Dancing With The Dead

by Nancy McGovern

  “Why did you decide to move back here, then?” Nora asked.

  “My life fell apart in Seattle,” Lucas said. “That’s the short version of why. But the longer version…it’s because of something my mom said about that hike she and Dad went on.”

  “She talked to you about it?” Nora asked.

  Lucas nodded. “Once. She had come to visit me in Seattle. I’d taken her out to a nice restaurant and she was very emotional, and a little drunk. I don’t think she even remembers talking about it. She said she had a bad feeling in her gut the entire time she was on the hike. She said she kept feeling like she was being followed. Maybe it was the bear.”

  “Wait…” Nora paused and put a hand on his arm. “Your mother said she got a feeling she was being followed on that hike?”

  Lucas shook his head. “I know what you’re thinking. I was thinking it, too. But…it’s too far fetched. Ridiculous. Nobody could have followed them. Surely they would have been caught.”

  “Would they?” Nora asked.

  Lucas looked uncertain. “I mean…” He trailed off, and bit his lip. “Uncle Finley?” he asked.

  “Does your Uncle Finley have any experience hiking?” Nora asked.

  “He was an Eagle Scout,” Lucas said. “So, yes. He definitely has experience. But… it’s ridiculous, right? The whole thing?”

  “You don’t think so,” Nora said. “I can see it in your eyes. So why don’t you tell me what you think?”

  Lucas took a deep breath. “I don’t want to say it out loud. I don’t even want to think it.”

  “Tell me.”

  “Alright,” Lucas said. “I think my Uncle Finley hated my father. I think he was broke. He killed my father, expecting to get money after Dad died. He followed my parents on that hike and, when he got a chance, he pushed my dad off a cliff. And I think Bobby Black either knew or somehow found out later and was blackmailing him.”

  “So he committed the same crime a second time?” Nora asked. “But why would he do that at Thanksgiving? Why do it when the entire family’s gathered?”

  “That’s what I’m worried about,” Lucas said. “I suspect he’s trying to frame my mother. That’s the only explanation. Maybe he thinks the family money will come to him when she’s out of the way. I don’t know.”

  “You were asleep in the attic when Bobby Black was killed, right?” Nora asked.

  Lucas nodded. “I had so much to drink at the party that I was totally blacked out. Jacob had to come shake me to wake me up.”

  “Speaking of which, why did you throw that party anyway?”

  Lucas shrugged. “I don’t know. Just felt like it. I couldn’t bear a stuffy evening with family sitting around the table and eating turkey.”

  “And you didn’t see Bobby Black anywhere?” Nora asked.

  Lucas bit his lip. “Look,” he said, “it was a really loud party. With tons of people all around.”

  “Yes.” Nora nodded.

  Lucas sighed. “I haven’t told this to the police but, after what Aunt Eugenie said, I think I should tell you.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “I did see Bobby Black earlier that day,” Lucas said. “Only I didn’t know who he was at the time.”

  “What!”

  “The weird thing was that I saw him out here in the woods when I was out jogging early in the morning,” Lucas said.

  “What?”

  “I only saw the briefest flash of him,” Lucas said. “I was jogging and this was before anything happened so, honestly, I didn’t even think twice about it, you know? I just saw him talking to someone else. I didn’t hear what they were saying or anything.”

  “Why didn’t you tell the police that? You should tell them now!”

  “I didn’t. I can’t. Because it was Jacob he was talking to!”

  *****

  Chapter 15

  A Holistic View

  Lucas didn’t say any more, but he didn’t have to. Nora knew exactly what he was thinking. Jacob had claimed that he’d never seen the man before he found the body. Yet, just earlier that day he’d been seen talking to him? Combined with the fact that Jacob had supposedly been alone in the kitchen when the death happened, it didn’t look good. If the police knew about this, they would definitely suspect him and, for all their disagreements, Lucas would not do that to his brother.

  “There has to be an explanation,” he told Nora when she tried to persuade him to talk to the police. “I’m not saying a word to Chief Andrews until I’ve talked to Jacob myself. Maybe he just forgot, you know?”

  Nora pressed her lips together, but she wasn’t convinced. Bobby Black had distinctive tattoos all over him. He was a hard man to forget. No. That couldn’t be the answer. But then, what was?

  When they went back to the house, Nora noted a police cruiser parked in the driveway. Lucas looked scared as he caught sight of it.

  “Not a word about what I just said, okay?” Lucas repeated. “I’ll tell the police, but on my own terms. I have to talk to Jacob first. I owe him that.”

  They approached the door just as Chief Andrews emerged, placing his cap back on his head. He smiled and nodded at them both as he headed to the car.

  “Any news, Chief?” Lucas asked.

  “Not much, I’m afraid,” Chief Andrews said. “I’ve received results back from forensics —it’s actually surprising.”

  “What is?” Lucas asked, eyes widening.

  “Bobby Black had no alcohol or drugs in his system,” Chief Andrews said. “Not a single drop of booze. He was totally clean. Which means he was in possession of his senses at the time he died.”

  “Why is that a surprise?” Nora asked.

  “Because the narrative in my head until now was that Bobby Black had stumbled into the Giordano home while high on drugs and then fallen down the stairs somehow,” Chief Andrews explained. “I knew Bobby, as I told you. I don’t think there’s any way he would have just tumbled down the stairs on his own. He was quick on his feet, not the clumsy type. It’s not proof, but it’s enough to justify continued investigation.”

  “Well, accidents can happen to anybody,” Lucas said. “That’s why we call them ‘accidents’ right?”

  Chief Andrews frowned. “Sure.”

  “You should close the case, Chief,” Lucas said. “The longer you drag it on, the more folks will look at my family with suspicion. You know that better than anybody else. So Bobby’s dead. There’s nothing more to be done for him. He just tumbled down the stairs and that’s it. And it’s hard to say he didn’t have it coming. But my family is alive! And, if this continues, they’ll suffer through no fault of their own.”

  “Lucas, this is my job,” Chief Andrews said. “Maybe Bobby wasn’t a good man, but if he was murdered, then he deserves to get justice.”

  “Murdered?” Lucas’ face was white. “You really think…Chief…it isn’t possible!”

  “Your mother thinks the same as you,” Chief Andrews said. “Look, don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll get to the bottom of this very soon.”

  “There is a possibility you haven’t considered, Chief,” Nora said. “Maybe Bobby had a partner with him when he broke into the house that night? Maybe it was the partner who murdered him.”

  Lucas sagged in relief. “Yes! Yes, that’s probably it! No, that’s definitely it! These criminal types—”

  Chief Andrews shook his head. “No,” he said.

  “Why not?” Lucas asked.

  “For one, I know Bobby, and he preferred to work alone. He was a lone wolf. Secondly,” Chief Andrews hesitated for a moment, “from what we can tell, there was no forced entry. Someone let Bobby into the house.”

  “My party,” Lucas said. “They could have crept in and hidden while my party was going on.”

  “Actually, Bobby Black was spotted at a diner as late as 1am that night, long after we’d chased away any partiers,” Chief Andrews said. “So no, you don’t need to feel any guilt, Lucas. Your party was unrelated.�
��

  Lucas’ frown just deepened. “What diner was he seen at?”

  “Tom’s Diner down by the highway,” Chief Andrews said. “We even have video footage of it. He was sitting alone and nursing a coffee. His head was mostly bent down to his phone, like he was texting someone.”

  “Did you recover his phone yet?” Nora asked.

  Chief Andrews gave her a sharp look. “No, as a matter of fact. We haven’t. Which is one more reason why I suspect it was actually murder.”

  “But…” Lucas hesitated. “Then...”

  “What model phone was it?” Nora asked.

  “A bright red iPhone with a skull decal on the back. Our Bobby was a death metal fan,” Chief Andrews said. “Keep an eye out for that phone, will you? It could be anywhere.”

  Lucas sighed. “So…you’re going to declare it, then? There’s a press conference later today, isn’t there? Are you going to tell the world that you’re investigating a murder?”

  “I talked to my superiors about this,” Chief Andrews said. “I’ve decided that the best course of action for now is just to say that investigations are ongoing, and not give the press too much to latch onto. Greenfield is a small town, though. Something like this… it can take a while for the rumors to die down.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Lucas said. “I haven’t been home five years but the rumors about my dad’s death are still circulating.”

  Chief Andrews put a hand on Lucas’ shoulder. “Take care of your mother, Lucas. She’s going to need some support in the coming months. Oh, there was a question I wanted to ask you. Ramona Fisher-Ainsworth and her mother Sophia. Do you have any idea what time they left?”

  “Well, they live right down the block, so they took their time to leave.” Lucas pointed to a small ranch style house with maroon trim a few doors away. “I walked them home, actually. Around… let’s see… midnight.”

  “Hm.” Chief Andrews frowned. “Did either of them say anything to you?”

  Lucas looked baffled. “I mean, we talked about the turkey? Oh, and then Ramona said she was planning to murder a man later that night.”

  “What?” Chief Andrews’ eyes nearly bugged out of his head for a second, then annoyance spread over his face. “Very funny.”

  “I mean, really, Chief.”

  “What happened after that?” Nora asked. “Did you come straight home?”

  “I had a coffee at their place, then walked back home,” Lucas said. “I fell asleep soon after. Jacob and Grace were still up with Uncle Finley and Mom in the library. They were playing cards, I think.”

  “So you didn’t see anybody locking up?” Chief Andrews asked.

  “No, but Jacob said he did, right?” Lucas stared at Chief Andrews. “Why? What’s the point of all these questions?”

  Chief Andrews shrugged. “Nothing, really. I suppose I’m just trying to get a holistic view of the situation. So far, it seems like Ramona and Sophia were back home by twelve and that you were back home and fast asleep a little later. Nora and Harvey went to bed much earlier, as did Kaylee. Eugenie and Dave stayed awake a little longer, but then went off to bed. Grace, Finley and Viola all went upstairs together to their individual rooms at about quarter to one, while Jacob stayed downstairs and locked up. Bobby Black left the diner at around 1am. Two hours later, he was dead.”

  “It’s not true, though,” Lucas said. “Not the way you said. Uncle Finley didn’t fall asleep. He went out somewhere, and didn’t come home until much later.”

  “Ah, yes.” Chief Andrews tapped his chin.

  “So? Don’t you see he has the weakest alibi?”

  “Actually, I’ve talked to him and he has the strongest alibi,” Chief Andrews said. “I’m not going to divulge any more, that’s up to him, really. But I’m satisfied with his explanation of where he was.”

  “This is bull!” Lucas exclaimed. “You’re just defending him because you’re buddies.”

  Chief Andrews raised an eyebrow. “Really? And you’re not just defending Jacob because he’s your brother, I suppose?”

  “Wh—Th—there’s nothing to defend him from,” Lucas stammered. “Jacob didn’t do anything.”

  “I didn’t say he did.” Chief Andrews tapped his chin again. “But, let’s just say I’m keeping an open mind right now. Good day, folks.”

  “Chief Andrews, please wait…” Nora hesitated. “My daughter is planning to marry this man. Are you really saying you suspect him of…something?”

  Chief Andrews shook his head. “Look, investigations take time and—”

  “If he’s under suspicion, I won’t…” Nora bit off her words. What could she do, exactly? She couldn’t march up to Grace and forbid her from marrying Jacob. For one thing, they really didn’t know if he was involved. For another, until they had concrete proof, Grace — ever loyal Grace — would defy the world and stick by him. But as for Nora, until Jacob had been completely cleared of any involvement, she couldn’t bear the thought of Grace being anywhere near him. It was unfair, she knew. After all, she herself had been a suspect in a murder case years ago. So had Harvey. There was every chance that Jacob was innocent. But her maternal instinct, ever protective, was screaming at her to grab Grace and run as far away from this whole mess as possible. The Giordano family could handle themselves. Why did the Nathaniels have to get involved?

  “We’ll let you know as soon as any new information comes to light,” Chief Andrews said, getting into his car.

  “Wait.” Nora hesitated. Normally, she would never have done this. She would have respected a promise asked of her. But Grace. Nora had to protect Grace. “Lucas has something to tell you. Something he saw in the woods yesterday.”

  Lucas stared at her, his face red. “No!” he shouted.

  Instantly alert, Chief Andrews stared at him. He got out of the car.

  “Tell him, Lucas, or I will,” Nora said. “I don’t care about what you owe Jacob. I need the police to have every single bit of information they need.”

  “It was nothing. She’s just a silly old woman.” Lucas started trying to back away, but Chief Andrews caught his arm.

  “You should come down to the station with me,” Chief Andrews said. “We need to talk.”

  “Gimme an hour, okay?” Lucas said. “I just need to—”

  “Now,” Chief Andrews said. “This is not a request.”

  As she watched the car back out of the drive, Nora wondered what would happen now. Had she done the right thing? Part of her thought she had. The other part wondered if Lucas, and maybe even Grace, would ever forgive her.

  *****

  Chapter 16

  Interlude

  Nora walked into the house to find a scene of confusion. Grace, Viola and Jacob were looking on as Eugenie walked in tight circles on the carpet, a phone pressed to her ears.

  “I see. Ok. Uh-huh. I understand,” she was saying. “I’m calling Miller right now, Lucas. You know your rights, you stay silent. Ok? I’ll handle it. No, don’t worry. I’ll be right down there.”

  “What’s going on?” Nora asked.

  “It’s Lucas. He’s in Chief Andrews’ car. He said the Chief’s taking him down to the station for questioning,” Eugenie said and grabbed her coat and her car keys.

  Her husband Dave was on the couch with a handful of chips halfway to his face. He dumped them back into the bag and stood up. “Are you going down there, too?”

  “Yes,” confirmed Eugenie.

  “I’ll drive,” Dave said, and caught the keys in mid-air as she tossed them to him.

  “I’m coming, too,” Viola said. “I just don’t understand it. Lucas was fast asleep when all this happened. Chief Andrews knows that. How can he suspect—”

  “We don’t know anything yet, Viola. Lucas could only talk to me for two minutes before hanging up.” Eugenie had her phone pressed against her ear again. “Miller? Yes, hi. I need you down at the police station. My nephew’s been taken in for questioning and needs a lawyer there, I thin
k. Would you…yes. Yes. No, not Jacob. Lucas, the younger one. Thank you. Thank you so much! We’re on our way, too.”

  “Look, if everyone could just calm down—” Nora said.

  “No.” Eugenie’s cheeks were red and her hair was flying behind her. “I always liked Chief Andrews but I just don’t know his game this time. Why won’t he call this whole thing an accident like it so clearly is? Instead, he’s determined to call it a murder so he can make a big to-do about it. Well, he must not realize who he’s dealing with. Anybody who harasses my family is going to feel my wrath.”

  “I agree with Nora,” Dave said. “Keep a cool head, Eugenie.”

  “Oh, I have. So far.”

  “Look, if it helps, I know for a fact that Lucas hasn’t been taken down there because Chief Andrews suspects him of murder,” Nora said. “Far from it. He’s down there because Chief Andrews thinks — knows — that Lucas has a piece of evidence he isn’t revealing to shield someone else.”

  “What?” Eugenie looked confused. “That makes no sense whatsoever. Why would Lucas withhold evidence? Ridiculous.”

  “Either way, our best bet is to get down there and find out what’s going on,” Jacob said. “I’ll take my car, too.”

  “I’m coming, too,” Viola said then paused, looking stricken. “But Kaylee, she’ll be back from school any second now. And lunch—”

  “I’ll handle that.” Grace stepped up and put her hands on Viola’s shoulders. “I’ll take care of Kaylee, don’t you folks worry. All of you go down to the station, sort this out and, hopefully, we’ll be gathered around the table again soon enjoying a good meal with no worries.”