“Let’s start with the obvious questions. Who knew that you were even remotely connected with Chad and me? There weren’t that many people who knew about us.”
Brett laughed. “Are you serious? I showed up at your high school prom. You think that gossip didn’t run rampant all over town?”
“I guess you’re right,” she conceded. “That doesn’t really narrow it down. Well, who had access to your gun?”
“Again, who the hell knows? It was in storage in the garage at my grandma’s house. But, the house had been rented out until I came back.”
“Well, who rented it?”
“I have no idea. I left that up to the realtors. They handled everything, found tenants, everything. They collected rent, paid the bills, took a cut and deposited the rest in my account at the bank.”
“Then, let’s start there,” she suggested. “We’ll go to the realtor’s office tomorrow and get a tenant list.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday, Sarah.”
“Yes, but they’re realtors. They do most of their work on weekends and evenings.”
The phone rang and Sarah reached to lift the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Sarah,” Amber breathed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for checking on me.”
“Is the murdering bastard still there?”
“He didn’t do it, Amber,” she asserted.
“Jesus Christ, Sarah,” Amber snarled in response. “I can’t believe you were actually valedictorian of our class. That’s about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You actually believe that piece of…”
“Amber, stop it,” she cut in. “I…”
“No, Sarah, you stop it. First, you believed all of Chad’s lies and now you are falling for Brett’s. You can’t possibly be that naïve.”
“I have to go, Amber.” Sarah fumed. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Sarah, wait…I’m sorry,” she said softly and Sarah was a bit awed by her ability to change emotions so quickly. “I’m just worried about you, okay? You’re my best friend.”
“I know, Amber, but you have to trust me on this. Okay?”
“I guess I don’t have a choice, now do I?”
“Good night, Amber. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She placed the phone on the base and pushed her hair out of her face.
“You okay?” Brett whispered.
“I will be,” she promised. “Tomorrow morning I’ll call my lawyer’s office. She’s still in Mexico, but maybe she’ll be checking her messages. Then we can head to the realtor’s office and see what we can find out.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“Which part?”
“If we go to the realtor’s office together, people will talk.”
“You’re right,” she conceded and put her head in her hands. “Well, I have to go to my parents’ house tomorrow anyway as I’m staying there with Lindsey and Matty while my parents, Shane and Kristen come up here for some party. Why don’t you go to the realtor’s office and get a list of tenants and then walk over through the woods tomorrow evening? That way no one will see you and we can discuss what to do next.”
****
“Hey, Sarah,” Cathleen looked up from a newspaper as Sarah entered the kitchen. “I didn’t realize you were coming this early. Is everything alright?”
“Actually,” Sarah answered as she took a seat across from her mother at the table. “I just wanted a few minutes to talk to you about something.”
“Sure, honey. Has something happened?”
“I’m not really sure how to say this, except to come right out with it. I don’t believe Brett Williams killed Chad.”
Cathleen sat back, stunned. “But I thought the police arrested him.”
“They did, mom. And, yes, the evidence is a little overwhelming, but that’s part of the reason I don’t think he did it.”
“Sarah, that doesn’t really make any sense,” she paused. “Since there is so much evidence against him, you think he’s innocent?”
“Think about it, mom,” Sarah requested. “He’s not that stupid. Not to mention that the assumptions the police are acting on are untrue. Namely, that we were having an affair.”
Cathleen pulled a hand to her chest and fear took over her face. “Does this mean they suspect you as well?”
“It looks that way, mom. I’m told they’re probably going to be issuing a warrant for my arrest within a few days.”
“What is Jack saying?”
“Actually, he advised me to get another lawyer, someone who specializes in criminal defense.”
“Jesus, Sarah. Have you told your father yet?”
“No. I was actually going to wait until I talked to Samantha. She’s the lawyer Jack recommended.”
“Don’t be foolish,” her mother scolded as she pushed out of her chair. “I’m sure he can talk to someone at the DA’s office.”
“Mom, wait,” Sarah pleaded as Cathleen was reaching for the phone on the counter. “Just let me talk to Samantha. I don’t want anything leaking to the press that I’m getting any kind of favors. Those people are vultures. They’ll splash it all over the papers and no one will ever believe that I’m innocent.”
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Cathleen argued.
“I’m not doing nothing, mom. I have a call into Samantha’s office and I’ve been talking to Brett to try and figure out who could be setting us up.”
“How in the hell can you be sure it’s not him?”
“And what, mom? He made himself look guilty of murder to set me up? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Still, he just arrived back in town and he’s accused of killing your husband. That can’t be a coincidence. Maybe he’s harbored some kind of obsession over you and Chad. You did leave him and marry Chad. Maybe that’s why he did this.”
“He didn’t come back to town for me, mom. He came back here to try to find his father.”
“His father?”
“Yes, the man his mom was having an affair with when she conceived him. She died before Brett was old enough to ask who his father is. The bottom line is that his coming back had nothing to do with me.”
“And you’re sure about that?”
“Yes.” A thought had occurred to Sarah but she wasn’t sure how to ask. “Actually, mom, you’ve lived here your whole life. You must’ve known Maggie Williams.”
Cathleen went to the sink to rinse out her glass. “Sure I did. We were at the same high school.”
“Do you know who she was having an affair with when she conceived Brett? There must have been rumors.”
“Sarah,” Cathleen said firmly as she turned and faced her daughter. “Anything I could say would only be speculation. There were a lot of rumors back when Maggie got pregnant. We were all only barely out of high school and with the news that she was pregnant by a married man, the gossip ran like wildfire. There wasn’t anyone above suspicion. Even your father’s name was mentioned for a few days.”
“Dad?”
“Sure, Sarah. He had gone out with Maggie a couple of times in high school and he and I had only been married a few months when everyone learned she was pregnant.” Cathleen’s expression turned more serious. “Sarah, your dad is not Brett’s father. I’m just telling you this so you know how wild the accusations were. You can’t really rely on anyone’s recollection.”
“Who else had she dated?” Sarah asked and Cathleen laughed at the absurdity of the question.
“We went to a rural Missouri high school. I’m sure by the time we graduated, everyone had dated everyone else. There weren’t a whole lot of choices.”
“Was there anyone that stood out in your mind?”
“Sarah,” she said sternly. “I’m not going to speculate. We ran in different circles. I didn’t know Maggie well enough to even venture a guess. Not when the stakes are this high. My speculation could ruin someone’s marriage and not even be accurate.”
She walked over and kissed Sarah on the forehead. “Listen, honey, be careful.”
Sarah couldn’t hide her disappointment and Cathleen softened. “I need to call your father. We should cancel on the fundraiser tonight. There’s too much going on to leave you here with the kids.”
“Seriously, mom, I’ll be fine. You guys go on ahead. I can call you if I need you.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely,” she smiled.
“Okay, then I have to go get the rest of my stuff packed and call Kristen to tell her that you’re here and we can leave anytime.”
“You’re riding up with Kristen?”
“Yes, we want to do some shopping and your father and brother can’t leave until later in the afternoon. We’re going to meet them at the hotel.”
“Well, you guys have a good time,” Sarah smiled as Cathleen headed upstairs to get ready to leave.
****
Sarah was sitting on the patio sipping a glass of wine when Brett cut through the trees. She started to stand up in greeting, but felt her anxiety grow as she watched him walk across the lawn. She glanced up to the second story window and saw the television reflecting on the glass. She relaxed a little, knowing the kids would be fully engrossed in their movie.
She took a gulp of the chardonnay and continued her internal lecture. You have no reason to feel guilty. You’re working together on this case, that’s all.
She forced herself to smile as he stepped onto the patio. “You want a glass of wine?” She said too quickly, betraying her anxiety.
“I’m not much of wine drinker,” Brett answered and Sarah noticed that he stopped abruptly several feet away. Maybe her anxiety was contagious.
“There’s beer in the fridge then,” she amended and led the way into the kitchen. “What did you find out at the realtor’s?”
“Well,” he began, “for starters, I don’t think Cole bought my story about needing the records for tax purposes.”
“Cole?”
“Yeah, Cole Johnson. He was my realtor.”
“I went to high school with him,” Sarah leaned back in her chair, holding the paper in her hands but not looking at it yet. “I didn’t even know he was in real estate. I doubt he’s involved but we can’t rule anyone out. He had full access to the property for the longest, right?”
“Well, sure. He had the keys to everything, set up repairs, showed the property. He certainly had the most unrestricted access.”
“Do you know if he was ever in the garage?”
“I can’t answer that with any certainty, but I know he had the key in case there was a problem. When the house was rented, the tenants weren’t given a key to the garage as it was not part of the rental. But the lock on the one door was always pretty flimsy. I never really thought about it since the stuff in there wasn’t all that valuable.”
Sarah jotted Cole’s name on a notepad she grabbed from the desk.
“I’ll ask Amber about him.” When Brett eyed her curiously she added, “They dated for a few months a couple of years ago. Maybe, she can give us a little insight.”
“Will she want to?” He asked.
“Brett, she’s my best friend. Besides,” Sarah added with a conspiratorial smile, “I don’t have to tell her why I’m asking.” She unfolded the sheet of paper still on her lap and started with the first name.
“Michael Callaway? I used to play tennis with him.”
“Sarah, this isn’t exactly a small town.”
“Thank you, Captain Obvious,” she mocked.
“He was the most recent tenant. He rented it for a little over two years. He actually had wanted to sign on for another year, but I’d already told Cole that I was moving back.”
“Well, then he certainly had access, but I doubt Michael would have anything to do with this either. He and Chad were really good friends back in high school.” She went back to the list. “Hmmm, Joey Newman. He was a couple of years behind me in high school. Looks like he was only there for a few months.”
“Yeah, he moved out after he joined the Sherriff’s department and he and Heather found out they were having a baby.”
“You know him?” Sarah guessed.
“Yeah, we worked together after I joined the department.”
“Did you guys get along?”
“Sure. We got along pretty well, but I hadn’t known him for that long.”
“Next is,” Sarah scanned the remaining names on the list. “Courtney Jordan. She was Chad’s second cousin, and about ten years older than us. There was a falling out between Chad and his relatives when his grandpa died. It was something about the will, but I don’t really remember how it all got worked out. She’s definitely worth looking into. So, that only leaves Jimmy Gassmann.”
“Who’s Jimmy Gassmann?”
“He was the first tenant. I went out with him a couple of times before Chad and I started dating.”
“You think he could have been involved?”
“It’s a pretty big stretch. What? He was still pissed off that I broke up with him for Chad when we were fifteen? Then he had the foresight to steal a gun from your garage on the off chance that you would move back to town four years later?”
“Yeah,” Brett agreed. “That’s a pretty big leap, but we should check it out just in case.”
“I agree,” she conceded. “We should probably do a little digging into all of these people just to see if something jumps out at us. Although, I really don’t know where to start.”
“Well, my lawyer has an investigator on staff. I meet with him next week and I’ll give him this list and tell him what we’re thinking. Maybe the investigator can come up with something.”
“Okay, I meet with Samantha Grayson, my new lawyer, on Monday. I’ll give her the list, too.”
“Why’d you get a new lawyer?”
“Jack thought it would be for the best,” she sighed. Something about that particular conversation with Jack was still bugging her, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. “He thought I should have someone who specializes in criminal defense. I thought it might make me look worse to the cops, but he kind of insisted.”
Her cell phone rang and Sarah walked over to the desk to answer.
“Hello?”
“Sarah, it’s Samantha Grayson.”
“Oh, hello. I was just talking about you. Thank you for calling me back on the weekend. How was your trip?” She added, recalling that Samantha was just back from Mexico.
“It was good, thank you for asking. However, we have things a bit more pressing to discuss.”
“Okay,” Sarah muttered, falling into the chair by the desk. The grave tone in Samantha’s voice, coupled with the fact that she was calling on Saturday was making Sarah’s heart pound against her rib cage.
“I just got a call back from the Assistant District Attorney. They’ve issued a warrant for your arrest.”
-20-
“Oh my God!” Sarah whispered, pulling a hand up to her mouth.
“Don’t get too freaked out. They aren’t going to come track you down to arrest you, but I did tell them you would turn yourself in.”
“Okay,” was all she could say.
“Can you meet me at my office? I’d like the chance to talk to you in person before we go to the police station.”
“Ummm,” her mind raced. The children were upstairs. Her parents were in St. Louis. “Yeah, I’m at my parents’ house in Farmington. I’ll need figure out something with the kids. It might take me a little while.”
“That’s fine. I’m heading to the office now. I’ll meet you there and for Godsakes, Sarah, don’t speed. The last thing we need is for you to get pulled over.”
Sarah pressed the end button and stared into the distance. Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow. She felt like she wasn’t getting enough oxygen. She finally looked at Brett who was standing right beside her, his face twisted in concern.
“That was my lawyer.” She felt the tears well in her
eyes and blinked them back. “They’ve issued a warrant for my arrest.”
“Oh, God, darlin’.” Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her. “It’s all gonna be okay. I promise you.”
Sarah started to lean into his chest, but caught herself. She stepped backward and pulled herself together. The last thing she needed right now was to let him see her vulnerable. She wiped a tear from her eye and turned away.
“Sarah, seriously, it’s going to be fine. We’re going to get through this. They can’t convict you of something you didn’t do.”
“Can’t they, Brett?” She demanded as she turned back toward him. Her vulnerability had transformed into anger and she welcomed the change. “Innocent people are convicted all the time.”
Realizing how she was acting and what she was saying, she stopped herself. He was saying the words as much for himself as he was for her.
“But, you’re right.” She forced herself to calm down. “We’ll figure out who did this and we’ll be alright. I have to go to Samantha’s office. We’ll have to continue this discussion later.”
“Do you want me to watch the kids until your parents’ party is over?”
She was so stressed she almost agreed, but quickly realized the consequences. “Brett, no one can us together, especially now. I’ll call Amber.”
“It will take time for Amber to get down here and I’m already here. We don’t have to leave the house.”
“No, I’ll call Diana. If she’s home, she won’t mind,” she explained as she picked up the phone and dialed. Thankfully, Diana answered on the second ring. After Sarah explained the situation, Diana promised to be right over.
“She’s on her way,” She told Brett. “I’ll go check on the kids.” She put on her best show of bravery as she stood to leave the room but her legs were still shaking and she stumbled.
“You’re a nervous wreck,” Brett observed. “At least let me drive you.”
“I’m not a child, Brett!” When she realized her outburst was inappropriate, she caught herself before continuing. “Really, I don’t need you to take care of me. I can drive myself.”
Killer Desires Page 14