Killing the Secret

by Donna Welch Jones

  “Heather tried to kill herself twice last year and managed to survive. This time she succeeded. She was found dead in her bathtub.” His voice cracked, “I can’t believe that she’s gone.”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Hobart. Is there anything I can do?”

  “It’s too late for anyone to help. I can’t talk about it anymore.” His voice deteriorated to a whimper and the phone clicked.

  Light rays made jagged marks across the wall. She wished for rain with lightning and thunder. There needed to be a loud racket to interrupt the living so the world will know her friend died. Instead, Heather’s passing was diminished by the cheerful glare of the sun.

  Heather chose to die, Abbey reasoned, so now she has her peace. She cried softly for a few minutes then forced herself back to her list.

  Next task—phone Sean Haverty, Mariah’s dad, to ask for her number.

  “Sean, it’s Abbey. I need Mariah’s phone number. I want to invite her to play a benefit basketball game with our old team.”

  “Sure. Here it is.”

  “Are you okay?” Abbey asked. “I’ve heard you have some heart problems.”

  “I’m fine. My old ticker just slowed down—just like the rest of me.”

  “Take care of yourself, Sean, and I’ll see you at church tomorrow. Good-bye.”

  Mariah’s phone rang six times before a man answered, “Toleson residence.”

  “May I speak to Mariah?”

  “Who should I say is calling?”

  “Abbey King, a high school friend.”

  “Are you sure you’re not a reporter. I’ve heard similar tricks.”

  “I’m the real deal. We played on a basketball team together.”

  “I’ve been Mrs. Toleson’s Personal Assistant for three years. She’s never once mentioned being a basketball player. I’ll take your number so she can return your call, if she chooses to.”

  “Okay,” Abbey responded.

  One roadblock after another, was her thought as she dialed Sean again.

  “Sean, Mariah’s assistant didn’t let me talk to her. He thinks I’m a reporter. Will you phone her and tell her about the game?”

  Sean agreed.

  Abbey dialed the last number on her list, hoping for third-time charm.

  “May I speak to Tina?”

  “Mom died,” a child’s voice squeaked. “Talk to my Dad.”

  Abbey suppressed the moan that was rising from her chest to her throat.

  “Hello,” said a somber voice.

  “I went to high school with Tina. How did she die?” Abbey’s voice cracked every couple of words. She wasn’t sure she made sense.

  “Who are you?”

  “Abbey King. I played basketball on the Diffee High School team with Tina.”

  “Yes. I do remember her mentioning your name,” Gavin spoke slowly. “She died of respiratory failure as a result of being poisoned. She was murdered.”

  “Did they arrest her killer?”

  “No.”

  “I’m…sorry for your loss!”

  “Thank you,” he said. Then the phone went dead.

  She clutched her trembling hands together. “Gary!” she cried out.

  He ran into the kitchen, took one look at her, and asked, “My, God, what’s wrong?”

  “My friends are dead,” she moaned.

  “Who’s dead?”

  “Heather and Tina are dead like Terri!”

  He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Her body trembled in his arms as she wept. Red streaks on her face accented her pale skin and her eyes were swelling shut.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Abbey tried to remember how she ended up on her bed. She vaguely recalled a sensation of being picked up and carried. She didn’t have a clue as to how she managed to fall asleep with all the sorrow surrounding her. Her body felt heavy and she didn’t want to leave the support of the bed or the comforting darkness.

  Her thoughts went back an hour to the discovery of a bizarre series of deaths that resulted in the loss of three good friends. It can’t be. It doesn’t make any sense, unless….Her body shuddered as if a blizzard suddenly came through the windows. She pulled the receiver off the nightstand phone and pressed 9-1-1. The base of the phone fell and tangled from the short cord.

  Abbey’s voice quivered, “Delia, I need to talk to Lexie.”

  “She’s right here.”

  Abbey heard Delia whisper, “It’s Abbey. She sounds upset.”

  “Hello.”

  “Lexie, something’s terribly wrong. Heather and Tina are both dead. I think someone is killing the members of our basketball team. Three out of the eight of us died within a two week period.” Abbey’s words came out in rapid sequence. She clinched the phone with her right hand and her head with the left.

  “How did Tina and Heather die?”

  Abbey heard the suppressed shock in Lexie’s voice.

  “Tina was found murdered in a park and Heather was found drown in her bathtub. Heather’s dad said it was a suicide. What if it wasn’t? You didn’t think that Ronald murdered Terri, so someone else did. Tina’s murderer hasn’t been found.” Abbey couldn’t contain the speed of her words. It was as if she needed to tell Lexie fast, before another horrible thing happened.

  “I know you’re upset, Abbey. But it’s a long stretch from three women dying to someone wanting to kill an entire team. Like you said, Terri’s death looks like a mercy killing and I remember hearing that Heather attempted suicide last year. It doesn’t make any sense that someone wants to kill eight teenage girls twenty years later.”

  “Can’t you check into this?” Abbey failed at her attempt to sound calm.

  “No, I can’t. Even if I thought there was reason to be suspicious, these cases are out of my jurisdiction.”

  “Okay,” Abbey said with uncertainty. “It just seems so bizarre that they died so close to each other.”

  “I know,” Lexie sympathized. “I’m sorry that you’ve lost three good friends.”

  Abbey hung up the phone without saying goodbye.

  She turned to Gary and said, “Lexie won’t do anything. She thinks it’s just a coincidence.”

  “It may be,” Gary shrugged. “Why don’t you just let it go?”

  Her body stiffened. “I won’t take a chance that someone may die because I didn’t warn them.”

  “You may be scaring them for no reason.” Gary held her hand.

  She jerked it away. “You think I’m crazy! Don’t you?”

  “I think you’re upset. If you’ll feel better after you phone and warn them—then do it. They can accept what you say or not.”

  The first call was easy since Jamie’s answering machine picked up. “It’s Abbey. I need to talk. Meet me in front of the library at three this afternoon.”

  “Hello.”

  “Loretta, it’s Abbey. Something important has come up. I need you to meet me in front of the library at three.”

  “Sounds mysterious. But I’m going to a dinner party tonight and have to get my hair and nails done this afternoon.”

  “It may be a matter of life and death.” Abbey’s voice squeaked out the word death.

  “No wonder you won that drama award in high school. Okay. I’ll see if I can manage to get there.”

  Beth answered the phone on the first ring. “Hello,” she said.

  “I need you to meet me in front of the library at three o’clock.”

  “What’s wrong, Abbey? You sound like you’ve been crying?”

  “I’m okay. I just need you to meet me.”

  “I’ll be there,” Beth agreed.

  The same personal assistant answered the phone at Mariah’s number. “This is Abbey King. It’s urgent that I speak to Mariah.”

  “It seems it’s always an emergency when someone wants to speak to Mrs. Toleson. She’s not in and I assume she didn’t return your last call. That should be a clue that she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

  “It’s n
ot necessary to be so rude,” Abbey’s tone was sharp. “What’s your name? Mariah needs to know what an obnoxious servant you are.”

  Jamie will be proud of me for standing up for myself. Even I can be a bitch if pushed to the limit.

  “My name is Wade Cartwright. Feel free to spill your guts to her—if she ever calls you back.”

  Abbey slammed the phone down and started crying all over again.

  After she calmed down she dialed Sean’s number. “Mr. Haverty, it’s Abbey again. I know what I’m about to say sounds strange, but I need to get a message to Mariah. Three of her friends have died suspiciously and I’m afraid she may be in danger.

  “What’re you talking about?” The old man’s voice wheezed out the words.

  “Tina was found murdered in a park, Terri was killed in the hospital, and Heather was found dead in her bathtub.”

  “I heard Terri’s death was a mercy killing,” Sean said.

  “I know what they’re saying,” Abbey responded. “I’m afraid they’re wrong.”

  “Did you talk to the sheriff about this?”

  “I did, but Lexie said there wasn’t proof of a connection between the deaths. She can’t go out of Oklahoma to investigate anyway.”

  Sean’s voice turned accusatory. “Well, if Lexie says there’s nothing to worry about, I’ll trust her opinion. It sounds like you’re overreacting. You need to calm down and not upset folks.”

  “Yes. Okay. Sorry I bothered you! Goodbye.”

  Well, he put me in my place. I’ll shut-up before someone else thinks I’ve gone nuts.

  Thanks to Sean’s reprimand she felt like a fool telling Jamie, Beth, and Loretta her fears.

  Engulfed in thought on the drive, she arrived ten minutes late. Loretta was walking toward her car.

  “Come back, Loretta,” Jamie called. “The secretive woman has arrived.”

  “I don’t have time for your drama. I messed up my nails. Because of you, I left the salon before they dried. Now I’m going to have to go back.” She waved her chipped nail inches from Abbey’s face.

  Beth’s eyes searched Abbey’s. “What’s wrong?”

  “Probably nothing.”

  Loretta pointed a finger at Abbey. “You ruined my entire day for probably nothing.”

  “Good grief,” Jamie’s nostrils flared. “A chip in your fingernail polish is hardly a reason to have a fit!”

  Abbey stared at the crack in the sidewalk. “I just wanted to tell you that Heather and Tina are both dead.”

  “Oh, no,” Beth whimpered.

  “How did they die?” Jamie’s eyes searched Abbey’s face.

  “Tina was murdered and they think Heather committed suicide.”

  “They’re too young to die.” Loretta’s red lipstick was a stark contrast to her whitening face. “They’re the same age I am.”

  “I think it’s strange they died so close together.” Abbey looked up and met Beth’s gaze. “I don’t want to frighten you, but I’m afraid the deaths are connected.”

  “Connected? What do you mean by that?” Loretta’s body trembled as if jarred by the loudness of her own words.

  “I mean that someone is trying to kill off our old team.”

  “Good Lord, Abbey, that’s ridiculous,” Jamie scoffed. “All these deaths have lowered your IQ.”

  “No one has a reason to kill me.” Beth’s logic was directed toward the sky. “I try to be good to everyone.”

  Jamie tugged at her arm. “So you think someone might want to kill the rest of us?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Beth responded.

  “Well, you implied it.” Loretta turned her back.

  “I just wanted to warn you,” Abbey said. “I had no intention of starting a fight.”

  They each returned Abbey’s goodbye hug in silence. The three stood together as she passed them in her truck. She was sure that Loretta was talking about their crazy friend who needed to be on medication for delusions.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Answer the phone, Megan. I’m washing the dishes.”

  “It’s for you, Mom.”

  “Hello?”

  “Abbey, it’s me, Mariah.”

  “Mariah, it’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve lost so many friends lately, I now realize how precious they are.”

  “Yes, Dad told me about Tina, Heather, and Terri dying. I still can’t believe they’re gone. Dad also told me that you think the deaths are linked.”

  “It was probably just my grief over losing them so close together. I’m surprised your dad even told you. He told me that I shouldn’t upset people.”

  I think you’re right,” Mariah said.

  “You do?”

  “Yes, some guy phoned me a couple of weeks ago. He wanted me to meet him in a warehouse. He threatened to release information that would ruin my husband politically. I refused to meet him. Now, I wonder if I’m supposed to be dead, too.”

  “Mariah, your words sent shivers through my body.”

  “Maybe together we can figure out what’s going on. I’ll come there, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, including your family. If it gets out that I’m in Diffee we won’t have any privacy because of my now famous husband.”

  “Sure,” Abbey said. “I’d be happy to talk to anyone who doesn’t think I’m loony.”

  “I just finished a fundraising dinner in Tulsa. I’ll drive to Diffee. I can meet you in thirty minutes where we used to swim at Mud Creek.”

  “I’ll be there,” Abbey agreed.

  Abbey hung up the phone and called to Megan, “Honey, I need to meet a friend. Watch your brothers. Your dad will be home soon.”

  “Okay,” Megan said, her eyes focused on the television screen.

  Abbey gave each of the three a quick kiss then hurried out the door.

  The winding two-lane highway was barely visible a few yards in front of her. Occasionally, a streak of lightning interrupted the darkness. Abbey wanted to turn around and go home.

  Megan’s unfinished dance recital costume was waiting for her, as were ten other things. Abbey wished she’d heated up the stew and cornbread so Gary would have a hot meal when he got home from work. It was tempting to go with her gut, but no way would she leave Mariah waiting in the dark on a stormy night.

  Turning the car to the right, she drove up the rocky road that ended by the bank of the creek. Her hand pressed against the knife in her jogging pants pocket. Perhaps she was a little paranoid, but it made her feel safer.

  Abbey rolled down the car window. Unlike its name, Mud Creek was actually a lovely place. Next Saturday I’ll bring my children here to wade in the water and catch minnows. Over the years, she’d forgotten how much fun it was to play in the creek as a child.

  The wind from the approaching storm enlivened the leaves on the trees and set the forest in motion. Thunder resounded in the distance. Each peal seemed to carry the turbulent weather closer.

  Car lights signaled Mariah’s entrance into the clearing. Abbey didn’t understand why she was driving into the wooded area and turning around. Perhaps she thought they needed camouflage. Abbey started her car and followed Mariah into a circle of trees.

  Bud got out of the car and started walking toward her. “You look shocked,” Bud said as his mouth formed a stiff grin.

  “I was expecting you to be Mariah.”

  “I decided it wasn’t safe.”

  “Then it’s probably not safe for me either.”

  “I can talk to you about all those deaths. Come on out. I brought a blanket to sit on.”

  “I’m fine in the car. Say what you want to say.”

  “You’re right. The deaths are related.”

  “Why are you so sure?” Abbey was firm.

  “Because I watched them die!” Bud pulled the door handle but it didn’t open, then he pulled up the lock.

  Abbey’s scream was lost in the thunder. She reached down to turn the ignition key. He grabbed her arm through the window and aimed the
syringe toward her throat.

  She struggled under his grip as her teeth sunk into the hand that held the poison. The syringe fell from his hand increasing his furor. Dislodging her from behind the wheel, he threw her to the ground. Rolling away from him, she pulled a knife out of her pocket and stabbed aimlessly. The knife made contact with his arm as he fought the weapon away from her. Grabbing his arm in pain he lurched toward her.

  “You she-devil. I’ll teach you to hurt me,” he hissed as he squeezed her throat viciously. Bud pushed her lifeless body face first into the dirt. Grabbing a handful of brown curls he banged her face against the ground saying, “Got you bitch! Four down and three to go.”

  Bud climbed into his car, tired, but exhilarated. It was tempting to go for number five. He could persuade one of them out her back door, kill her, and let the rain wash away the evidence. He couldn’t decide what to do. A perfect opportunity, but his arm throbbed from the knife wound. He’d make the decision when he reached the fork in the highway.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Lexie kicked the quilt off and stared at the ceiling. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, she saw the numbers change to midnight. How she longed for the sleep that was so slow to come.

  I might as well get up and do something. First, she opened the window a foot to let the fresh smell come in from the thunderstorm. Next, she vacuumed the multi-color braided rug in her living room. Then she fluffed the red throw pillows from the sofa and chair.

  While dusting the window shades in her bedroom, she remembered telling Delia two years ago that she was going to buy a bedspread with matching drapes. Instead, the worn quilt that her mother started to throw out was still her only bed covering. The window shades were yellowed from age and the sun.

  After awhile the need for sleep forced her to crawl back into bed. Her body, heavy from tiredness, finally sunk into a deep sleep. The nightmare came as it generally did, but this time, amid the fear and blood from her father’s death, was an intermittent persistent noise.

  Lexie woke abruptly. Her brain muddled by sleep. It took a couple of minutes to realize the phone was ringing.

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “Gary King just phoned in a panic. He said that Abbey left four hours ago to meet a friend and still hasn’t come home.” Clay’s voice was loud and fast as he conveyed his message.