“How did you get to Mike?” Tom asked Zoe.
“He apparently had a soft spot for a bereaved widow knocking on his door late at night. He offered me a drink. I said I’d only have one if he did, too. When we were both sitting down in his living room, I turned on the tears and when he left to get me a tissue, I doctored his wine with the Rohypnol I suppose you found in his system.”
Tom said, “You screwed up murdering a man you didn’t really know.”
“How’s that? What was my mistake? I know I put the gun in the correct hand. His TV table was on the left side, he picked up his drink with his left hand and—”
“Didn’t I say we ask and you answer?” Candace’s arms were crossed, her young smooth features tight with controlled anger.
“I’ll find out later from my lawyer, I suppose.” Zoe sounded so callous it made me feel sick to my stomach.
“Okay. Let’s stop. Are you saying you now do want a lawyer?” Tom stared at the recorder. He didn’t want to risk this confession being tossed out of court.
“No. I’m not saying that. I signed your stupid paper. How many times do I have to tell you that everyone in this town needs to know all about Rebecca Marner and what she’s truly like?”
But Tom shut off the recorder anyway. “Hang on while I try to make sense of just how evil you are.” He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
He shouldn’t be talking to this woman. It wasn’t good for him. But someone had to get the facts so they could put her away forever.
Morris and Lois had been speaking quietly with Finn, I supposed getting his side of what had happened. Morris then beckoned to me. I started to get up, but Lindsey grabbed my hand. “Please don’t leave.”
Her eyes were swimming. When Rebecca saw this, she started to get up, I thought perhaps to comfort her daughter.
Lindsey held up a hand. “Don’t you dare come near me.”
As Rebecca sank back into the chair, Morris gestured for me to stay where I was.
Candace seemed well aware way too much emotion had come into play with everyone gathered here. “Maybe it’s time we stopped this interview for now so we can all head over to the station. Morris and Lois can get everyone else’s statement here.”
Zoe shook her head. “No friggin’ way. Anyone leaves, I’m revoking that waiver and I’ll want an attorney immediately. See, she needs to hear what I have to say. Every damn word.” She tossed her head back and to the side. She was talking about Rebecca, of course.
Candace whispered to Tom and he whispered back. She appeared stoic when she pressed the record button. “Go on, then, Mrs. Marner.”
Zoe began to speak. “It all started after Lindsey brought something to our house that belonged to her father, some tool he’d left in the garage of the house where he used to live. After she left for home, I found the locket in the bathroom, the one she’d been wearing. There was a picture of a baby inside. So when Rhett came home that night, I asked him about it.”
“Can you describe this locket?” Candace asked. She was taking notes while Tom sat back, quietly observing with narrowed eyes.
She went on to describe what had to be the necklace found with blood on it, the one wrapped around Magpie’s paw.
“What did your husband say about this locket?” Candace asked.
“He lied. Said it was probably a stock photo like they put in picture frames when they’re put on the shelf for sale. I called him on it, told him I wasn’t stupid and that the baby looked exactly like him.”
Candace looked up from her notepad. “What was his response?”
“He said he was sorry and asked if I remembered when Rebecca and Lindsey left town together and stayed away for a long time. The story at the time was that Lindsey had to go to some special school. But that was a lie, he said. His daughter got pregnant and Rebecca took her out of town, stayed with her at some home for pregnant teenagers. He said the baby looked like him because it was his grandchild.”
“And what did you do then?” Candace asked.
“I pretended to accept yet another lie, but he wasn’t fooling me.”
Tom spoke up then. “How could you know it wasn’t the truth?”
“Because I’d gotten to know Rebecca since all that happened. She would never take her daughter anywhere and stay with her for that long. Not in a million years. She’s far too self-centered for that. She’d simply drop the girl off and leave as fast as she could. Pick her up when it was all over—or send someone to get her.”
She’s right, I thought. That’s exactly what Rebecca would have done. Finn was leaning against the kitchen counter between Morris and Lois, Yoshi in his arms. I caught his almost imperceptible nod. He believed Zoe was correct in her assumption, too.
Candace said, “Is that all it took for you to decide to kill your husband?”
“Yes and no. A part of me wanted more proof. But it didn’t take much snooping around to find out about the money he was sending to that woman in Charleston. Did you know I went to see her? I watched her house, watched her pick up the money Rhett was sending to her PO box. The For Sale sign was the perfect way to waltz in and talk to her. I pretended to be a Realtor. Silly woman never even asked for a business card. Didn’t take long for her to start pouring out her sob story about losing her husband, about her adopted daughter and how they would have to pull up stakes and move to this little town upstate called Mercy because the biological father had given her a little house. He wanted to be close, to help out.” She turned her head in Rebecca’s direction again. “Isn’t that the sweetest thing you ever heard, Rebecca?”
I looked at Lindsey and then at her mom. Neither of them showed any emotion, but Zoe’s sarcasm cut like a razor. They both had to be hurting.
“See,” she went on, “she’d confirmed that Rhett fathered that child and I was certain Lindsey wasn’t the mother, that Rebecca used Lindsey as an excuse to hide her pregnancy from the gossip mongers in Mercy—and from me, of course.” Zoe turned in our direction again and made eye contact with Lindsey. “Did you believe that if you went along with that charade, your mother might actually show appreciation, show you that she loved you?”
“Direct your answers to me, Mrs. Marner,” Candace said.
I’d had about all I could stand. This confession had to be tearing Lindsey up inside. “This is so wrong. Does Lindsey have to listen to this, Tom?”
But Lindsey was quick to respond. “I want to hear everything. I need to understand. So it’s okay, Jillian.” The look on her face said it wasn’t okay, not for a minute, but she needed the truth so she could close the chapter on Zoe’s and her mother’s twisted game of deceit.
Finn came from the kitchen and sat on the floor by Lindsey’s feet to offer support. Yoshi settled next to him. Magpie joined them, once again holding her prize tassel. She jumped into Lindsey’s lap and curled up. Lindsey stroked her and I could see the muscles in her tight jaw relax a bit.
The questions turned to Rhett’s murder. Zoe related how she found an opportunity to get Rhett away from the house on the pretext of picking up a sofa for the charity store after Floretta Strickland called and said she wanted furniture removed before her husband returned to town.
She shot him in the Strickland garage on Floretta’s bingo night, knowing the woman wouldn’t be there. She even put the locket in Rhett’s pocket, not realizing it would fall out later. Her sons had made the trip with them, on the pretext of helping to move the sofa. When Zoe saw the keys to Wilbur Strickland’s truck sitting in plain sight on the work bench, she drove home while her sons handled the rest—hiding Rhett’s body and the stolen truck in the woods until they had an opportunity to put him in the parking lot. If not for Seth finding that shoelace, Rhett would have been buried in concrete and no one might have learned the truth. No one had paid any attention to their activities and I was certain Tom was beating himself up this
very minute because he’d focused on Bo Strickland when he should have been looking closer to home for suspects. But he was doing what any cop would—eliminating suspects.
When Zoe was finally finished talking, Tom turned to Morris. “Go pick up those boys and book them on accessory to murder, obstruction of justice, stealing a car, destroying evidence and anything else you can think of.”
“Wait a minute.” Zoe stood. “They just wanted to help their mother.”
Candace shoved her down in the chair. “Sit, lady.”
She stared up at Candace. “Okay. I’m taking back my waiver. I want a lawyer.”
Tom smiled. “Fine, but your sons will give you up in a heartbeat. See, in the police business we’re used to making deals with little fish swimming as fast as they can away from the big one, the one that would eat them alive, given half the chance.”
Thirty
After a fitful, troubled sleep, I finally stumbled out of bed around eight. I showered and dressed while four cats watched my every move. I heard no cries for food—probably because they’d already been fed. They just wanted to make sure where I was; perhaps they needed to be reassured that life would return to normal. So much had happened last night that the stress still had them on high alert.
They followed me to the kitchen, where I found Lindsey, Finn and Amelia eating cereal at the breakfast bar. Yoshi was strategically placed under Amelia’s barstool waiting for any morsel she might drop.
The coffee was made, and indeed the cats had been fed. I might have to keep Lindsey and Finn around—like forever. I poured a mug of a smoky brew and said, “This is new. Not my usual.”
“I brought it from my house,” Lindsey said. “The woman who lives there will never miss it.”
But that woman was Amelia’s mother. I could only hope she’d keep her distance from this precious child.
I leaned on the counter and smiled at Lindsey’s sister. “Amelia, how are you this morning?”
“Fine. Where’s my mommy?”
Chablis jumped on the counter and stared at Amelia’s bowl. She was waiting for a taste.
Lindsey said, “As soon as you finish your cereal, Finn and I will take you home. I’ll bet she missed you while she was working.”
Her left hand on Chablis, Amelia picked up her spoon with the other hand. “Good. I missed her, too.”
After I’d had two much-needed cups of fantastic coffee, Amelia hugged me good-bye and told me I had coffee breath. “But that’s okay. You’re nice.” The little girl smiled not only with her lips but with those big brown eyes—the ones that looked exactly like her brother Seth’s.
I imagined Tom, Candace and the rest of the small police force had been working all night “wrapping up,” as Mike used to say. He would be sorely missed by everyone, but most of all by Tom and Candace.
I was just about to text Tom and see how things were going when Kara burst in through the back door. “What the heck happened last night? My scanner was absolutely dead and then Liam called me saying his office had a call about arrests and I realized I missed everything.” Apparently Tom and Candace accomplished quite a bit after leaving here.
Kara eyed my third cup of coffee hungrily. “Is there more where that came from?”
“Absolutely.”
We sat at the table that looked out on the lake, its peaceful ripples against the shore in stark contrast to the story I told—the one that took me almost an hour to explain.
Kara’s remarks when I’d finished summed it up well: “What twisted people. No conscience, no empathy, no love for anyone but themselves.”
“And yet they volunteered for a charity,” I said. “I don’t understand that part. It seems like a mockery, because mostly they both used anything and anyone to their advantage.”
“Narcissist is an overused word these days, but it fits those two women.” She stood. “I’m late to this party. The story I ran this morning will now be followed up by a special edition. You think Tom will have time to talk to me right away? I’ll need an official statement from the police, and Mike always used to do that for me.”
“He’ll make time for you,” I said quietly.
We hugged good-bye and I texted Tom to let him know Kara was on her way to the police station.
His response was to call and his first words when I answered were “You know how to love. I am so grateful for that.”
“Hey, so do you. Now tell me, how is Zoe enjoying her jail cell? It’s not quite the accommodations she’s used to.”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. This case is done. We finished the paperwork, got a judge on board to hurry up the process of getting into that safe-deposit box where Rhett kept his will. This case is wrapped up tighter than a caterpillar in a cocoon. As expected, the boys flipped on their mother. They know everything. Her confession isn’t even needed now.”
“I’m glad this is behind us, but what about Mike? His arrangements?”
“His sister can’t get here until next week—she cares for her mother-in-law, who has Alzheimer’s, and has to find a caregiver. We thought we’d have a candlelight service in the park tonight, since the funeral is days away. Kara can play town crier with that special edition you mentioned in your text.”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll set it up. I need something to do to take my mind off everything that happened here last night.”
We disconnected and I felt the warmth of a cat pressing against my leg. I looked down to see Magpie, her prize in her mouth again. The tassel that probably saved a lot of lives.
• • •
The turnout that evening was unbelievable. The Mercy grapevine could spread the word—both good and bad—faster than any technology invented. Twitter had something to do with the whole town showing up, but I was still amazed.
I’d had to drive to a party supply warehouse out of town so we’d have enough candles, and we nearly did. Though we ran out, no one complained. People shared, joined hands, and raised their lit candles high.
Candace wasn’t used to speaking in public, but that was about to change. She and Tom shared the gazebo in the center of the park and used the PA system the mayor offered us. He’d been a great help in directing this effort to bring the town together tonight. He introduced Tom and Candace after offering his own high praise for our fallen chief.
Tom cleared his throat and I stood by the gazebo stairs and offered a thumbs-up for encouragement.
“Mike Baca was my closest friend. The events that led to his death can be read about and talked about and we all need to do that. It’s part of dealing with our loss. But in the end, when the talking is done, when the space he used to fill is so empty it hurts, we will pause in quiet moments and remember what a good man he was.” Tom, head down, handed the mic to Candace.
“He was the chief to me, the boss,” she began haltingly. “But he was so much more. My mentor, my friend, the guy who put up with my obsessing over stuff like cat hair at a crime scene.”
A small current of laughter and nodding of heads followed. Raised candles bobbed in the stark, cold evening air.
“I loved my chief. He took care of all of us and he’ll be missed.”
Someone in the crowd began to sing “Let It Be,” and soon voices quietly joined in the perfect song to say good-bye to a wonderful friend.
Thirty-one
The next day, Saturday, came so quickly I felt harried and unprepared. As Candace, Kara and I stood in the church’s basement dressing room, I said, “I never wear much makeup and if I get even a tiny bit of mascara on my grandmother’s dress, it will break my heart.”
In a few minutes, I would walk down the aisle. People called them butterflies—that feeling in your stomach when happiness and nerves meld—because that was exactly what they felt like. And I had a lot of butterflies acting up right now.
We were all facing a full-length mirror
and Kara said, “You won’t get anything on the dress. And I brought this waterproof mascara because I knew you would totally forget to buy any. Let me put just a little bit on. Please?”
“She made me put some on, so why not join the club?” Candace craned toward the mirror. “Looks okay, I guess.”
“You both look beautiful,” I said.
Candace’s dress—a simple teal wrap—showed off her curves and revealed legs that were well toned. I’d never seen her legs before today, and probably few people had. They were awesome.
Kara’s magenta stretch-lace dress suited her slim figure perfectly. She was absolutely stunning.
“Jillian, you’re the one people won’t be able to take their eyes off,” Kara said. “That dress is perfect. So simple and elegant.”
Candace smiled and rubbed hair mousse into her hands and fussed with my hair a little more. “We all clean up pretty well.”
Kara held my chin and applied a light coating of mascara. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
I glanced down at the dress, its cowl neckline plunging just enough and draping perfectly. “Good. No spots.”
Kara glanced at her thin diamond-studded wristwatch. “Time for the big reveal. This is definitely a fashion show and you’re the top model today.”
Kara lifted the train of my dress and hung the satin carefully over one arm. Candace gathered all our bouquets for the short trek up the stairs. The white roses with pale pink smaller roses interspersed looked so lovely when I’d held them earlier for a quick glance in the mirror.
Minutes later we took our places in the vestibule. Ed and Karen joined me, each taking me by one arm. Ed actually looked handsome in his charcoal suit and drastically trimmed beard. Karen was stunning as always, in a vintage lavender dress with beaded and embroidered leaves. She even had on elbow-length gloves one shade darker than her dress. A perfect accent. She wore a small satin hat and was the only one of us with any headpiece. Kara, Candace and I had decided none of us wanted to deal with anything in our hair.
The Cat, the Sneak and the Secret Page 22