by Gale Deitch
From my experience with Ally’s mother, I knew that she was in fact feeling quite herself today. It was best she stayed home. I wanted to cut the conversation short and get down to the station. “Mrs. Schwartz, I’m heading over to be with Ally. What should I tell her?”
She sniffled. “Let her know her mommy loves her.”
Alan greeted me with his wide smile that somehow always felt like a hug. I was grateful that he’d arrived before me. He was dressed in an expensive, well-tailored gray suit with a blue silk tie. On anyone else, it would be intimidating, but Alan exuded a comfortable confidence that made him approachable. I immediately relaxed in his presence, knowing Ally was now in his capable hands.
“What’s happening?” I asked.
“She’s been processed. They’re going to let me in to speak with her soon.”
“Can I see her? She’s going to need a friend.”
“Not sure since you’re not a family member,” Alan said, then grinned. “But hey, I hear you’ve got some pull around here.”
“Yes, I guess I can speak to Daniel.” He’d already broken some rules letting me know about Ally’s impending arrest. Hopefully, he would bend another one and allow me a quick visit with my friend.
“I’ve read most of the details of the case, but let’s sit down so you can fill in some more about the other night?” Alan led me to an unoccupied table. Out in the open, it was far from private. Nevertheless, it was a place to talk.
I filled him in on the events of that night, answering his questions as best I could. When he asked how she came to be holding the hammer, I related what Ally had told me.
“This could be a case of the real murderer planting evidence against her,” he said.
“That’s what I’m thinking, too.” I hoped Alan believed in her innocence even though I knew lawyers represented clients whether they were guilty or not.
Alan put his hand on mine and, although it was warm and comforting, my first instinct was to pull away. But I didn’t move.
He gazed into my eyes. “Trudie, do you truly believe Ally is innocent?”
“Does it matter what I think?”
“You’re her friend and a great judge of character. It matters to me.”
Ally had been capable of many things over the years. An adopted, only child who’d been given whatever she wanted, she had always expected the people around her to cater to her needs. She had hurt Zach many times. She’d lied to me about her relationship with Ben. But hurt someone physically? Kill someone? Never. I returned Alan’s gaze. “Yes, I do believe she is innocent.”
“Ahem.” The sound made us both glance up to see Daniel standing over us. His eyes were daggers. “I hate to break up this little tête-à-tête, but your client is ready to see you, Mr. Bernstein.”
I peered down at Alan’s hand over mine and pulled away. It was no secret that Daniel disliked Alan, knowing the man had pursued me numerous times over the past several months. The fact that Alan and I remained friends irritated him even more.
Alan smiled at Daniel and stood. “Thanks. I’ll head down there now.”
As he walked away, Daniel glared at him until he was out of view. Still standing, he turned back to me.
I swallowed hard. “This wasn’t what it looked like,” I said.
“Then what was it?”
“It was a distraught woman relating the details of her friend’s situation. That’s all it was. I thought you trusted me.”
Daniel’s eyes softened and he sat down across from me at the table. “I do trust you, Trudie. I just don’t trust that guy. I know he has his eye on you, but he can’t have you.”
I sat up straighter and lifted my chin. “No one can have me. I’m my own person, Daniel. I love you and only you. And on our wedding day, I will give myself to you heart and soul, ‘til death do us part. But you will not own me like a piece of property.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just hard to watch the two of you sitting together holding hands, knowing how he feels about you.”
I reached over and put my hand on his. “Listen, you know Alan doesn’t mean anything to me. We’re friends. That’s it, okay?”
He squeezed my hand. “Okay. But what’s he doing here today? Is he the only lawyer in town?”
“The Bernsteins have been family lawyers to the Schwartzes for years. That’s why I called him.”
“You called him? Why didn’t you leave that up to Ally’s mom to do?”
“C’mon. You know Dana Schwartz. Who knew if she’d be in the right state to call a lawyer? Anyway, I spoke with her and let her know what was happening.”
“Is she coming down to the station?”
“Nope. Wasn’t feeling up to it today. She asked me to do what needed to be done.”
He smiled. “She knew who to rely on.”
“By the way, since Mrs. Schwartz isn’t coming, can I see Ally?”
“Not sure I can let you do that. You’re not family.”
“I’m as close as family can be. The only family she has right now. Please, Daniel. It would mean so much to her.”
“I’ll give you five minutes after Bernstein’s done with her. That’s it.”
I smiled. “Five minutes is all I need.”
Alone in an interrogation room, Ally sat on a metal chair with her head bowed and her handcuffed wrists shackled to the bare wood table. The sound of the guard’s keys as he let me in made her look up. Her face was drained of all color and her eyes were red and puffy.
“Five minutes,” the officer grumbled as he walked away.
Ally’s first instinct was to try to stand, but the chain stopped her fast. I knew she wanted the same thing I did—a hug. But that was impossible.
“Trudie, what am I going to do?” she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Look, Ally. I know how awful this is, but we only have a few minutes. So, let’s make the most of it so I can help you. Okay?”
She nodded, her eyes wide.
“Do you remember anyone else hovering around that table and picking up the hammer?”
She shook her head. “I…I don’t know. I was angry and upset and wasn’t paying much attention to the people around me.”
“Think, Ally. While you have the time, go back to that night and try to remember everything you can, even things that seem insignificant.”
She nodded again. “I’ll try. Did you speak to my mom?”
“Yes, she wasn’t well enough to make it here.”
“Oh,” Ally said with a wry smile. “Started early today.”
“I think she’d probably had a few by the time I spoke with her,” I said. “She did want me to tell you that she loves you.”
“I know she does,” Ally said, looking down at her lap. “It would be nice to have the few people I love here to support me, you know?”
“I know it’s not enough, but you’ve got me,” I said.
Ally lifted her head. “And I’m so fortunate to have you as a friend, but you know what I meant.” Then she opened her eyes wide. “Trudie, contact Zach. Tell him what’s happened. Tell him I need him.”
Before I could answer, the guard was jangling his keys in the lock. “Time’s up, ladies.”
I turned to leave then gave her one last glance.
“Please, Trudie.” Her eyes were desperate.
I nodded.
Once back out in the hallway, I pulled out my phone. My text to Zach was all caps and exclamation marks: URGENT! ALLY’S BEEN ARRESTED! SHE NEEDS YOU!
So many times over the years, their relationship was based on what Ally wanted and what Ally needed. Zach had been there for her over and over again, often getting hurt for his efforts. He was the one who ran interference for her, took the blame for her, allowed her to be her true self and still loved her for it. I didn’t know what Zach would do now or what he was thinking. Was this incident the last straw for him? The one he could not forgive? I wouldn’t blame him if he decided he’d had enough.
All we could do was to wait and see.
In the meantime, Alan, with the financial support of Mrs. Schwartz, would get Ally released on bond. I knew he would work hard to defend her in court. But the police were certain they’d arrested the murderer, so I wasn’t sure if they would continue their investigation of other suspects.
And the real killer was still out there.
For that reason, I had one more call to make. I dug through my purse to find the card and dialed the number.
“Okay, Ben. Let’s do this.”
Chapter Nine
“How is she?” Ben asked as we sat in the bar lounge of his hotel.
“Upset, scared,” I said. “What you’d expect from someone who’s been arrested for a murder she didn’t commit.”
He nodded then swirled the ice cubes in his scotch and took a sip.
I’d expected an I-told-you-so from this braggart, but Ben was oddly quiet.
“Tell me,” I asked, stirring my straw around in my Diet Coke. “How did you know Ally was going to be arrested?”
He glanced up at me. “I saw her standing by a table in the back, holding the hammer from the centerpiece. Gripping the hammer, hitting it into her palm, red-faced with rage after our little confrontation. Later, when the police were there, I checked that table and noticed the hammer was gone. I knew that was the murder weapon, and her prints were all over it.”
“So, what makes you think Ally didn’t murder Gwendolyn Chong?”
“She was angry at me, not Gwen. She didn’t even know Gwen. Also, I saw her put the hammer back on the table and go into the kitchen.”
I thought about this and reeled back in my chair. “Then the murderer must have seen Ally holding the hammer, too. A perfect opportunity to kill Gwen and get away with it.”
Ben nodded, as if prodding me to go on.
I looked him in the eye. “But why weren’t the killer’s prints on the hammer, too?”
“Think about it,” he said.
“Gloves. Yes, we had a whole box of disposable gloves for our staff to use. So, the killer must have gotten a pair from the kitchen. But I don’t remember seeing anyone other than staff in there.”
“Or,” he said, “One of your staff removed their gloves…”
“…in the restroom or one of the trash bins inside the kitchen door,” I said, getting excited by this revelation. “Yes, that’s it, Ben. I have to call Daniel to tell him.” I pulled my phone out of my purse.
Ben put his hand on my arm to stop me. “Too soon, my darlin’.” He had that smug, self-righteous grin on his face. “We have a lot more sleuthing to do before we go to the authorities. And while I’m stuck here in town with nothing else to do, we can make the most of it and try to solve this crime.”
I pulled my arm away and stood up. “This is all a game to you, isn’t it? Another story line for a book. Meanwhile, my friend is sitting alone in a jail cell frightened to death that she’ll be convicted of a murder she didn’t commit. Someone, in fact, who you barely remember from your past and don’t give a shad roe about. Well, I want no part of your game, Mr. Knight.”
He took a long swig of his drink then placed it back on the table. “I was in love with Ally.” His voice was so low I could barely hear it.
I lowered myself back into my chair. “What?”
His eyes were moist as he looked into my eyes. “I loved her.”
“But why….?”
“Why did I tell her I didn’t remember? Maybe I’m still in love with her. Then I saw her with that boyfriend of hers, and she seemed so happy. I want her to have that happiness in her life. I don’t want to muddy the water for her, make her doubt what she has now. I’m an aging blowhard of an author with lots of notches on my belt. Always on the road, never one to settle down. This career of mine took a toll on my marriage, and I know what it can do to a woman.” He shook his head. “Ally deserves more.”
I realized my mouth was open. “Tell me what happened with you two all those years ago.”
Ben’s eyes glazed over as if he was back there living it all over again. “Pretty in pink, like that movie. That was my first impression of Ally when she handed me her book to sign. I was captivated and knew I had to see her again. After I asked her to have coffee with me that night, she was all I thought about during the book signing.”
“You know, she hadn’t read even one of your books.”
He laughed. “Didn’t matter. I was smitten by her. Over coffee that night, we had an immediate bond. Couldn’t stop talking. The chemistry was there, but it was more than that. We couldn’t get enough of each other. I cancelled the next couple of weeks of my tour. Gave my agent some excuse about being sick, and Ally promised she wouldn’t let my secret out of the bag since I’d be letting down a slew of fans who wouldn’t get to see me in the next few cities.”
I nodded. “Well, she kept her promise. Never divulged a thing to me.”
He smiled and had that far-off look again. “Those couple of weeks with Ally were pure bliss. I was tempted to cancel the rest of the tour and file for divorce. That’s how strong our bond was.”
“So, what happened?”
“What happened? My wife called to tell me she was pregnant with our third child. I know you think I’m an egotistical asshole. Maybe I am. But no matter how much I loved Ally and wanted to be with her, I couldn’t leave my wife at a time like that, couldn’t leave my family. And Ally agreed. The hardest thing I ever had to do in my life was to break up with her. On our last night together, we clung to each other and cried.”
I paused to take this all in. Maybe Ben wasn’t as bad a guy as I’d thought. He had sacrificed his life and love to do the right thing. “You’re still in love with her,” I said.
“Yes, I am. But all I can do about it, all we can do, is to save her.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “So, are you ready?”
I pulled a spiral notebook out of my purse. “Where do we start?”
He laughed. “You came prepared.” He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I think we need to follow your mother’s idea of re-reading my book, Hammered Halls. It’s possible the killer used it as a copycat scenario.”
“Don’t you remember the story? You wrote it.”
“Trudie, that was over a decade ago. I’ve written twelve books in the series. You think I remember every scene, every nuance? I often get my plots and twists confused. They all run together in my head. Do you still have your copy of the book?”
“Of course, I still have it. It was signed by the author. I treasure that book.”
He grinned. “Well, the author is asking for it back, on a temporary basis.”
“There’s one problem,” I said, remembering. “Daniel has my copy. He also thought it might hold some clues. I’ll borrow Mom’s copy.”
“Good. Now let’s go over that list of suspects we spoke about the other day.”
I opened my notebook to the first page then peered up at Ben. “One thing I need to get out of the way first.”
“What’s that?”
“For my own peace of mind, I need to eliminate you as a suspect.” I thought Ben would laugh at me, but instead he nodded, his eyes serious. “Tell me something that will take away my doubts.”
“Of course. Hmm. What can I tell you to ease your mind? You saw me in the hallway with Ally on my way to the men’s room, which places me at the scene. However, I had returned to my table while Gwen was still there. My table mates can attest to that. It was a moment later that she got up to make her way to the rest room, which removed the opportunity for me to commit the murder. I went over all of this with the police.”
I exhaled and relaxed my shoulders then wrote his name on the first page and the details he had related to me.
“You’re putting my name in your suspect book? After what I just told you?”
“I’m going to include everyone who was there, even me, so I can eliminate them one by one. I may want to refer back to my notes later.”
; He nodded.
“So,” I continued, “a few questions for you. What was your relationship with Gwendolyn Chong?”
“Gwen and I were friends for years. I’d met her at a book signing here in town. She told me she’d started a Ben Knight Fan Club in the area and gave me her contact information so she could arrange events whenever I came back. In almost every city, some woman would come up to me to tell me the same thing, so I stuck her card away and forgot about it. Then the next time I was in town, she gave me her card again. She’d brought about twenty-five women to that book signing, so I began to take notice.”
He smiled and shook his head. “Gwen was a real go-getter, and the local fan club grew larger and larger. Every time I came into town, we made it a point to get together. Sometimes she even had me over for dinner.”
“Did you ever…?
“Sleep with her? No. Never. We had a funny, flirtatious friendship. You saw it when she introduced me. But we never slept together, no matter how it sounded. We didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship, and she would never have cheated on Albert, even though he was often suspicious.”
“But you intimated to Ally that you had slept with Gwen. I heard you.”
“You heard what you wanted to hear. I never said that to Ally. I was silent when she made the accusation, which only confirmed it in her mind. I wanted to make her angry, to cut off any feelings she might still have for me.”
“What about all those other women you spoke about?”
“I wanted Ally to believe I was a piece of garbage, and she did. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I admit to having an occasional one-night stand here and there. A consensual dalliance with no strings on either’s part.”
More and more, I was seeing Ben in a different light. “And you don’t mind the reputation that precedes you in every city of your tour?”
“Not at all. That’s the persona my agent has always encouraged. The one the fans expect to see. It’s a marketing tool to sell more books.”
“A marketing tool that may have murdered Gwendolyn Chong,” I said.
Ben threw back the rest of his drink and gestured to the bartender for a refill. Then he turned to me. “Trudie, I think you may be right.”