“I’ve seen photos of Gabrielle. In the photos, she looked much older than sixteen. Did she hang out with an older crowd or with kids her own age?”
“My daughter was very attractive, Odelia. Very fit and filled out for her age. But she was still only sixteen.”
“I understand, Debra.”
“When did Melissa see her last?” Greg asked.
“She never made it to Melissa’s home. In fact, my daughter had lied to me that day and, as it turned out, had most days. Melissa was at her grandmother’s that afternoon and hadn’t even spoken to Gabrielle.”
“Do you have any idea where she was going or who she was meeting?”
Debra shook her head slowly. “No.” She cleared her throat. “Like her father, my daughter was meeting people behind my back and keeping secrets. It cost him half of everything he had. Unfortunately, it cost Gabrielle her life.”
I couldn’t tell if Debra Kerr was a naturally frigid woman or if she became that way because of the tragic loss of both her daughter and her marriage. But one thing was sure: the woman was as cold as an iceberg and wound tighter than a bad perm.
Greg pursued his line of questioning. “How far is it from here to Melissa’s house?”
“We didn’t live here when Gabrielle was alive. I bought this condominium right after her death. We lived over near the border with San Marino then.” Debra picked up Baby and put her on her lap. She stroked the little animal with short, nervous strokes. “I couldn’t bear to live in that house after everything that had happened.”
My heart certainly understood her decision. “I’m sure there were too many memories.”
“Oh, I had already planned on moving before losing my daughter. I wasn’t about to live in her house.”
Huh? I looked at Greg. He looked just as puzzled. “Her who, Debra?”
Debra Kerr gave off a loud sigh. “This really has nothing to do with Gabrielle. I shouldn’t have brought it up. What else would you like to know?”
“If you don’t mind, we’d really like to know what happened with the house. Obviously, it was important to you and happened about the same time that Gabrielle disappeared.” Greg give me an encouraging nod to continue. “Did the house belong to your in-laws and you didn’t want to live there after the divorce? That would be understandable.”
Debra remained silent for a few minutes. After another deep sigh, she continued. “The house was ours. Mine and my husband’s. But I found out that he’d had an affair with our decorator. That’s why I wanted a divorce. I couldn’t bear to live in that house with or without him, with reminders of that woman in every nook and corner.”
Decorator? A decorator who sleeps with her clients? My brain was jotting down notes inside my skull.
Debra Kerr dropped her head and started to silently weep. It was the first real sign of emotion we’d seen. “First my husband. Then my daughter. I still don’t know what I have ever done to deserve this.”
“Where is your ex-husband now, Debra?” I asked the question in as soft a voice as I could.
She cleared her throat and looked up at us. Her tears had caused her eye makeup to blotch, but her cold veneer was back like lacy frost on a cold window.
“He’s somewhere in Chicago, I believe. His girlfriend dumped him. That’s why he was trying to patch up the marriage. Gabrielle was our only child. After she was killed, there was nothing to save and no reason to save it. I moved here, and he moved to Chicago.”
I got the feeling Debra wasn’t going to be very forthcoming about her daughter’s activities, and I didn’t have the heart to get tough. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a daughter murdered, especially in the manner Gabrielle was killed. I decided to give her one last gentle push, then leave it be if it didn’t yield results.
“I’m sorry we’ve upset you, Debra. But it’s important for us to find a link between all the women who were murdered by the Blond Bomber. It’s to help a friend.”
“Yes, Odelia, that’s why I agreed to help. I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through something like this if it could be avoided.”
She paused and put a hand to her mouth, appearing to be thinking it over. We waited, hoping she would decide to talk more about her daughter’s disappearance.
A moment later, Debra took her hand down. She straightened her shoulders and held her head erect. She was either bracing herself to tell us more or getting ready to toss us out. It was difficult to tell.
“In answer to your earlier question about my daughter’s mature appearance,” she began.
Relieved, I glanced at Greg. He was leaning slightly forward in his chair, ready to listen.
“Yes, she did appear to be a much older girl. She was so beautiful, and men just couldn’t help themselves. They stared at her everywhere. It was one of the reasons I had her in an all-girl school.” She swallowed before continuing. “I did know that she flirted with older boys online, but I didn’t think she’d ever meet any of them in person. Both my husband and I were very strict and direct with her about rules and boys and things like that. For all his faults, my husband was a good father. But when the police questioned Gabrielle’s friends, they found out she’d met several men on the Internet. Unbeknownst to us, of course. Unfortunately, none of her friends knew these men or their names. What information the police found on my daughter’s computer led them to dead ends or to people with alibis for the day she was murdered.”
“Do you think the Blond Bomber met her online, Debra?” The question came from Greg. “Or do you think she might have met up with him some other way?”
The mother of the dead girl shrugged slightly and pursed her lips. “It’s difficult to tell. We knew all her friends, so it seems likely that she met him on the Internet.” Debra looked down at the animal resting in her lap. “But with all the lies we discovered she’d been telling, who knows who she was meeting and how.”
We were at the door, saying our goodbyes and thanking her, when I just had to ask the million-dollar question. “Debra, who was the decorator who did your home?”
Without hesitating, she answered. “Jane Sharp did both the house and my husband.” The words came out as deadly as a serrated knife.
“And did you decorate this condo yourself? It’s quite lovely, very traditional but with well-blended touches of modern decor.”
“Thank you, but no, I didn’t. It was done by Mason Bell.”
“Mason Bell. Didn’t he work for Jane Sharp?”
“He apprenticed with Sharp Design for a number of years and was her assistant on our house. Soon after, he left her and started Mason Bell Interiors. He’s a rising star, and I understand he’s lured quite a few clients away from Jane Sharp.”
Debra Kerr gave us a smug smile. “And I’m doing my best to make sure he does.”
I didn’t plan on liking Jane Sharp. With all the things I’d heard about her, my mind was set to judge her as a vain, calculating, cold-hearted power grabber with hot pants. And she might have been all those things, but like her husband, I found her appealing in a sad and tragic way.
About half past one, I had showed up unannounced at Lil’s, clutching a large bouquet of flowers. I’ve discovered that when you bring flowers, people generally forgive you for intruding. Either that or they’re too polite to bring up the gate crashing in the face of gifts. Upon ringing the doorbell, Lil opened the door to me with a look of haggard surprise.
“I know you’re meeting your daughter-in-law this afternoon, Lil.” I spoke in a rush, trying to hide my buttinski presence with grace and lies. “Since I was in the area on business, I thought these would be a nice touch for your tea party later today.” I knew darn well she was meeting Jane at one but pretended it was at two.
“Jane’s here now, Odelia.” She looked at the flowers and her face brightened a bit. “But thank you for being so thoughtful.” Her graciousness made me feel guilty, but sometimes a person had to be a heel to get things done.
“Please come in.”
“I don’t want to intrude.” But, of course, I did. One day, I knew, I would pull this stunt and someone would say okay, then goodbye, and shut the door in my face. I just hoped that day wouldn’t be today.
“Don’t be silly, Jane and I were talking family business, but we’ve just finished.” As her lips moved, Lil’s eyes implored me to stay. I wondered what was up and was glad I had butted in on their meeting. Obviously, her invitation to join them went beyond good manners.
Lil showed me into the dining room and introduced me. Then she excused herself to put the flowers in water, leaving me face to face with Jane Sharp.
The first thing that struck me odd was Jane’s hair. It wasn’t long and blond like in the photos on the website, but chin-length and a light red strawberry blond. Her body was spectacular, and I wondered if her boobs were real or from her hubby’s catalog. Considering what Steele had told me, I was guessing they came from someone’s catalog. She was wearing an exquisite outfit with every detail attended to, from her nail polish to high heels that matched her nearby handbag. Everything about her was chic and expensive, but not over the top. Tasteful with a capital T.
And Steele was right. Jane Sharp was incredibly beautiful and did seem rather cold and aloof. Her eyes were like two deep wells that held sad secrets. Her mouth was generous but her smile strictly professional. I took a chair across from her. In front of Jane and at Lil’s place were china dishes with half-eaten salads. Goblets held what looked like iced tea.
Breaking the silence, I said, “I believe you know my boss.”
Jane Sharp looked at me with polite interest.
“Michael Steele,” I continued. “You decorated his condo a few years back. Did a terrific job.”
She looked puzzled, and her eyes rolled upward as she dug into her memory bank.
“Laguna Beach,” I prodded. “On Blue Lagoon Lane.”
She directed her eyes back to me. The corners of her mouth turned upward with a hint of amusement. “Oh, yes. The obnoxious attorney. Drives a Porsche, plays a lot of tennis.”
“You nailed it at obnoxious.”
This prompted a nearly genuine smile. “But aren’t they all, Odelia?”
“Attorneys or men in general?”
The smile blossomed into a slight chuckle. Jane Sharp looked at me, openly taking stock. I felt like a pair of drapes that didn’t quite measure up.
Her decision about me made, she dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a linen napkin. “Odd that you should show up, Odelia. Lil just mentioned to me the favor you’re doing for her. Something involving my husband.”
“Umm.” The comment took me by surprise. Obviously, Lil had said something to Jane, but how much? Did she actually tell her daughter-in-law that she suspected her own son of being the Blond Bomber? I had to tread lightly, something I wasn’t physically or emotionally prone to doing. But I needn’t have worried. Jane helped me out by answering my unspoken question.
“Lil told me everything—how she suspected Brian of being the serial killer and how she asked you to look into it.”
I sighed in relief. Still, where in the hell was Lil? It shouldn’t take this long to stick a bunch of flowers in a vase unless she was hand-blowing the glass.
“Did she also tell you that I don’t think Brian is the killer? I know for certain that he didn’t kill Laurie Luke, the nurse from Hoag Hospital.”
“No?” Jane’s eyes widened in surprise.
I shook my head from side to side. “No. The police are pretty sure that whoever did it made it look like the Blond Bomber.”
Jane didn’t look convinced. “But even if Brian didn’t kill that unfortunate woman, there are still the others, including Amber.”
Had Lil also told Jane about Perfect4u and her online dalliance with Knotdead? I leaned forward slightly, “Are you telling me that you also think Brian is the Blond Bomber?”
Jane Sharp remained as still as a Greek statue, her beauty, tinged with tragedy, only enhancing the similarity. She focused her blue eyes on my green ones.
“Yes, I’ve suspected it for some time, actually.” She paused. “And I think he’s doing it to get back at me.”
Again, the question Greg and I discussed came to mind. “If that’s true, Jane, why didn’t he kill you? Why take out his anger on innocent women who looked a lot like you, at least physically?”
Jane Sharp looked genuinely pained. “You, or maybe the police, will have to ask him that.”
I was about to say something when Lil popped back in bearing a crystal vase with the flowers. She placed the vase on the small antique table and disappeared back into the kitchen without a word. Again, I started to say something to Jane, and again Lil came into the room, this time bearing a tray with two glasses of ice and a pitcher of iced tea. Geez, at the exact time when I didn’t want her around, she decides to play gracious hostess.
“Odelia, I know how much you enjoy iced tea, so I made a fresh pitcher for you. I brought you a fresh glass, too, Jane.” She placed the tray down on the table. “You girls help yourselves while I clear the lunch dishes.”
“Sit down, Lil.” Jane put her hand gently on Lil’s arm. “You and I can clear them after we speak with Odelia.”
“Thank you, dear. But the truth is, I’m too nervous to sit.” She started clearing their luncheon plates. “I’ll be back and forth and can hear most of what you’re saying. If you have any questions, just stop me and ask.”
Jane tried to protest once more, and again Lil waved her off. Just then my cell phone rang. Pulling it out of my tote bag, I saw that it was Dev.
“Please excuse me,” I said to the ladies, “but I have to take this call.”
I got up and moved into the living room for privacy. Dev informed me that the hospital would be releasing Lisa after three thirty. A glance at my watch told me I’d have plenty of time to finish up my chat with Lil and Jane and get to the hospital. When I asked Dev if he had any more information on either Laurie or Amber, he reminded me that my job was to take care of Lisa, nothing more, nothing less.
When I returned to the table, I found all the lunch dishes cleared and my glass filled with tea. I took a long, refreshing drink. I was parched, and the discussion ahead was going to be a scorcher. I also wasn’t sure I wanted Lil around for this conversation. Although she was a seasoned woman, I was worried that Jane might not be totally candid around her mother-in-law. I needn’t have worried.
“One of the reasons I asked Lil to meet with me today, Odelia, was to tell her that Brian and I are getting a divorce.”
So, I thought, Knotdead was telling Perfect4u the truth when he told her about the divorce.
“We probably should have done it years ago, but we thought it best for the children.” She paused. “I also think we both hoped we could make it work. After all, it started out so well.”
“What do you think went wrong?”
Jane turned to look out the large window. Beyond it, manicured green grass rolled like a soft blanket.
“Probably our two demanding careers. If I had to pinpoint any one thing as the beginning of the end, it was when my company, Sharp Design, started taking off.” She turned back to look at me as she spoke. “Don’t get me wrong, Odelia, Brian is very proud of my accomplishments, but as my company grew and so did his practice, we spent less and less time together. And when we did, it was all about the kids. Now, with the children grown and about to leave the nest, we’re not sure we want to stay together. And now this Blond Bomber thing …” Her voice drifted off.
I wanted to ask her about the cheating, but how does one do that in a polite fashion? And how does one ask that question in front of the mother-in-law? But in my usual dogged way, I pushed on. After all, it wasn’t like Lil was some innocent babe in the woods, considering her shenanigans online.
“Do you suspect Brian of having an affair? Now or in the past?”
As soon as the question was asked, Lil scooted into the room. She moved slightly behind Jane and stare
d at me, her eyes wide and frightened. She shook her head back and forth in quick, slight movements. It was a gesture that clearly let me know Lil had not disclosed her online persona to Jane.
“I know he’s had a couple in the past several years. And he’s been discreet, until now.”
“Now?”
Jane sighed. “Not too long ago, he started having a fling with his tarty assistant—Amber, the last Blond Bomber victim.”
“How do you know?”
She gave a slight catty chuckle. “Because the little bitch called me up and told me. Said he was going to marry her.” She took a drink of her iced tea before continuing. “I told her she could have him. I told him the same thing.” Jane cast her eyes downward. “And now she’s dead.”
“Is that why you think your husband is the Blond Bomber? Because Amber’s now dead?”
She shook her head. “As I told you, I’ve suspected for a while. Same as Lil.”
“Think about it, Jane. Do you really believe your husband is capable of killing those women?”
“The man I married, no. But there are just too many connections.”
“Is it because the dead women resemble you or because you are connected business-wise to some of the victims?”
That got her attention.
“You know about that?”
“I know that you decorated Crystal Lee Harper’s ex-husband’s condo and Gabby Kerr’s home. What was the connection with Elaine Epps, the first victim?”
Jane cast her eyes downward again. “I decorated the home of her boss. Elaine was very involved with the project and worked closely with me on it.”
“And did you sleep with Elaine’s boss, as well?”
Her head snapped up so fast you could almost hear it. Her eyes searched my face, trying to pry into my brain to see what else I knew. A moment later, she looked away, deflated and sad. “I slept with them all.”
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