Free Foreign Éclairs by Julie Hyzy Page A

week before heading to meet with Peter Sargeant, I mused aloud, “This is what I get for expounding on how perfectly the day was going.”
    “It might be nothing,” Bucky said.
    “Ewww.” I noticed a starburst-shaped splatter near my collar, which sent me scrambling for a new smock. “Maybe.” I tore off the old one and pulled on the new. “How do I look?”
    “Like a chef I’d want to work for,” Bucky said. “Good luck with the interview.”
    “Third time’s the charm,” I reminded him. “Keep the good thought.”
    *   *   *
    I arrived at Sargeant’s office less than five minutes later. Elaine greeted me warmly and told me to go right in and shut the door.
    “Uh-oh,” I said as I took a seat across from him. “Closed doors usually portend bad news.”
    Like last time, he held his reading glasses in one hand while he rubbed his eyes with the other. “Paul Vasquez made this job look so easy,” he said before looking up at me. Sargeant had been in the position of chief usher for more than a year but, to me, it seemed as though he’d aged at least five in the interim.
    “What happened?” I asked.
    He donned his glasses to read from his notes. “Detective Beem called me about a half hour ago. He and Detective Kager were able to uncover more information about the two men who attacked you.”
    “Viceboy and Dagger.”
    “It appears that the duo was actually a trio.”
    Sitting up straighter, I conjured an image from Sundaynight. “There weren’t three,” I said. “I watched the two men run away. There was no one else with them.”
    “The third member of the group is either another general or a gang lieutenant, but may not have been with Viceboy and Dagger when they robbed you. The detectives have reason to believe this individual may be able to shed light on the situation. They plan to pick him up for questioning.”
    “He wasn’t with them, but he’s able to help with the investigation? I don’t understand.”
    “The detectives have apparently taken our request to heart and are pursuing the matter with more enthusiasm than they exhibited last time they were here. Detective Beem wanted me to know that he and Kager would be following up personally with this third gang associate.”
    “Does this guy have a name?”
    Sargeant frowned at his notes. “Cutthroat.”
    “Lovely.”
    “They’re hoping Cutthroat will be able to tell us what Viceboy and Dagger were doing so far off their turf when they were executed, and why two gang generals would risk stealing a purse when they had minions willing to do that kind of dirty work for them.”
    “I appreciate the update,” I said. “I think your comment about it being a favor to the White House is what piqued their interest. Thank you for that, by the way.”
    He nodded. “I’m pleased they haven’t dropped the matter. Agent Walker and I haven’t had much luck connecting with the team investigating Viceboy and Dagger’s case, but we are in contact with the team handling Margaret’s murder.”
    “Any news there?” I asked.
    Sargeant bunched his mouth and took a deep breath before answering. “I’ve seen photos of the crime scene. Before you ask, trust me, Olivia: You don’t want any part of them.There’s nothing to be gained, and the images will haunt you for years. I know they’ll haunt me.” He pulled his glasses off his face and rubbed his eyes again. “Her home was ransacked—vandalized. She died at the hands of monsters. I hope whoever tormented her suffers the same fate.”
    There was nothing I could say except, “I’m sorry.”
    Elaine tapped on the door, opened it, and peeked in. “Ms. Catalano is here for her interview.”
    Sargeant took another deep breath. “Thank you, Elaine. Please send her in.” When his assistant left, he made eye contact with me. “We’re overdue for good news. Let’s hope this candidate is a winner.”
    *   *   *
    Sargeant and I asked Lottie Catalano most of our standard questions