Saints & Sinners Ball

by Stacy M Jones

  They would have had money and power, but no love and warmth. Harper would have been stuck in a life she didn’t want and wasn’t happy in. In so many ways, Harper felt bad for Lizzie. A prisoner of her own choices is how Harper thought of it, but she knew too well what happened once you allowed yourself to start going down a certain path. It was hard to unmake the choice.

  Lizzie was expecting her. Harper had called the day before and asked if she could stop over and visit. Lizzie was cautious but had agreed. The woman, dressed in a simple blue shift dress, adorned with a string of dainty pearls, greeted Harper at the door. Harper handed Lizzie the cookies and the two retreated to the family room off the kitchen. Lizzie had poured Harper a cup of coffee and the two sitting on opposite couches shared the cookies Harper brought.

  Harper and Lizzie talked for about twenty minutes, making chit-chat and pleasantries. Feeling more comfortable, Harper said, “I really wanted to stop by to see how you’re doing. It must be hard to know your brother killed your husband.”

  Lizzie smiled, but said pointedly, “You really don’t know how to beat around the bush, do you? You’ll do better here if you learn how to be less direct.”

  “Duly noted,” Harper said, feeling chastised. “That isn’t how it goes in New York. Few of us have the time for subtlety. We just want it straight. It’s hard to undo years of that.” What Harper didn’t say was that it was ironic that the woman was being so direct with her insult of Harper’s own directness, but she let it go.

  Lizzie gestured with her hand as she spoke. “It’s difficult, but we all have to move forward in life. I’m thinking of selling this house as it holds too many bad memories. I’m quite looking forward to being on my own.”

  “I can understand that. A fresh start is important. That’s what I’m doing here in Little Rock.”

  “I heard you were quite persistent with finding out the truth about what happened to Tucker,” Lizzie commented. The woman looked over her cup at Harper.

  Harper felt some hostility and tension coming from the woman. “Yes, I was. I’m sorry it was your brother. I was thrown into the middle when I found Tucker’s body.”

  Lizzie set her cup down. She picked up a cookie and took a bite. “Well gossip is one thing in this city, it’s quite another to take action and get involved in things that are none of your business.”

  Harper wasn’t sure what to say so she stayed silent.

  Lizzie went on. “Let’s take your aunt. Hattie stays out of other people’s lives unless they ask her for help. I like that about her. Hattie has learned how it works here. You’d do well to learn from her example.”

  Lizzie took another bite of cookie. She added, “I am curious about one thing. Speaking of gossip, I heard that Hattie saw and talked to that priest’s ghost. I wonder if she’s talked to Tucker since his death.”

  Harper was caught off guard. She hadn’t realized what Paul said had made its way beyond Det. Granger and some of the other police that were present. Skeptically, Harper said, “I wouldn’t think so. Hattie hasn’t said anything to me. That man pretending to be the priest was willing to say anything. I don’t think he’s someone I would believe.”

  “I’m just curious what tales Tucker would have to tell,” Lizzie said.

  “I can understand wanting to talk to a loved one after death, but I don’t know if people can really do that.”

  “You misunderstand me, dear,” Lizzie scolded. Her voice edgy and angry, she snapped, “I don’t want to talk to Tucker. I want to find out what the bastard is telling people. Is he trying to ruin me even in death?”

  Harper was taken aback. She wasn’t sure how to respond. Taking a last sip of her coffee, Harper said, “I should probably be going. I’ve taken up enough of your time. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, and you are. Do you have a restroom I can use before I go?”

  “Down the hall, door is on the right,” Lizzie said, remaining seated.

  Harper followed the hall and quickly found the bathroom. She glanced by the mirror and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She was tenser than she realized. Finishing up quickly, Harper washed her hands and headed out of the bathroom.

  Turned around, Harper walked the wrong way and ended up going farther down the hall instead of back to the family room. As Harper turned to head in the right direction, she noticed a door was slightly ajar. She glimpsed a familiar person sitting behind a desk. Harper was going to pretend she hadn’t seen him, but he called out to her.

  “You really can’t mind your own business can you,” Matthew Inslee chided her. “Come in here, now, Harper.”

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Harper hesitated in the hall. She thought about running out of the place but curiosity and poor judgment got the better of her. Harper turned back around and hesitantly pushed open the half-closed door. Peering inside, Harper said, “I really don’t know what you mean. I’m just getting ready to leave. I had to go to the bathroom and walked out the wrong way.”

  Matthew Inslee was sitting behind the desk in what Harper assumed was Tucker’s home office. There were awards Tucker had won from the city on the walls and a large bookshelf filled with books. Harper’s eyes made it to the shelf that was second from the top. What she saw caused a wave of nausea to roll through her body. It was the devil mask, proudly displayed on a shelf. Why would Lizzie keep Drew’s mask? Didn’t the police find it when they searched his belongings?

  Inslee followed Harper’s gaze. He got up and picked up the mask and pulled it over his face. Inslee turned back around to Harper and stared at her menacingly. It was him. The killer. Harper knew for sure now. He was the right height. The mask fit the way it did that night.

  Inslee started laughing. A dark menacing laugh that chilled Harper to her bones. Inslee said, “We didn’t know if we were going to tell you or not. We were leaving it up to fate, but you came down here and found me.”

  “Tell me what?” Harper asked, confused and afraid. She started backing out of the office and bumped right into Lizzie. She was holding a gun and motioned for Harper to take steps back into the office.

  “People know I’m here. You can’t kill me. They will know,” Harper warned. She thought about making a run for it, but they were in too close a range. A bullet would strike her for sure.

  “We aren’t going to kill you, Harper. At least not physically,” Inslee explained.

  Still wearing the devil mask, which was seriously making Harper uncomfortable, Inslee mocked, “But knowing what I’m going to tell you and not being able to do a damn thing about it is going to hurt you in another way. It’s going to drive you crazy every single day.”

  “You are such a silly girl, and not very smart,” Lizzie added with a mocking laugh. “It was right under your nose the whole time.”

  Turning to Inslee, Lizzie praised, “You were right. All we had to do was wait for Drew to give us the perfect night. It all worked out better than planned.”

  Inslee added, “See Lizzie found out Drew was burglarizing homes. When she did, Lizzie dropped enough hints that she knew Drew wouldn’t be able to resist going out the night of the Saints & Sinners Ball to hit a few houses. We knew if we set Drew up and pinned Tucker’s murder on him, he’d have no alibi without giving away his crimes. Lizzie found out Drew was going back out again the other night. All we had to do was drop a few bread crumbs in your lap, and you’d follow — literally. While you were chasing down Drew and getting him arrested, I planted the murder weapon in his storage unit. It worked out better than planned.”

  Inslee added, “Even with burglarizing homes, Drew still had no one to corroborate an alibi. He had no alibi, the murder weapon, a motive, and the means to do it. He’s the perfect fall guy.”

  “Why suck up to the priest then?” Harper asked Inslee.

  “He had to think I was on his side. When I found out who he really was, well that just made the whole thing sweeter. There were so many suspects that could have killed Tucker, nobody would be looking at
us.”

  Turning to Lizzie, Harper inquired, “You worked together? You killed Roxy, too? Why?”

  “Why wouldn’t we?” Lizzie asked incredulously. “I’ve known Matthew for several years. I saw how dismissive my husband was of his work. Matthew knew of my husband’s cheating. One night at a party about six months ago, we both had been drinking and admitted how much better our lives would be without Tucker in it. This was a plan that was a long time in the making, Harper. Roxy was just revenge, plain and simple.”

  “The one thing we did not take into consideration was you,” Inslee admitted. “You were the little wrench in our plan, but then you went after the wrong guy, and we let you. You just made it easier for us.”

  “You protected us, really,” Lizzie added. “That’s probably going to drive you crazy for years. You were hot on Drew’s tail and then the fake priest. You weren’t even paying attention to us.”

  Harper was frustrated. They were right. This was going to eat at her. They were also right that her focus was in the wrong direction. Drew and Paul made the obvious suspects. She was suspicious of Inslee but Det. Granger said he had an airtight alibi.

  Locking eyes with Inslee, Harper asked, “What about your alibi?”

  Inslee gave a sly smile and took off the mask. He set it down on the table. “You mean Mrs. Matthew Inslee? I proposed to her last night. We met up quickly that night at the party just to be seen and then left. I drove my car to her place right down the road and walked back. I confronted Tucker, killed him and I went back to her place. She lied for the man she loves and said I was there the whole time. She will be paid handsomely for it.”

  Lizzie shrugged her shoulder. “See, Harper, the perfect crime.”

  “There is no perfect crime,” Harper countered.

  “Of course there is,” Inslee stated. He sat down on the edge of Tucker’s desk and detailed it out for her. “How could we not get away with it? It was a man that shot Tucker. You provided that evidence yourself. There is no one tied to Lizzie that she could have paid off. There’s no money trail. Nothing. I’ve got a rock-solid alibi. Drew has done everything but confess. He has a known criminal record with a hatred of Tucker. Everyone knew they fought. He was robbing houses that night, mere blocks from the party. The murder weapon was found in his storage unit. It’s a solid case.”

  Inslee folded his arms and looked at Harper with a smug expression on his face. “Now, Lizzie has all the money she needs and total freedom. Her louse of a husband is dead and that criminal for a brother will be locked up for the rest of his life. I’ll see to that myself. And it paves the way for me to run for lead prosecutor. The way I see it, it’s a win-win all the way around. The only loose end is you.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t going to kill me?” Harper asked, the fear rising in her again.

  “I’m not, unless you make too much noise and leave me no option,” Inslee said. “Really I just want to watch you go crazy not being able to do anything with what you know. Oh, you’ll tell some people. But no one will believe you. And even if they do, they are in the same position as you. You have no evidence. Nothing. It will be a wild accusation against the man running for public office and a grieving widow.”

  Inslee laughed at the predicament they left Harper in. “You can tell everyone you want.”

  Harper stared at the mask, wondering how she could use it.

  Inslee read her thoughts. He picked up the mask, “You think this is evidence? It was Tucker’s. There’s no reason for it not to be in his house. And you’d have to prove it was this specific mask. Do you really want Manhattan all over again?”

  Inslee stopped, waiting for Harper to respond. When she didn’t, he added satisfied, “I didn’t think so.”

  Harper stood for several moments. She took a deep breath and let it back out again. Her thoughts were swimming. Inslee was right on all accounts. Harper felt defeated. Before she said anything, Inslee walked towards her.

  “Now you should go and don’t come back.” Inslee warned, “If you come even close to Lizzie, I’ll make sure the police slap a restraining order on you. I’ve got that power. Trust me, once I’m elected as lead prosecutor, that little shop of your aunt’s is closing down. Enjoy it while you can.”

  Harper was numb. She walked out of the house without saying another word. She got into her SUV and picked up her phone. But Harper had no one to call. It was their word against hers, and the cops had a solid suspect in jail. Inslee was right. There was nothing she could do. Harper took one last look at the house. Harper had been wrong. She was nothing like Lizzie nor would she ever be.

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Hattie was faring far better after her ordeal than Harper was with her own. Hattie had watched Harper mope around the house and obsess over what Matthew Inslee and Lizzie had disclosed. Hattie had tried to refocus Harper’s attention to other things like helping in the shop, which she did several times. The days seemed to pass slowly. Harper would spend time with Jackson. She’d help Dan with the magazine, but there was an edge to Harper that hadn’t been there before. She was unsettled and restless and that worried Hattie to no end.

  The day Harper left Lizzie after hearing the murder confession, she came straight back to the house and had gathered Hattie and Jackson in the kitchen. She told them what Inslee and Lizzie said. Neither Hattie nor Jackson were surprised, but even they told Harper there really wasn’t anything she could do. Jackson had encouraged Harper to let life play out how it was supposed to, and that eventually it would come to light. Hattie had attempted to school Harper on karma, but the fact that Inslee and Lizzie would be free to live their lives gnawed at Harper. In the days following, she plotted and planned but all fell short.

  Hattie and Jackson had taken Harper out for her fortieth birthday March 15, and the dinner was lovely until Matthew Inslee had walked in with a woman, presumably his alibi and date. Harper had grown sullen and angry again. She had vowed justice for Tucker and for the city.

  Hattie had talked at length with Beau about what to do. He encouraged Hattie to just give Harper time. He reminded Hattie that Harper had so much happen in such a short period that she’d need time to process. He was sure eventually sweet Harper would return to normal. Hattie wasn’t so sure. Harper pressed Hattie a few times about her ability to see the dead, but Hattie had remained tight-lipped. Harper had enough to deal with, and Hattie needed her in a better frame of mind.

  The evening after Tucker Reese’s funeral, which they all attended and watched Lizzie play the role of grieving widow to perfection, Harper asked Hattie if she could bring a few people together to meet at Hattie’s shop. Hattie wasn’t sure what Harper was up to, but she had agreed.

  Hattie closed the shop early that Saturday. Harper had asked if Beatrix could stay and the young girl was more than happy to be included. Jackson had no more clue than Hattie as to why they were gathering, but he was there. Det. Granger was the first to arrive and then came in Dan. They said their hellos and Hattie and Beatrix went about bringing coffee, tea and snacks for their guests.

  Granger asked Hattie if she could turn on the television she had mounted in the corner of the shop. It was rarely on so Hattie had to fish around for the remote control. After a few minutes, Hattie found it buried under some paperwork at the back of the counter.

  Granger explained, “Matthew Inslee is holding a press conference to announce his candidacy for prosecutor. Bill Myers will hold the position until the election this November. Inslee is running against him.”

  Hattie watched Harper but her face didn’t register surprise. It’s what Inslee had told her.

  Taking a seat at the table with them, Harper said, “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I asked you to meet today. I have to tell you all something, but it can’t leave this room for now.”

  Hattie watched as Harper looked at each of them and they all nodded in agreement. Harper went on, “You’re going to have to take me at my word here. The story is crazy, and if I hadn
’t heard it myself, I might not believe me. But every word is the truth. I went to check on Lizzie a few days ago and Matthew Inslee was there. They admitted to killing Tucker and Roxy…”

  Harper was interrupted when Dan and Granger both started to talk at once. Harper held her hand up. “Give me a chance to explain,” she said. “Inslee said his alibi is only partially true. The woman he was with is going to marry him so she’s covering for him. He wasn’t with her the whole time. He also said he was running for prosecutor, which, Granger, you just saw he’s announcing. Inslee killed Tucker and Roxy but Lizzie was behind it. She said it was something they had been plotting for a long time. The mask that Inslee wore that night is on a shelf in Tucker’s home office. Apparently, it was Tucker’s mask. Inslee put it on when I was there so even if you find his prints or DNA on the mask, he can explain it away. They covered every base to not get caught.”

  Det. Granger looked at Harper. “This is a very serious accusation you are leveling against them, you realize?”

  “Yes, but that’s why I’m not coming to you in an official capacity,” Harper said sadly. “I can’t prove it, and they told me as much. This is too big for me alone. I don’t know that there is anything we can do, but I know if we work together, we have a better chance. We may never have the evidence to prove it, but at least we will all have our eyes and ears open.”

  Harper went over every detail of the visit with Lizzie. She explained in detail what Inslee had told her about the murder and the reasoning behind it. Harper also provided the explanation Inslee gave as to why they’d never be caught.

  When Harper was done, no one spoke. Hattie thought it was probably as difficult for them to absorb as it was for Harper to retell the story.

  Finally, Dan spoke. “I believe you. When I was the editor of the newspaper, I worked closely with Inslee. He was never someone I trusted, but I had gained his trust. Harper, when you came to my office that day the jewelry was found, Inslee wanted me to find out from you what you knew about the murder and stop you. He was very worried you had suspected him. He assured me over and over again that he hadn’t killed Tucker. Until then, I hadn’t suspected him at all. But he was so insistent you knew something you shouldn’t, he made me suspicious. I’m in, whatever you need. My only question is what’s the plan?”