Darby nodded, but she found it difficult to feel anything approaching sympathy for the man who'd attacked her twice.
"I really tried-we all tried, especially Lucy-to break through and touch his humanness," continued Laura. "But Soames operates in combat mode-he won't let anyone in. In the past year, his behavior's become even more erratic, and his rantings at therapy make less and less sense. And now if he has taken a life..." She rose from her desk and became businesslike. "What you have to remember is that Soames Pemberton is an extremely dangerous man. You've seen some of that, right, Darby?"
Darby nodded. "He's a time bomb."
"Exactly. I think you should let Chief Dupont deal with him." "
I will tell the chief, but I'd like to know his whereabouts."
Laura sighed. "I know there's an abandoned cabin over by the Powderkeg quarry where he's lived before. Do you know where that is?"
"By the transfer station?"
"Yes. I could drive you by it, if you'd like. Or you could follow me in your truck."
"I'll come with you," Darby said. "I left the truck at the office and walked over."
Darby watched as Laura closed her office door and led her through the church.
"Pastor Thompson is still recovering from his illness," she said, pointing to a much larger office where the senior minister worked. Darby could see the harbor through the office's large picture window. "He's been out for several weeks now. I'm kind of getting used to the quiet." She smiled. "Actually I miss him quite a bit. He's a brilliant man, especially when it comes to a few books of the Old Testament. His writings on the book of Isaiah are very well received" Her face clouded with concern. "I understand that his prognosis isn't too good though. He has lung cancer, I believe. I'm not sure how much longer First Congregational will have him."
"What happens to your position if he can't return to work?"
"I don't know," Laura said thoughtfully. "I'm willing to do whatever the congregation needs. I love this island and my parishioners."
"Might they promote you as the senior minister?"
Laura smiled. "Anything's possible."
They exited the church and Darby saw Laura's Subaru parked a few steps away. The two walked to it, but Laura paused before opening the door and gazed at the harbor. "I always stop and thank God for this amazing place," she said.
"What brought you here?"
"The sea and the job. I grew up on Cape Cod, and the coast is definitely in my blood. I'm learning how to sail, did you know that?"
"Yes, I saw your boat moored next to Mark Trimble's."
"He's my instructor, and a great one at that. So what do you think of What's in a Name? Isn't she a sweet little boat? Sturdy, stable-I'll have to take you out for a sail."
Darby said nothing and Laura's smile faded.
"I'm sorry. Is sailing a painful subject, given your parents' accident?"
Darby climbed into Laura Gefferelli's car and waited for the older woman to join her. "I guess it is. I don't have any desire to sail now, but at one time, I absolutely loved it."
"Loss of loved ones can do that to you," said Laura gently. "I myself lost my sister a few years back. It was an accident, just like your parents' deaths. I know how hard it is to go on when you miss someone so much." She touched Darby's hand. "I realize you aren't staying on the island for much longer, but if you ever want to talk, my door is always open."
Darby nodded but kept her feelings to herself. They were too thorny to entangle, like the beach roses she'd tried to gather as a girl. She hadn't counted on how difficult it would be to face the loss of her parents all over again, more than fifteen years later.
They drove in silence into the interior of the island, heading toward the transfer station. Just before the entrance to the dump, Laura took a sharp left. It was a dirt road that ended at a series of quarries once mined for granite. A few hundred feet down the road was a rough path, so overgrown it was nearly invisible.
Laura pointed at the rocky trail. "That winds down to a small quarry that the locals call Powderkeg. Just before the quarry itself is a small structure, so rough it's barely standing. It blends into the surrounding brush so well you really have to be looking for it. I know Soames stays there on and off." She turned to face Darby. "There is no one-and I mean no one-down there. So promise me that if you go, you'll take someone with you." "
I will," Darby pledged.
Laura backed up the car and turned back onto the road where the transfer station was. "I'm worried about Soames doing harm to himself. He's tried it before, you know." She slowed as a flock of wild turkeys skittered across the road. "In my years of working with addictions, I find heroin addicts the most challenging. It's an evil thing. I look at poor Lucy and her struggles..."
"She has no recollection of yesterday afternoon," Darby said. "I think Soames Pemberton could have drugged her by poisoning a box of chocolates."
Laura shot a quick look in Darby's direction. "My God, if he's gotten to that point-where he would actually have planned this whole thing out-he's worse than I ever could have imagined."
Laura Gefferelli drove Darby back into town where she checked in with Tina at Near & Farr. Darby told Tina about the cabin where Soames Pemberton might be hiding.
"What do you say we take a ride out there this afternoon?"
Tina shuddered. "I really don't want to go anywhere near that lunatic, but if it will help Lucy, I'm game."
"That's the spirit. It's four P.M. now. Shall we meet back here in an hour?"
"Nah, let's go now, before I lose my nerve" She saw Darby eyeing her open-toed sandals and chuckled. "Don't worry, I've got sneakers in my truck that are perfect for tromping around the dump."
"And I've got a flashlight." She tried calling Miles at the cottage and left a quick message. Maybe he'll call back before we get there, Darby thought. Not only would I like to see him again, but it wouldn't hurt to have another person along...
Fifteen minutes later they slowed down by the rutted path.
"This is where we start," Darby said. "I'm not sure how far we go until we see the cabin, but let's give it a shot."
The two women began walking down the path, trying to be as quiet as possible. In the distance, Darby could hear the dull throbbing knock of a woodpecker searching for insects in a rotten tree. The brush was thick; a few mosquitoes buzzed around their heads. The edge of the quarry came into view, and Darby scanned the overgrown trees for signs of a dwelling.
"There it is," she pointed, indicating a tumbledown old structure half hidden behind an enormous pine. "Be ready to bolt if Soames comes at us."
"Don't worry," Tina hissed.
They crept toward the cabin, hearing nothing. Cautiously Darby pulled open the rotting door and peered at the darkness within. Suddenly a whoosh of wings made them both scream and fall back.
"Bats!" cried Darby. "You all right, Tina?"
"Never been better," said Tina, sweeping dead leaves from her legs. "Even though they scared the beejeesus out of me. Anything else in there?"
Darby switched on her flashlight and looked around. "I don't see anything," she said. "And it doesn't look like anyone has been here recently, either."
She began backing out of the cabin when several small plastic bags caught her eye.
"Tina, is that ... ?"
"Smack," Tina answered, her voice hollow. "He's at it again."
Darby poked at the bag with the flashlight. Beneath it was a file folder.
"Trimble, Lucille," was typed neatly on a label. She picked it up and leafed through, reading the notes as fast as she could. The rumble of a truck made Tina look out the window.
"Shit! Someone is here! Darby, we have got to get out of here!" Darby flipped through another page as if she had not heard Tina.
"Darby! Now! Whoever's out there is fiddling in his truck. If we go now he might not see us! Take the damn file with you for God's sake!"
Darby looked at one last page and put the file back. "Let's get out
of here."
They opened the door and crept around the rear of the cabin, then into the woods. They walked a short distance through the brush until they came to Tina's truck.
"Tina, could you tell if it was Soames?"
"I'm not sure. If it was, he probably recognized my truck."
"He's not stupid," agreed Darby. "Hopefully, he's in an altered state thanks to some of that heroin in the cabin and didn't know it was us."
"Let's hope." Tina started the truck and quickly turned around. When they were barreling down the road, she asked, "So what was in the file? Why didn't you take it with you?"
"I don't want Chief Dupont accusing me of tampering with evidence," she explained. She took a deep breath.
"I think you need to know what happened to Lucy. She was sexually assaulted the summer she was sixteen. She went to Dr. Hotchkiss for treatment, but no one ever pressed charges. They called it `molestation' back then, but Lucy was raped."
"My God... " Tina breathed. "Soames! That animal!"
"Tina, this time it wasn't Soames Pemberton who did the attacking. The doctor's notes confirm what Lucy herself told me: her rapist was Emerson Phipps."
"Emerson Phipps? No wonder she didn't want to sell her house to him! Do you think Mark has any idea?"
"Lucy told Mark and me on Monday."
"It's too awful to think about. Wasn't he a college buddy of Mark's? I knew from the moment I saw that Emerson Phipps that he was a slimebag" She slowed the truck to turn onto the harbor road. "How did Soames get that doctor's file? And why would he even want it?"
"I can't imagine how he knew about the attack, but Soames Pemberton is a clever and dangerous man. Somehow he found out about this incident in her past, and knew Lucy would be the right person to frame."
"So what do we do now?"
"Truthfully, I don't know. If the chief finds out about that file, he's got even more of a reason to keep Lucy Trimble as his number one suspect. But that heroin could help explain how Lucy was poisoned." She paused. "I know one thing: I need to speak to Lucy. I think it's only fair that she prepares herself for the rest of the world knowing her secret."
"I'll drive you over there and wait in the car," Tina said. "Take as long as you need." She turned the wheel of the truck around a long turn. Darby could see the tension around her coral-frosted lips.
"That poor girl," Tina muttered. "That poor, poor girl."
ELEVEN
IT WAS NEARING FIVE o'clock when Darby and Tina drove over to Broad Cove, where Lucy Trimble's studio was located. Tina stayed in the truck while Darby knocked on the weathered old door. Lucy, holding a canvas in her hands, answered after only one knock. Dark circles ringed her eyes, but her grin seemed genuine.
"Being accused of murder may have its perks," she said. "Who knows what will happen once the art show actually starts, but I had at least a dozen calls today from potential buyers. Maybe the publicity will be good for business."
"I hope it's good for something positive. What are you doing now? Can I help you load paintings into your car?"
"That would be great." The two women made several trips carting canvasses from the studio to Lucy's vehicle.
"I haven't seen your brother around," Darby commented. "What's he up to?"
"Oh, he hates all the tourists invading the island," she said. "He took off on the boat with this guy he met-Ryan somebody. He runs an island preservation organization and loves to sail. I'm not sure if they'll be back tonight. What's up?"
"I have a few things to talk with you about, Lucy. Can we go inside?"
"Sure"
Darby didn't relish the idea of bringing up such a painful part of Lucy's past. She knew all too well the anguish she would inflict on her old friend. Still, I have to tell her that Soames knows everything and is the real killer, she thought. I have to bring up the past so that we can save Lucy's present.
The lupines in Lucy's yard had faded and scattered their blossoms. Beside them, day lilies rose from the rich soil, their buds just beginning to form. The early summer cycle of the island had begun. Tourists arrived, stayed a few days, then departed. Summer people moved in and the little community bustled. The lupines, then the day lilies, then the peonies bloomed in succession. Life went on and on.
Darby followed her friend into the kitchen.
"Iced tea?" Lucy asked, pouring herself a tall glass. "The mint is from my garden."
Darby nodded, the smell of the mint freshening the air in the little kitchen. The two women sat at the blue enameled table and sipped the cool amber liquid. Darby cleared her throat.
"An hour or so ago, Tina and I were at an old cabin by the Powderkeg quarry. Inside, we found heroin, along with a file on you from Dr. Hotchkiss' office. Lucy, that file talks about your rape by Emerson Phipps. Somehow Soames Pemberton obtained it."
Lucy Trimble set down her glass with a shaking hand. Her blue eyes searched Darby's face. "Soames?"
Darby nodded. "It's true, Lucy. Somehow Phipps paid Soames to disrupt the planning board meeting and bring the old deed to light. Later, Soames must have demanded more money, but Phipps wouldn't pay it, so Soames hatched a plan to kill him. I don't know how he knew your medical history, or how he got that file, but he decided to make it look as if you killed Emerson Phipps. He then tried to kill you, by pushing you over the cliff, and when that didn't work, he laced the chocolates with heroin."
"No," Lucy breathed. "It can't be..."
"It all fits. He knew you were a former user from the counseling sessions, right? And if you ever mentioned the attack..."
"I didn't. No one knew about it-no one. My mother and Dr. Hotchkiss were the only ones I told-and my mother took it to her grave, I'm sure." She looked down helplessly.
Darby put her hand on Lucy's. "I can't imagine the pain that's caused you, Lu."
She nodded miserably. "Oh God, I don't want to think about it, but I suppose it will all come out now, right?"
"I honestly don't know. If the chief searches that cabin, he'll find the file. I had to leave it there because I'm hoping somehow it will help prove you were framed."
Lucy nodded again, wiping her eyes with the back of a hand. "I've dealt with it, you know. I've let it all out in my paintings. The shame, the pain, the years of nightmares ... Of course, if my mother had been on my side it wouldn't have been so traumatic. But for her it was an unbelievable stain on the Trimble name. In her mind, it was all my fault."
"You must have lived through it all over again when Emerson Phipps appeared on the island."
She nodded. "I admit it-my thoughts were full of anger when Mark told me Phipps wanted to buy Fairview. I hated that man for what he did to me. I hated my mother for not protecting me even more. She was always in an alcoholic fog, and when I got up the courage to tell her what had happened, she flew into this rage, denying the whole thing." Lucy exhaled a long breath and seemed to collect her thoughts. "You need to see this." She lifted her shirt and revealed a pattern of burn marks resembling Greek letters. "It's a fraternity symbol. Phipps did it-when he was finished."
"God, Lucy!"
"I spent years hating him, and then-I made peace with it. When he appeared last week, I slid backward for a while, and then the peace overcame me once more. I didn't kill him, Darby. Do you think anyone will believe me?"
"I believe you. Tina believes you, and your brother will, too."
"You're sure it was Soames?"
"I have a strong hunch. I wish I knew for sure. But I do know one thing: you're innocent."
Tears rolled down Lucy's face as she nodded.
Darby rose and faced her friend. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I am."
"Then I'm going to see Chief Dupont. Trust me, we'll get to the bottom of this."
Darby was glad Tina was doing the driving as they drove to Charles Dupont's house. Her hands shaking, she could not get the image of Lucy's scarred stomach out of her mind. Her thoughts were churning, her emotions a mix of anger and sorrow. All thes
e years, all these years ...
Darby figured the chief would not be putting in late hours at the station, and her assumption was correct. His police car was parked in the driveway of a new modular home set back from the road. Darby watched as he opened the front door, a puzzled look on his face.
"Miss California and Tina." His joviality was forced. "What can I do for you ladies?"
Darby slammed the truck door and walked toward the big man. "Hello, Chief. Can we talk? I have some information on the Emerson Phipps murder case."
"Is that so? Well, come on in then" He opened the door of his house and ushered Darby inside. "What about Tina? She coming in?"
"I don't think so."
A large golden retriever rose with difficulty from a dog bed by the foyer. She wagged her tail hopefully and walked stiffly toward Darby.
"This is Aggie," he said, bending to pet the old dog. "She's a trooper. Aren't you, Aggie? You're a good old girl." He straightened and said, "She's fifteen. Would you believe it? Fifteen."
He walked toward a small bar area and poured himself a drink. "I'm going to fix myself a whiskey. Can I get you anything?"
"No, thank you."
He continued to linger at the bar while Darby looked around the small house. It was new, with wall-to-wall carpeting that had yet to show signs of Aggie damage. The walls were white and unadorned, the furniture brand new, but sparse.
"Good old Aggie," he said, bending to scratch the old dog's head. "She saw my kids graduate from high school, my mom pass on, and my wife high tail it off to Vegas. Fifteen years is a long time, eh Darby?" He pointed to the couch. "Please, sit down." He lowered himself into an easy chair and took a long drink of the whiskey. "Are you here to talk about what I told you today? I didn't mean to upset you."
A House to Die For (A Darby Farr Mystery) Page 17