“It was the woman who came to the house last night.”
“The grief counselor?”
Linda nodded. “I knew something was off when she walked in. I couldn’t put my finger on it. She didn’t strike me as very gentle or kind hearted like most volunteers in the field.”
“What happened?”
“She and Emily went into the living room and had a long chat. I didn’t stay. I gave them their privacy. Emily seemed a little strange after that as if, maybe, the session hadn’t gone so well: she didn’t want to talk about it. This morning I was reading the newspaper and saw this article.”
Linda handed me a folded newspaper clipping.
Murder Conspiracy in Residential Neighborhood.
I quickly read the article. Every detail was there. Emily, Paul and Hector had become the daily dish for millions of people to read.
“The woman was a journalist, for God’s sake, not a grief counselor,” Linda said. “That bitch tricked Emily into telling her all the details of what happened the night Paul was killed.”
A rage bubbled up inside me. “This is … outrageous,” I said. “I’ve never heard of anyone doing something like that.”
“The woman blew the whole thing out of proportion,” Linda said. “Made Emily out to be a complete imbecile and portrayed the local police department as incompetent fools. Did you notice she even mentioned a private investigator?”
I looked up at Linda, who was practically in tears. “Yeah, I saw that. At least she didn’t mention my name. So I guess you showed this to Emily?”
Linda sighed heavily. “Of course I had to. She would have found out anyway. She was so upset, she immediately packed her things and asked for a ride to the bus station. I couldn’t talk her out of it.”
I checked the newspaper again. “Oh no, it’s in the Boston Inquirer. This covers a good portion of northern New England. ”
Linda had that determined look about her. “I already made some calls. I’ll get that reporter fired before the end of the week. How dare she? I know the competition is fierce, but this kind of tactic is pure evil.”
I walked to the fridge, got two bottles of water and handed one to Linda. “I hope you’re not beating yourself up about this. The story was going to come out either way. It just sucks that it had to be like this.”
“Poor Emily.” Linda said, rubbing her eyes. “It’s not fair. How can one person deal with so much? I’m so worried about her. She looked like a lost soul when I dropped her off at the bus stop. I offered to give her money, but she declined.”
“Did she leave a forwarding address or phone number for her parents place?” I asked.
“No, but she told me she’d call as soon as she got there.”
“Doesn’t she have her cell phone with her?”
Linda paused, as if giving it some serious consideration. “No, her cell phone has been disconnected for days. I think she forgot to pay the bill or something.”
“What about her house?” I asked. “She’s just leaving all that behind or does she plan to come back?”
“I don’t know. This was so sudden,” Linda said.
“Why is she taking a bus? Is she afraid to fly?”
“I guess.”
I got up from the couch and paced my living room. There was a question I’d been meaning to ask for days. “Linda, what was Paul’s anxiety all about? It must have been bad if he needed a therapist.”
She looked up. “Sarah, what does it matter anymore? It’s obvious Paul had much deeper issues he never disclosed to me.”
“What if Paul was set up?”
Linda jerked her head back in surprise. “Where is this coming from, Sarah? This is the second time you’ve brought it up.”
“Paul is dead. Emily is gone. I have a feeling somehow that we’ve all missed something important.”
“Fine. I’ll tell you,” Linda exclaimed as she pushed herself up from the couch. “When Paul first came to me, he was having issues with his sexual identity.”
“What do you mean?”
Linda pursed her lips and I could tell she felt guilty for spilling the beans. “Paul thought he might be gay.”
“What? He wasn’t sure?”
“No, not until he met Emily and fell in love with her. When he met Emily, he knew he was meant to be with her and things just sort of fell into place. As you can see now, there was no point in saying anything about it to anyone. He was just working through an identity crisis. It’s not that uncommon, really.”
“Did Emily ever find out that Paul had those tendencies?”
Linda shook her head. “I never said anything to her. I can’t imagine Paul ever would have, either.”
I had to sit down and process this information. I closed my eyes and forced myself to concentrate. My cell phone rang. I ignored it.
“Sarah, Are you gonna get that?” she asked.
I grabbed the phone, looked down, and immediately recognized the number.
“Hello?”
“Sarah? It’s Detective James. Do you have a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I just got off the phone with someone by the name of Benjamin Porter. He called the station and asked for the detective who was in charge of the Paul Hodges investigation.”
“Benjamin Porter? What did he say?”
“He claims to be the brother of Emily Hodges.”
“What? Are you sure? What did he want?” I asked.
“He has information about his sister. Said something about a newspaper article. Anyway, he’s en route from Hartford, Connecticut. Said he’ll be here in an hour.”
“Can I sit in on the conversation?”
“That’s why I’m calling,” he said.
I glanced at my watch. “I’d better get ready. See you soon.” I ended the call and tossed my phone in my purse.
Linda looked worried. “Who was that?”
“I’m sorry. I need to take a quick shower and head over to the police station. Something’s come up.”
“Well, what is it?”
I grabbed a towel and headed to the bathroom. “Did Emily ever mention that her brother changed his last name to Porter?”
“No, why?”
“Does Porter mean anything to you at all?”
“No, Sarah. Why can’t you tell me what’s going on?”
“Because I don’t have a clue what’s going on. Not yet. Look, I’m sorry, but I really have to jump in the shower.”
Linda trudged to the door and I promised to call her later. She wasn’t happy about it, but I left her no choice.
Chapter 28
Benjamin was already in the Detective’s office when I got there at three o’clock.
He had Emily’s intense blue eyes and blonde hair, but that’s where the similarities ended. He was tall, maybe six-two. Long bangs swooped over his eyes, like Justin Beiber before the haircut. He wore a tight grey t-shirt and skinny jeans.
Detective James introduced us and we shook hands.
“So, you’re a private eye, huh?” Benjamin’s voice was high-pitched and loud. His teeth were too big for his mouth.
“Yes, well, I’m sort of in training,” I said.
He seemed amused by this disclosure. “Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?”
I nodded.
Detective James offered me a seat then turned to Benjamin. “Would you like some coffee?”
He held up a hand. “No thanks. I’m already buzzing from my triple espresso on the ride up here.”
“Thanks again for making the trip,” the detective said. “You mentioned you had some information?”
Benjamin cracked his knuckles as he looked around the office. “They should give you a room with a window, at least. It’s kind of stuffy in here, don’t you think?”
Detective James nodded. “Yeah. So, getting back to Emily and Paul, when was the last time you actually spoke to your sister?”
Benjamin leaned back in the chair. “Hawaii. About
three years ago. She was pissed that I had the nerve to show up,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “But someone had to warn the guy.”
Detective James leaned in. “Warn Paul? About what?”
Benjamin laughed. “How’s my sister doing, Detective? Let me guess … she’s dying from leukemia this time.”
“Leukemia?” I asked. “She has liver disease.”
Benjamin’s eyebrow rose up. “She was dying of brain cancer about four years ago. Did she tell you that? Miraculously cured after her second husband died in a car accident.”
What the hell was he talking about? “So she’s a hypochondriac?”
“A hypochondriac whose last two husbands just happened to die of unnatural causes. When I read that newspaper article this morning, I knew she’d done it again.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
Detective James squirmed in his chair. “Benjamin, are you suggesting your sister had Paul killed?”
“Come on, guys. Do your homework. My sister has been playing you this whole time. She threatened to kill me in Hawaii if I told Paul about her last husband. I didn’t give a shit. Let her try. But I came to the conclusion that he probably wouldn’t believe me anyway. Guys are such suckers. Especially when they think they’re in love.”
“Why should we believe you?” I said. “Maybe you’re the crazy one. You urinated on the wedding cake!”
Benjamin threw his hands up in defeat. “Guilty as charged. But I figured since she threatened to kill me, I might as well have a little fun and destroy her party.”
Detective James wiped his forehead. “Is there any evidence that proves Emily caused her first husband’s car accident? Do you have names of people who can confirm this?”
“No - but go ahead and look into it. She was living in Rhode Island at the time. I think it was about five years ago. Her husband’s name was Gary Buckley. She raked in half a million bucks from his life insurance. I’m willing to bet Emily stands to get another large check from Paul’s death. Call the insurance company right now if you don’t believe me.”
“She told me the life insurance policy was on her, not Paul,” I said.
Benjamin rolled his eyes. “Of course she told you that.”
Detective James got on his phone and barked orders at someone. When he ended the call, he wiped his forehead again, then turned his attention back to Benjamin. “We’ll find out if you’re right in a few minutes.”
Benjamin chuckled. “If I’m right, and I know I am, I’d love to see the look on her face when you throw those handcuffs on her wrists.”
“We can’t arrest her,” the detective said. “But we can arrange to bring her in for questioning. I will not put this lady through anymore unnecessary trauma.”
A lump had formed in my chest and it felt like I was about to have a panic attack. How could I have been so blind to what what really happening? What kind of private detective was I? Not very good, apparently. “Emily left this morning,” I said. “Linda said she took a bus to Florida to stay with your parents.”
Benjamin shook his head, and laughed with contempt. “Our parents died over twenty years ago.”
I gulped. “What?”
“We can track Emily’s cell phone,” Detective James said. “We’ll find her.”
“Emily’s cell phone has been disconnected,” I added.
Benjamin leaned back with a smug expression. “I hate to say it, guys, but Emily is long gone. She’s probably been planning this for months … maybe years. Most insurance companies require a minimum of three years on a policy before they pay up. You think the timing is a coincidence?”
“How could she fake her liver disease?” I asked. “The yellowing of her skin and eyes. Emily is truly not in good health.”
“Come on. How hard would it be to fake that?” Benjamin said. “She could have used makeup.”
I glanced at Detective James. I could tell by his tense expression that he was starting to believe the brother’s story.
“Okay, so she lied about her parents,” I said. “That doesn’t make her a murderer. Maybe you’re trying to frame her.”
He sputtered another laugh. “Frame her? How does that benefit me? Besides, I didn’t even know what had happened until I read the article in this morning’s paper. That’s probably why she got the hell out of town. She figured I’d catch wind of this and bring her house of cards down.”
“Then why did she hire me?” I asked. “Why draw attention to herself if she was planning to have Paul killed. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Actually, it makes perfect sense,” Detective James said, tapping his fingers on the table. “Emily told you Paul was poisoning her for one very good reason. Just so you’d set up those hidden cameras in the kitchen. That surveillance was a key part of her plan to secure an alibi. Whether or not Hector knew about the surveillance, we’ll never know.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. It was starting to make sense, but it still seemed to be such a ludicrous plot. “But she was attacked. Hector stabbed her in the leg.”
The detective shrugged. “Could have been a clever move to help prove she was a victim.”
Benjamin offered a lame pout. “Don’t take it personally. My sister is very good at this. If you think you were gullible, just think of Paul. That guy was totally clueless. He actually believed his wife was dying. Did she ever mention her doctor’s name, or where his office was located? Did she show you any lab reports for her blood work?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I have her doctor’s name but I never got around to actually talking to him. I figured he'd be bound by some kind of doctor patient confidentiality.”
The phone rang and Detective James snatched it up. “What have you got? Yep … okay. Find out which bank and let me know.” He set the phone back down and looked at me. “Emily is getting two million.”
Benjamin leaned back, smiling. “So, you guys believe me now?”
I pinched the bridge of my nose to ease the throbbing in my head. “If Hector was hired to kill Paul, why didn’t you find any money on him? He was broke, right?”
Detective James said, “Maybe she planned to pay Hector once she got her life insurance settlement. Or she never planned to give him money at all. She knew the surveillance would incriminate him either way and your testimony would help secure her innocence.”
I felt like a fool. I remembered the day I went over to the house when she wouldn’t answer her phone. Hector had just come out of the house and she’d seemed frazzled when I walked in. Maybe they’d just had sex. “What if Emily was having an affair with Hector, and made promises they’d be together once Paul was out of the picture?”
The detective nodded. “Wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened.”
Anger bubbled up inside me. “Except, she probably never imagined her gentle husband would come to her rescue and kill Hector. Maybe that part of the plan backfired.”
Benjamin clapped his hands. “Look at you guys go.”
I ignored him, keeping my attention on the detective. “What about Hector’s bus ticket? Maybe Emily purchased it with Paul’s credit card.”
He nodded. “Big question is, where is she going now?”
“Linda dropped her off at the bus station,” I said. “They require a photo I.D. these days, so she could be in the system.”
“True. But she could have bought a ticket for anywhere and got off at any stop along the way. In any case, the insurance company will need a new address to send a check. We’ll be able to track her down once Emily calls them with her new location.”
Benjamin pushed up from his chair and stretched his arms over his head like he was already bored. “Well, I can see you two got this. I should head back to the city before rush hour.”
Detective James got to his feet. “Hey, if the DA is able to form a case against your sister for conspiracy to commit murder, will you testify for them as a character witness?”
“Sure
, man. You have my number.”
After Benjamin left the office, the detective gathered the papers on his desk and stuffed them into a leather satchel.
“What happens now?” I asked.
“I need to make some more calls to corroborate Benjamin’s theory. It’s going to be a long day.”
I grabbed my purse and rose from my seat. “Do you believe him?”
“It’s compelling. The insurance money is a game changer.”
“If Benjamin is telling the truth, Paul was framed by his own wife and her lover. Why didn’t we ever consider that?”
“Because Emily was dying and everyone felt sorry for her. It was a genius plot, but her brother saw right through it. If he hadn’t seen that article and put two and two together …”
I felt like pulling my hair out. “Look, I just want to say thank you for including me in this conversation. I know you were not obligated to.”
He gave a curt nod. “No problem. Just keep this under wraps for a few days until we get some answers.”
“What about Linda? She’s worried sick about Emily. Do I keep this from her?”
“Maybe it would be a good idea to keep her abreast. That way, if Emily decides to call her, she’ll be prepared to say the right things.”
“What are the chances you’ll find Emily?” I asked.
“Oh, we’ll find her. If she tries to cash the life insurance, it’ll be easy.”
“And if she doesn’t? What if she disappears and becomes someone else and forgoes the money?”
“Then we keep looking.”
* * *
When I got back home, I stretched out on the couch and closed my eyes. The throbbing in my head was excruciating.
How was I going to tell Linda?
I rewound the past few weeks in my mind, trying to make sense of it all. Every word out of Emily’s mouth had been a lie. Her plan had worked quite well, thanks to me.
I was beginning to think my chosen career path was the wrong one and, when I told Max and Carter the truth about Emily, they’d probably agree with me. How could I be such an idiot?
A Taste of Sin Page 12