Mercy. David Kessler
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Название: Mercy
Автор: David Kessler
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Триллеры
isbn: 9780007341061
isbn:
‘I…I thought that maybe Burrow stole it…when he killed her.’
‘But now?’
He was prompting her, picking up on her hesitance.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Do you think she may have been planning to run away?’
‘She…might have been.’
‘Could she have been planning to run away with Clayton Burrow?’
‘Certainly not! She hated him! And he hated her!’
‘Are you sure it wasn’t just an act?’
‘No, Mr Sedaka, it definitely wasn’t an act!’
Alex had been speculating that maybe Burrow had tricked her into thinking he was going to run away with her and persuaded her to liquidate her trust fund and then killed her and stolen the jewelry. But Esther Olsen’s reaction had pretty much quashed that theory. She may have been estranged from her daughter, but a mother’s perceptions counted for something. And if Esther Olsen said that Dorothy wasn’t planning on running away with Clayton Burrow, then Dorothy Olsen was not planning on running away with Clayton Burrow.
‘Can you think of anyone at all that she might have spoken to? A friend that she might have confided in?’
He waited a while for an answer.
‘There was one thing,’ Esther Olsen’s voice came out of the silence.
‘Yes?’
‘She had a computer that she was always working at—an old laptop. She used to spend hours in front of it, either online or just writing.’
‘Writing what?’
‘I don’t know, but she treated it like an old friend.’
‘You think she might have confided in her computer?’
‘I don’t know. She never let me see it.’
‘Do you still have it?’
‘Yes. But why do you think this will help?’
‘I just think that if I can unravel what was going on between Clayton—my client and your daughter, I might be able to make some progress.’
He didn’t add that he was also still mindful of the possibility that his client might actually be telling the truth, despite the long odds.
‘I still have the computer. I haven’t switched it on since the day she vanished. I don’t even know if it works. But I still have it.’
‘Look, Mrs Olsen, I know this might sound like real chutzpah, but would it be possible for me to borrow the laptop? To take a look at what she’s got on it? Just in case I can find anything that might help.’
‘We haven’t got much time.’
‘I know. I’ll send a courier round right now…if it’s all right with you?’
There was a short pause and the sound of a sigh.
‘It’s all right, Mr Sedaka. You can send a courier as soon as possible. Just please…bring my daughter home for me.’
‘Slow down a bit! My fingers keep missing the goddamn keys!’
‘You told me to make it fast.’
The TV van was winding its way through the midmorning traffic, following the same route that Nat and Alex were taking. Martine was sitting at the front with the driver. The cameraman and soundman sat in the middle row of seats, while the spark and boom operator sat in the back, holding on to the equipment every time the van swerved.
But Martine was trying to make a call on her cell phone at the same time, and the constant swerving wasn’t helping.
‘Governor’s office,’ the friendly female voice came through her Bluetooth earpiece when she finally keyed in the right number.
‘Hi, my name is Martine Yin from Eyewitness News. I’d like to interview the governor regarding the Clayton Burrow execution.’
‘I’m sorry. Governor Dusenbury won’t be making any comments on this matter.’
The friendly, sunny voice had become somewhat clipped.
‘Okay, well, can you just tell me, is there any truth in the rumor that the governor has offered Clayton Burrow clemency in return for Burrow revealing where he buried the body of Dorothy Olsen?’
‘Just a minute please.’
She was put on hold and noted with wry amusement that the music they were playing was ‘California, Here I Come.’ After what seemed like well over a minute, the clipped voice came back on the line.
‘I’m sorry, but the governor is unable to comment on such rumors.’
‘So you’re not denying it?’ persisted Martine.
‘The governor is neither admitting nor denying it. As I have said, we do not comment on rumors. If and when there is anything to announce it will be announced in the usual way, Miss…’
‘Thank you very much,’ said Martine. She pressed the red button and smiled.
‘No go, huh?’ said the driver.
‘He doesn’t want to talk about it.’
‘If it’s true, he’ll have to talk sooner or later. Maybe he’s waiting for Burrow’s answer.’
‘He must have an answer by now. We saw Sedaka driving into the pen.’ Her voice became irritable. ‘I just wish we’d followed the shyster when he left the building!’
‘You weren’t to know,’ the driver replied. ‘All the signs said the action was at the pen.’
‘Yeah, well it looks like it’s still that way.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well Sedaka didn’t make any statements to the press.’
‘Maybe he has to report back to the governor first. I mean, they’re going to have to check out whatever his client tells them. If he told them where the body is, they’re still going to have to dig it up and test it to make sure.’
Martine’s eyes lit up.
‘And wouldn’t it be nice to be there when they do?’