by Jen Talty
“Why?”
“Not sure this is the right time to have this conversation.”
“If it’s about my baby girl, it’s always the right time.”
“I care about her,” Doug said.
“I know that.”
“More than before.”
“I know that, too,” Jim said with an even tone
“Had Mary not died… Had her death not been suspicious or whatever, I wouldn’t be putting the brakes on. I have no feelings for Mary. I haven’t in a long time. If ever, really. But I need time to process everything.”
“I get that, too,” Jim said, “but don’t shut Stacey out. She won’t like that, and neither will I.”
Doug nodded.
“Call me if you need anything, otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Doug walked through the parking lot of the Heritage Inn, toward the pathway that led to the Residency, admiring his own work. Most would only see the torn-down walls, but he saw what the end result would be, and it was coming along nicely.
Reese stood on the back porch of the Residency on the Heritage property, holding up a six-pack. Reese had been Stacey’s partner when she first became a trooper. She had brought this project to Sutten & Tanner and had introduced Doug to Reese.
Doug had always been a loner. He supposed it was partly due to being born homeless, then in an orphanage, then a couple of foster homes, and then back on the streets. It took a lot for him to trust and open up to Jim and Stacey. He also knew enough about life at fifteen not to look a gift horse in the mouth. He worked hard to make Jim proud so he would never regret helping out a poor homeless boy. Pad back every penny Jim had invested in Doug’s education, and had been deeply honored when Jim suggested they become partners.
“I’d ask how you’re doing,” Reese said, “but I think I know the answer.” He gave Doug’s shoulder a good squeeze before handing him a beer.
Doug realized he’d come here to be with the one person who hadn’t known Mary well, much less had a negative opinion about her. Reese was the kind of guy who didn’t judge. If he did, he never voiced those judgments.
It was well into the dinner hour. The sun dipped behind a few dark clouds. Occasionally, a few raindrops hit the ground.
“All the cabins are full, thanks to the unseasonably warm weather,” Reese said, “but I’ve got plenty of beds upstairs, and I’ll be glad for the company.” He placed the rest of the six-pack into an already-stocked cooler on the porch before sitting in one of the big Adirondack chairs. “This will be the second night Patty and Nana are gone. I no longer like being alone, and especially in this house. It’s huge.”
Doug understood that feeling, as he’d once preferred a corner of an abandoned house to being around people. But all that changed after he moved in with Jim and Stacey.
He stared at the lake. A few boats hummed along the shoreline. The birds chirped. Butterflies glided through the gardens. Tears welled in his eyes as he reflected on his life. “Mary wasn’t a bad person. Misguided, maybe. Selfish, sure. But she didn’t deserve this.”
“No one does,” Reese said.
“A lot of people didn’t like her.” Doug thought back to when he’d first met Mary. It was at a Fourth of July party. She’d been wearing a short skirt and white sleeveless shirt, an outfit one would wear to work, not a picnic. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail, and she sported big white sunglasses. Something about her had struck him as elegant and way out of his league. It had taken a couple of beers for him to muster up the courage to talk with her. Women hadn’t been his strong suit, ever. Spending childhood in the system or among the homeless, tended to make one reserved, guarded.
He thought for sure Mary was going to brush him off, but much to his surprise, she engaged him in conversation, and before he knew, she was asking him out on a date. She was intelligent, articulate, and a couple years older than him. He was in awe of her, and she was smitten with him. Turned out she had been more interested in getting his business and bringing it to her local law firm, but he hadn’t found that out until after she’d gotten pregnant.
“Anyone dislike her enough to hurt her?”
Doug shook his head. “Not that I know of.” Mary could be a bitch, especially when things didn’t go her way, something Doug hadn’t learned until they’d been dating for a month or so, and she’d gotten so upset over her order being incorrect that she nearly made the poor waitress cry. “She didn’t have many friends. And those she did have, I didn’t really know. She lost the baby right after we got married, and from there, we weren’t ever really a couple.”
It shocked Doug how quickly he could think of Mary as past tense. He felt guilty that he wasn’t falling on the floor and weeping for his late wife, but mostly, his mind raced with various scenarios of what could have happened.
“What about that guy she was sleeping with? He’s still missing. That’s where I’d look.”
“I don’t know. Can’t say I like him. But he made her happy. In the end, I was grateful she had the affair. We were miserable together.” Doug sipped his beer, then ripped open the bag of chips Reese had put on the table. “Come to think of it, we started to get along better once we decided to end our marriage.”
“I ordered pizza,” Reese said.
“I’m surprisingly hungry.”
There was a long pause as they munched on chips and sipped their beers. Doug was no longer sure how he felt about anything.
“Did you love your first wife?” he asked.
“I thought I did,” Reese said. “Maybe I did. I don’t know. She betrayed me in such a way that it fundamentally changed me.”
“I don’t think I ever really loved Mary. I loved the idea of her. The idea of being a family. I mean, I never thought… never thought…” Doug’s mind continued to run through different scenarios. Who could have killed Mary? Had she and Bill had a lovers’ spat so bad Bill snapped? Mary could push a person’s buttons. She’d pushed Doug so hard one time, he punched a hole in the wall, and he wasn’t a fighter. He hated conflict. Avoided it when possible. He’d stayed in a horrible marriage. He considered himself an honorable and loyal man. Those two traits did come at a personal cost. He set his beer on the table. “I didn’t like being questioned by the police at the station. I don’t like that I have a lawyer.”
“It does sound like the sheriff’s office jumped the gun,” Reese said, “but they do have one dead body and one missing person, and from what I gather, not much to go on.”
“Stacey thinks Bill is dead.”
“Mind if I’m brutally honest?” Reese asked.
“Not at all.”
“I’ve been the cop on the other end of this, so talking from experience, if it’s homicide, the husband is the first person I’d investigate. Everything you do will not only be dissected by the cops, but also by the public. Doesn’t matter that the public doesn’t decide who is guilty, they make their opinions known, and in today’s age of social media, their opinion can ruin an innocent man.”
“No offense, but this isn’t a game, and I didn’t kill Mary.”
“No shit,” Reese said. “It’s your life. It’s your business. Jim. Stacey. It’s your reality, but public perception is everyone else’s reality. I’ve come after guys like you. Some guilty. Some not guilty, but the pressure to solve, convict, and lock someone up often dictates how these cases are handled, and Stacey texted telling me the lead detective is a macho shithead who looks like he wants to make a name for himself.”
“He was pretty harsh,” Doug said. “The other guy was nicer, but he wasn’t there in that interrogation room.”
“Only one detective questioned you?”
Doug nodded. “So what do you suggest I do? Behave? Whatever?”
Reese had turned his chair and was leaning forward, facing Doug. “Be yourself.”
“That’s sound advice.”
“I’m serious. You go changing things, people will notice. But be guarded,” Reese said. “Think like the
general public. Put yourself in their shoes. Meaning, if you’re doing something that would make you think someone else in your shoes was guilty, don’t do it.”
Doug figured Reese was talking about his relationship with Stacey, but wasn’t going to bring it up. “I get it.” And he did. That said, it didn’t change how he felt.
“Now, tell me about the guy Mary was sleeping with. What do you know about him?”
“Not much,” Doug admitted. “Mary started sleeping with him over a year ago, about a year after she started working with him, which wasn’t much past our one-year anniversary.” His voice wasn’t bitter, though he thought it should be. The day they had gotten married, they both expressed concerns they were making a mistake, but chalked it up to it being quick and the fact that she had been pregnant. Who wouldn’t have a concern? They agreed never to discuss that again. When she lost the baby, he knew they were both thinking the same thing, but both decided they had made a commitment. They were going to stick to it.
That was, until she met Bill Ludwig, which in the end wasn’t a bad thing. Someone had to end their misery.
“How long did you know about the affair?”
“I suspected about the time it started, but never confronted her until it was so obvious that everyone in town knew. She moved out.”
“What do you know about him? His family?”
“Not much.”
“What about their clients? My biological father was one of them, technically, and he was a real loose cannon. Do they take on a lot of people like that?”
“I have no idea.” Doug had barely known Reese when all the shit had gone down this past spring. “I honestly don’t know much about any of her work.” His phone vibrated on the table. Jillian White flashed on the screen. “That’s my attorney.”
Reese excused himself into the house.
“Hello, Jillian.”
“I’m going to need you at the morgue at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. Be prepared for some tough questions.”
Doug swallowed hard. “Are the cops looking into anyone else?”
“They are looking for Bill,” Jillian said. “I’ve got a P.I. doing a background on your late wife and her lover. Would you prefer talking before or after the visit to the morgue?”
Doug appreciated the woman’s attempt at consideration. “Before. I’m sleeping at the Heritage tonight, so anytime after eight works.”
“I’ll be there,” Jillian said just as Reese came back with a loaded pizza. “See you tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Reese pulled a couple slices out of the box, plopped them on a paper plate, then shoved them in front of Doug. “What did she have to say?”
“She’s got a P.I. working on some stuff. Wants to meet me here at eight to talk about everything. I have to go to the morgue after that. She told me to be prepared for some tough questions.”
“Yeah, that’s a tactic,” Reese said. “Show someone the body, have them identify their loved one, then take them aside and ask them things like ‘how did it feel to do whatever.’”
“That’s harsh.”
“I never took that approach, but others do. Do you know who the P.I. is?”
“No. Why?”
“I’ve done some contract work for this guy, Luke Cameron, who used to work for another guy I know. Both excellent at what they do. But Luke often takes cases for the D.A., and I asked him to do some digging.”
“Why did you do that?”
Reese shrugged. “I miss being in the action sometimes. I texted Stacey his contact information—”
“I appreciate the help, but I don’t want her involved in all this.”
“She’s more than involved,” Reese said, “and she used to be my partner. She’s a damned good cop, which reminds me. You need to be careful how the world perceives you and Stacey.”
“It’s not the world’s business.” Doug wanted to wrap his relationship with Stacey in a protective bubble until this mess was over. Hide it from the world. From anything and anyone who could taint it or try to make it ugly.
Reese broke his stern look and cracked a smile. “So, you’ve finally figured out you’ve got it bad for her.”
“I’m not even going to respond to that.” Doug tossed his pizza crust back into the box.
“How long has this been going on?”
“Not your business.” Doug could still feel Stacey’s legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her lips hot on his skin.
“Does Jim know?”
“We don’t even know what is going on between us,” Doug said. “No sooner did I make my move Mary was found dead.”
“The timing isn’t good.”
“I know that,” Doug said. “Why I’m here and not at Jim’s. Needed a night to clear my head and then stop things from going to far.”
“You don’t have to that,” Reese said. “I’m just saying keep it private.”
“Yeah, that might be hard,” Doug said. “Stacey doesn’t have much of a filter.”
“I know,” Reese said, “but she’ll get this.”
Doug closed his eyes, enjoying the sound of the crickets chirping in the background. He used to love to sit out on Jim’s front deck at night, by himself, and listen to the night noises. Sometimes Stacey or Jim would join him, saying nothing at all, just listening. He’d done the same thing at the house he bought for himself and Mary. She thought it weird, and always ruined the moment by talking.
The chirping was interrupted by the alien ringtone on his phone. It was Stacey. Doug didn’t look up at Reese.
“What’s up?” Doug said.
“How are you holding up?” Her voice was soft and silky, like buttercream. He started rethinking his decision to spend the night at Reese’s, but he’d already had a few beers, which meant no way would he be of the right mind to do the right thing.
“Uncomfortably numb,” he said. “Where are you?” He heard people talking in the background.
“I’m at Bill’s summer place.”
“Why on earth would you be there?”
“It was ransacked. Jared heard the call while I was at the station. He let me tag along.”
“Did they find anything?”
“Not sure yet,” she said. “Dad said you’re staying at Reese’s for the night.”
“I wanted some time to think.”
“I understand,” she said. “I’ll talk to you in the morning. Sleep well.”
“You, too.” He placed his phone on the arm of his chair. “She’s at Bill’s summer camp. It’s been ransacked.”
“That could be good news or bad news.”
Doug closed his eyes, focusing on the night sounds. Thankfully, Reese understood quiet was best at this point.
* * *
Clouds rolled across the dark night sky. The days had grown shorter. Stacey checked her phone. A few minutes past eight. It had been a long day. A text had come from her father. He was home. She texted him back, saying she would be about an hour. She hoped it wouldn’t be longer.
Bill’s house had been torn apart. Stacey kept her distance, especially once Gregory had showed. There was still a bit of a pissing match going on between the sheriff’s office and Jared, but the State had been the first responders, so Jared would make sure they had a finger in the investigation.
Stacey leaned against the Trooper car, eyeing Jared, who finished talking with the forensics team and Gregory before meandering across the street.
“Well?” she said.
“Bill’s sister, who co-owns this place, was here when the Sheriff’s office showed up yesterday looking for Bill. She stepped out today to drive to the airport to pick up another relative, and came back to find the place vandalized.” Jared leaned against the car next to Stacey. “What do you think of Gregory?”
“Even though he’s tall, I think he suffers from short-man syndrome.”
Jared laughed. “I agree. He’s hyper-focused on Doug, and He has a real issue with women on the force.”
“Ya th
ink?” Stacey had been around her share of chauvinistic pigs in her day. Gregory seemed to be the cream of that crop.
“He’s pretty pissed you’re here. Doesn’t want our help, and wants you gone.”
“I just wonder if I should have done something differently when I went to that dive.”
“Nah,” Jared said. “That would have made things look worse. You’re going to be involved in all sorts of sticky situations since you’ve grown up here.”
She glanced up at the legendary man. And he was a legend. People in this town looked up to him. Young boys aspired to be like him. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“Prelim autopsy came back with strangulation. She was dead before she drowned. Tox report isn’t back yet. Blood on the boat came back as the same blood type as Bill’s, but that could mean anyone’s. Your blood type is the same as Bill’s. DNA will take a few days on that.”
“Gregory is coming after Doug.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Really? And who would you go after first?” She nodded toward Gregory. “What conclusion do you think that asshole is going to make?”
“He’ll just be wasting time,” Jared said. “Let the system work. It does work, you know.”
“You see that?” Stacey watched the forensics team walk out of the house with a few evidence bags.
“Yep,” Jared said. “Evidence can help get that idiot off Doug’s ass.”
“You wouldn’t be so calm if this were your family.”
“Nope,” Jared said. “I’d be spouting off, getting myself into all sorts of trouble.” He gave her a little hip check. “I’m impressed, with that mouth of yours, that you haven’t gotten yourself into trouble.”
“I’ve been biting the inside of my cheeks. Surprised I haven’t chewed a hole right through my mouth.”
“Keep doing it,” Jared said. “You don’t want to make it worse for anyone, including yourself.”
Gregory stood on the other side of the street, hands on his hips, looking both ways before crossing the street. He sported a serious look, but Stacey noticed the corners of his mouth turned upward, just slightly.