I let him consider his dream life for a little bit, then brought him back to reality. “What can I do to help you now? Is there anything you can think of that might have led to Pete’s death?”

“Just his business with Alton. The stuff I already told you about. Alton Beatty isn’t anything like he seems. That’s a guy that might be able to provide answers. He just might not want to.” Then Natty took my arm and said, “I’m not worried. I didn’t do it and I have faith in Lise. But Katie won’t move on until she knows exactly what happened to Pete. I need you to find Pete’s killer for her. That’s all that matters now.”

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

BY THE TIME I was back in Marlboro it was pitch-black outside and there was a light snow starting to fall. I don’t know if it’s because Marlboro is my hometown or that I was just glad to be out of Newburgh, but I felt a sense of relief when I pulled into my mother’s driveway.

She still lived in the simple two-bedroom house where Natty and I grew up. She kept our bedroom the same so if either of us needed a place to stay we always had a bed. So far, I’d only taken her up on the offer a couple of times while I was on leave in the Navy. Natty had used the house to escape the police and avoid sticky situations with other drug dealers. I would hate to be the drug dealer who thought he could barge into my mother’s house without her permission.

I knocked on the door as I opened it and called out, “Mom?” It’s never a good idea to surprise my mom.

She stepped out from the kitchen and said, “Bill Jeffries already called me and caught me up on everything. He even worked it out for Natty to call me and managed to get your brother into a private cell at the county jail.” She had a slight hitch in her voice, but was still her usual, efficient communicator. Then she said, “I talked to Pete’s mother. She doesn’t believe Natty had anything to do with it, either. I told her you’d figure it all out. She’s been out of her head with grief. Pete’s sisters stayed at the house around the clock to comfort her.”

Then I noticed her eyes were red and I realized she’d been crying. That was not my mother. I had seen her mad plenty of times. That was terrifying. But I’d never seen her worried or sad before. I always assumed it was her training as a nurse. Natty or I would suffer some sort of injury like a broken arm and she’d talk to us like she was making lunch and never show emotion. This was unnerving.