“I know. We’ll let the crime scene investigators and forensics doctors analyze the evidence and prove whether Noel is at fault or not.”
“That’s all I want, the truth.”
“It’s going to come out, don’t worry,” Jared said softly, gently caressing my arm; it felt comforting. “I’ll go and make sure he doesn’t tamper with the evidence, okay?”
I nodded; Jared left and I wrapped my arms around myself, attempting to find solace in them but failing miserably.
I waited for Aidan and whoever he’d be coming with standing in the dining-room. I didn’t budge until I heard a forceful knock on the door and Aidan yelling “Noel Pearson, it’s detective Jared Davies from the Memphis Police Department, open the door!” and I sprang forward with Noel and Jared rushing behind me.
I opened the door and said my name, just in case. Aidan looked at Jared, who turned around and walked to the room; Aidan went behind him. Samaire nodded at me as she entered and made her way to the corpse. A couple of crime scene investigators followed her, and an officer stood by the door, making sure no one crossed the threshold or left the place.
Aidan joined us again, and as he handcuffed Noel, he listed him his rights. My brother cast me a sorrowful and frightened look as he was led by Aidan. I avoided eye contact and stared at the door. Jared joined me.
“Aidan is taking Noel down to Tillman Station, and he’ll question him there. Do you want to be there, like during Kelly’s interrogation?”
I thought about it, then nodded. I wanted to see exactly how fucked up my brother was, how much he’d lied to me, and whether he’d actually managed to fake his dazedness or if it was for real.
“The team will take care of the scene; Samaire has been instructed to call both Aidan and I when she’s done with the autopsy.”
“Jared…Samaire knows? Isn’t that blowing our cover?” I asked, baffled.
“Samaire, Riley, the Captain…and a lab technician, Benjamin Edwards, are in on it.”
“Okay, you’re the detective, you are the one who knows about this stuff, not me.”
“Yes, and keep this to yourself, Captain Nicholson decided who’d be told, I didn’t.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“Great. Shall we?”
I nodded and Jared briefly disappeared into the bedroom to let the analysts know we’d be going to the station. He reappeared and we walked to the car.
“Are you alright?” Jared asked, without taking his eyes from the road as he drove.
“Let’s see…My best friend is dead. Apparently, even if I don’t buy it, my sister tried to kill me and then staged an attempt on her own life; my brother seems to have murdered a woman I work with. Sandy is also dead. Jared, I feel bloody jolly right now, don’t you?” I replied, sarcasm crystal clear in my voice; I breathed deeply. “I’m sorry, I hate being a bitch, but you should really avoid making stupid questions.”
“Fine Sam,” Jared said and turned on the radio, indicating the conversation was over; I didn’t mind.
We got to Tillman Station and walked directly to the room adjacent to the one where Noel was being interrogated. I stared at my brother, who held his head in his hands and couldn’t raise his gaze. He certainly seemed broken.
Aidan sat across Noel and, as usual, got his notepad and pen from his pocket. Without removing his eyes from my brother, he started scribbling a few words. Then he stopped and breathed deeply, his stare turned expectant, waiting for Noel to explain the situation.
“I…” Noel mumbled, but he was at a loss for words.
“Let’s start with last night, shall we Mister Pearson?”
My brother nodded; he inhaled, exhaled and nodded again, convincing himself he was ready to talk. Aidan placed the tip of the pen on the pad; he’d write every single word Noel would utter.
“I went to Brody’s bar. Brody is a friend of mine, I’ll give you his address if you want it.”
“In a little while. At what time did you go there?”
“At around eight,” Noel said after thinking for a moment.
“Wasn’t it a bit early to go drinking?”
“Why the hell do I have to justify that to you? I went early because there are less people and I can talk quietly with Brody without being disturbed by clients.”
“You got to your friend’s bar at around eight; what happened then?” Aidan asked, ignoring Noel’s small outburst.
“We just spoke and drank beer. I met a woman who turned out to work with my sister. We talked for quite a while. She took off for a few minutes, during which time I got invited a drink by another woman, whom I don’t know. I thought it was my luckiest night ever, I hit it off with two women,” Noel said bitterly.
“What drink did the second woman get you?”
“A gin and tonic.”
“Okay. What happened next?”
“Olivia, the first woman, returned and the one who had bought me the drink disappeared.”
“She disappeared?”
“I was sitting on a stool, at the bar. I talked with Olivia, she went to the bathroom. The woman sat on a stool next to me, handed me the gin and tonic, we chatted for a few minutes. Olivia returned, I turned to face her; when I was going to introduce them, I looked back at the second woman, but she was gone.”
“Right. Then?” Aidan asked, and I could tell his roughness was due to doubting the honesty behind Noel’s words.
“Olivia and I continued talking for while, and then we left together. We got to my place, fooled around for a bit, and that’s it, I can’t remember anything else. The next thing I recall is waking up with a headache and Olivia’s cold still body by my side. I freaked out and Samantha’s boyfriend called me at that moment, so I had him come over with her.”
“At what time did you wake up?”
“I guess at three, or around three. I barely glanced at my cell phone watch when I hung up.”
“Okay. So, you were kissing Olivia and you blacked out?”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t have intercourse?”
“I don’t think so.”
Aidan looked skeptically at Noel. I assumed he wasn’t really buying my brother’s very convenient memory loss. I didn’t want to believe him; it would be much easier shutting him out of my life completely, and if he was a murderer, I certainly wouldn’t feel guilty; but for whatever reason, my intuition budged me into trusting his memory loss.
“Did Noel know Olivia from the office?” Jared asked me as Aidan made questions regarding time and a few details.
“No, he’s never been to my workplace, and I’ve honestly dreaded the possibility of having him meet anyone from my professional life. He’s…”
“An embarrassment?”
I blushed a bit but nodded. I don’t consider myself to be a gift from the gods, but I do think my brother is better kept in the dark.
“Sam, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve got your reasons for feeling like you do, you don’t have to justify how you think to anyone.”
I nodded slowly but didn’t meet his eyes.
“Why doesn’t he get himself a lawyer?” Jared wondered aloud.
“Even if he can’t remember, he must think he’s guilty, I guess. The evidence is overwhelming, isn’t it?”
“Yes Sam, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, you didn’t kill Olivia. So, what will happen now?”
“Noel’s questioning will continue until Aidan’s done or Noel asks for an attorney. Then, he’ll be put in jail.”
“I have to tell my parents and Kelly. Fuck!”
“I’ll be with you, don’t think about it now. We’ll tell them tonight, once everything’s set.”
“Okay, thanks Jared,” I said, smiling tightly at him.
I looked back into the interrogating room and was surprised to find Aidan leaving. Two seconds later he entered the room Jared and I were in.
“He’s asked for a lawyer,” Aidan explained before we managed to ask. �
�Noel said he’ll be getting in touch with Kelly because he knows her attorney is the best.”
“Will that make matters complicated for you?” I asked.
“This isn’t one piece of circumstantial evidence; it’s a corpse, so no matter what, the charges will stick. The district attorney will have to decide what specifically they’ll be, but Noel won’t get away with murder.”
I nodded and gazed at my brother fidgeting as he spoke nervously into a phone. I heard a buzzing sound and Aidan grabbed his cell phone, opened the lid, and talked, turning his back on Jared and me. I tried making out what Aidan said, but to no avail. I suddenly decided to question Jared.
“Did they find any more evidence in Susie’s place?” I asked, and Jared shook his head. “Nothing in her computer or phone records?”
“Not really. I mean, on Saturday, at around midnight, she received a text message that asked to meet her at her place, but the message wasn’t signed and the number was tracked to a cell phone bought six months ago, in cash. After the murder, it wasn’t used anymore, so we assume whoever bought it either dumped the chip or simply destroyed it.”
“Can’t you track it down with GPS or something?”
“Not if the phone is off.”
“Oh. Was it the only message she received from that number?”
“No, she’d gotten others, but the content was basically always the same, to meet at her place at a given hour.”
“Did she answer them? I don’t recall Susie texting anyone on Saturday.”
“No, she never replied the messages.”
“Do you think it’s the killer?”
“It’s a possibility we’re still checking.”
I nodded, hoping they’d find the chip on the person who’d killed Susie. Yes, I know it’s very optimistic and naive on my behalf, but one can always hope, right?
Aidan hung up and turned to face us. His serious face was more somber than usual.
“That was Samaire. She did a general analysis and will now proceed to carry out a more detailed examination. The basics are that Olivia was killed by asphyxia, like Susan.”
“Were there any fingerprints?” I asked Aidan.
“The crime scene unit is going through everything. That will take a bit longer. Samaire will carry out a toxicology exam to check if Olivia was drugged before being murdered.”
“Did you do that for Noel? I mean, a blood analysis to confirm or deny his version of the evening? Maybe he isn’t lying and he was given a roofie or something like that,” I asked.
“Yes Sam, we got a blood sample the second we got here, I know how to do my job.”
“I never implied otherwise Aidan; I’m simply freaking out a bit, okay?”
“Okay.”
As we stared at each other, there was a knock on the door. Aidan opened the door and I heard he was told that Noel’s attorney, Steven Tank, had arrived. I knew Noel couldn’t afford him, so I assumed he’d called either our mom or Kelly. Just as I was processing the information I had, as well as what I was assuming, my cell phone vibrated and, after seeing my mom was calling, I accepted the call.
“Hello?” I said softly, knowing this had to do with Noel.
“Are you with him?” Rod asked, clearly worried.
“I’m at the station, Steven Tank just arrived. Where’s mom?”
“She’s been sedated. After receiving the call from Noel, telling her he thinks he’s guilty of a murder and demanding Kelly’s attorney, she fainted. Luckily, doctors abound here, so Sara was taken to a room and once she woke up, they gave her some pills because she almost flipped out. Kelly called Steven and I can see he’s very quick. Now, would you mind telling me why you haven’t called us yet?”
“I’m sorry Rod, Jared and I got to Noel’s and found him completely dazed and freaking out due to having a corpse on his bed. We tried calming him down and Jared called the police. I got so caught up by the moment, calling you was not a priority, I’m really sorry. Now we’re at Tillman Station, just waiting.”
“Okay, I understand Sammy. I’ll stay here with Sara and Kelly. You be there for your brother, okay?”
“Rod, I think they’ll jail him, at least for tonight.”
“Just stay there until everything’s sorted out, okay? Then go straight to your place. Let me know what’s happened, but it’s unnecessary for you to come to the hospital. Your mom’s sedate and I doubt she’ll wake up before tomorrow, and Kelly has also asked for sedatives, she’s claiming she’s too stressed. I’ll stay here for tonight and hopefully tomorrow things will be cleared.”
“I hope so too, Rod. Thanks for staying there. Give me a call if you need anything. I’ll contact you once Noel’s fate is decided.”
“Okay, talk to you later. Bye Sammy.”
“Bye Rod,” I said and hung up.
Jared looked at me and, after Aidan closed the door and turned to me, I briefed them in on my call. Once I was done, Aidan returned to the interrogation room and informed Steven of his client’s situation. Following a lengthy conversation, it was decided that Noel would remain in custody. The district attorney assigned to the case, Violet Christie, would press charges on Monday and the arraignment would probably take place a few days later.
Once he was in a cell, Jared and I went to see Noel, he looked broken yet hopeful; having Steven defending him made him a bit optimistic regarding his future. I filled him in on mom, Kelly and Rod, but he didn’t seem worry about them.
Slightly pissed off at Noel, I let Jared know I wanted to go home, so we left. I phoned Rod and informed him about Noel while Jared called Aidan and finished receiving a few details from the crime scene that had become Noel’s bedroom. I prepared pasta, added ketchup and ate them quickly. All I felt like doing was crashing my bed, so after stetting the alarm on my cell phone and saying goodnight to Jared, I went to sleep.
11
Blurry images marked my restless night. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t manage to stop seeing my siblings, Olivia, my parents, Susie, Sandy…
I woke up tired and annoyed. I wanted to rest, to actually feel relaxed when I opened my eyes; I’d be really happy if I could avoid picturing dead or almost-dead or killers in my mind. Damn subconscious.
Jared was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper. He was halfway through his breakfast and had set a table mat with a mug of coffee—covered, so that it wouldn’t cool—and a bowl with yogurt—the cornflakes waited beside the yogurt in a bowl of their own; if they’d been left together, the cornflakes would have become soaked and soggy.
“Hi and thanks,” I said as I sat down.
“You’re welcome; did you sleep alright?”
“Not really, what about you?”
“I didn’t manage to relax; there is too much going on right now, so…”
“Exactly,” I replied, happy that Jared understood and shared my inability to block thoughts in order to get some rest.
When we were done, I took a quick shower, blow-dried my hair, changed into black pants and a deep purple blouse, and Jared and I took off for Orchid Books.
Maggie smiled faintly when she saw us.
“If you need a day or two,” I whispered, “don’t hesitate to ask for them, okay? Sandy was a friend of yours and her being gone can’t be easy for you.”
Maggie’s eyes filled with tears but she shook her head. Jared went to my office to give us some privacy. I hugged her, hoping she’d find some comfort in the embrace.
“Didn’t you talk to Mark?” Maggie asked, her voice trembling; I shook my head and looked at her quizzically. “Olivia Scott is dead.”
I faked shock and a frown overtook my expression. I’d been so focused on Noel, I’d stopped myself from grasping the concept that Olivia was dead.
“She was murdered,” Maggie went on, “and apparently they’ve caught the culprit, but they’re withholding the identity, or at least, Mark is, I’m not sure.”
“I’m so sorry. Were you close to her?”
; “We’d had lunch a few times, but I’m closer to Mary and Peyton from the readers’ group. Still, it’s awful, you know. Olivia was murdered, as in cold blood. Sandy died in an accident and sure, it’s a bigger shock and it saddens me much more, but the mere thought of the violence…” Maggie’s voice trailed off as she burst into sobs.
“Maggie, leave,” I said softly, “take the day off. Don’t worry about the office; I’ve got a meeting with Andrea in a little while and then I’ll get to Kelly’s manuscript. I can answer phone calls and set up meetings. Just go and clear you head. What’s going on is awful; losing two people you were close with, especially considering how young they were, it’s bound to affect you. You have to mourn. You need to cry. Don’t worry about us and just go, okay?”
Maggie wiped her eyes and nodded. She hugged me and got a hold of her things.
“You haven’t received any phone calls yet, Sam.”
“Okay, thanks. Now go.”
Maggie walked slowly to the elevator and nodded at me once she got in. She raised her hand and the doors closed.
I found Jared seated behind my desk, playing solitaire on the computer.
“So Olivia’s death is out in the open?” I asked.
“Yes, Aidan said they had to inform her family and workplace, but they’ll be keeping your brother’s identity a secret until charges are formally pressed and until the family is informed.”
“They haven’t been told yet?”
“They couldn’t be reached. Apparently, Olivia is from Nevada, and Aidan has reached the local police because the contact information she’d left is old. Anyway, at what time is your meeting?”
“In half an hour. It will probably be a bit longer than the one I had with Cameron, so you can be my assistant and get whatever phone calls I may receive, does that sound like fun?”
“It sounds great. Just warn your boss that I’ll be here for the rest of the day; otherwise, he might be slightly surprised to find me sitting in Maggie’s place.”
“Will do. Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee while I talk with Mark, please?”
Blood Ties Page 11