“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“No, son, there isn’t anything right now. But thank you.”

“Okay,” he said doubtfully. For a minute he looked lost, as if hoping for some other option, some other plan of action, to occur to him.

Gurney said nothing, just waited.

“Okay,” Kyle repeated. “Let me get some of my things and I’ll be on my way. When I get to Syracuse I’ll check in with you.” He retreated from the den with a worried frown.

A musical computer tone announced the start of Gurney’s eight a.m. video call.

Chapter 46

The Spalter Brothers

A medium shot of a man sitting in a comfortable-looking armchair filled most of the laptop screen. Gurney recognized Jonah Spalter from his photograph on the Cyberspace Cathedral website. He was illuminated clearly, expertly, with no extraneous elements in the video framing to distract from the strong bone structure of his face. His expression was one of practiced calm seasoned with mild concern. He was gazing directly into the camera with the effect of gazing directly into Gurney’s eyes.

“Hello, David. I’m Jonah.” If his voice were a color, it would have been a pastel. “Is it all right if I call you David? Or would you prefer Detective Gurney?”

“David is fine. Thank you for getting in touch with me.”

There was a tiny nod, a tiny smile, the hint of a social worker’s concern in the eyes. “Your email had an urgent tone, along with some rather alarming phrases. How can I help you?”

“How much do you know about the effort to get your sister-in-law’s conviction overturned?”

“I know that the effort resulted in her lead attorney being killed, along with six of his neighbors.”

“Anything else?”

“I know that Mr. Bincher had made some serious allegations of police corruption. Your email to me also referred to corruption, as well as ‘family dynamics.’ That could mean just about anything. Perhaps you could explain it.”

“It’s an area that the official investigation is likely to pursue.”

“Official investigation?”

“Lex Bincher’s murder will force BCI to take a new look at your brother’s murder. Not only BCI, but probably the AG’s office as well, since the corruption charges in Kay’s appeal are aimed at BCI. At that point, we’ll be turning over the new evidence we’ve uncovered—evidence indicating that Kay was framed. So, whichever agencies are involved, they’ll be asking who, besides Kay, stood to benefit from Carl’s death.”

“Well,” said Jonah, with wide-eyed chagrin, “that would certainly include me.”

“Is it true that you and your brother didn’t get along?”