Just a Breath Away

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Just a Breath Away Page 7

by Carlene Thompson


  ‘I know, Helen. There’s nothing to say,’ Kelsey murmured.

  ‘There should be. Lori always had something to say.’

  ‘Lori always had something to say all right. Not always the right thing to say, but something!’

  ‘She was honest. She said exactly what she thought.’ Helen glanced at the others standing behind Kelsey. ‘I’ll fix coffee.’

  ‘I think we need some pastries, too,’ Olivia said with authority. ‘I don’t believe Truman has eaten all morning.’

  He probably wasn’t even awake yet when you arrived, Brad in tow, Kelsey thought sourly. She couldn’t come up with one pleasant thing to say. She busied herself finding the cat food she kept here and then fixing Gatsby an extra-large portion and a small bowl of milk, which the vet said he shouldn’t have, especially on his diet. But Gatsby needed comfort food, Kelsey decided. Next to Kelsey, he’d loved Lorelei the most.

  A few minutes later, everyone ambled from the kitchen into the adjoining room, which her mother had called the sun room. Olivia hovered around Truman, obviously planning on sitting next to him, and Kelsey was glad to see him settle into the rattan rocking chair. Defeated, Olivia perched at the end of the couch, as close to Truman’s chair as she could get, and Brad sat next to her. Kelsey and Eve sat down on the love seat. Sunlight streaming through the arched windows brought out the rich cream, butter yellow and paprika colors of the decor. Even the plants looked fuller and greener than Kelsey had ever seen them. It seemed as if death could not touch this vibrant room. Yet while Olivia tried to brush Gatsby’s fur from her black pants, making a weak joke that didn’t cover her annoyance, Kelsey’s gaze fell on an eight-by-ten framed picture of her mother, smiling, her arms wrapped around a grinning eight-year-old Kelsey and two-year-old Lorelei. They all looked so happy, so young, so invincible. And two of them were already gone.

  Truman glanced out the window to his left. ‘It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, beautiful,’ the women agreed. Kelsey caught a glimpse of tears in Eve’s eyes.

  Olivia smiled. ‘I think it’s supposed to be around seventy-four degrees today. Or maybe seventy-six. I’m so bad at keeping track of the weather. Brad is much better.’ She glanced brightly at her son. ‘Bradley?’

  Brad was running a hand over his short light brown hair. His perfect features were blank. ‘What?’

  ‘The temperature today.’

  ‘What about it?’

  ‘He’s too distressed to notice the weather,’ Olivia explained to all of them, as if he was a bashful child. Brad’s cheeks turned dull red. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Helen arrived carrying a tray laden with a white ceramic coffee set and a plate of pastries. Her hands shook slightly as she placed the tray on the glass-topped coffee table.

  ‘I’ll pour,’ Olivia announced, leaning forward then frowning. ‘Helen, you brought mugs instead of cups.’

  ‘I like mugs,’ Truman said.

  ‘So do I,’ Kelsey and Eve chimed in at once. Olivia sighed impatiently, poured coffee into a mug, added sugar, and gave it to Truman, silently telling everyone she knew how he took his coffee. She filled two mugs and handed them to Kelsey and Eve, not asking how they took theirs. She gave Brad and Truman pastries without offering any to Kelsey and Eve.

  The grandfather clock in the hall chimed twelve times. Kelsey’s tranquilizer was beginning to wane – her heartbeat was speeding up, she wanted to cry, her head hurt, her hands had turned icy, and Olivia was acting as if she was the hostess at a tea party.

  Olivia took two dainty sips of her coffee before she began. ‘We have to get down to unpleasant details, Truman. I know your family has always used the Ferris Funeral Home. It’s all right, but I think the Vaughan Home is nicer. I used them when Milton died.’ She finally looked at Eve. ‘Milton was my husband.’

  ‘I know,’ Eve said politely.

  ‘Of course you would. I’m sure Kelsey told you. Hundreds of people came to my husband’s funeral. The Fairbournes are a very prominent family.’ Olivia turned her attention back to Truman. ‘I hate to be indelicate, but are they going to release dear Lorelei’s body immediately or hold it a couple of days to do, well … all those things they do to the bodies of murdered people?’ She closed her eyes and shuddered.

  The remains of the pleasant haze created by the tranquilizer vanished, and Kelsey felt as if a firecracker had gone off behind her eyes. Anger rushed through her. Without having the least intention of speaking, she burst out, ‘Before we talk about funeral homes, Olivia, I’d like to have some questions answered. Brad, when did you find out what happened to Lori? How did you find out? Why are you and your mother at our house so early? For God’s sake, you made it here before I did!’

  Brad had been silent as he stared blindly out a window, but Kelsey had startled him back to life. She’d startled everyone, although Brad was the only one whose eyes focused on her with steely defiance as the muscles in his handsome face went rigid. She saw his right hand clench into a fist. Then he slowly exhaled, relaxed his hand and began talking softly and carefully through nearly clenched teeth. ‘At the hospital last night Truman called his lawyer. John Reid’s out of town, but his wife Elaine was home. I wasn’t feeling great yesterday and I stayed in all evening and watched TV. Jimmy Kimmel was on when Elaine called.’ Brad’s voice was so tight Kelsey pictured his vocal cords fraying. ‘She knows how close our families are and she had my home number. She said Truman needed me.’

  ‘Why would he need you?’

  ‘Kelsey, dear, we’ll excuse your tone because you’re so upset, but certainly you understand that there had been a crime—’

  ‘I can speak for myself,’ Brad snarled at Olivia, who flinched and turned her attention to her coffee. Brad shot Kelsey a withering look. ‘You don’t understand these things, Kelsey. Your father does. That’s why he called his lawyer.’

  ‘I called John because he’s my closest friend, and because I wanted my lawyer—’

  ‘Of course you did, Truman,’ Olivia stated. ‘Brad was an excellent substitute for John on both counts.’

  Truman drew himself up in his chair and seemed to shake off his lethargy. ‘Olivia, please stop interrupting.’ He looked at the others. ‘I wanted John to find out all he could about the case. I wasn’t in any condition to do so myself.’

  Olivia’s pale skin flamed and her chin trembled.

  Truman took a deep breath. ‘Our emotions are getting out of control because we’re all in a state of shock and hurt and tired. There’s plenty of time for Kelsey and me to decide on the funeral arrangements, Olivia. We are Lorelei’s family.’ He stood up, looking strong and capable of handling any catastrophe. Kelsey had never loved her father more than at that moment. ‘Olivia, Brad, thank you so much for all you’ve done. I truly appreciate it. I’m afraid I’ll be asking even more of you in the next few days, which is why I think it’s best if you both go home and relax. I have Kelsey and Helen and Eve here to watch over me now, and Stuart is coming soon. We’ll be fine.’

  ‘Stuart Girard! You’re counting on him?’ Olivia looked shocked. ‘Milton told me Stuart’s father was strange – maybe violent – and his business wasn’t aboveboard. He had Mafia connections!’

  ‘Olivia, you’re slandering the man,’ Truman said firmly.

  ‘I don’t think so! Milton didn’t think so. I don’t know why you won’t let Brad help you.’ Olivia swallowed hard. ‘Stuart is polite but he’s not friendly. In fact, I think he acts guarded – even a little sly. You’ve known Brad since he was a boy. You don’t know anything about that Stuart person.’

  ‘I’ve known Stuart all his life, Olivia.’ Truman motioned toward the doorway. ‘Now, please …’

  ‘Well!’ Olivia huffed and stood up. ‘We’re only trying to help, Truman.’

  ‘I know – and I thank you, Olivia, Brad.’

  As Truman herded a protesting Olivia and a silent Bradley toward the entrance, Brad flung a look over his shoulde
r at Kelsey. There was no sympathy and no sorrow in his gaze – only anger and calculation. Calculation, Kelsey thought. Is he wondering what effect Lori’s death is going to have on our relationship? Or more likely on his mother’s potential relationship with Dad. Lori was Olivia’s staunchest enemy. And now she doesn’t stand in Olivia’s way. Will that make a difference? Kelsey listened to Olivia’s suddenly syrupy and sympathetic voice coming from the entrance hall. It didn’t sound at all like her. She’s always been an actress, Kelsey thought. I got so used to her that I never paid any attention. But who knows how she feels? What she wants and how far she’ll go to get it? Suddenly Kelsey realized she was as opposed to a marriage between her father and Olivia as Lori had been on the last night of her life. She’d always known Olivia wasn’t entirely sincere, but had never realized how deceitful she was until this moment when she was using Lorelei’s death to worm even farther into Truman March’s life.

  Nearly an hour later in her airy bedroom, Kelsey began to unpack. She straightened a pair of jeans and said to Eve, ‘I’m sorry Olivia said Stuart seems sly.’

  Eve laughed. ‘I thought it was hilarious. If any one of us seems sly, it’s Brad.’

  ‘That’s true. I’m glad that even though Stuart won’t be taking you home, he’ll be staying here with Dad for a while. Dad needs a distraction other than me.’

  ‘You know Stuart thinks the world of your father.’

  Kelsey grinned. ‘And of you. In three months, you’ll be engaged. Maybe sooner.’

  ‘Not unless he gives me a four-carat engagement ring.’

  Kelsey tried to look appalled. ‘Hold on there, girl! MG Interiors isn’t making millions.’

  ‘It will be soon.’ Eve sat down on the bed and took out a light blue sleep shirt from Kelsey’s suitcase. She absently shook it, folded it, shook it again, and began refolding it.

  ‘Eve, what’s wrong?’

  ‘Well, I need to ask you something about last night …’

  Kelsey went still. ‘Just ask.’

  ‘What time was the shooting?’

  The memory shot a spear of pain through Kelsey, making her gasp.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Eve said anxiously. ‘I shouldn’t have said anything.’

  ‘I know you’ll have a good reason.’ Kelsey closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I’ve thought about this all morning so I could give the police an accurate timeline. I glanced at my watch when Rick came up to Lori and me close to the door and asked if he could call us a taxi. It was 10:55. I remember because I was surprised it was so late. I talked to Rick for a couple of minutes before we left. We’d walked part of a block when …’

  Kelsey swallowed. ‘Lori was shot slightly before or after eleven. Why?’

  ‘Last night Stuart and I saw a movie and then went to The Silver Dollar on Frankfort Avenue. We like the food and the music there. What I’m trying to tell you is that we left the bar around ten. Today Brad said he’d felt bad last night and stayed in all evening.’ Eve looked troubled. ‘On our way out, Stuart and I saw Brad in The Silver Dollar. He was with a young woman. She was tall and very slender with thick black hair that nearly reached her waist. She looked about eighteen or nineteen. They were both drinking. The last I heard, the legal drinking age in Kentucky is twenty-one. She must have had fake ID. She’d obviously passed her limit – she was loud and laughing a lot. Brad was trying to get her to leave, so we hurried up to avoid another scene with him.’

  Kelsey blinked in surprise. ‘You’re sure you saw Brad with a teenager?’

  ‘She looked like a teenager. Maybe she was older, but I really don’t think so. I don’t want to stir up trouble, but Brad lied to all of us today. He claimed he’d stayed in his apartment all evening. He didn’t.’ Eve paused. ‘Kelsey, even if she’s a teenager, why would Brad want so desperately to cover up being with this girl that he’d lie about his whereabouts at the time of a murder?’

  Later in the afternoon, after Stuart had arrived, while he and Eve were in the barn visiting the three horses Eve loved, Kelsey sat on the terrace, watching the bluebirds dart through the clear, warm air, the sun shining on the brilliant blue backs of the males and the grayer backs of the females. Two of the birds flew to one of the many cypress birdhouses with blue shingled roofs sitting on poles surrounded by the rich green lawn. Kelsey’s mother, Sofie, had loved bluebirds and Truman had promised to give her a backyard full of them. Now twenty birdhouses on straight white poles towered over colorful flowerbeds that Sofie had tended herself.

  Kelsey watched the birds absently, feeling empty of anything except a deep, ceaseless regret. ‘I miss you,’ she murmured, sipping iced tea and thinking that her mother and sister would never again sit on this terrace with her and her father. The only other thing she could think about was Brad’s lie.

  He’d made a point of saying he hadn’t felt well yesterday and had spent the evening at home. But Eve said she and Stuart had seen him in The Silver Dollar with a very young woman. Was he seeing someone he wanted to keep hidden from his mother and his few friends, and from the partners of Reid, Alpern & Patel law firm? Was that worth the lie?

  ‘Kelsey?’ She turned to see Helen hovering just outside the door. ‘There’s a policeman named Detective Pike here. He says he needs to talk to you and your father.’

  ‘Oh, hell!’ Kelsey mumbled. Then, ‘Send him out, Helen.’

  ‘I’m already here, Miss March. I followed her.’

  ‘Were you afraid I’d make a run for it, Detective Pike?’

  ‘Why, no, Miss March, but the world is full of surprises,’ he said in his beautiful voice. ‘Better safe than sorry.’

  ‘Then you might as well come out and ask your questions. Helen, Dad’s taking a nap. Will you wake him?’ Helen gave Pike a look that said Truman March should not be awakened from a nap for the likes of him. ‘Dad will want to talk to Detective Pike, Helen.’ Kelsey tried to sound pleasant. ‘Detective, would you care for some iced tea?’

  ‘Uh, that would be very nice.’ Pike sounded surprised as he stood thin and rumpled behind Helen.

  ‘Come out and sit down, Detective.’ Kelsey motioned to one of the cushioned lawn chairs. ‘Helen, will you bring out some more glasses with the pitcher of tea? I’m sure Dad will want some, too.’

  Detective Pike approached slowly, almost as if he was wary of her courteous reception. He sat down and wiped sweat from his upper lip.

  ‘I lived in Bangor, Maine, all of my life until I moved here in November. I’ve been told it’s unusually warm and humid for this time of year, and the car air conditioner has stopped working.’ He glanced with contempt at his wilted white shirt. ‘I look like I’ve been in a sauna.’

  Kelsey giggled and he cocked his head at her, his black eyes startled. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘You’re so formal, I didn’t expect you to make a joke.’

  ‘Am I formal?’ He sounded surprised but she knew he wasn’t. He gazed at the lawn spreading in front of them. ‘Excellent grass. It looks like a green carpet. And splendid flowerbeds.’ He paused then said softly, ‘My wife loved flowers. She had a gift for growing them.’

  Loved. Had. Kelsey wondered if he was divorced or widowed. He wore a wedding ring. Widowed, she thought, and probably not for long.

  Helen returned with a tray, on it a pitcher of iced tea and tall glasses along with sugar and some slices of lemon and sprigs of mint. Kelsey thanked her and poured a glass. ‘Sugar, lemon, mint, Detective?’

  ‘Everything, please.’

  While Kelsey poured tea over ice cubes in a frosted glass, Pike said, ‘The press is already descending on this house. Of course news about the incident is all over the television and the internet.’

  ‘Dad’s hired private security. They should be here soon.’

  ‘Hello. Got a tall glass of tea for an old man?’ Truman asked. Neither Kelsey nor Detective Pike had seen her father come out. He wore khaki pants and a pale green polo shirt. He sat down heavily, running a hand through his brown hair laced with si
lver.

  ‘We have lots of tea and you’re not an old man,’ Kelsey said.

  ‘I feel at least a century old.’ Truman tried and failed to smile jauntily at Kelsey. He looked at Pike. ‘Well, Detective, I hear you have more questions for us.’

  ‘Some. I hate to be a nuisance but there’s no avoiding it.’ Pike opened a notebook and clicked a ballpoint pen. ‘I need to ask you again about Vernon Nott. You meet a lot of people. Are you sure you’ve never heard the name Vernon Nott?’

  Truman shook his head. ‘I wracked my brain last night. If I’ve heard the name, I don’t remember it. It’s a fairly ordinary name, though.’

  ‘About your business …’ Pike said. ‘What exactly does March Vaden Industries do?’

  ‘I’m sure the police know that already, but I’ll play along,’ Truman said dryly. ‘We design and manufacture parts for aerospace companies.’

  ‘Was Vernon Nott ever an employee?’

  ‘Possibly. We have three subsidiary companies and thousands of employees.’

  ‘I meant here in Louisville, sir.’

  Truman took a sip of iced tea and gave Pike a hard look. ‘I’m having our computer records checked as we speak, and you’ll have the information by five o’clock. But you didn’t come here to ask me if Nott was an employee—’

  ‘Thank you.’ Pike turned to Kelsey. ‘Miss March …’

  Kelsey lifted her shoulders. ‘I don’t remember a Vernon Nott as an employee or customer of Durand Designs, where I used to work. I know he’s never been a customer of MG Interiors. I don’t have access to Durand Designs’ records, but I can give you the records of MG Interiors.’

  ‘Excellent. I hope Durand Designs will be cooperative.’

  ‘I’m sure they will be. I left there on good terms, Detective Pike, even though I took Stuart Girard with me.’

  He smiled slightly, never looking up from his notes. A drop of sweat rolled down his narrow, high-bridged nose and plopped loudly on his notebook. Kelsey noticed his high cheekbones redden and handed him a napkin. ‘I’m sorry we can’t help you more.’

 

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