Strangers In Death

“Mr. Forrest-” He broke off, holding up a hand as the ear-com he wore blinked blue.” “Yes, sir. Of course. Mr. Forrest,” he began again, “is available. This way, please.”

Benedict Forrest’s office was only steps away from his admin’s, but a world away from it in style. Here, the workstation held the necessary and the efficient, crowded together with what Eve thought of as guy toys-an autographed baseball on a pedestal, a handheld golf game, a couple of trophies, a sponge-weight toy football. Photographs and posters of sports figures or sports products juggled for space along the wall.

Chairs were leather, deep, and looked comfortably worn.

Forrest himself stood about three inches under his admin’s height. He wore a shirt open at the collar, casual khakis, and trendy gel-skids. There was a friendly, just-one-of-the-guys look about him with his tousled sandy hair, easy smile, cheerful hazel eyes.

“You’ve been waiting. Sorry. I had to wrap things up. Ben Forrest.” He crossed the office as he spoke, shot out his hand. Eve shook, studying him as he offered his hand to Peabody.

“Lieutenant Dallas, Detective Peabody.”

“Have a seat. What can we get you? Coffee, bottled water, a sports drink?”

“We’re fine. We’re hear to speak with you about Thomas Anders.”

Humor danced over Forrest’s expressive face. “Don’t tell me Uncle Tommy’s in trouble.”

“Uncle?”

“My mother’s brother. Please, sit.” He gestured, then dropped down into a chair. “More, really, as he basically raised me after my mother died.”

“How did she die?”

“Eaten by a shark.”

Intrigued, Eve sat. “Really?”

His grin flashed. “Yeah, really. I was about six, and don’t remember her that well, so it’s more interesting than tragic for me. Scuba diving off the coast of Madagascar. Anyway, what about my uncle?”

Sticky now, Eve thought. “I’m sorry to have to tell you Mr. Anders was killed this morning.”

Amusement snapped into shock that leached the healthy color out of his face. “What? Killed? How? Are you sure? Wait.” He rose, dug a ’link out of his pocket.

“Mr. Forrest, we’ve just left your uncle’s home, and his widow.”

“But…we’re going to the Knicks game tonight. We-we played golf on Sunday. He…”

“Ben.” Leopold moved across the room. After taking the ’link out of Ben’s hand, he laid a hand on Ben’s shoulder, eased him down into the chair. “I’m very sorry. So very sorry. I’m going to cancel the rest of your appointments for the day.” He walked to a cabinet, tapped the door. When it opened, he took out a chilled bottle of water, unscrewed the top. “Drink some water.”

Like a puppet, Ben obeyed. Eve made no objection when Leopold ranged himself like a guard behind Ben’s chair.

“What happened?”

“He was strangled.”

“That can’t be right.” Ben shook his head slowly from side to side. “That just can’t be right.”

“Do you know anyone who wished him harm?”

“No. No.”

“Where were you this morning between one and four A.M.?”

“Jesus. Home. Home in bed.”

“Alone?”

“No. I had…a friend.” He rubbed the cold bottle over his face. “Gatch Brooks. She was there all night. We got up about six, worked out together. She left-we both left around eight. You can check. Just check. I wouldn’t hurt Uncle Tommy. He’s like a father to me.”

“You were close. How would you describe Mr. Anders’s relationship with his wife?”

“Great. Good. Ava’s…you said you’d talked to her. Told her. God. Leopold, get the number where she’s staying. I need to-”

“She’s home, Mr. Forrest,” Peabody told him.

“She…Oh, she came home. She came home when you told her…” Ben pressed his fingers to his eyes. “I can’t think straight. I need to get over to the house, to Ava. I need to-Where is he? Is he still home, or…”

“He’s been taken to the morgue.” He didn’t bother to fight tears, Eve noted. He let them come. “You-your family-will be able to make arrangements as soon as we finish our examination.”

“Okay.” Now he pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, leaning forward to brace his elbows on his thighs. “Okay.”

“Who was your uncle sexually involved with?”

“Huh.” Ben’s eyes, already rimmed with red, lifted to Eve’s face. “Well, Jesus, Ava. I mean they were married for Christ’s sake.”

“Outside of marriage.”

“Nobody.” Anger and insult snapped through the grief, brought color back to Ben’s face. “That’s a hell of a thing to say. He didn’t cheat. He wasn’t a cheater. You don’t know the kind of man he was. He believed in honesty, in good sportsmanship, in playing to win, but playing it straight.”

“Who stands to gain from his death?”

“Nobody,” Ben replied. “His death diminishes all of us. You mean financially. I would, Ava would.” He let out a long breath. “I don’t know how things were set up. There are probably charitable organizations, there’d be something for Greta-the house manager. But what you’re talking about, that would be me and Ava. I need to get over there.”

Even as he rose, the ’link Leopold still held signaled. After a glance at the display, Leopold offered it. “It’s Mrs. Anders.”

Ben grabbed the ’link, turned his back. “Privacy mode,” he ordered. “Ava. God, Ava, I just heard…I know. I know. It’s all right. Yes, the police are here. Yes, that’s right. I’m coming right over. I-” His voice cracked, then firmed again. “I can’t believe he’s gone. I can’t take it in. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

After ending the transmission, Ben turned back to Eve. His expression was simply shattered. “She needs family. I have to go now.”

“We’ll need to see Mr. Anders’s office,” Eve told him. “And we’ll need to access his electronics.”

“All right. Yes, all right. I have to go. Leo, whatever they need.”

Eve waited until they were heading down. “Fu

“Well, he sells the sports stuff. And lots of houses more reflect the woman’s taste than the guy’s. Or one partner’s taste over the other’s.”

She thought of herself and Roarke. When it came to decor, she…never gave it a thought, she admitted. Yet, she had her home office, her somewhat shabby-by comparison with the rest-home office that fit what could be called her style.

“Didn’t notice a man cave at the house,” she commented, and shrugged. “How’d Forrest play for you, Peabody?”

“Forrest wins actor of the century award, or he was sincerely shocked when you told him his uncle was dead, and was sincerely and deeply broken up. There just wasn’t a false note. I believe him.”

“Seemed straight enough. We’ll verify his alibi. If Anders stood as daddy since Forrest was six, that’s twenty-five years or so. Fu

“Well, they didn’t.”

“She didn’t even mention him, and doesn’t call to tell him for hours after the house manager notified her. Maybe a false note,” Eve speculated, “maybe just shock and confusion. Forrest comes off as a nice guy-and a nice, well-off kind of guy. Now he’s a really rich kind of guy.”

“I’ll start a run on him. You didn’t mention really cute kind of guy,” Peabody added as they rode down to the underground garage. “He had that easygoing, athletic thing happening. But the admin?” Peabody hissed air in between her teeth. “Sizzling.”

“Sure, if you’re another guy.”

“Huh?”

“Gay, Peabody.”

“Uh-uh. Why?”

“Could be bi.” With another shrug Eve leaned against the wall. “Either way, he’s got a serious man crush on his boss.”

“I didn’t get that. I did not get that.”

“Because you were too busy being sizzled. Myself, I was practically buried in the unrequited love/lust vibes. Sizzling Leopold had them in check, until Forrest fell apart. Must be tough.”