a cigarette…maybe a couple. Tildy was a nuisance, and probably unbalanced to boot. Sybil’s aunt had started showing signs of dementia when she hit her eighties. It was bound to happen. “Do you watch the house all the time?” Sybil asked curiously.

“I keep up with the comings and goings in the neighborhood.” Tildy nodded.

“I’m sure everything’s all right.”

“If it was all right, I wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble to come down here.”

“I appreciate your telling me.”

“You’re just fobbing me off, aren’t you?” the old lady accused.

“No, of course not.”

“Well, what’re you gonna do? Anything? Maybe I should call the police.”

“No, no, no. I’ll go over there and check with Elyse myself.”

“I’ll be watchin’ for ya.”

I’ll bet you will, Sybil thought. “I’ll be by this afternoon. I’ve got a couple meetings, and then I’ll swing over your way.”

Sybil held the door while Tildy stubbed her way back out. She passed through reception and glanced back, seeming aware that Sybil might be humoring her. But Sybil knew she would never hear the end of this until she took care of things, and she was never going to get rid of Mrs. Owens unless she showed her she was acting on her information.

Like she had time to run out to Berkeley. Oh, sure.

“I’ll be lookin’,” she said again, then toddled through the door.

“What a sweetheart,” Carrie said, meaning it.

“You’re fired,” Sybil responded, reaching inside her purse for her spare, unopened pack of cigarettes, fingering it like a good-luck talisman.

“What have you got?” Paterno asked as Janet Quinn ducked her head into his office.

“Not much. Tanya Watson worked mostly as a babysitter or nanny. She was taking care of a couple of kids who belonged to a woman named Geena Barrymore, a single mother who dated Jonathan Holt for a time.”

“Nothing between Holt and Tanya?”

“Doesn’t appear to be. Geena’s moved on to a new guy too. Quite a while ago.”

“You think there’s any connection between any of ’em and Holt’s grandson?”

She lifted her palms.

Paterno sighed. “I called Jonathan Holt this morning. He’s with his other son, J.J., at Jack and Cissy’s. The feds were there, setting up. Holt didn’t have much to say about Tanya other than he barely knew her.”

“What do you think?” Quinn asked.

“He sounded pretty shaken up about both Tanya’s death and his grandson’s kidnapping.” Paterno inhaled and exhaled slowly. “I’m worried about what’s going on in Marla’s mind. I want to know what she wants.”

“Maybe she’ll keep the little boy safe,” Quinn said.

Paterno didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t like the response he would make.

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