before.â
âHow did you know where to find him?â
âOh, Iâve always known where Johnny was.â As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Singer knew sheâd made a mistake, knew it was an admission that would come back to haunt her. Usually she was better at hiding the truth but exhaustion was taking its toll.
Singer hurried on. âThis is what I think we should say. I came about eleven. Johnny introduced us, we talked for a bit, and then he came in here while you made me a sandwich and showed me around. We took the dog out for a minute. Later we came in and found Johnny. We were together the whole time. That will stop the cops from wasting their time on us. Howâs that sound?â
Laurenâs forehead wrinkled in concentration and she worried the inside of her cheek. âI could just tell them the truth, just say I was outside.â
âSo was I, but wouldnât it be better if we were outside together? Theyâll check our hands to see if weâve fired a weapon but as long as we havenât weâre home free. You havenât fired a gun lately, have you?â
Lauren gave a dismissive wave of her hand. âGuns were Johnâs obsession not mine.â
A little tension left Singer. âI remember he always had firearms, was always taking potshots out the window at mailboxes and signs as we drove from gig to gig.â
Lauren nodded. âThat sounds like him.â
âJohnny once got us kicked out of a motel when he shot at a lamp. He missed the lamp and nearly killed the guy in the next room. If the guy had been sitting up in bed instead of lying down, Johnny would have killed him.â
âThatâs John, all right.â Laurenâs eyes went back to the office where her husbandâs body lay.
âLetâs get out of here.â Singer bent and picked up her backpack. âWeâll call the cops from another room.â
Laurenâs next words stopped her. âOh my god, what if the murderer is still in the house?â
Eight
Their eyes lifted to the coffered ceiling as if they might be able to see who or what was hiding there.
âHow many rooms are there?â Singer asked, still examining the ceiling.
Lauren ticked them off on her fingers as she answered, âFive bedrooms, six baths, kitchen, this room, which is supposed to be the family room.â She pointed to the room with the body before continuing, âJohnâs office, a media room, studio, living room, and dining room.â
âAnd I live in a van,â Singer said before she remembered that Beastie might be gone.
âJohn kept weapons in half of those rooms,â Lauren said.
âJesus H. Christ.â
âExactly. If thereâs someone else in the house, they have their choice of things to kill us with.â
âWeâll take this with us.â Singer picked up the revolver.
âIâm not going out there,â Lauren protested. âItâs too dangerous. Thereâs a phone in Johnâs office; Iâm going to call the Mounties from there.â Lauren headed for the office and got as far as the door to the study before she lost her conviction. She lingered with her hand on the latch. Finally, Lauren shoved back the door.
Beyond Lauren, Singer could see John Vibaldâs corpse. The smell of it filled her nostrils.
Lauren gave a sharp intake of breath and said, âI canât.â
âBest not to anyway. The less we touch in there the better.â
Lauren turned away from the body and clamped her hand over her mouth.
âAre you okay?â
Lauren lowered her hand and wrapped her arms around herself. âI donât think I really took it in until now.â
âShock.â
âItâs like a nightmare I canât wake up from.â She glanced at Singer. âI was mad when I went in there to speak to John.â The words were said in a tone that was