The Reunion
Page 25
Ray slapped his hat on his head and glared at all of them, then strode to the door.
“A lot of years have passed. I doubt if anyone would accurately remember one specific summer night twenty years ago. You have no proof,” he repeated, and then left.
“He’s right,” Meghan said breaking the silence the accusation and Ray’s departure caused. “An old diary of a parentally abused girl who killed herself is not proof. And there’s no DNA evidence.”
“I know,” Tom replied. “But I called in the State Police to investigate. I’ll let them take over.” He shook his head, and then nodded toward the deputy. “I hoped he’d confess and could be locked up today. Guess that was wishful thinking. Ray’s probably right. No one will remember.”
The deputy, silent until now, finally spoke. “I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I joined the force a couple of years after Ray. Whenever he was on patrol, he always stopped between eight-thirty and nine o’clock at The Cozy Corner Café for coffee.”
“That’s only two blocks from the Methodist Church,” Zach added.
“And the route Divine would have taken home,” Meghan reminded him. “Oh, my God, I feel sick.”
“Don’t we all,” Tom said.
“Are you saying Ray was the main target and that the others were…what, practice?” Zach wondered.
Tom heaved a tired sigh and shrugged. “I don’t know. She hated them all. If they hadn’t harassed Divine, she’d have never been raped.”
“When did you start to suspect Glory?” Zach asked.
“When Eileen found Annabelle’s body. Glory had disappeared from the ballroom. In spite of her reunion duties, she’d been brooding and morose the last three months. I worried the medications weren’t helping. Obviously, she’d stopped taking them. She told me she was fine, just nervous about the reunion. I wanted to believe her. But she knew so many details about Tami and Eddie’s deaths, it made me uneasy. At first, I thought Eileen had told her, but when I cornered her in the bar later, she claimed the police from California and Texas only asked if the invitation was legit.”
“No wonder Glory fainted when Suzanne strolled out from behind the plants. Her first failure. She must have gotten one hell of a shock,” Meghan concluded. “I wonder how she enticed Dave to Suzanne’s room.”
Tom walked over to a chair and sat. His face twisted, and he blinked his eyes rapidly but failed to suppress the tears.
“I spent several hours with her, our lawyer, and the doctors this morning. She’s holding nothing back. She slipped the room key into his coat pocket in the bar. Dave was drunk. When he found it, he expected Suzanne.”
“So, she zapped him with the stun gun and had an easy victim,” Zach said. “Did you know about the stun gun?”
Tom shook his head. “Never had a clue.”
“And she was sitting next to me in the lobby when the subject came up. Remember? She high-tailed it out of the room shortly afterward,” Meghan replied, turning to Zach.
“She ditched it, and then stalked Suzanne,” he finished.
A strangled sob escaped from Tom’s throat.
Meghan shifted in her seat to ease aching muscles. “And Suzanne played right into her hands by trying to run. Poor Glory, both verbal and physical abuse.”
Tom wiped his eyes. “Divine was her protector.”
“Protector? In what way?” Zach inquired.
“Old man Prescott preached fire and brimstone every night believing the Devil was in both of his daughters. But her mother was crazy, and I mean the certifiable kind of crazy. It was her duty to beat the evil out of her daughters. The girls feared her.”
Meghan groaned. “Oh, God. None of us ever suspected.”
“The clothes they wore would hide the bruises and welts. It still doesn’t explain the protector part,” Zach said.
“The abuse brought on nightmares. Glory would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. When her mother came in, Divine would take the blame. In Sarah’s twisted mind, the Devil was still in residence, so Divine took the beating for her sister. Glory was twelve when Divine killed herself. There was only one target for the next six years.”
“God, how warped can a person get?” Meghan demanded angrily. “How could she do that to her own children?”
“She believed that because they were women they were therefore a constant temptation to men and the Devil. Told her daughters that Satan was a coward and would leave to avoid the pain.” Tom buried his face in his hands. “I honestly thought I could help by marrying her. It worked for a while, too. Glory knew she was safe with me. I replaced Divine. I should have taken the diary away from her and burned it.”
“Glory would still be disturbed,” Meghan told him in a gentle tone.
“Yeah, but five people would still be alive.” Tears filled his eyes again. “If I had been more observant, I might have seen it coming.”
Zach shook his head. “How? You had no idea what she was planning or that she’d gone to Malibu and Texas while you were in Chicago. It’s not your fault. You did everything you could.”
“I suppose, but I’ll never get rid of the guilt.” He raised his eyes to Meghan. “She hadn’t planned on ditching the stun gun, and wanted me to thank you for warning her. She’s read your books and knows you have an eye for detail. She was afraid you’d remember her big purse. Then she realized you had linked Tami and Eddie’s deaths to the reunion and had questioned other people. She decided to eliminate you, Meghan.”
“I’d still be around,” Zach reminded him.
“She saw how it was between the two of you. In her mind, you’d be too upset about Meghan to cause any harm.”
Tom rose, walked stiffly toward the door, and turned hesitating as if about to speak. Instead, he shook his head and left with tears running down his face.
Meghan’s eyes welled. “God, I feel so sorry for him.”
“I guess if my wife turned out to be a mass murderer, I’d come apart at the seams, too.”
“Do you believe Divine’s diary?”
Zach nodded, tightened his arm around her waist, and kissed her temple.
“It was her suicide note. People generally don’t lie when they’re about to pull the plug. I just hope the state police can bring Ray to justice. Ray acted guilty as hell. I think he knew twenty years ago why Divine killed herself.”
She rested her head on Zach’s shoulder. “You think she told Ray about being pregnant?”
“What would you do?”
She drew in an angry breath. “I’d confront the son of a bitch. He was already married at that time, wasn’t he?”
“Had a kid, too. I’ll bet she told him, and he refused to believe it or convinced her to get rid of it.”
“No, not Divine,” Meghan said emphatically. “Abortion was a heinous sin. If she was pregnant, everyone would soon know, including her parents. Can you imagine her mother’s reaction to that?”
“If she was pregnant, the coroner either didn’t say anything or her parents hushed it up.”
“My guess is it was always in the autopsy report. The Prescotts just never asked to see it. And since it was obviously a suicide, the case was probably closed without the details ever being revealed,” Meghan remarked, raising her head and wiping her eyes. “You’re right. Either way, Ray Armstrong knew why she did it. I guess we’ll never know exactly how Glory’s mind worked, but what better way to kill the man who raped your sister than to lure him to the reunion with a murder?”
If I were writing this, I’d use it as a plot strategy. It’s brilliant.
Suddenly, her creative urges kicked in. She couldn’t wait to start a new book.
“I wonder how on earth she would have killed Ray?” Zach mused.
“She managed Dave just fine.”
“But she ditched the stun gun.”
“Maybe she planned on retrieving it later, or maybe she made another plan when word got out about the stun gun. Maybe, she just didn’t know and decided to wing it.” She p
aused, and then sighed. “God, let’s get out of here.”
Zach helped her to her feet. “I’m with you. I don’t think I’ll attend the twenty-fifth reunion.”
They exited the hospital and walked to the car. Before opening the passenger door, he stopped and gazed into her eyes.
Meghan’s heart knocked against her ribs, and her nerves danced when he placed his hands on her shoulders.
Zach lips curved into a sexy smile. “Do you have to return to Raleigh right away?”
“Not for a couple of weeks. I tied the reunion into a two week vacation.”
“Any place special?”
“No. I was going to let the wind blow me somewhere.”
He arched his eyebrows. “Ever been to Phoenix?”
“Can’t say that I have,” she replied, not at all surprised when her heart rate accelerated.
“I have a three-bedroom house in town, and own a dude ranch near the Grand Canyon.”
“A dude ranch? You’re kidding.”
“Not at all. It’s a great investment and very relaxing. I don’t know about you, but I can use a rest.”
“Is that an invitation?”
His smile deepened into a grin. “Definitely.”
She teased him for a moment, pretending to think, and then laughed at his anxious expression.
“Make the plane reservations. I’ll go shopping for jeans and cowboy boots. Yee-haw!”
“Don’t forget a hat. You’ll need one of those. It’s August and the sun is brutal.” Zach stared into her eyes. “I love you, Meghan. Let’s make this the start of the rest of our lives.”
“Are you proposing?”
He smiled. “Yeah, I guess I am. Could have done it better, but I’m new at this love thing.”
“I think you did it beautifully.”
“You haven’t said yes yet,” he reminded her.
Tears welled in her eyes. “Of course, I’ll say yes. I love you, too.”
He pulled Meghan into his arms, kissing her soundly. She ignored those stabbing jabs of pain as her bruises protested until she came up for air.
“You’ll make one hell of a cowgirl.”
“I suppose you own all the correct cowboy gear? Does that make you a real cowboy?”
“Of course,” he answered, his lips nuzzling her ear.
She shivered and welcomed the throb from deep inside her. “And you know how to ride horses?”
“Hmm,” he murmured from the vicinity of her neck.
“I don’t,” she whispered, snatching his ear lobe between her teeth.
The throb intensified, sending little flames licking along her nerves.
“I’ll teach you.” His lips nibbled lightly on her chin.
“I have a better idea. As the song goes, ‘Save a horse, ride a cowboy.’”
He laughed, and then covered her mouth with his.
Epilogue
Excerpts from the Grandview, Indiana News-Journal:
August 31st
“Grandview Sheriff Raymond Armstrong was officially placed on administrative leave by Mayor Travis Connor pending the investigation of a twenty-year-old rape accusation made by Thomas Ecklund on behalf of his late sister-in-law, Divine Prescott. Mr. Ecklund is married to Glory Prescott, sister of the deceased, who is currently being held in…”
September 20th
“After evaluations by three state approved psychiatrists, Judge Randolph J. Hennison today sentenced Glory Prescott Ecklund to The Indiana State Sanatorium for the Criminally Insane where she will remain until doctors deem her fit to carry out her sentence of life in prison for the murders of…”
November 6th
“Today mayor-elect, John Hamilton congratulated his opponent, Dan Masterson on a well-run race and looks forward to working with the City Councilman in the future. Businessman Hamilton won in a landslide of close to 3-1…”
November 15th
“Two fishermen reported finding the body of suspended sheriff Ray Armstrong in his car parked on the north end of Samson’s Lake. Cause of death is pending an autopsy, but witnesses revealed a gunshot wound to the head. Sheriff Armstrong’s police issued Glock was found next to the body.
The Grand Jury recently indicted the former sheriff on rape charges when, after twenty years, an old coroner’s report was discovered stating that Divine Prescott, aged eighteen, had been three months pregnant at the time of death.
Acting Sheriff Ron Campbell released the following statement: “We are indeed saddened by this tragedy. Ray Armstrong was a dedicated law enforcement officer and a valued member of the community. The sheriff’s office has no comment on the accusations against Sheriff Armstrong.”
E-Mail from Thomas Ecklund to Zachary Dunbar:
Ray Armstrong committed suicide early this morning in his car with a single shot to the head. One of the men who found him told me he read a note left on the front seat. In it, Ray confessed to having raped Divine.
When I told Glory, she quoted, “The Lord shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head.” The book of I Kings, chapter two, verse forty-four.
I know other appropriate quotes: “Nature has but one judgment on wrong conduct—the judgment of death.” Oliver Wendell Holmes.
“Preserve me, O God, for in thee I put my trust.” Psalms 16:1
Divine can rest in peace. It’s over.
~Tom
A word about the author...
Suzanne was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, but has had the privilege of living in many areas of the country. Currently, she and her husband call Ft. Lauderdale, Florida home.
When not creating murder and mayhem along with romance, she loves traveling to see her 6 grandchildren in Memphis, Tennessee, and in Rockford, Illinois.
Other Books You Might Like
Hear No Evil by Suzanne Rossi
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Praise for Suzanne Rossi
Dedication
Other books by Suzanne Rossi
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Epilogue
A word about the author...
Other Books You Might Like
Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
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