I hadn’t found the little brown bottles back then. And we still hadn’t talked about it. Now I told Ackerson the gist of what Diya had said. Let her believe my wife was just spoiled; better that than she start digging into the private pain that tormented the woman I adored.
“Where can I find you if I need to talk to you?” the detective said in response.
“Probably here.” I gave her my cell number and had the thought that I’d have to buy a charger—the battery would be flat by tomorrow.
“I probably don’t have to tell you this, but the house is off-limits,” Ackerson said after inputting my number into her phone. “There’s nothing there you can salvage anyway.”
Pain shot through my jaw as I remembered Diya’s dad watering his prized lawn, her mum pointing out the designer wallpaper mural she’d had hung on one wall of the lounge as a feature. They’d been so proud of that house, of building something so beautiful after coming to New Zealand as doctors from a small island nation whose qualifications weren’t automatically recognized.
They’d worked hard to gain the right to practice here.
“What about the cars? Can I get access to one of them?” They were likely damaged from shrapnel sent out by the explosion, or just from proximity to the heat, but hopefully at least one was still in working order.
“The entire property is off-limits for the time being. If you need funds, I can get—”
“No, I have my cards on me.” Diya had bought me my sleek black wallet as a gift, even had it monogrammed with my initials in a muted bronze that suited me far better than gold or silver. “When…when will you know anything?”
“It’s a big scene, a lot to process. It’s going to be a while.” She passed a slightly crumpled card to me. “My contact information.”
After accepting it, I thought of what Diya would want me to do. “The funerals?” My mouth was dry, my hands a second away fromtrembling. I had no idea how to organize one funeral, much less two and possiblythree.
“Don’t plan anything yet. There’s no guarantee when the remains will be released.”
Remains, not bodies.
I just nodded, grateful that Shumi’s parents were flying over. They’d know what to do for the Prasads, the rituals that were to be followed. My in-laws hadn’t been heavily religious, but I’d seen a small prayer alcove in the house, caught the distinctive scent of incense two or three mornings a week.
Their faith had mattered to them.
“Wishing your wife and your sister-in-law a fast recovery,” Ackerson said, the rote words sounding rehearsed and stiff.
I thanked her regardless, because right now, she was my only way into the investigation.
She paused before leaving. “Keep me informed of your movements, Tavish. I don’t want to waste time chasing you down.”
My pulse accelerated at what had sounded very much like a subtle threat, but, well-versed in dealing with cops, I just nodded again and stood slumped against the wall for long minutes after she’d left. It was clear that Ackerson considered me a suspect. She didn’t need to have any information from the LA cops.
All it would’ve taken was a simple online search.
The name Tavish Advani had been splashed all over the news and gossip sites three and a half years ago, when Jocelyn fell from her luxury apartment on the ninth floor, her body a shattered doll on the pavement.
Jocelyn Wai’s Boy Toy Lover Taken in for Questioning!
Did She Fall or Was She PUSHED?
Model, Philanthropist, Socialite…Murder Victim?
Accusations and insinuations like that tended to stick. Especially after they’d been raked up again in the wake of Virna’s accident.
If I didn’t get my head on straight, figure things out, Ackerson might railroad me right back into a nightmare I’d barely escaped. One of the first things I planned to do was call my father and ask him for the contact of a good local criminal defense attorney. Just in case.
“Mr.Advani?”
I jerked at the sound of the nurse’s voice; it was the same nurse who’d found an answer for me when I’d asked if Diya was still in surgery. That he’d tracked me down outside the ward had my heart thumping.
“Is my wife out of surgery?”
“Yes.” He held up a hand when I would’ve rushed past. “But you have to be prepared—she’s in a critical state.”
