He looked at her intently and in such a way that was both hard and soft at the same time and she thought her heart would stop.
"Gina, I need to know if you might possibly be able to see me i n the same way. Not as a cousin , but as something more."
She didn't know what to say.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Gina?"
She was in his arms the next second. A fter that, there didn 't seem a reason to say a word.
When Jerry passed them in the car, he nearly drove off the road.
Chapter 15
"You 're my last interview here, Reggie, " Rob said, shaking Reggie 's hand. It had been a long day. "And first off, I want to thank you for allowing me to interview your family and houseguests so comfortably at the scene like this."
"It 's fine."
"I 'll be popping in to see your neighbours on either side, then handling the rest of the investigation from the station."
The two men walked together from the doorway to the desk and took seats on either side.
"You heading up the investigation?" Reggie asked.
"Only m ajor c rimes d etective in Langford Hills."
Reggie then asked if he was calling in the Ontario Provincial Police or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police .
"So far, it 's not a joint operation, " Rob replied, trying hard not to let it show how much Reggie 's question pissed him off.
"I get it. None of my business."
"Let 's get to it. And then I 'll be out of your hair. Recognize the victim?"
Rob handed over the photo. He watched Reggie's face. Even when a person forces himself to remain blank, some expression is unavoidable. Unless he 's a master spy or something. There was a perceptible widening of Reggie 's eyes.
"Nah."
"Funny, I have a lead on who this is, and you were seen outside , " he looked down at the desk at the notes spread out in front of him, "the Green Hills Motor Court with a woman who looked just like her."
Reggie remained silent.
"Rethinking your answer?"
"All the damn thinking in the world won 't change my answer, bud." Reggie 's tone was abrasive.
Early days. Could be Ian was lying about seeing Reggie with the victim. Or maybe Ian thought it was the victim, but it was really some other woman. Or some other man. First conflicting witness testimony in the case. Mean s I 'm getting somewhere.
"So, Reggie, where were you between the hours of 10:00 last night and 7:00 this morning?"
"Had a nightcap right here in this room, actually, then went upstairs to bed. That 's it, that 's all." Reggie placed both hands on his hips, thus increasing the span of his body. "Exactly like my wife told you this morning."
"Only thing I asked Carla this morning was if she noticed anything unusual."
When Nellie squeezed through the back door into the kitchen, Aunt Becki asked, "How was school?"
"Okay, I guess."
"No problem on the way home?" Mom asked.
"Nope."
A few times during her walks home, Andy, a stupid bully in her class, had ripped up her artwork or whistled in her ear or flipped her skirt. But not today.
"Chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk for a snack?" Mom asked.
"Yes, please."
"And, sweetie, Aunt Becki has something for you." Mom 's face was shiny.
It made Nellie feel good seeing Mom like that. "What?"
In answer, Aunt Becki plunked a square package in front of her spot at the table.
"Brown paper packages tied up with string, " Mom sang. "You can open it, hon."
So Nellie tugged both ends until the bow loosened and the cord slipped off. Turned the package over and separated the paper where it was Scotch-taped together. "A book."
"Can you read any of the words in the title?" Aunt Becki asked.
"The…the…" She used her finger to help guide her through the letters, but the next word was way too hard.
"The Island of Adventure, " Mom said, looking delighted, even though Nellie hadn 't managed to read it. "By Enid Blyton."
"It may be a bit old for you, but I 'll read you some while I 'm here and I 'm sure your Mom will want to read it with you too ."
"Aunt Becki and I both read the whole series when we were—"
Aunt Becki jumped in. "It 's a collectible now."
"Good?" Nellie asked.
"Absolutely , " Mom and Aunt Becki said together.
Becki's stomach growled. She went outside for some fresh air and quiet before supper.
Jerry was making the evening meal tonight. He kept yelling at Ian, "How do you…? What goes in the…?"
The sky was coral pink as she wandered down the lawn and stood under the old maple. Rather than look out toward the police tape, the alley, the forest and the setting sun beyond, she faced the house and marvelled at the rapid changes in the light and how it affected the tint of the brick and reflections in the windows.
"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."
Ah, Carla was out, enjoying the remnants of the day. Becki looked around. The yard was empty. Where is she exactly?
"…a few of my favourite things."
Her voice carried beautifully in the stillness of dusk. Becki turned and walked to the alley. She looked south, but there was no one along its gloomy length. She twisted and looked in the other direction, past the taped off section, and there she saw Carla.
Carla was zigzagging along the gravel dragging one foot.
"What 's wrong?" Becki cried.
"When the dog bites…"
Her heart began to pound. She was at Carla's side in seconds. Blood, still dripping from Carla 's nose, had stiffened the material of the front of her blouse, which was ripped open at the neck; one of her eyes was swollen shut, and the skin around the other was mottled brown and purple; her hair was matted with what Becki also feared was blood.
"When I 'm feeling sad…"
Becki put her arm around her, but Carla kept trudging forward. To stop her, Becki had to step right into her path, look directly into her eyes and whisper, "Carla, we 're going to the hospital, okay?"
Rather than wait at the Langford Hills Hospital—which resembled a small clinic in her mind—while the doctor examined Carla, and before calling anyone at the house, Becki headed to the police station two doors down. By now it was dark. She wasn 't sure Detective Dumont would be there after his long day at the house, but there would be someone on duty.
She pulled open a heavy glass door, climbed a few stairs, opened another door, crossed a linoleum floor, and waited for service at what looked like a Sears Catalogue counter, except the female clerk who eventually came to see what Becki wanted wore a uniform. And a gun.
"Help you?"
"Detective Dumont in?" Becki asked.
"Ask what this is about?"
"A case…A case he 's on."
"Which one?"
"Murder on Hawthorne."
"I 'll get him."
The policewoman lumbered into the back and disappeared down a hallway. Becki was pleased Dumont was still there. While she waited, she tried not to look like a maniac for the sake of the young boy seated on a bench to one side. Finally, she saw Rob Dumont appear at the back of the room. He walked toward the dividing counter.
"Ms. Green. What 's up?"
"Another attack."
"When?"
"Just found Carla Williamson in back of the house. Nellie 's mom. Brought her next door to the hospital. She 's beaten bad."
"She say anything?"
"Who did it, you mean?"
Dumont nodded.
"No. When the nurses asked her, she just kept repeating, 'I n the face.' But she 's hit everywhere. She 's limping—"
Swinging open the gate in the counter, he said, "Let 's go."
Chapter 16
Carla was a mess. That much Rob could see. It hurt him just looking at her. The nurse had given her a load of painkillers and she wasn 't very sentient.
"Carla, who did this to you?"
"Didn 't see ."
The nurse was hovering. She looked formidable. "Inspector, I insist. We need to prep her."
"You didn 't see your attacker?" It didn 't make sense. She was hit in the face, among other places. She must have seen someone.
The nurse pushed him out of the examining room. He'd have to get a uniform to come guard her. He left to use his cellphone outside.
When he returned, Becki was sitting in a chair by the wall, drinking out of a paper cup. Her eyes were anxious. "Did she say anything?"
Rob sat down next to her. "She says she didn 't see him."
"But that doesn 't make sense, " Becki said.
"I know. She has to be protecting someone. Don 't know if it 's just her attacker or the killer too ."
Becki gasped. "You don 't think they 're the same person?"
Linda and Jerry came rushing down the hall.
Linda was out of breath. She looked like she was ready to host an evening cocktail party in that get-up. Mutton dressed as lamb, Rob thought again.
"I 've ordered roses, " Linda said with satisfaction. "Pink ones. They didn 't have yellow."
Rob looked at her as if she'd spoken in Swahili. What the hell had roses to do with anything?
"Ian 's parking the car. How is she?" Jerry asked.
"Pretty beat up, " Becki said. "But they think she 'll be all right , as long as there 's no internal damage. She 's going for X-rays or MRIs—whatever they do now."
"That bastard Reggie." Linda almost spit the words.
"You think Reggie did this?"
"Of course, he did. He 's the wife-beater type. Good-looking, thinks a lot of himself and a total failure at everything he tries. So he takes it out on someone weaker. Believe me, I know the type."
Everyone looked at Jerry.
"No, no! I don 't mean like Jerry. Don 't be ridiculous. I just know. From before…in my childhood."
Everyone stared at her. She shifted nervously from foot to high-heeled foot. "What are you looking at?"
"Do you know this for sure or are you just surmising? Has Carla said anything to you?"
Linda shook her head.
"Has she said anything to anyone else?"
Both Becki and Jerry shook their heads.
"Do we know this has happened before? Have any of you seen any signs of bruising on Carla that might be indicative?"
Linda and Jerry shook their heads this time. Becki did not, Rob noted. He looked right at her and crossed his arms.
"I 'm not sure, " Becki said carefully. "There are times I 've thought it odd—the things she 'd wear. Turtlenecks when it was too hot and long sleeves. She didn 't wear her favourite dinner dress once when she had the chance and I couldn 't figure out why. The excuse she made was nonsense. And once I saw these marks on her upper arms that looked like thumbprints. She said she 'd hit the wall funny, but you don 't get marks on both sides by doing that."
"Just like I said." Linda was triumphant.
Rob sat, thinking. It looked like a simple case of wife-beating…what a terrible way to put it. Simple made it sound ordinary or banal, when, as a man, he thought this was one of the most despicable things another man could do. What a terrible world we live in, Rob thought bitterly.
"Reggie is a bastard. I bet he killed the other woman too . Probably having an affair with her, the son-of-a-bitch." Linda was on a soapbox.
"He was having an affair with someone. I don 't know if it was her, " Jerry said. "Ian saw him at the motel with a woman."
There was a sharp intake of breath from Linda. "What hotel?"
"The one on the edge of town, the Green Hills something."
"Why didn 't you tell me? Why didn 't Ian?"
Jerry just shrugged.
"Did you know about this?" Linda turned to Rob. She sounded personally outraged.
Rob nodded. "Ian told me. We 're checking it out."
All this time, Becki had been quiet. She spoke up now. "You can 't be sure Reggie killed that other woman."
"What do you mean?" Rob asked "I know what you mean, " Jerry said. "If he was the killer, he wouldn 't have used a bat. Reggie would have used his bare hands."
Ian had not told the police everything. Yes, he had confessed to Dumont about seeing a woman with Reggie, but he neglected mentioning the woman was familiar. That would have been the right thing to do, of course, but Ian had plans of his own. Besides, he liked to plant a few wild seeds and watch them grow. Let the police find out who the mystery dame was—that was their job. Ian would guard his own thoughts, which were both puzzling and disturbing. For Ian had seen someone who shouldn 't be there. Rather, someone who surprised him; a person who had no reason to be in town at this time. He frowned, wondering what to do about it. At last, he pulled the cellphone from his pocket. The number was there in his speed dial. He stared at it, and then called.
Gina looked up from her cellphone. She felt like she 'd been hit by a truck.
"What is it?" Tony asked . They were drinking takeout coffees, walking home.
"That was Becki. Carla is in hospital. She 's been beaten badly."
Tony cursed. "Let 's go, " he said. He looked on high alert.
"I can 't. I have to get home for Nellie. Becki asked me to just now. Nellie is at a friend 's. Someone has to stay until she gets home." Gina 's voice was breaking. "You go."
He shook his head. "I 'm not leaving you and Nellie. Not now."
They walked quicker. "The killer is close, isn 't he?" She shivered.
Tony's look was dark. "Yes, but I don 't know if the killer did this to Carla."
"You think it 's two separate people?" That was too horrible. Gina could hardly bear the thought—two dangerous people running lose.
"I just said I don 't know. But the killer is close, so I 'm not taking any chances."
Gina wondered what he meant by not taking any chances. He looked deep in thought, a million miles away. What was he planning to do?
She decided to take the plunge. "Tony, do you have a gun with you?"
He looked up, startled. "Why on earth would you ask that?"
Evasion. That was no answer. He did have a gun, then. She forced herself to tread deeper into the water.
"It was something Rob said by mistake. A little slip…something he thought I would already know. He looked red and back-peddled immediately." Gina watched Tony closely. His face had com pletely shut down. "Look, I don 't know what you 're doing or what you 're into, but if it has something to do with this murder, you 've got to tell me."
Tony snapped back to the present. "It has nothing to do with this murder."
"You 're sure?" She didn 't know whether to believe him.
"Positive."
"Does Rob know this?"
"Yes. He asked the same thing."
Gina felt herself exhale. "So are you going to tell me what the gun is all about?"
A pause. They were nearly at the house.
"No." His voice was low.
Gina's feet wouldn 't move. She couldn 't feel the ground. She felt as if the world had suddenly lost all gravity and her body was up there floating, spinning around in space.
This is what betrayal is like. This is what it feels like to have the one man you trust turn into a stranger.
It took her a full minute to talk.
"Well, I guess that 's it then, " she said. She ran up the steps to the house and didn 't look back.
Tony stood on the sidewalk looking after her. Damn Dumont. Damn him to hell. He knew the score. He knew the deal on secrecy. Why the hell would he think Gina could know?
Unless Rob did it on purpose. Unless the son-of-a-bitch wanted Gina himself and knew that this was a way to split them up before they even got started. Tony felt anger twist in him. Giving away cover was a serious offence. He could have Rob 's badge for this. Tony vaulted up the steps to the house and flung open the door, slamming it against the porch wall.
Chapter 17
Nell
ie knew right after Mr. Spenser pulled up to the curb in front of her house that something was wrong because normally she let herself in and Mom would be waiting in the living room or the kitchen. But tonight, before she finished thanking Mr. Spenser, Cousin Gina stepped out onto the porch. And even though Gina waved, she looked worried.
Gina came to her and hugged her tightly. "Let 's go in." To Abigail 's dad, she said, "Bye. Thank you."
"What 's going on?" Nellie asked.
After closing the door behind them, Gina said, "Let 's sit in the living room before you go up to bed."
"Where 's Mom?"
They walked into the room. Aunt Mandy and Cousin Tony were there.
"Why don 't you sit down, " Aunt Mandy said.
Even if it started with the word why , it wasn 't a question. So Nellie sat in her favourite chair, the one that was good for reading. "Where 's Mom?"
"That 's what we want to talk to you about, " Gina said. She looked at Tony and he looked back at her.
Nellie knew it was going to be worse than when Father found out she spilled orange juice in his truck. He 'd wanted to get out his belt and punish her, but Mom said it was just an accident and partly her fault for letting her have a juice box while they were out running errands. And not to take it out on their daughter.
"Your Mom 's in the hospital, " Tony explained.
"The doctors there are looking after her, " Gina said.
"She 'll be fine, " Aunt Mandy said.
Nellie rubbed her hands on the sides of her jeans. "Can I go to the hospital and see her?"
"Maybe in the morning."
"Probably."
"Everything 's going to be all right , dear."
"Father?"
They all looked surprised.
"We don 't know, dear."
Sometimes he was gone all night. Not as scary as Mom being in the hospital. "Do I still go to school tomorrow?"
"Not if you don 't want to, " Gina said.
Nellie's lip quivered.
"Do you think you can start getting ready for bed now, hon?" asked Gina. "If I help?"
"What about Mom 's go odnight kiss?" Nellie tried to get off the chair like she knew she was supposed to, but her legs got tangled up and she tripped. All three grown-ups reached out to catch her, but she didn 't fall. Or cry. She thought she might make it all the way up the st airs without any tears because she almost never cried in front of people. Except it felt like an entire oc ean was pushing against her eyeballs from inside. She let out a howl. "I want Mom!"
A Purse to Die For Page 7