I finally picked up the phone to call Linda. When she answered, I could tell by her voice she was a nervous wreck.
I told her to sit down … then I told her everything.
Two weeks later
“I’m sorry, Carter, I really thought Linda would show up. She seemed excited to meet you, I swear.”
Carter was wearing a button down shirt with a tie, and had his hair slicked back with gel. “No worries. Maybe she’s not ready to meet anyone. ”
We were at my favorite restaurant, Angelina’s, seated at the best table in the house. Max was by my side, his hand in my lap. His other hand gestured to someone outside. “Is that Linda? Over there by the telephone pole?”
I peered out the window. Linda looked stunning, clad in a beige suit, her auburn hair cascading down her shoulders. I watched as she paced back and forth on the sidewalk.
“Maybe I should go talk to her. She’s probably nervous.” I excused myself from the table and went outside.
Linda spotted me and smiled wearily. “Sorry. I know this is rude of me, but I don’t think I can do this.”
“Do what? You’re just meeting someone … you’re not getting engaged.”
Linda shook her head. “I’m sure Carter is a nice guy and all but, as I told you before, I’m damaged goods.”
“You have to understand, Carter didn’t want to come here tonight, either. It’s not my place to tell you all his secrets, but he’s been hurt. His daughter overdosed years ago and died. A person can never recover from something like that. But he's willing to meet you. You are a warm, giving person. You drink too much, but so what. We all have our things.”
Linda fidgeted with her bracelet. “Why are you so intent on fixing us up?”
“Because you’re both wonderful people and you are both your own worst enemies.”
“Did you tell him I have a drinking problem?”
“He’s not one to judge.”
Linda nodded. “Okay, fine. I’ll be in shortly. I promise. I just need a minute to breathe.”
I squeezed her arm, then turned to go back inside the restaurant.
Max looked up. “Is she coming?”
“Yeah, she’s just nervous.”
Carter didn’t seem fazed. “Is she still having a tough time dealing with Emily’s disappearance?”
“They were close friends,” I said. “It’s a huge blow.”
“They still haven’t found her, huh?” Carter asked, taking a sip of water.
“No. She hasn’t claimed the life insurance money yet. The FBI are involved now, and they have tapped Linda's phone in case Emily tries to contact her. They have seized all of her bank accounts and credit cards, but it looks like she drained whatever savings she and Paul had on the morning of his death. Which, in my mind, only proves that his murder was premeditated.”
“What about the doctor?” Carter asked. “Were the authorities able to find out if Emily really has liver disease?”
“She was never a patient of Dr. Knowles,” I said.
“So, it looks like her brother is telling the truth?” Max asked.
“Yep. But it still seems odd to me that Paul never offered to go see the doctor with Emily. Unless Emily kept making excuses for him not to go with her. And you'd think Paul would have noticed that there were no medical bills coming in.”
Carter said, “Some people see what they want to see. It sounds like he trusted Emily and therefore had no reason to doubt her. When my mother got sick, she never let anyone in the family go to her doctor's appointments with her. Some people are that way.”
As Linda walked into the restaurant and approached the table there was trepidation in her eyes. Carter looked over and immediately stood up. I introduced them and he pulled out a chair for her. She seemed impressed.
“Sorry I'm so late,” she said. “I hope you'll forgive me.”
Carter gave her a reassuring smile as he held out his hand. “Nothing to forgive. I'm Carter. It's nice to meet you.”
Linda shook his hand and her features relaxed. “I'm Linda. And the pleasure is all mine.”
Max winked at me, as if he knew this night was going to turn out okay after all.
The waitress came by and asked Linda what she'd like to drink.
Linda eyed my glass of wine longingly. “I'll have … a cranberry juice, please. But, could you put it in a wine glass?”
The waitress chuckled. “Sure, no problem, ma'am.”
Linda leaned back in her chair, as if she was finally beginning to relax, and after the waitress served up the cranberry juice, she sipped the beverage like sampling a fine wine.
“Well,” I said, clearing my throat. “Now that we all have drinks, I’d like to propose a toast.” I held up my glass of wine. “I just got a call from my new friend, Dylan McCormick. He told me that Gavin Cole was arrested this morning on three counts of fraud, illegal gambling and sexual assault on a minor. I’m on the list of witnesses, should it go to trial, but Dylan thinks he’ll cop a plea. Either way, he’s gonna spend some time in jail and, hopefully—fingers crossed—he’ll get a dose of his own medicine.”
Everyone clinked glasses.
“Yes,” Max said. “It would be fitting if he became some guy’s bitch in the slammer.”
I lifted my glass again. “Here, here. I’ll drink to that.”
Conclusion
Five days later, a miracle happened. When Emily Hodges made a call to her life insurance company in regards to collecting the claim for her husband's death, the FBI was able to trace her to a pay phone in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Less than 24 hours later, the agents were on a plane to Mooresville, and spent the day showing Emily's photo all over town. Eventually they got a hit. The manager of Lakeview Motel recognized Emily's photo even though she had changed her hair and her name. The name she'd given the manager was Sandra Eliot. She'd been paying for her room with cash.
Emily was taken into custody and brought back to New Hampshire where she's awaiting trial for conspiracy to commit murder. I heard that the DA assigned to her case will try to prove that Emily masterminded a plot to seduce Hector into helping her get rid of Paul, with the promise of money when she received the life insurance payout.
I fully expect that Emily will plead non-guilty to the charge. But I guess we'll have to see what kind of hard evidence the prosecutors come up with. I have offered to help them in any way I can, including my personal testimony on the stand.
Linda has not made an effort to see Emily in jail. In fact, Linda has offered to be a witness for the prosecution along with Emily's brother, Benjamin. Linda plans to do everything in her power to seek justice for Paul's death.
I don't think I'll ever stop feeling guilty, wondering if there was some way I could have prevented that horrible night in Emily and Paul's kitchen. It makes me sick to my stomach every time I analyze the details in my mind, of all the things I should have done. Why couldn't I see through Emily's lies?
Well, regret can turn to poison in our minds, and that's what this feels like. Will I ever be able to forgive myself?
It would be so easy for me to throw my hands in the air and give up on this career. Maybe I'm just not cut out for it. But Carter says the feeling will pass. Everyone makes mistakes. The most important thing is to learn from them.
The End
Click here for the next Sarah Woods book
The Masque of Innocence (Sarah Woods Book 5)
Other books in the Sarah Woods Mystery series:
An Appointment with Murder (Sarah Woods Book 1)
An Act of Deceit (Sarah Woods Book 2)
An Island of Illusions (Sarah Woods Book 3)
A Taste of Sin (Sarah Woods Book 4)
The Art of Duplicity (Sarah Woods Book 6)
An Appetite for Revenge (Sarah Woods Book 7)
A Date with Death (Sarah Woods Book 8)
A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Book 10)
A Taste of Sin
A Taste of Sin Page 13