The Children's Corner

Chapter 50

Taking up most of a bench in Holding, Myron Fink's bodyguard sits staring into empty space. Kate bangs on his cell's metal mesh to get his attention. "We need to have a little talk, Mr. Zeman."

"We don't have anything to talk about," Zeman retorts. "You're trying to railroad my boss. I'm not about to help you."

Sympathy softens Kate's gaze. "I think we both know Myron's a lot more than your boss, Brock. But he's not the man you think he is. The M.E. finished the autopsies on his parents. They both died of arsenic poisoning."

"That doesn't mean Myron did it!" Brock argues. "What about Michael? If that bastard could kidnap Myron, he could kill his parents."

"Except that Michael was 3,000 miles away when they died," Kate responds gently. "We've confirmed that. And Michael had nothing to gain. They left almost everything to Myron. So unless you can think of someone we might have missed, Myron was the only one close enough to his parents to put arsenic in their food. Do you know of anyone else who could have been in one of Malka's kitchens?"

Brock springs from his seat. "Myron has an aunt! She has a funny name, Rachel something. And Goldstone, her last name is Goldstone! Myron said she and his mother cooked together."

"If you mean Malka's sister, she was the one who gave permission for exhumation. And we also checked on her whereabouts when the poisoning took place. She and several other members of her sisterhood were making preparations for a Bar Mitzvah celebration. Anyone else?"

Slowly sinking back to the bench, Brock shakes his head. "I don't know. But Myron didn't do it. It must have been someone else. Or maybe they did it themselves."

"Suicide would have been a severe breach of religious law. They would have had to be mentally ill or facing unbearable circumstances. And there's no evidence that they were either. Yossi was very successful, and Malka was very proud of Myron. The Finks didn't kill themselves, Brock. Someone had to kill them."

"It wasn't Myron," Brock insists. But Kate can see growing doubt in his eyes.

"Get anything out of loverboy?" Esposito queries as Kate returns to the bullpen.

"Nothing that will help us. But he didn't know anything that would help Myron either. Still, I can't see Eli bringing murder charges. Unless we nail the kill zone down tight, a good defense attorney could convince a jury of reasonable doubt. And Myron's already got Get-'em-off Getty handling his case. Getty's even trying to get the court to scuttle our material witness hold. Any luck with the Fink's security company?"

"We struck gold!" Ryan announces from across the room. "The surveillance equipment belonged to them, so they got it back when the Fink's estate was released. The last video at the exits and entrances to the house hadn't been overwritten, and they archived it. They're sending us a copy."

"When?" Kate demands.

"Check your computer. It should be arriving any minute."

"So to recap, the security footage around the time of the Fink's poisoning showed no one but Myron arriving or leaving," Rick summarises.

"That's right," Kate confirms. "I sent the video and all the paperwork off to Eli's office. Myron should be arraigned within the next few days. And given the circumstances, Judge Markway ruled against Get-'em-off Getty's motion for Myron's release."

"Sounds like it's time for a victory celebration. Red, white, or Champagne?"

"Let's save Champagne for a conviction. But I could go for some red."

Rick's brows ripple his enthusiasm. "I already have some breathing."

"You're in a better mood than you were when I left this morning. What have you been up to?"

"Following up on an inspiration our daughter gave me. We were having a discussion concerning the ins and outs, mostly outs, of providing her with a living model for her doggie portraits. She was not pleased with the notion of pooper-scooping."

"Who would be?"

"Someone with a fetish for canine excrement, I suppose. Hmm, that would make for a suitably creepy character to haunt New York alleyways. But I digress. Lily decided to stick with immortalizing her pups in paint. And that put me to wondering how many people hold an idealized version of pet ownership and poop-out, so to speak, when it comes to accepting the responsibility. So I looked up some statistics. About a quarter of pets are abandoned."

"Like Felicia."

"Right, and even if they end up in a shelter, they may not get new homes. A lot of them are put down. It breaks animal lovers' hearts. Perhaps it drove one to desperation."

"To burn down places with pictures of cute animals so adoptees wouldn't be abandoned again? That's thin, Babe, even for you."

"No thinner than Myron putting arsenic in Malka's kugel. And a lot easier to get away with. So far, none of the fires involved the loss of human life. So law enforcement didn't lean too heavily on the cases. And the blazes didn't get much press. How much attention would we have paid to the Schnelling conflagration if the sirens hadn't made Jake scream his head off? A crazy is out there playing with matches, Kate. I'm afraid that sooner or later, that nutbar will slip, and someone will die."

"So, assuming your theory holds, and that's a pretty big assumption, what are you planning to do about it, Babe?"

"For a start, try to figure out what the next target might be. After that, I don't know."

"I think you need more wine, but I wish you luck."

Rick leans down for an alcoholic kiss. "Thanks. And, oh, how is your personal project going?"

"What personal project?"

"Getting ready for the sergeant's exam. Have you been picking up some pointers, maybe studying over lunch?"

"To tell you the truth, I've been so wrapped up in Myron's case that I haven't thought about the exam much. But I did get some advice from Montgomery."

"And what were his words of wisdom?"

"Not to stress out over it too much. He said that I know how policing works, and I know how to supervise people. So if I concentrate on how those concepts fit together, it should lead me in the right direction."

"That's all he said?"

"Not exactly. He also reminded me that if I get a position as a sergeant, I'll have even more paperwork than I do now, and I should be familiar with all the applicable forms."

"I admit that the notion of you sitting safely behind a desk kind of appeals to me right now. But I'm guessing that your reaction wasn't as positive. Paperwork's never been your favorite thing."

"No, it hasn't. It isn't. But it's the only way to move up in the department."

"And is that what you really want, to move up in the department?"

"What I want is the opportunity to make a difference. And I believe I can make more of one the higher I go. So if that means putting up with the paperwork, I guess that's the price I'll have to pay."

"I think you make one heck of a difference right now. But if moving up is what you want, I'm always ready to offer you whatever boost I can."

Kate stretches up for another kiss. "I know that, Babe. And I appreciate you for it." She sniffs the savory aroma floating from the kitchen, "and for – is that lasagna?"

"The Castle special, complete with my secret ingredient."

To Kate, Rick's addition's not much of a secret. She can smell the bacon. But she's not about to spoil his fun.