What She Left (Martina Monroe Book 1)

by H K Christie

  Hirsch described to Henley the extradition they would pursue after the FBI was done with him. Hirsch turned to me. “Anything you’d like to add, Martina?”

  “Just one more thing. Frank, I thought you might be interested to know that we know everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. We know your family secret. I’ve been in contact with your sister, Amy.”

  Frank flinched.

  “The FBI and Detective Hirsch are willing to keep that out of the press if you’re willing to talk and avoid a trial. I personally spoke with Amy and Kennedy Gilmore, and they’re both willing to go public with the truth. You will be destroyed in the public’s eye.”

  The last bit was a fib. I hadn’t talked to Kennedy yet. I felt that type of information was better served in person. She had already endured so much that this latest news about her family was going to be another shock to her world. I didn’t want her to be alone when she learned the news. Frank glared at me with his green-brown eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “No? We tested Amy’s DNA against Charlotte’s daughter’s DNA,” I said, without emotion.

  Frank lowered his head, his face turning crimson. He looked back up at me. “Amy wouldn’t ruin all of us. She’s one of us.”

  “Kennedy is also one of you. And despite what you think, Amy is not to blame. This isn’t her burden to carry. She wants to tell her story, but she has agreed that if we could avoid a trial and avoid destroying your family’s reputation, she’d be willing to remain anonymous when she did.”

  It wasn’t true. I didn’t know if or when Amy would ever want to go public with her story, but it seemed to be just the thing to rattle Frank Henley. Finally, it appeared as if the senator were contemplating his predicament.

  I sat quietly and glanced back over at Special Agent Deeley and Detective Hirsch. I’d said my peace. I was done with Frank Henley. The rest was up to law enforcement now.

  Deeley stepped forward. “We have enough evidence to put you away for twenty years, which means you’d finish your sentence when you’re eighty years old, at which point we will extradite you to California to serve out your time there for the before-mentioned crimes. If you cooperate, your family name remains untarnished, other than, of course, the fact that you’re going to go to prison. Your political career is over, however you look at it.”

  “I’m not talking until my lawyer gets here.” He was more clever than his pal, Alonso.

  Hirsch set his hands down on the table. “All right then. I suppose we’re done here. Martina, are you ready to go?”

  “I sure am,” I said, with satisfaction, as I strutted out of the FBI’s interrogation room.

  In the hallway, the three of us met up. “I think that went well.”

  Deeley nodded. “He’s not going anywhere. He can be as tight-lipped as he wants, but there are so many charges against him it just doesn’t matter. You could tell he was shaken that you knew his family secret.”

  “Oh, absolutely. The guy is a classic narcissist that doesn’t care who gets hurt as long as he doesn’t look bad. He can deny the charges and even go to prison, but he can’t deny the DNA testing results of his baby sister.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What’s next for the two of you, are you heading back to California now?”

  “That we are. I need to meet with Kennedy Gilmore to give her the updates on her father’s murder, the investigation of her family, and the latest news about Amy Henley.”

  Deeley asked. “How’s Amy holding up?”

  “She’s tough. I think she’ll be okay. She wants to meet her sister. I spent some time with Kennedy and now with Amy. I’m hoping the two of them can do some healing together and be a source of comfort for one another. They are both survivors, but they’re also both strong women who believe in family connection.”

  “Best of luck to you both. It was great meeting you. Next time you’d like to collaborate on a case, we’ll welcome you both with open arms here at the FBI.”

  Hirsch said, “I appreciate that.”

  “And we might take you up on it,” I said, with a smile.

  Deeley nodded, a twinkle in his eye. “I hope so.”

  We said our goodbyes and then strode out of the FBI building. I turned to Hirsch. “Do you think we should go see Amy and let her know what’s happened? She’ll have the news vans swarming any minute. She’ll be ambushed.”

  “I agree. She deserves some warning.”

  Indeed. She’d been through enough. They all had. After a quick stop at Amy’s house, we were headed to the airport. I was more than ready to go home and hug my little girl.

  47

  Detective Hirsch

  “Are you ready?”

  Her lips curled up. “I’m more than ready.”

  “Okay, then, let’s give him the good news.” We stepped into the room where Alonso sat with a smug look on his face. He had no idea his world was about to be blown apart. “Alonso, how are you doing?”

  “Pretty good. Looking forward to getting out of here.”

  Martina dramatically pulled her chair out and sat down, placing her hands in her lap. “Hi, Alonso.”

  Alonso hesitated, probably disturbed by the cheerfulness in Martina’s voice.

  I took a seat next to Martina and said, “Alonso, we talked to Frank Henley, and of course, he denies everything. And he decided not to talk to us. He told us things like, ‘he didn’t know anybody named Alonso’, yada yada yada. But the thing is, the FBI had a wiretap, and we have a recording of him talking to you and ordering you to kill Theodore Gilmore and Martina. So we didn’t believe him.”

  Alonso leaned back. “The FBI had wiretaps?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  Alonso’s face paled. “No. Why were they tapping Frank’s phone?”

  I wondered how many other crimes Alonso had committed that we didn’t know about.

  I enlightened Alonso on the FBI investigation and all the charges against Frank Henley. “They took him down yesterday,” I said, with a smile.

  “Frank’s in jail?”

  I nodded slowly. “He was. I hate to be the one to inform you. This morning, Frank took his own life, and the feds could not corroborate that he ordered you to kill Donna Bernard.” It was unfortunate to hear from Special Agent Deeley that Henley had taken his own life. It was a cowardly move, but consistent with his life choices. My guess was that Frank Henley couldn’t face the world once his true greedy, selfish, and criminal self was revealed. However, it would avoid a trial for Amy, so that was something. Yet, it didn’t seem fair that Frank was able to make the decision to end his life - or not - when he had taken that decision away from Donna Bernard and Theodore Gilmore.

  Alonso clenched his jaw.

  “That’s right, he’s dead. Which means your deal with the district attorney is null and void regarding Donna Bernard, unless you have some other evidence you’d like to provide.”

  “You have that he asked me to murder Martina, right?”

  “Yep, but not Donna Bernard.”

  He twisted his neck and stared up at the ceiling, clearly trying to figure out his next move. I supposed if I were in Alonso’s position, I’d be trying to dig my way out too. He returned his focus to me and then Martina. “I have more on the senator I could give you.”

  I glanced at Martina, who shrugged. “He’s dead and no longer our concern.”

  “The FBI and Doylestown PD may have some unsolved cases they might like to close,” Alonso retorted.

  “That’ll be up to Pennsylvania law enforcement, but here in California we’re charging you with the murder of Donna Bernard. And, if for some reason your sentence for her murder ends before your death, you’ll be extradited to Pennsylvania for the attack on Martina and whatever else the FBI has implicated you in. So, like I told you the first time we met, you’ll never be a free man ever again.”

  I pushed my chair back and said, “I think we’re done here.” Martina grinned at Alon
so before sliding out of her chair and walked out of the room without saying a word.

  Alonso called out. “I have names of people he had me kill in Pennsylvania. I’ll talk if we can make a deal.”

  I turned around. “If you can help out Pennsylvania law enforcement close out some cold cases, they may be able to pull a few strings in California regarding sentencing and prison conditions, but I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. You are never getting out of jail.”

  Alonso deflated.

  I said, “Take care,” and exited the interview room, making a mental note to call Special Agent Deeley and let him know Alonso may have valuable information on other cases. Who knows, maybe it would get Alonso more comfortable accommodations or a few extra bucks in his commissary account.

  We pulled up to the Gilmore residence on Stone Island. Kennedy had said that’s where she wanted to be when she heard about the Henleys, since it had been her family home. It was convenient for Martina and me, since we needed to talk to the Bernards as well. There had been so much heartbreak and tragedy to cover up the abuse that was inflicted upon Charlotte. Talk about insult to injury. I turned to Martina before we got out of the car. “Now for the better part of our job. We can bring some closure to the Gilmores and the Bernards.”

  “It’s all we can do,” she said.

  We exited the vehicle and climbed up the wooden steps to the Gilmore’s door. I tapped lightly and waited a few seconds before the door opened. Kennedy looked better than she had the last time I saw her. She had color in her cheeks and dry eyes. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater and was even wearing lip gloss. “Hi. Please, come in.”

  Martina entered, and I followed behind. We sat at the dining table. I began to explain. “First off, we have news on the investigation into your father’s murder. We have the man responsible in custody. He told us he had been hired to commit the act, which we know to be true, due to the FBI investigation of his employer…” I stopped myself and turned to look at Martina.

  She nodded.

  “This may be tough to hear, Kennedy, and I understand that, but I’m just going to be straight with you.” I then explained Frank Henley’s criminal activity, motives, and the end of his life and Eloise Henley’s.

  Kennedy didn’t shed a tear. She sat stoically. “My uncle hired someone to kill my dad?”

  “Yes.”

  She glanced over at Martina. “So this is all related to my mother’s past? Were you able to determine what the secret that they were hiding was, and why my mother had lied about her family history?”

  That moment, I realized Charlotte’s and the Henley’s stories had come true. Her entire family, except for Amy, was now dead. And now, Charlotte was also dead.

  Martina explained, “Yes. Like we discussed, Amy had requested a DNA sample so that they could test her DNA against your DNA to determine her relationship with Charlotte. What we discovered is that Amy is actually Charlotte’s daughter.”

  “Not her sister?”

  Martina raked her fingers through her hair. “Technically, Amy is Charlotte’s daughter and her sister.”

  Kennedy covered her mouth and lowered her head. Tears escaped, and she looked up. “My mother was a victim of incest?”

  “Yes, her father had abused her. What we can gather is that they sent Charlotte away after Amy was born to conceal the fact that she, one, had a baby out of wedlock and, two, that her father had been abusive. We think Frank knew about the whole thing, and he was trying to cover up that fact because he’s a politician and didn’t want to tarnish his family’s name.”

  “My mother had escaped an abusive home but also had to leave behind her daughter. Amy’s my sister?”

  Martina nodded. “Yes, and she would very much like to meet you.”

  Kennedy placed her hand on her cheek. “It never occurred to me I might have a sister.”

  “Right now, there’s a lot of press around Frank Henley’s arrest and subsequent suicide, but she said she’d like to visit.”

  Kennedy shook her head. “So wait. Frank Henley, my uncle, died by suicide and my grandmother, Eloise, also died by suicide?”

  “Yes, your grandmother was also aware of the abuse against your mother, and we think she couldn’t live with it anymore. There was a letter that said as much.”

  “Wow. That’s a lot.”

  “I’m so sorry Kennedy. The only silver lining is that you and Amy have found one another. She’s a strong, pleasant woman with two adorable daughters and seems to have a very supportive and loving husband.”

  Kennedy stared down at the carpet. “Is there anything else?”

  I looked over at Martina, who looked like she was having a difficult time delivering this news to Kennedy. “That’s everything.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, actually, it’s not everything. It’s everything related to your mother and father, kind of.” Martina shut her eyes and nodded slightly. “We also found Donna’s killer. It’s the same person who murdered your father.”

  “What? I don’t understand the connection?”

  I explained the motive and connection.

  Kennedy wiped her eyes and let out a breath. “Thank you for coming by. I think I need some time to digest all of this.”

  “Understandable. Is there anything we can do for you?”

  “Can you share Amy’s information with me? When I’m ready, I’d like to call her.”

  “Yes, of course,” Martina replied. We offered our condolences once again before heading next door to tell the Bernards that we had caught their daughter’s killer.

  48

  Martina

  Two Weeks Later

  The sun shined down through the trees while a light breeze brushed my face. I stared down at her gravestone and felt her beside me.

  Donna Kay Bernard

  Daughter. Sister. Friend.

  She’d finally come home, and I hoped, no, I believed Donna was at peace now. I squeezed Zoey’s hand as she knelt down and set a pink Gerber Daisy next to the gravestone. Zoey had said that she had a feeling that Donna would’ve liked it. I think that was probably true. Zoey returned and said, “Mommy, we’re the only ones left up here. Should we go down where the other people are?”

  I glanced down at her and nodded. Donna’s parents had been grateful that we had located her body and that Hirsch was able to get justice, and that the man who had taken her life was behind bars and would be for the rest of his days. They could finally say goodbye and bury their daughter. I, too, could now say goodbye and begin to work through the grief and the guilt of leaving Donna that night.

  I felt the wiggling of my hand that Zoey clutched with all her might. “Okay, let’s go,” I said.

  We strolled down the hill where folks were gathering before the procession down to the reception hall. Hirsch wore a black suit with a white shirt and gray tie. I’d never seen him look so dressed up. August Hirsch cleaned up nicely. I’d be sure to give him a hard time about it.

  Hirsch stood next to my mother, Betty, talking about God only knows what. In the three weeks she’d been back in our lives, I’d seen firsthand the change in her. It was the type of change that I think that all of us were capable of, if we tried hard enough. She was different from how I remembered her from my childhood. She was strong and loving. Zoey adored her to the point where, at times, I felt a little replaced. I supposed they called that jealousy.

  The timing was strange, in that, it was as if my mother had come back just when I needed her the most. And that’s what really matters, isn’t it? When people are there for you when you need them the most, that’s what really counted.

  Betty had officially moved in with us, taking over the spare bedroom. Zoey had been delighted. I was still adjusting to having another person in the house, but it was nice. My mother insisted on cooking dinner every night, except for Tuesdays, which was her bingo night. Zoey declared Tuesdays, pizza night, and I couldn’t deny her.

  I glanced ov
er to the left where Kennedy and Amy stood, talking amongst themselves. I’d spoken with Kennedy a few times. Once about her family, and another time about Donna. She’d told me she’d felt somewhat responsible, since it had been her own family that had ordered her to be killed. I told her she was not responsible. I hoped she believed that.

  I glanced down at Zoey. “Why don’t you go over by Grandma Betty and Detective Hirsch. I need to say hello to some people, okay?”

  “Okay, Mommy, but we don’t want to be late.”

  “We won’t. I promise.”

  I approached Amy and Kennedy, offering each a light embrace. “Thank you both for coming to Donna’s memorial.”

  “Kennedy, how are you?”

  “Doing well. Thank you. I’m so glad you found Donna. She was such a ray of light.”

  “She was.”

  “I remember one time, when we were about ten years old, we were out on the levee in front of our houses, and she told me we should make up a song and dance. I had asked her why and she replied, ‘because we’re alive and that’s a reason to sing and dance, don’t you think?’”

  That sounded like Donna, the eternal optimist. “That’s a great memory. Thank you for sharing.”

  “I’m sure you have a million stories like that.”

  “I do.” I should share them with Zoey. I think she’d like to hear about Donna. My childhood wasn’t all bad. I’d had a best friend and lived into adulthood, where I found love, had a beautiful baby girl, and a meaningful career. If Donna were here, I think she’d be telling me I should be singing and dancing.

  “Amy, how are you?”

  “I’m doing well. We actually have some news.”

  “Oh?”

  “My family and I have decided to relocate to the Bay Area. With all the media attention surrounding Frank and all my childhood memories, we decided a fresh start was exactly what we needed and, of course, to be closer to Kennedy. We’ve lost a lot of years.” She wore a smile, showing that there truly was a silver lining amongst all the tragedies. Amy and Kennedy had found their family.