The minute I opened the door she shot in and barreled down the stairs to the basement, almost knocking Roger off his feet as he came up the steps. He stopped awkwardly inside the kitchen and leaned against the door frame, staring at my disheveled appearance while he shook the water from his umbrella. I ignored him for a second and plugged in my cell, then moved over to the drawer and pulled out several hand towels to dry myself off with. “Hmmm. Seems fitting I am soaked since I’m mad as a wet hen. Say, did you bring your cell? I need to make a few calls. Mine is dead.” It’s not the only thing that’s about to die.
“No, I left it at work. You sounded distraught earlier and I just assumed our conversation would be a difficult one, so I opted to leave it there. Figured we didn’t need any interruptions. So tell me, what did you want to share with me earlier that you felt you couldn’t on the phone?” He looked hopeful.
I waved the soaked towel in his direction. “Shoot! I’ve got to call Detective Knowles. And Regina. It…oh, that doesn’t matter now. My phone will charge in just a second—at least long enough to make a call or two. Anyway, this morning when I called you, what I had to tell you was all questions, possibilities. After my visit to Sheridan, it’s all out. I know the truth. Say, did you lock the front door when you came in?”
“No, but I will if you’d like. And could you calm down just a bit? You’re kind of running in all directions here. I’m having trouble keeping up.”
“Please. I don’t want Kendal coming in here before Detective Knowles arrives. And I’m sorry, just a lot going on right now inside my head. I’m surprised I’m not in a corner drooling.”
While I finished drying off, Roger ambled down the stairs. I let my breath out and tried to relax. I rolled my knotted shoulders a few times, trying to loosen them up. I needed to calm down now that I was home and the cavalry would be here soon. Roger was back in a flash, his face unreadable as he set his briefcase on the counter. He walked over and sat down in the kitchen chair closest to him. “You said the truth is out and you don’t want Kendal coming in here. What did you mean by those statements?”
Another bright bolt of lightning was followed by an ear-splitting crack of thunder and then darkness as the lights flickered once and went out. So much for charging my phone so I could call Regina. Hopefully she was still inside a store somewhere, waiting out the storm. I glanced out the window and winced when I realized the storm was right on top of us and the entire neighborhood seemed to be without power. The eerie green haze had followed me from Sheridan. I bent down to wipe up the water that had puddled underneath me while I answered, “You aren’t going to believe this, but Kendal and Guy are behind all this. Though I’m not exactly sure of all the details yet.”
“What makes you say that? Is that what Detective Knowles told you earlier today? Did he find some evidence linking the two of them together? Is that what you wanted to discuss with me?”
I finished wiping the floor and stood up, tossed the wet towel to the sink, then pulled out a chair and sat down at the table with Roger. At least the kitchen had a lot of windows to provide some light, although the funky green color that streamed through the windows made Roger look ill. I glanced down at my hands and noticed my own skin reflected the same ghastly pallor. The tint made my hand look even worse, so I went to the fridge, grabbed some ice, rolled it into a dishtowel and sat back down. Roger watched my movements but didn’t say a word, waiting for me to answer him.
“Well, yes and no. Detective Knowles wasn’t exactly forthcoming with information this morning, but he did allude to the fact that he was on to something, and that it somehow all tied back to me. I sort of lost it then and told him to leave until he figured out exactly what was going on. But after my little trip to Sheridan and what I witnessed while I was there, I understand now why he didn’t tell me. Sort of.”
Roger’s brow furrowed with questions. I didn’t seem to be doing a very good job explaining the events of the last few hours. Then again, my mind was so screwed up at the moment it was a wonder I could even form a complete sentence.
“Tell me, what did you witness in Sheridan, Melody?” Roger prompted.
“For starters, I made a trip to the store where Guy Powell works at. Decided I was going to start my own investigation since relying on the police to handle things seemed like a sick, cosmic joke. When I walked in and saw him, realized how much his body structure looked like Jack’s, I, um, sort of lost it and hit him.”
“You did what?” Roger sputtered.
“Yup, popped him right in his nose and knocked him on his ass. Then, I planted my foot in his…uh, his crotch. Told him who I was and that I was on to him. You know, to shake him up and hope that he’d say or do something to incriminate himself.”
“And did he?”
“No. It seemed all he could do was writhe around on the floor and groan. So I left.”
“Did I miss something here? The part that connects Kendal to all of this?” Roger asked, confused.
I took a deep breath before I continued. “When I walked out to my car, I was a mess. Realized how close I came to seriously hurting another person—and how much I enjoyed watching him suffer. I looked at the blood on my hands and it made me nauseous and I got sick. But, when I cleaned up and started the car, I thought I was about to see more violence because Kendal drove up. Parked right next to Guy’s truck and got out, just as Guy limped out the front door. I kind of got excited, thinking Kendal had come down to whip the fire out of Guy, too. But I was wrong. Dead wrong.”
“Go on,” Roger urged.
“I could tell they were talking, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. What I could tell was that no fists were going to be flying. They seemed, I don’t know, civil toward each other. Kendal just calmly walked over to Guy’s truck and waited for Guy to hand him a big envelope. When he did, Kendal passed a smaller envelope to Guy and then went back to his truck. Like I said, I don’t know what was inside those envelopes, but there cannot be any plausible explanation why Kendal would be even talking to Guy, much less exchanging documents of some sort with him, unless they are working together.”
Roger gazed out the window as the storm raged outside. I could tell that his legal mind was processing what I’d just said, trying to make sense of it all. His thoughts seemed a million miles away and he mumbled something under his breath just as another loud clap of thunder shook the kitchen.
“I’m sorry, what did you say? Sounded like pictures.”
Roger ignored my question and responded with one of his own, his voice distant and heavy. “Melody, do you remember our conversation not long ago about Corinne?”
“Yes, however, I fail to see…”
He held up his hand for me to stop and continued. “When she died, my entire life changed. All our hopes, dreams and plans together ended with her final, painful breath. I never told a soul this, but after she passed, I climbed into the bed next to her and held her until her body turned cold. I don’t know why. It was like I was trying to hold on to her life force, her essence, hoping that somehow, it could pass over to me to help ease the pain of losing her. But it didn’t work. I was destroyed and beyond devastated once the last bit of her warmth was gone.”
Despite everything that was going on, I held my tongue and let him finish. It seemed wrong to stop him now, since obviously being inside this situation with me had brought a lot of painful memories back for him. Rather than respond, I moved my hand across the table and held his while he continued. Though sort of odd, it felt right—fitting. No one can understand the grief of a widower except for another widower or widow.
“I thought maybe after I took her ashes and scattered them, the dead part of my soul would come to life again. It didn’t happen. If anything, I felt even worse, since I was in the place she wanted to visit more than anything in the world. How many times had I promised to take her, then changed plans at the last minute because I let my job get in the way? ‘Oh, let’s go next Spring, baby
. I’ve got to finish this case first. Can’t leave in the middle of it.’ That’s what I’d tell her. The problem was that there was always a case waiting in the wings. In other words, I gave higher priority to my job and my ego than the desires and needs of my wife.”
“The pain never lessens, does it? Is that what you are trying to tell me?”
Roger chewed on the inside of his cheek, his eyes full of tears. He moved his hand from mine and stood up, then walked over to the sliding glass door. Though I almost fell out of my chair, he didn’t even flinch when a tree limb snapped in the back yard and crashed to the ground. The wind howled outside and the weeping willows in the backyard bent so far over that the tops almost touched the soaked ground.
“No, it did finally ease up, but not from time, therapy or some mystic religious experience. You see, I thought I’d lost my one shot of being with a truly remarkable woman. Corinne was so loving, so animated and so kind to others. She never met a stranger, never turned her back on a lost cause. Not only was she generous, kind and beautiful, but she had this wicked sense of humor. And a laugh that was so contagious, when you heard it, you couldn’t help but laugh, too. When all that mixed together with her intelligence, it made for a combination of my dream mate. No, it was finding love again that brought me out of my mourning. It was almost like I’ve been living an epic Shakespearean drama or something. True love lost, true love found. Only the second time around, the object of the affection was with another, unaware of my deep love for her.”
It took a few seconds for his words to sink in, but when they did, what he mumbled earlier became clear in an instant. It took several tries to get my lips to move as I stared at his rigid back in sheer disbelief, noticing for the first time the similarities between his physique and Jack’s. “Pictures. You said pictures earlier, didn’t you?”
No response other than a slight nod of his head.
“Pictures of what, Roger?”
Like watching a movie in slow motion, Roger turned and faced me. His eyes were red rimmed, his cheeks flushed and wet with tears. A slight tremble shook his body as he reached over and flicked the latch open on his briefcase. When he pulled it back and held out his hand, I gasped at what he held.
“A package containing these photographs was sent to the office a week before Serena was killed. They were addressed to you, but since she opened the mail, you can understand why Serena brought them to me instead. Mr. Powell paid an impromptu visit to the office this morning as well, right after you and I spoke. Seems he thought that he could procure some cash to help in his defense by blackmailing me. So, your assumption about Mr. Powell was semi-correct. He did, for lack of a better term, start the ball rolling when he sent these.”
I fought to control the tears that sprung forth when I saw the photos of Jack and Serena. My vision swam as I peered through the moisture at the other pictures. I barely heard the booming thunder or the wail of the tornado siren over the pounding of my heart in my ears.
I was staring at pictures of Serena and Roger as they embraced in various stages of undress, in what I could only assume was her apartment.
“I…you…I don’t understand. You were in love with Serena, too? Oh, my God…you were, weren’t you? You found out about her and Jack when Guy sent these pictures and decided to make her and Jack pay, didn’t you? Holy shit! You son of a bitch!”
The violent storm raging outside reflected the one inside of me. Consumed by numbing fury, I dropped the photos and lunged headfirst toward Roger’s chest. My head made contact with his stomach just as his hands wound around my waist. We toppled over and rolled across the kitchen floor. I was blind with fury as my hands, feet, fingers and teeth sought out anything to connect with. I punched, clawed, screamed and kicked until Roger gained the upper hand.
In one swift movement, he wrapped both his arms around my chest, pinning my own at my sides. Before I could blink, he immobilized my legs and we were now frozen in battle in the middle of the kitchen floor. Lying on top of him with my back crushed against his torso, I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell from his labored breathing that he was just as exhausted as I was.
My lungs struggled for air as his grip on me tightened. I tried to move, but it was no use. It was like being held by a vice. Where is the detective? Oh, God, please forgive me for thinking it was Kendal! Please, please help me now, Lord. Give me the words to say to keep him talking until help arrives. Better yet, just let the storm take us both now. I’m ready to come home. I won’t be able to live with all this. This just isn’t real, it isn’t happening.
“Why, Roger? Why did you have to frame Jack? And how could you have been so cruel, so vicious, to the woman you supposedly loved? You beat her to a pulp.”
Though his grip was still rock solid, I felt Roger press his nose into my hair. His hot breath grazed my ear and neck, his voice raised as he spoke over the sounds of the storm outside, “Melody, you still don’t see, do you? Serena wasn’t my second shot at true love. You were. I did this for you. For us.”
I struggled to move my ear from his vile words but his grip intensified. “For us? What us, Roger? I’m just your secretary for God’s sake! There is no us! What the hell are you talking about?”
“Ah, but there could have been. Believe me, I was more than content loving you from a distance. Even though we didn’t have a chance to connect physically, I was able to satisfy that side of myself by basking in working alongside you each day. I cherished every smile, each laugh, all your smart retorts and wry sense of humor. I watched you struggle with your inability to have a baby, heard you cry in the restroom at night when you thought everyone had already left. My heart broke to see you so sad. So many times, I fought the urge to hold you, to gather you into my arms and tell you it would be okay. And, believe it or not, I actually hoped that Jack was providing for all your needs as a husband, since I knew I never could. That’s how much I love you, Melody. For your happiness, I stood back and let another take care of you when I craved for it to be me.”
I couldn’t handle this. I had to be having a nightmare, because if this was real, my mind and heart wouldn’t be able to live with it all. “So what, Serena was just a hot little morsel to sink your teeth into once the cravings for me became unbearable?”
“I’m a man, Melody. She was young, sexy, and most importantly, willing. She was just a moment of weakness though. Until she started working for us, I remained faithful to you. Hadn’t been with another since Corinne passed away. Serena provided me with a minor distraction that only happened a few times. When I was with her, I closed my eyes and pictured you, even called out your name during, well, you know.”
“Yet, in the end, you decided to ruin my life by killing her and framing Jack. Yeah, that’s true love, Roger,” I spat.
“I was trying to do the right thing, Melody!” Roger yelled. “When Serena stormed into my office with the pictures, she was in a panic. She had just found out she was pregnant the day before, and thought the pictures were a sign that she and Jack needed to just go ahead and come clean. She wanted to tell you about the baby, about her love for Jack. She wanted the end result to be that Jack divorced you and married her so they could raise their baby together. I tried to convince her otherwise. That too many people would be hurt by her actions. I even offered to marry her. Told her I could provide the kind of life she was used to for her and the baby. She…she just laughed at me. Sat in the chair across from me and laughed. Said I sounded like a crazy, desperate old man. Said the only reason she ever slept with me was because she’d been hot and horny for Jack and he hadn’t given in to her advances.”
“Roger, didn’t it ever occur to you that the baby might be yours?”
“Of course not, my love. Oh, it sounds so good to finally say that to you! My love,” he repeated. “No, when Corinne first became ill, I had a vasectomy. I didn’t want to take the chance of getting her pregnant when she was so sick. And I knew how much you wanted a baby. How it would devas
tate you when you found out Serena was pregnant with Jack’s. So that’s when I decided to kill Serena and let Jack take the fall. I knew it would be painful for you at first, especially the trial, but once Jack was convicted and gone, I’d be there to pick up the pieces and we could finally be together.”
Horrified, I tried to keep my brain from shutting down. “Are you saying your little deceitful drama didn’t include having Jack killed in jail?”
“Absolutely not! If he were dead, the memory of his betrayal would fade away with time. Soften your heart toward him. If he were still alive and in prison, your anger toward him would always be at the surface, keeping the two of us glued together. Believe it or not, I was upset when he died. I knew how much it hurt you. That’s why, even though it went against everything in me and opened the possibility up of the truth coming out, I didn’t stop you from trying to reopen the case to clear his name. I…I just hoped you’d run into a brick wall and eventually give up.”
Keep him talking. Find out all the information you can to nail his sorry ass to the wall! Don’t give up. Oh, please Lord, don’t let me give up! “How in the world did you pull all this off, Roger? I mean, you even had on the same outfit and ball cap like Jack’s. You even had the foresight to buy pink underwear.”
“It was rather easy, my love. Once I formed my plan, I just followed Jack for a few days on my own. Watched what he wore to school. He didn’t stray much from one day to the next. Jeans, t-shirts and loafers. The panties were a no-brainer. I knew from experience Serena only wore pink undergarments.”
“You sent the text, didn’t you? The one of Serena at the hotel in her underwear?”
“She already had typed it out and just failed to hit send. I guess I interrupted her when I arrived. I just punched a few buttons and delayed the time it was to go out. It was the final nail, so to speak.”
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