by Nora LeDuc
“Why did she want to find you?” Rose inched backward. Her fingers cramped around her weapon, dreading the moment she’d need it.
“Dahlia wanted to get together again. When she wanted something, she was resourceful. That’s not news. They drove to my apartment two days after I settled in. She sent Cassie inside as her messenger. Dahlia stayed in the car. I guess she would have come in if I’d asked. I was still angry with her and nixed the idea. I’m sorry for cutting you out, Rose. I should have spoken to you sooner and not left you out of the loop.” He shook his head. “You were my friend, almost my sister. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was upset and didn’t think things through. You believe me, don’t you?”
He sounded sincere. The tension in her chest eased a centimeter, but kept her hand on the gun. “You should have told me you saw her when you called me.”
“You’re right. I loved Da—” His voice broke. He touched her hand with cold fingers. “Rose, I have to tell you something. I know you’ll be upset.”
“Just tell me.” This was it!
“A.J. Edwards.” Lennox appeared out of nowhere. “You’re under arrest for the murder of Dahlia Blue.”
Chapter 26
“Lennox?” What was he doing here?
He marched toward them. “Al James Edwards, you have the right to remain silent.”
“We don’t want him silent,” Rose cried. “He was going to talk to me.”
Lennox continued reciting A.J.’s rights. Out of the blackness, a host of policemen descended on them.
“Let him talk. Give us a minute.” Where had all these men come from?
“Rose,” A.J. said. “Go home. We’ll talk when I get out in a couple of hours.”
“Don’t count on it.” Lennox yanked A.J.’s arms behind his back. “Rose, stand aside. You’re not involved in this.”
“Yes, I am. I want to speak to him. If he killed my sister, I deserve to hear why.” She glared at Lennox, daring him to defy her.
“I didn’t kill Dahlia,” A.J. said while Lennox tightened the last cuff. “I loved her. Honest to God, I wouldn’t hurt her.”
The uniforms blocked him from her sight before they rushed toward the building’s rear, away from the guests.
Lennox clamped a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t follow him. You can’t do anything. Go to the party.”
“Party? I can’t walk inside and pretend to enjoy myself now, Detective.”
The muscle in his cheek tightened, and he lowered his voice. “Stay away from Edwards for your own well-being.”
“I have to know the truth. She was my twin sister.”
“Don’t get involved in his arrest. You know what people will think.”
“What do you mean? I’m guilty, too?” The idea sent a shock wave through her. “You do. You think I helped kill Dahlia.”
“Rose,” he pitched his voice low. “I know you never would have hurt your sister.”
She turned to search the empty spot where the cops with A.J. had disappeared. She’d been close to learning the truth about her sister. She still would. She’d walk to the police station and talk to A.J. with or without Lennox’s approval.
“I’ll get someone to drive you home,” he said.
“What happened to keeping me informed, Lennox? I was caught totally unaware tonight.”
“Rose? Rose?” Shauna’s voice rose out of the gathering.
“I was busy tracking the man who murdered your sister.” The flash of anger in Lennox’s eyes alerted her to his ire and the danger of crossing him. He took her arm, drawing her closer and away from others.
Conflicting feelings battled inside of her. Reason told her he didn’t have to tell her anything when he investigated, but her emotions roared that was wrong. They meant something to each other and that meant trusting one another.
He released her but didn’t back away. “I went to A.J.’s apartment with a search warrant. I found Dahlia’s necklace.”
Rose’s mind slammed to a halt. Her hand went to the pendant. “You mean…the butterfly?”
“You told me your sister created the jewelry for your birthdays, and they’re unique.”
“Where did you find hers?”
“A.J. hid the necklace under his mattress, not too original. I need you to identify the one we recovered.”
How had he gotten the necklace unless he’d killed her sister? Dahlia never took it off. Rose felt faint. She leaned against the granite building. “A.J. killed her.”
“He ingratiated himself. He made you and your sister trust him. It’s not your fault. He was a pro.”
It was true. Why hadn’t she recognized his character sooner? She was another Blue trusting the wrong man. “You always felt he was the killer, didn’t you, Lennox?”
“I deal with evidence, not feelings.”
“Dahlia appearing to me is not a fact. I can’t prove it in a court of law.” She’d shared Dahlia’s after-death materializations with him when all he wanted were tangibles. “I bet you never believed in my sister’s spirit either.”
“I can’t discuss the situation now.” He let out a frosty breath. “Outside a party with people wandering around isn’t the place to have a discussion.”
“I want the truth. Do you know why A.J. killed my sister?”
Lennox tightened his lips and glanced over her head. “We found pictures, S and M pictures at his apartment. Dahlia was in them. I believe the videos we seized contain more proof of a motive. The end of the engagement was the end of his business.”
“My sister was in….” She shook her head. “You mean like whips and chains and…sex?”
He nodded.
“What about Cassie?”
“I don’t know all the details yet.”
Her head felt fuzzy, almost numb. She needed to get away and think. In her heart, she’d always expected some nameless person to be Dahlia’s killer. She pivoted around on her heel and walked toward the front and the light.
“Rose, stop.” He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. “Listen. Right now, you have to trust me.”
The man was crazy. “When did you trust me, Lennox? When we went to The Ledges because of the report on the currents, not what I reported? When you thought I just happened to stumble over Cassie’s body or tonight when you were sneaking around after me?”
“I study all the angles. It’s my job.”
His low tight voice warned her she was headed for trouble. She didn’t care. “You were spying on me. You had no idea where A.J. was, and you lied about keeping him under surveillance. Why didn’t you let me know the truth?” Anger roared in her ears. She’d been betrayed by her old boyfriend, her twin, AJ and Lennox. Add them all up, and she was a fool.
His hand fell away from her. “I’m a detective, Rose. I’m solving two homicides.”
“I’m leaving, but I will speak with A.J. Then I’ll be done with him.” She marched to the front of the building and smack into a group of guests who watched her stalk around them. Lennox tailed her. “Rose, let the police department handle Edwards.”
“It’s too late to stay uninvolved,” she tossed over her shoulder, unable to keep quiet in the presence of the gawking guests.
“Rose, Rose.” From the sidewalk, Shauna ran toward her. Buddy trailed behind. “I’ve been searching for you.” Lines of worry marred her perfect face. “Someone said the police took away a guest? Did you see what happened?”
“Lennox arrested A.J., my sister’s ex fiancé. Can you bring me home? I’m not feeling well.”
“We can take you anywhere you want,” Buddy confirmed. “Who’d they arrest? What was the charge?”
Rose paused to glance back. Lennox was gone. “A.J. Edwards for murder. He followed me to the party.”
The five minute trip to her apartment felt more like an hour as Shauna and Buddy seemed stunned into silence. Rose answered the few questions they threw at her, and she felt relief at the sight of her building.
In her kitchen, Rose sank down on a c
hair and put her head in her hands. What a horrible night. Her meeting with A.J and confrontation with Lennox repeated in her mind. She analyzed each man’s reactions, trying to understand his motives, feelings.
A.J. might have an explanation for Dahlia’s necklace. If only she could talk to him. The idea she’d encouraged him, a possible killer, to be with Dahlia made her want to vomit. All the time, he’d lied about loving her sister.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Sis. A.J. smiled and handed Rose a box of chocolates.
Valentine’s Day, the day Dahlia had accepted A.J.’s proposal. Now Rose saw each of A.J.s’ moves, every word as part of a murder plot. What a mess. She dug her phone out of her purse and pushed the numbers.
“This is Rose. Can you come to my apartment?”
Chapter 27
A.J. sat across from Luke at the interrogation table in the eight-by-ten concrete walled room. The camcorder in the ceiling was recording them. All Lennox needed was the confession to be thrown out.
“Edwards, do you understand your rights?”
“I know them.” A.J.’s folded hands on the table shook. “I don’t need to wait for my lawyer. I already told you. I didn’t kill Dahlia Blue. I loved her. We were in business together.”
“What kind?”
A. J. wet his lips and shrugged. “I explained before. We ran a start up on the internet.” He squirmed in his hard seat. “We sold women’s lingerie online.”
Luke’s interest climbed. “Who modeled your items?
A.J.’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “Dahlia volunteered. Her friend Cassie wanted to join us. She didn’t because our company fell apart when I learned I couldn’t trust Dahlia as a business partner. She had a problem with stealing, which could sink us. I didn’t want to share my bank account and worry she’d wipe me out.”
“What did Dahlia do that made you distrust her?”
“She was a thief who embezzled from her own boutique and had been shoplifting since she was a kid. She confessed when her sister caught her robbing them.”
Luke leaned forward. “What was the name of your online business?
“Sweet Dreams. Dahlia named it.”
“Dahlia was into online porn?”
“She’d never do that.”
“We’ve seen your homemade videos.”
A.J. averted his head and Luke’s hard stare. “They were harmless. She had no contact with the men on their computers. They paid and I sent them the password to get into our site and watch us act. It wasn’t real, and Dahlia enjoyed it. She liked acting. No one was hurt. I’d never let anyone hurt Dahlia. I loved her.”
“You loved her so much you lured her into pornography.”
“You don’t understand. We created a business arrangement to go along with our personal life. When we broke up, we didn’t want to work together. The business collapsed. Poof.” He expanded his fingers in the air.
“You know what I think about your story, Edwards?” Luke placed his palms on the table and leaned closer into A.J.’s face. “That’s the biggest load of crap I’ve heard in years, and you’re the lowest example of pond scum I’ve ever met. You call what you did love? We found your pictures of Dahlia with other men. They weren’t playing patty cake. These men paid for sex and to act out their fantasies.” Luke shoved back his chair. “We’re done here. You can return to your cell and rot.”
“Hold on. Didn’t you hear me? I put restrictions on the deals. I wouldn’t let men take advantage of Dahlia.”
“What’s the real URL?”
“You won’t find it, I took it down.”
“Sure, you took it down after you killed Dahlia. We did some investigating. The site’s name was Hot and Heavy Dreams. You’re a liar, Edwards.”
He opened the file on the table. “We traced your phone calls and interviewed some of your customers. They want to cut a deal. They don’t want to be prosecuted.”
Sweat dripped from A.J’s forehead. “You’re forcing them to testify with threat of jail.”
“We persuaded them. They don’t want pictures of themselves with a dead woman posted in their local paper. You alone or you and Dahlia together developed a quick, get rich scheme. When she wanted to quit the business or wanted more money, you got angry and ended it by killing her. What triggered the murder? Was it when she quit or you wanted to pimp her out more? Maybe she wanted to be a mother her children would be proud of and decided your games were over.”
A.J. swung his head from side to side. “I didn’t kill Dahlia.”
“How much money did you give her?”
He covered his face with his hands. His shoulders slumped. “You don’t understand. The money wasn’t all for me or Dahlia. She agreed to help me.”
“You gave it to the orphans.”
He dropped his hands. “I gave it to my cousin. She needed cash to keep her son.”
“Was she into porn too?”
“No, she lost her job, her house. She and her son were in the women’s shelter under an assumed name. She was divorced and her ex was going to take the kid away if she didn’t get on her feet soon. They’ve been hiding out.” A.J. wiped a hand over his eyes. “I couldn’t let what happened to me, happen to my nephew. No place to go, no one wants you. I lived that life when I was his age.”
Luke’s mind whirled with facts from A.J.’s history. He ripped a piece of paper out of his yellow pad and handed a felt tip pen to A.J. “Write down her name and address. You better hope her story and the facts support yours.”
“They will.” He scribbled a name and address. “Am I free?”
“No. What happened with Dahlia Blue? Did she threaten to turn you in when you pressured her to continue the business?”
“Why won’t you listen? I never hurt Dahlia. I loved her. You arrested the wrong man. I’m innocent.”
“You stole her necklace, didn’t you? That’s why she and Cassie found you and drove up to your place. You loved her so much you kept what she loved out of spite.”
A rap sounded on the door and it opened. “This is Mr. Edwards’ lawyer from Legal Aid.” Conroy announced.
“Mr. Edwards is finished answering your questions, and you can drop the charge of murder.” The lawyer, a skinny middle aged man in a gray suit, rushed in swinging his scuffed briefcase. “We’ll need the date of the crime so my client can give you his whereabouts.” He clamped a hand on A.J’s shoulder.
“That’s interesting councilor. We’re interested in one day in particular when Mr. Edwards wasn’t at home or work.”
“I was gambling at Foxwoods. You can confirm my location with my credit cards and the videos from the casino.”
“You were gambling?” Luke stared at the man. Was he for real?
A.J. sat back with a smug grin, ignoring his lawyer’s attempt to budge him.
Luke shoved away from the table. “Don’t take any bets that you’re off the hook yet.” He leaned into Edwards face and lowered his voice. “I hope you smiled for the camera, Edwards, because we’ll be all over that video.”
Frank had taken her to the station and they’d waited over an hour to learn A.J. was in the hands of his lawyer and wouldn’t be talking to anyone else tonight.
“Let’s go home,” Frank encouraged. “We can learn more tomorrow.”
“I just wanted to ask him face to face if he killed Dahlia.”
“Do you think he’d be truthful?” Frank asked.
“I’ve always hoped the A.J. I knew will appear and I can believe him.” Frank was right. A.J. was probably more concerned with escaping arrest now.
“Are you all right?” Frank was staring at her.
“Sure,” she lied. A.J.’s begging whirled in her mind and added to her confusion. She knew one thing for sure. She’d never be okay.
Frank escorted her home where Rose assured him she’d be fine. Another lie, she thought.
Throwing her a look of concern, he left.
She kicked off her shoes and sank onto the sleeper. Lennox’s appea
rance out of the dark and their last angry words at the Audi played in her mind. No, she had to focus on A.J. She replayed every scene with him and her sister through her head, trying to detect a nuance she’d missed, a signal between them that they truly loved each other, but beyond smiles and teasing glances, she found nothing.
Her head hurt. She closed her eyes tight.
He wants you, Rose. I can’t stop him. Go home. Run.
She shot up in bed. Sweat soaked her blouse. “Dahlia?” She threw the blanket aside and swung her stocking feet to the floor. She focused on the light from the kitchen spilling into the room. She’d fallen asleep.
Whack!
She jumped at the smack against the window pane and whirled around, expecting a ski masked figure outside her window. Her heart pummeled in her ears. Instead, only the invisible wind and rain banged against the glass. Swallowing, she searched the room. No signs of an intruder.
She crossed the floor to the coffeemaker and flicked the switch before sinking into a kitchen chair. She might as well do something since she wasn’t about to sleep. She turned on her laptop. While it whirled to life, she leaned her head in her hands and pictured Luke Lennox swooping out of the darkness to arrest A.J. He’d staked her out like she was a co-conspirator. And she’d slept with him. Idiot. She mentally slapped her forehead.
Well, what did she expect? He was committed to his job, not to her. She was the dumb one. For a short time, she’d secretly hoped they might have a future together. They’d have what she’s always wanted, a real family. No more looking through photo albums and imagining she had one. No more Dahlia pointing out strange men and whispering, “Do you think he’s our dad? We have the same nose.”
But, Rose had been lying to herself. A hearth and home were not in her future. Okay, she’d handle it. Lennox solved her sister’s murder. Their relationship was at an end. She should move home and drive back for the trial. Reopen her shop. Go on without Dahlia.
Dahlia. How could her twin do what Lennox told her and post her actions on the internet? Images of men with whips standing over a scantily clad Dahlia hurled into her mind. Had she had sex with these men? They weren’t paying to just playact.