by Clara Lewis
“You may start,” Alice announced.
Olivia opened her mouth to talk about her research. She also had questions to ask each family member. However, John interrupted.
“Ms. Hudson, you are the last person we’d expect to help us with our case. Who hired you?”
Ah. So he still held a grudge.
Olivia felt a flash of anger that she quickly pushed down. Staying professional was her specialty, and right now she worked for these people.
She passed her research documents to Jordan while she dug into her bag looking for the letter. When she had found it, she raised it up and asked John, “How many families do you think have the exact same stationery and coat of arms?”
The answer was that only one family had those things, but John indicated for Olivia to bring the letter over, and she did.
“The letter was typed out so you may have some trouble finding out who’s handwriting that is.”
John bristled at the comment. He was going to say something else, but Olivia decided that she’d had enough. Time was being wasted.
“I’ve been hired by the Barlowes; there’s no doubt about it. I made sure this wasn’t a scam before I agreed to work. My job here is to investigate who the body in your backyard belongs to and what happened to her. My job isn’t to investigate who hired me. Now, I think it’s time we got started.”
Chapter 3
Alice’s face showed no emotion—but her eyes, they twinkled. Olivia was starting to like her.
“I’ll need to question everyone to get an idea of what happened,” Olivia announced.
All around her, everyone nodded in agreement. Some weren’t so happy about it, but it was necessary. She had prepared a list of questions for each person. However, she wanted to view the crime scene first.
Jordan directed Olivia to the tent.
“You weren’t lying when you said they’d given us everything," Olivia said, slightly impressed.
Olivia could only imagine how much everything cost. There was no one in the family who was in this line of work and she wondered what would happen when the investigation ended. It seemed like such a waste.
The letter didn’t say much and Olivia had to catch up. She didn't want to give Jordan’s partner another reason to think she wasn’t qualified for the job. As soon as his partner was out of hearing range, Olivia called Jordan aside and asked for more information.
“Jordan? Have you identified the body?”
Jordan nodded and took out his notepad.
“We estimated that the body had been buried for at least 3 months. It was quite difficult to identify it by sight as decomposition was severe, but we saw this ring.”
Jordan walked over to a drawer and pulled out a ring in a sealed bag. Olivia took it and examined it. It looked to be an engagement ring. Olivia whistled.
“We had guessed who the ring belonged to, but to make sure, we examined dental records. This body belongs to Ruth Barlowe.”
“Whose wife, is she?”
“The eldest, Eustace. They’ve been married for more than a decade and then suddenly, she disappeared.”
“Did Eustace file a missing persons report?” Olivia asked.
Jordan shook his head.
“Around the time she went missing, a few of the Barlowe family’s heirlooms went missing. We all thought it was a case of her getting what she wanted and running with it.”
“And now, she’s here in their backyard. It’s not looking good for them, Jordan.”
Olivia whipped her phone out and furiously tapped as she leaned on the table. Jordan waited patiently. After a few minutes, she had a list of possible suspects.
“It’s time to talk to the family,” Olivia decided.
“Look, from one friend to another, I’d be careful if I were you,” Jordan said, wincing. “These people haven’t changed. If anything, they’ve gotten more dangerous.”
“It looks like Ruth found that out the hard way,” Olivia said humorlessly, staring Jordan down. “I’m here to do my job. I’ve faced down serial killers and terrorists. A group of elitists doesn’t scare me.”
“Yeah, well,” Jordan muttered under his breath. “They really should.”
Something didn’t sit right with Jordan’s comment. Just how bad did things get since she’d left?
Jordan and his partner waited outside as Olivia gathered her thoughts. They were supposed to go to the coroner so she could have a look at the body. Olivia had insisted on seeing the body. There was just something different about being told the details then seeing them for yourself.
As Olivia exited the tent, Jordan and his partner immediately halted their conversation. While his partner looked away, feigning indifference, Jordan was quick to plaster a smile on his face.
“You ready?” he asked, warmly.
Olivia smiled at him, willing the uneasy feeling in her stomach to go away. Whatever was happening among the residents of Dresden was none of her business. Probably best they leave her out of it.
Olivia adjusted her bag and walked to Jordan's car. She didn't dare to go near the front seat as she was sure Jordan’s partner would launch into a tirade. She got in and sat in the back.
A lot had changed in Dresden. Fourteen years ago, the houses were built like palaces and families took pride in the history of their homes. The older your family was, the more important you were in Dresden. Many paid fortunes to keep their ancient homes in the condition they were centuries ago.
As they traveled through the residential areas, Olivia noticed a bunch of newer, flashier homes. It seemed like Dresden might be the ideal town to move to once you made a certain amount of money.
As they got out of the car, Olivia stopped Jordan.
“Most likely, you have the phone numbers of the members of the Barlowe family who are in charge. I’m going to need you to call ahead and ask them to prepare a separate room where I can ask them questions.”
Jordan nodded and immediately called the house.
“Make sure that the room is comfortable, the questioning may take some time," Olivia added as an afterthought.
Jordan paused and looked at Olivia. He raised his eyebrow.
“Are you sure about this?” he whispered to her as he covered the phone with his hand.
Olivia didn't respond but she gave him a look that showed her irritation at his question. She had made up her mind; she was not going to back out of it.
Even after years of being at multiple crime scenes and seeing the dead bodies of victims, Olivia still hadn’t gotten used to it. She looked at the body of Ruth Barlowe and felt a flash of grief. Poppy disappeared at the age of seventeen and the thought that Ruth was only a few years older than Poppy deepened Olivia’s silent grief.
Snap out of it. Do your job.
Olivia had clutched the sheet covering Ruth’s remains in her hands tightly without knowing. This had earned her a worried look from Jordan.
“You okay Hudson?” he asked her, “you’re looking a little pale.”
Olivia quickly nodded and reached her hand out for the papers Jordan held in his hands. They were Ruth’s medical records and the autopsy report.
Olivia skimmed through the records. She hissed through her teeth when she read over the cause of death: blunt force trauma.
“Jordan?” Olivia asked, breaking the silence in the room. “Did Ruth have any enemies?”
Jordan looked deep in thought. At some point it seemed as if he was going to answer Olivia but he looked as if he’d decided against it. The uneasy feeling in Olivia’s stomach made itself known. Her nerves had been all over the place since she’d arrived in Dresden.
“Well, immediately after the wedding, she integrated herself into the community here. She was well liked but there were a few ladies from the country club who didn’t agree with her taking the lead in some of the events.”
Ruth’s marriage had skyrocketed her up the social food chain and all it took was a golden ring and the Barlowe name. Rumors were bound to s
pread. What would these Dresden residents say about a young twenty-two-year-old, marrying rich and becoming just as powerful herself?
“Who was in charge of the events before Ruth took over?”
Jordan checked his notes.
“Madison James. They were best friends until Ruth decided to date Eustace.”
That was interesting.
Looking for her phone, Olivia dug into her bag. Realizing what a mess it was, she carefully took her things out and laid them on a nearby desk. Upon finding her phone, Olivia immediately updated her list of suspects with Madison’s name right at the top. She had a few more theories, but it didn't feel right typing them out onto a tiny screen. No matter, they had more important things to consider.
“All set?” Jordan asked her.
She hurriedly put her things back in place, promising herself that she would organize her stuff before tomorrow. She definitely wasn’t acting like herself and she blamed it all on Dresden. It felt like she was seventeen again. Annoyed, she followed Jordan out of the building.
Olivia had the opportunity to look through the objects found near or on Ruth’s body. On the way back to the mansion, she thought of any important details. Ruth was found with her jewelry on her. The murder weapon was nowhere in sight. However, judging by the gash on Ruth’s skull, the murder weapon seemed heavy.
As they neared the driveway of the Barlowe estate, Olivia stopped Jordan from getting out of the car.
“We have to work together here. So I suggest that we get our facts in order so the family can’t catch us out when they start asking questions.”
Jordan nodded.
“I have two theories. The first could be a robbery. She’s rich and powerful; someone could have thought that she was an easy target.”
“That’s a no-go,” Jordan replied. “She was found with all her jewelry on her.”
Olivia nodded in agreement and made a few more notes. She had a lot to go over later.
“That diamond ring alone could have paid for my university tuition fees. My other theory is that she made someone angry and they murdered her for it. The wound on the body was deep. Either someone was angry enough to hit her that hard, or whoever murdered her was bigger and stronger.”
Jordan’s eyes grew wide. He had realized who Olivia was accusing.
“You can’t just accuse them like that Olivia, we need evidence," Jordan said. He was worried and rightfully so. Olivia could only guess how brutal their legal team was.
There was no changing her mind. She was going to solve this murder and get the results she wanted. Olivia didn’t respond to Jordan and simply got out of the car. As she walked to the entrance, Jordan hurriedly followed her and grabbed her by the arm.
“Think about this," Jordan started.
Olivia shook his hand off and knocked on the door. The butler opened the door and let them in.
“Please tell the family that we will be calling them periodically for questioning in a separate room," Olivia told him.
“Yes madam," he replied.
“Inform Eustace Barlowe that we would like to question him first.”
The butler’s eyebrows raised but he said nothing. He bowed his head and went off to find the eldest Barlowe.
Eustace kept them waiting, which annoyed Olivia no end. She had a schedule to keep and all this waiting kept her on edge.
“The nerve you all have, accusing me of murdering my own wife!”
Eustace Barlowe had barreled through the door, his face and neck red from his fury. He slammed his hands on the table and Olivia couldn’t help but flinch. Despite that, Olivia kept her facial features emotionless as she waited for his tantrum to finish. On the chair next to hers, Jordan’s knee bounced under the table.
She saw sweat bead on Jordan’s forehead and she felt guilty at how forceful she had been. She reached out under the table and patted his knee reassuringly. He looked over to her and offered a small smile of gratitude.
There was a point during Eustace’s outburst where Olivia stopped listening. It was only when she heard sweet silence did she tune back in.
“Please take a seat Mr. Barlowe," she said, pointing to a chair across the table.
Eustace’s face started to get red again, and he opened his mouth to rant anew.
This time, Olivia cut him off.
“Mr. Barlowe, we are not accusing you of murder. It is a natural part of the investigation to question those who have known the victim.”
Olivia raised her eyebrow at Eustace and he shrunk into his seat, arms crossed over his chest.
“May we begin?” she asked him.
Eustace nodded as he glared at her.
“You may think that just because we hired you, we have forgotten what you did fourteen years ago.”
Olivia sighed.
“I understand, Mr. Barlowe; we can resolve that after the questions.”
Eustace grunted but remained silent.
“Mr. Barlowe, I understood that Ruth had been missing for months before the body was found. Can you confirm it?”
Eustace nodded, but he did so in a way that seemed to ask, “are you stupid? Everyone knows that.” Olivia took a deep breath. This man was impossible.
Stay calm.
“I checked through the records, Mr. Barlowe, but I didn’t see anything confirming you reported her missing. Why didn’t you report it?”
“Because she ran off with my money after finding a younger man. I looked in my safe that day; there was nothing in there.”
Olivia said nothing. She looked at Eustace and observed him as he grew uncomfortable under her gaze.
“You know who you should ask?” he finally said.
Olivia sat up in her seat, appearing eager to know.
“Ask Madison James; ever since Ruth disappeared, she didn’t even look like she felt bad. Thought they were friends, you know? I saw Madison planning a luncheon a day after we realized Ruth was gone.”
Olivia nodded and made notes. She had heard enough for now.
“Thank you, Mr. Barlowe. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Olivia smiled at him, as friendly as she could muster. Jordan nudged her to quit it.
“You looked like you were baring your teeth at him," he said, laughing after Eustace had left. Olivia shoved him.
Olivia looked at her watch, it was almost five in the afternoon.
“We still have time,” she said to Jordan. “Get your coat. We’re going to talk to Ms. James.”
Chapter 4
“I take it that Eustace sent you here?”
The woman sitting across from Olivia looked hurt. She seemed to shrink into herself as she wrung her hands together. Madison warmly thanked the waitress as she brought their drinks.
Madison had a classical look to her, one that reminded Olivia of the actresses from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Olivia had noticed it when Madison met her in the café. The moment that she had entered, it seemed as if time slowed down. She turned heads as she walked through the crowds gracefully.
Olivia also noticed that she reveled in the attention.
Madison’s charm didn’t work on Olivia, and she noticed it. For a split second, a scowl took over her face. She quickly smoothed it over and smiled at Olivia. However, Olivia noticed that her smile was quite like the one she herself had given Eustace.
“Did he?” she asked again.
“He didn’t,” Olivia responded, “We’re just talking to those who knew Ruth.”
Madison’s eyes widened and she suddenly laughed. Olivia’s face hardened; this was no laughing matter.
“So, it’s true, Ruth’s dead and they found her on the Barlowe estate.”
Upon seeing Olivia’s unamused expression, Madison quickly raised her hands.
“I mean no disrespect to Ruth, but doesn’t that just mean that Eustace was the one who did it? I mean, it’s always the husband, right?” she placed her hands on the table and looked earnestly at Olivia.
“When was the last time
you saw Ruth Barlowe?” Olivia asked.
“Since Ruth married that snake, Eustace, we haven’t gone out much. Ruth had changed after her marriage and not for the better.”
Her hand clenched into a fist, and she started tearing up. It took all Olivia had not to roll her eyes. It was a good idea having Jordan wait in the car. The combination of Madison’s looks, and her tears, would have him glaring at Olivia to apologize.
Madison looked up to check if Olivia was still listening. Olivia kept her face expressionless as she nodded for her to continue. Another micro scowl flashed across Madison’s face.
“Ruth started acting weird. She spent every day at the country club from morning till night. It was like she didn’t want to go home.”
Olivia sat up. This was interesting.
“Do you have any idea why she wouldn’t want to go home?” Olivia asked, holding her pen at the ready.
Madison shrugged.
“Anyways, because she spent so much time at the club, she started volunteering to do jobs that I refused because I was busy. Soon after that, she had taken over as the head of the committee. She had stolen my livelihood.”
Olivia sighed.
“She tried so hard to appear like one of us. She even carried books around to look sophisticated," Madison smirked. “Sometimes I felt like reminding her that she came from a community college. She just wasn't one of the elite.”
Olivia had to take deep breaths. Madison’s comments were an embodiment of one of the reasons Olivia left town.
“I see. When did you notice she had disappeared?”
“She didn’t come to the country club one day. We all thought she was sick, but two weeks passed and she made no appearances. I guess she got tired of Eustace and found someone else.”
This time Madison didn’t try to hide her sneer.
“The Barlowes like to appear as model citizens, but they’re seriously messed up. Eustace was protective of his wife. Imagine how he must have reacted when he found out she had a lover.”