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and Merv, still fawning over Lindsay in the living room. I did my damnedest to tune out their voices. At least I didn't have to listen to their stomachs growl as the traditional meal hour came and went. I'd already checked Lindsay's cupboards, fridge and freezer. Except for the quality coffee, they were enough to give empty a good name. Unless you counted the two slices of bread still left in the bag and the pat of butter on a pretty plate on the dairy shelf. Under the circumstances, take-out seemed ill advised. It seemed wiser to get some food into the house, to keep up Lindsay's strength.
I felt a moment's twinge about having gotten my sisters in such a snit. Otherwise I might have been able to call one of them to bring over provisions without revealing why. Oh well. Mrs. Parnell never appeared to eat anyway. I resigned myself to a gurgling stomach until the morning arrived or Benning was captured. Perhaps we could arrange for the next shift of cops to bring us some doughnuts.
In the meantime, Mrs. Parnell and I sat in the kitchen and busied ourselves trying to find out more about Rina Benning. With the portable TV relocated and a pair of radios set to different stations, we had been able to determine a body had indeed been found, apparently bludgeoned. Despite the early blurting of her name, we had no official confirmation. The police and the Coroner have procedures.
The media are inventive at skirting procedures, but P. J. was still incommunicado. The evening dragged on. Mrs. Parnell found herself out of sherry. I found myself pacing.
She checked every cupboard in the kitchen and came up empty. It seemed to make her critical. “You know your problem, Ms. MacPhee?”
“I'm too polite?”
“You are too driven. You have to learn to focus more and relax.”
“Thanks.”
“Focus is the first principle of effective surveillance.”
Not for the first time, I gawked at her. The long, elderly body, the sharp nose, the startling ears, the perpetual cigarette, tip glowing. The wispy hair disappearing into a bun, the gnarled knuckles. “It is?”
“Of course, Ms. MacPhee. Check any basic surveillance manual.” I didn't have a basic surveillance manual. And I was surprised to hear Mrs. Parnell did. Although it wasn't the strangest thing about her by a long shot.
“You have a manual on surveillance?”
“Covert operations. You could learn a lot from them, Ms. MacPhee. A bit of patience would do wonders for you.”
“I don't have time for it.”
“Blood, sweat and tears,” she said, “but no sherry. I will try the dining room. I think I saw a cabinet there. You keep your ears open for breaking news.”
“You should stay put. If Benning shows up, we'd be better off cold sober.”
“Speak for yourself. I am always ready to fight.”
* * *
“Right, Elaine.” I held Merv's cellphone away from my ear. “I'm glad it's going well. Yep. I'm sorry to miss out on that sculpture activity, and I'm glad you understand that this is where I have to be. Lindsay's safety has to take priority. I'm sure building an ice sculpture is a great way to solidify relationships. Really wish I could be with you, but I'll help WAVE some other time. And Alvin will too.” I ignored the look I got from him. “I know he was keen to take part in the ice sculpture contest. And as I said before, we would love to be with you, enjoying the outdoors, instead of cooped up here without a bite to eat.”
Both Merv and Mrs. Parnell listened with amusement. I didn't appreciate the smirks. Elaine was the most single-minded, stubborn person I knew. Even worse than my sisters. Let them try to deal with her sometime, I thought.
“In fact,” I added, “if you are looking for volunteers, next time, don't forget to ask Merv and Mrs. Parnell. They're both extremely good-humoured. Don't thank me. Stay in touch.”
Merv's phone rang so quickly I thought it was Elaine again. P. J.'s voice was a relief.
“Well, well, Clark Kent. Great to hear from you. At last.”
“I'm short on time, Tiger. Whatcha got?”
“Interesting stuff but first, tell me, what the hell is going on? We heard Rina Benning has been murdered. How could Benning get her?”
“Don't have official confirmation yet on that, but it looks like she went out to meet him. Christ, can you believe that?” I could picture P. J. running his fingers through his wiry red curls.
“Not even possible. I can't believe they'd let her go,” I said.
“You and me both, but apparently she distracted the guard and drove off to meet him. So what's the scoop?”
“It can't be true.”
“It is. They found a message from him on her answering machine. He asked her to meet him in the usual place. Told her he loved her and he wouldn't hurt her and he had to see her before he died.”
“Oh my God. And she actually went? Do they know where he is?”
“They have no goddam idea. So what do you have for me?
Where's Lindsay Grace hiding out?”
“What? I can hardly hear you. The batteries must be running low on this thing.”
“You mentioned you had some information. Hey, come on, Tiger.”
“P. J.? Are you there? Hello? Hello? Damn it, Merv. It's time you bought a decent cellphone.”
I hung up.
* * *
We had spent a long and jumpy evening irritating each other and listening to stomachs growl, when the doorbell sent us all skyward at nine forty-five. A couple of Alvin's earrings scratched the ceiling.
“Lights out,” Mrs. Parnell yelled. “Hit the floor belly first and keep moving till you are in the trench.”
I reached the front door before Merv and grabbed an umbrella for protection. I pressed the button on the airphone. Elaine Ekstein's cheerful voice came as a surprise.
“Elaine?”
“Holy moly, open up, the pizza's getting cold.”
Elaine stood like Nanook of the North with a pile of boxes. Over her shoulder Officer James loomed, carrying a cardboard box. Behind him the cruiser idled, with the female officer in view.
Elaine kicked off her furry boots. They careened across the marble entrance floor. The heel from the left one left a jaunty little scuffmark on the fresh taupe paint on the wall. “I decided to take the high road. The WAVE sculpture team seems to have everything under control. I decided you need me more than they do. Justice is well served. So I put my money where my mouth is and headed to the Colonnade.”
“And not a moment too soon,” I said.
“Pizza?” Merv took his eyes off Lindsay in the heat of the moment. The moment didn't last long. Merv resumed the lovesick schtick before you could say pepperoni and anchovies.
“That's the best.” Alvin stood and flicked his ponytail in approval. It's always hard to tell when Alvin's excited, but the parrots on his shirt seemed to be engaged in some hula activity.
Merv pressed his advantage and gave Lindsay a soothing stroke on the shoulder.
“Elaine, you are now my favourite person,” I said, “because you have four boxes of pizza. Is one of them mushroom and bacon?”
“For sure. I know your taste. If you can call it taste.”
I decided she'd better be careful, or I'd have to mention she looked four feet wide in her lime-green quilted parka. But at least she wasn't wearing the faux leopard outfit.
The officer followed Elaine into the condo.
“Gotta take care of our boys and girls in blue.” Elaine headed