Lucas jammed the receiver button, he slammed his thumb into it so fast. When the static died, as if he lost the connection with Collins, he smacked the back of the radio with the flat of his palm. “Who? He took who?”
And then the deputy said the words that shocked the room:
“Mason, doc. That outsider detective just charged Mase with murder.”
To the surprise of everyone in Hamlet, the charges ended up being two counts of homicide against Mason Walsh.
It was the ballistics tests that did him in. Whether he was cocky or just plain stupid, he used his own gun to kill Caitlin De Angelis. His prints were all over the barrel and the trigger. The bullets fired in testing were an exact match to the slug Lucas’s ME friend pulled out of her chest.
Talk about a smoking gun. Thinking he’d never be caught, Mason actually handed over the gun that fired the fatal shot. And then he had the nerve to be shocked when they matched it.
The investigators were thorough. Once they identified Mason’s gun as the murder weapon, they had their warrants in less than half an hour. While he was locked up in the county jail, loudly proclaiming his innocence, a team of devoted detectives tore through Mason’s home.
By the time they were done, they hit the jackpot. Tucked in a storage bin, hidden in the back of his garage, one of the detectives found a carefully coiled length of rope and a pair of gardening gloves.
Detective Rodriguez brought it to the lab himself. And when the verdict came back that the same type of rope had strangled Jack Sullivan at the Hamlet Inn, Mason earned his second count of murder.
Tess could have let it go. When it was just Caitlin, she almost managed to convince herself that she had nothing to do with it. She’d only known the man for a handful of days. No matter how angry he’d been when he’d run off the night Caitlin was shot, was it really her fault?
And then came the announcement that Rodriguez’s team found the rope and the repercussions from that discovery had Tess absolutely and utterly convinced that she was to blame for everything that happened.
After talking Maria into skipping her morning dose of medicine, Tess got her to drive her to the county courthouse about forty minutes outside of Hamlet. The small village wasn’t prepared to play host to a double murderer. When Rodriguez came to take Mason away, Deputy Collins accepted that it was a conflict of interest for any Hamlet law enforcement official to have a part in the capture and arrest. He was one of them. It was easier that way.
Since she didn’t know how to get there—and she’d just about given up wondering what happened to her car—Tessa asked Maria if she would go with her to see Mason. She first thought about asking Lucas, only to chicken out at the last minute.
In fact, she made Maria promise that she wouldn’t even tell her brother that they made this trip. Caitlin’s wake was still scheduled to be held the next day. He had a thousand things he had to do. She couldn’t expect him to hold her hand. Besides, this was something she had to do on her own.
Though she offered to go in with her, Maria’s relief was obvious when Tess refused.
“Thanks for bringing me,” she said, climbing out of the car. “Once they let me in to see him, I won’t be long.”
Maria swept her hair behind her, concern pulling her forehead into light lines. “You sure, sweetie? You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes. I do. Detective Rodriguez says they’re moving him again. This might be my only chance to talk to him before… well, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I’m leaving soon, Maria. Before I go back home, I have to see him. I have to know.”
Maria’s eyebrows rose so high, they disappeared beneath the fringe of her bangs. “You’re going? Already?”
Tess didn’t have the heart to tell the other woman that it hadn’t been her idea to come to Hamlet at all. But Maria De Angelis had been nothing but kind to her so, with a small quirk of her lips, she nodded. “I have to. It’s time. As soon as they let me, I want to go home.”
Maria leaned over, laying her slender hand on Tess’s arm. “I’ll be right out here if you need me. You don’t have to face him alone.”
“I know. And I appreciate it, but that’s something I have to do, too.”
Taking care not to slam the door behind her, Tess took a deep breath and started for the building. She expected the paperwork, the metal detector, the curious looks and wasn’t let down.
Fifteen agonizing minutes later, some faceless deputy gestured for her to follow him into the cells. She almost turned tail and ran. Digging deep, she ignored her impulse to flee and stepped lightly behind the bulky deputy. He led her down corridor after corridor without a word until he pointed at the third cell in.
Tessa swallowed her gasp.
Mason.
She always heard jail was hell. Here was proof.
The fallen deputy was pacing back and forth, his shoulders hunched and his hands curled into fists at his side. He looked like a caged animal. Her impression only grew stronger when he froze, his head lifting as if he caught a scent. A heartbeat later, his whole body tensed, then he turned. His big, brown eyes were wild and just a little crazy as he zeroed in on her.
Launching his body at the cell door, he wrapped his hands around the bars. Mason mashed his forehead up against the grate.
“Tess, you came!”
The orange jumpsuit they put him in made his tan complexion look faded and wan. The circles underneath his bloodshot eyes were so dark, they were nearly black. He looked like he hadn’t had a wink of sleep since his arrest.
Taking care not to get too close to him, Tess edged closer to the cell. She stopped with more than a foot separating them. “Why did you do it?”
Her whisper seemed to hit him with as much force as a sucker punch to the gut. Mason recoiled, folding over as he shoved away from the cell bars an instant before staggering back. Shock made his features go slack, replaced by utter despair only seconds later.
“You believe them.” His tone was empty. “You think I could have done any of this.”
She wouldn’t let his wounded expression sway her from what she came here to do. “Deputy Walsh, I—”
“Mason. Tess, I’m still Mason. Don’t do this,” he begged. “Please.”
It really was like that first night all over again. He’d insisted she call him by his name rather than his title even after he brought her down to the station. This time, though, she didn’t indulge him.
This time she wasn’t the one behind bars.
“Deputy Walsh,” she repeated. She wouldn’t make this personal. She couldn’t let herself. “What else am I supposed to do?”
He raised his voice. “Believe me instead! You’ve gotta know that I didn’t do this. I would never hurt Caitlin!”
“You handed that gun over yourself, you told them it was yours. The bullets matched.” Tess paused, taking a second to compose herself. It didn’t work. When she spoke again, her voice wavered. “The rope matched, too.”
“It’s imposs—”
“You strangled my husband.”
“Tess, I never—”
“They found the rope. Detective Rodriguez showed me the photo. Did you know that I remember every single detail about what he looked like dead? It was burned into my mind so bad, I’ve been branded with the memory. I’ll never forget. You could show me a hundred different ropes and I would know it again if I saw it.” Her chin wobbled. “You had that rope in your garage, Deputy.”
“It wasn’t mine. I don’t know how—”
She never rose her voice. “You gave them your gun. You had to know they would figure it out. Did you want to get caught? Tell me. What reason did you have to hurt them?”
“I didn’t! You have to believe me!” In desperation, he yanked the bars again, rattling them. “I’m innocent!”
Spit flew from his mouth. Despite the distance she imposed, the spit hit her dead in the face. Tess took a hurried step away from him. Wiping her cheek, her nose, she shook her head, wrung he
r hands. And she wondered, if it were possible, would she take back any of her actions that led them to this point? What would she change?
Since she knew the answer to that question, Tess glanced up. She met his gaze straight.
“You have no idea how much I wish that was true, but it can’t be. I’m sorry, Mason.” The name slipped out. His eyes lit up. She took another step away from him. “So, so sorry. But not as sorry as you’re going to be.”
With those parting words, she nodded at the deputy waiting to escort her back through the jailhouse.
Mason shouting her name was the last thing she heard before the first corridor separated them.
23
Caitlin De Angelis’s wake was held on Monday. She was buried on Tuesday. By Wednesday, Tess was ready to grab her luggage and walk out of Hamlet if she had to.
She was willing to climb the mountain, leap over the gulch, hitchhike as far as she could go, buy a new damn car with Jack’s life insurance. Anything.
As if answering her prayers, the intercom rang early that afternoon.
“Yes?”
A rush of static, then Maria’s apologetic voice. “Tess, sweetie?” Her voice sounded as throaty as normal, yet tinged with sleep. She must have just woken up. “Someone’s here to see you. They’re waiting at the front door for you. Do you want me to send him to your room?”
She had no clue who it could be. Lucas wouldn’t wait on the porch. Mason—her stomach twisted in guilt. It couldn’t be him. She hardly met anyone else in Hamlet, secluded as she had been since the night Jack died.
Maria had been shooing nosy neighbors away for days, using the time to process and grieve and, well, sleep the tragedy away. Whether she meant to or not, she kept them all away from the outsider who brought death into their small community. There was no way she would let someone in to see Tess without vouching for them first.
Caitlin’s murder hit her hard. Though her brother divorced Caitlin years ago, Maria still thought of the sheriff as her sister-in-law. Seeing her get killed had broken something in the upbeat, positive woman. Even worse, knowing that her childhood friend was responsible for pulling the trigger. Tess didn’t blame her for coping this way. Some people drowned their sorrows in hot showers. Others slept the pain away.
Curiosity got the better of her. That, and boredom. The Lavender Room might be beautiful, but it seemed more like the holding cell in the sheriff’s station as another day passed.
Tess nearly tripped over her half-packed duffel in her haste to dash over to the intercom. “That would be great. If you don't mind, let them in.”
She couldn’t deny the butterflies in her belly as she waited for the inevitable knock. Except for infrequent meals and whenever Lucas stopped by, she stayed locked inside. With Mason behind bars, she knew the threat was gone. That didn’t make it any easier.
Maria no doubt understood. Why else would she suggest sending an unknown man down to the Lavender Room?
The knock, when it came, was assertive and brisk. Bang. Bang. Tess took a deep, calming breath and, with a hint of a smile, opened the door.
Sylvester Collins was standing on the other side. He had his hat in his hand, his closely shaved head gleaming like a billiard ball. Standing straight and tall, his copper-colored eyes bright and alert, she could almost ignore the tired frown lines bracketing his severe mouth or the bags under his eyes so deep, she could use them to pack the rest of her clothes.
She felt another twinge of sympathy. Just like Mason, Collins didn’t look like he had slept at all since the sheriff was killed.
“Mrs. Sullivan. A moment of your time?”
“Deputy Collins.” She was surprised to see him standing there and didn’t even try to hide it. “It’s so nice to see you again.”
“Afternoon, ma’am.” He jerked his chin at the pile of clothing on the bed, at the open duffel. “I heard you were looking to leave. Seems that’s the case.”
Tess couldn’t imagine where in the world he could have heard that. The only person she had told was Maria and that was only because she thought it fair to settle up with her when she finally checked out of Ophelia. She supposed Maria told him.
It didn’t matter. The speed with which any news traveled the cobbled roads of Hamlet no longer surprised her.
She nodded. “Yes. I was wondering if I could go. With everything that happened, I didn’t know who to ask.”
Collins blinked. “I guess that would be me. It’s just me and Willie left now, with Rick Hart helping out here and there. We’ll have to get a new sheriff eventually but…”
“I’m so sorry.” More than she could ever say.
“Can’t be helped, but thank you kindly. You’ve had your share of loss, too. These have been some dark days here. I don’t blame you for wanting to go. The sooner, the better, I’d wager. That would be best for all of us.”
She didn’t think he meant to do it on purpose. That didn’t stop Tess from feeling like she was crumbling under the weight of the mountain of guilt on her shoulders. Her bottom lip trembled. “I just want to go home.”
“That’s why I’ve come. You’re free to go whenever you wish it. In fact, I wanted to let you know that your car is waiting for you down at the station. Seems Mason arranged for the tire to be fixed before… well, you know.” Collins pressed his hat to his chest. His features softened as he looked down on her. “I feel like I should apologize.”
A lump formed in Tess’s throat. “You don’t have to do that—”
“Please,” Collins said, holding out his free hand. “Hear me out. You came here for help and one of our own stole so much from you. That’s not who we are. That’s not what Hamlet is.”
She gulped. With a shaky smile, she said, “Hamlet helps?”
“We will continue our best to do so. In your husband’s memory. In Caity’s.” He took his hat, put it back on his head. Reaching into his pocket, Collins pulled out a very familiar set of keys. He handed them to her. “You go on, get home safe. The car’s ready to go whenever you are. Don’t worry about Mason. He’ll pay for what he did.”
She took the keys from him, cradling them to her chest. “I appreciate you telling me that, Deputy. Thank you.”
“You’re a good lady. For an outsider.”
She was touched. The fact that his blunt words affected her that way told Tess one very important fact: it was time to get the hell out of Hamlet.
There was one person she wanted to see before she left.
Before Deputy Collins called in with the report that Mason was arrested, they spent those two tension-filled days together in Ophelia. Maria slept most of the time which left Tess and Lucas alone together a lot. And while he never once came out and said that he thought she was to blame for Caitlin’s death, she wasn’t stupid. He had to be thinking it.
Since Maria was still awake following Collins’s visit, Tess asked her hostess if she would mind taking her to the station house so that she could pick up her car. She then tried to broach the topic of paying for the room she rented in Ophelia during the ride.
Maria wasn’t having any of it. With red-rimmed eyes that still seemed to glitter with unshed tears, she gave her one glorious glare that killed the conversation before Tess could even tactfully ask how much she owed.
As Maria helped her unload her luggage from the trunk of her coupe into Tess’s car, Tess impulsively reached out and gave the other woman a hug. Maria towered over her by more than a head, swooping down to return the squeeze.
“I know you have to go,” Maria said, her voice throatier than usual, “and I know that Hamlet is my home, not yours. Still, I’m sad to see you go, Tess. Everything aside, you were a perfect guest, mia amica. Ophelia thanks you. She’ll stay open now, for anyone who needs a good bed and a better breakfast.” Pulling back, she took Tessa’s hand in hers. “Local or outsider, it’s all the same to me.”
Tess swallowed roughly, trying to get past the lump in her throat. “I’m glad I got to know you, Maria. And I
will be sending you a check for payment. I’m told mail really works here, if it just takes a little bit longer. I’ll give it a shot.”
Maria shook her head grandly, her long dark hair swaying with the motion. “When it does arrive, I’ll burn it. I’ll take no money from a friend.”
“I left you my e-mail address. I hope you'll use it.”
“We’ll talk.” A husky chuckle. “I’m sure you’ll be glad not to have to use our radios anymore.”
A small smile tugged on her lips. “Between you and me, I’d sell my firstborn for cell service. The second I leave Hamlet, I’m looking for a charger. Maybe one day you guys will finally get a reliable tower.”
“Perhaps.” Maria reached over Tess’s head, made sure the smaller woman was safe, then closed the trunk. “All set, sweetie. Buon viaggio.” She tapped Tess on the cheek. “And when you say goodbye to my brother, let him down gently. He’s a good man, just one that’s meant to stay in Hamlet.”
Tess knew that very well. She also didn’t even bother denying that she was going to stop and see Lucas on her way out of town. “I will,” she promised.
It might have been her imagination, but she could’ve sworn the car smelled like Jack. Someone with much longer legs than hers had driven the car last and it took her a minute to move her seat and reset her driving mirrors. The entire time, she felt like Jack should be in the car beside her.
Once she strapped herself in and fastened her seatbelt, Tess rolled down the windows. The chill didn’t bother her. She had to air out the car.
As soon as she was home, she would sell the damn thing. There were just too many bad memories attached to it.
For now, though, she needed it. With a final wave to Maria, she backed out of her spot, almost ecstatic that she was leaving the dreaded station house in her rearview mirror. She never wanted to see that place again.
Don't Trust Me (Hamlet Book 1) Page 23