“Getting married to the wrong woman. We had too many fundamental differences we both tried to overlook. In the end we couldn’t.” He led Celia into the back room, his sanctuary. He was about to flip the light switch, but she caught his hand.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “Can we leave the lights off?”
“Did I tell you?” he said, admiring a view that never got old. “Best room in the house.”
They sat on the leather couch, sipped their wine, and looked out over the sparkling but still-sleeping city.
“You think Evans is telling the truth?” Celia said.
“About Trejo? After what Tracy told me, yeah, I think he is. But I did before somebody put a bullet in his head. Frankly, I don’t see Evans as the type of guy to read the newspaper or watch the news, so it’s unlikely he would have known about Trejo being arrested for the hit and run. This also explains why Trejo didn’t stop that night when he hit that kid.”
“And it explains how Trejo’s car ended up in that woman’s backyard,” Celia said.
The name Evans had provided was Eric Tseng. Tseng rented a home in Rainier Beach. “It could,” Del said. “But it doesn’t explain who took the videotape. Tseng didn’t do that.”
“If someone took it,” Celia said.
Del sipped his wine, thinking about that. “Heck of a coincidence, if someone didn’t.”
“Let’s assume Evans is telling the truth,” Celia said. “There’s a bigger issue here, Del.”
“I know. Where’s Trejo getting the drugs?” Del said. “Funk said it’s a very pure form of heroin.”
Celia lowered her glass. “And depending on how much he delivered and how much has been delivered to others . . . more people will die, Del.”
“Narcotics is working with patrol to get the word out.” Del sighed.
Celia set her wine on the coffee table and shifted toward him. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I was just thinking of Jeanine Welch,” he said. “It brought back the memory of that morning when my sister called, when she’d found Allie.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I just can’t imagine anything being worse, Celia. I know I said this before, but I’m sorry about your son. I’m sorry I was so insensitive to you that morning.”
She leaned forward and kissed him, then folded into his side; he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I don’t try to figure out why it happened anymore, Del, and I don’t try to change what I know I can’t. I just accept that there had to be a reason for it, that maybe I can save another one or two kids with the work I’m doing now.”
Del said, “I read that Seattle is likely to pass that law, the one that would create places where addicts can go to get high under a doctor’s care.”
“It’s getting closer,” she said. “But there’s still opposition.”
“I hope it passes,” Del said.
She leaned back to look up at him. “Are you going soft on me, Delmo Castigliano?”
He laughed. “Let’s just say I’ve come to realize the error of my ways. You were right. I can’t make a difference this way, arresting people.”
She shook her head. “I was too hard on you that night too, Del.”
“No,” he said. “I’m a big enough man to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong. Nothing I’ve done has removed the sting of Allie’s death, not in the slightest. I feel like I’m swimming in mud and my arms and legs keep getting heavier, and I’m making less and less progress.”
“That’s not true, Del. If you’re right about this, you could be responsible for taking down a major drug supplier and getting a dangerous drug off the street.”
“And another four will step forward to take his place and ’round and ’round we go, like Sonny.”
She smiled. “There are no easy answers, Del.”
“I know, but I’m starting to agree that this is not a police problem—not one that we can fix. And it’s going to get a hell of a lot worse before it gets better.”
Sonny, finished with his treat, trotted into the room and came to an abrupt stop, staring up at Celia as if she’d wronged him.
“Let me guess,” Celia said. “I’m in his spot, aren’t I?”
Del laughed. “Yes, you are.” Celia shifted a bit and Sonny jumped onto the couch, snuggling between the two of them. Del rubbed Sonny’s head. “You hardly touched your wine.”
Celia stood and took Del’s hand. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go to bed.”
Her abruptness surprised him; Del had hoped to ease into this moment. “Celia, not to be presumptuous, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman . . .”
She smiled. “I’m not surprised.”
Del chuckled. “Ouch.”
“You’re a good man, Del; you’re moral and ethical and kind. So I’m not surprised. Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.” She winked.
Del stood, surprised that he didn’t feel nervous, not in the slightest. He felt comfortable with Celia, and this felt right.
They walked to the staircase where Del had put Celia’s bag. Del picked it up. At the same moment Sonny came running around the corner and bolted up the stairs. He turned at the top landing and looked down at them. Del smiled, stifling a laugh.
“Let me guess, he also sleeps on the bed, doesn’t he?” Celia said.
“He does,” Del said. He made a ball with his two hands. “But he’s small and doesn’t take up much room.”
CHAPTER 37
Tracy slept for a few hours at a hotel in Bremerton, awoke, and called Dan. She’d called him the night before, but well ahead of everything that had happened. After assuring Dan that she was fine, she called Billy Williams, her detective sergeant, to also give him a heads-up. Williams had spoken to Del earlier that morning, and he relayed to Tracy what they knew about Nick Evans and Eric Tseng.
“I got a detective out here at the Bremerton Police Department who wants to be kept involved,” Tracy said.
“You need me to have a talk with his sergeant?” Williams asked.
“He is the sergeant.”
“I can give him a call, let him know of our involvement and the potential tie between Trejo and the recent heroin deaths.”
“I can handle it for now. We’re meeting with Battles this morning. If things change and he gets territorial, I may need you to make that call.”
“You think she could have killed Trejo?” Williams asked.
“Ordinarily I’d say this is a drug deal gone bad, and someone is eliminating the pieces, but that doesn’t explain the missing video,” Tracy said. “How are we doing on that warrant to get a copy of the security footage from inside the Defense Service Offices?”
“Ron’s working on it,” he said, meaning Ron Mayweather.
“I’d like to get it today, while I’m out here.”
“Understood. We’re going to need an affidavit to support the warrant.”
“I’ll type one up and send it over,” she said.
“Did Battles see the video?” Williams asked.
“She said she did, and she says there’s nothing on it, but I’m dotting i’s and crossing t’s at this point.”
“Okay. Just watch your back,” Williams said. “Kins isn’t there to watch it for you. He called, by the way.”
“I spoke to him also.”
“He’s driving us all crazy, so I guess that means he’s getting better.”