"I understand that Eric Armstrong and Danny Wells did some work for you."
"If you could call it that," he said.
"Can you tell us how long they worked for you and what they did?"
"Not long, maybe a little over a month. I'd hired Eric because he treated my car with respect at the club when he was on valet duty. He and his friend, Danny, didn't do as good a job when he worked for me. They took my Lamborghini for a joyride and ruined it."
"They totaled the car?" Jack asked.
"Close enough. They hit a rock that shattered the windshield and damaged the underside of the car." Danny hadn't mentioned any damage besides the window.
"How bad was the damage to the underside?" he asked.
"It was nicked, but the whole thing will need to be painted and I had to replace the window shield. They were supposed to work off the damage, but they quit on me."
"That must have made you angry," Scott said.
"Hell, yeah. Kids these days have no work ethic, no sense of what things cost."
"Danny said you were furious, that you threatened to kill Eric."
Randy's jaw clenched and Jack could sense his anger building before he spoke. "That's ridiculous. I may have said something to that effect, but it was just talk—you know—things you say when you're pissed off."
"Right. Can you recall where you were the night Eric disappeared?"
"That's easy enough. There was an event at the club that night; both Sharon and I were there."
Jack and Scott exchanged glances and then Jack stood up.
"Okay, that's all we need. We'll be in touch if we have any further questions."
"I'm happy to help. It's a shame what happened to that kid." Randy's tone was more pleasant now and more relaxed now that he'd given them what seemed to be an ironclad alibi.
A few minutes later as they drove away from the house, Scott echoed what Jack was thinking.
"Too bad he seems to have a pretty good alibi, one that can easily be checked. I'd love to have him be our guy."
Chapter Twenty-Five
Lauren was having a great day. She'd had her yearly review that morning and had received nothing but 'exceeds expectations.'
"We're lucky to have you," Emily, the principal had said. "Please keep doing whatever you're doing. It works."
That had put her in a good mood for the entire day, which seemed to fly by. And she was looking forward to that evening and dinner with David. He'd called earlier and said Chuck and Katy had tickets they weren't able to use, as Katy was sick with a flu bug, would they be interested?
The tickets were for the musical Wicked, which was playing at the Opera House in Boston. Lauren had heard great things about Wicked and was looking forward to seeing a show at the Opera House, which was completely renovated and was supposed to be spectacular.
She and Amy finished up at about the same time and walked out together. As soon as they stepped outside Lauren saw a lone minivan with KATV emblazoned on its side. The sight of even one van made her stomach sink.
"What do you suppose is going on?" Amy asked.
"I haven't the slightest." Lauren told herself to relax, that it was just one van and more than likely here for something student-related, and nothing to do with her.
They had to walk directly by the van, as it was parked front and center of the main school entrance and walkway. Lauren realized she was holding her breath a little as they got near. They were just about past the van and she was starting to relax a little when the side door flew open, and a smiley-faced pretty, young reporter with a blonde bob and pearls came running toward them.
"Are you Lauren Stanhope?" She asked.
Lauren nodded and braced herself.
"I'm Betty Cummings from WATZ. Miss Stanhope, is it true that you once confessed to murder?"
Lauren's jaw dropped. Whatever she expected, it wasn't this. She didn't think this was possible. She was a minor then and the court records were sealed. She felt a wave of anger wash over her and took a deep breath before answering. She knew she had to be very careful what she said now. If she just said 'no comment', she knew that most people would read that as being as good as guilty.
"I have never murdered anyone," Lauren said quietly and added, "and in the case you are referencing, that confession was tossed out of court."
That stopped the perkiness for a moment, but then Betty bounced back and tried again, "But Lauren, you did confess to murder didn't you?"
Lauren responded to that by simply turning her back and walking away. Amy stuck close to her side until they were at their cars. Lauren knew she was dying to know what the reporter was talking about and since it was obviously going to be in the news anyway, she might as well fill her in on the whole sorry saga.
"Come over. We can talk over coffee and you can help me pick out what to wear tonight. I'll fill you in on my sordid past." She tried to joke a little about it, but Amy looked more worried than amused.
A half hour later, Lauren and Amy were sitting in the kitchen, and over coffee Lauren filled Amy in on what had happened so many years ago.
"You know, I vaguely remember hearing something about that, but it had all blown over by the time David and I moved here with our mother. I never realized Jack and Billy were involved. It makes sense now that Jack went into law enforcement. Funny that neither of them ever recognized you." She looked closely at Lauren. "Did you look very different then?"
"Well, obviously I was a lot younger." She said with a smile. "But I also wore glasses then and that can make a big difference in how people remember you; and my hair was darker. Plus, changing my name was the key—it took away any real connection. I get the occasional 'you look so familiar' from people, but until now, no one has connected the dots."
"Obviously David knows about this."
"Yes, I told him a little over a week ago, and he's been nothing but supportive."
Amy's eyebrows rose at that and she asked somewhat tentatively, "You only just told him this a week ago?"
Lauren picked up a hint of criticism in her tone and immediately felt defensive. "I never saw a need or a reason to mention it. I didn't do anything wrong, none of us did and that was all in the past. I didn't see the sense in dredging it up."
Amy weighed that for a moment. "I can see that. I can also imagine how surprised David must have been when you told him."
"Like I said, David has been very supportive. Are you done with your coffee?" Lauren jumped up and when Amy nodded yes, she picked up both mugs, rinsed them in the sink and then put them in the dishwasher. Amy wasn't done with the conversation though.
"Do Jack and Billy know who you are?" she asked.
"Jack does."
"And Billy doesn't?"
"No, I don't think so."
"I can't imagine this will be good for his business and David's business once word gets out," she said.
"Maybe I should have David talk to him, give him the heads up before this hits the papers, which will likely be tomorrow I imagine." She said and sighed.
"You might want to give him a call now," Amy suggested. "In case he tunes in to tonight’s evening news."
"That's right. Thanks." Lauren glanced at the clock; it was a little past 4:30 p.m. David would probably be taking off around five.
Amy got up and gave Lauren a hug. "I'll see you in the morning. In fact, if you want we can ride in together tomorrow."
Lauren felt her defensive mood slip away. Amy was still there for her and she had a feeling she would be grateful for that support tomorrow morning, when it was highly likely that there would be more than one minivan waiting for her.
Chapter Twenty-Six
David was ahead of schedule and planning to head out a little early, so he and Lauren could head into Boston with plenty of time to have dinner at Abe and Louie’s, one of their favorite restaurants before the show. It was a few minutes past 4:30 and he was hoping to duck out by 4:45. But then the phone rang and it was Lauren, and after talking for a few
minutes, he agreed that he needed to sit down with Billy and give him a heads up.
"Got a minute?" Billy was just setting his phone down as David popped his head in the door.
"Sure, come on in. What's up?" David closed the door behind him and sat in a comfortable leather chair facing Billy.
"We need to talk."
"You sound serious. Is something wrong? Is it your grandfather?" Billy looked worried. His phone rang and he buzzed Trudy at the front desk to tell her to hold his calls—that he and David were in a meeting.
"No, Gramps is good. It's Lauren. Actually, it's not just Lauren; it's also you and Jack and the case you guys were part of years ago with the false confessions. A reporter caught wind of it and confronted Lauren as she was leaving school today. Looks like it's going to be on the news tonight and likely will hit the papers tomorrow."
"What does Lauren have to do with that old case?"
"Remember Melissa Hopkins?"
"Yeah, she was the girl that confessed with us."
"That's Lauren." He explained about the move out west and the name change.
"That's pretty crazy. Funny that she came back here after all these years."
"She always considered Waverly home, and that old case buried in the past. Thought it would be a non-issue."
"Probably would have been." Billy frowned and tapped his pen a few times against his notebook.
"You know, those records were supposed to be sealed. We were all minors," he said thoughtfully.
"That's what I thought at first too, but then I realized it made the news back then because it was so unusual for three confessions to be tossed out and deemed coerced. That case and a few others set a new precedent for how interrogations could be conducted."
"That's right," Billy agreed then added, "This might not be so good for business."
"I know. That's why I wanted to give you a heads up before you were blind-sided by the news.”
“Any suggestions for how we handle this? The media is bound to come calling."
"I'm thinking that the less said the better. We don't want to feed this story."
"Right. So maybe just a simple statement reiterating that we were all found innocent and that the confessions were considered forced."
"And that we support Lauren completely."
"Of course. We'll get through this," Billy said confidently. Billy faced everything with confidence, an innate sureness that everything would go his way. And it usually did. David hoped that would be the case here as well.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
"So how did Billy take it?" Lauren asked as soon as David got home. She was all dressed and ready to go. David didn't need to change so he just dropped off his briefcase and filled her in on the conversation as they walked to the car and then started driving in to Boston.
"Overall, it went about as well as could be expected. Billy doesn't get all hung up about the past. His main concern is handling this well so that it doesn't hurt the business."
"I don't blame him. And it's not just his business, it's yours, too," Lauren reminded him.
"I'm not worried about myself. We'll get through this. Let's just relax and enjoy tonight."
And they did. Abe and Louis' was fantastic as usual. They both ordered steaks and Lauren saved room for dessert, a decadent, six-layer chocolate cake. The first time they'd come here, she'd watched half a dozen of the cakes go by while they were eating and couldn't wait to try a piece herself. It was probably the best chocolate cake she'd ever had, rich and moist and exceeding her expectations completely. Now it was a given that dinner at Abe and Louis' meant chocolate cake.
After dinner, they walked over to the Opera House to see the show, which was spectacular, and the theatre was packed to capacity. The theatre itself was gorgeous. The renovations had kept the old feel of the intricate architecture with all the sculpted ceiling moldings and lush colors, and yet had a slightly modern feel as well, with larger seats and a bit of an art deco feeling with black and white marble floors. The mood was festive; there were people drinking champagne and dressed to the nines.
As they were exiting the building, Lauren tensed up immediately when she saw a row of media vans and a throng of paparazzi on the sidewalk.
"What the..." David began, and grabbed Lauren's hand as they made their way through the crowds and toward the media, which could not be avoided. But, they let them pass right by without even a second glance and Lauren breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn't have made sense for that much media to be there for her, especially here in Boston, but it was still unsettling.
They both glanced back to see who was the target, and a moment later the actor Matt Damon and his lovely wife, Louisa, walked out followed by Jack Nicholson and an elegantly dressed woman. Lauren recalled reading something in the Herald about a new movie filming around Boston starring Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. Both stars were popular with the media and the public, and watching how they interacted with everyone, she could understand why.
The two stars were gracious, taking turns answering questions from the media, shaking hands and signing autographs for fans. They never stopped smiling. David and Lauren kept walking and when they reached their car, in a lot a few blocks down, she glanced back at the theatre again and saw the two stars were still there, surrounded by fans and media. She shuddered as she hopped into the car and buckled her seatbelt.
"I really sympathize for them," she said.
"Who? Damon and Nicholson. You feel sorry for them? They're used to it. It’s a small price to pay for the many millions they both make."
"I suppose. They have no privacy though. People, especially the media, follow them everywhere. I'd hate that.”
“It's not the same," David said.
"I'd just be happy if I never see another media van again.”
“This will blow over soon. As soon as they catch whoever did this to Eric, their focus will shift. I think the worst of it is past."
"I hope you're right.” Lauren still had an uneasy sense that some kind of trouble was still simmering. She tried to shake the feeling off, but couldn’t get rid of it completely.
They got home a little before midnight, but Lauren had set the DVR to record the eleven o'clock news. She and David undressed, then climbed into bed and turned on the news. They fast-forwarded until they saw Jack's face and stopped to listen. Barbie Montgomery, one of the youngest and blondest of the perky reporters was in the field, interviewing Jack just outside the station.
"So, does this concern you that your only real suspect in this case has a history of murder?" she asked sweetly, batting her suspiciously long eyelashes and smiling non-stop.
"First of all, Lauren is not a suspect and never has been. Second of all, there is no history of murder. Lauren and two others, me included I might add, were coerced into giving false confessions to a murder over twenty years ago. Those confessions were garbage and were rightly tossed out. This information is meaningless. There's no story here." He looked furious and Lauren loved him for it. Jack was a great friend.
"Okay, well thank you for that. Live from Waverly, Mass., this is Barbie Montgomery. We're going back to Bill in the studio now. Bill, what do you think of this?"
The camera flashed to anchorman, Bill Pendleton, and his sidekick, Jenna Carlson. Bill was in his mid-fifties, a seasoned pro who had been with the station for over twenty years. Jenna, on the other hand, was in her late twenties and preppy-pretty, with long shiny blonde hair, parted neatly in the middle and falling just past her shoulders. She wore fashionable black glasses that were supposed to make her look smarter, but as soon as she opened her mouth and spoke in that high, breathy, little-girl voice, the illusion was immediately shattered.
"It certainly makes you wonder," he said slowly, and then Jenna piped in, "Where there's smoke there's fire, right?"
"Speaking of fire," Bill began, "we're going live to Jose in Mattapan where a three alarm fire is raging."
David clicked off the TV and turned to Lau
ren, "Jack was good, and credible. Hopefully, people won't put much stock in this latest 'revelation.'"
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Amy picked Lauren up the next morning and when they pulled into the school parking lot, Lauren braced herself for an onslaught of hungry media. But, much to her surprise and relief, there wasn't a single van waiting.
"Maybe they got all they needed on this, or realized that Jack was right and there's no story here," Amy said.
"Thank god," Lauren said as she got out of the car and grabbed her tote bag and coffee. Maybe Jack and David were right and people were smart enough to realize this really was a non-issue.
After school, Amy and Lauren went over to Nellie's to pick up their dresses. Lauren was in a fabulous mood. It seemed like the media insanity might be over and now she could concentrate on the wedding, which was a week and a half away.
Plus, it was snowing again, big fat flakes slowly floating down. The snow had started a few hours ago and was expected to keep on through the night. It didn't look like much of a storm now, but the winds and intensity were supposed to pick up overnight. The kids in her last period class were all excited, and wishing verbally for a snow day tomorrow. Lauren had to admit the idea appealed to her as well. She wouldn't mind a day off to curl up and watch old movies while the snow swirled outside.
When they arrived at Nellie's place, Lauren saw that she had the house decorated for Christmas. Delicate strings of white lights blinked merrily along the many well-groomed hedges, all along the Gingerbread trimming, and around the railing of the farmer's porch. The front door held a shiny silver wreath of jingle bells tied with a shimmery purple ribbon. Lauren recognized the wreath came from the Pottery Barn and she had the same one at home.
The door opened before they had a chance to knock. Nellie had been keeping an eye out for them.
"Come in, come in. This weather is terrible!"
They entered the front hall foyer and per Nellie's instructions took off their shoes and then followed her down the hall to the sewing room.
"Now try these on again real quick. Make sure they both fit the way you like. Lauren, you first." She carefully handed Lauren the wedding dress and held the curtain of the dressing room back so she could enter. Lauren held her breath as she slipped on the dress, hoping that it wouldn't be too tight since that would be hard to fix with so little time before the wedding. But she relaxed as she saw the dress fit perfectly with no tight spots anywhere. She stepped out of the dressing room for Amy and Nellie to see. Nellie took a step back and peered intensely at the dress from every angle, asking Lauren to do a slow turnaround.
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