by Kelly Utt
“I don’t know what to say,” Cate stammered. “I certainly didn’t know Mick had borrowed any money, let alone this much. Honestly, Nancy, I didn’t even know you had this much money.”
Cate’s mother-in-law was enjoying watching her squirm. “I have this and more, inherited from my father. Just because I’m not showy with it doesn’t mean I’m poor. I’m not like your pitiful, blue-collar family.”
The words cut Cate like a knife. This was exactly what Nancy did that Cate hated so much. She’d manipulate things to have the upper hand, but she was sneaky about it. She’d act nicer when she needed to get you right where she wanted so she was in control. Cate felt sick at the thought of being indebted to this woman. Five million dollars was a lot of money. More than Cate had ever seen. It was more than she’d probably ever see in her lifetime. She was suddenly furious with Mick for leaving her in this situation. She began to think about the fact that maybe she really would lose the house and have to start over with the kids. Cate didn’t know how the courts would treat a debt of this type left for a surviving spouse. She felt helpless to do anything about the situation. And the way things were piling on, Cate didn’t know how she would find the strength to tackle one more issue, especially of this magnitude.
“And now you know,” Nancy said smugly, pushing the folder further towards Cate. “It’s right here, in front of your face. Maybe you should have thought twice about your attitude towards me all these years. From where I’m sitting, it looks like you made a serious mistake in keeping those kids away from me. And now you’ll have to pay, literally,” Nancy said with an evil laugh. She pointed her finger in Cate’s face. “I intend to take every single cent from you that the courts will allow. Find another place to live because I’m coming for that picture-perfect house of yours. You’ll be hearing from my attorney.”
Nancy picked up the Manila folder from the table, placed it in her bag, and then stomped out of the room, letting the door slam behind her. Cate was left speechless and feeling like she had been punched in the gut. She put her head into her hands and began to cry.
18
“Cate?” Anna asked tentatively as she poked her head in the door to the conference room. She could tell Cate was upset, and she hated to complicate matters any further. Anna wished that she could do something to help Cate. Something to take away the stress and strain.
“Yes?” Cate said, doing her best to sound put together.
“Two things, actually,” Anna said. “First, you have a phone call from a Sean O’Brien. He’s holding on line one and says he has something urgent to tell you.”
Cate pulled her mobile phone out of the pocket of her sweater and looked down at it. She had missed two calls from Sean during the time she’d been with Nancy. She thought maybe he wanted to talk about whatever it was he was trying to tell her this morning, but Cate wasn’t terribly interested in that. Cate had a lot else on her mind. She couldn’t imagine what it might be that would be as important as he claimed. She suspected Sean had too much time on his hands as a retiree and that he probably just wanted an excuse to chat. It occurred to her, however, that Sean might be calling about Meesha again. Cate decided she had better not ignore him, in case the family dog was in peril.
“Okay,” Cate said. “I’ll take it in here. Thank you, Anna.”
“You’re welcome, but when you’re finished with that phone call, there is the other thing I mentioned,” Anna said, wrinkling up her nose as if she really didn’t want to have to say it. She seemed to genuinely hate being the bearer of bad news.
“What?” Cate asked.
“Well, there’s a detective here again. He’s waiting in the lobby.”
“Detective Fredericks?” Cate asked, the enthusiasm obvious in her voice. She could feel her eyes light up and her body tingle when she thought about Neil.
“No, I’m sorry,” Anna said. “This is a different detective. He said his name is Luke Hemming.”
19
“Sean, what is it?” Cate asked impatiently as she picked up the phone in the conference room and pushed the button for line one. “Is Meesha okay?”
“Oh, hi, Cate,” he replied. “As far as I know, Meesha is fine. She’s at your house, right?”
“She was when I left her about an hour ago,” Cate said. “I just thought…”
“Yeah, that’s not why I’m calling,” Sean clarified.
“What is it then?”
“I guess I’ll just come right out and say it,” Sean mumbled, sounding awkward. “I saw something I think you need to know about.”
This again, Cate thought.
“Sean,” Cate said. “I’m in a hurry today. I have someone waiting for me as we speak. I don’t mean to be short, but can we talk about this tonight when I get home? Because if it’s about what the police asked you...”
“It’s more than that. It’s… I think it’s pretty important,” he replied. “I think I should tell the police, but I wanted to make sure it was okay with you first since it concerns your family.”
Sean had Cate’s full attention now.
“Go on,” she said.
“You want me to tell you now? Or tonight?”
Cate was growing weary of Sean’s sluggishness. He was a nice man. She knew she was being unreasonable, but she couldn’t seem to help being short with him today.
“Yes, we’ll do it now,” she blurted. “What?”
Sean hesitated. Collecting his thoughts. “Is this phone line monitored?”
“Why do you ask?”
“It’s… oh, nevermind. I’ll go ahead,” he conceded. “It’s about last night’s break-in at your house.”
“Okay,” Cate said as she waited for Sean to spit it out. She wondered what this could have to do with her family, other than her family’s safety at their home.
“I saw someone.” There was silence on the line as Cate waited. “Two people, actually. A man and a woman. They were driving down our street last night, past my house. And away from yours. Not long before I discovered Meesha roaming around.”
“Okay,” Cate said, interested now.
“It was getting dark, and the storm was picking up. Mitchell and I were in our front room looking for candles in preparation for what we assumed would be an inevitable power outage. I looked out the window and saw that wind gusts were blowing things around all over the place. When I noticed the car go by, I remember thinking it was odd for them to be out in that weather. It seemed like they should have been hunkering down indoors, you know?”
“Yes,” Cate said, nodding, even though no one was there to see it.
“I didn’t get a look at the man’s face, but the woman…” Sean’s voice trailed off.
“Go on,” Cate prompted.
“I didn’t recognize her at first. That’s why I didn’t mention it when I called to tell you about Meesha or when I called back about your front door being wide open. But while lying in bed last night, it dawned on me that I knew who she was.”
“Who was it?” Cate asked, exasperated. She thought Sean might never get to the point.
“I haven’t said anything to the police yet.” He took a deep breath before he spoke the woman’s name, nervous about saying what he knew. “I’m pretty sure it was your mother-in-law. Nancy, right? From Oklahoma? I remember meeting her the day of the funeral.”
“Oh,” Cate replied. She now knew Nancy was in town, but she was surprised to hear that her mother-in-law and a male companion were on her street last night. “Yeah, she’s in town. She showed up unexpectedly. I was actually with her when you called. She just left my office building.”
“Did you know she had been at your house?”
“No, but I guess it makes sense. She and her husband Al must have stopped by when we weren’t home,” Cate explained. She wasn’t sure what to make of this new information. It sounded harmless, like Nancy and Al had simply stopped by to see the kids. Or maybe Nancy had wanted to deliver her manila folder to Cate last night instead of this
morning.
“The man with her wasn’t her husband,” Sean said, sounding very sure.
“Wait. What?” Cate asked. “Who else would it have been if not Al?”
“I don’t know, but the man I saw was younger than Al. He was fit and muscular. No offense to your father-in-law, but there’s no way it was him. I got a good look at the man’s midsection.”
“And you think they were coming from my house?”
“I can’t say for certain,” Sean replied. “But it sure looked that way. They were going slowly when I first saw them on Flock Hollow Lane as if they had just turned onto our street from the access point to the alley behind our homes. They sped up quickly as they passed by.”
“And you’re sure it was Nancy?”
“Yeah, I am.”
20
“Mrs. Cate Brady,” Detective Hemming said as he stood up to shake Cate’s hand. “I’m Detective Luke Hemming from the Rosemary Run Police Department.” He looked and sounded serious. He didn’t seem to care that the lobby was bustling with people. He wasn’t friendly like Neil had been.
“Hello,” Cate said in return. “What can I do for you today, Detective Hemming?”
Luke was a new detective who had moved to the area from Reno earlier this year. Cate had heard his name, but hadn’t met him in person until now. He was a handsome African-American man with strong features and an athletic build. He wasn’t an eligible bachelor like Neil Frederick though. Cate had heard that Luke had a wife and a young family. If she was remembering correctly, Luke’s twin daughters attended Niko’s preschool.
“I’ll skip the niceties,” he said. “Mrs. Brady, I’d like you to come down to the station and answer some questions for me.”
Cate's face flushed as the reality of what she knew was coming began to unfold. “Am I under arrest, Detective Hemming?” she asked.
“Not yet,” he replied, stoically. “At this time, we request your voluntary cooperation.”
“So, I’m not required to come to the station right now?” Cate asked. She was impressed with herself at keeping a level head in this tense situation, especially given everything else on her mind.
“That’s right.” Luke shifted his weight and lowered one eyebrow as he looked hard at Cate. “Do you have something to hide, Mrs. Brady?”
People in the lobby were beginning to notice now. Cate could see Anna out of the corner of her eye, looking concerned and wringing her hands behind the reception desk. Luke wasn’t talking loudly, but it was as if everyone in the vicinity was picking up on his powerful body language.
“No, of course not,” Cate said, in a quieter voice. “I’m simply asking so I understand my rights.”
Luke kept eye contact with Cate, but didn’t say anything else. He had a confidence about him she admired and respected. She could tell he was a good cop. Rosemary Run was lucky to have him.
“Does my brother know about this?” Cate asked.
Luke didn’t blink. And he didn’t answer the question. Cate didn’t dare ask if Neil knew. She realized that keeping what had happened between them quiet was in both of their best interests. She stood quietly for a moment, tapping one finger on the inseam of her pants and considering whether to cooperate. She wondered if this was the best time to consult an attorney. She thought perhaps it wasn’t necessary. Maybe Luke was conducting a fishing expedition to see what Cate had to say. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to go on down to the station and hear them out. Perhaps she could learn something that would turn out to be useful.
“Fine,” Cate said. “I’d be happy to come down to the station and answer your questions, Detective Hemming. Shall we do that now?”
“Yes,” Luke said. He was keeping things so formal that he didn’t even bother to use more than one-word answers. He nodded his thanks.
“I’ll tell my boss I’m leaving and I’ll meet you there,” Cate said.
Luke nodded again, then turned and walked out the front door.
21
Cate stopped at the bathroom on the way upstairs. It was empty, so she went into the same stall she had the morning before, hoping maybe she could cry a little. She thought it might help her to get out some of the emotions which felt like they were about to bubble over the surface. Only this time, no tears would come. Cate felt frozen in time, like an animal in headlights whose flight or fight response hadn’t kicked in yet. She was thankful that her mind and her mouth had worked well enough to speak to Luke appropriately, but she could tell her body was in shock. Not knowing what else to do, she pulled her mobile phone out of her pocket and dialed her parents.
“Cate Bear!” Ron said, after picking up on the first ring. He hadn’t called her Cate Bear in a long time, but was doing it frequently over the past couple of days. Cate thought it odd, but she didn’t mind. Right now, she needed all the love and support from her parents she could get. “How are you, Kid?”
“I’m okay, Daddy,” Cate said, her voice shaky. “Did you and Mom get the goats back safely last night? And are you getting the barn repaired?”
“Yes, Fred and Ginger are fine. Safe and sound. We have someone coming to patch up the barn tomorrow. But what’s wrong?” Ron asked, the concern evident in his voice.
Cate knew she could get right down to it. There was no reason to beat around the bush with her parents. “The police have asked me to come in and answer some questions for them. They’re investigating Mick’s death. They think it might not have been an accident and they suspect I may have been involved.”
“What in the world?” Ron asked rhetorically. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Oh, my darling girl. I’m so sorry.”
That did it. The tears began to flow freely. “Daddy, I don’t know what to do,” Cate said as she sobbed. “I knew this was coming, believe it or not. There’s a lot I haven’t had a chance to tell you and Mom. But now that it’s happening, I feel like someone has put a bolt of lightning into my body. I’m all amped up and frozen at the same time. I’m not sure I can make any sense when they question me.”
“You’ll do fine, Cate Bear,” Ron reassured. “You have nothing to hide. Just try and relax and be yourself.”
Cate nodded silently. She could hear her mom in the distance asking what was going on, then she heard her dad cover the phone with his hand and mutter a few key words to Ellen. “Honey,” he said to his daughter when he returned. “Are you going right now?”
“Yes,” Cate said. “I just need to tell Laura that I’m leaving. I hope she doesn’t get too upset with me. I’ve missed so much work lately and now, two mornings in a row, police officers have waited for me in the lobby.”
“No need to say another word,” Ron replied. “Your mom and I are coming up there. We’ll meet you at the station.”
As Cate hung up the phone, she felt relieved. She thought it was perhaps juvenile and immature to have called her parents, but she needed them now more than ever. She dried her tears and pulled herself together, then went upstairs to gather her things and speak with her boss. Luckily, Laura was gracious and didn’t seem to mind the additional ask. She reassured Cate that she had known her return to work after her husband’s sudden death would be a bumpy road. She said that Vine Country Magazine would be there waiting with open arms when Cate was ready to return to a more normal schedule.
Appreciative, Cate headed back downstairs and past the reception desk. Anna Isley could tell that Cate had been crying. She stepped out from around the desk as Cate walked past and she wrapped her arm around Cate’s shoulders. “If there’s anything I can do…” Anna said.
“I know,” Cate replied. “Thank you.”
Sasha hadn’t arrived yet this morning, but Cate asked Anna to please tell her friend what had happened when she got there.
As Cate walked out the front door of her office building and stepped into the pleasant October day, she thought how sad it was that all of her happy thoughts had come crashing down around her in such a short time. Although part of her had
known it would happen that way. Maybe she had wanted to squeeze every bit of happiness out that she still could.
Pal wasn’t on his usual spot on the bench as Cate walked by. She thought it was strange, but then again, she was usually in her office building this time of morning and wasn’t sure what his typical patterns were. For all she knew, he spent some of the day out of the direct sun when it wasn’t mealtime. Cate walked on without thinking too much about it. She continued to the parking garage, where she got in her SUV and drove towards the police station.
By the time she arrived, Luke had a chair ready for her at a table in an interrogation room. He waved her in and she could see that Neil was waiting inside the room. She looked around nervously for her parents. She felt like a jumbled mess, feeling both excited by the prospect of seeing the man she had made love to last night and wanting her parents to be with her during the interview. She thought about how a grown woman wouldn’t need her parents. And a child wouldn’t have had any business making love to a handsome police officer. Cate wasn’t sure what she was anymore.
Just in time, Ron and Ellen burst through the front doors of the station, looking every bit the part of protective parents.
“My mom and dad are here,” Cate said to Luke. “Can they join me?”
Luke glanced over at Neil, who shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. “It’s not exactly typical for a woman of your age to bring her parents when she comes in for questioning,” Luke said. “But I suppose there’s no harm in it at this juncture. They must remain quiet and listen only.”
“Thank you,” Cate said gratefully. “I understand. They’ll be quiet.” She turned back towards her parents and motioned for them to follow her.
Neil looked down at the floor as everyone piled into the interrogation room. Cate could see there were cameras set up to record everything that happened. She knew Neil was probably being careful to avoid having the cameras pick up on the budding relationship between the two of them. She knew they would need to stick to business. They would have to avoid pleasantries and affectionate glances.