Murder at the Courthouse

by A. H. Gabhart

  Michael looked at Anthony. “Have you had a run-in with the judge?”

  “Not unless you call us talking to him today a run-in.” Anthony shrugged and sounded bored. “Remember? When I asked him for help and he acted like he didn’t hear me.” Anthony looked at Alex. “I don’t guess he’d changed his mind about that help?”

  Alex watched Anthony, a tiny frown etched between her eyes. “I think he just wanted to know what was going on.”

  “Who doesn’t?” Anthony said.

  Michael ignored him as he asked Alex, “Did you talk to him?”

  “I picked up when he said who he was. It tore him up hearing my voice, I can tell you. He called me Karen twice.” Alex gave Michael a sideways glance. “Karen here a lot?”

  “Some,” Michael said.

  “Thinking about making it permanent?”

  “If we do, we’ll be sure to send you an invitation.”

  “A wedding invitation?” Alex sounded surprised. “Wow! Malinda didn’t tell me things were so serious.”

  “Neither did I.” Michael smiled a little. “But you’re welcome to jump to any conclusions you want.”

  “A good lawyer doesn’t jump to conclusions. She sifts and sorts through all the evidence to find out what really happened.”

  “Nobody around here wants to know what really happened.” Anthony spoke up again.

  Michael sat down at the table. He ignored the food and settled his eyes on Anthony. “Okay, kid. So tell me what you think really happened.”

  “I’ve already told you what I know, Deputy. You’re the one who has to figure out what happened.”

  “Hey, guys,” Alex broke in. “Save the cross-examinations until after we eat. I’m starved.”

  Later, the food gone and Anthony asleep, in spite of himself, on the couch, Michael and Alex walked out on the deck. The nearly full moon cast silvery shadows across the yard, and the tree frogs were in full chorus. Jasper padded out of the house with them to lean against Michael’s leg and nudge his hand for a pat.

  “It’s so beautiful here.” Alex gazed out over the moon-kissed lake surface.

  “Yes.” Michael’s eyes stayed on Alex.

  “Karen’s a lucky woman to be able to share this with you.”

  Michael ignored the implied question. “You’d like Karen.”

  “I doubt it.” She sat down on the deck steps and Michael dropped down beside her. Jasper gave up on more pats and curled up on the deck behind them. “And I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t like me thinking about holding hands with her guy the way we used to when we were kids. Do you remember that?”

  “It sounds like a good thing to remember.” Without hesitation, Michael reached over and captured her hand. It was soft and slender and at the same time strong as she curled her fingers around his.

  “Do you ever wish we were kids again with no worries?”

  “Kids have worries.” Michael motioned with his head toward the house. “Just ask Anthony in there.”

  “What is it with the two of you?”

  “He’s tired of me being on his case.” It was hard to think about Anthony with Alex’s hand in his and so close to him that, when a breeze sidled up from the lake, a wisp of her hair brushed his face.

  “He’s hiding something.” Alex turned toward Michael, her face enticingly close in the soft darkness.

  “I know. That’s why he’s here.” Michael made himself look away from her back toward the open door. He could see the top of Anthony’s head on the couch. It might be good to keep his mind on Anthony. That might prevent him from doing something foolish, like put his arm around Alex.

  She was quiet a minute or two. “Did you really pull his mother’s body out of the lake today?”

  “It was her car and Justin said the bone structure was right.” Michael stared out toward the lake. So peaceful and beautiful in the moonlight, and yet for years it had hidden the tragic truth of Roxanne’s disappearance.

  “I remember when she disappeared.” Alex stared back out at the lake too.

  “You do?” Michael was surprised.

  “Everything that happened that summer your parents got killed has stayed burned in my memory. Maybe because before that I hadn’t honestly realized bad things like that could happen to me or anybody I knew.”

  Michael shifted a little on the porch to look at her face in the moonlight. “Tell me what you remember.”

  He was sorry he had asked when she pulled her hand away from his to run it through her hair. He’d seen her do that a thousand times. Her way of gathering her thoughts. But even though he wanted to know what she remembered, he wished her hand was still in his.

  “I didn’t know you were away at camp until I got here that summer. I was so disappointed, but Uncle Reece said you’d be home in a week and he’d made plans for us to go fishing. Just the two of us. But even that fell through when Roxanne disappeared and he had to work out custody arrangements for Anthony. He was county attorney then.”

  “I’d forgotten that,” Michael said.

  “His term was up the next year and he didn’t run again. Politics don’t suit Uncle Reece.” Alex made a face at him. “You know how he is. Doesn’t want anybody upset with him. Anyway, Aunt Adele was outraged by the idea that a mother, any mother, no matter what else she did, could just go off and leave a little child alone like that. That was all she talked about.”

  “Everybody thought Roxanne just took off?”

  “Nobody suspected foul play, if that’s what you mean.” Even in the moonlight, Michael could tell Alex’s look had sharpened on him. “Do you now?”

  “It’s a definite possibility.”

  “Anything to do with these other murders, you think?”

  “That is the question.”

  “A question in need of an answer, but some answers take time.” She shifted over a little to lean against the deck railing.

  If only she’d shifted over to lean against him instead. He tried to keep his mind on the questions in need of answers, but the question of what he was going to do about how he felt about her had a way of pushing all sensible thought out of his head. “And some never get answered.”

  “Right.” She clasped her hands around her knees and stared back out at the lake. “Actually the talk I heard was more about her little boy. Anthony, I suppose, although I didn’t remember his name. I was only fifteen at the time, an innocent in Aunt Adele’s eyes. So she was careful about what she said about Roxanne around me. I heard whispers, but the rumors about Roxanne would not have been fit conversation for my young ears.”

  “Okay, so what did she say about Anthony?”

  “Everybody talked about taking him in, even Aunt Adele, but it was mostly just talk. Except with your mother. I think she meant it.”

  “My mother?” Michael turned to stare at Alex, but she kept her eyes on the lake.

  “Yes, your mother was such a lovely woman. That very first day after they found Anthony alone at Roxanne’s place, she was waiting when Uncle Reece got home. They stayed shut up in his office forever. Later, Uncle Reece told Aunt Adele that your mother wanted him to appoint her Anthony’s guardian until Roxanne could be found, but I always had the feeling there was more to it than that. They both looked so serious when they came out.”

  “Maybe Anthony’s right. Maybe we are brothers.” Michael made an attempt at a laugh, but it sounded sort of hollow even to his own ears. Alex’s words were dragging up too many sad memories.

  Alex scooted around close to him on the step and touched his hand. “You don’t remember your father very well if you can even think that might be true.”

  Michael curled his fingers around hers. “A lot of blanks never got filled back in after the wreck.”

  Alex squeezed his hand a little, then pulled it away again. “I know, but trust me. Your father worshiped your mother. His eyes never strayed from her. Anyway, after the wreck, everybody sort of forgot about Roxanne and what might happen to Anthony. They had a new kid to
feel sorry for. You.”

  “Did you?” he asked. She was so close, her face inches from his.

  “Did I what?” Her breath whispered toward him.

  “Feel sorry for me.” Michael’s fingers tingled with the desire to brush a stray strand of hair back from her cheek, but he curled his hands into fists instead.

  “I did.” Alex’s smile faded as the lake captured her gaze again. When she went on, her voice was soft. “Not just for you. For me too. I was devastated. They said even if you lived, you might never regain your faculties. ‘Faculties.’ What kind of word is that to talk about a teenage kid? I had to ask Uncle Reece what that meant. It wasn’t good.”

  “They were wrong.”

  “I know.” Alex looked at him, then quickly away again, as though she were having an attack of shyness. “But there was no way I could know that. Not then. That summer. I spent hours standing at the window staring at your house and wishing you’d suddenly appear on the porch and wave at me the way you used to. I wanted to run out and meet you halfway, but of course, you were in the hospital.”

  Michael didn’t say anything. He was afraid if he did, she’d stop talking, and in fact she did pull back from him to hide her face in her hands. “This is embarrassing.”

  “I think it’s fascinating.” He leaned down in front of her and pulled her hands away from her face.

  “You would. You don’t have any juvenile memories to confess.” She looked up at him. “Just keep in mind I was fifteen and thought I was in love with you.”

  “In love with me?”

  “I told you it was embarrassing.” She fanned her face with her hands and laughed a little. “Actually I thought you were in love with me too, and that we would get married someday. After all, you’d asked me to marry you every summer since we were six.”

  “I don’t remember.” That was a memory he fervently wished he hadn’t lost.

  “I know.” She sounded almost sad.

  “When you were trying to help me remember things later, why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know.” She ran her fingers along the edge of the steps. “By the next summer, everything was different. We weren’t kids anymore.”

  “Did you ever say yes?”

  “I don’t remember.” The corners of Alex’s lips turned up as she looked out at the lake again. “Maybe the first time when we were six.”

  With his fingers on her chin, Michael gently turned her face back around until he could see her eyes in the moonlight. “And did we ever kiss?”

  “A few little kid pecks. We were very young.”

  “Kid pecks? I don’t remember. Show me what you mean.” Michael moved closer to her. She leaned toward him, her lips incredibly warm and soft on his. Then his arms were around her, pulling her tight against him as his heart pounded till he thought it would explode inside him. At last, with effort, he made himself pull back and look down at her face. “We must have been pretty wild kids.”

  She laughed the way he’d hoped she would. He was about to pull her close again when Anthony stepped out on the deck behind them.

  “Hey, Deputy, give me your keys, and I’ll get lost.”

  Alex laughed again, not a bit embarrassed now as she extricated herself from Michael’s embrace. “Don’t worry about it, Anthony, the deputy and I were merely reminiscing about when we were kids.”

  “Some kids,” Anthony said.

  “Yeah, we were.” Alex gave Michael’s cheek a feather touch with her fingers that felt too much like goodbye as she stood up. “But all that was a long time ago. Another world almost.”

  Michael followed her back into the house, where she collected her briefcase and purse. “Maybe I should follow you out.”

  “Don’t be silly. I’ll be fine.” She waved her hand as though to brush aside his worry. She flashed Anthony another smile that made the color spill into the boy’s cheeks. “Good to meet you, Anthony. Keep in mind that for the right causes, I waive my retainer fee.”

  “Great to know.” Anthony trailed her to the door like a puppy dog.

  Michael pointed toward the couch with a warning look. “Stay put or you might really need a lawyer.”

  Anthony’s shoulders slumped, the sullen look back on his face. “Where do you think I’m gonna go? Swimming?”

  “Not something I would advise.” Michael stared the boy down.

  Alex reached over and touched Anthony’s arm. “Hey, the deputy’s not so bad. You can put up with his company for one night.”

  “Like I have a choice.” Anthony went back to the couch and plopped down hard enough to break some springs.

  Michael ignored him and followed Alex out of the house. When they were off the porch, he said, “I had more questions.”

  “About when we were kids?”

  “That was a good question.” A little tremble went through him at the thought of kissing her again, but that moment had passed. She wouldn’t welcome his kiss now. “I wouldn’t mind asking some more like that, but no, I wanted to see what you thought about the murders. I was hoping you might see something I haven’t.”

  She looked at him for a long moment. “I’ll help any way I can. You know that, but it’s late tonight. How about coffee at Uncle Reece’s at ten tomorrow?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Like old times, only it used to be Aunt Adele’s lemonade.” She smiled and then grew serious again. “But I have the feeling I’m not going to be able to help you. I think this is one of those things you’re going to have to dig down through the layer of years to figure out, and to do that, you need someone who knows what’s been going on.”

  “Reece?”

  “He might be a good place to start, but it could be you may be able to come up with some of the answers yourself. If you’re not afraid to confront the questions.” She kept her eyes on his face as she shifted her briefcase from one hand to the other.

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Michael frowned.

  “You don’t want anybody here in Hidden Springs to be a murderer. None of us do. But because of that, you may be overlooking something.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know.” She opened her car door to place her briefcase and purse on the front seat. Then she straightened back up to peek around him toward the house. “But I advise you to keep an eye on Anthony, because even if you’ve missed it, I don’t think he has.”

  Michael glanced over his shoulder. The kid was at the door watching them. “You could be right.”

  “Always.” She tiptoed up to kiss his cheek quickly. “There. That’s the kid peck.”

  “I liked the other demonstration better.” It was all he could do to keep from pulling her into his arms.

  “I’ll bet you did.” Again her laugh sent sweet shivers up Michael’s back. “But you caught me at a weak moment. It won’t happen again.” She got in her car and lowered her window. “Tomorrow at ten. I’ll bake muffins.”

  “That’s a scary thought.”

  “Worry not. I’ll buy a mix.” Another laugh and she was gone.

  After her lights disappeared up the lane, he called Jasper and held the door open for him to go in.

  The dog made a beeline for Anthony, who reached out to ruffle the dog’s ears. He almost smiled but then caught himself. He pushed Jasper away to sit down on the couch. With a sly look up at Michael, he asked, “How much is my silence worth to you?”

  “Silence?” Michael pulled a couple of blankets out of the hall closet and piled them on the couch. “I think talk is what I’ve been wanting out of you.”

  “I mean about tonight. I could go by and see Reverend Allison. She’s been after me to come to her youth group.”

  When Michael laughed, the kid couldn’t hide his surprise. “Tell her whatever you want.” Michael pitched him a pillow. “Now take off your jeans and shoes and go to bed.”

  “I’m going to sleep in my clothes.”

  “Sure thing. Except for your jeans and shoes. I’ll hang
on to them till morning.” Michael held out his hand. “And Jasper barks anytime something rattles a door. Great watchdog.”

  “I’m not going nowhere, Deputy.”

  “Not without your shoes and jeans.” Michael kept his hand reached out.

  Anthony glared at him a minute, then shrugged. He kicked off his shoes and jeans and handed them to Michael.

  The kid went to sleep right away. Michael could hear his low steady breathing, but sleep was a long time coming for Michael. He kept thinking about what Alex said about how he might know something that could point to the murderer. He replayed every word Joe had said to him, but there was nothing there. He went over in his mind the morning he’d found Rayburn on the steps, when things were still more exciting than threatening.

  He cataloged the few bits of evidence they had. Paul was right about one thing. It would help to find the gun. Michael had read the ballistics report, but maybe he’d missed something. It had come in after he found Joe, and his mind might not have been as clear as it needed to be.

  Somehow in spite of the odds, it was all connected. It had to be. Even Roxanne in the lake all these years. Was that the secret somebody would do anything to keep from revealing? But Rayburn hadn’t known that. He may have suspected someone had killed her, but if he’d known how, he wouldn’t have waited all these years to tell. It was the secret before that. The secret that might be the reason Roxanne ended up in the lake. That’s the secret he had to dig out.

  26

  The phone woke Michael the next morning a few minutes before six thirty. As he grabbed it to jab the on button, he got up to look through his bedroom door at the couch. Anthony hadn’t moved since the last time he’d checked around five.

  The judge’s voice boomed in his ear. “I told that pretty Alexandria Sheridan to tell you to call me when you got home. How come you didn’t?”

  “It was late. I thought it could wait until morning.” Michael wanted to add that it could have waited until a little later in the morning, but he didn’t. Michael kept his voice low. “You talked to the sheriff, didn’t you?”

  “He says they found Roxanne’s car in the lake and her in it.” The judge’s voice went down to an almost normal level.