Exposed (A Jenny Watkins Mystery Book 4)

by Becky Durfee

  Brian raised one eyebrow, the chip on his shoulder fully intact. “So what did my mother tell you?”

  “Well, for starters, she let me know your father had been abusive to her.”

  He didn’t respond.

  Jenny kept her voice soft. “And I know he ultimately killed her one October afternoon eight years ago.” She tried to gauge a reaction from Brian that didn’t come. “He drowned her, and then he coerced you into providing him with an alibi.”

  His expression changed so slightly it was almost imperceptible, but his silent defiance remained steadfast.

  “And if I piece all of those things together,” Jenny continued. “I can reasonably conclude that you were acting in self-defense the day you stabbed your father.”

  Brian sat silently for a long time. Eventually he posed, “Did she tell you anything else?”

  Jenny found the question to be odd. She shook her head and replied, “No, not yet. But I intend to keep working on this, and hopefully she will tell me something more.”

  “She don’t need to tell you nothing more.”

  Jenny remained confused. “Well, hopefully she can. Maybe she’ll give me some insight that will help set you free. That’s all she wants, Brian. She wants to get you out of here.”

  “I’m fucked, don’t you understand that?” Though his voice was quiet, he sounded angry. “I’m completely and utterly fucked. Nothing is going to help me—especially not testimony from a crazy lady who claims to talk to dead people.”

  Jenny saw a glimpse of vulnerability and kindness in Brian’s eyes that no amount of acting could mask. She reduced her voice to a pleading whisper and said, “I just want to help you.”

  Brian snorted with disgust. “You’re wasting your time.”

  “I’m most certainly not wasting my time, and I plan to keep working with your mother to uncover the truth.”

  “Well, do me a favor and don’t bother.” After quickly hanging up the phone and leaving his chair, Brian approached the guard and said something as he held his hands out to be cuffed again. The guard obliged and led Brian out of the room.

  Dumbfounded, Jenny held on to the phone for several moments before hanging it up. She couldn’t move at first, completely confused by what had just transpired. Realizing she couldn’t sit there forever, she got up out of the chair and proceeded to the lobby.

  Zack, Rod and Isabelle all seemed surprised to see her. “That was quick,” Zack remarked.

  “Yeah,” Jenny replied, still in a bit of a daze. “Too quick.”

  “So how did it go?” Isabelle asked. “Did you learn anything?”

  “Yeah, I did.” She looked intently at her mother as she reviewed the conversation in her head. “I learned that Brian is hiding something.”

  Chapter 7

  Once again enjoying the comforts of home, the four sat in Jenny’s living room as they discussed the visit. “So what makes you think he’s hiding something?” Isabelle posed.

  Jenny shook her head. “I just have that feeling.”

  “It that your feeling?” Rod asked. “Or is that Patricia’s?”

  “Mine,” Jenny clarified. “I’m not getting a reading on him; the conversation just isn’t sitting right with me.”

  “What’s bothering you about it?” Isabelle asked.

  Squinting as she recalled what was said, Jenny began her explanation. “Well, first of all, he seemed concerned that his mother was going to disclose information. If he’s completely innocent like we suspect, you’d think he’d be excited at the prospect about news coming to the surface. If he truly acted in self-defense, the more information the better…don’t you think?”

  “You would think,” Zack confirmed.

  “And there was something else,” Jenny added, tapping her finger to her chin. “When I told him that his mother had contacted me, he scoffed at the idea…like it was impossible. When I explained that her spirit had contacted me, he didn’t react like I’d expect him to if he was hearing for the first time that his mother had died.”

  “So you think he already knew?” Rod asked.

  Jenny looked around the room. “I believe he did.”

  “Sorry to be so negative,” Isabelle interjected. “But is it possible that he didn’t believe you? Maybe he thought you were just a kook who couldn’t be taken seriously.”

  With a smile Jenny replied, “It’s certainly possible. But if he had the hope that his mother was still alive, he probably would have shown some optimism when I first told him I’d heard from Patricia. Instead he was skeptical.” She shook her head. “And that doesn’t seem right for someone who’s holding out hope.”

  Rod wiped his face with his hands, letting out a big sigh. “Okay, so if he is hiding something, how on earth are we going to find out what that is?”

  “Let’s hope that Patricia can clue us in on some more,” Zack said.

  A long pause ensued, after which Isabelle slapped her lap with both hands and noted, “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I saw a cute little Mexican place not too far from here. Rod, does that sound good to you?”

  “Sure,” Rod replied. He turned to Zack and Jenny. “How about you two? Are you up for Mexican?”

  “Oh, no,” Isabelle said, “I meant we could go just the two of us.” Isabelle shot Jenny a look. “I think these two have something they need to discuss. In private.”

  Jenny covered her forehead with her hand, ignoring the confused looks on Rod and Zack’s faces.

  “Oh,” Rod said with surprise. “I guess that’s fine.” Once again looking at Jenny he added, “I didn’t realize you guys had something you needed to talk about. Just give me a minute to get my things together and I’ll get out of your way.”

  Jenny wouldn’t look at Zack. Instead she watched Isabelle and Rod gather themselves and head out the door. Once the door shut behind them, Zack posed, “What was that about?”

  “My mother is about as subtle as a ton of bricks falling on your head; that’s what that was about.” She finally found the courage to look at Zack, who exuded tentativeness. If only he knew the bomb she was about to drop on him.

  While Jenny had rehearsed this conversation, she hadn’t perfected it, and she certainly didn’t feel ready to start reciting it. However, the look on Zack’s face was painful to see, so she realized she had to put him out of his misery and disclose the truth.

  She only hoped that truth didn’t mark the end of their relationship as they knew it.

  “Come on,” she said with a wave of her hand. “Let’s have a seat on the couch.” Sitting nervously, she placed her interlaced hands on her lap. Turning to him and letting out a nervous exhale, she began, “Do you remember how I had bronchitis a couple of weeks ago?”

  “Yeah.” Poor Zack clearly had no idea where this was going.

  “Well, they put me on antibiotics for it.” Jenny paused, almost too afraid to continue. She felt herself shaking all over, wondering if she could even say the words.

  “And…?” Zack asked impatiently.

  “And,” Jenny continued, focused on her lap. “Antibiotics can interfere with the birth control pill.” She winced as she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.

  “Are you saying you might be pregnant?” Zack asked with dismay.

  Tucking her hair behind her ear, she replied, “I’m telling you I am pregnant.”

  She braced herself for a reaction that didn’t immediately come. The seconds felt like hours as she waited for his response. Eventually he simply asked, “We’re going to have a baby?”

  Jenny nodded. “I’m really sorry, Zack. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I didn’t know about the antibiotics…it didn’t even occur to me we should have been using back-up birth control.”

  “No,” Zack said disbelievingly. “Don’t be sorry. There’s nothing to be sorry about.” He let out an excited laugh. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  Still wincing, Jenny posed, “So are you okay with this?”

/>   “Yeah, I’m okay with this.” He shook his head rapidly as if to shake off a feeling. “I’m going to be a father.”

  Jenny finally relaxed enough to smile. “Yup. You’re going to be a father.”

  “Oh my God.” Then something occurred to Zack. “But that means you’re going to be a mother. Jenny, are you okay with this?”

  She smiled again. “Yes, definitely. You know as well as anybody that I’ve wanted to be a mom for a long time.” Tears began to fill the back of her eyes. “While the timing may not be perfect as far as you and I are concerned, it’s still a baby. And how can that be bad?”

  “A baby. Holy shit.”

  “I know, right?”

  Zack seemed to suddenly realize that he should probably do something romantic. He reached over and hugged Jenny tightly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “We’re going to have a baby,” he whispered into her ear. After pulling away, he looked at Jenny with a smile. “At first I thought you were going to break up with me.”

  “No,” Jenny snorted. “Just the opposite. I’m roping you into a lifetime commitment.”

  “I like that better,” he confessed. For a moment he looked as if he was searching for something to say. Finally he posed, “So how are you feeling? Are you sick or anything? I know that pregnant women can sometimes feel like crap.”

  “No,” Jenny said, “I don’t feel sick at all. The only reason I even suspected I was pregnant was because I missed my period. Aside from that I’ve had no symptoms at all.” Besides clumsiness, Jenny thought, but she kept that notion to herself.

  “Well if you need anything, at all, ever, let me know. I’m right downstairs.”

  She smiled. “Got it. Thanks.” After a moment of contemplation she added, “You know what? I think I need something right now.” She smiled broadly. “I need pizza.”

  Rod and Isabelle walked into the house laughing, Isabelle carrying a take-home box. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Isabelle looked intently at Jenny, clearly trying to interpret what had gone on while they were at dinner. Deciding against playing a cruel joke, Jenny smiled and gave a subtle thumbs-up, letting her mother know that the conversation had been a success.

  Isabelle failed to mask her excitement, clasping her hands together and letting out a squeal. Rod turned to her with a look of confusion before saying, “Okay, what did I miss?”

  Isabelle’s demeanor changed instantly; she bit her lip and widened her eyes, looking at Rod as if he wasn’t supposed to notice her overt reaction.

  Jenny rolled her eyes; no sense in trying to hide it. “Rod, it wasn’t really a coincidence that my mom came down yesterday. Well, the fact that the visit aligned with yours was a coincidence, but she came down to see me because I told her I was pregnant.”

  Rod’s face lit up. “You’re pregnant? That’s incredible. How far along are you?”

  “Not very,” Jenny admitted. “I just found out a couple of days ago.”

  “Well, I just found out a few months ago that I was a father. And now I’m going to be a grandfather?” He walked over and embraced Jenny. “This makes me so happy…although it does make me feel a little old.” After releasing his embrace with Jenny and flashing her a smile, he proceeded to Zack, sticking out his hand. “Congratulations, my friend.”

  Zack smiled tentatively as he engaged in the hand shake. “Thanks.” He let out a nervous laugh and added, “I’m actually glad to see you’re not mad about this.”

  Rod gestured his free hand back and forth between Isabelle and Jenny. “How could I possibly be mad at you?” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t exactly follow the rules myself.”

  Zack’s demeanor instantly relaxed.

  “Well, let me give you a hug,” Isabelle interjected, approaching Zack. She embraced him, playfully mentioning, “Now you be sure to treat my daughter right, you hear me?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I plan to,” Zack said, returning her hug.

  Suddenly Jenny felt a funny stir in her stomach. “Let’s go,” she said as she grabbed her purse and keys. Familiar with the routine, Zack immediately headed for the door. Isabelle and Rod trailed closely behind.

  They all got into Jenny’s car, and she allowed her inner voice to direct her to her destination. The streets went from residential to sparsely-populated to deserted, and they eventually found themselves being one of the few cars on the road. After about twenty minutes Jenny’s car rolled to a stop alongside a swampy pond which was barely visible due to the ensuing darkness.

  Everybody in the car seemed to know why they were there.

  “By any chance,” Jenny began, looking over at Zack, “is this the pond you were talking about earlier?”

  “I don’t know. I’d need to look at a map.”

  Rod pulled out his phone and, with the push of a few buttons, called up a satellite image of their location. He handed the phone to Zack, who zoomed out and noted, “Yup. This is the place.” He looked out the car window at the weed-infested marshy area. “It’s a lot less of a pond than I thought it would be.”

  Jenny wordlessly got out of the car and walked close to the murky water’s edge. Without a jacket, she hugged her arms around her body and ran her hands up and down her arms. Soon Zack crept up quietly behind her.

  “I feel fear,” she noted, freeing one of her hands to swat bugs away from her face. “Panic.”

  Zack kept his voice a whisper. “Do you think this is where Patricia was drowned?”

  Jenny responded only with a nod.

  She remained quiet as she closed her eyes, receiving the full message. She heard no words; the enlightenment was in feeling alone. Developing a full understanding of Patricia’s message, she felt a range of emotions surge through her body. After a few moments she turned around and looked at Zack with dismay in her eyes.

  “What is it?” Zack asked.

  Jenny swallowed and breathed deeply, looking back out at the water. “This is definitely where it happened,” she disclosed. “But there’s more to it than that.”

  Zack remained quiet as he awaited an elaboration.

  “She wanted to tell me she’s still here.”

  Chapter 8

  Although she had been awake for over an hour, Jenny was definitely feeling the effects of skipping her coffee for the third morning in a row. She yawned vigorously as she scoured the articles on her laptop while sitting on her couch, unable to shake her nagging sense of sleepiness.

  “Are you having any luck, honey?” Isabelle posed from the recliner nearby.

  “I’m learning a little,” Jenny explained. “Patricia’s mother’s name was Darlene Bigby. According to the reports I found, she launched a huge campaign to try to find her daughter when she first went missing.”

  “I would imagine.”

  “But as the years have gone on and Patricia hasn’t been found, I think Darlene’s efforts have faded a little bit.”

  “Life does have to go on. Bills have to get paid.” Isabelle shook her head. “But I am positive that not a day goes by that she doesn’t think about her daughter.”

  Jenny considered the fact that she, too, was now a mother, and the thought of somebody taking this child from her like that was unbearable—and she hadn’t even seen her baby yet. She couldn’t imagine how much pain Darlene had endured losing an adult child she’d come to know and love.

  Matter at hand, Jenny reminded herself before she became too sad. “At the time of Patricia’s disappearance Darlene lived in a town called Winston. It’s about an hour from here, if my map reading skills are still sharp. Life will be a whole lot easier for us if she still lives there.”

  At that moment, Jenny heard a knock on the door from downstairs. “Come on in,” Jenny called; Zack emerged wearing a waterproof jacket, jeans and boots. “Hey,” Jenny began. “You look ready for the elements.”

  “This is the best stuff I have,” Zack confessed. “I usually only go out on a boat in the summertime when I’m barefoot and in a bathing suit. I really don’t have marsh-we
ar.”

  “Why are you defending yourself?” Jenny asked with a laugh. “I gave you a compliment.”

  Zack furrowed his brow. “I thought it was sarcasm.”

  “No, it wasn’t sarcasm. Although, you should definitely load up on bug spray before you guys go out there,” she added. “I got bitten about a half a dozen times last night and I was only out there a few minutes.”

  “And sunblock,” Isabelle added. “It’s supposed to be sunny today.”

  Despite the fact that it was only March, Zack didn’t argue with Isabelle. He simply gave a single vigorous nod of acknowledgement. Jenny smiled at the fact that Zack seemed to know exactly how to handle her mother, as overbearing as she could be sometimes.

  Soon Rod came out of his bedroom wearing jeans, a sweater and sneakers. “Rod,” Jenny said, “Do you want to go shopping for some water-proof clothes before you guys go? You might get soaked and you’ll be freezing.”

  “Nah,” he replied, gesturing to Zack with his thumb. “Big guy here’s got boots, so he can be the shove-off guy. I’ll just sit in the canoe and enjoy the ride. Unless we tip over—which we shouldn’t—I’ll be fine.”

  “Do either of you know how to tie a canoe to your roof?” Jenny asked.

  “Um…I’m a park ranger,” Rod replied with a smile. “I think it’s part of the job description.”

  Jenny found herself laughing. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to underestimate you.”

  “No worries.” Rod clasped his hands and then rubbed them together before turning to Zack. “So, are you ready to go and do this?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” Zack said with much less vigor than Rod.

  “Good luck, guys,” Jenny said. “And thanks for doing this. I most definitely do not want to be there if you find her body. I’ve already done that once, and that was enough for one lifetime.”

  “I don’t really want to be there either,” Zack confessed. “Eight years under water is a long time. I imagine things won’t be pretty.”

  Jenny smiled and blinked repeatedly. “I appreciate it, honey.”