“No, Sunday night, one of the kids who helps out sometimes was on duty. His name is Carl, I think.”
“WouldCarl have access to the keys?”
“I suppose so. Do you think someone stole the keys and went into my apartment?”
“I think it’s possible. The detective on the case faxed me a strategically blacked out copy of the crime scene report this morning. The cops found no sign of a break-in, which means the killer either had keys or is an excellent picklock. I think the more likely scenario is thatsomeone who had keys to your apartment killed that girl. Which means it’s either someone who has your keys or someone who stole your keys.” Jackson scanned his notes again. “You trust your housekeeper?”
“Yes.”
“When does she come to your apartment usually?”
“Just on Tuesdays. I’m not home enough to make much of a mess.”
“I suppose it’s also possible an acquaintance of hers stolethe keys, but that seems less likely than the doorman.”
“What are you doing, exactly?”
“Coming up with an alternate theory of the crime. Reed suggested that probably someone arranged for Zoe Haufman to come to your place by making her think she’d be coming to meet you.”
“Why?”
“Why Zoe specifically? I have no idea. Because she was attractive and her parents are big donors?” Jacksontook a deep breath. “Why generally? To create a scandal for you. Reed thought it possible that whoever killed Zoe Haufman didn’t set out to murder her. Perhaps he just meant for you to get caught with her.”
“If he wanted a scandal, mission accomplished.” Park shivered. Jackson hadn’t seen the body, so he couldn’t have known how violent her death had been. But Park still had the memory of thepuddle under her body burned into his mind, and he doubted anything that violent could have been an accident.
Worse, if someoneweretrying to set up Park for a fall, that person was still out there. Park knew better than to think he didn’t have enemies, but killing a woman was far beyond what he thought any of them would do.
“I feel like there’s still something I’m overlooking.” Jacksontapped his fingers on his notepad. “What about your cousin’s daughter?”
“They’ve been on vacation in Orlando since last Thursday. They’re due back in the city this Friday.”
“Does Sharon have someone who comes in to waterherplants?”
“No. Sharon has a black thumb.” Park held up his thumb. “And ever since a break-in at a neighbor’s building, she’s been super paranoid about security,so her apartment is basically Fort Knox when they’re not home.”
“Okay. I think we can probably safely rule them out, then.” Jackson stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I wish we had access to the security footage from the building, but the cops just got it. Gavin Shaw, the lead detective, said they’re combing through it today. You’ll probably have to look at some of the footage to see ifyou recognize anyone, but that won’t be sooner than tomorrow. In Gavin’s words, a lot of fucking people go in and out of your building.”
“I know.”
“Probably you should move after this.”
“Yeah, I don’t think I can live there again.” He closed his eyes and tried to picture his apartment as he always saw it, but now all he could see were cops swarming the place and that pool of bloodseeping into his hardwood floors.
“Do you own the apartment?”
“It’s a co-op.”
“That you paid into, right? You don’t rent the place?”
“That’s correct. I bought it right after I left the Assembly, so two years ago? Not quite that long. I had a place I barely spent time at on Seventy-Sixth Street before that. I moved there after...” Park coughed and looked at Jackson, assuming Jacksonwould know what he meant.
“Right.” That was the flat tone Jack adopted when he didn’t want Park to know he was having an emotional reaction.
“I had to keep a residence in my district, but I spent most of my time in Albany. I bought the co-op after I moved back to the city, because I wanted more space.”
“It’s a shame you have to move, then.”
“It’s a nice apartment, don’t get mewrong, but it’s really only a place I sleep. It never quite felt like home.” No place he’d lived since he left Jackson had felt like home. Just the places he hung his hat.
