Fatal Footsteps

by Brenda Donelan

  “When did you and Art become involved?” Marlee asked in a non-judgmental tone, assuming there was some overlap between Art’s first marriage and his relationship with Blanche.

  “Oh, we went to high school together. We dated for a couple years, then he dumped me after graduation. That’s when I went into the Peace Corps. He was married by the time I got back. About a year before Billy died, Art looked me up and said he and Lola were getting a divorce. He said he’d never forgotten me and wanted another chance.”

  “And?” Marlee and Jasmine chorused, on the edge of their seats as if they were watching an episode of The Young and the Restless in the dorm dayroom.

  “Like an idiot, I agreed. I knew he was married and that there was a strong possibility he wouldn’t get divorced, but I loved him. Since the day we broke up, I’d dreamed of getting back together. It was a dream come true, and I wasn’t about to let it pass me by. We were seeing each other while he was getting his things in order to leave his wife. Then Billy died. I’d never seen someone so devastated. Art thought it was his fault for not keeping an eye on Billy while the cousins played on the farm. He knew how dangerous it could be, but assumed Pam would be sensible since she was the oldest.”

  “When did Art start to suspect Pam?” Marlee asked.

  “Everyone thought Tim was either confused or lying when he said Pam dared Billy to climb to the top of the ladder and then shook him off. The family, the police, everyone thought it was just an unfortunate accident where a boy fell and broke his neck while playing. But Tim insisted that what he saw was real. At first, I think Art was just so grief-stricken that he would have listened to any theory just so he could place the blame for Billy’s death on someone. Then everything started to make sense. Art laid out the whole case for me, and I believed it too. Pam, even at age seventeen, knew she needed to get rid of Billy if she wanted to take over the farm.”

  “I don’t doubt you, Blanche,” Marlee said, gently easing into a counter argument. “But Pam killing her younger cousin for the farm sounds like something out of the 1800s.”

  Blanche nodded. “I know. I thought the same thing when Art told me, but primogeniture is a very real thing in this day and age.”

  “Primo what?” asked Jasmine.

  “Primogeniture is the inheritance of land by the eldest male in the family. Land was traditionally passed to the eldest male, leaving the other males in the family to find other means of making a living. And girls had no inheritance rights at all pertaining to the land. Times have changed, but in the DeWitt family, Billy was the rightful successor to the family farm. By killing him, she made sure she would have control of the farm, at least until Tim came of age. But Tim was seen as mentally fragile and delusional by the family because of his claims of how Billy died. Pam killed two birds with one stone, if you’ll forgive the poor pun.”

  “If the family still saw Tim as unstable, why would he be a threat to Pam’s control of the farm?” Marlee asked.

  “Because it was agreed when Pam took over that once Tim graduated from college, he would get a chance to be in charge of the farm. If it didn’t work out, then Pam would be put back in control. After Tim graduated, Pam would be working for him if she chose to stick around. For the past five years, she’s been making all of her own decisions without any interference from anyone. When Tim took over, she would either have to work for him or find another place to live and work. She had a very strong motive to kill Tim,” Blanche said. Whether or not this tale was true remained to be seen. What was true was Blanche’s belief in it.

  “Couldn’t Pam just keep working to discredit Tim? I mean, she could surely say and do plenty of things to make the others in the family doubt Tim’s competence. No one wanted to see the farm go under, so if Pam was doing a good job, and Tim was still seen as unstable, then Pam would be the obvious choice,” Marlee said.

  “But Grandpa Edgar had always insisted that Tim be allowed to operate the farm when he graduated from college. He and Tim’s parents, as well as Billy’s parents, thought if Tim worked hard enough to get a degree, then he deserved a chance to run the farm. I don’t think anyone thought he would succeed, but he had to be given the chance. With their relationship with Tim on shaky ground, everyone knew he would cut all ties with the family if he wasn’t given the opportunity.”

  “You think Pam was threatened enough to kill her brother?” Jasmine asked. “Why wouldn’t she just let him have his chance and then when he failed, she could take it over again.”

  Blanche croaked out a laugh. “Because that’s not how Pam works. She’s a hard worker, but she doesn’t have much business sense. I think the farm is in quite a bit of debt. Tim would have his work cut out for him trying to pull the farm out of debt. Pam’s territorial. If she wants something, she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. Or keep it. I think the rest of the family would have been a lot easier on Tim these past few years if Pam hadn’t kept everything stirred up. Of course, it was in her own best interest. If everyone thought Tim was unstable, then no one would believe Pam caused Billy’s death. She’s been a conniver since she was a little kid. At least that’s what my husband always said.”

  “When did your husband pass away?” Marlee asked, sensing that Blanche wanted, and perhaps needed, to talk about her husband.

  “About a year ago. He battled cancer for a few years before it finally got him. Things just haven’t been the same since,” Blanche said with a saddened expression that nearly put Jasmine in tears.

  “Does his family still include you in things like Thanksgiving?” Marlee asked.

  “No, he was cut out shortly after Billy’s death because he was so vocal about Pam’s involvement. I was never included either because I was on Art’s side. Plus, they all saw me as a homewrecker since Art and Lola got a divorce.”

  “Where’s Lola now? Did she believe Tim’s story too?” Marlee questioned.

  “She’s around town. Even though the divorce was amicable, she flipped me off the last time I saw her. Real mature, huh?” Blanche said with a touch of bitterness. “I don’t know for sure if she believed Pam killed Billy. Art told me Lola didn’t buy the story at first, but then started to think there might be more to it.”

  “Do you think she’d talk to us?” Marlee asked.

  “She might. Just make sure you don’t mention my name. She hates me even though their marriage was over before I came back into the picture. The divorce was just a formality, but I understand she needs someone to blame, and I’m it.” Blanche was very matter-of-fact in her words, not showing any disdain for her deceased husband’s first wife.

  Marlee and Jasmine, sensing there was not much else they could learn from Blanche, took down Lola’s contact information and went on their way to find her.

  “Blanche said Lola works at the courthouse, which is usually an eight-to-five job, I think. Let’s spin by her place and see if she will talk with us,” Marlee suggested. They drove to an apartment building in a newly developed part of town and found Lola’s name listed on the mailbox inside the lobby. They walked down the hall to 9A and knocked, waiting patiently for Lola to answer.

  No one answered immediately, but after some rustling and clatter, they heard a female voice call out, “Wait a minute, I’m coming.” The door was pulled open, and a woman with a stained horse t-shirt and a plaid skirt peered out.

  After Marlee stated their reason for the visit and identified themselves as Tim’s friends, Lola invited them in. “I just got home from work and was changing into my lounge clothes,” she said with a bit of embarrassment. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute, I’ll be right back.”

  Lola returned, now wearing gray sweatpants and frumpy slippers. “Okay, so what do you want to know?” She tried to put on a cheerful façade, but Marlee could feel the sadness that spread over Lola as she prepared to talk about her son, who had died ten years ago.

  “Do you think it was completely accidental?” Jasmine blabbed out. Marlee glared at her, sending her the message
to shut up.

  “What?” Lola asked, more surprised than taken aback.

  Marlee noticed Lola didn’t seem offended or shocked, so she continued with Jasmine’s line of questioning. “I suppose you’ve heard about Tim DeWitt’s death.” When Lola nodded, Marlee continued. “We heard that your son, Billy, died in the same shed where Tim was found. We did a little asking around and heard that Tim had accused his sister, Pam, of daring Billy to climb to the top of the ladder and then shook him off.”

  Lola took a deep breath, taking time to formulate her words. “Tim always said Pam killed Billy. That she dared him to climb up the ladder and then moved it around so he’d fall off. Tim said it was a long time before Pam would let Tim come to the house for help. I lost track of who said and did what then because we were trying to save Billy’s life even though we knew he was already dead. After that, I kind of went into a fog. I didn’t care about anything in the world if Billy wasn’t in my life. He was my only child. Then I started to think about what Tim said, and it made sense. Billy’s dad and I were going through a divorce at the same time, so everything was a mess.”

  “So, what do you think now? Was Billy’s death an accident or did Pam plan it out?” Marlee asked.

  “You know, I saw Pam downtown at a bar one night. It was about a year after Billy died, and I was newly divorced. I was spending too much time drinking, and that night was no exception. She went to the bathroom, and I confronted her. Pam denied everything, saying Tim was mistaken and had a nervous breakdown. She was so calm and convincing when she talked, she made me doubt what Tim said. I never talked to her after that, but there’s always been something in the back of my head. It’s a feeling more than anything. Maybe she dared Billy to climb the ladder and then she made him fall off. Whether she intended just to scare him or actually kill him, I don’t know. I’d like to think it was accidental, but a little voice inside my head says otherwise.”

  “And her motive for killing Billy?” Marlee asked even though she already knew the answer.

  “To gain control of the farm, of course. Neither of Edgar’s two sons wanted to operate it, so it was going to one of the three grandkids. By eliminating Billy and making everyone think Tim was nuts, she made herself the only choice to run the farm. She’d have everything she ever wanted: the farm and complete control of it.”

  After leaving Lola’s apartment, Marlee and Jasmine drove to the acreage where the Stairway to Hell guys were staying. They were almost there when Marlee realized that they should have called Barry to check in. He would be livid when he found out they went out to confront a man charged with rape. If he ever found out. There was no reason to tell him if the topic never came up.

  Adam was home, and he answered the door when they rang the bell. He glared at Marlee as he opened the storm door to let them in. Without a word, he walked downstairs and they followed. Flopping down on the couch, he picked up the remote control and began flipping through stations.

  “So, you’re probably wondering what we’re doing back here,” Marlee said as an ice breaker.

  “I don’t really care what you two are doing. You’re both dead to me,” Adam said.

  Marlee couldn’t help herself as she broke out into laughter. “That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

  He shrugged without offering additional information. Jasmine sat in one of the recliners and Marlee followed suit.

  “What do you know about Tim’s feud with his family over the farm?” Marlee asked, knowing full well that Adam wouldn’t tell them anything.

  “Not much. He was on the outs with them over the farm, especially his sister,” Adam said as he tried to appear intent on a show he was watching. “Why?”

  “We’re wondering if Pam could have had something to do with Tim’s death,” Marlee said, hoping Adam would relate his theory now as he had with Jasmine the previous night.

  “You think Tim’s sister killed him?”

  “We don’t know. Do you have any ideas who might have hurt him? The coroner ruled the death suspicious. Tim’s head trauma was not caused by his fall down the stairs,” Marlee said.

  They now had Adam’s attention. He muted the television and met their eyes. “Really? Tim had another head injury? An injury from something other than his fall down the stairs?”

  Marlee and Jasmine nodded without saying a word, giving Adam time to process the information. “Holy shit. Who would have done this?” he mumbled more to himself than anyone else.

  “There’s more,” Marlee said. “Tim’s cousin Billy died in the same shed on the farm where Tim was found. It happened years ago when Billy, Tim, and Pam were playing. Did Tim ever talk to you about that?”

  Adam didn’t speak for a whole minute. “Now it makes sense,” he said. “It all makes sense.”

  Of course, I wasn’t the only one in the family with a target on my back.

  Chapter 22

  “What makes sense?” Jasmine gasped, out of air from holding her breath.

  “Tim never came out with the whole story, but he hinted around that there was an incident when he was a kid. Sometimes when he got really drunk he’d make comments about his sister wanting him out of the picture. I thought it was just sour grapes from losing the farm to her. He had a tendency to ramble on about things when he had too much to drink. Lots of people say stupid stuff when they drink, so we always just let it go,” Adam said.

  “What about Blake? He and Tim have been friends since they were little kids. What did he have to say about Tim’s ramblings?” Marlee asked.

  Adam shrugged. “Nothing that I can remember. He seemed as confused as John and me when Tim took off on one of his tangents.”

  “Nothing about Pam killing her cousin, Billy?” Marlee pressed.

  “No, Blake never mentioned anything about it to me. Of course, we don’t always get along that well. He stays out of my way, and that’s how I like to keep it.”

  “Did Pam ever come over to Stairway to Hell?” Marlee asked.

  “Sure, she stopped by a couple times. She’d ask Tim his opinions about what to plant the next spring or about the hogs. He never had much to say, so they were short conversations,” Adam replied.

  “Did Tim talk much about his Grandpa? Or did Grandpa Edgar ever come visit him?” Marlee asked.

  “Yeah, Tim talked about Grandpa Edgar all the time and how he really wanted Tim to run the farm. He thought his grandpa would have stood up for him with the family if he hadn’t become senile in the past few years,” Adam said.

  “How did Pam and Grandpa Edgar get along? Did Tim ever say anything about that?” Jasmine asked.

  “Tim said their grandpa wanted Pam out. He didn’t agree with some of her ideas about expanding the livestock part of the farm. But Pam stuck to her guns and then Grandpa Edgar started to go downhill, and then it became a non-issue. Without their grandpa in his corner, there was no way Tim was getting the farm,” Adam reported.

  “Now, I need to switch topics to something a bit more sensitive,” Marlee said.

  “More sensitive than murder?” scoffed Adam.

  Marlee nodded. “We found out that you were charged with attempted rape.”

  Adam started laughing. “I don’t have to rape anybody. The ladies love me.”

  Marlee sighed, disappointed that yet another male didn’t know that rape was about power, not access to sexual partners. “You know, many rapists are married or have girlfriends. That isn’t what rape is about. It’s about controlling another person.”

  “Whatever,” Adam said with a wave of his hand and a chuckle as if he’d never heard anything so silly. “I’m not a rapist. The charge is bogus. And that’s all I’m gonna say about it. My lawyer told me not to answer any questions.” He stood up, signaling that it was time for them to leave. “I need to get some things done, so…”

  “Now what should we do?” Jasmine asked once they were back in the car driving toward town.

  “Let’s go to Pam’s farm. I don’t know what to say, b
ut we could at least drop by so you can pay your respects,” Marlee said.

  “Okay,” Jasmine said. “I didn’t know Tim hardly at all, but I can talk about meeting him recently at the house party and how we visited him at Stairway to Hell after Beth died. Then I can mention…”

  “Less is more, Jazz. No need to say too much. Just say you knew him from college and leave it at that,” Marlee said, afraid her roommate would again try to cobble together an unbelievable story.

  Inside Pam's house, the three sat around the kitchen table. Photo albums and pictures of Tim were scattered about on the table. Pam looked ten years older than the last time Marlee saw her. An opened can of beer sat before her and multiple empties were strewn about the kitchen. Marlee wasn’t sure she had the nerve to ask Pam about Billy’s death and Tim’s claim that she had killed him. Even though she felt uncomfortable doing so, Marlee finally broached the topic.

  “Pam, I heard that the old shed where Tim was found was the site of another family tragedy,” Marlee said gently, hoping to ease Pam into a conversation on the topic.

  “Yes, it happened years ago. Sometimes it seems like yesterday,” Pam said as she recounted playing in the shed with her brother and cousin. “I’ll never forgive myself for not watching Billy more closely. I told him not to climb all the way to the top on the ladder, but he wouldn’t listen. I turned my back for just a minute, and he made it all the way to the very top. That’s when he lost his balance and fell on the hard cement floor.”

  She felt like a shit-heel for doing so, but Marlee had to follow up that bit of the conversation. “We heard Tim blamed you for Billy’s accident. Actually, we heard Tim accused you of shaking the ladder to make Billy fall off.”