“I called the number in the paper—didn’t give my name but I spoke to a really nice man who called himself DL and told me he thought I ought to come to you at once. He said it wouldn’t put me in any danger. And he told me to put myself in Marc’s hands, that he’d deal with everything. He also said he’d be checking up on me himself. He made me think I could beat this thing.”
Thank God for Dwayne LeChat. Guy realized he’d been holding his breath. He sighed and sat up straighter. “That man was right. You’re perfectly safe and we’ll keep you that way. I’ll appreciate any help you can give us.”
“I was the one who called Zinnia about Paula,” Amy said. “That was back when Paula was missing from home.”
He took a moment to absorb that. “You did? Do you know Zinnia? You call her by her first name.”
Amy’s eyes filled with tears and she looked away. “I knew her for a number of years—even since before she met Pip Sedge and while they were married, and after that. I know what’s happened to her. She never had any luck. The choices she made were no good and people took advantage of her—but she was a smart woman in so many ways. I couldn’t understand it.
“Zinnia and Pip had separated and young Paula wasn’t getting along too well with her mother so she was acting out. That’s why she went to the club and fooled around, only it’s dangerous to do that. I found out they had plans for her. She’d be going away and not coming back. That happened to girls regularly, but they were usually runaways who didn’t have anyone looking for them. Paula was holed up at the club. Afterward I wished I hadn’t told Zinnia I saw her girl there.”
Guy already knew why and could easily imagine how Amy had suffered ever since Paula was murdered.
“Paula died while Pip and Zinnia were at Jazz Babes asking about her. That maniac had egged her on. I knew he was sleeping with her—an underage kid. But he was grooming her.” Amy raised her eyes to Guy’s. “How could he do that then kill her and cut her up? What makes some people like animals?”
“I don’t have the answers,” Guy told her. He met Marc’s eyes in the rearview mirror and saw how troubled the other man was. “Who was this man, the one who killed Paula?”
Amy let out a cry and Marc turned in his seat. “If any of them find out I was the one who told what happened, you know what they’ll do,” she said.
Marc reached and held his sister’s hand.
“They won’t do anything,” Guy said. “We’re going to play our cards right and they’ll all be put away.”
“A man called Wes Preston murdered young Paula. I saw him carrying her to the elevator but I thought he was taking her somewhere to… Pip and Zinnia were down in the bar asking questions at that very moment. I had to stay out of the way so people wouldn’t know I was in touch with Zinnia. Even though they were separated and getting a divorce, Pip always showed if she needed him.
“I didn’t know what Wes was really going to do. Then I read about the death in the paper.”
“It’s okay,” Marc said to her. He turned farther around to see Guy. “There isn’t any time to waste, is there?”
“No.” Guy felt breathless. He had no reason to believe Jilly was anywhere near Wes, but he wouldn’t relax until he found her. Dammit, he’d put her in a cell if that’s what it took to keep her safe.
“Zinnia was Sam Preston’s girl—Wes’s dad. For years, I think.” Amy flopped against the seat, her lips pale. “Sam treated her badly. He would put her down in front of people, call her a whore. That’s how I know so much. She confided in me and I never repeated a word until now…now she’s dead.”
She stopped talking and looked out of the window.
“Amy’s been through a lot,” Marc said.
She made a snorting sound. “Because I made bad choices. One after the other, if there was a right or a wrong way to go, I went the wrong way.”
“That’s over now, sis,” Mark said. “Remember all the things Reb has told you. She knows what she’s talkin’ about, you know. She’s a darn good doctor.”
“She’s the best,” Amy said. “She never gets angry with me—only explains things and helps me. The big mystery is why she married you, brother, when she could have had anyone.”
“She’s got you there,” Guy said, and managed to smile.
Marc reached to rub his sister’s cheek. “You’re doing great,” he said.
“Sam Preston owns Jazz Babes,” Amy said. “At least, that’s what Zinnia and I decided. But he’s got the ownership hidden somehow because it’s never mentioned. According to him his business is antiques and that’s it. The shop on Royal is real successful.”
“It may take a bit, but we have people who live to trail money.” Guy got lost in his own thoughts. The Prestons had been incredibly cagey. Dwayne, Jack, Jean-Claude, Nat—as far as Guy knew not a soul was following Sam Preston’s tracks. “Tell me anything else you know,” he said to Amy.
“Zinnia had about had it with Sam when she met Pip and he asked her to marry him. He was wealthy—in real estate—and he wouldn’t take no for an answer. They married and I never saw Sam so mad. He had something on me,” she said quietly, “so he liked to smack me around when he needed a punching bag.”
Her voice sounded tired and Guy feared she might not finish her story. “You are helping us so much,” he said honestly.
“After a bit Sam put on this show of patching things up with Zinnia,” she said. “He’d invite the Sedges to dinner, and he started socializing with Pip. He pulled him into a private card game and Pip was like a baby being fed steak. He choked. Night after night he played and from Sam’s braggin’, night after night Pip lost. Eventually, when Pip was so deep in debt he couldn’t even make payments, Sam took Pip’s business. He even took the real estate Pip owned himself and there was loads of it. Sam let him know the alternative was having someone drop by every week for payments—that meant he’d be beaten up—or getting rubbed out.”
“And he got away with it,” Guy said. “Somewhere along the line these guys make a mistake and someone blows the whistle, but not this time. Or not until now.”
“Paula’s body was a gift from Wes to his father. It was to make sure the Sedges didn’t try to get back at Sam. Wes let them know they’d be next if they didn’t keep their mouths shut about everything and put up with it. He’s jealous of anyone his father takes an interest in. He enjoyed making Zinnia suffer.”
Guy had to force himself to stay where he was. It would follow that Wes must be madly jealous of Jilly—not that there was any reason to think she was with the man, he reminded himself. “Thank you, Amy,” he said. “You’ve given us more than you know.” He paused, running through what she’d told him. “You never said why you reacted to Jilly the way you did.”
“Because she reminded me of someone,” Amy said. “I worked with a girl called Edith. Never knew much about her except she was ambitious. She wanted Sam Preston and eventually she got him. Jilly looks so much like her—or the way I remember her—I thought I’d faint. Then I realized I was being stupid, but old fears die hard. I had Wazoo set up a meeting between us but I couldn’t even make myself ask if there was another Edith in Jilly’s family.
“Now I know Edith is Jilly’s mother.” Amy leaned forward and crossed her forearms on her knees. “She never said she had a little kid. How could a woman leave her own baby?”
Guy rubbed her back. His nerves jumped around and he checked his phone in case he’d missed an incoming call. Nat had promised to call the moment he heard anything.
“I thought about going to see Edith in that house where she’s living. These days I’d like to—”
“Don’t go there,” Guy snapped.
“She won’t,” Marc said. “She knows all the reasons why.”
“I kept in touch with Zinnia,” Amy said quietly. “That’s how I know everything. She trusted me. Just days ago she told Sam if he didn’t wipe out Pip’s debts, she’d go to the police.”
“Omigod,” Guy said. “She did
that without trying to protect herself?”
“She didn’t think Sam would do anything to her—for old time’s sake. She never knew it was Wes who offed Paula and I never said anything because I was afraid she’d go after Wes herself.”
Guy steeled himself to deal with coming to the end of Amy’s testimony. So far it was all hearsay—he believed every word, but she hadn’t given him proof. “When was the last time you spoke with Zinnia?”
Amy produced a handkerchief and pressed it over her eyes. “The day she died.”
Guy’s heart slammed against his ribs. “Did Zinnia try to confront Sam?” He already knew the answer.
“Yes, Zinnia decided to have a showdown with Sam. She waited for an opportunity while he was with some woman, and hid in the back of his car.”
“And confronted him when he parked at his house on Prytania Street,” Guy said. He had tried to find a link between Zinnia and the woman Jilly saw, but unless Zinnia hung around there for a long time it didn’t work.
“You knew that?” Amy said.
“Yeah. She didn’t leave those grounds right away, did she?”
“No.” Amy looked puzzled. “She waited in the gardens deciding whether or not to ring the bell at the house. Some goon who took a turn around the grounds—probably some sort of security—shone a flashlight right on Zinnia and she took off. He followed and tried to kill her. She’d parked her scooter in Lafayette Cemetery and he caught her in there. It was pure luck but someone else came along and the guy ran away. She said he was going to shoot her. He told her he wouldn’t let her cause trouble for Laura Preston. That’s Wes’s wife. Does that seem funny?”
Guy thought about it. “Zinnia wouldn’t identify him? She didn’t mention anything, not even his coloring?”
“It was real dark. All she said was she saw blond hair. And he was muscular.”
“And she got away on her bike?”
“Yes,” Amy said. “I wish I’d gone and stayed with her so she wouldn’t be alone.”
With difficulty, Guy stopped himself from suggesting that Amy might have died with Zinnia. He thought about a blond man who was concerned for Laura Preston. “Excuse me. I need to make a call.”
Spike picked up on the first ring and Guy said, “I think we’ve found our graveyard basher. Find out if Michael—don’t know his last name—the guy who works for the Prestons. Find out if he’s at Edwards Place. If he is, pick him up. He could be dangerous to Edith. You can keep it friendly till I get something solid.”
Spike didn’t argue. He said, “Nat’s got something for you,” and hung up.
The immediate sound of his phone made Guy jump. “Yeah?”
“Nat,” said the voice at the other end. “We’ve got something from Spike. Solid evidence and your Father Cyrus is a witness.” Nat talked about bits of torn paper and a match to the tape under Rathburn’s nails—and a ball of gum thrown away in the piece of paper the other bits came from. A note. Paint chips were in there, too, paint chips from Jilly’s door at the café where they were certain the note had been stuck for Rathburn to read.
“Hang on,” Nat said. “Another call coming in.” He clicked off and Guy made sure his face showed nothing of what he was feeling.
Minutes passed and Marc said, “You doin’ okay, Guy? This is takin’ a long time.”
“I’m okay,” Guy said, and he lied.
Nat came back on the line. “Holy hell,” he said. “We’ve got trouble. A detective went into Prestons—that’s—”
“I know it’s an antiques shop. They’re going to keep that place clean, Nat. Preston can’t afford to blow his cover.”
“You’re right, but like always, somethin’ gets away from you. The manager said he’d met Jilly earlier this afternoon. She was lookin’ for Sam Preston. Russell Smith, that’s the manager, obviously doesn’t have a clue Sam Preston isn’t exactly who he thinks he is. He said how perfect Wes Preston’s timing was. He arrived while Jilly was there and took her out to a late lunch.”
Guy looked at Amy, who had just told him Wes Preston cut a girl up and put her pieces back in her bed. At that time Wes couldn’t have been more than around twenty to twenty-two. He’d had a lot of time to get real proficient at his craft. “Nat. Please tell me he mentioned the restaurant.”
“He didn’t. Russell said he talked about having a special place where he goes a lot.”
Guy raked at his hair. “I’m comin’ in. You mentioned Cyrus as a witness. What did you mean by that?”
“He saw the wad of gum thrown away with the note wrapped around it. That was the night the two of you were at Edwards Place because Edith Preston had an accident. Father Cyrus went out on the landing to take a call and he saw Wes Preston come in. The guy wrapped up the gum and tossed it in a vase. The note on the paper was to Rathburn. Wes must have offed him.”
39
If she lay where she’d fallen and didn’t move, she had a chance they’d think she was dead.
Fingers pressed into Jilly’s neck. “Stunned, that’s all,” Wes said. “The less blood the better. We’re not going to be traced to this, you understand?”
“Yes,” Laura said. “How the hell did this go so far? Who would have expected her to go into Prestons like that?”
Jilly heard a slap, and Laura’s cry. “Don’t touch me again,” the woman said, her fury forcing the words through her teeth. “This time it’s you and me together—not another soul to help us out, so control yourself.”
“The way you always have?” Wes said. “If you’d done what I told you to do at the beginning, this wouldn’t be happening. She’d be long gone by now.”
“Oh, yeah. Was there somethin’ I didn’t notice? The fool wouldn’t hear the warnings she was given. She wouldn’t back off from Edith.”
Wes was quiet before he said, “You think Edith was the only reason she hung around?”
“Don’t you, asshole? Do you think she fell in love with the rest of us? You know she didn’t. She felt some sort of duty toward the mother who threw her away. That’s the kind of thing that separates the tough from the soft fools. You know which variety this one is.”
“You never thought Daddy would get close enough for it to cost us money?” Wes said. “I know you didn’t. He started giving gifts the moment he set eyes on her. And there’s somethin’ you don’t know—”
“That Daddy was having her written into the will?” Laura laughed. “Sure I did. Edith told me because she thought I’d be so tickled. Damn, why do the idiots end up with all the power?”
The sound of another slap jarred Jilly and she almost cried out. One of her eyes was swollen shut, her nose still bled and her head pounded at the slightest vibration.
“What did I tell you?” Laura yelled, and Jilly heard running footsteps.
Wes laughed. Cloth tore. Heavy breathing and panting followed.
Jilly tried not to listen to them having sex while they thought she had passed out. They’d do it even if she was looking right at them, she realized, and loathed them.
“That helped,” Wes said. “It always does, babe. Yeah, I like it when you take care of all the details afterward. Watch it with the zipper. We’re okay. Just ready for some peace, and that’s comin’ real soon.”
“Yes.” Laura sighed. “Her nine lives are over. Wes?”
“Uh-huh?”
“I’m sorry I flubbed it with Edith.”
“The only way you flubbed it was by not telling me what you were going to do. It was a brilliant idea. Daddy would have showed up and made sure everything got taken care of.” He laughed. “He did that, anyway.”
Laura tutted. “Yes, but she wasn’t dead. I wanted to surprise you after I’d done it, but it all went wrong. She’d still have died if Rathburn hadn’t ridden to the rescue. He knew she hadn’t cut her own wrist and he’d have told Daddy. If you hadn’t come at that moment and sent him to deliver the stupid Hummer while Michael took over from Rathburn, it would have been all over once Daddy got there with his m
edical people.”
“I still say we make a helluva team,” Wes said. “And we’re going to have it all but we have to be very careful.”
A hand in her hair yanked Jilly’s head back so painfully she couldn’t stop herself from crying out.
“Huh,” Laura said, and pulled Jilly’s face around until she could see it. “Don’t mess with me. You’re awake. Get up now.” She kicked Jilly’s ribs.
“Just tell us who you’ve talked to about this and we’ll let you go,” Wes said.
Fighting for breath, Jilly tried to see him better. He had to know she wouldn’t buy his lies.
“Speak up,” Laura said. “We’re not hearing you.”
Blood spattered what was left of the front of her shirt. Jilly raised a hand to try and cover herself better but Laura slapped her hand away.
“No one’s lining up to look at anythin’ you’ve got,” she said. “Answer the question.”
“There isn’t anyone,” Jilly said. She held Guy in her head and heart. She would not do a thing that might get him hurt, too.
She saw Wes move behind her but didn’t dare look.
A blow, a solid kick behind her knees landed her on the carpeted floor. Laura laughed and punched her ear. Ringing went on and on.
“I’ll just bet you’d like to lie down on one of those cozy divans,” Wes said. “We could find a blanket to tuck around you, maybe wash your face with cool water. Give you somethin’ to drink. Just tell us who you’ve talked to and it’s all yours.”
“I haven’t,” Jilly said. “Why would I when I didn’t know anything? Laura, help me.”
Laura shrieked with laughter. “You found out about Wes and me and you were going to Daddy to tell tales. You thought that was the way to get everything. You thought Daddy would cut us out of his will.” She shot out her right hand where an unbelievable large canary diamond shot prisms in all directions. “You don’t get gifts like this just for bein’ a daughter-in-law. Oh, no. You’ve got to be a whole lot more. Daddy would never believe you over me.”
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