6
"I don't see how that's any of your business," the man told Sandy and stepped back to shut his front door.
Sandy put out a hand to stop it. "You know, don't you, that he was picked up for questioning about a murder in Queens?" he said quickly.
The door stopped, then opened wider.
That always got them.
Back in Pelham Parkway for the second time in as many days, Sandy had been knocking on doors up and down Holdstock's block, trying to get a handle on what the neighbors knew about his cult. Not much, it turned out. The few who were home on a Monday afternoon were suspicious and reluctant to talk, but tended to open up when they learned that the police were interested in their neighbor as well.
"You don't say?" the man said, stepping forward again.
"Yes. That was yesterday. And today a member of a group that meets in his house was found murdered in Riverside Park."
"No kidding?" He scratched his stubbled chin. "You know, I've seen a fair number of people going in and out of there lately. I'd heard he was sick and I just figured it was friends and family, or some prayer group or something."
"The police will be questioning him again today." At least that was what McCann had said. The new victim, Ellen Blount, had died on McCann's turf so now he was directly involved. "But besides extra visitors, have you noticed anything strange going on?"
"Like what?"
"Shouts, screams."
The man shook his head. "Can't say as I have."
That seemed to be par for the course. One lady had heard what she thought was chanting once, but that was it.
"Hey, there he is now," the man said, pointing over Sandy's shoulder. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Sandy turned and saw Terrence Holdstock hurrying down his walk to a green Accord parked at the curb. He got in and drove off with a squeal of tires.
"Wherever he's going, it looks like he's in a hurry."
"Thanks for your time," Sandy said and rushed for his own car.
Wherever you're going, he thought, looking after the retreating Honda, I'm going.
The first raindrops hit his windshield as he pulled away from the curb.