The Betrayal of Lies

by Debra Burroughs

  Tears filled his eyes and threatened to overflow. Emily plucked a couple of tissues from the box on Jake’s night table and handed them to him. He blotted his eyes and sucked in a long breath before continuing.

  “I lunged for the gun and he cold-cocked me with it, right in the face.” Jake gestured toward the gash, high on his cheek, surrounded by a large bruise. “I went down hard—blam!—on the floor. I blacked out for a minute. The guy must have put the gun in my hand, ‘cause there it was when I came to. I guess he thought I’d be out longer, give him more time to get away, you know?”

  “Why would he leave the gun there?” Emily muttered, turning her attention to Colin. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “He didn’t want to be caught with it is my guess. He probably wiped his prints off first and then planted it in Jake’s hand after he passed out.”

  Emily returned her focus back to Jake. “Then what?”

  “I heard the back door slam, so I scrambled to my feet and chased after him. I saw him run off into the woods and I fired at him, but I was still pretty woozy, so I’m sure I missed.”

  No car and he ran into the woods? To another cabin maybe?

  They’d have to check and see who owned or rented the surrounding properties.

  “I staggered back into the cabin and checked on Elise, but she was dead. Then I heard tires crunching on the gravel outside. I stumbled to the window to see, and that’s when another man burst through the front door and we fought over the gun in my hand. He kept hollering that I killed his wife, which shocked me. I thought she was the other guy’s wife. The last thing I remember is struggling with him and the freakin’ gun going off.”

  “The second man was her husband, Jake,” Emily said.

  “No way,” Jake gasped.

  “Then who was the first man?” Peter whispered to Emily.

  She thought about what Kaitlyn had said to her. “I have a pretty good idea.” Emily shot Colin a knowing glance.

  He met her gaze and gave her a nod. “Especially after what Kara told me.”

  Chapter 23

  By the time Colin and Emily arrived at the Murphy estate, all of the guests had gone. They marched up to the expansive porch and rang the doorbell. Peter waited behind them with his video camera ready to begin recording.

  The housekeeper answered the door and Colin gave her his name and explained that he was with the Paradise Valley Police Department. She stood to the side and let them in. “Wait here, please. I’ll get Mr. Murphy for you.”

  As the three stood in the grand foyer, Patrick came barreling down the main hall toward them, his attorney on his heels.

  Emily glanced over her shoulder at Peter. She noticed he was holding the small video camera in an inconspicuous way and hit the record button.

  “What now?” Patrick demanded gruffly as he reached them.

  “As I’m sure you already know,” Colin began, “we brought Kara St. James in for questioning earlier this afternoon.”

  “No, we didn’t know. We wondered where she went after the graveside service.” Patrick looked over at Russell. “She never showed up here to help me with the guests like she promised.”

  Emily took a small step forward. “And you might like to know that Jake Mitchell woke up from his coma,” she added. “He told a very interesting story.”

  “Did he tell you he shot my wife?” Patrick snapped.

  “Not exactly,” Emily replied.

  “Then what?” Patrick asked. “Why are you here?”

  “We’ve come to make an arrest,” Colin replied.

  Patrick’s expression changed from irritated to surprised. “You’re arresting me?”

  “Don’t say another word,” Russell Gray warned.

  “We’re not here to arrest you, Mr. Murphy.” Colin’s gaze shifted to Russell. “We’re here to arrest your attorney, Mr. Gray.”

  Colin stepped toward him with handcuffs in his hand. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”

  Russell shoved Patrick into Colin and ran toward the back of the house.

  Colin regained his footing and took off after him. “Head him off!” he shouted over his shoulder.

  Emily shot out of the front door and rounded the side of the house to catch him, assuming he’d make a dash for his car that was parked in the circular driveway. She stopped at the edge of the garages, where she and Kaitlyn had spoken earlier that day. Noticing Peter out of the corner of her eye, she motioned for him to stay back.

  Tiptoeing closer to the edge of the garages, she heard footfalls on the gravel and took a quick peek around the corner. If she timed it just right, she could take Russell down with one blow.

  As he rounded the corner, Emily kicked her leg high in the air, just as she had done hundreds of times in her kickboxing classes, clocking him between his chest and his gut. He dropped hard to the ground, on his back, grabbing his chest and struggling to catch his breath.

  Emily planted her foot on his abdomen, her stare daring him to try to run again.

  Colin charged up behind him, his gun drawn.

  “He’s all yours.” She removed her foot and stepped aside.

  “On your knees. Put your hands on your head,” Colin instructed. “Russell Gray, you’re under arrest for the murder of Elise Murphy.”

  Sucking wind, Russell glowered at Colin and then slowly complied.

  “Nice job,” Colin said to Emily, as he handcuffed his suspect.

  A smile of satisfaction spread across her lips. “Thanks.”

  “And I got it all on tape!” Peter approached with a grin.

  Patrick Murphy caught up to them. “What the hell, Russell?”

  Mr. Gray, still on his knees, kept his mouth shut, scowling up at his cousin. Emily was sure it was hatred and envy she saw in the lawyer’s eyes.

  “When I called and told you my investigator found where Elise was being kept, you had to have raced up there ahead of me.” Patrick stepped closer to Russell. “Why, Russell?”

  No reply came.

  Patrick lunged for Russell’s neck, but Emily and Colin were able to pull him off.

  “Don’t worry, Mr. Murphy,” Emily said. “He’ll pay for what he did to Elise.”

  He nodded, with what looked like anger and pain in his eyes. He had been betrayed by the person who was closest to him—his best friend, his own blood.

  Colin dragged Russell Gray to his feet as Officer Kaufmann pulled up in a patrol car and jumped out. “Just in time, Ernie. Take our suspect down to the jail for booking. Murder in the first degree. I’ll be along shortly.”

  “I’m on it, Boss.” Ernie grabbed hold of Russell’s arm and led him to the car.

  The illustrious Mr. Gray, apparently astonished that he had been found out, now grumbled under his breath as Ernie pulled him along.

  “And don’t forget to read him his rights,” Colin called out after them. “He’s not going to slither out of this one.”

  ~*~

  The following weekend, after making multiple arrests, Emily and all her friends met for a celebratory dinner at the elegant Cottonwood Grill. Camille and Jonathan wanted to host a dinner party in honor of Elise Murphy and those that solved her murder. They were seated around a large round table in a private room, dressed in their best—Emily and Colin, Isabel and Alex, Maggie and Peter, and of course, Camille and Jonathan.

  The table was topped with fine white linen. Thick white candles of varying heights were nestled among the fresh flowers and greenery. The flickering flames cast a soft, warm light on the faces of the friends as they talked and laughed with each other across the table.

  After their dinner orders were taken, Jonathan stood and offered a toast. Normally shy and reserved, Camille had asked him to give the toast to honor Elise, she had told Emily. Camille was afraid she wouldn’t make it through a toast to her friend without a flood of tears.

  “Elise Murphy was our friend,” Jonathan said. “Some here knew her better than others, but I think we can a
ll agree she was a warm and kind person who deserved far better than she got. Raise your glasses as we honor the memory of Elise Murphy.”

  Everyone around the table raised their flutes of champagne.

  “To Elise Murphy,” Jonathan said. “May you always remain in our hearts.”

  “To Elise Murphy,” the rest repeated before taking a sip.

  Maggie rose. “And to Emily and Colin for their tireless work to find her killer. We love and appreciate you guys so much.”

  Again, everyone around the table raised their glasses and toasted, “To Emily and Colin.”

  “Thank you, everyone,” Emily said. “You guys are the best.”

  Emily gazed at Maggie for a moment, remembering her part in Elise’s disappearance. Charges had to be brought against her, but Alex, Isabel’s husband, and Maggie’s attorney, believed he could argue them down to probation once the judge heard all the facts.

  Before long, two male servers brought large trays full of plated food and set them on stands before serving each person their meal. Delicious smells of roasted beef and seafood linguini wafted by Emily.

  The savory meals were devoured over more friendly conversation and laughter. Emily was so glad to be in the company of these great friends again, relieved the case was over and she could relax until the next one.

  Eventually, the conversation turned back to the Murphy case.

  “Do you know why Russell Gray did it?” Camille asked.

  Colin deferred to Emily. “From the financial investigation, we found he was siphoning off funds from Patrick Murphy’s investment accounts, which he oversaw. That was our first clue.” Emily looked at Isabel and smiled, but didn’t dare expose the help she’d given.

  “Why would he do that?” Maggie asked.

  “According to Elise’s daughter Kaitlyn, Russell and Patrick are cousins—their mothers were sisters—but Russell came from the poorer side of the family and was always jealous of Patrick and his silver spoon. Even their grandmother seemed to favor Patrick’s mother because she married well. Grandma passed her red garnet and diamond necklace to the wealthy daughter, instead of the daughter who married a loser that left her right after Russell was born.”

  “You mean that beautiful garnet necklace Elise wore?” Camille asked.

  “That’s the one,” Emily said. “When Russell caught wind that Elise was thinking of divorcing Patrick, which would mean dividing up all the assets, he had to get rid of her or his embezzling would be found out. So he concocted an elaborate scheme, making it look like she had set up her own kidnapping to get away from her husband.”

  “And making it look like Patrick did it was just an additional benefit,” Colin said. “He happened to meet Jake in an airport bar while they were both waiting for their flight to Boise and thought he’d be the perfect one to carry out the plan.”

  “So why did he take the necklace from Elise after he shot her?” Peter asked.

  Jonathan frowned. “He took the grandma’s necklace?”

  “Yes, it was a symbol of his grandmother’s favor. Even though he became an attorney, on Patrick’s parents’ dime, he’d never felt worthy and accepted by her. At least, that’s what Kara St. James said.”

  “And who’s Kara St. James?” Jonathan asked.

  “Oh, honey, you should stay in town more often,” Camille said. “She was Patrick Murphy’s assistant and Russell Gray’s girlfriend. Keep up.”

  “So she knew about Russell’s stealing from Patrick?” Alex asked.

  “She not only knew,” Colin said, “she helped him.”

  “How long had it been going on?” Alex asked.

  “For a couple of years,” Colin replied. “Once Russell got back in his cousin’s good graces, according to Kara, he became jealous of what Patrick and Elise had, actually that Patrick had had his whole life while Russell and his mother barely scraped by.”

  “So why did Kara risk wearing the necklace?” Isabel asked.

  “Kara didn’t know Russell had killed Elise,” Emily said. “He had hidden the necklace in a little jewelry box in a dresser drawer and she’d found it. The chain would have broken when he yanked it off Elise, so he must have put it on a new chain so Kara wouldn’t know what he’d done. He told Kara he had stolen it from Patrick’s house to give to her.”

  “With all the stealing the two of them were doing,” Colin said, “she didn’t think anything of the necklace, except that it had been Elise’s. She did say that he told her not to wear it in public, that someone might recognize it. The two of them were planning to take an extended vacation to the Cayman Islands when the dust settled, and never return. There she could wear it whenever she wanted, he said.”

  “But she just couldn’t wait that long, apparently,” Emily added. “Although she didn’t come out and say it, I’m thinking the necklace had a special meaning for her, so she was happy simply knowing she had it on, even if no one else could see it. The day of the funeral, she secretly wore it under her suit jacket because she thought it was safely hidden.”

  “That was stupid,” Maggie said.

  “I agree,” Emily said. “With it being summer now and her wearing a black suit up to her neck, she must have become too warm, I’m guessing, so she removed her jacket briefly in the ladies room, then scrambled to put it back on when she saw me—but it was too late. She didn’t know then, but I did see it.”

  “What do you think the necklace meant to her?” Maggie asked.

  “It sounds to me like that necklace represented Russell and Kara somehow prevailing over Patrick and Elise,” Isabel reasoned. “Now they were the ones with all the money in the family.”

  “Sure looks that way,” Emily replied.

  Maggie sadly shook her head. “Poor Elise. Like they say, money can’t buy happiness.”

  “Someone should have told Kara that too.” Colin grimaced. “Russell Gray was all about the money—he was only using her to get to Patrick’s money. Unfortunately, Kara wised up to that fact just a little too late.”

  “Listen, girls,” Camille said, taking Maggie’s hand, “tonight we’ll be sad for the loss of Elise and the wonderful person she was. But tomorrow, let’s go back to being thankful for all that we have, including these wonderful men we have sitting beside us. I’m sure Elise would want it that way.”

  Camille glanced around the table, looking for agreement from everyone, which she enthusiastically received.

  “Here, here!” Alex said, raising his glass, which drew a few chuckles and a short round of applause.

  Through the french doors, Emily noticed a small but elegant wedding reception was taking place on the outdoor patio, against a backdrop of wispy aspen and cottonwood trees decorated with tiny white twinkling lights. Faint music from the stringed quartet in the corner of the outdoor space drifted into the private dining room. She watched the bride and groom move toward the center of the patio as a place was cleared for the happy couple to take the floor for their first dance as husband and wife.

  “Can you hear that?” she quietly asked Colin.

  He tilted his head and listened. “They’re playing our song.”

  The tuxedo-clad musicians were playing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” the song Emily and Colin had chosen for their engagement party.

  “Must be a sign.” Colin stood and offered Emily his hand. “Would you like to dance?”

  Emily looked up at him and smiled. He was so handsome in his tailored black suit and crisp white shirt. She didn’t want to wait until tomorrow, as Camille had suggested, to be grateful for this wonderful man that would soon become her husband.

  She took his hand and let him lead her out of the french doors to the patio.

  He looked back at the table of friends. All eyes were on them. “I hope no one minds, but Emily and I will be back in a little while.”

  The quartet continued to play the song and other wedding guests joined the bride and groom. Colin and Emily skirted the edge of the patio and found their own dance flo
or in a small secluded corner.

  Colin took her in his arms and their bodies began to sway in unison to the beat. She slid her hands over his chest and around the back of his neck, laying her head on his shoulder and snuggling her face in the crook of his neck.

  Oh, God, he smells good. Masculine and musky with a hint of sandalwood.

  Relishing the feel of his strong arms around her and the warmth of his body next to hers, her senses came alive. His lips grazed her neck and a fine layer of chill bumps rippled over her body.

  “This is how I want it.” She sighed softly. “Simple, yet elegant.” The moment she said it, she remembered that was what Elise had promised her.

  “How you want what, Babe?” he asked, humming along with the music as they slow danced, entwined in each other’s arms.

  She lifted her head and gazed into his sexy eyes. “Our wedding.”

  Colin smiled down at her with an expression of complete adoration. “You can have whatever you want.”

  Emily leaned back and pulled her cell phone out of the small clutch bag she still had draped across her body, glad she hadn’t left it at the table.

  Colin’s face twisted into a curious expression. “What are you doing?”

  “Giving you something you want.” Emily smiled and punched a few keys.

  Colin stood and watched with interest as she waited on the line.

  The company’s answering machine kicked in since it was after business hours, but Emily wasn’t going to wait a moment longer. This had to be done. She raised a finger to Colin then she began to leave her message.

  “Hello, this is Emily Parker, soon to be Emily Andrews. I got a quote from your manager some time ago about removing a sign from my office door.” She paused to smile at Colin. “I’m ready to go ahead and schedule that. Please call me when you get this message and we can—”

  Colin took the phone from Emily’s hand and pulled her to him, kissing her ardently.

  She tried to mumble something to him, but his lips were pressed so tightly against her own, it came out garbled.