“Jed, if you are serious, then I think we need to have a talk.” I bit my lower lip after I said those words. I could not let our friendship or whatever this was, move forward until we forgave each other for what happened on prom night.
“Fine. What do you want to talk about?”
“I think you know. We need to talk about what happened on prom night, and what happened after it. I cannot move forward with you as a friend or as...whatever... until we talk about that, Jed. It’s too important.”
“Mandy...” Jed began to protest but stopped. “Meet me at Delilah’s at six tomorrow night? You know where.”
“Your fortress of solitude? The booth in the dark corner?” I whispered into my phone remembering where I found Jed the last time I went into Delilah’s.
“Yes.”
“Okay, but I am warning you, don’t plan any subterfuge. Don’t distract me with case notes or fainting spells or questions about Tate. We need to talk about what happened between us once and for all. Otherwise, there is no way this is going to work.”
“So, you are interested in me.”
“Jed,” I tried to sound harsh but I couldn’t. He was right.
“Fine. We’ll talk about prom night, but I may need a drink or two first. That is not an easy subject for me to talk about.”
“Fine,” I agreed. It was not an easy subject for me to talk about either. I definitely planned to have a drink before I spoke to Jed about the night we spent together in high school.
FOURTEEN
“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice” – Bob Marley
I HURRIED THROUGH MY last hour of work. I couldn’t keep my mind straight most of the day. I kept rehearsing conversations in my head. I wanted to say just the right things to Jed. I wanted to be honest, but not so honest that it drove him away again. I wanted to tell Jed how wounded I was when he stopped being my friend. I wanted to ask Jed why, after so many years, we hadn’t yet made up. What was wrong with us?
I locked my office door, pulled the blinds, and slipped out of my work outfit. I had stuffed jeans, a long-sleeved black t-shirt, a pair of sandals, and my toothbrush in my backpack that morning so that I could get ready to meet Jed after work. I released my hair from the bun and combed my fingers through my long tresses to loosen the waves. After I changed my clothes, I headed to the staff bathroom to brush my teeth and apply my makeup—just a little tinted face cream, mascara, and lipstick to freshen up. I told myself, This is not a date. This—is—I didn’t know what. I decided that this was two old friends reconnecting, trying to heal past wrongs. I looked at myself in the mirror, and I wasn’t convinced it was going to work.
I left the Chalet a few minutes later and walked to Delilah’s. The tavern is pretty central so it’s walkable to most everything in town. I knew that I was over thirty minutes early to meet Jed when I stepped into the place. I decided that I needed a drink to calm my nerves before I met him. I headed toward the bar and found myself distracted from my pursuit of alcohol when I noticed Rebecca McMurphy sitting alone at a booth toward the back of the room. My feet went on autopilot, and a few seconds later, I found myself at her table. The napkin-wrapped silverware on the table suggested that Rebecca was getting ready to to have dinner. I didn’t plan to speak to her long.
“Hi, Rebecca? You probably don’t remember me. I am Mandy Swift.” Rebecca’s face was made up, mascara, lipstick the whole works.
Rebecca looked up at me with her large, dark eyes. At first, I don’t mind telling you, I was a bit worried that the tall muscular woman might attack me—verbally if not physically—she gave me a discerning look before she spoke. “Right, you are the manager at the Chalet.”
“That’s right. I just wanted to let you know that I am so terribly sorry for your loss.”
Rebecca’s mouth formed a small smile. “Thank you. I am afraid I owe you an apology. I was awful the other day.”
“No, not at all. You didn’t say or do anything awful. The circumstances were awful.”
“You are kind for saying that.”
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you. I just saw you here, and,” I looked at the table. Rebecca seemed so alone. “I don’t want to offend you, but do you have anyone here? I mean, a support network to help you out?”
“No, actually, I came here on my own. I don’t know what I was thinking. I must seem a bit crazy. I can’t even remember the things I said at the police department, but I think I said some horrible things.”
“You were upset.”
“Yes. I’m sorry, would you like to sit down? I just ordered my dinner, but I wouldn’t mind company.”
“Oh, that’s nice of you.” I slid into the seat across from Rebecca. She seemed so down-to-earth. I found this entirely surprising after Rebecca’s brusque behavior at the Chalet. “I’m meeting a friend for dinner at six, but if you want to talk while I am waiting for him...” I smiled.
“That would be nice. It’s just hitting me all of the sudden. I understand that my husband spoke to you a few times. Do you mind telling me what you talked about?”
“Yes, I spoke with him briefly,” I replied. “He was pretty busy with his military friends while he was staying at the Chalet.”
Rebecca nodded. “Yes, they were a big part of his life. You know, I used to be involved in the adventures myself. I worked on the set of several of the programs Jonah produced.”
“I remember you said you were in the military too.”
“I was. I retired shortly after Jonah did. We have a ranch in Wyoming; I spend most of my time there these days.”
“Do you and Jonah have children?”
Rebecca shook her head. “No. I always wanted kids, but that didn’t happen for us. Look, I know you’ve heard the rumors by now. Jonah had an eye for the ladies.” She stopped speaking and took a deep breath. “That’s not the full truth. Jonah was a cheater. He liked women. He had a hard time controlling his impulses. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he hit on you. You’re kind of his type—pretty, tall, athletic.”
I felt the color rise to my face. Darn my capillaries for betraying me again.
“Maybe he did hit on you?” Rebecca’s eyebrows rose, understanding.
“He may have done some harmless flirting, but that was all. I honestly thought those rumors were old.”
“Oh, I wanted to believe they were too, but you know once you catch someone in a lie like that—lies like that—it’s a bit difficult to completely trust him again. That’s part of the reason we didn’t have children.”
“I’m not in a relationship, but I think I can understand what you are saying. If you don’t trust your spouse, it would be challenging to raise a family with him.”
Rebecca lowered her eyes. “That’s true. But I was referring to the health considerations. I was afraid to take any risks where Jonah was concerned. Trust me, men like Jonah aren’t always safe. That’s why I vowed that as long as Jonah and I were together, I always would be safe.”
“Oh.” I practically stammered with embarrassment. I mean, what could I say to Rebecca’s frank remark? I was surprised that Rebecca told me these intimate details about her marriage to Crater. I didn’t even know her.
“Oh, my goodness, you must think I am crazy to tell you these things. Honestly, I’m just so relieved to get that off of my chest, and I had a couple of shots of Scotch before I came here. I guess that loosened my tongue.” Rebecca fanned herself with her hand. That’s when I noticed her fingernails. Rebecca had obviously taken time to apply her makeup, but her fingernails were another story. They were short and covered in chipped red polish. I wondered if she’d been biting them or if she hastily trimmed them for some reason.
I nodded. “Don’t worry about it. How long are you in town? Maybe we could meet up another time, and have a drink.”
“I’ll be in town for a few more days, I imagine. I’m waiting for Jonah’s body to be released. God, it’s awful saying those words. Here,”
Rebecca opened her bag and extracted a business card. “The card is old, but it still has my correct phone number on it.” She extended the card to me.
I took the card and glanced at it, ‘Rebecca McMurphy, Talent Coordinator.’ The card also contained her phone number.
“Thanks, I will give you a call.” I pocketed the card, then I surreptitiously glanced at my phone to check the time. I still had about ten minutes until I expected Jed to arrive, but I wanted to extract myself from the conversation I was having with Mrs. McMurphy. “Ah, well, my friend is always early. I should probably go meet him.” I was happy to turn and see a server approaching us carrying a tray with a meal on it. That gave me another excuse to get away from her.
“I’ll look forward to hearing from you, Mandy,” Rebecca said as I stepped away.
I RUSHED AROUND THE corner from Rebecca. I hid from her view and texted Jed. I needed to cancel our meet-up. I hoped Jed would understand my reason and let us reschedule for another time. I hid behind the wall that separates the dining area from the hallway to the bathroom and I watched Rebecca McMurphy. I had a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite aboveboard with Crater McMurphy’s widow. She’d come into town bold and threatening, and now she was candid and as sweet as a kitten. I didn’t buy it. Rebecca McMurphy’s attitude brought to mind my competitive days when I was on the pro snowboarding circuit. I realized that to our audience, my opponents and I exhibited friendly, easy, supportive vibes, but in truth, we were fierce opponents. While we cheered each other on, we were actually hoping our competition would catch an edge or just have a bad ride. Every one of us was in it to win it, and I got a distinct impression that Rebecca McMurphy was the same. For that reason, I stood and watched the widow as she accepted her dinner, picked up her silverware, and began eating. I watched for several minutes collecting the information that I needed.
My cellphone buzzed, and I pulled it from my pocket. Fortunately, I had remembered to turn the alert off. I glanced at the screen. It was Jed responding to my text.
Jed: What’s going on? I thought you wanted to talk.
I quickly typed my response and sent it back to Jed.
Mandy: I think I have eyes on the suspect.
Jed: Dammit Mandy, what are you up to? Where are you?
I texted Jed one more time. I didn’t want to run into Rebecca in the tavern again. I slid out the door and headed to my car ready to start surveillance.
Mandy: I’ll text you when I know where I am going.
IT TOOK QUITE A WHILE for Rebecca to exit the tavern. By the time she left, my stomach was rumbling with hunger. I was supposed to be having dinner with Jed, not spying on Crater McMurphy’s widow. I watched Rebecca enter her car, and I started the ignition in mine. Then, with extra care, I followed Rebecca to her next destination. It took several minutes of driving. The road narrowed the longer we drove. We were headed towards the outskirts of town. I realized where we were going just before we arrived. We were on the edge of the village, and Rebecca pulled her car up to an older motel that had seen better days. I was surprised that Rebecca would choose to stay in the place. Her husband chose the Chalet for himself, and it looked like a palace compared to the Highway’s End Motel. I pulled in a few rows behind Rebecca’s car and waited as she got out, locked her car, and walked to the building. I watched as she approached a room, reached for her key, unlocked the door, and entered her room.
I waited several more minutes while I debated what to do next. I knew two things. First, in the case of murder, the spouse is usually the first suspect, and second, Rebecca McMurphy used her left hand to hold her knife at the restaurant. The killer was presumed to be a leftie and a woman. And while Jed believed most women were physically too weak to subdue a man like Crater McMurphy, I felt that if there was any woman who could subdue the man, it was Rebecca McMurphy. After all, Rebecca told me that she had also been in the military, AND she had worked on Crater’s programs. And, if Rebecca showed up at Crater’s suite early on Saturday morning, he was unlikely to turn her away, she was his wife. My decision was made. I was going to talk to her. I composed a quick text message to Jed telling him I was at the Highway’s End Motel with Rebecca McMurphy, and then I turned on my phone’s voice recorder before hiding it in my back pocket.
I stepped from my car and walked to Rebecca’s room. I must have stood by the door, unmoving, for a minute before I worked up the courage to knock.
It didn’t take long for Rebecca to answer the door. In fact, it almost felt like she was expecting someone.
“Oh hey, what are you doing here?” Rebecca said with a note of surprise in her voice.
“I didn’t really mean to catch you off-guard, Rebecca, but I was wondering if you were free to talk some more.”
Rebecca’s eyebrows rose. Then she laughed. “Yeah, you meant to catch me off guard. But it’s okay. Come on in. We’ll have a drink.”
I should have known it was too easy.
I stepped into the room, and Rebecca closed and locked the door behind us. I took a quick look around. I saw an open suitcase on the bed. It looked like she was packing to leave. I noticed an open bottle of whiskey on a writing table against the far wall and a glass of whiskey beside it. The TV was on and tuned to a news program.
“So,” Rebecca walked to the table, grabbed a second glass, and poured a large measure of the whiskey into it. She handed the fresh glass to me and picked up her own. “I have my suspicions, but why don’t you tell me the real reason you are here, Mandy?”
I took a deep breath and blew it out again. I needed to buy some time to think up an excuse for my presence. I should have thought of an excuse before I knocked on Rebecca’s door. “Honestly?” I sipped my drink and felt it sting my throat as I swallowed it. “I have some questions.”
Rebecca laughed. “I bet you do.” She walked to the bed and sat on the corner. She stared at me over the edge of her glass as she took a sip of the fiery amber liquid.
“I do.” I remained standing. “When did you decided to kill your husband?”
Rebecca’s eyebrows rose. “My, you seem to have an active imagination. That’s a bit surprising considering your background. I would think that a professional snowboarder needs to keep a tight rein on her imagination.”
“Not really. There’s an art to snowboarding, Rebecca. How interesting would the sport be if we all approached it in the same way?”
“Touché,” Rebecca smiled.
“So, did you think about killing Crater for a while? Was this trip your best opportunity to do that?”
Rebecca stared at me with her dark eyes, but she didn’t speak. She set her glass of whiskey on the bedside table and just watched me. I felt goosebumps rise on my flesh. “How did you figure it out?”
“At first, I thought someone else was to blame for your husband’s death. But then, I met you, and I realized if anyone was capable of killing Crater, you were.”
“But that’s not proof of anything.”
“No. But then I learned that you are a leftie, and so was the killer. And despite your impeccable makeup—your fingernails were really messed up—like they’d been hastily trimmed. I imagine you broke your nails the night you killed Crater and climbed off the balcony to get away.”
Rebecca didn’t reply to me.
“Why did you want to see his suite? That’s the part I’m not sure about. Were you looking for something?”
Rebecca remained silent.
“Were you looking for the discarded condom? You must know by now that Agent Riley found it.”
“Why would I be interested in that?” Rebecca deflected.
“Oh, at first I thought it was because you needed proof of your husband’s infidelity. On the day we met, you mentioned you needed closure. I thought that maybe evidence of his indiscretion provided you with the closure you needed. But after I spoke to you tonight, I realized I was wrong. You see, Crater was a flirt, but I got the feeling that he changed his lecherous ways. Maybe he learned his lesson. But wh
at you told me in the tavern? You let something slip. You didn’t trust Crater. You suspected that he was still cheating on you. You were afraid he would catch a disease and that he would give it to you. Sorry, if I sound a bit insensitive.”
Rebecca’s eyes looked even sharper, but the rest of her face remained neutral. “Not at all.”
“It’s difficult to get pregnant when you always use protection, isn’t it?” I took another sip of the vile liquid, coughed, and set my glass down on the table. “The other thing I couldn’t figure out is why was Agent Riley investigating? You see, I did some research, and the FBI doesn’t involve itself in everyday murder cases. But you probably already knew that, didn’t you?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“I’m suggesting that you found out Crater’s big secret. You and Crater didn’t have any children together, but Crater had a daughter. How did you figure it out? Did he tell you?”
“No. I used to manage our personal checking account. Jonah grew careless one day. He made a money transfer out of our joint account to an address in Colorado. I looked into it, and I found Shannon Tennyson. When I questioned Jonah, he eventually came clean with me. Shannon had been blackmailing Jonah for years. She threatened to tell me about the child, and to go public with the paternity results if he didn’t pay her ten thousand dollars a month.”
Holy crap! Shannon was blackmailing Crater for child support, and quite a bit of it too.
“I was furious when I found out.”
“Of course, you were,” I agreed. “Not only did you not have the children you wanted, but Crater had a daughter that he never told you about.”
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