IF SHE RAN

by Blake Pierce

  “Agent Wise,” she said.

  “Mrs. Nobilini,” Kate said. “I’m flattered that you remembered me.”

  Jennifer smiled thinly. “Of course I remember. And even if I managed to forget, my mother-in-law was a little taken by your hard work when you were working Frank’s case.”

  Was she? Kate wondered. Seems to me, she thought for a while that she could do my job better than I could.

  “Would you have a few minutes to spare for us?” Kate asked. “This is my partner, Agent DeMarco.”

  “Oh, of course. Come on in.”

  Jennifer seemed almost excited to have them in as she stepped aside and opened the door wider. As Kate walked in, she felt a wave of déjà vu tingling across her skin and through her heart. She’d been somewhat taken off guard by the way she’d felt walking into Cass Nobilini’s house a few days ago, but this was something altogether different. This was like literally carving open her memory banks and physically stepping inside.

  Jennifer led them into the living room which was exactly the way Kate remembered it. A couch and a loveseat, a television perched over the fireplace. Pictures of their family on the walls. In a few of them, Frank Nobilini peered out at Kate, as if asking her what in the hell was taking so long to find his killer. Afternoon sunlight was coming in through the two living room skylights, making the place feel warm and almost ethereal. Honestly, the entire thing was creeping Kate out. It was far too surreal to be back here, back in this house with this same woman that she had failed all those years ago.

  And now she was about to turn this poor woman’s life upside down.

  Or maybe she’s not some “poor woman,” Kate thought. She didn’t tell me about any of the arguments Lizzy Trabisky told me about. What else was she hiding from me when I was here eight years ago?

  “Jennifer, forgive the abruptness of the question, but could you maybe tell us why you called Missy Tucker?”

  “I heard what happened to Jack. Honestly, I’ve never really been too close with the Tuckers, but I know them well enough. And when I heard how Jack was killed…it brought it all back to me. And I remembered how I had people that were there for me when Frank died, but no one could fully understand what I was going through—what it was like to know that he had been murdered like that. And I thought I could maybe help ease her through it…as much as I could.”

  “She did seem appreciative,” Kate said.

  “I imagine this has to be very strange for you,” Jennifer said. “Back in this town again with the same sort of murder. Is it going any better this time around?”

  “Well, we are finding some clues. And quite frankly, a lot of the leads we’re getting are all coming back to your husband. And to you as well.”

  “Really? How’s that?”

  Kate knew there was no way to ease the woman into the conversation. She also knew that by simply trying to shock people with information, it was a great way to gauge whether they were lying or not.

  “As we were looking into Jack Tucker’s case, we found that there were many similarities between the Tuckers and you and Frank. A seemingly perfect couple, very much in love. No one could imagine why anyone would want to murder either of these men. Yet it happened. And, to be honest, the more we dug, the more skeletons we uncovered.”

  “Skeletons?”

  Kate had really been hoping that Jennifer would willingly admit to the information. But it seemed she was not going to be so lucky.

  “Well, for one, it seems that you and Missy Tucker have more in common than husbands that were murdered in a very particular way.”

  “Liken what?” Jennifer asked. Her tone and posture made it clear that she was shifting into defensive mode.

  “Alleged affairs, for starters.”

  Jennifer sat up straight, her eyes going wide. She looked not particularly shocked, but scared. It was like she’d seen a monster and her brain wasn’t sure how to handle the sight.

  “And these would be affairs that occurred not too long before the deaths of your husbands. In your case, it’s looking like about a month or two. In Missy’s it was—”

  “Would you care to tell me how in God’s name you have come to this insulting conclusion?” Jennifer demanded. She was crying, the tears pushed by both sorrow and anger from the looks of it.

  “I can’t reveal my sources,” Kate said. “But Missy has admitted to hers. She did it almost right away, when we confronted her with it. And with a little more digging, we know that you and Frank had—”

  “Don’t you dare speak his name in that context!”

  “Fine,” DeMarco said, seemingly happy to take over. “Here are the facts as we know them. In both cases, you and Missy Tucker were cheating on your husbands. Both marriages were seen as these perfect storybook marriages in Ashton. And both of your husbands are dead.”

  “This is sick,” Jennifer said. “How can you even think of accusing me of something like this?”

  “We have a pretty good reason,” Kate said. “A good witness.”

  “Fucking Lizzy! It was her, wasn’t it?”

  “Think what you want,” Kate said. “But you’ve now had about two minutes to refute my claims and you haven’t.”

  Jennifer got to her feet and started pacing. She walked the length of the living room and with each step, Kate felt her feet ready to pounce and give chase if Jennifer tried to make a run for it.

  “So what if I did?” Jennifer asked, wiping a tear away. She now stood still, her arms crossed over her chest. “Everyone cheats in these towns. Hell, some of the spouses know about it and don’t care. If you were going to accuse people of affairs in this town, everyone would be linked. You’d stay busy for days.”

  “Maybe that’s true,” Kate said. “But as it stands, you and Missy Tucker are the only ones that have husbands that were killed execution style and discarded in an alleyway in Midtown.”

  Jennifer took a single step forward and pointed an accusing finger at Kate. “You were a lousy agent back then and you’re still terrible at your job. You’re here to solve a man’s murder and all you can do is prove that two women were involved in affairs. Hey…wow, great work there, Agent Wise.”

  “Jennifer, I only bring it up to show you that there are connections here that go beyond the murder of your husbands. The affairs…if there are any links within those as well, we might be able to find out who the killer is. And if not who, then almost certainly why. We just need your cooperation and—”

  “We all have ghosts and demons, Agent Wise,” Jennifer said. “I am not proud of mine and the timing of my transgressions is unfortunate. But that’s something I have to live with every day. I certainly don’t need an FBI agent who is apparently terrible at her job throwing it in my face!”

  DeMarco got to her feet but remained as calm as she could. “Mrs. Nobilini, your truthfulness can help us find a killer. You could—”

  “I want you both out of my house right now,” Jennifer said. “And just be warned that I fully intend to file a complaint to the FBI for having two of their agents trying their best to tarnish the reputation of a widow—a widow who has never had full closure over her husband’s death due to the negligence of one of their agents. Now get out!”

  Kate took a few moments to consider her options. She could continue pressing and perhaps hope that Jennifer would crack under the pressure. She had just admitted to an affair, though had given no details. Perhaps the admission of an affair was enough. Because if they now knew the affair had legitimately occurred, there had to be someone else who knew about it. Particularly the man that Jennifer Nobilini had been sleeping with.

  She finally got to her feet. She did not bother with a thank-you or an apology of any kind. She simply took her leave, with DeMarco trailing behind her. The closer Kate got to the door, the more she realized how much the Nobilini house was making her feel suffocated—as if the past had grown a pair of hands and had them wrapped around her neck.

  ***

  When they were out
side and back in the car, Kate wasted no time in cranking the car and pulling away from the curb.

  “You think she was bluffing about the call?” DeMarco asked.

  “Hard to tell. That woman had so many emotions riding through her...”

  “So how in the hell are we supposed to figure out who she was having the affair with?”

  “I don’t know yet. But think about how we found out about this affair in the first place. We spoke to Lizzy Trabisky. A housekeeper who worked for the Nobilinis. Everyone else had this picture of perfection of them. But it was the housekeeper that knew about the potential affair. Because they work on the inside, if you will.”

  “And?”

  “Well, anytime there’s a crime in a suburban neighborhood where there are housekeepers and nannies, they almost always have the best insights. They hear and see a lot that others in the community aren’t aware of.”

  “Lizzy Trabisky already said she didn’t know much.”

  “True. But she’s not the only housekeeper in Ashton. And I’m sure there are countless nannies and regular babysitters.”

  Before DeMarco could respond, a thought occurred to Kate. “Do me a favor, would you? Call Robert Jensen’s bank and get him on the phone. He said they interviewed three potential housekeepers, passing on Lizzy Trabisky. Find out who he did hire and get her information from him. We’ll start with her and work our way down the Ashton grapevine.”

  Nodding with enthusiasm, DeMarco did as Kate asked. Kate listened as DeMarco spoke with a receptionist, waited patiently for a bit, and then started speaking with Jensen. The conversation was brief and went well. DeMarco seemed pleased when she ended the call.

  “He says his housekeeper’s name is Tonya Gallahan. She’s at their house right now—works Monday through Thursday from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon. If she’s not there, Jensen says to wait around a bit; it means she’s just not back from picking his older son up from school yet. He said he’s going to call ahead and let her know we’re on the way.”

  “Great. Look, I know this might seem like a shot in the dark…”

  “No, not at all. I trust you. You’ve got far more experience than I do.” She paused for a moment and added: “Look…yes, Duran has me sort of watching over you. But unless it’s something completely reckless, I’m never going to question your approach. This whole case seemed dead and hopeless two days ago. And now I finally feel like it might all be leading somewhere. So please know I see myself more as a partner than…well, a spy.”

  “I appreciate that,” Kate said. “Now, can you pull up directions to Jensen’s address?”

  “He gave it to me on the phone,” she said with a smile. “It’s only about a mile away.”

  “God bless a small town,” Kate said with a nervous smile.

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  The timing was perfect. Kate parked her car in front of the Jensen residence just as two kids and a driver climbed out of a black Audi that had just parked in the paved driveway. As Kate and DeMarco got out, the kids looked their way. The youngest—a little boy of about four or so—waved excitedly at them. Kate waved back with a smile. She honestly didn’t miss these younger years with children, but she did miss the joy kids seemed to have over everything at that age.

  The driver, a young woman with her hair in a ponytail and wearing a New York Giants T-shirt, waved at them as well. This, presumably, was Tonya. “Mr. Jensen said you were coming,” she said across the lawn. “Come on in and join the chaos.”

  Kate and DeMarco accepted the invitation, walking across the perfectly green lawn and to the porch. The little boy held the door open for them. Kate’s heart warmed a bit when she watched DeMarco give the boy a fist bump and a smile. The kid smiled right back and then went rushing into the house. The older kid—another boy, around the age of ten or eleven, if Kate had to venture a guess—gave them both a lazy wave as he scrolled through his phone while walking through the door.

  Tonya Gallahan came next, nodding into the doorway. “Go on, go on,” she said. “I’m always lagging behind. These kids are fast.”

  They entered the house to the sounds of the youngest boy rummaging in the kitchen for a snack. Tonya led Kate and DeMarco into the kitchen as well. Tonya gave them both a quick one second gesture and turned to the kids.

  “All right, guys, I need you to be really quiet and do something together for a little while, okay? These are some friends of your dad’s and they’re here to ask me some important questions.”

  “Can we play Fortnite?” the young one asked.

  “It’s too violent for you,” the older brother said with great satisfaction. He then sighed and took his brother gently by the arm. “Come on. We can play that dumb game you like.”

  “Yay! Candyland!”

  And with that, both of the boys exited the spacious kitchen, snacks in hand. Tonya looked back to Kate and DeMarco with her eyes wide and a tired smile on her face. “Sorry about that.”

  “Are you kidding?” DeMarco asked. “They’re incredibly well behaved. And you’re very good with them.”

  “Thanks. Yeah, they can be pretty stinking sweet when they want to be.”

  “Tonya,” Kate said, “how long have you worked for the Jensens?”

  “Nearly two years now. I started out just as a two-day sort of thing, but when Mrs. Jensen’s small business from home picked up, they asked me to come on four days a week.”

  “Do you enjoy it?”

  “Most of the time. I’m twenty-seven and not through with college yet. So it’s sort of a means to an end right now.”

  “Mr. Jensen said he’d call ahead and let you know we were coming,” DeMarco said. “Did he tell you why we needed to speak with you?”

  Tonya looked out of the kitchen and down the hall to make sure the boys were indeed out of earshot. “Something about Jack Tucker’s murder is all I know. He said it was just innocent questions and that I had nothing to worry about.”

  “And that’s exactly correct,” Kate said. “However, I have been at this job long enough to know that in small towns like Ashton, babysitters and housekeepers are typically the best source of information when it comes to gossip and dirt. Please forgive the stereotype.”

  “Oh, no offense taken. Besides…I’d say that’s pretty accurate.”

  “Did you know Jack Tucker at all?”

  “No. But I know Missy. I see her from time to time at the school when there are programs and fundraisers.”

  “And how about Jennifer Nobilini? Do you know her?”

  “Only by name. From what I hear, her husband died eight years ago in pretty much the same way Jack Tucker was killed. Is that right?”

  “It is,” Kate said. “Though we can’t provide you with any details. Tonya…the reason we’re here is because we do feel that the two murders are connected. And again, while I can’t give details, we have come to discover that there might be more links to the two murders than we thought. But, as you can imagine, not everyone in Ashton is particularly being honest or forthright with us.”

  “Yeah, I can believe that.”

  “I want to know your feelings about Missy Tucker first,” Kate said. “Do you know her well enough to give an informed opinion?”

  “Not really. All I can say is that she’s been nothing but nice to me in the past. And her kids are very polite. They don’t really hang out with the Jensen boys, so I don’t really know them all that well, either.”

  “And what about Jennifer Nobilini?”

  “Like I said, I don’t know her. So any opinion I have wouldn’t be based on much.”

  “What about rumors?” DeMarco asked. “Have you heard anything about her or her lifestyle either before are after her husband was murdered eight years ago?”

  Tonya shook her head. “No. I think she’s sort of untouchable around here. After her husband’s murder and everything, people kind of really respect her.”

  “So you’ve heard nothing about her?” Kate asked.
“Maybe about her and a romantic relationship with someone?”

  “No. Sorry.”

  “Have you heard her name mentioned at all in the last few months?”

  “No. I can’t…wait. Yes, actually. Oh my God. Okay, so last Wednesday when I went to pick Owen up at school…there was this sort of commotion at the top of the car rider line. I was about a dozen cars deep, so I didn’t see it all. But the whispers and gossip spread down the line quick. There was someone there to get the Nobilini kids, but it wasn’t Jennifer. And that was strange because Jennifer always picks her kids up from school. She’s usually among the last of the parents to swing through the car rider line, but she’s always there.”

  “Who was trying to pick them up?” Kate asked.

  “I don’t know. I never heard a name. Just some man. The woman in the car in front of me said he looked creepy and was getting sort of verbal with one of the teachers manning the car rider line.”

  “Did the police get involved?” DeMarco asked.

  “I don’t think so. Before things got too heated, the guy just left. From what I understand, nothing was ever done about it. But really, that’s all I know.”

  Some guy shows up and tries to pick up the Nobilini kids sometime very soon before Jack Tucker was killed, Kate thought. What the hell is going on?

  “I’m sorry I can’t be more help,” Tonya said.

  “Oh, this is a huge help,” Kate said. “Tonya, thank you so much for your time. And if you can keep these questions between just the three of us, that would be greatly appreciated.”

  “Sure, of course.”

  Tonya walked them back to the front door. Kate could hear the boys giggling, playing Candyland somewhere down the house’s main hallway. Outside, the day was cooling a bit as the afternoon wound down. Kate knew they had received a lot of information today and had constantly been on the move, but she didn’t realize so much of the day had escaped them.