Maddie paused with her burger halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean? Like from before? I’m sure Marla wasn’t his first mistress.”
“She wasn’t,” Nick confirmed. “She wasn’t even his primary mistress.”
“I’m going to need more information.”
Nick grinned as he lovingly swiped at a bit of ketchup lodged at the corner of her mouth. She was flat-out adorable, and it only made him want to marry her more. Before that, though, he wanted to put this case to rest so they could both focus on the big day.
“Sarah Salinger.”
Maddie didn’t respond, instead merely chewing her burger with a questioning look on her face.
“Catelynn’s dance instructor,” Nick prodded. “She was Trevor’s primary mistress.”
Maddie swallowed hard. “I had a feeling.”
That wasn’t the reaction Nick was expecting. “I don’t understand. How did you know?”
“That plays into what I have to tell you,” Maddie admitted. “I saw Alicia earlier. She visited my tent.”
Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. “She did?”
Maddie related her brief — but weird — conversation with Alicia. She also told him about the vision she had when touching the woman. “She wanted to get away from me quickly after that because I’m pretty sure she thought I was touched in the head. I saw all of it, though.”
Nick had no idea how to respond. “It sounds like Trevor was a real bastard,” he said finally.
“He belonged in the Bastard Hall of Fame,” she confirmed. “He was horrible to her ... and the kids. Aaron, though, is the one that really caught my attention. He was angry, like beyond angry, and there was a moment during the vision where I had to wonder if he was the one who might’ve killed his father.”
“Well, it’s funny you mention that.” Nick shifted on his seat, uncomfortable. “The alibi for Aaron and Catelynn doesn’t hold up. We should’ve called for confirmation sooner. I mean ... we did call. She didn’t answer, though, and we kind of forgot about it. Catelynn hasn’t been attending dance classes for months, though. That means that the story Alicia told us the night Trevor was shot was bunk.”
Maddie dunked a fry in ketchup as she pondered the new wrinkle. “This gets more convoluted by the second,” she said, her mind busy. “So, Trevor was sleeping with Sarah and Marla. Do you think they both knew it?”
Nick thought back to his conversations with the women. “I don’t think so,” he replied after a beat. “Neither one of them strikes me as the sharing type. They would’ve clawed each other’s eyes out. Besides, I mentioned to Sarah that Marla was not only dating Trevor but also pregnant and she did not look happy.”
“So ... catfight in the henhouse between mistresses? That sounds ... awful.”
“I think it sounds rather amusing,” he countered. “I love a good chick fight. In fact, if you want to pull Marla’s hair and smack her in the face with a pillow, I would be totally for it.”
Maddie’s exaggerated expression made Nick smile. “She’s pregnant. I’m not fighting with a pregnant woman.”
“You can wait until after she gives birth.”
“Yeah, I’m going to stick to not fighting with women and you’re going to have to suffer.”
“Fair enough.” Nick’s smile slowly faded. “Do you think Aaron is capable of shooting his father?”
Maddie had been expecting the question. “I think that Aaron has been forced into a position that’s not fair to him,” she replied. “His mother allowed his father to treat her like dirt. That couldn’t have been easy for him to see.
“He helped take care of his sister, who I believe sucked up most of the attention in the house,” she continued. “I get it. It’s not Catelynn’s fault. I think Aaron was kind of shoved to the wayside because of it, though.
“He didn’t understand his father. I saw it in the vision. It wasn’t that he wanted his father’s respect and approval as much as it was he wished his father would grow up and become a real man. Aaron saw beyond the lies his parents fed him about the state of their relationship. He understood what this would do to his family.”
“That wasn’t really an answer, Mad,” Nick prodded. “Do you think he shot his father?”
“I don’t know.” Maddie opted for honesty. “Do I think he’s capable? Yes. I’m not sure he has it in him, though. He wanted to protect his mother, punish his father, and take care of Catelynn. I think he was smart enough to realize that wasn’t going to happen if he went to prison. That could be wishful thinking on my part, though.”
“Yeah, well ... .” Nick dunked another fry in ketchup as he considered their conundrum. “Trevor was hiding money in accounts with Sarah’s name on them. To me, that says he planned to end up with her rather than Marla.”
“Marla might simply have been another wrinkle.”
“A wrinkle Trevor didn’t want Sarah to know about.”
“Perhaps that was because he thought Sarah might take his money and run if she found out,” Maddie suggested. “Maybe he was protecting his interests.”
“Or maybe the noose was tightening,” Nick countered. “He had two active mistresses. One was pregnant ... and demanding. The other had money stowed for him and was also demanding. His wife showed more backbone than he imagined she was capable of when she put her foot down after he demanded a divorce. He had two kids and knew the sentiment in town would turn against him if all this came out.”
“So ... what do you think happened to him?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Dale and I are talking to the medical examiner as soon as I’m done here. We want to know how he died.”
“What is that going to tell you?” Maddie was honestly curious.
“I don’t know, but I don’t want to make another mistake. We should’ve checked on Aaron’s alibi from the start and we essentially forgot about it. That’s on us.”
“I don’t know that I believe Aaron is guilty,” Maddie hedged. “He’s a good kid. He takes care of his sister ... and his mother to the extent he’s able and she allows it. He’s not a bad person.”
Nick’s eyes filled with sympathy. “I didn’t say he was, Mad. The thing is ... just because he’s a good person, that doesn’t mean he didn’t lose his temper and shoot his father. Given everything Trevor put Aaron through, that’s entirely possible.”
“It’s also possible Marla did it,” Maddie argued. “Maybe she got fed up because she was sick of waiting for him to tell Alicia about their affair. I’m guessing that she didn’t know about Sarah and had no idea how difficult things were truly going to get.”
“Do you really think Marla is guilty, or are you hoping Marla is guilty?”
Maddie balked. “I don’t hope she’s guilty. I just ... well, maybe I hope she’s guilty. If it’s a choice between her and Aaron, I’m definitely rooting for her to be the murderer.”
Nick chuckled. “Well, at least you’re honest. We don’t know enough yet to form an opinion either way. I’m hoping the autopsy results will clear some things up for us.”
“I hope so, too.” She rested her salt-covered fingers on top of his. “I want to finish this before the wedding. I can’t explain it, but it feels necessary.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” He squeezed her fingers. “Fret not, future wife. I think we’re getting close.”
“I truly hope so.”
NICK WAS NEVER A FAN OF visiting the medical examiner’s office. He hated how sterile the environment felt ... and he was convinced some of the individuals working in the facility were somehow weird and lacking in professional taste. When he realized Joseph Bradshaw was the medical examiner they would be dealing with, though, he was profoundly grateful. Bradshaw was one of the better doctors on staff and he was known for getting down to business.
“Your victim was poisoned,” Bradshaw announced, causing Nick and Kreskin to exchange dubious looks.
“He was shot,” Kreskin corrected. “Twice.”
“I know he was shot,” Bradshaw said dryly. “The bullet holes were easy to find when doing the autopsy. Shocking, but true.”
Kreskin folded his arms over his chest and waited for the man to continue.
“The gunshots didn’t kill him,” Bradshaw explained, leading them to the body on the gurney. Nick had to look away from Trevor’s face because it made him sick to his stomach to see the man so pasty white. “The gunshot to his abdomen wasn’t all that serious.” He pointed for emphasis. “It was basically a flesh wound and the biggest worry there was infection.
“He also got lucky with the shot to the chest,” he continued, shifting his fingers higher on Trevor’s torso. “This bullet did more damage, but it didn’t tear through any major arteries. It missed his heart and lungs. He would’ve been able to recover in a few weeks.”
“So ... you’re saying the bullets didn’t kill him,” Nick mused.
“Nope. He was definitely poisoned.”
“What kind of poison?”
“I believe it was a standard pesticide, probably in a high dose.”
“But ... how would that get into his system?” Kreskin asked. “He was shot at home. No one had time to poison him. Also, I think the hospital would’ve noticed if he was showing signs of being poisoned.”
“Not if he was poisoned while in the hospital,” Bradshaw countered. “I don’t happen to believe he was poisoned at the same time he was shot. It definitely happened after ... and it was a lethal dose. Whoever poisoned him delivered it in quick fashion — I’m guessing through his IV — and he died within an hour or so of that delivery.”
Kreskin rubbed his jaw as he considered their new problem. “So ... whoever shot him isn’t responsible for his death.”
“No, but that’s still assault, right?”
“That’s definitely assault. It’s not murder, though. We have a different murderer.”
“At least it will be easier for you to track that person down,” Bradshaw said philosophically.
“And why is that?” Nick asked.
“Because they have cameras at the hospital. You’ll be able to see who went into his room right before he died.”
Nick brightened considerably. “Right. I knew about the cameras.”
Kreskin rolled his eyes. “You did not.”
“I did, too.”
“You did not. It’s a great tip, though, Joe. Thanks for it.”
“No problem.” Bradshaw saluted Kreskin. “By the way, there’s no way that guy shot himself given the angle of the wounds.”
“We’re already aware of that.”
“Are you aware that whoever shot him has to be below five feet tall?”
Kreskin slowly shook his head. “No. Is it possible someone was kneeling and shot him? I mean ... on the ground in front of him.”
“I guess. I don’t know why you would do that, but that scenario follows, too. He definitely didn’t shoot himself.”
“He didn’t,” Kreskin agreed. “I think we’re starting to get a clearer picture of whoever shot him, though. I think it might have truly been an accident.”
“What happened in the hospital wasn’t, though,” Nick said. “That was on purpose.”
“And that’s the person we have to find.”
Eighteen
“What do you think?”
Kreskin waited until they were in the parking lot to ask the obvious question.
Nick shrugged, slowly rolling his neck as he flicked his eyes to the sky. “I don’t know. It changes things, though, doesn’t it?”
“The kids weren’t at a dance class.” Kreskin chose his words carefully. “We didn’t follow up on that as closely as we should have. Aaron most likely was in the house.”
“We don’t technically know that,” Nick countered. “We know they weren’t at Sarah’s dance class. Maybe they found a dance class a town over or something.”
“We specifically asked,” Kreskin reminded him. “She said Sarah’s dance class.”
“Yeah, she did.” Nick placed his hands on the front of Kreskin’s cruiser and rocked to stretch his back. He felt antsy, as if he wanted to move around. He didn’t know where to go, though. “Alicia kept saying it was an accident over and over again. What if the accident was Aaron shooting his father?”
“I don’t see how that would be considered an accident,” Kreskin hedged. “He was shot twice.”
“I know but ... I was with Maddie for lunch.”
“Big surprise.”
Nick smirked, his partner’s sarcasm lightening the mood. “She saw Alicia. She ... witnessed ... something in her head.”
Kreskin perked up. “Trevor’s shooting?”
“No. It was a fight between Alicia and Trevor. The kids witnessed it. She said that Aaron was angry at his father.”
“So ... it’s possible Aaron was pushed too far,” Kreskin supplied. “Maybe he lost it because of the way his father was mistreating his mother.”
“Maybe.” Nick didn’t want to admit it, but the facts fit. “I can possibly see that. I honestly can. The thing is, I can’t see Aaron coming back after the fact and poisoning his father.”
“No, you and I agree there,” Kreskin said. “I don’t think he’s the one who poisoned Trevor.”
“That means he’s not a murderer.”
“No, but someone wanted Trevor silenced. It makes the most sense that it was Alicia. Perhaps she was afraid he would wake up and point the finger at Aaron. That might’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Perhaps she couldn’t deal with the thought that Aaron might be taken from her.”
“I guess that means we need to talk to Alicia?”
“I definitely think that should be our next stop.”
MADDIE WORKED FOR TWO HOURS straight before taking another break. This time, when she emerged from her tent, she found Catelynn sitting on a bench about ten feet away. The girl was facing the opening, a tablet in her hand, and she looked to be engrossed in whatever she was doing.
She also appeared to be alone.
“Catelynn?” Maddie took a tentative step toward the girl.
Slowly, the child raised her head and met Maddie’s eyes. “You’re the person who watched television with me the other day.”
“I am.” Maddie bit her lip as she glanced around. “How did you get here? Were you looking for me?”
“I was ... I don’t know.” Catelynn hesitated as she looked around the fairgrounds. It was almost as if she was seeing them for the first time. “I think Aaron brought me here.”
Maddie arched an eyebrow. “You think?”
“I ... yeah.” Catelynn rubbed her cheek, her eyes going glassy. For a moment, Maddie thought she was going to start melting down, something she wasn’t remotely prepared to deal with. Instead, she locked gazes with Maddie. It was the first time she could remember the girl purposely making eye contact with her. “What am I supposed to do?”
Maddie smiled in an effort to put Catelynn at ease. “Well, I think we’ll start with something to drink. You need to keep hydrated. Then we’ll get you out of the sun and I’ll make a call. I’m sure your brother didn’t go far. He’ll be right back.”
“I don’t know.” Catelynn obviously wasn’t convinced. “He’s been acting weird.”
“Weird how?”
Catelynn shrugged. “Just weird, like he’s afraid or something.”
“What do you think he’s afraid of?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, maybe you can think about it while we’re getting you something to drink.”
“I should probably have a snack, too,” she interjected. “It’s about that time of day.”
Maddie knew better than arguing. “Oh, you definitely need a snack. You can get whatever you want. It’s on me.”
ALICIA WAS JAMMING ITEMS in the trunk of her car when Kreskin and Nick pulled to a stop in front of the house. They exchanged looks — neither one of them particularly surprised — and then Kreskin let loose
with a long-suffering sigh as he put the vehicle in park and slowly climbed out of the car.
“Alicia?”
She hadn’t heard them. That became obvious when she swiveled and met Kreskin’s gaze. Momentarily, her fingers flew to her mouth as she emitted a strangled yelp.
“Where are you going, Alicia?” Nick asked, his voice calm and even.
“I ... we’re going for a trip.” Alicia recovered, although only marginally. “My husband is dead, my children are sick with mourning, and we’re going on a trip so they don’t have to deal with all of this in public.”
“What about Trevor’s funeral?” Kreskin queried. “Surely you all want to be here for that.”
“Why?” Alicia made a face. “Why would we possibly want to be here for that?” She shoved a suitcase in the trunk, wrestling with it when it wouldn’t lay flat. “Do you have any idea what that man put us through? I mean ... really. Why would we want to have a funeral for him?”
Nick watched the woman viciously tug on the suitcase. She was clearly losing her mind. “Alicia ... .”
She whirled to face him, extending a finger. “No. Just ... no. You don’t understand what’s going on here. You can’t understand.”
“We want you to tell us.” Kreskin adopted a soothing tone. “That’s why we’re here. We know the kids weren’t at dance class.”
Alicia paled. “I ... don’t know what you’re talking about.” She looked terrified. “Of course Catelynn was at dance class. Aaron picked her up.”
“No, we know about Trevor and Sarah,” Nick countered. “We know they were having a relationship. We also know that Trevor was hiding money in her name so he could keep assets from you when it came time for a divorce.”
Alicia’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
Nick was taken aback. “I thought you knew.”
“Knew that my husband was stealing money from me? From his own children? I just ... .” She broke off and made a guttural screaming sound in the back of her throat. “What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he do the things he did? I just don’t understand.”
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