by Jane Blythe
Nodding vigorously, “I've known her for years.”
“What can you tell us about her?”
“She was a good girl.” A slow smile spread across his wrinkled face as he remembered his friend the way she was and not as the mutilated corpse he’d last seen her as. “Very lonely, she just wanted someone to love her, she wanted to belong somewhere. She grew up as the middle of eleven children, kind of felt like she never had a place. The two oldest were girls, and very close. Then there were triplets—boys. They were close too. Then she had three younger brothers, and the last two were girls. Everyone kind of had someone but her. I guess that’s why she left home at such a young age, she wanted to find her place in the world.”
“How old was she when she left home?” Ryan wanted as much information as they could gather about Brooke Mariano. Anything they learned could help them find her killer, and hopefully, her baby—alive and well.
“Fifteen.”
“Why did she leave so young?” Paige asked.
Shrugging, “I think she just wanted more out of life than she was ever going to get struggling to survive on a small farm.”
“She was a runaway; how did she survive?”
Blue eyes going dark, “She was smart.”
“Smart doesn’t pay the bills,” Ryan pressed.
Sighing, “She sold her body. But she was smart about it,” his gaze challenging them to disagree. “She didn’t sleep with just anyone, she wanted someone wealthy.”
“Judge Everette?”
“Yes,” the word spat out.
“Ms. Mariano began an affair with the judge at only fifteen?” Ryan confirmed, thinking that was certainly grounds for murder. The judge’s reputation would be ruined if it came to light that he had not only been having affairs, but that one of his mistresses was a teenage runaway.
“According to Brooke,” a twinge of jealousy seemed to flit through the gardener’s eyes.
“So is Judge Everette the baby’s father?” Paige asked.
Another shrug. “She’s also been having an affair with Logan Junior.”
“Did Ms. Mariano know which man was the father of her child?”
“She was going to do a DNA test once the baby was born. She didn’t care one way or the other; she saw that child as her ticket to a better life.”
“You seem to know a lot about her, Mr. Hannigan,” Ryan commented, suspecting there was more to the gardener’s relationship with their victim than he was letting on.
“She used to walk the grounds; when I’d see her, I’d go talk to her,” he explained, his cheeks turning a bright red.
“Were you also having an affair with Ms. Mariano?” Wondering if they had stumbled upon the killer already.
The man said nothing, but he glowered at them and his already red face managed to turn even redder.
“Is there a chance you may be the father of her baby?” Paige questioned.
Still the man said nothing.
“Maybe you didn’t want her using your child to advance her social position. Maybe you didn’t want her telling your wife that you two had been sleeping together. Maybe you killed her to keep her from talking and took the baby so there was no proof of what you’d been up to,” Ryan suggested.
“I didn’t kill her,” Mr. Hannigan growled. “I’m the one who found her body. Do you really think I’d call the police if I killed her?”
“Actually, quite often it’s the perpetrator of the crime who calls the police,” Paige informed him calmly.
“Well, not this time,” the gardener sulked.
“But you were having an affair with her, right?” Ryan prodded.
“Right,” Mr. Hannigan admitted reluctantly. “But I didn’t kill her. I had no reason to,” he rambled, his anger replaced by earnestness. “My wife already found out about the affair. She threatened to divorce me, take everything we owned, tell our children about it. I would have lost everything. I promised her I would cut things off with Brooke. That was over a year ago, and I haven’t touched her since.”
“Are you willing to give us a DNA sample for exclusionary purposes?” Ryan asked. He was leaning toward believing Mr. Hannigan had nothing to do with Brooke Mariano’s murder, but some criminals could be incredibly believable.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Mr. Hannigan’s head bobbed up and down. “Of course,” he added in case they hadn’t caught it the first time.
“What time did you find the body?” Paige redirected the conversation.
Eyes clouding over with pain, clearly the images of his deceased friend were once again flooding his mind. “Around four-thirty this morning, that’s the time I usually get here.”
“Did you see anyone about? Any cars here that shouldn’t be?” Ryan asked even though he knew that with an estate this size there were any numbers of places the killer could have hidden and remained unseen.
“No, nothing, I’m sorry.”
Mr. Hannigan’s eyes had glazed over with shock, and Ryan knew they weren’t going to get any more out of him right now. “Mr. Hannigan, I’m going to leave you my card; please call if you remember anything. However small it might seem to you, it may be important.”
Once he’d pushed a card into the gardener’s hand and left him in the care of an officer who would ensure he made it safely home, he and Paige made their way back outdoors. For a moment he stood, enjoying the cool breeze after the stifling heat of the greenhouse. So far, the summer had been a cool one and today was no exception. Despite the cloudless blue sky, the temperature was mild. The sun shone but seemed to have no real power to its rays. Ryan wasn’t complaining; he preferred the colder weather. He loved to hike, surf, cycle, rock-climb, anything outdoorsy, and he hated the hot weather that made those activities unpleasant.
“Where to next?” Paige asked, breaking his reverie.
Tilting his gaze toward the mansion. “The big house.”
* * * * *
11:03 A.M.
“I don’t know what you expect to gain from talking to us. That woman was not a part of our family,” a voice boomed, announcing the arrival of Logan Everette II.
Ryan studied the retired judge as he strode into the room. The man certainly had a presence; around six foot six, he was lean and well-muscled for his age, tanned, with bright white teeth, and a very full head of snowy white hair. All in all, the man did not look even close to his seventy-two years. However, it wasn’t really his physical appearance to which Ryan attributed Logan Everette’s presence. It was the man’s attitude. He was self-assured and brimming with confidence. He believed he was right no matter what anyone else believed, and Ryan was positive that the retired judge was used to people agreeing with him.
“A young woman was found murdered on your property, Mr. Everette,” Ryan spoke calmly despite his irritation with the man. “A young woman who, while she may not be a part of your family, certainly seems to be connected to it.”
Gray eyes narrowing, “I see you’ve been talking to the gardener. I wouldn’t believe everything that came out of that man’s mouth, detective. He’s an alcoholic who I understand was having an affair with Ms. Mariano. My youngest daughter, Isabella, stumbled upon the two of them in the greenhouse last year. I, of course, thought it was my duty to inform Mr. Hannigan’s wife of what he was doing while he was supposed to be at work. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Hannigan was your killer.”
Deciding not to push the issue at the moment, they needed to find out as much as they could about the Everette family’s relationship with Brooke Mariano, and getting the judge offside now would only result in him shutting down.
“Will the rest of your family be joining us, Mr. Everette?” Paige asked sweetly, maintaining her calm exterior. Ryan knew from the way she had her hands clasped tightly together that she was just as frustrated with the judge as he was.
Nodding briskly, “They will be here shortly, the butler was rounding them up.” Logan took a seat at the head of the twenty seater mahogany dining table.<
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“I’m sure it must have been such a horrible shock to find out what happened,” Paige cooed sympathetically, taking the adjacent seat.
“Yes, it was,” Logan Everette was putty in Paige’s hands. “A truly awful shock. Ah, here’s my wife now.”
They all turned as Gloria Everette entered the room, a flicker of resigned jealousy in her brown eyes as she spotted Paige sitting beside her husband, and Ryan wondered just how many affairs her husband had rubbed in her face.
“Darling, this is Detective Hood,” Logan rose to pull out a chair for his wife. “And, uh, Detective Xander,” he added.
“Detectives,” Gloria nodded at them. She was not nearly as well preserved as her husband. She looked every bit her sixty-eight years, and more. Her brown eyes were sad, complexion pale, her face lined with wrinkles, her thin gray hair pulled back into a neat bun. Ryan found himself pitying the woman.
Before any questioning could begin, the dining room door swung open again and three men entered. Logan III, Lewis, and Lincoln were the spitting image of their father. All were tall and lean, tanned with bright white teeth. The only difference was their heads of full hair were red instead of white.
Once his sons were seated, Logan II made the introductions. “This is Detective Hood and her partner. Detectives, these are my sons. Logan Junior—he and his wife just returned yesterday from a trip to Europe to visit with her family. Thankfully, the children remained behind with their grandparents . . .”
“Simone is just on the phone with her mother, she will be joining us shortly,” Logan Junior interrupted.
Shooting his oldest son an irritated frown, clearly the retired judge did not appreciate being interrupted. “This is Lewis,” he pointed out his middle boy. “And Lincoln. And that is Lewis’ wife Samantha.” He gestured to the door where a timid young woman had entered unnoticed by all other than the judge. “Come and join us please, Samantha,” he ordered sternly, as one might address a young child, not a grown woman. But his daughter-in-law said nothing, simply took her place at the end of the line of Everettes. “My daughters will not be joining us,” Logan announced. “Isabella is too young and Sofia hasn’t been well.”
Ryan fought against a glimmer of disappoint at hearing Sofia Everette wouldn’t be joining them. The twenty-eight-year-old was well known throughout the community as a tireless worker for charities. She ran several in her name, including one that supported families of police officers killed in the line of duty. In fact it was at a banquet dinner three months ago that she had collapsed in the middle of her speech. Ryan remembered the night well. He had been there, desperate for a chance to approach the woman and strike up a conversation. It was also the night he realized that any chance of anything happening with Sofia was nothing more than a half-formed dream in his head. A young man had been with her at the event, springing to her side when she collapsed, and carrying her from the room full of reporters, eager to advance their own careers on the misery of others.
Shaking his head to clear it, he announced, “Then let’s begin.” Ryan took the seat beside Paige where he was able to carefully watch each member of the Everette family. “As I’m sure you are all aware, a young woman was found murdered in the gardens of your estate. Her name was Brooke Mariano.” He studied each face for signs that they may have known the victim more intimately, but all six faces stared back at him calmly.
“That woman the gardener was sleeping with?” Lincoln asked.
“Yes,” Logan II nodded. “I assume he had continued to see her.”
“That’s brave of him,” Logan III smirked. “After what his wife said she would do to him if he didn’t break things off.”
“Mrs. Hannigan came here to confront her husband after I informed her of his affair,” Logan II explained. “Suffice it to say, she caused quite the scene.”
“I’ll say she did,” Logan III chuckled. “She told him she’d divorce him, make sure his kids never spoke to him again, take everything they owned, leave him with nothing, and then cut off his manhood so no woman would ever touch him again.”
Repulsed by their cavalier attitude toward the horrific murder that had happened in their own backyard, Ryan couldn’t quite keep the reprimanding tone from his voice, “May I remind you a child’s life may be at stake.”
“What child?” Logan Senior asked, seemingly genuinely confused for the first time since they’d entered the room.
“Brooke Mariano was pregnant,” Paige informed them.
“The gardener got her pregnant?” Lewis looked baffled.
“Apparently Ms. Mariano was unsure who the father of her child was.” Ryan gave a pointed look to both Logan Senior and Logan Junior.
“I’d be speaking with the gardener’s wife if I were you,” Lincoln suggested. “She really did look insane that day she was here.”
“Mr. Hannigan said he hasn’t been intimate with Ms. Mariano since his wife was informed of their affair,” Ryan told the Everette family. “According to all of you, that was over a year ago; therefore, he couldn’t be the child’s father.”
“Well if that’s what he said, it must be true,” Logan III scoffed.
“Did any of you have a personal relationship with Ms. Mariano?” Paige asked.
“Of course not. I am seventy-two years old, and I certainly don’t go around sleeping with girls the same age as my daughter. And I am a married man,” Logan II added as an afterthought.
“I see her around the estate sometimes,” a spark of something flitted through Logan III’s eyes as he spoke. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, come in and sit down, Simone,” he snapped at his wife.
Ryan had noticed the woman entering the room several minutes ago, but had decided not to say anything. With every action and every word out of their mouths, the Everettes were helping him to learn more about them. So far, neither Samantha nor Simone had said a word, and Gloria had spoken only once. It seemed the women in the family were to be seen and not heard.
“Son,” Logan Senior spoke the word so as to remind Logan Junior of his place. “We have guests.”
“Who knows how she gets in,” Logan III continued, ignoring his father. “I guess that stupid gardener was letting her in. Really, Father, perhaps we ought to be more careful who we employ around here.”
“I’ve seen her around here once or twice, but I’ve never spoken to her,” Lewis spoke up, all of them apparently deciding to ignore the oldest son, the looks on their faces implying that none of them held Logan III in very high esteem.
“I think I’ve exchanged pleasantries with her once or twice, but that would have been maybe eighteen months ago,” Lincoln added. “I work abroad, only come home for visits every couple of years.”
Ryan stored that away, wondering just what had brought the youngest Everette son home this time. “To the Missus Everettes,” he addressed the three women, “have any of you had any dealings with Ms. Mariano?”
“This is ridiculous,” Logan Senior inserted before Gloria, Simone, or Samantha had a chance to reply. “That woman was a slut. Anyone could have been that baby’s father, so harassing my family is pointless. Perhaps you should question the local prostitutes; they might know who else Ms. Mariano has been sleeping with.”
“Father!” a voice rebuked from the door.
All heads swiveled to watch as Sofia Everette wheeled into the room. Wavy red hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering and shining as it caught the sunlight streaming through the window. Ryan wondered briefly if it felt as silky as it looked, before catching himself and locking the thought firmly away. Sofia was already involved with someone, and besides, he already knew he was not the marrying kind.
“Isabella was right outside,” Sofia admonished. “You really should think before you speak.”
“I thought you were watching the girl,” Logan II retorted.
“I was,” Sofia shot back. “But she disappeared while I was in the bathroom.” She pushed herself out of her wheelchair. Her brother, Lincoln, moved insta
ntly to help her, but she brushed away his hands. “I can manage,” she huffed.
Lincoln looked like he disagreed every bit as much as Ryan did, but no one spoke a word as Sofia made her way to the table taking the seat beside him, and he had to force himself not to breathe in the sweet lilac scent that washed over her. She already has a boyfriend, he told himself firmly. And you decided a long time ago that marriage was not for you.
“I’m Sofia,” she held out a thin hand.
As he took it, Ryan noticed for the first time her amazing silver eyes. They weren’t gray like her father and brothers. They were pure silver—so shiny that they seemed to emit their own glow—a glow so bright not even her milky white complexion could dull it. Realizing he was staring, “Detective Xander, and this is my partner Detective Hood.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sofia said with a bemused smile. “Although not under these circumstances, of course.”
“Really, Sofia, you shouldn’t be here,” her father announced.
“I am okay,” she shot him a look, daring him to disagree.
“No, you are not. You are not well, and you should be resting.” Logan II looked like he wanted to spank her and send her to her room without dinner. “I told you, I did not want you to attend this meeting.”
Undaunted, “And I told you that I am a grown woman,” she retorted, “and asked you to tell me when the detectives arrived. It’s so sad what happened to Brooke.” Sofia’s silver eyes were the only ones in her family to look genuinely saddened by the murder. “Brooke was pregnant, you know,” she added.
“You said that a child’s life was at stake,” Logan II seemed to just remember the earlier statement. “Are you saying the infant wasn’t killed along with its mother?”
“The baby appears to have been taken,” Paige informed them, leaving out the details of just how the baby had been ripped into the world.
“How awful,” Sofia said solemnly.
“You know Ms. Mariano?” Ryan asked, wondering what the rich daughter of a judge and a woman who sold her body for sex could have in common.
“Yes, she came to my women’s halfway house a couple of times. I thought she wanted to make a better life for her and her baby, but she only ever came to ask me questions about my family and the estate. They told you that Isabella walked in on her and the gardener, right?”