by Jan Fields
He opened a door and led her into one of the small storage rooms similar to one where she had broken the bad news about Max to Cat. Annie walked in, and then turned around. Jake closed the door and faced her.
“I thought you were going to take me to your sister,” she said.
“First, I want to know what you were going to tell Cat,” he said. “I don’t want you upsetting her. Talking to that police detective was upsetting enough for her.”
“I can see how it would have been upsetting,” Annie said, “but it’s important too. A terrible crime has been committed, and we all should do what we can to help.”
“We don’t even know that a crime was committed,” Jake said. “Maybe the guy fell. He drank. Maybe he got liquored up to give him the courage to break into the room. Then he stumbled in the dark and knocked his head in on the table.”
“Did the police detective mention Max’s drinking to you?” Annie said.
“Why?” Jake snarled. “Have you and the detective talked a lot? You can be kind of a busybody, can’t you? Always poking around, asking questions and upsetting people.”
“My goal isn’t to upset people,” Annie said. “Look, I think I’ll just go back to the mixer now.”
“Not until you tell me what you were going to tell my sister. What information do you have about Max?”
“I intend to discuss it with Cat,” Annie said. “I don’t intend to discuss it with you. I really must insist that you move away from the door and let me pass.”
Jake took a step toward her instead. “That detective you’re so fond of—who does he suspect of bashing Max?”
“I am not Detective Matthews’s confidante,” Annie said, stepping backward as the tall young man walked closer. “I could call him, and you could ask him.” Annie slipped her hand down her sweater, reaching for the pocket where she’d carried her phone all day. Then she remembered that she’d taken off that cardigan. And she’d left her cellphone lying on the end of her bed.
Jake took another step closer to Annie, looming over her. “Tell me what you know about this whole thing.”
Annie suddenly wondered if she had any speck of character judgment. She’d suspected Edgar Harvester, at least a little. She’d suspected Carlton Gold for a while too. She’d even wondered about Cat, though not for long. But she hadn’t really suspected Jake at all. The sibling squabbles had simply made her think of her own lack of brothers and sisters, but now … .
“I don’t know much,” Annie said, “but the way you’re behaving certainly makes me wonder.”
Jake frowned. “About me? Does the detective suspect me of something?”
“I don’t know,” Annie said. “But if he did, I imagine he would realize that you were just a loving brother trying to protect his sister.”
“Like anyone could protect Cat,” Jake said. “She’s been like that since we were little. She was always the one to run right at trouble wherever it was. I just wanted something better for her. I wanted her to come to work with my wife, meet a decent guy, have a family. None of that could happen with Max.”
“So you killed him,” Annie said.
“What? No, no, it wasn’t like that.” Jake turned and paced back toward the door, and then spun to face her. “I’m not someone who hurts people. You have to know that.”
“I’d like to,” Annie said.
“I was just so mad when I saw those bruises on Cat.” He ran a hand through his black hair, making it stand on end. “It was bad enough that he belittled her, bullied her really—but I wasn’t going to have him beating her.”
“I don’t think he did,” Annie said.
“Not yet,” Jake admitted. “But they say that once a guy crosses that line—”
“But Cat broke up with him.”
“I couldn’t be sure she was going to stick to that. You don’t know my sister. She’s impulsive, and she sees what she wants to see,” he said. “She broke up with him because of something you told her. How could I know she wouldn’t get back together with him if he said just the right thing?”
“That must have worried you.”
“I’d had enough,” he said. “I followed him that night, and he was drinking. Not drunk, not staggering—but not cold sober either. I saw him force the lock on that room. That’s when I knew he was still a thief. I followed him right into the room. I told him he had to stay away from Cat, or I was going to call the cops and turn him in for breaking and entering.”
Annie just nodded.
“You know what he did?” Jake asked. “He laughed. He said I was in the room too, touching things, leaving evidence. I didn’t even have gloves on. He said he’d tell them that he and I were in on the theft together.”
“The police probably wouldn’t have believed him,” Annie said gently.
Jake nodded. “I didn’t think they would. I’ve never even had a speeding ticket. Not one. I haven’t even had a parking ticket. No, I knew they wouldn’t take his word over mine, and I told him so.”
“Then what happened?” Annie asked gently.
“Then he asked me who Cat would believe,” Jake said. “And I really didn’t know. I couldn’t be sure my own little sister would believe me over someone like that. I couldn’t believe what he’d done to my family. He must have seen it in my face, because he grabbed me. He grabbed me. Like I’d be intimidated by someone like him. I shoved him then. He fell and cracked his head on the table.”
“Then what happened?”
“He got up,” Jake said. “I thought he was OK. He was staggering a little, but he’d been drinking. His breath stunk of it when he was in my face. I thought maybe it had just caught up with him. I mean, he could stand and talk and everything. I thought he was fine.” Jake’s gaze looked a little unfocused as his voice grew softer. Then he paused.
“So what did he do then?” Annie said.
“He said I assaulted him. He said he was going to call Cat and tell her I assaulted him. He said he was going to call the police. That’s when I realized how stupid I was acting. He’d gotten me to act just like him. I was so disgusted with myself that I just stormed out. I told him to call anyone he wanted, but that he better leave that room without taking a single thing, because otherwise I was going to be the one who called the police.”
“So he was alive when you left?” Annie asked.
Jake nodded. “I thought he’d be OK. Sure, I figured he’d have a headache. That was a nasty smack on the head, but I thought he’d be fine. I didn’t know any differently until I heard from Cat.”
“Then you knew he’d died from hitting his head when he fell,” Annie said.
Jake shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I figured someone else must have gone in after me. I figured he probably had a lot of enemies, a guy like that. I didn’t know how he died, you know? I never thought it was anything I did. I really didn’t.”
“But you didn’t tell the police detective about the accident,” Annie said.
Jake shook his head. “I assaulted Max, right? I wasn’t going to advertise that. And what difference did it make? I was sure I didn’t kill him. I was so sure.”
“But now you know,” Annie said. “He died from a blow to the head. You have to tell the police.”
He looked at her, panic in his eyes. “But I pushed him. Sure, he had a hold of me, but I pushed him hard enough to make him fall. They’ll arrest me. It’ll be in all the papers.” He began to shake his head. “Max was ruining my sister’s life, and I’m not going to let him ruin mine.”
“So you’ll let the police arrest the wrong man?” Annie asked. “They’re likely to think that the man who sent him into that room also killed him. You’ll let someone else suffer for what you did?”
“If someone sent Max in there, then that’s a real crime. What I did was an accident!” Jake’s voice began to climb, and he stepped closer to Annie.
“Then tell the police it was an accident,” Annie said.
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “You aren’t goin
g to quit are you? If I don’t call, you’ll call. You’re that kind … poking your nose in where no one invited you. Nothing happened to your grandmother’s stuff. You could have just left this alone.”
“So what happens now?” Annie asked quietly, struggling to sound calm even though her knees felt weak. “Do I suffer an accident too?”
“I can’t just let you ruin my life,” Jake said quietly.
“So you’re going to kill me?” Annie said, her voice climbing. “This one won’t be an accident at all. Is that what you’re going to be … a killer?”
Jake shook his head hard. He took a step back, and Annie saw tears in his eyes. “No, no! I’m not a killer!” Jake’s voice became a shout. “I need time to think. You’re going to come with me. Just to give me time to think.”
Annie knew the worst possible thing she could do was to go with the young man. He hadn’t made a decision yet, but when he did—she didn’t want to be far from help. “That would be kidnapping,” she said. “You don’t want to dig yourself into that either.”
Annie could see the struggle going on inside him. Finally he wailed, “I don’t know what to do!”
“Maybe I can help.”
Annie’s eyes jumped to the door behind Jake. Detective Matthews stood in the doorway. He walked into the room, followed by Cat. Her eyes were full of shock and tears.
“Cat?” Jake cried.
“We heard you shouting,” Cat said. “I was looking for you. The detective said he had something to ask you. Why were you shouting at Annie? Jake, what have you done?”
Jake took a step toward his sister, his own eyes filling with tears. “I just wanted you to be safe.”
She shook her head and backed away until she stood in the doorway.
“Mrs. Dawson, are you all right?” Detective Matthews asked, his eyes turning to Annie.
“I’m fine,” Annie said. “Jake didn’t do anything to hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t have,” Jake said, turning sharply to face the detective. “I wouldn’t have hurt her.”
“But you hurt Max,” Detective Matthews said. He pulled the small plastic bag from his pocket, the one with the button. “This button came from that jacket you’re wearing right now. I can see where it’s missing. And I’m betting the hair the techs found in Max Lessing’s hand came from your head.”
“I didn’t kill him,” Jake said. “He was OK when I left him. He was laughing at me when I left him.”
“According to the medical examiner, the blow that killed him would have taken a while to do the job,” Detective Matthews said.
“He grabbed me,” Jake said. “I was just trying to get him off me.”
Detective Matthews nodded. “You’ll get a chance to tell me all about it. But for now, you’re coming with me. You’re under arrest for the murder of Max Lessing.”
Cat began to cry as Detective Matthews recited Jake’s rights and handcuffed his hands behind his back. Annie walked across the room and put her arm around the thin young woman’s shoulders.
Detective Matthews turned Jake toward the door. Jake looked at his sister and said, “Don’t cry, Cat. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Cat didn’t answer, only turning to cling to Annie. The detective gently pulled the younger man toward the door. As he passed them, he said, “Will you be OK? Should I send someone to take Miss Reed home?”
“I’ll make sure she’s OK,” Annie said.
The detective nodded. “Thanks for everything,” he said. Then he led Jake out of the room, closing the door behind them.
Cat cried for several minutes. She cried for the man she thought she loved. She cried for her brother. She cried for the family that would never be the same. Annie stayed with her until she’d cried out all the energy she had.
“Cat,” Annie said gently. “You really shouldn’t be alone tonight. Is there anyone I can call to come and get you?”
Cat shook her head. “Jake was always the one I called when I was in trouble.” She looked up at Annie with swollen eyes. “He was the one I always counted on.”
“And that’s what he was doing that night,” Annie said gently. “Trying to be the brother you always counted on.”
Cat nodded. “I think I just want to go home to my mom.”
Annie nodded again. She led Cat out into the hall where she was surprised to find Mary Beth, Stella, and Kate hurrying down the hall toward them. “We heard there’s been an arrest,” Mary Beth said. “Everyone at the mixer was talking about it.”
Annie nodded. “I’ll tell you about it, but right now we need to help Cat get home to her mom.” Cat was practically swaying on her feet, the emotional storm having left her weak and exhausted.
“We’ll take my car,” Mary Beth said. She looked around. “I don’t suppose we all have to go.”
“I should go,” Annie said, nodding toward where Cat still gripped her arm as if it were some kind of lifeline.
“You don’t suppose I’m going to stay behind with this kind of situation?” Stella asked.
Kate looked anxiously at each of them. “I suppose I could stay,” she said reluctantly. “If you need the room.”
Mary Beth smiled. “No, there’s plenty of room.” She turned to Cat. “I’ll need your mom’s address for the GPS.”
Cat nodded weakly. “It’s almost an hour from here.”
Mary Beth winced at that, but only slightly. “That’s not a problem. Let’s get you home.”
The drive to Cat’s mother’s house was made mostly in silence. Annie could feel the waves of curiosity coming off her friends, but they all could sense Cat’s fragile state. It wasn’t the time to talk about anything that might upset her more. At one point, Stella complimented Cat gently on her jacket. “I saw it at the first fashion show, of course,” Stella said. “I thought it was very nicely done.”
Cat looked down at her jacket sleeve, as if surprised to find herself wearing it. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Then the group fell silent again. The air had cooled considerably with the coming of night. Annie was surprised to see a bright full moon shining down at them from the clear, star-filled sky. As they drove away from the lights of the city, the stars grew brighter and brighter. It seemed strange to see so much beauty after such a gut-wrenching experience.
When they finally reached Cat’s mother’s house, Annie and Mary Beth walked Cat to the door, where they had to wait a while. Cat’s mother blinked sleepily as she opened the door, but her attention grew sharp when she saw Cat’s red eyes. “What’s happened?” she asked.
“Jake,” Cat wailed and turned to nearly throw herself on her mother.
With Cat crying again, her mother turned frightened eyes toward Annie and Mary Beth. “Jake is OK,” Annie said. “But he is being charged in Max Lessing’s death. Apparently they had a fight. It was an accident. He’s talking with the police now.”
Cat’s mother nodded, her face resigned. “I worried about something like that happening,” she said. “Jake’s a good boy.”
“I believe he is,” Annie said.
Again, the other woman nodded. Then she led Cat into the house and closed the door quietly behind her.
Annie turned around sadly. “I guess it’s over,” she said.
Mary Beth nodded, and they headed back to the SUV. On the ride back to the hotel, Annie filled in Kate and Stella about everything. By the time they pulled into the parking garage again, Annie felt hoarse and very tired.
To her surprise, she realized she wasn’t worried at all about the speech she would give in a few hours. Somehow, she knew it would be all right.
17
Kate watched Annie shift nervously in her chair at the front of the room on the low raised platform. She felt bad for Annie. It had been a difficult few days for all of them. Kate didn’t know if she was relieved or just deeply sad that the mystery of Max Lessing’s death was resolved.
Again her eyes drifted to Annie. Kate wondered if Annie’s stomach was in knots. She thoug
ht about her own nerves when her dress was announced as the winner of the design competition and the horrifying fiasco as the announcer tried to hand her the check. As proud as she was of that award, it certainly felt better to be out of the limelight. She was ready to settle back into being Kate—the one nobody noticed.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice spoke to her right. “Is this seat taken?”
Kate turned with a preoccupied smile. “No, it’s empty … .” She stared in surprise at the tall man in cowboy boots, jeans and a loose-fitting blue sweater. “Detective Matthews?”
A smile quirked the corner of the handsome man’s mouth. “The case is closed. I’m off the clock. I was hoping we could just be Peter and Kate now.”
“That would be nice,” Kate stammered as the detective slipped into the seat beside her. Kate felt unnerved by just how close the seats had been placed in the room.
“Have I missed anything?” the detective asked, turning his eyes to the front of the room. “I am looking forward to hearing Mrs. Dawson’s speech.”
“They haven’t really started.” Kate sneaked a look at him as he stretched his long legs out, the tips of his boots slipping under the row of chairs in front of them. “I didn’t know you were so interested in Betsy Holden.”
“I’m not, really,” he answered casually, “but I wanted to hear what Mrs. Dawson had to say. I find all of you very interesting. Though you’re the one I really came to see.”
Kate didn’t know what to say in response to that.
“So,” he said, keeping his eyes focused on the stage, “would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
“Like a date?” she squeaked.
“Exactly like a date.”
Kate looked down at her hands. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
He leaned forward in his seat and turned his head so he could look into her face. “It seems like a great idea to me. It’s the kind of idea I don’t have too often, but I think it’s one of the best I’ve come up with in a while.”
Kate just shook her head, then raised her eyes to look at him. “Why would you want to go out with me? I haven’t dated anyone since high school, and then I just dated the one guy, the one I married, the one I divorced. I’m terrible at dating.”