I SEE YOU an unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist

by Patricia MacDonald

  Hannah gripped her husband’s arm. ‘How does Marjorie know that?’ she whispered.

  Adam shook his head. ‘She’s got investigators. She’s good.’

  Nadine blanched and looked incredulous, as if she too was wondering how Marjorie Fox knew this piece of information. ‘That was a private conversation,’ she insisted.

  ‘So you did say that to your brother Ronnie?’

  ‘That was before I knew about Lisa forging his name and cashing his check,’ Nadine protested stubbornly.

  ‘You did say that.’

  ‘Yes,’ Nadine admitted.

  ‘No further questions,’ said Marjorie, returning to the defense table.

  Hannah grabbed Adam’s forearm. ‘That’s it,’ she said. ‘If it wasn’t an accident, then that’s what happened. I’ll bet you anything.’

  Adam nodded. ‘It has to be.’

  When they got home that night they felt almost happy, for the first time in what seemed like ages. The D.A. had called several witnesses whose testimony did nothing to change the impact of Nadine’s admission about her brother’s drug use. The possibility that Troy had, indeed, had to deal with dangerous drug dealers on his brother’s behalf was the reasonable doubt that they had been seeking to show all along. It certainly explained why Troy might have borrowed money from Lisa, and why he might have owed her his entire paycheck.

  That evening, as they settled into the safety of home, Adam drank a beer while Sydney played beside him, and Hannah made dinner. They talked about the day’s testimony, each one reminding the other of how a hostile witness, Troy’s sister, had inadvertently given evidence which was helpful to Lisa.

  When they sat down to eat, they had a glass of wine and toasted Marjorie Fox. ‘Whatever this costs,’ says Hannah, ‘she will be worth it. She is terrific. I mean, she has seen right through this thing. She knows that Lisa is innocent, and she can prove it.’

  ‘Don’t say innocent,’ Adam insisted. ‘I wish she had never taken that check . . .’

  ‘You heard the sister. The younger brother was in trouble. Everything that Marjorie brought out today made perfect sense. Troy must have needed the money, and Lisa lent it to him. Even though she couldn’t afford it. You know how impulsive she can be.’

  ‘I know,’ he said.

  ‘I know,’ Sydney crowed, poking her forefinger into her mound of mashed potatoes.

  ‘You are making quite a mess,’ said Hannah cheerfully.

  ‘Wait till she gets to the chocolate pudding,’ said Adam.

  ‘Pudding!’ Sydney exclaimed, waving her spoon in the air.

  After Hannah got up to fetch the pudding, and Adam wiped Sydney’s chin, they resumed their conversation where they left off. ‘It’s the only explanation that makes sense,’ said Hannah. ‘Maybe Troy was worried about his brother that night, and had too much to drink. He must have gotten a little high and fell asleep, and didn’t realize what was happening with the gas . . .’

  ‘It makes perfect sense. No jury could convict her after today,’ said Adam confidently.

  ‘No,’ said Hannah, as if she were sure. ‘They couldn’t, could they?’

  ‘All gone,’ cried Sydney, whose lips were surrounded by a ring of chocolate.

  Adam lifted Sydney from her booster seat. ‘I think this little lady needs a bath, don’t you?’

  ‘I do,’ said Hannah, smiling. ‘I’ll clean up the dishes.’

  Adam carried his giggling granddaughter to the bathroom, while Hannah carried the dishes to the sink. Out of the kitchen window she could see a light on at Chet and Rayanne’s next door. But the cars were gone. She assumed that Jamie had made it home from Portland, though she had not yet set eyes on him. Chet’s surgery was to take place in the morning. They were probably at the hospital, spending those last anxious hours with him.

  Please, God, she thought. Be good to Chet and Rayanne too. The way you were to us today.

  Then she plunged her hands into the foamy dishwater and began to scrub the pots, almost tempted to whistle. Lisa would be home soon. Justice would be done. She sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the relief she hadn’t felt in ages. From the bathroom, she could hear Adam making motorboat sounds and Sydney in the tub, squealing with delight.

  THIRTEEN

  ‘I hate going to the hospital,’ Adam said the next morning as they drove in the direction of Vanderbilt. ‘Even to visit.’

  ‘I know, but we have to,’ said Hannah. ‘There’s a parking spot.’

  Adam pulled the car into the spot. ‘I know we do. I’m just being grumpy. I want to support Rayanne. I’m sure she is at her wits’ end.’

  ‘Thank goodness she has Jamie with her. I hope Chet will be all right.’

  Adam parked near the visitors’ entrance and they went inside and rode the elevator up to the fourth floor. Rayanne had told Hannah that they were waiting for news, in a lounge down the hall from Chet’s regular room. Hannah glanced at the clock above the nurses’ station as they got off at the fourth floor. Chet’s surgery had been due to start at seven. It was now nine. That meant that it should be half over. They walked down to the lounge and looked into the open door.

  Rayanne was sitting with two other people in a corner of the lounge. She looked up and saw them, and her sad eyes lit up. Hannah hurried over to her friend and enveloped her in a hug.

  ‘Thank you for coming,’ said Rayanne. ‘I know you have so much on your own plate. But it helps to see you here.’

  ‘Court doesn’t start till ten today. We wanted to stop in before we went. Any news?’ asked Hannah.

  Rayanne shook her head. ‘A nurse came out and told us that there were some delays but not to worry.’

  ‘Right,’ said Hannah. ‘I’m sure you’re not worrying a bit.’

  The young man sitting opposite Rayanne stood up and extended a hand to Adam. ‘Hey, Mr Wickes.’

  Adam brushed the proffered hand aside and gave the young man a bear hug.

  ‘Jamie! Good to see you.’

  Jamie turned to Hannah with a big smile. She could hardly believe it was the same scrawny kid who used to play with Lisa. He had filled out and grown a few inches. Hannah embraced him too. ‘Hi, Jamie. How are you doing?’

  Jamie shrugged. ‘Hanging in there. This is my girlfriend, Greta,’ he said proudly. Hannah shook hands with the fresh-faced blonde girl beside him. Greta beamed back. She had perfect teeth and a ring in one nostril.

  ‘It’s good you both could be here for this,’ said Hannah.

  ‘Oh, of course we’re here. Wouldn’t let my mom go through this alone.’

  Hannah smiled at the newly confident young man. You never know, when kids are little, she thought, which ones are going to emerge as winners. Jamie had always seemed the most unlikely of successes, but clearly he had become someone with lots of possibilities, and had a girlfriend who, judging from her admiring gaze, saw him as a catch. ‘You always were a good kid.’

  Jamie blushed but did not object. Rayanne grabbed his hand. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without him. And we’re so grateful to Lisa, of course. I swear she saved Chet’s life when he collapsed.’

  ‘Yeah, Mom told me about that,’ said Jamie. ‘Thank God she was there.’

  ‘Thanks. I’ll tell her you said that,’ said Hannah, beaming. It was wonderful to hear praise heaped on Lisa. Not exactly what she had been experiencing the last few days. ‘Your mom’s been bragging about your new job,’ she said. ‘Sounds like you’ve landed a really great position.’

  ‘I’ve been lucky,’ he said modestly.

  ‘You like it out there in the north-west?’

  ‘It’s God’s country,’ Jamie said firmly. ‘We love it.’

  ‘Well, we’d rather have seen you under different circumstances,’ said Adam, ‘but all the same it’s good to set eyes on you again.’

  ‘Same here,’ said Jamie.

  ‘I wish we could stay longer but we have to go to court.’

  ‘I understand,
’ said Rayanne. ‘Nothing could be more important than that.’

  Hannah turned to Jamie. ‘I’m sure you’ve heard about the trial.’

  Jamie looked uneasy. ‘I did. I couldn’t believe it.’ He turned to Greta. ‘These are our next-door neighbors that I told you about.’

  Greta nodded solemnly.

  ‘The prosecution is due to wrap up this morning. Lisa’s lawyer is very good. So far, she has really poked holes into their case. As far as I can see, their case is circumstantial, but circumstantial or not, the whole thing is a nightmare,’ said Adam frankly. ‘We’re just hoping it will soon be over and we can get Lisa home.’

  ‘Her lawyer said that Lisa will take the stand today, to testify,’ said Hannah.

  ‘Lawyers don’t usually let a defendant do that unless they’re sure you’re innocent,’ Greta piped up.

  ‘Greta’s in her first year of law school,’ Jamie explained proudly.

  Hannah nodded, not mentioning what Marjorie had told them — that she had advised Lisa against testifying. ‘You saw what happened at the bail hearing,’ Marjorie said. ‘She’s a loose cannon.’ But Lisa had insisted on her right to defend herself and would not be dissuaded. Marjorie told them that she planned to prep Lisa extensively for her testimony and keep her on a short leash.

  ‘Tell her I was asking for her,’ said Jamie.

  ‘I will,’ said Adam.

  ‘Um, can I get you guys some coffee from the cafeteria?’

  ‘Oh, you don’t have to do that,’ said Hannah.

  ‘These two might want to stretch their legs,’ said Adam, realizing before Hannah did that Jamie and his girlfriend might want to escape from the gloomy waiting room for a little while, now that someone was there to sit with Rayanne for a little bit. ‘Bring me back a small coffee, regular.’

  Hannah shook her head. ‘Nothing for me. Thanks, dear.’

  ‘No problem,’ said Jamie. He and Greta headed for the door, arms around one another’s waist, as if they had been longing for the opportunity to entwine themselves again. Young love, Hannah thought with an indulgent sigh.

  ‘She’s a very nice girl,’ said Rayanne.

  ‘I can see that,’ said Hannah, as Adam sat down and glanced at the baseball game on TV. ‘He deserves a nice girl.’

  The morning session in court was brief. The prosecution presented an expert on combustion, who asserted that the gas valve could have been left open up to two hours, given the lack of airtightness in Troy’s rented fishing camp, and the gas would still have exploded when it came in contact with the candle flames. That meant that even if their eyewitness had been an hour off in the time she saw Lisa drive by, Lisa could still have been the one responsible.

  They also presented a video deposition from Claude Dupree, one of Troy’s old buddies from nursing school, who lived and worked at a hospital in Hawaii. Claude said that on the night in question, before Lisa arrived, they Skyped and Troy told him that he was planning to break up with her. ‘I asked him why,’ said Claude. ‘I thought he really liked her. Troy told me that this woman, Lisa, was bad for him, and he couldn’t continue with it. “She’s on her way over,” Troy said. “I’m going to put an end to it.”’ With the deposition of this last witness the prosecution rested.

  The judge announced that there would be a break for lunch, after which the defense could call its first witness. Jurors were cautioned not to discuss the case, and everyone left the courtroom.

  Hannah and Adam went outside to get some air. They sat on a bench in a park across from the courthouse. ‘What did you think about that last witness?’ Hannah asked.

  Adam shrugged. ‘It’s just talk,’ he insisted. ‘It doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Two guys bullshitting.’

  Hannah nodded thoughtfully, worried.

  As they returned for the afternoon session, Hannah heard someone calling her name. This was nothing unusual in the vicinity of the courthouse, and normally she did not acknowledge it or turn around. Almost always, it was someone from the press. But this time she heard a familiar note in the voice and turned to look. Jackie Fleischer was crossing the street, and motioned for Hannah to wait. Hannah waved back and stood in place.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Hannah asked.

  ‘I wanted to come to court this afternoon. Just to offer some moral support,’ said the psychologist.

  Hannah was touched. ‘I really appreciate that. Thank you.’

  ‘I was hoping you wouldn’t think I was intruding.’

  ‘Intruding? Are you kidding? How would it be possible to intrude on us? Every moment of our lives is reported on television. I’m just glad to see a friendly face. The defense begins its case this afternoon.’

  ‘Yes, I heard that on the car radio,’ said Jackie. ‘It sounds like the prosecution’s case is pretty feeble.’

  ‘Let’s hope the jury thinks so. Come along. You can sit with us,’ said Hannah.

  Jackie nodded as she joined Hannah and Adam, who began to edge forward, making slow progress through the courthouse doors.

  After Judge Endicott reminded the jury of their responsibility not to make up their minds before all the testimony was in, the defense was asked to call its first witness.

  ‘The defense calls Lisa Wickes to take the stand, please,’ said Marjorie.

  Lisa stood up and walked purposefully to the witness stand. She was wearing a dark suit with a skirt, and her hair was pulled back from her face with a headband. She looked even younger than her twenty-one years, serious and studious. She took the stand and promised gravely to tell the truth.

  ‘She looks so young,’ said Jackie. ‘Just a kid.’

  ‘She is just a kid. But this is aging her by the day, I think,’ said Hannah. ‘Her and her parents.

  ‘Oh, here we go,’ said Jackie seriously, as Marjorie Fox was given the nod by the judge.

  ‘Lisa,’ Marjorie began in a casual tone, ‘tell this court how and when you met the deceased, Troy Petty.’

  ‘We met last October. I’m a second-year student at the medical school at Vanderbilt, and Troy was an LPN at the Vanderbilt Hospital. I’m often at the hospital for my studies, and one day we kind of saw one another and we were both . . . interested. He’s — he was — a good-looking guy. I don’t usually attract guys like Troy,’ she said with a little self-deprecating smile.

  Seated halfway back in the courtroom, Troy’s sister, Nadine, shook her head in disgust, but there was a little titter of indulgent laughter from the other spectators.

  ‘And how would you characterize your relationship with Mr Petty?’

  ‘Well, we were certainly close. We saw each other, exclusively, for several months.’

  ‘We heard testimony that you sometimes brought your two-year-old daughter with you when you went to Mr Petty’s fishing camp by J. Percy Priest Lake. Were you concerned that your daughter might form an attachment to Mr Petty which was not warranted by a casual relationship?’

  Lisa shook her head. ‘No. I was not worried. Not at that time. Not about that. She liked going out there. It was pretty out by the lake, and Troy was good to her.’

  ‘Almost like he was auditioning as a stepdad,’ Marjorie offered.

  ‘Objection,’ said the D.A. wearily. ‘Calls for speculation.’

  ‘Sustained.’

  ‘Withdrawn. We heard testimony from Claude Dupree’s deposition that Troy Petty was planning on breaking up with you on the evening of the explosion. Did you know this when you went to Mr Petty’s house on that evening?’

  ‘We had already discussed it on the phone,’ said Lisa, and there was a little gasp of surprise in the court.

  ‘So, you knew about this?’ Marjorie asked.

  ‘Yes, I knew,’ said Lisa.

  ‘Were you upset about this development?’

  Lisa shook her head. ‘No. In fact, I was the one who insisted on it. I think he just said that it was his idea to his Skyping buddy to save face.’

  ‘If you were so determined to break up
with him, why didn’t you just do it on the phone?’

  ‘He owed me money, and I went out there because I wanted it back.’

  ‘He had borrowed money from you.’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Do you know why he needed it?’

  ‘He said it was important, so I lent it to him. I didn’t press him for the reason.’

  ‘Were you in the habit of lending money to friends?’

  ‘No. But I believed him when he said that he needed it.’

  ‘So, this meeting at his home was your idea?’ asked Marjorie.

  ‘Yes. But I think he had hopes of making me change my mind. He had already opened a bottle of wine and started drinking. He had every candle in the place lit. Looked more like he was anticipating a seduction than a break-up.’

  ‘Would you say he was drunk when you were there?’

  ‘No . . .’ said Lisa slowly. ‘At that time he’d only had a glass or two. I don’t know how much he drank after I left.’

  ‘Were you tempted, in the course of your conversation, to change your mind about breaking up with Mr Petty?’

  ‘No,’ said Lisa firmly. ‘Never. There was never any chance of our . . . resolving things.’

  ‘So at this last meeting between you, he willingly gave you his paycheck? Is that correct?’

  ‘Not willingly. But he knew that he owed me money. He threw the check at me and told me to get out. So I took it and I left.’

  ‘Did you turn on the gas line to the propane heater before you left Troy Petty’s house?’

  ‘No. I did not.’ Lisa shook her head emphatically.

  ‘Were you, in fact, angry, and eager to get revenge on Mr Petty for breaking up with you?’

  ‘No. I told you. I broke it off with him. I just wanted to get away from him.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Marjorie. She turned to the D.A. ‘Your witness.’

  The D.A. almost seemed pleased, as if Marjorie had given him a gift. He walked up to the witness box, a look of consternation on his face. ‘Ms Wickes, we seem to have a case here of “He said, she said”. You watched Mr Dupree’s deposition, where he said that Mr Petty was planning to break up with you. Now, when Mr Petty is not here to dispute your version, you make it sound as if it were all your idea.’