Their drive into the main part of town was mostly silent. Jenny was distracted. Roy didn't want to press her. He knew she had a lot to think about and that she would talk to him when she was ready.
He was very aware that the sight of him driving into town, Joey’s Dales’ sister in the cab of his truck beside him, would turn heads. He glanced in the rearview mirror and found a couple staring him down as he turned a corner.
Let them stare, he thought to himself.
“It's probably best that we don't park out front.”
Jenny had read his mind.
“We can pull into the library parking lot. It's behind the row of shops on Parson's Square.”
It was a great idea. Behind the shops, they had less chance of being seen. No one used the location after hours, and the library had been closed for a whole hour already.
They locked the truck, in spite of its missing window and turned down a path alongside the library. At this time of the evening, most stores had closed or were in the process of shutting down for the day. Only a few people remained on the once busy streets.
Roy led the way, making great strides, eager to hear what Lawrence had to tell them. Jenny hurried along beside him, her eyes to the ground to avoid the attention of strangers.
The bell above the shop door dinged as they entered. Jenny locked the door behind them to prevent anyone interrupting their meeting.
Lawrence came through the plastic curtain. Although he had called that morning to arrange the meeting, he appeared unhappy to see them. He ushered them in.
Roy stepped up to shake his hand.
“Hello there, Lawrence. Jenny said you remembered something you wanted to tell us.”
Lawrence nodded his head. He looked worriedly past them to the street, nervous that someone might see them.
“There's something that you should know.”
He wrung his hands together nervously. It was clear that he was uncomfortable about speaking to them.
“I can shut the blinds on the front window,” Jenny suggested. Perhaps eliminating the threat of being would help to put him at ease. She turned to fix the blinds, but Lawrence stopped her.
“No!” His voice softened. “Please. It's best we just go unnoticed in here.”
“How about we head into the back office? It's a little more private in there,” Roy suggested.
He was grateful when Lawrence agreed and led the way past the curtain. He glanced back to Jenny to make sure she was following behind.
“Any idea what we are about to hear?” he muttered to her as they passed through the blue curtain into the back of the shop.
“It has to have something to do with the wine bottle.” Jenny said quietly. “He started acting strange when I brought it up the last time. Maybe he’s changed his mind and is willing to talk.”
“Hopefully.” He held up crossed fingers.
He saw a smile pass across her lips. Each time he saw her smile, he felt as if the weight in his chest was slowly beginning to give way. Jenny had opened a door to something inside of him that he had been suppressing for a very long time. For the first time since Natalie had passed, he was able to be himself. No matter what happened between him and Jenny, he knew he would always be grateful to her for softening his heart.
Lawrence had to move aside some paperwork from the chairs in his office before they could all take a seat. Roy tried to help him out, but he waved him off impatiently. When the chairs were clear enough to take a seat, Roy gestured for Jenny to take a seat first and then he took his place beside her. Lawrence seemed a little unsteady as he took his own seat. When he finally settled into his chair, his hands still shook in his lap.
“Is everything okay, Lawrence?” Roy asked gently. “You look like you've been having a rough go of it.”
“Something has been going on through the shop lately that has made me rather uncomfortable.”
Lawrence bowed his head and averted their eyes in embarrassment.
“I feel like I've been taken advantage of.”
“Whatever you tell us won’t go past this office,” Jenny assured him, and Roy nodded his head in agreement. It seemed to settle Lawrence’s nerves some, but he still looked a little uneasy.
When Lawrence looked back up at them again, his eyes settled on Jenny.
“I'm sorry, Miss Dale.”
“Jenny, please.”
“Jenny, right.”
Lawrence took a deep breath.
“I'm afraid I lied to you when you were last in the shop. You asked about the blue wine bottle – the Rosaceae brand, to be specific. I've had it in the shop many times, but only on special order. Someone orders it here and picks it up the same day it comes in, two bottles at a time. I hate to admit it, but I get a good profit on it.”
“The brown paper bag Chief Cartright was carrying,” Jenny whispered in Roy’s ear. He nodded his head in agreement. She had to be right.
“Who orders it in?” he asked.
The old man shook his head in protest.
“I can't say who it is. He will know if I do.”
“He will never find out, I assure you,” Roy told him firmly. “This is all going to stay between us. The only other person it might reach is the police commissioner, and only so we can see to it that Joey Dale is released from prison where he is serving time for a crime he didn’t commit. The real murderer needs to take his spot in that dingy cell.”
“That's what you don't understand.”
Lawrence wasn’t convinced.
“He won’t ever go to jail for what he's done. He’s too smart for that. He has fooled everyone into believing he's an outstanding citizen, a dedicated authority figure in this town. No one is going to believe it if when we accuse him of Chloe Dale's murder.”
“They will if we can show them proof to back it up,” Roy countered. “And we have enough, so far, to at least cast reasonable doubt on Joey's guilt. What you tell us is just going to add to our case.”
“If he knows I've been involved in bringing him to ruin, he’ll come after me.”
“Does he have something to hold over you?”
It was Jenny who first realized what it was he feared. Lawrence’s hands shook as he reached for his desk drawer. He turned the old key wedged in the lock and pulled it open slowly.
“About three months ago, he came into the shop with this.”
He reached into the drawer and removed a manila folder. He passed it across to Roy as if it were full of explosives that might go off at any moment.
Roy could feel Jenny's eyes on the package as he cautiously pulled it open. Inside was a number of black and white, glossy photographs. Roy glanced over each one in turn before he passed them aside to Jenny. He hoped she would see more in them than he could. She took them silently. He watched her reaction to the content, but her face was expressionless.
The photographs were of a younger Lawrence. If she were to judge correctly, he was in his mid to late twenties. He wore an old-style waiter's uniform. The people in the background looked like they were well to do.
“I don't understand. What are these photos supposed to reveal?” Roy asked gently.
“That I'm still a wanted man.”
Lawrence took the photos back and carefully slid them into the manila folder. Then he locked it back away in the drawer.
“Forty years ago, a few friends and I were seniors in college. To make ends meet, we took jobs as waiters at the yacht club in town. It started as a little light thievery, but then it quickly became more advanced. Before long, we were six, cocky kids who just took whatever we wanted. We never got caught or charged for our crimes. I bought a nice house and made a life with a wife and kids with money I’d stolen. I took a gigantic step back from that risky business and bought this liquor store instead. I was determined to turn legit”
“But he threatened to turn you in if you didn't do what he said.” Roy nodded, finally understanding.
“He didn't want anyone to know he was having that
special wine ordered here. He came in yesterday and reminded me that I had a shady past he was willing to expose if I dared to tell anyone that it was him who had the orders.”
“He was covering his tracks,” Roy said.
Lawrence nodded. “And he was doing a fine job of it, too. He has kept me on my toes these past few months. Every time he comes in the shop, I think it’s going to be the end of my life as I know it.”
“Well, it’s blackmail, and it’s all about to end, I promise you.”
Roy rose to his feet and gestured for Jenny to follow suit.
“Chief Cartright won't get away with what he's done. We found his police badge at the crime scene. With that and the evidence you provided today, we have enough to have him investigated.”
“I can't let this information get out.” Lawrence was at the door in an instant to stop them from leaving. “If any of it becomes public knowledge, I'll be arrested for what I've done. I can't go to jail now. I have spent far too long rebuilding my life.”
Roy patted the man on the shoulder.
“I'm going to make sure that never happens to you, Lawrence. I promise you that. As far as I'm concerned, you've made amends for your crimes in this community.”
“But you're not law enforcement anymore,” Lawrence pointed out.
He wasn’t convinced despite what Roy had told him.
“To those in a position of power, I'll just be another petty crook who got away with it. I'll be thrown in a jail cell for my crimes, regardless of how long ago I committed them.”
“We will make sure the people who matter see it our way.” Jenny stepped in, her voice reassuring and gentle. “We promise you, Lawrence, that we won’t let you go to jail for this. You’ve provided good information today that will help put Chloe Dale's killer in jail.”
“It feels like this nightmare will never end.”
Lawrence moved hesitantly aside let them pass to the front of the store. Everything was quiet on the street beyond the window, but Lawrence refused to leave the safety of his desk. “Thank you both for coming to hear me out. I'm relieved I got to tell my tale, no matter what the consequences will be.”
“Everything will be fine,” Roy reassured him again. “But if you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Everyone made bad decisions once in a while, and Roy believed that everyone should have the chance to make amends for them. He would make sure to talk to the police commissioner about letting Lawrence off with a warning for his help in solving the case.
Chapter 27
After returning home from the liquor store, Roy insisted that Jenny take a nap while he ran out to Norma’s in his truck to pick up Isabelle and the dog.
Jenny didn't know how Roy was managing to stand up straight, let alone keep his eyes open. He had gotten less sleep than her, yet he seemed energized. She imagined he was running on pure adrenaline. After all, they were getting so very close to freeing Joey from his horrible fate. In a matter of days, Joey would be free to step back out into his life and his name would be cleared.
Jenny couldn't have imagined a better ending. It was a far cry from the one she had envisioned when she first arrived in town. If the old Jenny had stuck around, Joey would be no closer to freedom. She didn't know how she could have lived with herself if she had never taken Roy up on the offer to explore other ideas.
Without Roy, she didn't know where she would be. He had a knack for surprising her. Often, he tested her limits, she found she enjoyed that. He gave her hope, especially when things were impossibly hard. He was her knight in shining armor.
She turned over in his double bed wishing he could have joined her. Their hot shower together still burned fresh in her mind, and she delighted in recalling the more passionate details of the experience. Roy had given her a new lease on life, not just in general, but in the bedroom as well. Before him, she hadn't been so cold when it came to lovemaking, but Roy drew out her deepest desires and passion. She couldn't imagine being intimate with anyone but him after that.
She was in a quandary. She wanted to be with Roy, but what would their future look like? And would they be on the same wavelength?
She had a career and a life back in New York. She had responsibilities to attend to there. Sooner or later, she would have to go back and face it, either to regain control or to begin packing up her things. As much as she found herself falling hard for Roy, the idea of moving back to Ombrea didn’t sit well with her. Instead, she felt dread. Dread for what her life would be like without a job or money.
It didn't seem fair that she would have to choose between love and money.
* * *
Roy was taking longer than planned, so Jenny assumed Norma had invited him in for dinner. Roy probably assumed she was still asleep and had taken her up on the offer. It had been a few days since Isabelle had seen her good friend, Norma, and so a little extra time would be just what the pair needed.
Jenny didn't feel like sleeping any longer. Instead, she preferred to keep busy. She had promised Roy she wouldn't call the police commissioner until he returned home, and she intended on keeping that promise.
She took a quick shower to wake herself up a little more. She wished he could have been in there with her. The memory of their last sexual encounter was still playing vividly in the back of her mind.
She fumbled through her duffel bag for something to wear. The pieces she had brought with her seemed foreign as she picked through the silk blouses and designer jeans. For the first in years, she just wanted to wear something simple, something that didn't make her stand out. She pulled on the most basic pair of jeans she had and turned to Roy's chest of drawers for her next bit of inspiration.
Finding an old army T-shirt of his that fit a little loose, she pulled it on. She didn't think he would mind. If he had a problem with it she would take it off for him. The thought brought an easy smile to her face. It had been far too long, she thought, since she’d had anything fun going on in her life.
Her work at the magazine had been enjoyable, but now that she had been away from it for a while, she found she didn't miss it quite as much as she’d thought she would. After her quick departure to Ombrea, she assumed the job offer had been voided, and wondered if she had a position at the magazine at all.
She didn’t mind. There were always other jobs and other positions in the fashion industry she could fall back on if she really had to. When she was out here in the cabin, the only thing she was really concerned about was a life with Roy. Having a big, fancy career and a closet full of designer clothes suddenly seemed much less of a priority.
Family also mattered. She decided to visit her brother in jail one more time.
She thought he must be lonely. If she were in his position, she knew she would be feeling that way. She felt a strong desire to tell him that this whole, horrible ordeal was almost over. They had enough evidence to go on and enough pin the murder on Chief Cartright.
Her stomach turned at the very thought of him. His stare still unsettled her. That was when the thought hit her. The stare of the stranger in the woods had the same effect.
But what would Chief Cartright be doing hanging around in the woods beside the cabin, she thought, as she took a seat on the edge of the bed. She remembered Roy had told her he had seen a stranger in the woods at the Dale property too.
Was Chief Cartright watching them, or was he looking for what he had left behind the day Chloe was killed?
After the attack on her at the Dale House with the Molotov cocktail, it was obvious he would do anything to keep his crime a secret, even going so far as to commit another murder. He had to be stopped before he tried anything else.
She was filled with an increased need to see her brother. She had to tell him everything that had happened since they last spoke. She checked out the kitchen window to see if Roy's truck had pulled back up the beach, but he was still nowhere in sight.
He didn't own a cell phone, recluses rarely do, so she penned him a note on a
piece of scrap paper from his office and left it on the kitchen table for him to find. That way, he wouldn't be concerned if he came home to find the house empty. He would know that she was not in any danger.
Unless going to the Police Department were a dangerous place. Even if it were, it wouldn’t stop her from going to see Joey. Her little brother was stuck in that place feeling hopeless, and she wanted to put an end to it. He had to know that soon he would be a free man, and she wanted to be the one to tell him.
She grabbed her handbag and headed out to her car.
Chapter 28
The desk clerk looked up in surprise when Jenny entered the Ombrea police station that evening.
She didn't park in the lot. Instead, she chose to park downtown and make the walk up the hill to the station on foot. The idea of leaving her car in the lot like a sitting duck unsettled her. She didn't know what Chief Cartright might try and pull. Plus, it provided the added bonus of catching him by surprise.
“Miss Dale.”
Jenny forced a polite smile at the desk clerk's greeting.
“How may I help you today?”
“I'm here to see my brother again.”
Jenny stepped right up to the desk, this time not letting the older woman intimidate her. “Right away, please. It's important.”
The desk clerk raised her brow.
“You can't just walk in here and expect to see a prisoner whenever you want. This isn't a social club.”
“You can call whoever you need to call, but I have a right to see my brother. And I am not leaving until I do. He is still here, isn’t he?”
“He is. But he's being transferred in the morning.”
“Is that so?”
Jenny smiled at the very idea of it. So that was what Chief Cartright had in the works, was it? He was going to move her brother to a state penitentiary while he awaited trial. A trial, she reminded herself, that would never happen.
But what if something happened to Joey while he was in there? Her mind suddenly entertained all kinds of horrible scenarios, most of which she had seen on television late at night in her apartment. Joey could be injured or worse, killed in that kind of facility. Maybe that was what Chief Cartright had in mind when he planned to send Joey out there
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