by Marja McGraw
“No one ever tried to help us,” he said bitterly. “I knew our teachers saw the bruises, but they never once asked about them. I knew there were neighbors who heard what was happening, but they turned the other way. I guess I can’t blame them too much. They were probably afraid to do anything. Mike didn’t take shit from anyone, and they all knew it. What a son-of-a-bitch!”
I couldn’t have agreed more.
“You have to remember, things were different back then. Nobody wanted to get involved. I know attitudes have changed over the years, but children still get beat up, even with new laws. The thing is, people are more likely to speak up and get involved nowadays.”
Sometimes, I thought, knowing too many kids still fell through the cracks.
“There was one neighbor who talked to me once. I think she was afraid if she called the police we’d get it worse after they left. Can’t remember what she said, but I know she gave me that impression.”
“Why didn’t your mother leave him?” I couldn’t understand. This was new territory for me.
“She tried once and got a beating for her effort. He told her if she left him like his first wife, he’d find her and make her wish she’d never been born. And he convinced her that a ‘dumb broad’ like her couldn’t make it on her own with my brother and me to hold her back. He called us her burden.”
“What finally ended up happening?” I knew he was remembering things he’d tried so hard to forget. I honestly hated making him dredge up his past, but I needed to know why he’d helped John so many times and left Chrissy to fend for herself.
I needed to know if he could have murdered his stepbrother.
Chapter Thirty-nine
The skin around Paley’s mouth had turned white. “John was growing up. He was fifteen, I think. He was about as big as Mike by then. One morning, at breakfast, Mike was mad because the eggs were too runny. He began yelling at my mother, and pretty soon he stood up and slapped her.” His fists were clenching and unclenching as he spoke. It was frightening to watch him, but I had to know where this was going. “We all knew what was coming next. God! I wanted to protect my mother, but I was still too little. My brother and I were both small for our ages. Dan started to cry and Mike turned to him and screamed at him. We both knew better than to cry in front of Mike. It was one of his triggers, and there were plenty of those.
“John watched what was happening. I remember he had a strange look in his eyes. Mike’s face was red and he kept screaming and yelling, and he shook his fist at Mom, telling her she’d better not stick up for Dan or they’d both get some more. I started crying, too. Mike reached across the table and knocked me right out of my chair.”
I could feel my facial muscles tightening up as I listened to the story.
“John went nuts. He jumped up and grabbed Mike’s shirt, pulling him off his feet and right across the table. And he hit him, putting everything he had into one good punch, never letting go of that shirt. He got right in Mike’s face and said if he ever hit anyone again, he’d kill him. Then he let go of the shirt and Mike fell right into the plate of eggs. I wanted to laugh at Mike, but I knew better.”
Neither one of us said a word. I could see this whole exchange in my mind’s eye.
Once again, I had to ask, “What happened next?”
“John left for school. He came home that night and packed up his stuff and moved in with a friend and his family. He was okay for about a year, but then he quit school and started drinking more. You know how he turned out. You’ve seen for yourself.”
“And that’s why you protected him?” I thought I understood, but Paley shook his head.
“There’s more,” Paley said. “That night, after John left to go to his friend’s house, Mike took it out on us. He beat my mother to within an inch of her life, blaming her for John’s leaving. He’d started with Dan and me, but ended up turning on my mother. She only screamed once. I remember that vividly. She refused to give him the satisfaction of hearing her beg for mercy.” The man shook as he rode higher and higher on that mental roller coaster, preparing for the fall down the other side.
“While all of this was going on, John returned to pick up something he’d forgotten. When he saw what was happening, he lost it – completely this time. He started hitting Mike and probably would have killed him if the neighbors hadn’t finally intervened and called the police.
“My mother was taken to the hospital. A neighbor took Dan and me in, not too willingly I might add, until Mom came home.” More bitterness in his tone. “The cops arrested both Mike and John. Of course, John was a kid, and like I said, things were different back then. They put him in Juvenile Hall for a few days and released him to my mother when she came home from the hospital. She let him return to his friend’s house.”
“At least now I know why you stuck up for John. He stuck up for you.”
“No,” Paley said softly, “he saved my mother’s life. Mike would have beaten her to death that night.” He exhaled deeply, glanced down and noticed his fists, and shook his hands, trying to relax.
“Whew!” A chill ran down my back. “This wasn’t exactly what I thought I’d be hearing from you. I’m so sorry for what you went through, Officer Paley – Todd. But it still doesn’t excuse not helping Chrissy and her daughter.” No matter how much sympathy I felt, I couldn’t get past that.
“No, it doesn’t. But I owed him.” He looked me in the eyes, closely, as though he were searching to see if I understood. “I tried to get him to leave town, and he said he would after that last arrest. I even gave him money to get away and start fresh. But he couldn’t get past that damn bottle. He probably spent the money I gave him on booze as soon as they released him from jail.”
Paley sounded disgusted. “Did you know, we lived in that ugly old house when all of this happened?”
I nodded. “I heard about that. Do you drink?”
“No!” His answer was adamant and angry. In that one word I could hear his distaste for alcohol and the consequences it had caused in his life.
“What happened to Mike?” Where was the man who’d created all the horror in so many lives?
“He took on the wrong guy at a bar, and the guy and a friend beat Mike to a pulp out in the parking lot. He’s a pathetic old man in a wheelchair now. He’s a charity case in one of those hospitals for old people because he can’t take care of himself.” Paley smiled. “Perfect ending for Mike.”
“What about your mother and Dan?”
“Dan’s career army. He’s got a great life with a wife and a couple of kids. He’s a good father, too. After she got out of the hospital, my mother took Dan and me and left the area. We lived with my aunt for about a year while my mom pulled her life back together. When Dan and I were old enough to take care of ourselves, my mother went to night classes and got a psychology degree. She went to work for a women’s abuse center in another state, and believe me, she takes her job seriously. I wouldn’t want to mess with her. She has a no-nonsense way of taking care of business.”
“Good for her.” I was glad to hear she’d used her experience to help other women in similar circumstances instead of crawling in a hole to block out the world. “What about you? Are you okay now?”
“I moved back to Covina. No matter what happened, it was still home to me. And Mike was gone by then. Contrary to what you’ve seen, I’m a good cop. I’ve studied and worked hard to get where I am. I watch out for the people in this city. The scrawny kid that was me is gone. I finally grew tall and I’ve worked out at a gym to build myself up. But, Ms. Webster, this thing with John was different. I couldn’t get a handle on it. I swear I wouldn’t have let him hurt that woman and her child.”
I sat quietly and watched him, trying to take in everything I’d heard.
“He meant well, he was bringing her presents.” His comment was lame, at best, and his expression told me he knew it.
“Todd, you know I have to ask this. Did you kill John?”
He didn’
t answer for a moment. “You know, I actually thought about it once. Put him out of his misery, I thought. But no, I didn’t murder my stepbrother.” The sadness was back in his voice. He stood up. “That’s it, Ms. Webster. There’s no more to tell.”
He was right. There wasn’t anything else to say, and I left. The warmth from the sunshine felt good on my arms after the chill I’d felt while listening to the horror of Todd’s and John’s childhoods.
I drove around town for a while, thinking. I’d had such loving parents that it was difficult to imagine what those three boys and their mothers had gone through. I found myself on San Bernardino Road and stopped at a park. Children were playing on the swings, and parents were sitting and talking to each other. It felt so normal to watch them after what I’d just heard. I sat down at a picnic table and soaked up more sunshine.
After some time went by, I glanced at my watch. I wouldn’t have too long to wait until I met with Doug. I’d forgotten about food, too, and figured I’d better find myself something since I hadn’t eaten anything but breakfast. I approached one of the parents and asked if there was an In-N-Out around anywhere. She gave me directions, and I headed north.
For the first time in my life, I only picked at my burger, my comfort food. It was as good as ever, but I simply didn’t have the appetite after the story I’d heard.
Life can be so ugly sometimes. You never know what motivates another person’s actions.
Chapter Forty
While I was at In-N-Out, I refilled my cup with iced tea and put a lid on it to take it with me.
Next stop, Doug and Becky’s house.
I pulled up in their driveway but didn’t see a car. As I approached the front door, I saw a note taped to the doorframe. Seeing my name, I pulled it down and read it. The note said that Becky was ill and Doug had to take her to the doctor’s office. He was sorry he’d missed me, but if I’d come back another day he’d still meet with me.
Frustrated, I tore the note in half and walked back to my car. My mood wasn’t the best after listening to Paley’s story, and I wanted to get both interviews out of the way during one trip.
Back in my car, I started the engine and shifted into reverse. My cell phone rang, and I answered it before backing out of the driveway. It was Pete.
“Hi, Sandi. I thought you might like an update.”
“I sure would. I’ve been waiting for you to call.” I moved the gearshift back to Park and switched off the engine. I didn’t like to drive and talk at the same time unless I had to. Couldn’t concentrate on the road and the conversation, too. “So what’s going on up there?”
“Our man is in a light coma. They don’t think it’ll be long before he comes to. Apparently he bumped his head on something during the accident.”
“Do you at least know who he is?” I asked. After the time I’d spent with Todd Paley, Pete’s voice was refreshing and made me feel, well, normal.
“Name’s Jess Baxter. Stan’s doing a background check for me, and it looks like the guy’s a hood from Las Vegas. Stan’s still working on it, so I should know more soon.”
“Have you ever noticed that Stanley always seems to come through for us? Maybe I should think about hiring him full-time. It seems like he does more work for us than the card company anyway.” Talking about Stanley gave me a feeling of normalcy, too.
“Might not be a bad idea. He sure knows his way around a computer, and he’s always ready to help out when we need him. Can we afford it though? Anyway, when he’s through with this background check, he’ll be flying back to L.A. I won’t need him to do anything else.”
“I might be able to use him here. I’m trying to interview everyone involved in this fiasco, and he can probably help me out.”
“I guess you need to give me an update, too. What’s happening there?” I could picture Pete settling back to listen to my story.
“I interviewed Officer Paley this morning. I won’t go into all the details right now, but he had a heartbreaking story to tell. He’s got a lot of pent-up anger and bitterness, salted with a kind of grief. I don’t agree with what he did, but at least now I understand why he did it. He felt he owed it to his stepbrother.” I didn’t want to repeat Todd’s story. It was too depressing.
“Do you think there’s any possibility he killed his brother?” Pete asked.
“No, I don’t. You never know though, so I’ll leave his name on my list of suspects for now.”
“Got anyone else on your list?” Pete was a good listener. Sometimes.
“Yeah. Of course there’s Chrissy, but I know she didn’t do it. Her boyfriend, Ned the Nerd is another candidate. And – ”
“Ned the Nerd? Who’s that?” Pete asked.
“Didn’t I tell you about him? Huh. Thought I had. His name is actually Ted. Dolly calls him Ned the Nerd because he’s a computer geek and she thinks Chrissy could do better. He’s kind of like Stanley, only not so likeable. I can’t get a good take on him. There’s something about him that doesn’t appeal to me. I guess he could have been trying to protect Chrissy.”
“You think he’s a likely suspect? You may not like him, but that doesn’t mean he’s a killer. How about evidence? Anything there?”
“Not much, and the cops aren’t sharing much with me. I think I’m on my own.” I wished Detective Chase would work with me, but it didn’t appear he was going to be too cooperative. I’d have to give him a call and see if he’d open up.
“I interrupted you. Who else have you got on your list? Anyone new? You did mention these people to me once before.” Pete sounded genuinely interested. Guess he didn’t have much else to think about until his crash victim woke up.
“There’s also Chrissy’s neighbor, but I may have mentioned him, too. He’s definitely nosey, and he was afraid Frendd would come after his wife next. I don’t think that would have happened, but he figured it was a possibility.”
“Why don’t you think Frendd would have bothered this guy’s wife? I know I don’t have all the facts, but it seems to me the scumbag might have switched to another woman.”
“There’s a lot of psychological mumbo jumbo at work here, Pete. Frendd was raised in Chrissy’s house. I think he would have picked on any single woman who lived there. I don’t think he would have bothered Chrissy if she’d had a husband around. And because it all seems to go back to the house, I don’t think he would have bothered the neighbor’s wife. I could be wrong, but that’s the way I see it.”
“Okay, I guess I get it. It all has to do with that house. Sounds like this case was made for you, Sandi. I’d have trouble getting past the facts and into the psychology of the people.”
I knew he wouldn’t have any problem at all, but it was nice to hear his confidence in my conclusions.
“You’re a good guy, Pete.”
“What’d I do?”
“Nothing in particular. You’re just a good guy. And I miss you. I hope you come home soon.”
“I miss you, too, Sandi. I’ll be there as soon as I get this cleared up.”
“Well, I’m going to hang up now and head home. I’m tired. This has turned out to be a very emotional day.”
“You gonna cry?” Pete teased.
“No. Maybe. Nah. I’m fine. Let me know if your guy wakes up and confesses to two murders.”
“Yeah, right. Although…” Pete paused and didn’t finish his sentence.
“Although what?”
“Well, you just gave me an idea. I’ll let you know how it works out.”
“Glad I could help, even if I don’t know what I did.”
Chapter Forty-one
We hung up, and I headed for the freeway and home. I was tired. I wanted – no, needed – to go home and feed Bubba and watch TV with my feet up. I wanted my evening to feel normal. Yeah, right, like that was gonna happen.
I stopped at one of those fast food chicken places and picked up dinner on the way home. Placing the box on the counter in the kitchen, I hurried over to Dolly’s to b
ring Bubba home.
“Did you find out anything?” Dolly asked.
“I learned a lot, but it’s nothing I want to talk about,” I replied.
“Are you sure? You know I’m a good listener.”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s an ugly story and I don’t want to think about it right now. Where are Chrissy and Tammi?” Bubba had been waiting for me, but the girls were nowhere around.
“They drove up to get some chicken.”
“Wish I’d known. That’s where I stopped on the way home. I would have picked up some food for you.”
“I think maybe Chrissy wanted to get away for a little while, but they’ll be back soon. She seemed too nervous to sit around. She was beginning to pace, and to be honest, Sandi, it was getting on my nerves. I love my granddaughter, but I’m nervous enough for both of us. I hope I’m not making her feel that way.”
I laughed. “Dolly, you’re a natural born worrier. I’m positive you’re not the problem. You have to remember what Chrissy’s been through lately, and how it ended last night. And, don’t forget, she’s a suspect, although not a probable one.” Uh oh. Shouldn’t have said that to a worrier like Dolly.
“Oh dear. I forgot that the police suspect her. Well, they’ll have to look elsewhere. My baby wouldn’t hurt a fly. I know that, and pretty soon they’ll know it, too. I’ll have to be more sensitive about how Chrissy’s feeling. Oh, my. I should have been more thoughtful.” The words tumbled out of the woman’s mouth in a rush.
“Dolly, slow down. They don’t honestly think she did it. But the body was found in her house, so they’ve got to take a look at – ”
“Oh! It’s just sinking in. I mean, my poor baby had a dead body in her house.”
“The basement,” I said. “Not inside the house.”