Trust

by Pamela M. Kelley

  The baptismal certificate was still in its envelope and the date was just a few days ago. It must have recently arrived and been added to the folder. Jack slipped it out of the envelope, intending to give it a cursory glance and then put it right back, but then a name on the certificate jumped out at him. Chuck was Eric Armstrong's godfather. Funny that it hadn't been mentioned before. He wondered what the relationship was to the family...if Chuck was a relative, cousin or something? Not that it was likely important, but it was a detail he could follow up on. He placed a call to the Armstrong house and Judith answered.

  "Hi, Mrs. Armstrong, Jack here. Quick question for you. I'm going over some paperwork here at the office and noticed that Chuck is listed on Eric's baptismal certificate. I’m just trying to establish Chuck's relationship to the family; is he a relative? Friend?"

  "Please, call me Judy. Chuck's not a relative. He was once a very good friend. He and my husband had a falling out years ago and drifted apart. He still stayed close to Eric though, always made a point to see him and remembered his birthday and on Christmas. He's a good person, just marches to a different drummer." She gave a nervous laugh.

  "What do you mean by that?" He didn't know Chuck at all, even though David had worked with him for years. It was always Billy he talked about and did things with outside of the office. All Jack knew about Chuck was that he'd been married for about a year and was supposedly very good at his job. He wasn't the most personable broker, but his clients were happy with the results he achieved for them.

  "Nothing, it's just a saying. He's always been a bit of a loner I guess, kind of moody. The fight that they had was so stupid that I don't even remember what it was about. But they haven't spoken since. They're both so stubborn."

  "Is Ted around? I'd love to circle back with him, make sure we're not missing anything here."

  "You don't think Chuck had anything to do with this, do you? He loves Eric, he'd never hurt him," Judy said.

  "I'm not thinking anything like that. Just doing my job, trying to make sure we have all the information possible in case something turns up that might lead us in the right direction."

  "But, I thought you already arrested someone for this? That teacher of his? The papers make it seem like it's an open and shut case with the murder weapon and finger prints. Though I find it hard to believe myself. She seemed like such a nice young woman. None of this makes any sense." Her voice broke a little and Jack felt for her.

  "I agree with you on that. I'd like to come out and visit with Ted around 6:00 tonight if you think he'll be back by then?"

  "He's usually home by 5:30, so that should be fine."

  Jack hung up the phone and turned back to his desk. For the rest of the afternoon he intended to learn all he could about Chuck.

  As far back as middle school, he'd known Chuck, or known of him. Chuck's family had moved to the area when Jack was in the seventh grade, and Waverly being a small town, he met everyone but tended to stay on the sidelines, happy to bask in Billy's shadow. Billy was the life of the party even then and kids always gravitated to him. While Billy had many friends, Chuck had very few.

  He mostly kept to himself and was quiet. Jack recalled him sitting in the corner reading rather than joking with all the other kids. Normally someone like that would have been a total outcast, picked on and left out. But, Billy wouldn't allow it. He insisted on pulling Chuck out of his shell and including him in everything. Plus, even then, Chuck was a big kid, close to six feet tall and closing in on two hundred pounds. No one was going to mess with him.

  Chuck was always around, but Jack couldn't recall ever having more than a one or two sentence conversation with him. He was there the night of the incident too, when Jack, Billy and Lauren were interrogated. Chuck had left at some point before the police arrived, so like the rest of the kids, he wasn't questioned with the same intensity that the three of them had been. Some details from that night were crystal sharp still in Jack's memory but the rest were hazy. He remembered seeing Chuck that night, but wasn't sure when he saw him last and exactly how early he'd left.

  He knew that Chuck was an excellent student, especially in Math and Science where he took honors courses and still got top grades. He went to MIT, and majored in math. He knew from comments that Billy and David made over the years, that when Chuck graduated, he was looking at getting his PhD, until a phone call from Billy changed his mind.

  Billy's uncle had gotten him into the training program at Warren Brothers, a top investment firm in Boston. Billy floated Chuck's resume to the recruiting manager and they didn't hesitate to invite him in. They loved to hire out of the best schools, especially Harvard and MIT. Billy was persuasive and the starting salary was attractive as well, so Chuck agreed to delay graduate school for a year or two. Once he discovered the mathematical challenges of the stock market and had some success, graduate school became an afterthought.

  A few years in, once they'd established themselves and had a good client base, Billy once again persuaded Chuck to join him in a new venture. He wanted to open their own investment firm in their hometown of Waverly. Billy figured that a good majority of their clients would go with them and they'd make up for the ones that didn't by getting referrals from people they knew in Waverly.

  Jack also knew from David that business was very good for their new company, which was now nearly fifteen years old. Billy was a natural salesman and handled the rainmaking and client schmoozing while Chuck stayed in the background, doing what he did best—playing with numbers. The firm grew steadily over the years to its current size of twenty employees and three partners.

  Jack considered what he knew about Eric’s father, Ted. He was a few years older than Chuck and he didn't recall them being friends during their school years. Ted had been born and brought up in Waverly but didn't attend the local public schools. He went to a private Catholic school in the next town and then like Chuck also attended MIT. Jack figured that was where they had likely struck up a friendship.

  At a quarter to six, Jack shut down his computer and grabbed a small notebook to take with him. He arrived at the Armstrong house fifteen minutes later and Judy heard his car coming down the driveway, had the front door open and was waiting for him just inside.

  "Come in. Ted will be right along.” Judy led him to the kitchen table and returned a moment later with Ted behind her. He was dressed in a suit and tie and looked uncomfortable. He shook Jack's hand, then took off his jacket and loosened his tie before sitting at the table with them.

  "Had to meet with clients today. Only time I ever put on that monkey suit," he said and Jack smiled in response.

  "So, I was going through the case file paperwork and noticed that Chuck is Eric's godfather and was wondering what the relationship is? Judy explained that you used to be close friends."

  Ted's eyes clouded over and a deep frown line appeared between his eyebrows.

  "Used to be best friends. That was a long time ago though. We haven't spoken in well over ten years."

  "Chuck stayed close to Eric, though?"

  "He did. Never missed a birthday or Christmas gift. He was a lousy friend but a good godfather."

  "Did he spend time with Eric too?"

  "He saw Eric a few times a year. They'd mostly go fishing together and catch up on things."

  "Do you know when he saw him last?"

  "At least a month or so before he was killed. They went fishing on his birthday weekend.”

  “Anything unusual happen? Did Eric come home upset?"

  "No. I don't think Eric was ever upset with Chuck. They always got along great. Chuck's a pretty mellow guy for the most part."

  "What did you and Chuck fight about that ended your friendship?" Jack felt nosy asking the question, but depending on the reason, it could be relevant.

  "You know, in retrospect, it was kind of stupid. But we were both stubborn and both felt we were right. It had to do with my wife, Judy. I felt that she and Chuck were getting too close, and were ga
nging up on me about different issues. Judy and I were going through a rough patch then and I admit I was jealous. Chuck criticized my relationship with Judy; said I didn't listen enough and a few other things. I didn't want to hear any of it. All I heard was my friend showing a little too much interest in my wife."

  "Judy, do you still talk to Chuck?" Jack was curious to hear the answer to this question.

  "Me? No. Of course not." She seemed surprised and a bit nervous by the question and Jack wasn't sure he believed her.

  "Okay. Anything else I should know?"

  "No, that's about it I think." Ted put his arm around Judy and she snuggled close. They'd apparently resolved their differences.

  "Thank you. I'll be in touch if we need anything else."

  As Jack drove away, he couldn't help but wonder if there were still unresolved issues between Chuck, Ted and Judy.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  The night before the wedding, after the rehearsal dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, David went over to Lauren’s condo for a short visit before heading home for the night. As strange as circumstances were, they both wanted to follow tradition and not see each other right before the wedding. David was having some serious second thoughts though. It felt like such a black cloud hung over them.

  “I don’t know if we are doing the right thing, going through with this. Maybe we should postpone, hold off until the dust clears.”

  Lauren looked up at him in dismay. “Are you serious? You don’t want to marry me tomorrow?” Her eyes welled up in an instant and David felt like a heel.

  “Of course I want to marry you. It’s just, well, the timing really couldn’t be any worse.”

  “Well, if you don’t want to marry me, I certainly don’t want to talk you into doing something you don’t want to do.”

  David stood up, walked to the window and said nothing for a few minutes. Then he walked back to Lauren and pulled her into his arms.

  “I love you, you know that. You have to know that. I have no doubts about marrying you. I only questioned the timing.” He smiled then and thought of his grandfather.

  “What is it?” Lauren asked.

  “I was just thinking about Gramps.”

  “What does he think about us getting married now?” Lauren looked nervous to hear the answer.

  “He thinks we should do it and be proud of it. He doesn’t believe in doing things half-way.”

  “I’ve always loved your grandfather.” Lauren looked relieved.

  The wedding went off without a hitch. Well, except for the parade of media vans lined up outside the reception hall. But, Lauren and David had instructed their guests to simply ignore them and to please not even stop for a 'no comment.' Even though there was a somber air that permeated the room at first, their family and friends shook it off and rallied around them to celebrate and support their union.

  Lauren's dress fit like a dream and even the weather cooperated with a light and pretty dusting of snow, just enough to create a romantic mood. They were married at St. David's Episcopal Church where Lauren was a parishioner and then the reception was at the Brentley Hotel, just outside Waverly's town line.

  The evening flew by and before she knew it, Lauren and David were alone together in the honeymoon suite.

  "Mrs. Bishop, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you." David made a show of carrying her over the threshold and then they were in the suite and kissing like they'd been apart for too long.

  Lauren woke the next morning and felt a great sense of peace and contentment. She and David were officially husband and wife. She glanced over at him and felt a sense of wonder that this man was in love with her. She stretched and enjoyed the richness of the luxurious high thread-count sheets, which were satiny smooth and soft. They had all day to relax and enjoy themselves before heading home tonight.

  The one thing they had agreed to postpone was the honeymoon. Since Lauren was supposed to stay local, they didn't want to push their luck by jetting off to the Caribbean, which is where they were originally scheduled to go. She didn’t exactly know which island though because David wanted to surprise her. He said it had been a simple matter to postpone the trip.

  When they arrived home the next night, there were several media vans waiting. Lauren was finding that the sight of them bothered her less and less. She'd developed the ability to finally put her blinders on and ignore them, no matter what they said.

  "Lauren, were you thinking of Eric at all during your wedding? Do you regret killing him?" This came from a petite red-haired reporter that Lauren didn't recall seeing before.

  "Lauren, is your marriage a cover? A ploy to make you look trustworthy?" Lauren recognized the voice before she saw the fluffy blond hair of Barbie Montgomery. She opened her mouth automatically to tell her where to go, but David grabbed her arm and shot her a look that warned her to be quiet, to not let Barbie get to her. Thankfully, she bit her tongue and ducked inside as soon as David had the door open. Just when she'd thought she had such strong control, it was disconcerting to see how easily she'd almost lost it.

  "She is evil," Lauren said as they put down their bags and took off their coats.

  "She's just doing her job. Not that I could imagine having her job"

  "I don't know how those people sleep at night."

  "Come here." David pulled her towards him and kissed her thoroughly. When they broke apart he added, "Don't waste another moment of energy stressing about those goons. Let's go upstairs."

  Chapter Forty

  "I've been tailing them," David's grandfather said proudly. The Tuesday after the wedding, David and his grandfather were having their usual pizza dinner at the pub. David hadn't seen his grandfather this energized and excited in a long time.

  "You've been tailing Randy AND Chuck?" David was amused and intrigued. "For how long? Did you see anything interesting?"

  "For the past few days. They're the last two people Jack's been asking about so I thought I'd see what's what."

  "I didn't know Jack was even talking to Chuck."

  "I don't think he has yet. He was out at the Armstrong's place asking them about Chuck. He was Eric's godfather you know."

  "I didn't know that. How did you find out?"

  "I still have friends inside. They keep me posted on the interesting cases. Chuck is out of town until tomorrow. I imagine Jack will want to talk to him first thing."

  David was impressed. Chuck was indeed away for a few days. He'd been out since last Wednesday, actually. His great Aunt had died unexpectedly and Chuck was the administrator for her estate. He flew back for the wedding, but had to return the next day to handle all the funeral arrangements.

  Something just occurred to David. "So, if Chuck has been out of town, how have you been able to tail him?"

  "Well, I followed him to the airport of course, to see if he really was going back to his Aunt's place. Looked like he was. He got on a flight to Minnesota again and I confirmed that's where she lives."

  "So, you mostly followed Randy? Did you see anything interesting?"

  "Sort of. Doesn't interest me much. I find this kind of thing disgusting, as you well know, but your friend Randy apparently has a lady on the side."

  "Randy is not a friend, he's a client," David corrected and the fact that he had a mistress was not surprising.

  "Whatever, he's a cheat. That's about all I saw though. He travels a lot too. Flew out to Vegas and Chicago this week, and to Dallas and Atlanta last week."

  "Are you sure you want to be doing this? If Jack thought it was important to follow these guys he'd have someone doing it."

  "Jack doesn't have the resources to have them followed, or enough of a reason to demand it if he did. This gives me something to do. I used to be quite good at this kind of thing you know." He reached for another slice of pizza and David did the same.

  "I know you're good at it. I just wish they were closer on someone, so Lauren could get her life back."

  Well, I'm on it
. Chuck will be back tomorrow and we'll see what he's up to."

  "I wouldn't waste too much energy there. Chuck's a decent guy. There's no way he's involved in this."

  "You never know what people are involved with 'til you poke around and find out. What are you doing tomorrow night? You want to ride along?"

  "While you tail my client and partner? I don't know about that."

  "Oh come on, it'll be fun. We'll make a big thermos of hot chocolate and Peppermint Schnapps."

  "Drinking and driving and tailing? Doesn't sound very law abiding to me." David grinned at his grandfather. He knew he wasn't a drinker and that there'd only be a splash of schnapps, just enough to add the minty flavor. It was fun to tease him, though.

  "Right. So, I'll pick you up at 5:30 then." And before David could protest, he added, "After all, what else do you have to do?"

  Chapter Forty-One

  "We've decided to hold off on adding new members right now. We'll be in touch in the spring once things open up again. We hope you understand. Happy holidays!" The e-mail message was from Chuck's wife, Katy, on behalf of the Girl's Group, the one that Julie and Katy had been so eager to include her in—before she was arrested. She deleted the e-mail and sighed. She supposed she couldn't really blame them. It wouldn't look good to have their newest member accused of murder. Might dim their luster just a bit. She was disappointed though, as it had sounded like a fun group and she was eager to make more friends in town. Her only close friend was Amy and she called her to commiserate.

  "They're a bunch of stuck up snobs anyway if you ask me. You're better off without them. Why don't you come with me tonight to the women's group at church? We're going to bake pies for the holiday sale next week to raise money." Amy went to the same Episcopal Church that Lauren attended, but she was more involved. Lauren had been thinking about doing more at Church, maybe this was the right time.