Rory began her search there, checking underneath the sink, inside the medicine cabinet and the toilet tank. When no new evidence of Tripp’s guilt surfaced, she looked through the bedroom, finding nothing of interest in the drawers or closet. Crouching down on the floor, she spotted a backpack underneath the bed. She dragged it out with her good arm and placed it on top of the mattress. She was unzipping the main compartment when she thought she heard a noise in the corridor. She tiptoed to the door and peeked outside, breathing a sigh of relief at the empty hallway. She eased the door shut and returned to her search.
One-handed, Rory upended the backpack, dumping its contents onto the bed. A glint of gold caught her eye. She moved a book aside, revealing the proof she needed, a gold charm bracelet with an empty spot that had once held a sun.
Rory set the bracelet aside. She was returning the rest of the items to the backpack when she felt a prick in her neck and moments later, slumped to the floor unconscious.
Chapter 33
Rory woke to the gentle rocking of waves. Water surrounded her as she lay on a surfboard in the ocean, cords across her chest, waist and legs binding her to it. She peered into the darkness and saw, way off in the distance, the lights of houses along the shore.
“You’re awake.”
Rory turned her head toward the voice. Tripp was sitting on a surfboard next to hers, tying a rope to a white ball anchored one hundred yards off the shore. She remembered seeing the buoy when she went to the beach, but hadn’t expected to one day find herself attached to it.
“What did you do to me?” She tried to raise her hands toward her aching head, but the ropes prevented her arms from moving more than a few inches. She patted the pocket of her jeans as surreptitiously as possible.
“Looking for this?” Tripp held up her phone. “Bye bye.” He let go and the cell fell into the water. “Oh, and I can’t forget this.” He unhooked Willow’s charm bracelet from around his wrist and dropped it. The ocean swallowed it up.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Can’t have you telling the police about what I did. By the time anyone realizes you’re missing I’ll be long gone and your body will have drifted out where no one will find you.”
“Where are you going? Back to Africa?”
“Maybe. There’s nothing for me here now. I have no desire to rot in jail for killing someone who deserved to die, especially when I can help so many people who need it. This is your fault, you know. I thought you’d stop investigating after I pushed you down those stairs, but no, you kept right on going.”
“I know Willow gave Zoe the means to kill herself. Is that why?”
“She didn’t kill herself.”
“What? But Kit thought—”
“I know what he thought, but he was wrong. She didn’t kill herself. Willow did it.”
“I don’t understand. She gave her the means, sure, but I wouldn’t say she killed—”
Tripp banged a hand against the buoy, sending the surfboard Rory was on rocking violently. “You. Don’t. Understand. Willow played God. She decided Zoe’s time was up. My sister didn’t ask her for anything. She trusted Willow and thought she was taking something that would help her fight her cancer, not kill her. The last dose Willow gave her was laced with poison. The doctors in the ER tried to save her, but it was too late.”
“Are you sure? How did you find out?”
“Willow told me herself. I went to her house to find out why my sister did it. Instead I found out…I never meant to do it, you know.”
“What happened?” As quietly as possible, Rory worked on getting one of her hands free.
“I need to start at the beginning, when I came back from my latest trip to Africa. Like I told you before, I hadn’t talked to my sister in years. When I got back, a friend handed me a letter from Zoe. She’d been diagnosed with cancer and wanted to see me before she died. She was still fighting it, but also preparing for the possibility she would lose.”
He took a deep breath. “When I got to her place, she’d already passed. The police talked to me and told me they suspected Christopher—Kit—had helped her die. They couldn’t prove anything and Kit was no longer in the area. He’d lost everything and disappeared. It took me a while, but I finally figured out where he was. I came down here and volunteered at the church, hoping to find him. Eventually, I did. When I talked to him, I accused him of helping her die. He told me Willow was the one who had given her the medicine, that it was an alternative treatment for cancer patients that had accidentally killed my sister. So I went to Willow’s house that night to try to get her to stop giving out this herb to other people. She told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. Told me that she decided my sister’s time had come, that she didn’t want to see Zoe in so much pain, so she gave her the herb laced with poison. She was so sure she’d done the right thing, she didn’t show a shred of remorse.”
“And your sister never knew?”
“No, she thought she was taking her usual herbal treatment. She never dreamed Willow would betray her like that.”
“That’s awful.”
“Willow didn’t admit it at first, but when she finally told me what she’d done, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I snapped, grabbed a knife that was on the counter and stabbed her.”
“Then you arranged it to look like an intruder had come in through an open window and killed her?”
“That’s right. I took the jewelry she had on, then took the screen out of the window and ransacked the kitchen. I tossed her purse in the bushes after I took money and a few credit cards out of her wallet. I stuffed it all in my backpack and threw the jewelry and cards in a dumpster near the church, far enough away from her house the police wouldn’t think of looking there. At least I thought I’d gotten rid of it. The bracelet must have fallen to the bottom of my backpack.”
“What about the camera and the SD card? Were you the one who hired those kids to steal it? How did you know it was there?”
“I was at the bar when Lance was there. He was pretty drunk. Kept on talking about this camera and how he needed to get it back before the police found it. How it wouldn’t look good for him since his prints were all over it. He’d planted it to check up on Willow.”
“But the video would have exonerated him.”
“He wasn’t thinking straight and I wasn’t about to point it out to him.”
“But those women said he was there by himself—Oh. You made that up, didn’t you? That’s why you volunteered to talk to them.” Rory felt the cord across her wrist beginning to loosen.
“I couldn’t risk you finding out I’d talked to him that night.”
“Then you went outside and hired the homeless kid.”
“I changed my voice and made sure he couldn’t really see me,” Tripp said.
“What if the police had already found the camera?”
“If they had, they would have arrested me a long time ago.”
“The key to the house. Where did you get it?”
“I took it off Lance’s keyring at the bar. He didn’t miss it since he’d been staying at his place in Hawthorne.”
“You were the one on the bike then, who took the bag from me.”
“I saw you pick it up after the girl had dropped it off.” Tripp looked down at her. “Now you know everything. I’ll leave you now. I’ve tied this pretty loosely.” He pointed to the rope anchoring Rory’s board to the buoy. “By the time you get free, you’ll have drifted far enough out, you’ll never make it to land. And don’t forget the sharks. I hear they like the water around here.” He lay down on his surfboard and paddled toward shore, leaving her alone in the ocean.
Rory yelled for help, but soon realized it was wasted energy. She was on her own.
She struggled with her bonds, finally managing to free her right arm. The surfboard rocked as she wo
rked on the ropes. She’d barely gotten her legs free when it flipped over, slamming her injured shoulder against the water. She screamed and her mouth filled with water. As she fought her way to the surface, her flailing hands accidentally pushed the surfboard away. Clinging to the buoy, she coughed up water and caught her breath. Once she recovered, her gaze swept the area, looking for the board, but she couldn’t see it in the darkness that surrounded her. Giving up on ever finding it, she got her bearings, spotting a string of lights in the distance, telling her in which direction safety lay.
Unsure if she could make it to the beach with her shoulder injury and her clothes weighing her down, she kicked off her tennis shoes and struggled out of her jeans. After taking a few deep breaths, she said a silent prayer, let go of the buoy and headed toward land.
Willpower drove her through the waves. Her body ached and she longed to rest, but she knew she was so exhausted that if she stopped to tread water, she might never start up again. She pushed through the pain in her shoulder, and after what seemed like hours, felt land beneath her. Lying face down in the sand, she let the ocean wash over her until she’d gathered enough strength to continue. She pulled herself to her feet and, in a dripping wet t-shirt and underwear, walked unsteadily across the deserted beach toward the lights of the nearest houses. In the parking lot next to the pier, she spotted a lone car. With her last bit of energy, she walked toward it and knocked on the driver’s side window. The two people inside broke apart. Two pairs of eyes stared back at her through the glass. She mouthed the word “help” and collapsed onto the pavement.
Chapter 34
Rory’s eyes fluttered open. Panic gripped her as she became aware of her surroundings and realized she was lying on a bed in a room that wasn’t her own. It subsided as soon as she recognized the white walls of the hospital.
“You don’t have to walk around town half naked to get my attention,” a deep voice said.
She turned her head toward the sound. Detective Green sat on a chair beside the bed and smiled.
“Tripp.”
The smile on the detective’s face faded. “He’s not here. Do you want me to find him?”
“No, you don’t understand. He killed Willow.”
“Tell me.”
In halting words, Rory told him about her ordeal in the ocean and the discovery that had led to the realization that Tripp was a murderer. “The rabbit’s foot is still under the plant by Willow’s house. I never told him about it. But he tossed the bracelet in the water.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll get him. Any idea where he was headed?”
“Africa, I think.”
He patted her arm. As soon as he left the room, she drifted off to sleep. When she woke a few hours later, Liz was sitting by her bedside, reading a magazine. She put the magazine on her lap and leaned forward. “Thank God you’re okay. We were really worried.”
“Tripp?”
“Dashing D picked him up at the airport. His plane was delayed.”
“Good,” Rory said, closing her eyes.
A sling on her left arm and a tote bag in her right, Rory made her way down the hill toward the ocean. A giant inflatable screen was set up against the north side of the pier. People of all ages converged on the area and spread blankets on the beach facing the screen, waiting for the free Thursday evening showing of The Wizard of Oz to begin.
She stood on the walkway next to the sand and searched the sea of faces. As soon as she spotted Liz, she wended her way through the crowd and sank down onto the blanket next to her friend.
Sitting cross-legged, Rory looked around her. “Good spot. Exactly the right distance from the screen. When did you get here?”
“Half an hour ago. Candy is getting popcorn from the snack bar.” Liz held up a large bag of M&Ms. “I’ve got chocolate.”
Rory unpacked her tote bag. “I brought soda and chips. Is Doug coming? There’s room for one more.”
“I didn’t want to invite him. I thought it might bring up bad memories since, you know…”
“You mean about Tripp?”
“The first date you had with him Doug was there too. I thought he would remind you of it. I wanted this to be fun for you.” Liz placed a hand on Rory’s arm. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. Maybe okay isn’t the right word. I’m still mad.”
“At least Dawn’s free now. You should be happy about that.”
“I know, I know. Let’s talk about something else. Are Bethany and her family going to adopt Buddy?”
“Yes. He’s a good fit for them and he seems to be adapting to his new environment well. What about Sekhmet? Have you found her a home?”
“I’m going to keep her. She really likes living with me. It’s nice to have her around the house. She’s good company.” Her phone chirped and Rory looked down at its screen. “Veronica posted a new item on VBC. Looks like they caught those burglars, the ones that have been on that spree. At least we don’t have to worry about that anymore.” She offered a soda to Liz before opening one for herself.
As Rory took a sip, she spotted Dawn in the distance and waved her over.
“I can’t thank you enough, Rory.” Dawn stood next to the blanket and smiled down at them. “I owe you.”
“I’m just happy you’re okay. Did I see you at your mo—Willow’s house earlier?”
“Chief Marshall wanted help packing up her things. I found her diary.” She pulled a book out of her tote bag. “I’m beginning to understand her more. She was homeless right after she left us. Her time on the street wasn’t pleasant. She was robbed and beaten. Everything she had back then was stolen from her. Guess that’s why she seemed to have it out for the homeless.”
“They’re not all bad people.” Rory nodded toward the diary. “Did she say how she made her money?”
“After she got back on her feet and became a nurse, she sold drugs she stole from the hospital, then invested what she made. I’m not sure how I feel about inheriting money made that way. My brother and I are thinking of donating most of it to charity.” Someone shouted Dawn’s name. She looked up and waved. “I’d better get going. I’m sitting with the girls from the store. Let me know if I can do anything for you. Take care and thanks again.”
She’d barely left when Rory heard a deep voice behind her say, “Nice to see you all here.” She looked up to find Detective Green dressed in a polo shirt and shorts standing on the sand next to them.
“May I?” He motioned toward the blanket. When she nodded her agreement, he sat down in the empty spot next to her.
“Nice night for it,” he said.
She nodded and took a sip of her soda, unsure what to say.
He stared straight ahead. “I stopped by to make sure you’re okay. The last week has been rough for you.”
“Don’t worry, I’m fine. My shoulder’s healing. I’m still mad at Tripp for using me like that, only going out with me to see what was going on with the investigation, but I’m a big girl. I’ll get over it.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. Don’t judge every man by what he did.”
“I don’t. How did you know I was going to be here?”
His gaze swept the crowd, which was growing as the time grew near for the movie to begin. “It was a good guess. Seems like everyone is here tonight.”
Rory looked down at her soda. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you about Tripp when I first figured out he killed Willow, but I wanted to be sure.”
“You might have to testify against him.”
“I know.”
He looked at her with concern. “You okay with that?”
“We weren’t going out that long. I’m fine.” Rory drew a flower on the sand in front of her. “What do you think will happen to him?”
“He’s got a good lawyer who’s working hard to get him off.”
She looked up. “But he confessed.”
“Only to you. Not to anyone else.” He touched her hand. “Don’t worry, he won’t get away with it. The rabbit’s foot you found can be traced back to him and there’s a strong motive. I’m sure he’ll realize soon he’s better off taking a plea deal.”
Before Rory could say anything else, Candy arrived. “Here you go, popcorn for everyone.” She passed out individual bags to the other three before settling down on the blanket on the other side of Liz.
Detective Green nodded his thanks and munched on his popcorn.
Rory whispered to Liz, “You’re the one who told him I’d be here, aren’t you?”
“Maybe,” Liz said with an impish grin on her face. “Detective,” she said in a louder voice, “Veronica posted on her blog that one of the officers in our police department caught those burglars, but she didn’t say how.”
“They ran a red light in the city. The officers who stopped them saw stolen items in the backseat and the two matched the description we had of the burglars.”
“Seems stupid of them to run that light,” Candy said.
“Criminals can be pretty stupid at times. That’s how so many of them get caught.”
“Did you ever find out why Willow came to town when she did?” Rory asked. “It seems odd after all those years that she would suddenly want a relationship with her children. From what Dawn told me, she’d never shown any interest before.”
“The autopsy showed she had an advanced stage of cancer. Inoperable. She didn’t have much longer. My best guess is she wanted time with her kids before she died.”
“That makes sense. Did you tell Dawn?”
“I felt it important she know. Willow never told her about it.”
Rory leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. “What’s going on with the chief? Do you think he’s going to be okay?”
A Palette for Murder Page 25