Page 12 of Listen to Me

“No, they loved his dog biscuits,” said Fran Souza with a sad laugh. “Tony kept a bag of them in his mail truck.”

“But he really did love dogs. They both did. After Tony died, Sofia was talking about getting one, maybe a big ol’ goldenretriever. Then she thought it wouldn’t be fair to the dog, being left at home alone while she worked.” Mary Beth paused. “It’s too bad she didn’t have a dog. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened.”

Fran asked, softly: “Was it quick? Did she suffer?”

Jane thought of the smears of dried blood across the living room floor, evidence of Sofia’s desperate attempt to escape.Yes, she did suffer.Sofia had lived long enough to be terrified. To know she was about to die. “We’re waiting for the autopsy report,” was all she said.

“Is Maura Isles doing it?” asked Antrim.

Jane looked at him. “Do you know Dr. Isles?”

“Oh yes. We both play in the same orchestra.”

“She’s in an orchestra?”

“It’s a doctors’ orchestra. We rehearse once a week at Brookline High School. She’s our pianist, and a very good one.”

“I know she plays the piano, but I didn’t know about any orchestra.”

“We’re just amateurs, but we have a good time. You should come to our concert in a few weeks. I’m a lowly second violinist, but Maura? She’s a real musician and will be our featured soloist.”

And she never told me.

What else had Maura kept from her? Jane wondered as she and Frost rode the elevator to the first floor, as they walked across the parking lot to her car. It was a small thing, yet it bothered her. She knew Maura was a private person, but they had been friends for years, had faced the worst together, and there was no more powerful bonding experience than facing death, side by side.

She slid in behind the wheel and looked at Frost. “Why didn’t she tell us?”

“Who?”

“Maura. Why didn’t she mention she’s in an orchestra?”

Frost shrugged. “Do you tellhereverything?”

“No, but this is different. A concert’s kind of a big deal.”

“Maybe she’s embarrassed.”

“That there’sone more thingshe can do and I can’t?”

He laughed. “See? You find that annoying, don’t you?”

“I’m more annoyed she didn’t tell me about it.” Her cell phone rang with a nerve-jarring scream of violins. “Another thing to annoy me.”

“You gonna answer her? ’Cause she’ll just call again.”

Resignedly, Jane picked up the phone. “Hey, Ma. I’m in the middle of something right now.”

“You’re always in the middle of something. When can we talk?”

“Is this about Tricia Talley again?”

“You know what that Revere detective said? He told Jackie that Tricia will come home when she runs out of money. Who says that to the mother of a missing kid? I’m telling you, the police are not taking this seriously.”

“Unlike the last three times Tricia ran away from home?”

“Poor Jackie’s a mess. She wants to talk to you.”

“Revere PD needs to handle this, Ma. They won’t like it if I interfere.”

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