Cherished Secrets

by C. B. Clark

  “I’ll turn myself in. I promise.” He held his hands out before him in a pleading gesture. “I’ll go to the Sheriff’s Office right now. Please, give me this chance to make up for what I’ve done.” Guilt and fear were written across his homely face.

  She lowered the phone. “I don’t know why I’m doing this. You sure as hell don’t deserve any consideration, but this is your chance to redeem yourself. Make it damn good.”

  He nodded, looking like a prisoner granted a reprieve from execution.

  Disgust filled her. Unable to look at him a second longer, she climbed down from the bleacher and headed across the field to her car.

  “Where are you going?” he called after her.

  “To talk to Leland.”

  “Don’t!” The word burst out of him.

  She turned, frowning.

  He ran toward her, a frantic look on his haggard face. “Stay away from him, Carrie Ann. Please. He’s dangerous.”

  A shiver rippled along her spine, but she forced a chuckle. “I’ve known Leland most of my life. He won’t harm me.”

  “You still don’t get it, do you? Leland Winters is not the man you think he is.” Sheldon’s pupils were huge, the whites of his eyes streaked with fine, red lines.

  The shiver of unease morphed into a full-blown shudder. “I’ll be okay.” She put steel into her voice. “You just make sure you talk to the sheriff.”

  “Please don’t say anything to Judge Winters. Wait until I talk to the sheriff.”

  “I have to find out the truth.” She turned on her heel and walked to her car. As she started the motor, she saw him standing in the middle of the deserted baseball diamond. Even from where she was parked, the distress written across his face was visible.

  Again a wisp of unease tugged at her, but she brushed away her worry. Sheldon was lying. He’d lied before, and he might be lying now. Could she trust him? Would he go to Sheriff Atkins and tell him what he knew? She rubbed the back of her neck. She’d give him the chance, but if he reneged on his promise, he’d better watch out. She’d hunt him down and make him confess.

  Chapter 30

  Her head throbbed, her legs were heavy; each step was a monumental effort as Carrie Ann walked down the hall to the living room. Her mind had been spinning all the way from the ball field. How do you ask someone who’d been like a father to you if they’d framed the father of your child for murder and kidnapping? The thought made her ill.

  She paused in the doorway.

  Leland reclined in his chair, smoking his pipe and reading the newspaper.

  Vivian sat on a matching chair, her eyes closed, possibly asleep. A cheery fire crackled in the fireplace. Two table lamps were lit, casting a warm glow over the cozy scene.

  Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the room.

  Leland glanced up. A warm smile creased his face, the lines radiating from the corners of his eyes deepening. But then the smile faltered. He raised a finger to his lips and nodded toward Vivian.

  Vivian’s chest rose and fell with each shallow, rasping breath. A line of drool leaked from the corner of her slack mouth. Dark hollows underlined her sunken eyes.

  All thoughts of accosting Leland with Sheldon’s accusations vanished and Carrie Ann swallowed a lump in her throat. Unable to avoid the obvious any longer, she quietly asked, “How long has she been sick?”

  Leland sucked on his pipe, the sweet-smelling smoke swirling around him in a cloud. “She hasn’t been well for a long time. I finally convinced her to go to the doctor a few months ago, but she’d waited too long. There was nothing the doctors could do.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Cancer.”

  “How bad is it? Can’t she be treated?”

  He shook his head. “The cancer’s spread everywhere—her lungs, liver, bones.”

  “I didn’t know.”

  “She didn’t want you to know. You know your aunt. She doesn’t want anyone’s pity.”

  “How long does she have?” Carrie Ann blinked back the sting of tears.

  “They gave her three months. That was two months ago.”

  Carrie Ann reeled as if she’d been punched.

  “Her illness is why she was so determined you come home. She wanted to see you again and meet Bonnie before—” He choked on a sob.

  “Carrie Ann, I didn’t hear you come in.” Vivian’s thready voice cut through the pall of sadness and regret. “I must have fallen asleep.”

  Carrie Ann wiped away her tears.

  “What’s wrong?” Vivian asked, her brow furrowing. “Why are you crying? Has something happened?”

  Carrie Ann glanced at Leland.

  He shook his head, his warning clear.

  She pasted a smile on her lips. “Nothing’s wrong. How’s Bonnie?”

  “She’s sleeping, poor thing.” Vivian chuckled. “I think I tired her out playing crib. I swear, I’ve never met anyone so determined to win.”

  In spite of her sorrow, Carrie Ann beamed. “She gets her competitive spirit from her father.” Her humor died as she remembered where Bonnie’s father was and Sheldon’s shocking confession. She studied Leland, searching for some indication he was the brute Sheldon had painted him to be. But all she saw was the same warm, compassionate man she’d always known.

  “How’s Declan?” asked Vivian.

  “He’s as well as can be expected for someone sitting in jail facing charges for crimes he didn’t commit.”

  Leland puffed on his pipe, watching her with a steady gaze. A frown deepened the furrow between his gray, bushy eyebrows.

  “He’s innocent.” She enunciated each word clearly, as if by doing so she’d convince him of Declan’s innocence.

  Leland shook his head. “I know you want to believe that, my dear, but the facts say otherwise.”

  “I had a long talk with Sheldon Dubrowski.” She searched his face for some reaction.

  A shadow darkened his eyes. “Dubrowski.” He scoffed. “I can’t imagine you’d want anything to do with him after the way he’s lied all these years.”

  Carrie Ann leaned forward, her nerves thrumming, keeping her gaze on him. “We had quite a chat.”

  “I wouldn’t believe a word he says,” said Leland. “I’ve never liked the boy. I always thought he was shifty.”

  “He said you told him to lie so everyone would think Declan murdered Skye. He also said you told him to call the police and tell them he saw Declan kidnap Bonnie last night.”

  Leland’s eyes were hard, but he chortled. “Ridiculous.”

  Vivian struggled to stand, her hand gripping her chair for support. “Carrie Ann, what is this? What are you accusing Leland of doing?”

  Carrie Ann ignored Vivian, watching Leland, searching for the truth beneath his bluster. “Is it true? Is Sheldon telling the truth?”

  “You don’t believe me?” He set his pipe in the ashtray and placed a hand over his heart. “You’ve crushed me to my soul.”

  A chill seeped through her bones. “It is true, isn’t it?”

  “Of course it’s not true,” sputtered Vivian. She turned to Leland. “Tell her, Leland, tell her she’s wrong. You had nothing to do with any of this.”

  “Stay out of this, Vivian.” Carrie Ann ignored her aunt’s outraged gasp. “Tell me the truth, Leland.” She saw his mind working as he made up another lie.

  “There are two problems with what you’re saying.” He kept his gaze steady as he raised a finger. “One, no one will believe anything Sheldon Dubrowski has to say. He’s a proven liar.” A small smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “And two”—he raised another finger—“you don’t have any proof.”

  She sagged back on the couch as if he’d slapped her. “So, what Sheldon told me is true.”

  “What’s going on here?” Vivian’s anxious demand pierced the room’s tension. “Leland, what is she talking about? What did you do?”

  He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. His fingers drummed a steady beat on
his knees. When he opened his eyes again, defeat and maybe a hint of relief filled his faded, blue eyes. “Yes, it’s true. It’s all true.”

  Vivian spluttered.

  Another thought occurred to Carrie Ann, leaving her shaken, as the nightmare kept getting worse. “Did you kill Skye Lawrence?” She held her breath, hardly believing what she asked.

  He stared at the logs burning in the fireplace for a long minute. His body seemed to shrink, transforming him into a frail, old man before her eyes. “It was an accident.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to kill her.”

  Her breath rushed out in a blast of air.

  “My God.” Vivian’s gasp filled the room. “Leland, what have you done?” Her face lost all color, and she swayed, her thin legs wobbling. Her hands grabbed for the arm of her chair, missed, and she crumpled to the floor.

  “Vivian!” Carrie Ann rushed to her side and gripped her hand, so frail and cold, and fumbled for a pulse. Thin and thready, but still beating. She shot a glance at Leland. “Call an ambulance.”

  He sat in his chair unmoving, his face expressionless.

  Vivian moaned, and she spun back to her aunt.

  The elderly woman’s eyelids fluttered open, and her chest heaved as she fought for air. She struggled to sit up, but groaned and fell back on the floor.

  “Leland,” Carrie Ann called again. “Help me get her into her chair.”

  He didn’t budge.

  Vivian tried again to sit up, but she was too weak. Her breathing was labored, her face ghostly pale.

  “Let me help you.” Carrie Ann grasped her aunt by her thin, upper arms and lifted her onto the chair, shocked at how little Vivian weighed. “Stay here while I call an ambulance.”

  “No.” Vivian struggled to breathe, her narrow chest heaving. “My purse,” she wheezed. “Pills…hall…”

  Carrie Ann ran to the front hall and retrieved Vivian’s purse from the bench beside the door. She fumbled with the clasp and rifled through the contents until she found a small vial of prescription pills. She retraced her steps and hurried over to Vivian. “How many pills?”

  “Two.” With a trembling hand, Vivian placed the small pink pills under her tongue. She laid her head back against the chair and closed her eyes. Within minutes, her breathing eased and color returned to her lined cheeks. She opened her eyes. “Thank you, my dear. I’ll be fine now.”

  “You need a doctor. I’m going to call an ambulance.”

  “No,” Vivian said, some of the old steel in her voice. “I don’t want a doctor.”

  Carrie Ann bit her bottom lip. Vivian was in distress, but she knew by the determined light in her aunt’s faded eyes she’d refuse medical attention. “Are you sure?”

  Vivian touched her hand. “A doctor can’t help me. Not anymore.”

  Their gazes met and Carrie Ann blinked against a fresh sting of tears. “No! You can beat this. All you need is to go to the hospital. They’ll help you.”

  Vivian’s mouth curved in a tremulous smile. “I’ve never told you I love you, have I?”

  The lump in Carrie Ann’s throat made it impossible to speak.

  Vivian’s eyes met hers. “I do love you. Bonnie too. I want you to know how much I care.” She panted, fighting for breath. Before it’s too late. Vivian left the words unsaid, but her intention was clear.

  “You’re going to be fine. I’ll call your doctor, and he’ll help you.”

  Vivian squeezed her hand. “You’re a good girl. You always were.” She turned to Leland, and her expression hardened. “Is this true, Leland? Did you murder Skye Lawrence?”

  Still staring at the flickering flames, he spoke in a flat, singsong voice. “It was an accident. If she hadn’t decided she was in love with McAllister, none of this would have happened. It’s all his fault.”

  Carrie Ann stumbled to the couch and sank down, wishing she could disappear into the soft cushions.

  “What did you do to the poor girl?” Vivian’s voice was a harsh rasp.

  “We were lovers.”

  Carrie Ann sucked in a breath. “She was just a kid. You were…”

  He nodded. “An old man. I know. I couldn’t help myself. She was so pretty, so fresh, and we were in love.”

  Vivian’s derisive snort filled the room. “You were a pedophile.”

  His face paled, but he kept talking, almost as if he was relieved the sordid tale was finally coming to light. “Skye wanted to end our relationship. She said she loved McAllister. Love.” He sneered. “What did she know of love?” He rubbed a shaking hand over his gray hair, and for the first time since he’d begun his confession, he met their gazes. “I couldn’t let her go, don’t you see? She would have told everyone. I was the County Judge. What would people say?”

  Carrie Ann’s stomach churned as with each damning word, Leland revealed the monster he’d hidden so well all these years.

  He no longer looked at Vivian or her, but somewhere deep inside as if he’d forgotten they were in the room. “We fought.” His voice was eerily flat. “She hit me.” He blinked, as if affronted anyone would do such a thing. “She shouldn’t have done that. I hit her back. I had to stop her. Don’t you see? I couldn’t let her keep hitting me.”

  A log shifted in the fireplace, sending up a shower of sparks.

  Leland’s teary gaze met hers. “I couldn’t allow her to tell anyone about us. Some people wouldn’t understand our relationship. Don’t you see? She forced me to kill her. I didn’t want to. I loved her.”

  “You murdered her and buried her in the clearing behind the old barn. You left her in the woods like she was a piece of garbage.” Carrie Ann let her disgust show in her voice.

  “I panicked. I didn’t know what to do.”

  A heavy silence descended over the room.

  Vivian sat unmoving in her chair, one hand pressed to her mouth, the other to her chest, her face white and drawn.

  Leland picked up his pipe and busied himself knocking the cold ashes into the ashtray. Opening a small, leather pouch, he filled the pipe bowl and tamped the tobacco down. Picking up a box of wooden matches from the table, he removed one, struck the match head against the side of the matchbox and sucked in air as he held the flame to the bowl, lighting the pipe. A spiral of smoke circled the air above him.

  As the aroma of his pipe smoke wafted over her, Carrie Ann sat up with a start. “What flavor of pipe tobacco do you use?”

  “My tobacco?” He puffed out another cloud. “Nice, isn’t it? I order this special from Virginia. It’s a blend of cherry with an underlying hint of oak.”

  “You did it, didn’t you? You kidnapped Bonnie. She smelled your pipe tobacco when you took her.” It was hard to breathe, even harder to talk. “Why did you kidnap her? She’s your niece.”

  “I didn’t harm her. I just wanted to frighten you, so you’d go back to Seattle.”

  “You shot my tire out the day I arrived, and you slashed my tires, and keyed Declan’s truck.” She stared at him. Who was he? He looked like the man she’d known most of her life, but the terrible things he said, the things he’d done. She gasped. “You rammed my car the other night. You tried to kill me.”

  “I’d never hurt you, Carrie Ann. I love you. I always have. I did all those things for you.”

  “For me?”

  “I wanted to keep you away from McAllister. I thought if I frightened you enough, you’d leave and never see him again, but you’re too stubborn. You couldn’t let it go.”

  She sat back, too stunned to respond.

  “Anyone with eyes can see the attraction between you two. I had to get you away from him like I did before. I couldn’t let him ruin your life.” His gaze was unblinking and steady.

  She shivered at the madness in his eyes.

  “McAllister isn’t the man for you.” He shook his head. “Look at his family. His father was a no-good, drunken, mean son of a bitch. His mother wasn’t much better. They weren’t good people. Not like us. You deser
ve so much better than Declan McAllister.”

  “So you framed him for Skye’s murder and kidnapped Bonnie, and framed him for kidnapping.”

  “Everything I did was for you, Carrie Ann. You have to understand. I love you. You’re my niece.” He puffed on his pipe, then pinned her with an earnest gaze. “No one needs to know. I’ve set up the scenario perfectly. McAllister will go to jail for the rest of his life, and you’ll finally be free of him. You and Bonnie will both be free. Our family will be free. It’s what we’ve always wanted.”

  “I don’t know what you thought you were doing, but you didn’t do any of this for me.” She grabbed her cell phone. “The sheriff needs to learn the truth.”

  “He won’t believe you.” He grinned, exposing his teeth, looking almost feral. “Do you think anyone will believe you? I’m a respected County Judge. The whole town knows you fathered an illegitimate child with a vicious murderer.”

  “Vivian heard what you said. She’ll back me up.”

  His smile didn’t falter. “I don’t think so, my dear. My poor, sick wife will say whatever I tell her to.” He smirked. “She doesn’t want this to get out any more than I do. Her husband a convicted murderer and a kidnapper? Think what the town would say.” He shook his head. “Oh no, my dear wife will say nothing. You can count on her keeping her silence.”

  Carrie Ann glanced at Vivian, and her breath rushed out of her chest. Her aunt’s face was ashen. Her eyes, deep hollows in her ravaged face, were fixed on Leland.

  “Vivian?” Carrie Ann shook her head, not able to believe her aunt would continue to support Leland. “You’re not going to let him get away with this, are you?”

  Vivian’s bloodless lips moved, but no sound emerged. She stared at Carrie Ann, her eyes pleading, as if begging forgiveness.

  Carrie Ann collapsed on the couch. Leland was right. If Vivian didn’t back her up, no one would believe he was responsible for all those terrible crimes. It would be her word against his. Even if the sheriff believed him, Sheldon’s testimony wouldn’t be enough. Declan would be convicted of crimes he didn’t commit and spend the rest of his life in prison.