The In Death Collection Books 26-29 - J.D. Robb [283]
“Why didn’t you go to the police, or to Father López with what Penny told you?”
Anger pushed color into her face. “She’d been to the police. They didn’t believe her. And she said he’d kill her. He’d told her he would kill her if she ever betrayed him. She showed me the bruises, where he’d beaten her. I wouldn’t have her life on my hands.”
“She played you.” Eve said it flatly, then rose to pour herself a cup of water. “She played Lino, played you, and you both did exactly what she wanted. Did he make the bomb that killed your son? Yeah, we can be pretty sure of that. Did he plan the bombing? Same thing. But what Penny left out in her ‘I’ve found God’ routine was that she’s the one who told him to up the explosives to multiple-kill level, and she’s the one who pushed the button. She killed your son, Mrs. Turner. And used you to kill Lino.”
All the angry color ran out of her face, but she shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to. I’m going to prove it. The point is, Mrs. Turner, you didn’t do God’s will, you did Penny Soto’s. You weren’t God’s hand, you were Penny Soto’s. The person every bit as responsible as Lino Martinez for your son’s death. For your husband’s suicide.”
“You’re lying.”
“It was for money.” Eve sat back, let the idea spin out. “Didn’t you ever ask her, ask yourself why he’d come back, why he’d played priest for over five years?”
“I . . .”
“You didn’t. You didn’t because all you could think about, all you could see was your son. Ask yourself now. Why would a man like that live the way he’d been living? Money, Juanita, a lot of money. Money he had to wait for, money he planned to share with the only person he really loved. Penny Soto. Thanks to you, she doesn’t have to share.”
“That’s not true. That can’t be true. She was afraid he’d kill her. He beat her, and made her do things, and said he’d kill her.”
“Lies. Lies. Lies. If any of that were true, why didn’t she leave? She’s got no ties here. No family, no real friends, and the kind of work she could do anywhere. Why not just get on a bus and go? Did you ever ask her?”
“He said he watched the bomb, he laughed. He said his name.”
“And he did all of this, freely? He said all this to a woman he had to threaten, he had to beat, he had to force? Think!”
Her breath began to hitch and heave. “She . . . she . . .”
“Yeah, that’s right. She. But this time, I’ll be the hand of God.”
She left Juanita with Peabody, closed the door on the woman’s weeping. And just leaned back against it for a moment. When she walked into Observation, she found Reo, Mira, and Father López.
“May I see Juanita, Lieutenant,” López asked. “To counsel her?”
“Not yet, but if you’d wait outside, I’ll arrange it shortly.”
“Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to come.” He turned to Reo. “I hope you can temper the law with compassion.”
Eve waited until López left. “What’s the charge?” she asked Reo.
“Second degree.” She glanced at Mira. “With special circumstances. I’ll ask for ten to fifteen, on-planet, minimum security. And she’ll have a full psych eval.”
Eve nodded. “She won’t do the full dime. This isn’t about rehabilitation. It’s about salvation.”
“She needs to pay, Eve.” Mira studied the weeping woman through the glass. “Not only for the law, but for herself. She can’t live with what she’s done unless she does penance. She can’t find that salvation unless she finds forgiveness.”
“I get that. We’ll book her.”
“I’m pretty bummed to be giving up that all-expense paid vacation.” Reo sighed. “I know a decent defense lawyer who’ll take her pro bono. Let me tug that line. Meanwhile, get me that bitch Soto, and sew it up tight.”
“Got that cooking.”
“Keep in touch. Dr. Mira, I’ll see you at Louise’s party.”
“Thanks for coming down,” Eve said to Mira, “for giving Reo your take.”
“I think she’d have come to it on her own. You ran that very well, devastating her at the end, with the knowledge