A Purse to Die For
Page 18
He got up from the desk and went to the bookshelf. So many volumes here, hardly ever read. That 's what he 'd always planned to do in his retirement—read the entire room full of books. Escape from his dreary life and have adventures through the pages. That 's what Linda didn 't understand about books. They weren 't boring at all. You could throw yourself in the character 's skin and lead another life, if only for a while.
Don't think about Linda lying comatose-like upstairs.
Don't think about Ian. Don 't think about the dear misguided boy and the life he could have had.
If only Ian had been a normal boy. If only he had wanted to play baseball and basketball with his dad instead of wanting to go shopping with Mom. If he had been normal, maybe he wouldn 't be dead now. Maybe if Jerry had just insisted more…maybe if —The phone rang. He picked it up automatically.
"What?" It was Dumont. "Carla isn 't here." His voice was dull. "Of course, I 'll keep her here if she comes back—" Jerry didn 't finish the sentence. Comes back for Nellie? Dumont wasn 't making any sense. He was saying that Carla killed that woman. His sister Carla. He wasn 't hearing right. Carla killed Ian. Her own nephew. Dumont was still talking, but the phone had fallen from Jerry 's hand and it hit the floor with a thud.
"Jerry, what is it?"
Jerry looked blindly at his sister, Anna. Where had she come from? The room had been empty a moment ago.
"Jerry, where is everyone? Where 's Gina?"
Jerry stared at her worried face. His mouth felt dry and full of fluff.
Anna went to the study window. "I can 't find Becki , and her car 's right there. Where is she? And Carla?"
At the name, Jerry shook himself free of stupor. Good God, Gina has gone ou t alone with Carla. And Carla i s a killer.
The snow was coming down now in big, sideways flakes. Gina had always hated snow. No matter how pretty it looked, it was still rotten. She was cold now, standing in the middle of the endless flurries, shivering.
She hadn't dressed for snow. She wasn 't even dressed for winter because, dammit—it was only October. Who expected snow in October? Only a few days ago, she and Tony were sitting against the old maple watching the leaves fall. Where was Tony now, she wailed to herself. Why the hell did he have to leave her alone to go to his rotten job? She wrapped her thin arms more tightly around the fuchsia wool pea jacket, a steal at two -fifty, but who the hell cares if you freeze to death in it?
It had been stupid to walk away from the cabin. Car tracks led to the cabin , and that 's where everyone would look for her. That is, if they were looking for her, she thought bitterly. Who would guess? Who would even think to finger Carla for the murders?
The silo was quickly disappearing from view. She had started out before the snow had gotten heavy. Now she couldn 't tell if the silo was getting closer or not. How could you even see what direction you were going in now? But she had to keep walking to get to a phone to warn everyone.
The big question was—what would Carla do now? Put yourself in Carla 's shoes, she told herself. Keep walking, but keep thinking too . Don 't think of your feet freezing in these useless suede boots. Think of what Carla would do next…what you would do if you were Carla.
That's easy, Gina thought firmly. Go back for Nellie.
Chapter 42
"What did you see, honey?" Aunt Mandy repeated.
Nellie had heard the first time. "Prete nding, " she said.
"Like you 're talking to a policeman?"
"Uh-huh."
"Detective Dumont?"
"Some other policeman."
"Ah…Not fond of Detective Dumont?"
"He 's okay."
"Hey, isn 't that a real phone?" Aunt Mandy held out a hand for the pink cell.
Nellie handed it over.
"You 're allowed to play with it?"
"I 'm borrowing it."
"Going to give it back when you 're done?"
"Yes."
"Good girl." Aunt Mandy handed it back. "I 'm heading downstairs for a snack. Your mom lets you have a snack in the afternoon, right? Want to join me?"
"Can I keep playing a bit?" Nellie asked, looking up at Aunt Mandy.
"Sure."
She barely heard Aunt Mandy's footfalls on the stairs going down. Good thing it was Aunt Mandy who stopped by, and not her grown-up son, Tony. Tony would have asked a whole lot more questions. And he would have known it was Gina 's phone. He would have made her give it back right away. He was…strict.
But even Tony wouldn't be able to make her tell . Not pretend tell , but really tell about seeing that dead lady right here in her room. It was okay to lie about some things. Like when you don 't want to hurt someone 's feelings. Like when you don 't want Mom to know how giggly that lady and Father were that night and how it looked like she was Father 's girlfriend .
But she told the pretend policeman everything because it made her feel better. Then she pressed a button like she saw Gina do before hanging up. And then—whoa!—she heard Aunt Becki.
"Gina, it 's Becki. So…I 'm the one who 's in hospital now. I know. Dumb. Something I ate. Anyway, I discovered something here. By fluke. My doctor, Dr. Crosby, is…was…Godmom 's doctor too . And he happened to let it slip that Godmom didn 't have cancer. You believe that? What 's it mean, do you think? Was Carla lying? Or was she somehow convinced Godmom had cancer? Weird, huh? So I want to talk to you about it. Call me. Room 27. They 're forcing me to stay here overnight. So call anytime. Don 't worry how late. Believe me, I 'm getting plenty of sleep. And Gina…be careful. Something 's seriously not right about this. Okay…bye for now."
Grandma didn't have cancer? Mom lied? And Gina was supposed to be careful because—something was wrong? Oh, man. She tossed the pink phone into the corner where it belonged. Her bottom lip pushed out—her sulky face, Mom called it.
Finally, she decided she was going down for her snack. On her way downstairs, she noticed it looked like a bad blizzard outside. She hurried toward the kitchen, where she heard hushed voices. Aunt Mandy was there. She could see her through the doorway. And she recognized Uncle Jerry. She was good with voices.
"We 're all who seem to be in the house right now, " he was saying. "Except for Linda…I want her to sleep, " he said. Then he stopped.
"Out with it, " Uncle Gord said.
"Spit it out, bro."
That was Aunt Anna's voice. A family meeting or something? Nellie decided not to barge in. Especially since Uncle Jerry obviously didn 't count her as part of the family. So she ducked into the library to listen and not be seen.
"Dumont says it 's not Reggie who 's the killer, like we 've all been thinking , but Carla."
Nellie's body started to shake. She felt like screaming.
"What?" Aunt Anna exclaimed.
Her aunt must be as shocked as Nellie was.
"Come on. We all know if it has to be one of us, it 's Reggie. Right?"
"Hmmm, " Uncle Gord said. "Maybe not."
"How did Dumont get this brilliant idea?" Aunt Mandy asked.
"From Reggie."
"Get real. And Dumont is listening to him ?"
"Well, Reggie disclosed where he 's been all this time. And he 's alibied for…for Ian 's murder. A friend of his out Kingston way."
"But still."
"Claims he actually saw Carla kill that Best woman."
Nellie clutched her stomach.
"Ya, right. So after witnessing his wife kill someone, he leaves town? Without telling the cops or anything? Leaves his daughter with—?"
"Could be he thought he killed Carla before he left."
Nellie gagged.
"Talk about nuts. Now it 's Reggie 's word against hers."
"Bad news is, " Uncle Jerry said, "if it 's Carla, then Gina might be in danger. Saw them leave together."
"Oh no!" Aunt Anna gasped.
"Our girl will be fine, " Uncle Gord said. "Gina 's smart. Capable. And maybe Dumont 's got it all wrong."
Nellie imagined Uncle
Gord getting up from his chair, walking over to his wife and putting his arms around her. She wished for arms around her too . Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement at the front end of the hall. Cold rushed past her. Mom stepped inside the front door. She had snow stuck all over her. First thing she did when she saw Nellie was hold a pointed finger in front of her lips.
Shhhh.
Since Aunt Mandy was directly in line with the front door, she must have felt the draft, as well. She whirled in her chair. "Carla!"
The sound of chairs scraping against tiles. Everyone shouting at once. The gang in the kitchen funnelling out and accusing Mom. Mom yelling back at them. Mom signalling Nellie with her finger. This time it meant Come here . Of course, she wanted to be with Mom more than anyone else. But Mom was ever in a mood. Nellie guessed it was because she stumbled—hesitated. Both Aunt Mandy and Aunt Anna were insisting she not go to Mom. Maybe she should just run and hide for a while. What to believe? Who to believe? Not Father. Mom? Mom called them white lies. Maybe Mom lied about Grandma. But why did everyone think she could kill someone? Mom had a smile on her face. Well, it looked like a smile.
Before Nellie could move an inch, a hulking figure appeared in the doorway behind Mom. Detective Dumont. He pulled her hands behind her, snapped on handcuffs. "You 're under arrest."
"Mommy!" Nellie sobbed.
Racing down the hall, she wrapped her arms around Mom and pressed her face against Mom 's stomach. Mommy…
Chapter 43
"Everything 's going to be fine, honey, " Carla said, wishing she could put her hands on her child 's head, run her fingers through her soft, but matted hair, cup her tiny chin, and lift her face so Nellie could see the truth in her one and only caring parent 's eyes. "See , honey, darling , grown-ups make mistakes. I know, I know…" she comforted. Poor Nellie was bawling harder than she 'd ever witnessed. "Great, big, huge mistakes even, " she continued. "Like Detective Dumont. He 's making a whopper." She said this partly for the benefit of the others, who 'd gathered around her like a posse. "And he 'll correct it soon enough." Before crouching down on a level with Nellie, she twisted around, and bore holes through Rob Dumont with her eyes.
"We 'll see about that. Where 's my daughter? Where 's Gina?" Anna demanded.
Normally big sister Anna was a poster woman for poise. Now she looked like she required restraints. And Carla had never seen brother-in-law Gord look menacing before. Rob had to hold him off with his hand.
The world turned upside-down. How could they stand by while Rob arrested her? How could they think she 'd allow herself to harm someone? Gina? Pent-up emotion threatened to erupt inside her, but she forced herself calm. Wasn 't she expert at tamping down? Reggie put her through her paces over and over again through the years, didn 't he? And basically, when you came right down to it, once again it was Reggie who laid this shit on her. Bastard! And to think I tried to warn him.
Mostly she tried to think like Nellie's mother. And reme mber her sister was a mother too . Worried about her child.
"Gina 's fine, Anna. She 's safe. I left her at a Brownie camp outside town—"
"What 'd you do that for?" her brother-in-law demanded.
"Trying to avoid this very situation, " she started to explain.
"Trying to avoid getting caught, " Rob said.
"Yes, but—"
"You killed my son. You freaking killed my son!" Jerry looked like a heart attack waiting to happen.
"Let me finish . I was trying to avoid getting caught, just like Rob said."
She was interrupted again by screeches from the posse. Nellie clamped onto her so tightly, Carla found it hard to breathe.
"What I mean is I was trying to avoid getting caught in Reggie 's lies. See? He 's trying to squirm out of serving time for beating me up." She looked around and wondered if she seemed like someone pleading for her life , which is just what she felt like . "That 's exactly what he 's trying to do." Unless he really believes I did it.
"He thinks if he sets me up as the murderer, as a monster, the case against him will be dropped. But—reality check—I 'm no murderer. He 's conning you. Tell me you see it!" How depressing to have her own family, not to mention the long arm of the law, believe her abusive husband over her.
"Maybe not, " she said, watching them, and then she heaved a sigh. "'Cause Reggie 's a pro. He 's been lying and manipulating and getting away with it for years. He 's convincing all right . And because the tension 's so high around here, with these murders right outside our door, we 're all secretly wondering about each other. Aren 't we? Doubting. Even Gina."
No one budged.
"Hard to believe." she said. "Once the deadly virus of suspicion breaks out…" She shrugged. "I 'll admit I was scared. Especially when I found out Reggie was accusing me. And on top of that, Gina—of all people—let me know she suspected me, as well. I thought I was done for. And my God, my daughter needs me. So what did I do? I tried to buy time. Until the real murderer gets caught. Until things sort themselves out. But now here I am." She rattled her cuffs behind her back. "Am I getting through to you at all?"
She felt herself running out of strength. But she had to make them see. "You 've known me all my life, Jerry, Anna. We may not be close or anything, but for God 's sake, you know I 'd never kill anyone."
"Prove it, " Gord said. "Take us to Gina."
"Now , " Anna said.
Carla knew Anna would show her no compassion until she saw Gina with her own two eyes. "I will. Rob?"
He nodded. "Beside me in my cruiser. Lead the way, Carla. The rest of you can follow."
"What about Nellie?" Carla asked.
"She can come with us, " Mandy offered.
"Fine." She whispered in her daughter 's ear, "Go with Aunt Mandy." If only her hands were free. But she could only soothe and coax. "Everything will be fine. I promise. I 'm going to take us to Gina. You 'll see. Go with Aunt Mandy now. Okay, hon? Please."
Nellie swiped at her tears, turned, then raised her voice and stated very clearly for all to hear, "My mother would never hurt a fly. And you should all know that." Then she stalked over to her aunt.
"Carla, are you saying it 's Reggie, then?" Jerry asked. "'Cause if it is, I 'll kill him."
Carla sighed. There they go again, jumping to conclusions. "It 's not Reggie, Jerry. If I thought it was him, I 'd have turned him in myself. The—" She stopped herself. "He 's only a threat to me. Not to his daughter. And not to anyone else, either. Although, if he doesn 't smarten up, I can see him headed in that direction."
"What makes you so sure it 's not him?" Rob asked.
"Because I saw him that night. Meeting Hilary."
Jaws dropped.
"I followed him. I knew he had a meeting with someone. I thought it was because he was gambling again. Thought maybe he had a debt to pay off or something. Believe me, it didn 't warm my heart to catch him with another woman."
She shifted. The cuffs stretched her arms behind her back. "It looked like they were arguing behind the garage. Didn 't get close enough to hear what they said. Don 't care anyway. Thing is, when he left her, she was intact. So Reggie didn 't kill her. And I—"
"Yes, you , " said Rob. His voice still carried a dose of mistrust.
"I scrambled back to our bedroom. Got there shortly after Reggie."
"Why should we believe you?" Anna asked.
"Why would Carla protect that misfit of a husband of hers?" Gord put in. "After he 's accused her ."
"Well, if it 's not Carla, and it 's not Reggie, who the hell did it?" asked a voice that floated from the top of the stairs. Linda looked unsteady, like she might come tumbling down the staircase. "Who killed my son?"
Tony barrelled down the lane. He sped the vehicle up as they approached their final destination, as proved by the sign further back that read Dead End . Nowhere else to go except straight ahead to the Girl Guides of Canada summer camp. Although he noted fewer details than he normally would, he did notice Becki clutching the
passenger door.
Rob had hung up on them earlier. I 'll call you right back, he 'd said. Then nothing. Normally, Tony would have tried to make conversation, but not now, because Gina—Gina was all that mattered.
His phone rang. Becki picked up immediately. "Hello?" She made a rolling motion with her other hand. "Keep going, Tony. I 'll tell you everything he says."
They hit something hidden under the snow. Even with its excellent shocks, the Audi bounced them so that Tony banged his head on the roof. "Christ!"
"Rob says Carla 's at home—ha!—in handcuffs."
"Gina?" Tony broke in.
"Where 's Gina?" Becki asked.
The windshield wipers furiously beat off snow.
"Not with her."
It made sense. Tony's tracer indicated she was near. Now he could see a break in the canopy of trees. The sun 's last effort flooded the open area. Oh, God. What would he find?
"Carla says she left Gina at the camp. She says Gina 's fine."
To Rob on the phone, Becki said, "Do we believe her? Is Gina—"
"She 'd better be fine." Tony cursed. "Tell Rob that."
Becki didn't follow orders well. Instead, she turned to Tony. "He says they 're on their way here."
Tony skidded to a stop in the parking lot, shot out of the car. Even if he wasn 't gathering clues, they popped out at him from under the snow and slush of the parking lot. Tire tracks. Nearly obliterated by snowfall. One vehicle. It had come and gone in a spray of mud.
Footprints led up to the main building ahead. Two sets. Gina 's. And Carla 's, her cast making an over-sized impression. Further print trails spread out from the log cabin.
His architectural expertise abandoned, Tony was straight cop now. Or not. Gina was inside. Tracer told him.
He threw open the door. "Gina!"
No answer.
"Gina!" Becki called with him.
Their voices rang through the empty space.
Tony looked everywhere.