Hilary sat on my couch, her right wrist cuffed to the end table leg. She had her head down, hair surrounding her face.
The look I gave Candace must have betrayed my confusion because Candace said, “Her wrist is so swollen I need a zip tie rather than cuffs. Morris is getting one from the squad car.”
“Why, Hilary?” Tom said. “How could you do this to your own son? What kind of monster are you?” All the bitterness I’d heard in his voice over the last four days was gone. He just wanted to know everything—and so did I.
She jerked her head up. “You don’t have a clue. Do you, Tom?”
Candace held up a hand like a traffic cop and quickly said, “Hilary Roth, you have the right to remain silent…”
When Candace finished reciting the Miranda rights, Hilary said, “No lawyer can help me now. Besides, I hate lawyers. A lawyer and judge put a kid I never wanted in my home. Made my life hell.”
Tom gave Hilary a bewildered stare. Finn chose to look at the floor.
Candace took a small tape recorder from her pocket. “I will repeat your rights, Mrs. Roth.” She clicked on the recorder and held it in Hilary’s direction. She went through the Miranda rights again and said, “Do you understand these rights?”
“Yes,” she said. “I said I don’t want a lawyer. I want out of here. Out of this house and away from these idiots.”
“We have a jail cell ready and waiting,” Candace said. “Just have to make sure we take you there in a fashion worthy of a person who murdered two people.”
Just then, Yoshi started barking—a hoarse, faint sound. He’d yelped away his voice, poor thing. No wonder we hadn’t heard him since being herded to my office for Hilary’s desperate attempt to get her hands on the money. I wasn’t a financial wizard, but I truly believed her ploy never would have worked. Her desperation to get her hands on the money had obliterated all logic.
Finn looked at Candace. “Can I let Yoshi out?”
“Sure. If the cats don’t mind, that is,” she said. She almost smiled, but I was sure she wanted to remain professional—and what had gone on in Mercy over the last week was no laughing matter.
Dashiell was lingering close to Tom and my two boys were sitting side by side at the far end of the couch, their eyes trained on Hilary. They conveyed the disdain only cats are capable of offering with a simple look.
Tom swooped up Dashiell when Finn opened the pantry door. Yoshi did a few jack-in-the-box jumps. But when Finn opened his arms, he didn’t do his usual leap. He raced into the living room—and straight for Hilary.
Before anyone could make a move, Yoshi clamped onto her skirt and began to shake his head and growl. Finn ran to stop the assault, but good old Yoshi managed to come away with a mouthful of gray gabardine before Finn pulled the dog away.
I smiled and so did Tom.
“Keep your dog away from me,” Hilary said, visibly shaken.
“I’ve heard you say those words plenty of times,” Finn said. Yoshi’s leash was still attached and Finn held tightly to it. “I’ll keep my dog away from you while you tell me the truth for once. What did you mean about lawyers and judges?”
“Maybe this can wait for another time,” Candace said, giving me a warning glance. “Where the heck is Morris anyway?” She turned on her two-way radio and asked him the question directly.
He replied, sounding as grouchy as usual. “Can’t find the zip ties. Where the heck did you put them?”
“You put them somewhere, remember?” Candace said. “Check the fingerprint kit or the camera case.”
“Ah. The camera case,” he said.
“Bring a Miranda waiver while you’re at it.” Candace switched off her radio. “We’ll be out of here right soon.”
“No. I want to tell Finn what he needs to know,” Hilary said. She sounded haughty again, as if she wasn’t sitting in my living room handcuffed to a table.
Candace said, “We’ll take your statement at the station, relay all information to Tom and your son—”
“He’s not my son,” Hilary said. Her smug smile made me want to rip a chunk of fabric off her skirt myself.
A heavy silence followed.
“What are you talking about?” Tom finally said.
“I married Rory when Finn was a year old. Then Mr. Mental Case gets himself sent to prison. Since his birth mother was dead, the court said he was mine until Rory was out of jail. I did get welfare money and food stamps because of him on and off through the years. Kept me from starving in between jobs. I considered him my paycheck.”
I glanced at Finn, concerned for him. No matter what she’d done, how cruel she’d been, she was the only mother he’d known.
But he was nodding, a small smile playing on his lips. “You don’t know how many nights I went to bed wishing you weren’t my mother. Guess dreams do come true.” He turned, and with Yoshi at his side, started for the hall. He would need time, I knew. Time to heal from her last verbal assault.
“Wait,” Tom said.
Finn looked back over his shoulder. “It’s all good, man,” Finn said. “Right now, Nana Karen could use some company.”
Turned out we all ended up down at Mercy PD, answering questions for official statements. Even Karen, who was still so shaken by what had transpired, Candace asked the paramedics who’d splinted Hilary’s wrist to check her out, too. Karen finally shooed them away, saying she needed time and she’d be fine, but promised to see her family doctor the following day.
We took her home late in the evening. Her car, the one she drove over to my house with Hilary, was still parked in front of my place. Karen didn’t want Ed to learn what had happened from police officers. He would hear it from her in person. We left her in Ed’s loving care to explain.
Famished, we drove to the Main Street Diner and settled into a booth near the back. Word was out and folks were already beginning to stare at us and the new kid in town.
Tom and I watched Finn enjoy his food, which was more fun than eating my own chili burger and cheese fries. The kid could put away a mountain of chow. It would be back to salads and yogurt for me tomorrow. But tonight, we celebrated.
Once Finn seemed satiated, he looked at Tom and me, sitting side by side, and said, “You two like each other, huh? I mean really like each other.”
Tom looked at me and smiled. “Yeah. We do.”
“Why don’t you show it, then?” He smiled. “I mean, I see the looks you give each other. Kids at school hang all over each other when the hormones are raging.”
My cheeks heated up. Hormones raging? It was so much more.
Tom said, “Maybe we don’t hang all over each other because we’re not in high school.”
“Doesn’t sound like as much fun. I’ve never had a girlfriend, but I think about it. A lot,” Finn said.
“Seems like you’ll be free to find a girlfriend once all this trouble is behind you,” I said.
Finn’s expression grew serious and he pushed his almost empty plate away. “This bad stuff has been going on a long time. I saw her leave in the police car like I wanted, but it wasn’t enough. I still see her face. Still hear her voice threatening me and Jillian and poor Nana. Still see her face the times I asked her to take me somewhere for school or give me lunch money. She really did hate me.”
“Time heals,” I said quietly. “But I think you should talk to someone—you know, like a shrink.”
Tom said, “He’ll do fine. Guys are different. We don’t need to talk about every little thing.”
“Every little thing?” I said.
“Finn’s tough. He chose to be smart and come here to Mercy,” Tom said. “Problem solved after a tough week. A woman who deserves it, goes to jail.”
Finn looked at Tom for a moment. “Would I be less of a guy if I did want to talk to someone? You know, someone who knows about stuff like I went through with… her.”
For the briefest moment, I saw Tom’s eyes glisten. Then he blinked back the emotion. “You’ll never be less of
a guy no matter what you decide. In fact, you’re the bravest kid I know. You want to talk this out, I get it. We’ll make it happen.”
“Thanks, Tom,” Finn said. He pulled his plate back and began the job of finishing the remains of chili dogs and fries.
Thirty-two
More than a week passed, with Candace continuing to sort through the evidence against Hilary Roth. Though Bob had played a part in Hilary’s plan to get the money Karen had earmarked for Finn, he was all talk and did nothing he could be arrested for—or nothing Candace could find to indicate a conspiracy. He’d slipped by without consequences—seemingly a pattern for him.
Kara put out several special editions of the Mercy Messenger as the complete story began to come out. The gossip was still going on at Belle’s Beans, the Main Street Diner and the Finest Catch, as well as all the other spots people gathered in Mercy.
Dashiell and Yoshi, it turned out, seemed surprisingly compatible. They’d remained at my house since the Bob problem still existed. He was slow to move out of Tom’s place after finding such a comfortable spot to crash. Dashiell wasn’t safe until he left. Tom, meanwhile, spent most of his free time at my place and even bought an Xbox and hooked it up to my flat screen so he and Finn could play games together where pretend swords were the only weapons involved.
Tonight, however, I’d invited the entire family to dinner, Bob included. It was a risk—especially since Bob thought he was coming alone and the rest of his family had no idea he would be there.
Ed and Karen arrived early, bringing the catfish Ed, Finn and Tom had caught that morning on one of Ed’s trotlines. Finn and Tom then took off for the mall. Apparently the clothes Kara bought were passable, but not exactly “dope,” as Finn put it.
Karen brought a casserole of hash browns, sour cream and cheddar cheese, which she said needed only an hour in the oven. More important, she’d brought one of her famous lemon icebox pies. I only had to supply salad, sweet tea and plenty of counter space for Ed to do something he did so well—prepare the fish.
Karen took Yoshi for a walk to give Ed a little time to get used to the idea of befriending a dog. Seemed he was truly phobic, and it had taken a lot of persuading to get him to come here rather than do the meal at Karen’s house. In the end, he’d said, “How can I refuse Jillian’s invite? She protected Karen and the boy with every tool in her box—including her genius cats.”
Ed brought his own filet knife and showed me how to prepare a catfish. Four felines were showing a great interest in this process—and I even wondered if they were considering how to manage a filet knife themselves. Syrah, Chablis, Merlot and Dashiell were lined up in a row near Ed, waiting for so much as a morsel of raw fish to drop on the floor.
“You’re so handy with your knife, Ed Duffy,” I said. “Bet you’ve had plenty of practice.”
“You betcha,” he said.
I’d supplied separate flat pans for flour, milk mixed with egg, and bread crumbs to coat the fish. I thought, No wonder I never cook. This room is about to become a fish-fried kitchen.
Ed drank a Dr Pepper while he worked carefully, piling one pink filet on top of another. When Tom and Finn arrived with department store bags and a couple shoe boxes, they were talkative and happy. I was certain the atmosphere would change once Bob arrived, so I enjoyed their happiness.
After putting the purchases in the guest room, they sat next to me on the stools at the breakfast bar where we could oversee Ed’s preparations. Tom had grabbed a beer and Finn began downing a Dr Pepper like he’d never had one before.
“So,” Ed said, skinning one of the few remaining fish adeptly. “Karen won’t talk about everything that happened and I’m pretty confused concerning this woman Hilary who pretended to be her friend all these years. Did she really kill two grown men?”
Tom took a slug of his beer, then said, “She’s responsible for Roth’s death and did the actual deed on Gannon. Stabbed him with a knife from a set she bought in some tourist-trap housewares store on Main Street. I’m thinking her purchase goes to premeditation—and I like it because they’ll tack on plenty more jail time.”
“You mean the House and Home store near the end of Main Street?”
“That’s the one,” Tom said. “Never been in there myself.”
“How did they find out she bought the knives there?” I asked. “Receipts?”
“Owner came forward with security camera footage after reading about her arrest in the Messenger,” Tom replied.
“She confessed, but not to buying the darn knife?” Ed asked.
“She’s vain. She knew she’d screwed up,” he said. “Anyway, here’s what we now know from Hilary’s confession. She and Nolan were watching Finn closely, but even more so once he turned eighteen. They were worried he’d run off again, especially once he learned about all the money my mom had been saving for him. See, she told Hilary she’d take care of Finn and asked when would be the right time to have a chat with Finn in person. Mom was worried about his schooling. With Hilary not working and Nolan the ex-con not contributing, Mom was justifiably concerned. Hilary was formulating a plan to get her hands on the money, but wasn’t sure how. She needed time to figure it out. So she convinced Mom to wait, saying Finn wasn’t responsible enough to handle money yet. Hilary was planting a seed, hoping Mom would turn the money directly over to her. I’m sure glad she didn’t.”
“Well, Hilary may have known about all that money, but I sure didn’t,” Ed said.
“You’re not the only one,” Tom said. “Mom has since told me that because the money didn’t come from my dad and I always said I wanted to take care of myself financially, it wouldn’t be an issue if I didn’t know. She’s right. It’s not.”
“Typical of Karen not to talk much about such things. Maybe ’cause she knows I’m not concerned with those matters aside from helping her get to her accounts on the computer. A little bit of cash goes a long way in my book.” He looked at Finn and smiled. “Come to my place of business and see how you can stretch a few dollars. You’ll see I’m serious.”
Finn said, “I’m looking forward to visiting your shop. You got any Xbox games?”
“Indeed I do,” Ed said. “You wouldn’t believe the perfectly fine items people toss in the garbage. Go on, Tom, because maybe if I hear the whole story, I can make sense of it for Karen. She’s had more than one nightmare in the last week.”
Tom said, “Here’s where things started to go wrong. When Hilary looked at Finn’s computer—she’d been monitoring his phone and his computer for months—she saw he’d been researching his father. She was concerned because she knew darn well Rory Gannon would like to line his pockets with Finn’s money.”
“Did she believe Gannon would want anything to do with Finn after all these years?” I said.
“She probably had a fleeting thought,” Tom said. “But she knew exactly what he’d be most interested in—any payday to be had.” Tom glanced at Finn. “I didn’t mean to put him down. You understand the man didn’t know you, right? Didn’t—”
Finn held up his hand to stop Tom from explaining Gannon’s motive. “Save it. I didn’t know him, either, though I think in the end he did want to tell me Hilary wasn’t my mother—which could be one reason she killed him. Anyhow, we may have had the same blood, but that’s all. I only hope I don’t turn out like him.”
“You will never be like him,” I said.
Ed said, “Listen to Jillian. She knows what she’s talking about. Heck, we know what you’re like and you’re one fine young man. But here’s where I’m a little confused. Hilary’s husband, Mr. Nolan Roth, was in cahoots with her to get Finn back home after he ran off. Maybe milk the account Karen set up. What changed?”
“I believe it was indeed the original plan,” I explained. “But according to what Candace told me, Nolan Roth expressed doubt to Hilary they could ever get Finn back after he learned Tom and Finn were communicating. Added to that, Nolan was becoming obsessed with getting revenge on
Tom for sending him to jail. Hilary didn’t care about getting even and didn’t like Nolan focusing on his own agenda. Didn’t like it enough to get rid of him. See, she’d already contacted Gannon, using Finn’s phone. She figured Gannon might take a call from his son. He did.”
“Gives you great insight into Hilary’s character,” Tom said. “Gannon was her back-up plan. When Nolan wouldn’t toe the line, she quietly seethed, but she played nice with him. She talked to Nolan all along the route to his second visit to Mercy to find Finn—sending her calls to my phone, which shows she knew Nolan had it.”
I said, “Candace might not have told you this, but she busted Hilary’s alibi. She signed into the job fair, but was seen leaving on a security camera. She used your phone, Tom, to contact Gannon, not just Finn’s. This was during the time you were being held in Roth’s garage.”
Tom smiled. “She always thought she was so darn smart. Apparently she knows nothing about cell phones except how to make calls.”
“When Finn ran away,” I said to Ed, “Hilary figured he’d head straight to Tom. There was even a text Candace located where Nolan spotted Finn and lured him to the car saying he was Tom. He and Tom had similar hair and body build from pictures I’ve seen of Roth, so Finn climbed into the car not suspecting who was really driving.”
Finn shook his head. “I still don’t remember climbing in Tom’s car. I don’t even remember walking down the road, not until you and Tom picked me up later. It’s weird to lose parts of your memory.”
I said, “Maybe it’s a good thing you don’t remember.”
Finn smiled and nodded. “Yeah. I think you’re right.”
“In her confession,” Tom said, “Hilary admits she told Gannon to run the Prius off the road when he found my car and”—Tom glanced at Finn—“and take care of business. Heck, she practically gave him the GPS coordinates since she’d been chatting it up with Nolan. If she’d known you were in the car, Finn, who knows how this would have turned out.”
“Why didn’t he kill me, too?” Finn said.
The Cat, the Wife and the Weapon: A Cats in Trouble Mystery Page 24