“Okay, then I just need to pack up my tools and I’m done.”
“You want some coffee?”
“I’d love some coffee.”
Jessica smiled that wan smile. After loading her truck, Kate returned to the house. The men in the living room were gone. Inside the kitchen, Jessica was pouring two mugs of coffee.
“You alone?” Kate asked.
“Finally.”
“Who were they? Two of them were going through Dudley’s desk.”
Jessica sat at the counter. “I don’t know exactly. They kind of forced their way in here. I didn’t know what to do.”
Kate sat down and reached out to Jessica. “Are you okay?”
“As okay as I can be.”
“Was Dudley sick?”
“No. I don’t know what could have happened,” Jessica said.
“Is there anyone I can call?”
“My parents are on their way here. My sister, too. Will you stay for a little while?”
Kate would have liked to get a third job in today since her first was a bust and the second hadn’t taken long, but she couldn’t leave Jessica in this state. “Yes, of course.”
There would be no lunch with Scott, which was okay. She should keep more distance between them anyway, but he was persistent. That’s probably what made him a good cop though.
Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Scott.
Can’t make lunch. Case is more complicated than we thought.
Okay, she texted back.
She wondered if they’d learned something new about Dudley’s death since she’d left the police station. She decided not to ask.
“I’m sorry. Do you have another job?” Jessica asked.
“Not until the morning. My afternoon is yours,” Kate said. “When do you expect people to get here?”
“In about an hour.”
The doorbell rang. “I’ll get that. You sit tight. You up for visitors?”
Jessica shook her head.
Kate wished she could have talked to Jessica alone more. The woman looked like she could use a good cry. She was holding herself together remarkably well. Her husband had just died, and she was making coffee for her visitors.
Kate had been a mess when she’d discovered Greg was gone—inconsolable, although she’d had to pull herself together for her kids.
Two women Kate recognized from one of the local committees that Jessica was on were standing on the doorstep with casseroles in hand. “Hello.”
“Hi, we’re from Daughters of Rock Ridge. We have some food for Jessica,” the woman with black hair said.
“Jessica isn’t up for visitors, but I’ll tell her you stopped by.”
The women handed Kate the casseroles then left with no argument. That had gone easily. She brought the dishes into the kitchen.
“Probably the first of many,” Kate said. “This is how Rock Ridge is when a tragedy happens.”
“Just put them in the freezer.”
Kate did as the woman asked and then sat back down. She sipped her coffee. “Anything you want to talk about?”
“No, please, just sit here for a few minutes.”
“I can stay until someone in your family gets here.”
“Thank you.”
The doorbell rang again. Kate answered it and was surprised when Ken and Scott were on the doorstep. She guessed it was to pay their respects, but both looked grim. Not that she expected them to look any different given the mayor was dead.
“Jessica isn’t up for visitors.”
“We aren’t visitors,” Ken said.
Kate looked from one to the other. “What are you then?”
“We’re here to talk to Jessica. A police matter,” Ken said.
“Let us in, Kate,” Scott said.
She stood out of the way so they could enter and then led them back to the kitchen. Jessica looked up at them, surprised. “Hello.”
“Jessica Stuart, we are here to arrest you for the murder of Dudley Stuart,” Ken said.
He began to put cuffs on Jessica as Kate gasped. She reached out to Scott. “What’s the meaning of this?”
“We have reason to believe that Dudley was murdered and Jessica is responsible.”
How could they think that? Jessica loved her husband. They seemed pretty solid.
“On what grounds?” Kate asked.
“That is none of your business. Why are you here anyway, Kate? Are you investigating this thing already?” Scott said.
Kate straightened, indignation running through her. “I was here to fix a window. How would I know to investigate? When I left you weren’t sure it was a murder.”
Not that she had to justify her presence anywhere to Scott.
“Fine. We’re taking Jessica in.”
Jessica began to cry as Ken read her the Miranda rights. Finally she looked up at Kate. “I didn’t kill my husband, Kate. I promise I didn’t. Please don’t let them think I did.”
Crap. She couldn’t let Jessica be falsely accused. Scott got in her face before she could say anything.
“Stay out of it.”
As they walked out, Jessica’s eyes pleaded with Kate.
“I’ll do what I can, Jessica. You know I can’t let an innocent person go to jail for something like this,” Kate said.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll close up your house and leave your parents a note.”
Jessica nodded and let herself be led out by Ken.
Chapter Three
Kate locked up the house, put the key back in its hiding spot that she knew from doing so much work there, and then left. She debated going to the police station. Scott would be pissed if she became involved, but Jessica had asked her for help. She couldn’t turn the woman down. She’d just lost her husband.
Kate hadn’t gotten a chance to finish her coffee at Jessica’s, so she stopped at the coffee shop again. It was almost closing time. She got the last of the regular coffee that was left. Clara didn’t charge her for it.
She took the cup with her to headquarters. The utility trucks were gone, so Kate could park by the police department. The same young man sat at the front desk. He merely buzzed Kate in without her having to explain why she was there.
For all he knew, she could have a bomb on her. Just because she knew the chief didn’t mean she couldn’t be up to nefarious purposes. But she did have that honest face. Everyone had told her that her whole life.
She stood in the doorway to Scott’s office. He was on the phone, but he waved her in. She’d been there more than once, but not because of her proclivity to commit crimes. If she was in the municipal complex, she stopped in to see him. More than she should, she knew, but he was a friend. The only male one she had.
The rest of the middle-aged single men in Rock Ridge seemed to be determined to get her to date them, but for some reason, she wasn’t put off as much by Scott’s attempts. At one point in their lives, before they had dated, they had been friends.
Kate appreciated his candor and his quick mind. If she was sorting out a problem, Scott could usually help her get to the answer. That’s why she would come to see him.
It was the only reason, or so she told herself.
Scott hung up and put his hands flat on his desk. He had large hands.
She sat in her usual seat.
“I knew you’d be here.”
“Is that why Officer Gunther out front let me in without a second glance?”
“Yes.”
Scott didn’t appear to be unhappy about her presence, but he didn’t seem overjoyed, either. He had his “cop” face on. He wasn’t revealing anything to her.
It didn’t matter. She was a big girl and would do what she wanted, despite the lecture she was about to receive. She braced herself for it.
“I was there when Jessica asked you to investigate. I’m here to tell you that you should stay out of it. Don’t get in Ken’s way.”
“Ken has the case?”
“He does. He is
our best detective.”
She cocked her head at him. “Better than you?”
“I’m the chief now. I have other duties.”
“So what makes you think that Jessica did it?”
“You think I can talk about it?”
“No, but you know I’m going to ask anyway,” she said.
She wasn’t a busybody, but she couldn’t let someone be charge falsely, either.
He sighed. “Let’s just say we have a witness to the fact that the mayor and Jessica argued and the mayor stormed off. Then Jessica left the house.”
“A witness?”
“Yes.”
“So they argued. Married couples argue,” she said.
“Yes, but one of them doesn’t usually end up dead afterwards. At least not often in Rock Ridge,” he said.
She frowned. The little town was fast becoming a murder hotbed after years of nothing happening other than the occasional burglary. She and Greg and chosen to stay in Rock Ridge because it was a good place to raise kids—a safe place. Now it was beginning to resemble a big city with the amount of crime she was encountering.
“Who?”
“I’m not telling you that.”
“It’s you.”
His facial expression didn’t waver, so if she hadn’t been looking, she wouldn’t have noticed the quick flicker in his eyes.
“Okay, so you saw them argue. Dudley left the house. Didn’t you have fights with your wife where you had to get out?”
Scott frowned. “Yes, I guess we did.”
“You didn’t kill her?”
“No, I didn’t. I divorced her instead. Look, I’ve said too much already. You have lunch yet?”
“No, and I don’t want any. I’ll have an early dinner.”
She knew she wasn’t going to get much more out of him. She’d learned enough to know that she wanted to help Jessica. Scott was a good witness and a credible one. She would have to have an alibi.
“Is it okay if I go talk to Jessica?”
“Her lawyer is with her now. You can talk to her after that, if she’ll consent to it,” Scott said.
“I’m sure she will. She wants me to help her.”
He nodded, but he wasn’t happy. The “cop” face had left.
“Did your husband go out of town on business much?” Scott asked.
Kate’s head spun with the rapid change of subject. “Uh, yes. He was often asked to lecture at conferences.”
“Do you have his credit card bills?”
“Probably. He had one for business besides our personal one,” she said.
What is he getting at?
“Can you give me the last six months’ bills?”
“If I can find them. I didn’t have anything to do with them. He expensed things to the college or he paid them himself, although he would let me know before he transferred money.”
Scott nodded. “When you get a chance.”
“I’ll look for them tonight.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you onto something?”
“Not sure. I don’t want to say anything until I know what’s going on.”
“Fair enough.”
She’d never given up hope that Greg would be found. Lately she was sure he’d be found dead. If he weren’t, she might have to kill him for putting her and the boys through this. She hadn’t had a husband in five years. The twins hadn’t had a father.
No amount of explaining could change that. She had no idea what he could say to get her to forgive him if he were still alive.
***
Jessica agreed to meet with Kate. They occupied an interrogation room at the back of the police department. The door was locked from the outside since Jessica was still a prisoner.
Jessica looked harried and her eyes were red, probably from crying. Kate’s heart went out to her.
“My lawyer says he can get me out if I surrender my passport.”
“Will you?”
“Of course, Kate. I want to be in my own home.”
“Has your family arrived?”
“Yes. My mother is getting my passport and bringing it here. I should be out within the hour.”
“Have they told you what they have against you?” Kate asked.
“Someone witnessed Dudley and me fighting. He stormed out.”
“Can I ask what you fought about?”
“I’d rather not say. It doesn’t make me look any less like a criminal.”
Interesting. Maybe there had been trouble in paradise. One never knows what goes on in someone else’s marriage. To a lot of people, she and Greg had looked perfect.
“Do you have an alibi?”
“Yes.”
“Then give it to the cops,” Kate said.
This whole thing could be wrapped up today. Then Kate could go back to fixing things. Jessica could go back to her own home. Everyone would be happy. Well, everyone except for Ken, who would have to find another suspect.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because if anyone knew that I was with this person, he’d have a lot of grief in this town,” Jessica said.
Kate was getting the impression that Jessica had been having an affair. Who can it be? Who would be harmed if the town knew he’d been with Jessica?
“You’re sure you have an alibi?”
“Yes.”
“Who would want Dudley dead, then?” Kate said.
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it, Jessica. Had there been anyone he’d been talking about lately that was bothering him? Anyone blackmailing him?”
“No. He didn’t talk much about his business to me. He always thought I wouldn’t understand,” Jessica said.
How nice to have your husband convinced that you are an idiot. No wonder Jessica turned to another man.
“He didn’t think you were smart?”
“No, he didn’t. I didn’t go to college. I married him instead.”
“College isn’t a measure of intelligence. It’s only a measure of good grades and maybe determination.”
Jessica smiled. “You are one of the nicest people on this earth, Kate.”
Kate didn’t know about that, but she was glad she could make Jessica feel better. The woman was facing an uphill battle if she wasn’t going to give up her alibi.
“Thank you. Now back to Dudley.”
“Okay.”
“Did you look at anything in his office before those men descended on your house?”
“No, and the cops have a search warrant, so they’ve already been through it.”
Kate frowned. She should have snooped while she was there today.
“Do you know what they found?”
“Nothing to prove my innocence or I wouldn’t be here.”
Kate nodded. She wasn’t sure where to go next. If she knew the man Jessica had been with, she could convince him to talk to the cops. Was he reluctant or was it Jessica that refused to let him help her?
As far as Kate knew, Dudley had his hands in many things in the town. He’d even had investments in Philadelphia. Who knew what parts of those investments had gone bad? At one point, Kate had thought Dudley had killed the last person that was murdered in Rock Ridge.
Scott’s ex had invested money for several of the town heads, including Dudley. The deal had gone badly, and they all lost some money. Some more than others. Dudley had fared okay because he had money in all sorts of things.
“Think about it, Jessica. Had Dudley made any enemies lately?”
“He’d run unopposed for all of his terms as mayor. Not everyone liked the decisions he made, but there’d been no threats to him, as far as I know.”
“Have the cops looked at his company office yet?”
“Probably. They had a search warrant for that too.”
Kate would have liked to have been the first to get a crack at that. She’d bet anything that Dudley’s death had to do with his business dealings. Something had gone wrong.
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She couldn’t remember anyone in town having a reversal of fortune lately, so she didn’t think that the suspect was someone in town. Then again, she’d have to ask around. Maybe someone wasn’t doing well, and she hadn’t heard about it yet.
She wasn’t part of the grapevine, but usually she heard things anyway, even if she didn’t want to. In a small town, everyone knew your business. Sometimes before you did. Kate could see the benefit of big city living, but she’d never want to give up her home. She’d lived her whole life in Rock Ridge. Moving now would be too much of an upheaval.
Besides, her boys wanted to come home to the house they grew up in. She couldn’t deny them that. They had specifically asked her not to move until they were out of college. She could only make an argument for moving if she found Greg.
“Did you have any strange phone calls recently?”
Jessica frowned then looked at the ceiling. “No, other than a few hang-ups.”
“Did Dudley seem more secretive than usual?”
Jessica cocked her head. “I thought it was my imagination. I felt as if he were hiding something from me.”
“Could it have been an affair?”
“I doubt it. Dudley was pretty straitlaced.”
“Did you question him about it?”
“I did, but he turned it around on me. I think he knew about what I’d been doing behind his back.”
“You want to tell me?”
She pressed her lips together. “I don’t want to, but you’re going to figure it out. I was having an affair. I’m not telling you with whom.”
Her tone said that she wasn’t going to budge on revealing his identity. Kate knew that it was a dead end. It was frustrating knowing Jessica could be released today if she just told the cops who she was with.
“Why are you protecting him?” Kate asked.
“Because I love him, and I want him to do well in town.”
“Is he new to town?”
She covered her mouth then shook her head. She wasn’t going to say anymore, so Kate bade her good-bye.
Chapter Four
With her dinner done, Kate felt a little restless. The town council was meeting tonight, so she decided to go to it. She parked her truck in the parking lot outside of the main entrance to the complex. The lot was half-full.
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