Deadly Accusations

by Debra Purdy Kong

  She looked in her rearview mirror. Gabrielle would probably tell Birch about their encounter. If he and Gabrielle had killed Jasmine, would he take his anger out on Summer? Casey peeled out of the parking lot and headed to her oceanside hotel ten minutes away. She didn’t breathe easy again until she’d entered her ground floor room and locked the door.

  She called Lou’s mom and got voice mail. Casey checked her watch. Five o’clock. Barb had told Casey and Summer that supper was between five and six, and that she never picked up the phone during that hour.

  “Hi, it’s Casey,” she said after the message beep. “Listen, I’ve stepped into a mess here in Parksville.” She kept her voice calm. “Make sure Summer doesn’t go anywhere on her own until I get back, okay? I’ll call and explain more later.”

  She called Lou’s cell. While the phone rang, she sat on the bed and gazed at the pine furniture, the blue and green squares on the bedspread. No answer there either. Casey left a quick message, describing her encounter with Gabrielle and asking him to check on Barb and Summer.

  Casey walked to the window. A handful of people strolled along the beach on this cool October day. A seagull strutted along the water’s edge, stopped and cried, then flew away. Corporal Lundy needed to know about Gabrielle and Birch. Maybe he could ask a Vancouver city cop to patrol Barb’s street tonight. Casey removed the bundle of letters from her bag and retrieved Lundy’s number. He answered on the second ring.

  “I have news.” She described the connection between Gabrielle and Birch, Gabrielle’s potential inheritance, and her fear for Summer’s safety.

  “How did you find all this out, Miss Holland?”

  “By accident.”

  “What kind of accident?”

  He wasn’t going to like this. “Jasmine’s biological mother asked me to visit her here in Parksville, and while we were talking, her daughter showed up. I recognized Gabrielle right away because I’ve seen her with Birch before; kissing him, in fact.” Before he could ask where she’d seen them, Casey added, “A few weeks before Jasmine’s death, her landlords saw someone in the car with Birch when he was stalking her. They never got a close look at the face, but it could have been Gabrielle.”

  “Are you still in Parksville?”

  “Yes, which is why I’m worried about Summer. Could you ask the Vancouver police to keep an eye on the house?” She gave him Barb’s address. “Do you know if Gabrielle has an alibi?”

  “That comes under the none-of-your-business heading, Miss Holland. I’ll do what I can for your ward, though. Meanwhile, I suggest you return home and stay out of our investigation.”

  “I’ve been trying, Corporal, but people keep dragging me into it.”

  “Try harder.” He hung up before she could give him the name of Gabrielle’s employer.

  Casey tossed her phone on the bed. He was the one who should be bloody trying harder. She picked up a phone book from the table’s bottom shelf and flipped through the yellow pages, looking for management consulting firms with four names. One company fit that description. Casey jotted down the company name and phone number on a hotel notepad.

  If she called the company and came up with a good reason for asking if Gabrielle was working the morning of September twenty-eighth, a receptionist might be able to help, but it would be tricky. Casey checked her watch. Twenty past five. She wanted to call Hannah and tell her about Gabrielle right now, but Gabrielle might still be there. Casey called the employer. A perky recorded voice announced they were closed for the day and would re-open at 9:00 AM.

  Casey picked up a brochure that boasted about Parksville’s beaches, parks, golf courses, and nature walks. Several resorts offered special romantic getaway packages. She thought of Lou and loneliness overwhelmed her. Might as well grab a meal, read some letters, and try to understand a complicated woman she really hadn’t known at all.

  • • •

  BY THE TIME Casey had poured over five heart-wrenching letters about Jasmine’s childhood and marriage, she’d lost her appetite. Understandably, Jasmine hadn’t gone into graphic detail about the sexual abuse she’d suffered, yet her pain was clear, and because of this Casey felt like a sleazy voyeur.

  “After my adopted parents died,” Jasmine had written, “I was afraid I’d never have a family again and didn’t think the depression would ever end.”

  A feeling Casey knew all too well. After Dad’s passing, medication and therapy eventually got her through months of depression. Jasmine’s remedy had been to marry Elliott Birch, which only made things worse. Refusing to be victimized again, she’d left him.

  Casey pushed away her half-eaten clubhouse sandwich. She’d been sitting in the hotel’s restaurant for what felt like ages, and it was now dark outside. With any luck, Gabrielle would have left Hannah by now. She’d already called Barb back and had updated her on recent events.

  Casey picked up her phone, took a calming breath, and called Hannah. When Hannah answered, Casey said, “Are you alone?”

  “Yes, thank heaven.” Hannah’s voice was strong again. “God, I hate her surprise visits. Two in one week. She probably lost another boyfriend.”

  “I don’t think so,” Casey replied. “I have something to tell you about your daughter, and it’s not good.”

  Hannah hesitated only a moment. “Go on.”

  “Gabrielle was the woman I saw with Birch in his trailer. I recognized her right away.” She waited for a response. “Hannah?” Oh no. Was the poor woman having another stroke? “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine.” Her voice was quiet. “Just surprised.”

  “I’m sorry, I had no idea who Gabrielle was until you introduced us.”

  “I understand, Miss Holland, and I respect your honesty.”

  Back to last names. Hannah was ticked and Casey didn’t blame her. “If you confront her about it, I’d appreciate it if you left my name out of this.”

  “She’ll want to know how I found out.”

  “Please understand that I’m not accusing Gabrielle of anything,” Casey said. “I simply saw her kissing Birch in his trailer the night I went to check on Jeremy.”

  “When was that, exactly?”

  “Eight days go, on the twelfth.” Casey stared at her iced tea. “Maybe they’ve split up since then.”

  “I’ll have someone look into it. If she’s still with Birch, I’ll know soon enough.”

  Would Hannah confront Gabrielle before then? “Do you still want me to read the letters?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Twenty-five more to go. Part of her wished Hannah had said no.

  “I’m glad you told me,” Hannah added. “The more I know, the better I can protect my grandson. Goodbye.”

  Casey picked up letter number six.

  • • •

  WHEN SHE RETURNED to her hotel room an hour later, she didn’t know whether to feel angry, sad, or relieved that she finally knew why Jasmine had hated her.

  “I like to help people,” she’d written. “My friend Marie said a girl named Casey stole the man she was in love with. Casey puts on a nice act, but Marie says it’s phony. Casey always acts like she owns the place.”

  Apparently, Marie had convinced Jasmine that Stan gave Casey better assignments because she was his favorite. Casey tossed the letters onto the bed. The rest would have to wait till after she’d had a long hot bath. She removed her runners and socks, then started to pull off her T-shirt when someone knocked on the door.

  Who the hell was that? Only Lou knew where she was staying. She’d drawn the curtains when she came in, but they weren’t heavy enough to keep the room’s lights from showing through.

  The second knock was louder and more insistent. Worry sent a shiver through Casey. Pulling the shirt back down, she tiptoed toward the door and peered through the peephole. Gabrielle. Adrenaline surged and goose bumps rose on her arms. She stepped to the side, away from the door. Had the woman seen her drive away? Had Gabrielle scoured parking lots in searc
h of an old red Tercel?

  “What do you want, Gabrielle?”

  “I need to talk to you. Please, it’s urgent.”

  “Has something happened to your mother?”

  “She’s fine. Could you open the door?”

  Casey didn’t want to see those cobra eyes again. “I was about to take a bath. Can you phone me in an hour?”

  “I’m here now and this won’t take long.”

  Not long at all to fire a Glock twenty-seven. “I don’t see why it can’t wait.”

  “I’m not leaving until we talk. I’ll camp outside this door all night if I have to.”

  Crap. Threatening to call security would be pointless. This was a small, cheap place, probably without security. Casey grabbed her cell phone, stuffed the letters in her bag, and then shoved the bag in a drawer. She peeked through the drapes on the right side of the door. Gabrielle appeared to be alone and empty-handed, but this didn’t mean a companion wasn’t waiting nearby, or that she wasn’t hiding a weapon.

  “You can’t contact my mother again!” Gabrielle yelled through the door. “She was so upset after you left that I thought she’d have another stroke. What did you say to her?”

  Hannah hadn’t sounded upset on the phone. “Ask Hannah.”

  “She’s already forgotten most of it.”

  Sure, right.

  “She might ask you about Jasmine again,” Gabrielle went on. “Don’t tell her anything, understand?”

  “Casey will talk to whoever she wants,” a familiar voice said loudly.

  Oh god, it was Lou! If Gabrielle was armed he could be in trouble. Casey opened the door, barely aware of the cool, salty air wafting into the room.

  “Hey, darlin’.” Lou stepped past Gabrielle.

  “This is Gabrielle O’Reilly,” Casey said to Lou. “Jasmine’s half sister.”

  From the recognition and wariness on Lou’s face, he remembered her from Birch’s trailer. He put down his backpack.

  “Jasmine wasn’t family, she was trash,” Gabrielle stated. “All she wanted was Mother’s money.”

  “Is that what you plan on telling the cops when they ask for your alibi?” Casey asked.

  “I have an alibi.” Her cobra eyes glowered.

  “Good,” Casey said, crossing her arms, “because they know about your affair with Elliott Birch.”

  Gabrielle recoiled. “You’re full of it.”

  Lou squeezed Casey’s arm, a warning not to pursue this, but she didn’t want to stop. If the woman had a weapon, she would have revealed it by now, and Casey had no intention of letting her leave without obtaining information.

  “We saw you in his trailer eight days ago,” she said.

  Gabrielle’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “You were spying on me?”

  “Of course not, I didn’t even know who you were until this afternoon.”

  “What the hell were you doing there?”

  “Walking my dog.”

  Gabrielle bit her lower lip. “Have you told my mother?”

  “Ask her.”

  “Don’t play games with me!”

  “I’m not the one who’s been playing.” Casey raised the phone still in her hand. “You have three seconds to leave before I call the cops.”

  Gabrielle didn’t move. “What will it take to keep you from telling anyone? I have money.”

  “All I want is the truth about you and Birch.” She felt Lou’s arm slip around her.

  “We fell in love,” Gabrielle said, “but Mom would have disowned me if she found out.”

  Given the way Gabrielle kept fidgeting, Casey figured she was lying. “How and when did you and Birch meet?”

  “When I saw Jasmine for the first time, she and Elliott were standing at the front door, arguing about their kid. Jasmine didn’t know who I was.”

  “When was that?” Casey asked.

  “A month and a half ago.”

  Not true. Marie had said she’d been with Jasmine when Gabrielle approached and introduced herself two days before the shooting. Birch hadn’t been anywhere around at that time.

  “After Jasmine took off, Elliott and I started talking.” Gabrielle shoved her hands in her pockets. “He was devastated that he couldn’t see his son more often.”

  “A custody battle would have been tough to win,” Casey replied, “what with Birch’s drinking and domestic violence history.”

  Lou squeezed her arm a little harder.

  “What are you talking about? He’s a great dad, and he’s never hit me.”

  Give it time, Casey thought. “Word is he’s still a suspect in Jasmine’s murder, that he had someone else shoot her.”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Gabrielle stepped back. “Don’t contact my mother again!”

  Casey shut the door and turned the deadbolt. “Think we struck a nerve?”

  “Just a tad.” Lou plunked onto the bed. “You took a huge chance.”

  “I know, but that woman clearly has plenty to hide.” She sat next to Lou. “If Jasmine had found out that Gabrielle was involved with Birch and had threatened to tell Hannah, it’d be a strong motive for murder.”

  “You need to tell Corporal Lundy.”

  “I already have.” She put her arms around Lou. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, and notice how cheerful I sound, but what are you doing here? Did you get my message?”

  “Yeah, and I was already on my way.” He smiled tentatively. “I got a couple of guys to take my shifts.” He squeezed her hard. “What was Hannah like?”

  “Kind of creepy.” After she highlighted their conversation and told him about Hannah’s transformation after Gabrielle arrived, she described the contents of Jasmine’s letters, including the part about Marie.

  “In Marie’s world, my feelings don’t count,” Casey said. “She told Jasmine I was a driven, career-minded prima donna who wasn’t interested in marriage or family.”

  “Since you and I don’t live together,” Lou replied, “I guess it only added to her fantasy.”

  As his gaze met hers, guilt blanketed Casey. After her divorce, but before they became a couple, she’d told him she wasn’t any good at marriage. Had he wondered if she’d changed her mind? Had she?

  “Marie doesn’t understand that I can’t imagine living without you.” Casey placed her hands on each side of his face. “How much I love you.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you too. Always will.”

  A lump formed in her throat. “We’ve had some bad moments lately, but it’ll be better.”

  “Totally.”

  She kissed him until her whole body tingled. When they finally pulled apart, she said, “Who’s looking after the critters?”

  “I put a ton of food in their cages.” Lou rubbed her back. “They’ll be fine, and we’ll be back before noon tomorrow if we catch an early ferry.”

  She stroked his cheek. “I really was trying to help Hannah, but the person who most needs help is Jeremy. The little guy’s surrounded by manipulative adults who probably don’t deserve him.”

  “You can’t help everyone, especially when you have Summer to think about.”

  “I guess.” Casey hesitated. “You know I only want to do what’s right for her, don’t you?”

  “Yep.”

  “I helped Marie and Noel because she practically begged me. I didn’t plan to launch my own murder investigation.”

  “I know that too.”

  “If you know so much,” she said, smirking, “then what am I thinking now?”

  He looked at her bare feet. “That you want to soak in a hot tub?”

  She laughed. “I bought a bath bomb in a gift shop down the street.”

  “Cool. Do those things really explode?”

  “Your question will be answered once you’re naked.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” Lou kissed her again.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  “OH!” CASEY SWIVELED IN THE passenger seat of her Tercel a
nd waved a photocopy of Jasmine’s final letter at Lou. “Listen to this. ‘Last week, I caught my landlord’s wife in my apartment when I came home from work early. Ursula said neigbhors had heard Muffin (my cat) screaming and thought he was in trouble. But Muffin was asleep on my bed—I checked!!! I think Ursula stole my amethyst pendant and earrings. They were a present from Noel.’”

  “It doesn’t look good for Ursula.” With his eyes half closed and his hand on Casey’s thigh, Lou slouched farther down the driver’s seat of the parked car.

  “True, and what with Birch stalking Jasmine and Jeremy, no wonder she wanted to move away.” Casey scanned the letter. “She doesn’t say whether she phoned the cops.”

  “I doubt she did. Jasmine didn’t trust cops because they didn’t do much about Birch harassing her.”

  “They might have had something to say about all the animals in her apartment too.”

  As the blue and white Queen of Coquitlam ferry glided into the harbor, Casey scanned the dozen lanes of cars, trucks, RVs, and buses waiting to board. Half of them were empty as travelers stretched their legs. As much as she wanted to see Summer, part of her regretted having to end this romantic interlude. She stroked Lou’s arm.

  “I had a great time last night, and this morning.”

  He gave her a sleepy smile. “Me too, but the real world calls.”

  “And whines and demands and bullies.” Casey flipped through copies of letters she hadn’t had time to read.

  On their way to the terminal, she’d returned the originals and a full set of copies to Hannah. With Hannah’s permission, she’d made an extra copy of the letters she hadn’t had time to read. She’d also told Hannah about Gabrielle’s visit last night.

  “Typical of my daughter to try intimidation,” Hannah had said. “I hope you didn’t cower.”

  “It’s not my style.” And then she’d left.

  With Lou behind the wheel, Casey had time to read the remaining letters, which mainly covered Jeremy’s development and her pets. She’d also written about Paval’s helpfulness.

  Casey took another look at one of the pages. “In some letters she’s really positive. Writes about what good friends Wesley and Noel are, and her infatuation with Roberto.”