“Sean said you were with him when he discovered the body,” Nora said. “The police believe him when he says you didn’t kill Wallis, that you were with him all along. But I thought that it’s only fair to Wallis that someone else investigate his death. I can’t let Sean be reinstated. I hope you know that.”
“I do, yes.” Karen said. “I think it’s fair, too. You do what you have to, Nora. I and Sean will do what we have to.”
“What’s that mean?”
“We’ll admit our sins,” Karen said. “To be honest, all this sneaking around was Sean’s idea. It was election year and he was worried. I’ll receive a lot of flak and sideways looks, but it’ll be a relief to be able to finally walk into town with my hand in Sean’s. It’ll be a relief to admit that I love him, out loud, for the world to hear. So in my own way, I’m actually glad that you’re doing this.”
She didn’t look at Nora, but continued on, moving to the bookshelves, and sweeping all the books into an empty suitcase.
“The house is set to be foreclosed next week,” Karen said. “I could have used some money to save it, but Wallis was a big spender. He probably sold off some of the finest pieces from his guitar collection, or maybe they burnt in the Viking boat. All I know is, his current collection has no value, and his house is falling apart. Still, it’s up to me to take what I can and give it to charity.”
“Very… noble of you,” Nora said, feeling awkward. She hadn’t expected this reception from Karen. She’d expected Karen to hate her, or to curse her, or to try and threaten her like Sean had done. Instead, Karen had received her with neutral politeness, and general indifference.
“So it doesn’t make a difference to you that I’ll probably shatter your reputation,” Nora asked.
“Sean was always big on reputation,” Karen said. “Personally, I don’t care. I know how little it matters what people say. You think it was easy being Wallis’ wife? With his reputation for carousing with women? Even at the fair, there were rumors about his newest candy girl. I don’t care. I know I love Sean for who he is, a good, kind man.”
“I used to think Sean was a good, kind man,” Nora said. “Lately, I just don’t know. He’s changed.”
“He’s protective of me,” Karen said. “I love that about him. Though I wish he’d not think that I’m fragile. I’m really not. In a way, Sean is as old-fashioned as a knight of the middle ages. He talks about protecting my reputation as if reputations even matter in this day and age. So people will find out about me and Sean, and it’ll be a scandal. So what? In less than a year, I’m betting things will be fine again. Only now, instead of hiding, I’ll be able to date Sean the way I want to. Yes, people have whispered behind my back all my life, that’s what Sean doesn’t understand. I’m used to those kind of whispers from years of being married to Wallis.”
Unable to formulate a reply, Nora simply nodded.
“So that’s it then,” Karen said. “If you came here thinking that I’d be angry, and that’d make it easier for you to hate me. too bad. I’m giving you permission to do what you like, Nora. In fact, I’m encouraging it. I only hope this doesn’t hurt Sean.”
“It will,” Nora said.
“Well, then, we’ll get over it together,” Karen said. “Now there’s the one question you’ve been meaning to ask me, but haven’t yet. Spit it out.”
Emboldened, Nora did. “Did you?” she asked.
“Did I what?” Karen said, her voice almost teasing.
“Did you kill your husband?”
“I should have,” Karen said. “He beat me, he cheated on me, he treated me like dirt, and then he made me feel guilty for not loving him anymore. I should have killed him for the kind of pain he inflicted on me.” She stopped moving about, and stood, her eyes locked firmly with Nora’s. “But I didn’t. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because once I fell in love with Sean, there seemed to be no point in holding on to grudges anymore,” Karen said. “I saw what Sean doesn’t, that Wallis was a damaged man in his own way. My job, as a human being, was to limit his damage from spreading. I wanted nothing but love and happiness in my life once I finally decided to break free from Wallis. I wanted peace, and I’m going to get it.”
Despite herself, Nora felt a twinge of admiration for Karen. “Sean’s right,” she said. “You are a special woman. Not too many people think the way you do.”
Karen laughed. “There’s nothing special about me,” she said. “But you on the other hand, Nora Newberry. I’ve often wondered about you. Sean’s told me a lot.”
“Good things, I hope,” Nora said, with a slight laugh. “Though I doubt it.”
“He told me you’re consumed by a fire you don’t even recognize is lit,” Karen said. “He told me you hunt for answers to questions you don’t even know.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means, have you realized yet why you’re so upset about Wallis’ death? Or Ricky’s?” Karen asked. “Why are you leaving your job as a chef, to pursue the solutions?”
“I’m… interested,” Nora shrugged. “There’s no answers as to why.”
“Yes there is,” Karen said. “I recognize myself in you, Nora. I was escaping from things once upon a time. Back when I didn’t want to recognize the kind of pain I and Wallis caused each other. Back when I tried and fooled myself that my marriage made me happy. You’re fooling yourself now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Nora said.
“Don’t you?” Karen asked. “So why are you doing this?”
“I’m doing this because the truth matters,” Nora said. “I’m doing it because killers deserve to be punished and their victims deserve justice.”
“That’s the police’s job, though,” Karen said. “Delivering justice.”
“It’s every human being’s job,” Nora said. “It’s one of our primary duties, ensuring that our society is just.”
“But that’s not what you’re doing,” Karen said. “Don’t fool yourself that you’re doing this because of rational or idealistic reasons. Ask yourself why you’re really doing this?”
“Why, then?” Nora asked. “Since you have the answers.”
“Because you think it will make you hurt less,” Karen said. “Because you think it’ll resolve you of your guilt about Raquel’s death.”
“I don’t have any guilt about Raquel’s death.”
“No?” Karen asked. “Then why aren’t you starting your diner, Nora? I’ll tell you why. It’s because you wish Raquel was still alive. You think that you don’t deserve to start this diner, that you don’t deserve to fulfill your dreams because Raquel died and you lived.”
Nora’s face drained of color, but she said nothing.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” Karen asked. “You feel guilty for being alive when Raquel isn’t. You feel guilty about chasing your dreams when Raquel isn’t around to share in them. You think that solving cases will somehow make you feel better and deliver justice.”
“I don’t want to talk to you anymore,” Nora said, her blood heating up. “I’m leaving now. Goodbye.”
“Leave if you wish.” Karen said. “Tell the world about me and Sean if you wish. My words will still be true.”
Refusing to hear any more, Nora slammed the door behind her. Aimlessly, she began to walk through the woods that bordered Wallis’ house, hoping to eventually find her way back to Mrs. Mullally’s house.
It was true, what Karen had said, she realized. Every word of it was the truth. It was the reason she wasn’t focusing on the diner. Tina had tried to tell her this too, and so had Harvey, but Nora had ignored them all. The truth was apparent even to strangers like Karen. But Nora herself had been blind to it. Sean had said that he wouldn’t take on a case if he felt emotionally unable to handle it, but that’s what Nora had done. She had been emotional about this case since day one. Now, it was time to stop. She had to think things through, slowly, and carefully. That was the way
forward. Making the decision, Nora began to walk away from Mrs. Mullally’s house, and instead, towards the meadow where the Viking festival had first taken place.
*****
Chapter 28
The decision to think things through rationally seemed to lift her mood. Nora lay down all the facts that she remembered, trying her best not to pollute them with emotion.
Who was Wallis? Wallis was many things – a rockstar, a devoted nephew, a deputy sheriff, a cheating husband, a man with debt.
Who would want to kill Wallis? The husbands of women he’d had flings with? Yes. Sean, because of Karen? Maybe. Karen? Nora paused.
She had sworn she would not get emotional, and yet, now that she had properly talked to Karen, she knew that Karen wasn’t responsible. It wasn’t just that Sean was right, she had been with him for the preceding hour before finding Wallis’ body. It was in Karen’s face. Karen was a woman too gentle to commit murder.
So it was too bad that the logical part of Nora’s brain screamed that she had to have been the one to do it.
After all, Karen had the biggest motive. She had loved Wallis, and also hated him. She had wanted to be free of him, and he had told her he would not allow it. She would gain financially if Wallis died.
This last part was untrue, wasn’t it? Karen had only inherited debt, so she said. Wallis had been so proud of his guitar collection. He’d spoken multiple times about owning Zany Mott’s guitar.
Nora felt electricity shoot up her spine. This was an angle she had never even considered before. Zany Mott’s guitar. Whipping out her phone, she did a quick Google search and whistled at the results. Zany’s last guitar had been auctioned off at more than one million dollars. Had Wallis known this? How much would his own guitar have earned him?
Suddenly, it seemed to Nora, that the case had never been about emotions. If you looked at it this way, a man was dead and a million dollar guitar was missing – you’d never think anything but that the murder was motivated by money. It clicked together now. Ricky was a fan of Mott’s and likely knew how much the guitar cost. No wonder he’d preferred to blackmail the murderer rather than reveal him or her. He’d wanted his cut of the profits.
As for the murderer – who did Wallis know that would need the money? Here, Nora felt herself falter. After all, it could be anyone. Sean had said right in the beginning that this was the kind of crime that succeeds because of how unpredictable it is. The murderer had gotten greedy, and in minutes, or perhaps seconds, decided to kill Wallis and steal his guitar. It could have been anyone who chanced upon him. Wallis had boasted about his guitar enough times that people knew what it was.
Nora took a breath again. The last time people had seen Wallis was when he had gone outside his band’s bus for a smoke. This was after he and Harvey had fought.
She had reached the shed where Wallis’ body had been found. Yellow police tape still hung in a rectangle outside it, though it had been broken, and one thread dangled uselessly in the wind. Pushing it aside, Nora opened the door.
Here she was. The site of the murder. She gave a little shiver.
Here was a question she hadn’t asked herself, though. Why had Wallis walked here of his own accord? Surely, no one could have murdered him first and then dragged him here. No, there were too many people around for that. Someone would have seen that happen. It was clear that Wallis had walked into the shed with his murderer. Why?
To talk in private, she supposed. But what about? What could be so urgent that he would want to talk in private and leave his band alone?
The final piece of the puzzle clicked into place for her. Nora now knew who had killed him, and why.
But as luck would have it before she could react, the door opened, and the murderer walked in.
*****
Chapter 29
“You,” the murderer was shocked. “The last person I want to see here!”
“I can leave,” Nora said, begging her body not to betray the fear that had shot through it.
An evil smile spread across the murderer’s face. “No need. I’d much prefer you stayed here. Permanently.”
“Milly,” Nora begged. “Let me go.”
“It’s a free country.” Milly shifted her body so that Nora could walk by.
Nora stood where she was. Milly held a shovel in the other hand, and if Nora tried to walk by, she had no doubt that shovel would be planted in the back of her head.
It was no use. Milly intended to kill her. She might as well die telling the truth.
“You killed Wallis, didn’t you?” Nora asked.
Milly’s face contorted with shock, fear and then slyness. “What are you talking about?”
“You killed him,” Nora said.
“Why would I kill Wallis? My father is rich. I’m a star. I’ve made movies. Wallis was a know-nothing small town band guy. I couldn’t care less about him.”
“Oh, but you did,” Nora said. “You were the last person he was seen with, when you went out for a smoke with him. I don’t know why I never thought of that. You admitted it yourself. Harvey had stalked off, and instead of following him, you decided to have a smoke.”
“So what?” Milly asked.
“So Wallis began to hit on you, didn’t he?” Nora asked. “He probably told you all about his amazing Zany Motts guitar that his father had left him. He didn’t know he was signing his own death certificate.”
“Conjecture.” Milly laughed. “Pure conjecture.”
“You lured him into the shed, pretending that you were interested in a fling,” Nora said. “You didn’t want a fling, though, you wanted his guitar. When did the idea to kill him first strike you, Milly? Was it when you were already in this very shed with him?”
“You’re very confident.”
“You came here to get the guitar back,” Nora said. “You’ve probably buried it somewhere near, and maybe you saw me walk into the shed, and decided to come say hi.”
“I decided to come bop you on the head,” Milly said, with a laugh that was akin to the screech of a wild bird. “You stole Harvey from me. I can’t let that go unpunished.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Nora said. “Despite everything, I am. We treated you badly, the two of us. But… I love Harvey. I always have.”
“He loves you too,” Milly said, mockingly. “The fool. I was ready to marry him. I thought if I had access to his money, I wouldn’t need my father’s. That way, maybe I could make more movies.”
“Your father cut you off because of your alcoholism,” Nora said. “Or was it because of the two court cases against you? Sean told me you had a record.”
“Idiots,” Milly said. “I’ve always had a short temper, and my father’s always bought people off. He told me this was the last time. He told me if I didn’t stay in Wyoming, and reform, and never look at Hollywood again, he’d disown me. What good was his money to me if I couldn’t do the things I liked with it? When I saw a chance to make money, real money, I took it.”
“Yes, that’s what it must have felt like,” Nora said. “To you, you were only making a grab at your freedom, and money meant no more being attached to your father. Money meant you could run away and do what you liked.”
“I had to stay in town till things cooled off a little,” Milly said.
“Ricky ran away when he saw you,” Nora said. “That just occurred to me. I thought it was Harvey he’d run away from, but you were there too that day. He took one look at you and ran away. He was a witness, wasn’t he?”
“He was a little thief,” Milly said. “He was trying to steal my hard earned money. I took care of him too. I called him to a secluded little spot and the fool actually came. He thought I’d just hand him money, can you imagine?”
“You committed two crimes,” Nora said. “Murdering Wallis was bad enough. Murdering a young child like Ricky who had his life ahead of him? That was an outright sin.”
“What choice did I have?” Milly said. “I had my whole life ahead of me to
o. I deserved happiness too. But Ricky wanted to steal it from me. So he got what he deserved. Big deal.”
“He didn’t deserve that,” Nora said. “Neither of them did.”
“Well… it’s a little late now, isn’t it?” Milly said. “Or do you think someone’s going to rescue you this time?”
Nora took her phone out of her pocket. “I’ve recorded everything you said, Milly,” she said. “It’s all on tape, your confession, and it’s been emailed automatically to Sean. So even if you kill me now, you won’t be able to go free.”
“You’re lying!” Milly hissed. “You’re lying! You had no time to email it. The file is still unsent!”
“Is it?” Nora smiled, shaking the mobile tantalizingly.
As if on cue, Milly charged forward, trying to attack Nora. Prepared, Nora ducked, and with a neat swerve, ran out of the shed. With a terrible scream, Milly followed.
For miles outside, there was not a sign of another human being. Even in broad daylight, Milly could possibly kill her and get away with it. Nora’s legs pumped as she increased her speed. Behind her, Milly was catching up.
Nora felt the air rush behind her as Milly swung the shovel. It almost connected and Milly gave another frustrated scream.
Was this it? Did it have to end this way? With Nora and Raquel both dead, killed by the greed of monsters masquerading as human beings?
Milly swung the shovel again, and this time caught Nora on her shoulder. Nora went stumbling forward, rolling as she tumbled down.
I’m sorry, Raquel. She thought. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry I couldn’t save myself.
Maybe she imagined it, but she thought she heard a voice. An urgent, yet loving voice.
It doesn’t end this way. It can’t end this way. You need to live Nora, and you need to be happy. That’s the only way you’ll make me happy.
Milly straddled Nora and raised the shovel again.
With a sudden burst of energy, Nora struck back. With a strength that seemed to come from someplace other than her tired body, she pushed Milly off her and began running again.
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