“Good morning, son,” Cody said in a gentle tone. “I’m Officer Fairfax, and this is my associate, Miss Johanssen. You must be Ben.”

“Benjamin.” The boy’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You’re here about my brother?”

“We’ve come to return his personal effects,” Cody said. “And we have a few questions for you and your parents. Are they here?”

Benjamin Vanderhei turned away. “Yeah. Come in.”

He led us through a foyer with marble floors and a marble table containing a towering floral arrangement that probably cost more than a month’s worth of my wages. A multitude of smaller arrangements were arrayed on the table around the base of the stand, sympathy cards protruding from plastic stake holders. I did my best to walk softly, acutely aware of intruding on a family’s grief.

Mr. and Mrs. Vanderhei received us in a sitting room that was bigger than my entire apartment. It had a picture window that looked onto the wind-ruffled waters of Big Pine Bay, a baby grand piano, and a bar with half a dozen crystal decanters on it, silver tags identifying the spirits within them, something I’d only ever seen in movies.

There were more floral arrangements on every surface, a further reminder of the family’s loss.

The word that Jim Vanderhei evoked was patrician. He was tall and lean, with a thick head of silver hair, his face lined and distinguished. His face was expressionless as he heard out our condolences, and he accepted Thad’s water-damaged wallet without a word of thanks, his gaze flinty. “When can we have our son?”

“As soon as the medical examiner releases his findings, sir,” Cody said. “We’re so very sorry for the delay. The chief’s on the phone with him as we speak.”

His wife, Sue, seated on the couch, choked back a sob. She was some ten years younger than her husband, rail-thin, with birdlike features and blond hair pulled into a chignon so tight it looked painful. “Thad drowned! For God’s sake, it was an accident! I don’t understand why you’re being such ghouls about this!”

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” I murmured, ignoring the accusation’s sting and her unfortunate choice of insults. “We’re just trying to be thorough.”

Cody cleared his throat. “Forgive me for asking, but did any of you notice anything unusual about Thad’s activities in the past few weeks? Any new friends? Unexplained absences? Uncharacteristic behavior?”

“No!” Her voice rose, and she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “Do you think I don’t know my own son?”

Jim Vanderhei glowered. “Exactly what in the hell are you trying to cover up down there?”