“Why not?”
“Well, at first she didn’t tell Tyler because she wanted to give Jess that money,” Natalie said. “A loan like that wouldn’t be something Tyler would approve of, but it could give Jessica’s business a new lease on life.”
“Whoa...”
“Yeah. Exactly,” Natalie said. “So May agreed to give Jess that loan and then…then she got this idea in her head that she could use the money to take a photography course instead. Further her own career as a photographer, you know?”
“So she backed out of giving Jess the money?”
“A few weeks ago, yeah.” Natalie confirmed. “I didn’t find out till recently. I guess that’s what was actually behind their little feud in our knitting group.”
“That’s why Jess was mad at her,” James said, his eyes contemplative. “It was never about how to spend the dues, it was about how to spend May’s windfall.”
“Right.” Natalie hesitated. “I mean, I never even would have found out but…”
“But what?”
“But…I saw Jessica’s diary,” Natalie said. “I went over to her house a few days ago and she’d written a whole entry about how angry she was at May and how much she hated her for it.”
“Jessica was that angry at May? Our Jess?” James hesitated. “Natalie, I do think you need to tell the sheriff all this. Right away.”
Natalie bit her lip. “I don’t know if anyone would believe me, and the weird thing is...”
“Yes?”
“I went over to her house again the other day,” Natalie said, “after May died…”
“And?”
“And the diary was gone,” Natalie said. “It wasn’t where she usually kept it. You see?”
“Nat. Wow. This is huge. How could you even think of hiding something like this?” James said.
“It’s just…I told you, everything’s been so crazy that I didn’t even put it all together until I really sat down and thought,” Natalie admitted. “Then Brooke told me not to talk to Nora and, like I said, what if Brooke is right? What if everything I’m thinking is just nonsense and Jess gets implicated for no reason? Or Tyler gets let off even though he’s guilty? I’d hate myself forever if that happened. And yet…if Jess has done something, Maybelle deserves justice. I’m sorry. I know I should be more…I don’t know…put together. But this still all feels like a dream to me.”
“I understand.” James had a hand in her hair now and was stroking it gently. He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry, Nat. I know you really loved May. This must all be so hard on you.”
“You have no idea.” A tear leaked out of Natalie’s eye, dripping onto her cheek. James used a finger to wipe it away.
“I’m here for you,” he said. “Whatever happens, I’m here for you.”
“Oh, James.” Natalie hugged him tight.
Harvey motioned to Nora and she pulled away from the scene, wanting to give the two a bit of privacy. She cocked her head backwards and Harvey nodded in silent agreement - the faster they got out of here, the better. Nora didn’t want Natalie to know what she’d overheard. At least, not just yet. Because, despite what Natalie had just said, Brooke’s excuse seemed really thin to Nora. True, it was possible that Brooke genuinely thought Tyler did it and was doing her own part in trying to get him sentenced. The other possibility, though, was that she was content that Tyler had been arrested and, for whatever reason, didn’t want Nora or anyone else digging into things.
Why? What did Brooke have to hide from the world? It was time to find out.
*****
Chapter 11
What She Didn’t Know
Harvey and Nora talked about what they’d just heard all the way home. As he pulled into the driveway, Nora was already filling his ears with what it might mean, and what Brooke might be up to. They’d both come up with several theories, and struck down several more. Still, nothing really seemed to make sense.
As they got out of the car and went into the house, Nora suddenly stopped. Why was an uneasy feeling blooming inside her?
“I need a drink,” Harvey said, hanging up his coat and heading towards the kitchen. “We both do, I think. Maybe it’ll help us figure out what’s going on.”
“I’ll pass. Just a Coke, maybe,” Nora said.
“Suit yourself. Ice?” Harvey was rolling up his sleeves as he walked across the living room.
The uneasiness Nora had felt since she entered the house suddenly crystallized into knowledge. The house was cold - too cold. She never let the thermostat go this low. The only other explanation was that they’d left a door or window open. Or someone else had.
She screamed out a warning just as a shadow appeared in the kitchen. Harvey instinctively took a few steps back, looking this way and that for the nearest object he could use as a weapon. He grabbed a lamp off a side-table and brandished it, ready to attack.
“Hey, it’s ok. It’s ok. I promise I won’t hurt you.” The shadow stepped forward, hands in the air.
“Tyler!” Nora and Harvey exclaimed together. Harvey didn’t let go of the lamp, however. He just held it tighter.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do,” Harvey practically growled.
“How are you not in jail?” Nora asked.
“I posted bail,” Tyler said. “Will you please put that lamp down, Harvey? I am not a murderer.”
“So, you got out of jail and then immediately broke into our house?” Harvey still held the lamp tight and had his eyes firmly following Tyler’s every move.
“I mean, you had a window open,” Tyler said. “It’s not a big deal.” He moved to the sofa and sat down, giving Harvey a pointed look. “Will you two just sit down? We need to talk.”
“I’m calling Sheriff Ellerton and telling him to haul you right back to jail. Last I checked, breaking and entering is a crime,” Harvey said.
“I didn’t break anything,” Tyler protested. “And I am really sorry I upset you, but I’m pretty upset myself. I’m not thinking straight, and I needed to talk to someone. After everything I’ve heard about Nora, well, she seemed like the obvious choice.”
“Your lawyer is the obvious choice. Go talk to him!” Harvey said.
“I did. He told me to shut up, let him do the talking, and let the sheriff do the investigating.” Tyler looked frustrated. “My wife is dead. My life has been ripped from me. Excuse me if I’m not in a cooperative mood. Yeah, call the sheriff if you like, Harvey. But please, just talk to me first.”
Harvey hesitated, then put the lamp down. Nora put a hand on his shoulder.
“You should sit down, Harvey,” Nora said. “I’ll get you that drink.”
“I could use one, too,” Tyler said. “Whisky, if you have it. Neat.”
Nora walked into the kitchen, her mind a whirl. She poured the men’s drinks and took out a can of Coke for herself. Hastily tossing some cookies on a plate and some salted cashews into a bowl, she placed it all on a tray and headed out.
Tyler’s face fell as he saw her walk out. “A tray. Fancy glasses. That’s the kind of thing May would have thought to do. I’d have just brought the drinks out in the bottle. I’ve never in my life thought of using a tray.” His lips quivered. “It’s such a small thing, but it can mean so much.”
“Hey…” Despite herself, Nora put a hand on his thigh and patted it. “It’s alright, Tyler. It’s going to be okay.”
“No. It’s not. She’s gone. And, even if I find the killer, she’ll never come back.” Tyler buried his head in his hands and his shoulders shook as he sobbed. Harvey and Nora gave each other helpless looks. After a little while, Tyler inhaled deeply and sat up straight. He reached out and downed the drink Nora had brought him in one shot. Then, placing it back on the tray, he grabbed the second glass and downed that, too.
“Sorry.” He sniffed. “I needed that.”
“It’s okay,” Harvey said. “Take all the time you need.”
“I’m just such a m
ess,” Tyler said. “I’m numb and I’m sad and I feel like I’m drowning. But most of all…I’m angry. I want to know - no, I need to know - who killed her! I want my hands around their neck. I want to break them into pieces like they broke me. My beautiful wife...” Tyler’s teeth were bared and his eyes glittered with tears.
“Tyler, you need to calm down,” Harvey said. “The best way to help is to think things through. What do you know? Who could have wanted May dead?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t got much,” Tyler said. “But here’s one thing I need you to know - I’m innocent. I’m absolutely innocent.”
Nora bit her lip. Did she believe him? Could she believe him?
“Tell us about it,” Harvey said.
“I know what you must have heard,” Tyler said. “That I was alone in the house with her, that I had a fight with her.”
“We’ve also heard that you were crazy about her,” Harvey said. “Sometimes love can lead to temporary insanity. Maybe that’s what happened?”
“I’m telling you I didn’t do it!” Tyler clutched his glass so hard that Nora was afraid it would crack. She gently pried it out of his hand.
“How about Harvey and I will stay silent for a while and you can tell us what you remember?” Nora asked.
“Alright.” Tyler took a breath. “Yeah. I suppose that would help. I just don’t know where to start.”
“How about your fight at Coach James’s party?” Nora asked.
“First, I did fight with May on the night of James’s party. See, Jess came up to me and asked me what happened to that loan May was planning on giving her. I was flabbergasted. Naturally I asked Jess, 'What loan? Where would May get the money to give you a loan?' And, all of a sudden, Jess turned awkward and quiet and said she’d assumed May would have told me. I tried to get more out of her but, well, when it comes to their friends, those women have a code of silence that’s worse than the mafia.” Tyler laughed insincerely and shook his head. “Well, I confronted May, and she told me about the $50,000 she’d received from a distant relative. First time I ever heard of that. I felt so betrayed, you know? How could my own wife hide things from me? Then May started talking about some class in Seattle that she wanted to take. I thought she’d gone insane. I told her she was nuts to even think about spending all that time and money on a stupid class. She got really angry and said I wasn’t supporting her dreams. That wasn’t fair. I’ve always supported her dreams. I’ve never been stingy with her. But long distances are just not my thing, and there’s no way I could leave Milburn for a year. Not with my business. Well, we were both worked up and it just…it just spiraled, you know? You ever have one of those arguments that comes out of nowhere and suddenly this person you love becomes your worst enemy for the moment?”
Harvey hesitated, looked at Nora, then said, “I think every married couple has had one of those.”
“Every single one,” Nora agreed.
“Exactly!” Tyler said. “But it doesn’t really mean anything, you know? She and I said some mean things to each other - I don’t even remember what - and then some people from the party caught us yelling at each other. That’s when we cooled down and decided to go home. But it doesn’t mean I didn’t love her, or that I’d ever, ever harm a hair on her head. Yet, because of that one fight, the whole town seems to think I killed her.” Tyler ran a hand through his hair. “It’s crazy how quick people were to pin me as the murderer. I loved her.”
“So you weren’t fighting the day of the murder?” Nora asked.
“No. We made up almost immediately. We came to a decision - we’d use some of the money to buy May new camera equipment and enroll in an online course, and give the rest to Jess as a loan,” Tyler said. “She was her normal, loving self by the time she came to my office the next day. We walked out of my office holding hands. How could I have known that in just a few hours...” Tears welled up in his eyes again.
Nora bit her lip and looked away, letting him have his moment. So, Tyler was claiming that May had been loving and cheerful when she visited him at the office. That was what Austin had said, too. The story lined up so far.
“Anyway.” Tyler sniffed. “May and I left for home. We were going to relax a bit, get ready and then head to Natalie’s for dinner. May was talking about how James was invited, too, and that it should be fun. James is quite the ladies man, but May was determined to set him up with Jess. I kept telling her not to get over-excited but…that was May. James and I are good friends, and she was good friends with him, too. She was excited about him and Jess getting together.”
“May was trying to set Coach James and Jess up?” Nora frowned. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. May tried to set them up before, too, I think. She was always a bit of a matchmaker, and James and Jess have a history together. They dated in high school, until James decided commitment wasn’t for him. Anyway, May was cheerful and happy, and so was I. Then we got home. May decided she’d do some yoga, but I was too tired to work out so I went up to take a shower. I left her alone. I didn’t even dream that…that...”
“You didn’t hear anything?” Harvey asked.
Tyler shook his head. “Of course not. The shower is pretty loud, and the doors were shut. I didn’t hear a thing. All I know is the sheriff said there was no sign of a break-in so May clearly knew the person who killed her. It might even be a friend. Imagine that. Someone she trusted. Someone I trusted, too, probably. She invited her own killer inside.” Tyler clenched his fists. “I wouldn’t mind going to jail for murder - if I could just figure out who the killer was. I’m telling you, I’ll kill them. For what he or she did to my May…I’d kill them in a second.”
“Tyler…relax. You can’t think like that. You’ve got a lot to live for still,” Harvey said.
“No, I don’t.” Tyler grumbled. “May was everything. You know? I’m an old-fashioned man when it comes to marriage. I believe it’s one shot only. She was my soulmate, man.”
“Did she ever tell you about someone who might hate her? Or have it out for her?” Harvey asked.
“Did she have any enemies at all?” Nora chimed in.
Tyler shook his head. “No. Everyone loved her. She was a bit of a prankster, but she was herself, you know? Full of life and energy and fun. She never had an enemy…and yet…someone must have hated her.”
“Maybe it wasn’t someone who hated her,” Nora said. “Maybe she just knew a secret about someone.”
“A secret?” Tyler frowned. “A secret…maybe.”
“Did she ever tell you anything about Brooke?” Nora asked. “Or Natalie? Or Jess? Any secrets?”
“Well, it’s an open secret that Jess’s business is bombing and she needs money.” Tyler frowned. “As for Natalie, well, there’s one secret, but it’s rather silly.”
“What’s that?”
“Natalie pretends to be a career woman but she secretly wants a football field’s worth of babies.” Tyler gave a wan smile. “I think she envies Brooke, in a way. That’s the life she secretly would have wanted to lead, even if she’ll say otherwise.”
“Hardly a deadly secret.” Harvey smiled. “And Brooke?”
“What about Brooke?” Tyler looked confused. “Oh, wait, she did have something.”
“What?” Nora asked.
“I don’t know,” Tyler said. “I just remember May telling me once that it was a shame Brooke wasn’t being honest.”
“Honest? Honest about what?”
“I don’t know. Look, May used to talk a lot - a whole lot. Sometimes I’d tune out and just hear fragments of what she was saying, you know? Especially when it came to those Stitchin’ Witches of hers. She was always talking about them, to the point that it sometimes bored me to tears.”
“But May knew something about Brooke?” Nora asked. “You’re sure of it?”
“Reasonably so.” Tyler frowned. “Why? What do you know?”
Nora looked at Harvey, hesitantly. He nodded firmly. After talki
ng to Tyler, Nora was quite sure he hadn’t killed May. You could tell from his anguish that he’d really loved her. Maybe he deserved to know the truth.
“We overheard Natalie and James talking,” Nora said. Briefly, she told him exactly what they’d heard, especially the part about Brooke wanting Natalie and Jess to keep quiet and not talk to Nora. Tyler’s eyes widened and his whole body grew stiff as Nora talked. A wild sort of look appeared on his face, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.
“That’s why I thought that it’s a possibility Maybelle was killed, not because someone hated her, but because she knew something,” Nora concluded. “A secret of some sort.”
Tyler got up in a rush, nearly knocking the coffee table over. “You’re right,” he said. “One of them killed her. It has to be one of them. There’s something here. Something-”
“What is it?” Nora asked. Tyler was looking almost deranged. “Tyler, you’re scaring me.”
“But, of course. They knew…the three of them knew May would be at home at that time,” Tyler said. “They, all three, live around a five-minute jog from our house. There’s a shortcut through the woods that’s easy to take for any of them. But who? Which one? Loyal Natalie, Broke Jess, Secretive Brooke...”
“Tyler-” Nora was genuinely concerned about the look in his eye. She’d seen this crazed look before - but it was in the eyes of a murderer who was about to kill again. At the time, it had terrified her because she’d been gazing right into those eyes. Tyler, however, was staring off into space, his teeth gritted.
“Tyler, you need to calm down. Take a deep breath,” Nora said.
Tyler stared at her. “What?” he asked.
“Take a deep breath, calm your mind. You look…very disturbed.”
To Nora’s surprise, Tyler started laughing. He threw back his head and howled with laughter. “Deep breath! Yes! That’s it. That’s what I missed!” he exclaimed. He took Nora by the shoulders and shook her. “Do you see?”
Nora didn’t see. She thought he’d gone mad.
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