The Long Dark January: A Nadine Kelso Mystery

by A. S. Andrews

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Who else could it be?” Ingrid said. “The town isn’t so big that there could be two like him, could there?”

  “Do you think Roach was the person who shot at you?”

  “Of course. Peter told me he does things like that to make people scared. Kelly and I were plenty scared.” She crossed her arms. “But I’m not scared now. Only very tired and very, very angry.”

  “Last question,” Nadine said. “Do you know how we could reach Timothy?”

  The name caused an additional gloom to settle on the woman.

  “I’ll find Lee Miller’s number for you,” Ingrid said.

  She padded out of the room, leaving Nadine and Jen to study the array of already-wilting flowers cluttering the mantelpiece. Condolence cards were piled atop the stack of kindling in the fireplace. Ingrid was grieving in her own way, trying to be strong for her grandson, and doing her best to recover from the events of the past week. Her grief was no doubt genuine.

  And yet something about the woman’s movements gave Nadine the impression that Ingrid Moody was setting in motion events of her own.

  Chapter 41

  Back in the sanctity of the break room, Nadine returned to her timetable. With the chief’s help she amended it, adding in what they’d learned from Ingrid.

  Morning:

  Andrew Gordon at home, alone

  Susan Gordon at her mother’s, with Bobby

  Gary Gordon in his trailer, sleeping off hangover

  Afternoon:

  2:00 Andrew talks with Kelly Wells, invites her for dinner

  Susan and Bobby spend the day with Ingrid

  Gary spends afternoon working

  Evening:

  6:00-7:00 Kelly stops by the Gordon house for dinner.

  After dinner, she turns down Andrew’s advances.

  7:00 Gary phones Ingrid’s house, invites Susan for a walk

  Andrew receives phone call from Ingrid. Asks Kelly to leave.

  Andrew drives to Ingrid’s house, stays ten minutes, heads home.

  7:30-8:00 Gary and Susan walk. Return to Ingrid’s house.

  8:00 Ingrid drives Susan home.

  Night:

  All three Gordons are home, presumably asleep

  Susan’s car is driven into the garage, the engine started automatically.

  House floods with carbon monoxide

  Early morning. Andrew and Susan dead.

  The killer returns the car to the driveway.

  Next morning:

  9:00 Gary Gordon discovers the family.

  Nadine stood back and read over it. Then she underlined Andrew drives to Ingrid’s house and circled the question mark.

  “Assuming Kelly leaves at seven,” she said, “that means there’s about half an hour where the Gordon house is empty.”

  “Do you think the tampering of the CO detector was done at that time?” Jen asked.

  “We can’t say for certain,” Nadine said. “But the groundwork for the murder had to be completed by then. That means the garage door clicker and the automatic starter were in the hands of the killer. Once the car was home, there’d be no opportunity to take those things.”

  “And then the actual murder,” Jen said. “Driving the car, starting the engine, then coming back hours later to remove it. That’s a long time for a murderer to be walking around at night.”

  “Or three very short bursts,” Nadine said. “Into the house to tamper with the CO detector and take the clickers. Then late at night to start the engine. Then back some time in the early morning to restore the car to the driveway.”

  “We know Gary was at the Lounge for dinner and then got ready to meet Susan,” Jen said. “He has no alibi for the time after the walk. Ingrid was at home to call Andrew, so it’s unlikely she drove to his house and then beat him back to hers. Kelly left the house and presumably went back to work. I guess she could have darted out during the night. And Roach—he can’t account for himself at any time. Claims to be alone in his house.”

  “We’re leaving someone out,” Nadine said.

  Jen nodded grimly. “Peter Quayle should have been on patrol, then in the Lounge for dinner.”

  “We have to think about access,” Nadine said. “By night the killer already had the garage door opener and the starter. Some time before that they must have taken them. Either they were invited into the Gordon home, or broke in, or had some other means of gaining entry.”

  “Like a spare key,” Jen said.

  “It’s also possible Susan had those with her at her mother’s,” Nadine said. “Maybe they were stolen from there.”

  Eng shook her head. “It’s all such a mess.”

  “On the contrary. We’ve narrowed it down by time, by access, and by motive. There’s still lots to do, but we’ve got most of the pieces.”

  “I’m glad you can be optimistic,” Jen said.

  “Murder investigation is about patience. Relentless patience. The brilliant leap of logic is only made possible by hours spent wading through the mundane.” Nadine tapped the chart. “That’s what the Quayles of the world will never understand. Even if you’re lucky enough to get a flash of insight or intuition—so what? You still need to build a logical case out of the facts in front of you.”

  Jen was eying her. “Are you saying you know who did this?”

  “I have an idea,” Nadine said. But wouldn’t elaborate yet.

  Chapter 42

  Alone in her office, before she left for home, Jen tried the number for Lee Miller that Ingrid had given her. The call went straight to message. A cheery woman’s voice said, “Hi there, this is the Miller residence, we can’t come to the phone right now.” Jen thought of leaving a message, but decided she’d try again tomorrow.

  She looked at the timetable on the board and thought about what Nadine Kelso had said. If she knew who’d killed the Gordon family, why not say? Save them from wandering in the dark.

  Or perhaps not telling her was saving her from something else. Relentless patience, Nadine had called it. If she told Jen, that would mean two investigators would be working off the same hypothesis. Perhaps they’d miss something that way. Not knowing her theory kept Jen sharp.

  Sharp but annoyed, she thought.

  She called her parents and made sure they were okay. Her mother was worried about her. She’d heard about the shooting over at Ingrid’s. Jen promised her she was taking precautions, and that once this was over she’d take a nice break and they’d spend some time together.

  Talking to them made her miss her own child. After a very late lunch, she called Chicago and asked Lou to put their son on. Wei was looking forward to seeing her, had started drawing her a picture book of his last few months. She made kiss noises into the phone and told him she’d bring presents. It would be nice to be a family for a few weeks.

  Hanging up, looking at the timetable, Jen felt the darkness wash over her. Maybe they’d never close the case. Could she ever vacation in peace knowing the killer of the Gordons was still out there?

  Nadine had told her she was leaving Sunday night. That didn’t leave them much time. Jen could turn the case over to the Longview department, but she doubted they’d have any more luck that she would. She knew the town and the people involved. If she and Nadine couldn’t solve it, the killings would leave a permanent stain on Castle Rock. The town deserved better.

  The receptionist buzzed her. Ramona Coker was waiting at the front desk.

  “Everything’s all right with Bill and the kids?” Jen asked as she led the woman to her office. Bill’s wife looked harried.

  “Fine,” Ramona said. “Well, Bill hasn’t been sleeping all that well.”

  “None of us have. I’m sorry to work him so hard, but the circumstances call for it.”

  “I understand. I wanted to speak to you about something, but you have to promise not to tell Bill.”

  Jen nodded. They sat down in her office. Ramona turned down her offer of a drink. Th
e wife looked every bit as tired as her husband. She placed her hands atop her knees.

  “This happened so long ago, I don’t know if it’s important,” she said. “Two years, maybe. I think it was around the holidays. We had a party at our place, invited all our friends. You and Lou were there for part of it, but I think you had to leave.”

  Jen nodded. Between her job and her family, there had never been much time for socializing with colleagues and friends.

  “The party went late,” Ramona said. “Most people left by one, but a few hung out. Bill had gotten up early that day to cook and help me with the decorations. He nodded off, and I helped him to the bedroom. Only Gary Gordon and I were left. He was very drunk, and I’d had more than usual. I wanted him to go home so I could pass out next to Bill.”

  “But he wouldn’t leave?” Jen guessed.

  “He told me he loved me,” Ramona said. “That he’d loved me from a distance, and he would die if I told him I didn’t feel the same. When I said I didn’t, he got angry. I remember he was brushing away tears and snorting back snot, even kicking furniture. I told him to leave and he said he wouldn’t. He said he’d make me sorry for leading him on.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I ordered him out, and he went. The next morning, though, as soon as Bill went to work, Gary came back. He apologized and said it was all the drink. Gary begged me not to hold it against him, or tell anyone.”

  “How’d he behave after that?”

  “I could tell he was ashamed,” Ramona said. “He avoided us for a while. Whenever I’d see him, he’d act genuinely remorseful.”

  “How about lately?” Jen said.

  “I hadn’t seen him for months, until Bill brought him home a few days ago. I felt so sorry for him. I could tell the deaths of Andrew and Susan were weighing on him. But I also thought—and maybe this is wrong of me—that he seemed sadder about Susan than his brother.”

  “Any guess why?”

  “Bill told me a little about what Gary had said, about talking with Susan the night she died. My husband couldn’t believe his friend would do something like that. When he told me, it made me think of that party.”

  Ramona Coker leaned forward and placed her hands on Jen’s desk for support.

  “I know I’m not an expert or anything, but Gary is a different person when he drinks. It’s not beyond him to get angry at women.”

  Jen took a moment to process this before responding. Gary Gordon came across as meek and confused, more of the depressive drunk than an aggressive one. Had that all been an act?

  She thanked Ramona for coming forward, and told her if she had any further problems, to call her. Ramona stood up and embraced her.

  “It’s not that I want to keep secrets from Bill,” she said. “I didn’t tell him at the time because I thought it was an isolated incident, and Gary seemed contrite. I felt I’d be destroying their friendship by saying anything. I’d like to spare Bill that pain, but if Gary is involved in what happened to Susan and Andrew, I’m willing to testify.”

  “I hope it won’t come to that,” Jen said, “but I appreciate your confidence.”

  Ramona Coker smiled. “The lies just seem to build up, don’t they? Even when you love someone. Maybe especially when you love someone.”

  “Maybe,” Jen said.

  She shut the door. After thinking about it for a moment, she dialed Gary Gordon’s number. The mechanic picked up on the first ring. From the atmosphere on his end of the line, she surmised he was in a bar somewhere.

  “Yes, officer?” he said, his words slightly slurred.

  Jen told him to come to the station as soon as he could.

  Chapter 43

  Nadine had gone back to the Lodge to shower, have a sandwich, and to work out the growing unpleasantness in her back. After an uninspiring BLT in the Lounge, she headed towards the staircase, but paused when she saw that Kelly Wells wasn’t behind the registration desk. She hit the button for service, heard a familiar bark from the back room. A moment later the night clerk stepped out of the office. She was mousy and slender, around forty. Her name tag said Mavis.

  “Is Kelly here?” Nadine asked. ”I just want to know how she’s doing.”

  “Sleeping right now,” the woman said. “Should I wake her?”

  “No need.” She showed the clerk her identification. “Perhaps you could help me with something. Were you working on January 1st?”

  “I wasn’t scheduled to,” Mavis said. “I only work part time. Kelly called me that afternoon and asked could I cover her for dinner. Me and my boyfriend maxed our credit cards over Christmas, so I didn’t complain too much.”

  “What time was Kelly back here?” Nadine asked.

  “Let me think. I started at four, and she’d already stepped out by then. And she was back about seven, maybe ten minutes past.”

  “You saw her come back? Was she dropped off or did she walk?”

  “Walked, looked like.”

  “How did she seem when she came back?”

  “I remember asking her how her dinner was, and she said fine, but that it got interrupted. She didn’t seem too upset about it.”

  “Was the dog here with you?”

  Mavis smiled. “My companion. Nero slept like a baby.”

  “Thank you,” Nadine said.

  Upstairs she hung her dress shirt and pants over the bed and stretched out flat on the floor. Mavis had confirmed the timeline, which meant the Gordon house had in fact been empty for half an hour. Kelly wouldn’t have had time to back track to the house after leaving it. Nadine hadn’t expected she had, but wanted to make sure.

  She kept coming back to access and motive. Andrew and Susan both had keys to the house. Perhaps Ingrid had a spare set. Did Gary? If he did, why wouldn’t he use them on the morning when he found the bodies?

  Nadine sat up and held both arms out in front of her, bent forward to the point right before her spine began to hurt. She held it for ten seconds, then lowered herself. She stood and reached over her head, her hands easily touching the ceiling.

  She’d told Jen she had an idea of the killer’s identity, but motive continued to frustrate her. Why exactly had the killer decided to punish the Gordons? It couldn’t have been a spur of the moment decision. The person would need to have tools with them to sabotage the CO detector. At the very least wire cutters and a screwdriver. Plus, of course, a familiarity with the house.

  Did the method say something about the killer? It was clever—maybe the cleverest murder she’d ever seen. The deaths had been quick. Perhaps the Gordons hadn’t felt anything, had simply drifted into the long dark January night, and were still sleeping somewhere now.

  It was a nice thought.

  Stretched and showered, Nadine dressed, then decided before she left to phone Jimmy and her mother. Her ex-husband was in his restaurant and was short a prep cook, so their conversation was brief. It still felt strange to end a conversation with “Take care” instead of “I love you.” Maybe it always would.

  She dialed his mother’s number thinking she missed Jimmy, liked the notion of having a partner to support and be supported by. She promised herself if he needed a spare set of hands in the kitchen, even washing dishes, she’d volunteer, to make up for his help with Martha.

  Nadine counted eleven rings before the call was answered. Her mother’s magic number. Only it wasn’t her mother who answered. A man’s voice said, “Kelso place, who’s this?”

  “Where’s Martha?” she asked.

  “Hiya, Nay. How’s my big sister doing?”

  Nadine felt herself tense. “Frank,” she said. “Ma mentioned you might be visiting.”

  “I got to, right? Family’s important. Where are you?”

  “Out of town right now,” she said. “How’s Ma doing?”

  “Don’t you want to know how I’m doing?”

  Nadine felt the pain she’d worked so hard to release snarl around her back. Wincing, she sat up on the edge of the be
d. “How are you doing, Frank?”

  “Terrific. Happy to be back in Seattle. I don’t get down here often enough. Can’t remember the last time—can you?”

  “What do you want?” Nadine asked.

  “Can’t a guy visit his mom?”

  “A guy can. You can’t, not without an ulterior motive.”

  Frank scoffed. “Ulterior. Nothing I do is ulterior, sis. I like to check up on my family.”

  “You’re taking quite a risk, though, aren’t you?”

  “What could you possibly mean?” That faux-innocent tone—Nadine hated nothing more than that.

  “Last I heard you’re a wanted man, Frank. Isn’t there a bounty on your head?”

  “I’m a popular in the right circles,” his brother said.

  “Then there’s the car crash.”

  “I heard about that,” Frank said. “I’m glad you’re okay. Did they ever catch the driver?”

  “I know who it was.”

  “Well, I guess that’s something.”

  They both were silent for a while.

  “I’m glad you’re still up and around,” Frank said, sounding, Nadine hated to admit it, sincere.

  “Thanks.”

  “To answer your question, Ma’s doing fine. We got her tree packed up. Same decorations, all these years. Same stockings. That’s something, huh?”

  “It is,” Nadine said. Memories of Christmas hit her and for a moment she genuinely missed her brother.

  “Don’t you worry about the stove,” Frank said. “I know a guy who’s got one. It’ll be installed by the time you get back. When’ll that be, anyway?”

  “Sunday night,” Nadine said.

  “Good. Can’t wait to catch up, sis. Whoever you’re after, I hope you catch him. And stay safe doing it.”

  “That’s always the plan,” Nadine said.

  “It sure is,” said her brother, beginning to laugh. “But that’s not always how it goes, is it?”

  Chapter 44

  At night, the Castle Rock police station was quiet and lit with unflattering fluorescent bulbs. No crowds around reception. The break room was empty. Nadine found the chief and Gary Gordon seated opposite each other inside a bare-brick interview room. The door was open.