Three Times a Lady

by Dahlia Rose

  “You’re saying that Joslyn is the one who caused Angela’s disappearance?” Haile asked sharply. “Why should I believe you?”

  Jeffery looked up at him, and tears leaked from his eyes. “Because she was sunshine in my life, and the night she went missing I was waiting for her in Ireland. We were going to run away together, we were going to have children and a family. You can check the Irish Rose bed and breakfast. I was there waiting until the next morning. I thought when she didn’t come that she had changed her mind. It was only when I came home I heard she was missing.”

  “Then why didn’t you say that when you were questioned?” Haile asked. “Why did you and your wife taunt me and mine all these years?”

  “I told Joslyn I was with my mum, and she confirmed it up to the day she died,” Jeffery answered. “If I said where I was, Joslyn would know and my mom was right when she said, that woman would will kill me one of these days. She’d taunt me, sing a little song she made up about the lady with red hair who tried to breathe under water or the claws of death around her neck. Joslyn would sing it as a lullaby to the baby when he was born. Then she would say if daddy ever speaks of it everyone would die, even the baby in the basket. I took it as she would kill us all, and call me anything you want but I wouldn’t let her hurt my child.”

  Haile was trying to wrap his mind around everything Jeffery was saying but still there were more questions. “Then why be on a dating site with Mari and other women? Why the mistress?”

  “I wanted to run away to the United States with our son and start a new life,” Jeffery admitted. “Mari didn’t know any of this, and hell, in my own crazy way I thought her coming here would work, and we could leave with her. Her life in Texas was not the best, but I thought we would move to a different state. I just had to convince her. That went off the rails and the mistress... We all handle our pain in a different way.”

  Haile ran his hands through his hair. “And now you think Joslyn has gone after Mari?”

  “She’s not at the house, Haile.” Jeffery looked up at him. “I went to the market so I could call Mari to warn her. She told me off, told me if I called again she would tell you and hung up. The baby was home alone when I came home, crying with no one there. I took him to the neighbors and thought about what Mari said, so I came directly to you. You are her protector, the man she loves. You can get through to her and keep Joslyn away.”

  “Mari is fine. She is at the pub working, and I’m heading there now,” Jeffery said. “Go get your son and meet me there. You’ll have to repeat all this to the authorities.”

  “I didn’t do anything to hurt Angela, I hope you see this now,” Jeffery said hopefully.

  “Don’t look for redemption from me, she was lost to us because of you,” Haile said angrily.

  “Can you fault me, fault us, for falling in love?” Jeffery asked. “Look at you and Mari now, would you say the same thing if you were in that position?”

  Haile couldn’t answer. Instead he pulled his cell from his pocket and found Mari’s number in the list before pressing to connect the call. His heart jumped when she didn’t answer, but he knew sometimes she left her phone in the office while she worked. He called the phone behind the bar, and Macy answered.

  “Hello Macy, is Mari in the office?” Haile tried to keep his tone casual.

  “Boss, boss you have to come to the pub,” Macy said in a frantic whisper.

  “What’s going on?” Haile heard the sharpness of his tone.

  “That lady from last time, the fancy one.” Macy’s voice held doubt. “She came in just as the last of the lunch crowd left and asked for Mrs. H and Mari. Ellie went and got them. I was taking dishes back, and I heard a scream. Mr. Haile... I-I peeked, and she has a gun. I came to the office to call the constable, but you called first.”

  “Macy, stay in the office, lock the door,” Haile commanded. His heart began to race and without a doubt his instincts knew from what Jeffery said they were in serious trouble. “I’ll call the constables and explain the situation so they know not to rush in. Stay in there and do not come out.”

  “I won’t, I promise, please hurry, she doesn’t look right.” Macy began to cry.

  Macy hung up, and Haile stared at the phone silently until Jeffery’s voice broke through the silence.

  “Joslyn is at the pub, isn’t she,” Jeffery asked.

  Haile took his keys. “You come with me. I’ll be damned if being associated with you causes a second person I love their life.”

  The dismay in Jeffery’s voice was evident and real. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  “It doesn’t matter at this point, she has at least three people at gun point.” Haile looked at him and asked, “Did she ever say or taunt you on where she took Angela?”

  “No, never,” Jeffery replied.

  “You think about it hard, Jeffery, and even the smallest thing can help.” Haile opened the door to usher him out. “I won’t be losing Marisol, do you understand? Not ever.”

  Haile wished he’d told Mari he loved her. He should have said it every day since the day he held her in his arms. From that day he knew that this was the woman who would hold his heart for the rest of his life. Yet he didn’t say it. Haile opened the door and strode out with determination, not even looking back to see if the door was locked or not. He was already calling Jasper to tell him everything he learned and next would be the authorities. His new mission was to get them out of harm’s way. Marisol was the love of his life, the lady to his lord, and by damn he would fight the devil to keep her.

  Chapter Nine

  They all sat at one table where Joslyn could watch them. Mari only focused on the gun that Joslyn held in her hand. When Elle came back to get them, she had no clue what Joslyn’s agenda was. Macy was passing by with a tray of plates when they walked through to the front of the bar. Macy stayed back there, Mari hoped she saw and was calling for help. Without a word being passed between they never mentioned her name. Mari couldn’t even reach for her phone to call Haile. Joslyn watched them silently with cold, shrewd eyes.

  “Well Joslyn, are we just going to sit here with a gun pointed at our heads all day?” Mrs. H snapped.

  “Don’t antagonize her,” Mari said softly because she knew that look.

  It was a person who had lost all hope, and she’d seen it in the mirror a few times. But there was more behind the dark eyes of Joslyn Moermond. Insanity, and Mari had seen that as well.

  “She bloody well either shoot me or let me get back to my work,” Mrs. H said with no fear in her voice.

  “You’ve always been a crazy old woman,” Joslyn finally said.

  Mrs. H snorted. “Well isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Mari asked.

  “Because you won’t leave my husband alone!” Joslyn screamed at them.

  “Okay, calm down,” Mari said gently. “Joslyn...”

  “Mrs. Moermond to you,” she said stiffly.

  Mari gritted her teeth, she wanted to slap the woman silly. “Fine, Mrs. Moermond, you can check my phone. I have not received any calls from your husband since our initial meeting. I’m with Haile we are happy and in love.”

  “You sure are getting around,” Joslyn said with disgust. “Did Jeffery tell you there is no way he will leave me? No money to be had and you moved on.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Mari muttered.

  “It’s like talking to a brick wall,” Mrs. H said with frustration. “Listen, Joslyn, and there is no way in this world I’m calling you Mrs. Moermond when I saw you buck naked in your mum’s house as a baby. No one wants Jeffery, that spineless twit, and here you are ready to go to jail for him.”

  “Someone wanted him,” Joslyn said gently, the smile was bright. “But I took care of it. That redhead didn’t stand a chance and neither will this one.”

  “Oh my god, say you didn’t,” Mrs. Humphrey’s gasped in dismay.

  “Do you mean Angela?
” Mari asked, and Joslyn just smiled. “Answer me, damn it, did you hurt Haile’s sister?”

  The sharpness of Mari’s tone seemed to snap Joslyn back to reality. Her hand tightened around the gun she pointed in their direction. Elle clutched Mari’s arm, and Mari tried to comfort her by patting her arm gently.

  “You don’t get to ask me those questions, you little slut,” Joslyn snapped.

  “Then I do.” Mrs. H stood up. “Joslyn, pet... tell me what you did.”

  “She wouldn’t stop, and then I found out the plan—oh there was a plan,” Joslyn said and sing-songed, “They were trying to sneak away, like little dormice. Then I would be left in shame, I rather think not. So I sent her a message to meet me, or should I say Jeffery, at the house first.”

  Mrs. H voice cracked with sadness as she sat down. “Oh no, Joslyn.”

  “Don’t you dare pity me!” Joslyn’s back went straight and angry tears fell down her face. “He is mine. How dare she try to break up my marriage? When she came and saw it was me, she almost left... almost. I told her I wanted to talk like women, Jeffery was free to choose her if he so wished. I offered her tea, and after a few sips she got sleepy. Her eyes... she looked at me and knew before she went unconscious. Then it was so easy to put the pillow on her face until there was nothing.”

  “Dear God,” Mari whispered. “You killed her.”

  “It was the only choice, can you see that,” Joslyn implored. “She was going to take my life, my dreams, and make them her own. Not from me, no fisherman’s daughter was going to best me.”

  “Where did you take her?” Mari asked gently. Mrs. H had broken down into tears after Joslyn told them what she did.

  “She’s at home,” Joslyn smiled. “She wanted my life too much. I let her stay in the place where she tried to take my husband. Oh, don’t cry Mrs. Humphrey, you soft old bird, she went peacefully.”

  “She was young and naïve, and you killed her,” Mrs. Humphrey cried out. “I knew you were a broken child, but my God, I can’t comprehend the extent of your madness.”

  “So now you plan to kill me, Mrs. H, and Elle?” Mari asked. “We all heard your confession, and we can’t tell the police about it?”

  “I haven’t thought that far ahead yet,” Joslyn admitted. “This was just about you, now there is more...”

  “No one is getting hurt. Not today.” Haile’s voice came from the door.

  Joslyn whirled, and the gun was pointed at his chest instead of them. Mari was more afraid seeing him in danger than when the weapon was trained on her. Jeffery stepped in front of Haile and held up his hands.

  “Joslyn, what are you doing?” he asked.

  “Protecting us, protecting my family, the same way I always do because you won’t, Jeffery,” Joslyn snapped. “Now come over here, be a good boy.”

  “You need to put the gun down,” Jeffery said. “Right now!”

  Joslyn laughed. “Look at you trying to be all manly. Try that later maybe.”

  Mari looked at Haile. “She killed Angela.”

  The last of the hope in his eyes died away even though he already knew within himself that she was gone. There had been faith that maybe a miracle would happen. That spark of faith left, and the grief was evident on his face.

  “I see that now, Dove.” Haile’s voice was husky.

  “You killed her.” Jeffery’s voice was broken. “Why, damn you, why?”

  “Because you loved her!” Joslyn screamed. “Why couldn’t you love me like that? I saw all the notes, all the letters. I gave you everything, so it’s damn you because it’s your fault.”

  “Normal people fall out of love,” Jeffery raged. “But you’re not normal, are you, Joslyn? I loved you, and then I was scared of you, and now I’m terrified. You are not right in the head. You killed someone, a person I loved... You should have killed me as well.”

  “Why would I do that?” Joslyn asked. “It was so much better watching you suffer. She was under your nose all this time, in our house, in that chest in the attic my mum gave me. All this time she has been there wrapped up, tucked in tight, snug as a bug, and you never knew.”

  Joslyn’s laugh was crazed, and with an angry cry, Jeffery rushed at her. That took her by surprise as they wrestled for the gun, and Haile took the advantage to grab her hand and pry her fingers from around it. Joslyn screamed angrily, but she was disarmed, and Jeffery held her as she struggled. Haile went to the door, and soon the pub was flooded with police. They took Joslyn into custody, and while they handcuffed her, she looked at Jeffery.

  “Don’t let them take me, you love me Jeffery, help me,” Joslyn pleaded.

  “I’ll make sure you get the help you need,” Jeffery promised. “But you killed the woman I love... I-I can’t help.”

  “Elle, go back and give Macy the all clear,” Haile said to the other waitress and with a nod Elle rushed through the service door. Haile pulled Mari into his arms and hugged her tight before looking over at Mrs. H. “Are you okay Dottie?”

  “I’m just fine.” Mrs. H patted his shoulder. “At least we have the truth now.”

  Haile swallowed. “Now we can lay her to rest.”

  “I’m going behind that bar and make a stiff one.” Mrs. H walked away muttering, “Not every day I get held at gun point. The mister is going to love this.”

  “We’re going to close for the rest of the day,” Haile said. “Let the girls know. We’ve got enough of a crowd outside that everyone will have the gossip in an hour why.”

  “I’m so sorry about Angela, Haile,” Mari said gently.

  “I blamed the wrong one for all these years.” Haile’s sigh was heavy. “Can I hold him culpable for loving my sister? I’ve spent so much time hating him, and now I don’t... I have to figure out what to do, how to feel.”

  “We bury and we mourn her, then you remember her as the person she was before all this.” Mari cupped his cheek.

  “Can I tell you what scared me the most?” Haile asked.

  Mari shook her head. “Yes.”

  “The thought that I could lose you before I ever said I love you,” Haile said huskily.

  “I knew,” Mari replied. “And I love you too, so much my heart aches.”

  Haile smiled. “Then we’re going to stop the pretense, and you’ll move in tonight.”

  She laughed. “Ah and there’s the twist.”

  “Go on girl, I can win the betting pool if you do,” Mrs. H said from behind the bar.

  “Good grief, you people.” Mari laughed and twined her arms around his neck. “I’ll be with you forever so consider me calling this an address change.”

  “Let’s finish this and go home,” Haile said. “The hard part is yet to come.”

  “I’ll be right by your side,” Mari promised.

  She laced her fingers with his, and they walked outside to where a crowd was looking around curiously. Joslyn sat in the back of the police car with her head down, and Jeffery spoke with the police officer.

  “We need to go to your house,” Haile said bluntly.

  Jeffery nodded and fell into step with them. It was completely disconcerting being with the man she loved and the man who initially made him come to Northumberland. Still, they shared something: they both loved Angela. It was time to bring her home. They waited outside Jeffery’s house until the police arrived. Jasper came too and again a slew of onlookers. Jeffery led them to the attic where like Joslyn said a large chest sat in the corner near the wall.

  The room was cool, and when the chest was opened, they saw thick blankets and long locks of red hair. Haile turned away and swallowed thickly while Jeffery broke down in tears. Angela had been found. The entire chest was removed, and they found out after the autopsy that because of the atmosphere in the room she was preserved in almost a mummified state. Nothing could stave off the loss that Haile must be feeling but she would be there to help him heal. That was what love did, a balm that soothed even the worst hurt.

  * * * *

 
Angela was laid to rest one week later beside her parents while they watched. It was a surprisingly warm day with blue skies that belied the season and the morning fog that usually hung low over Northumberland. Everyone who worked at the pub was there. Jasper and Zeva, with baby Abigail, stood beside Mari and Haile. Jeffery, who was also in attendance, was holding his son and tears trickled down his cheeks. Haile was starting to see that the man he hated for so many years had truly loved Angela. And that love caused her death. Haile still held some resentment on that fact but maybe he would learn to cope.

  Joslyn was charged with Angela’s murder, but because of her declining mental stability she was in a mental hospital. There was no doubt after the trial that was where she would be for the rest of her life. She tried to kill herself and was basically strapped to a bed. This was the end of Joslyn Moermond’s public life. He wondered if Joslyn had been given help at an early age if she would be free and Angela would be alive. There were a lot of maybes, but the outcome right now was to move on with life and let Angela’s memory be one of the smiling girl with red hair dancing in the sunshine.

  That night, after all was said and done, people had come by, eaten, paid their condolences and left, and now it was just him and Mari sitting in front of the fire, watching the flames, and listening to the wood crackle. There was something he had to do, had wanted to do the night Joslyn decided to take the Celtic Cross hostage and Angela’s body was finally found. Things had gone in a different direction then, interviews with police, funerals, and reporters coming around. Even making some kind of peace with Jeffery. This was the perfect time. To end the day with some kind of happiness, and he felt in his bones the time was right.

  “I’m going to make some hot chocolate, want some?” Mari asked.

  “Sounds delicious, add some brandy in mine,” Haile replied. “Oh, and some cheese, crackers, and some fruit would also be nice.”