Page 14 of Fury In Death

She scrolled through the conversation. Working late, me, too, but at home. Carin and Ham. Can’t wait to see them.

Then the text when Rachel got home sent at six-thirty-six, and unanswered. Another: Larry, you need to come up and change!—sent at seven-oh-eight. Another at seven-fourteen: Damn it, you’re going to make us late! The last: I swear, I’m going to leave without you! sent at seven-eighteen.

“Ms. Chu, I’d like to keep your ’link for now. Do you have another?”

“I . . . have an old one somewhere. And there’s a house ’link, and my tablet. Please don’t erase them.” She pressed her lips together. “It’s the last time we spoke.”

“No, ma’am, we won’t erase them. And we’ll get the ’link back to you. Can you tell me if you’ve noticed anyone near the house, in the neighborhood who gave you a bad feeling?”

“No.”

“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you by hurting your husband?”

“No. God.” She shut her eyes a moment. “If I had any idea, any inkling, I’d tell you. You saw what they did to him. I know who you are, both of you. I have to believe you’ll find who did this to him. You’ll find them. I don’t care why. Maybe I will, but now? I only care who.”

“Ms. Chu, I’m going to ask Roarke to change your husband’s security code, and yours, and McKay’s. We’ll give you all three, but for your safety, we’re going to change them.”

“You think someone had his code? I don’t know how that could be.”

“It’s a precaution. Is there someone I can contact for you?”

“I’m not ready to say it yet. If you could contact our oldest, tell him, ask him to tell his brother? If they could come. I don’t want to be alone, but I don’t want them to see . . .”

“Your husband will be taken to the morgue. Ms. Chu,” she said as the woman began to tremble all over, “he will be treated with care and compassion, that I can promise. I’ll give you the contact for Dr. Morris, the chief medical examiner. He’ll arrange for you and your sons, if you wish, to see your husband tomorrow.”

“He’s not there anymore. Whoever did this took Larry away. No, I don’t want them to see what was done to their father.”

“We’ll block off the room for now. I may need to come back. I may have more questions.”

“I’ll never go in that room again. We love this house. We’ve been here for over twelve years. I don’t know how to be here now. Yes, please call my son. Bradley, Bradley Chu. He’s on my ’link. Is it all right if I go upstairs? I’d like to lie down for a little while.”

“Yes, of course. We’ll be out of your way as soon as possible.”

As soon as possible took another hour. She spoke with the sweepers. She wanted them to include the courtyard area outside the windows, take samples of every area of blood.

Since Bradley Chu and his wife, Tricia, arrived ten minutes after she made notification, she took more time there.

“If I could have a moment.”

“My mom . . .”

“I’ll go up.” Tricia, a tall brunette in olive-green sweats, gripped Bradley’s hand, then turned in to hold him. “I’ll go up to her, Brad.”

“All right. Thanks. Okay.”

“Do you want to sit down?” Eve asked him.

“No. No. I can’t. My father.” He looked toward the office. “Is he . . .”

“No, he’s been transported.”

“To the morgue.” Bradley, slim, dark-haired, closed eyes that carried deep shadows of fatigue. “I know the procedure. I’m a doctor. I work in emergency medicine. I don’t understand how, why. You need to tell me more than you did over the ’link.”

“Do you have your father’s security code to the residence?”

“No.”

“Are you aware of anyone, besides your father, who would?”