by Dee Ernst
“She might have, but she didn’t.” James insisted.
“So, you were never alone with her last night, not even for a few minutes?”
“Of course not!”
“Then how,” Sam asked softly, “did you know she had made Glory’s life a living hell?”
James’s face froze. “What?”
“Last night, you said you knew that Beth made Glory’s life a living hell. How did you know? When did Beth tell you?”
James paused. I could almost see him thinking. “When we were walking, with the dog. We were talking about Beth. Of course she mentioned it.”
Sam said, just as softly. “I asked Glory about that, James. Do you know what she said? That you were talking so much, she couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”
James seemed to shrink in his skin. I looked at Shelly. She was shaking her head, eyes closed.
“In fact, you were still talking about Beth when you got to your house. You never stopped talking about her.”
Sam walked up to James and stood very close. James was a fairly tall man, but Sam looked like a mountain towering over him.
“James?”
James sank onto the couch.
“James, the fingerprints will tell us,” Sam said, in the same soft tone.
“I don’t even know why I got in the car,” he said at last.
Shelly gave a whimper.
“I should have known better. I did know better. But I was desperate, you know? It had been five years and maybe…but no. She drove around and she was bragging about Glory, about how she’d gotten Glory to turn over everything to her, all those books, and how Glory would never be able to prove that Beth hadn’t written them. And then she started talking about Shelly.”
James lunged to his feet, and I shrank back, but Sam stood perfectly still, hands in his pockets, waiting.
“She threatened Shelly,” James yelled. “Can you imagine? To. My. Face. So I grabbed at her. I just wanted her to shut up. She jammed on the brakes and got out of the car and started to run.” His breath was coming in deep gasps. He clenched his fists and brought them up to his head, shaking them. “She was running.”
Shelly stood up suddenly. “It was dark out, Jamie, remember? It was too dark to see her.”
James slowly relaxed his hands and let them down by his side. “Yes, that’s right,” he said, his voice suddenly calm. “I didn’t see her. You know there were no street lights, and she was wearing that damn fur coat.”
“Why did you leave the scene?” Sam asked.
“I was in shock. I just drove around until Shelly called me, and then I left the truck, I just left it there and went to find Shelly. I thought… I wasn’t thinking straight, Sam.” His voice changed to a plea. “I didn’t mean it, it was an accident. I was just so…”
Sam took a slow deep breath. “You need to come with me, James. Now.”
James nodded. “Yes.” He gestured vaguely. “My coat?”
Shelly, tears streaming down her face, opened a narrow closet and pulled out two coats, holding them out blindly. I rose and went to her, taking the coats, handing one to James. I tried to help her put her own coat on, but she pulled away from me and walked out, not looking at me at all.
* * *
Sam didn’t return until after midnight. He crawled into bed and told me that he had brought Garth and Glory back to my house for the night. Garth’s truck was impounded, and they would need a ride to the train station in the morning.
He was up and in the shower early. I made coffee and sat in the kitchen, waiting for him to come down.
He came in, kissed me lightly on the top of my head and made a cup of coffee. The gurgle of the Keurig sounded loud and strange. He sat down across from me and took a deep breath. “Involuntary manslaughter. The DA is not looking for blood. He should be out on bail this morning. He’ll probably be home by noon.”
“How was Shelly?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say a word to me all night. She looked frightened.” He took a long gulp of coffee, sat back, and ran his hands through his thick, gray hair. “She stayed with him.”
“Of course she did. She loves him. This was never just a fling. Whatever he did, I know her, and she won’t give up on him. He didn’t mean to kill Beth; it was just rotten luck. The storm, Beth coming here…if Shelly had decided to go up to the clubhouse instead of staying with me, she never would have known about Beth and James, and Beth would have stayed drunk and gone home on the train this morning with Glory.”
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“For what? Doing your job? Listen, Sam, you’re one of the best men I know. I certainly don’t expect you to stop being who you are because your job becomes personal. I can’t imagine how hard this was for you.”
“And you?”
I felt sudden tears, and I swallowed hard to keep them back. “Shelly is my best friend. We’ll either get past this or we won’t. It won’t change the way I feel about you.”
“And how is that?”
The words hung in the room. I could almost see them. “You’re the one person I would chose over my best friend,” I choked.
He nodded and finished his coffee, took the cup to the sink, and left the house without another word.
I sat there, staring at my cold coffee, until Boot came up to me and nuzzled my hand.
“Really? There’s still snow out there, you know?”
She wagged her tail. I bundled up, snapped on her leash, and out we went.
What a difference. People were outside, shoveling and waving happily. The lights and heat were back, the roads were cleared, and life was once again good. If Beth Riley hadn’t been run down and killed by her ex-husband, who happened to be the love of my best friend’s life, I could almost think it was a perfectly normal day.
I walked down to the library.
Carol was behind her desk, talking earnestly with Mary Rose Reed, who saw me through the glass doors and hurled herself outside and into my arms, giving me a hug.
“Oh, Ellie, how dreadful for you. That poor woman. Just think, if you hadn’t brought her here, why…” She trailed off and shook her head.
Luckily I had to use one hand to hold Boot’s leash, or I would have strangled her.
“Actually, Mary Rose, if you hadn’t insisted I talk to Beth in the first place…” I let the words hang in the air and raised my eyebrows.
Mary Rose drew her coat tighter around her, opened her mouth to say something, decided against it, and shouldered her way past me and onto the street.
Boot and I entered the library. Dogs and books were not an impossible combination in the Mt. Abrams Library, where all the people and dogs knew each other and generally got along just fine.
Carol reached over her desk to pat my hand. “Oh, Ellie, I don’t even know what to say. What an awful mess.”
Boot sniffed for a few seconds before sitting as close to my feet as possible without actually being on them.
“Thanks, Carol. I’m still trying to process everything.”
“Any idea about James? I mean, it was an accident, right?”
I nodded. “That’s what he says. And let’s face it, without the streetlights, and her in that long fur coat…” I frowned. Something was nibbling at the back of my brain. Something that was not quite right.
“I know. Poor James. Poor Shelly. Just when the town was sort of getting used to them.”
Mt. Abrams, like most small, close-knit communities, liked everyone to live life just as Donna Reed had. There were plenty of divorces, and adulterous affairs, of course, but generally, folks liked everyone to get along. The fact that a handsome stranger had caused the break-up of one of the premier marriages in Mt. Abrams had caused a lot of tongue wagging. This, Carol and I both knew, would send the gossip machine into a previously un-imagined high gear.
“Well, it looks like it’s already starting. Mary Rose will have it all over town in a heartbeat. And her boys…man, even if James does get off without a tr
ial, what a disaster this is going to be for everyone.”
Carol made a face. “This has been a very bad year for bodies popping up in Mt. Abrams. I think from now on, folks should hop on the train and head into Morristown if they feel like killing anyone.”
I smiled tiredly. “Maybe we could put up a few posters?”
“Actually, I think we should get the Historical Society on board. Keep Mt. Abrams cadaver-free in the coming year. What do you think?”
I had to laugh. “Mary Rose would love to get behind something like that. You should bring it up at the next meeting.”
I left the library feeling better, so I turned and started walking toward Upper Main Park. The kids were all out on their sleds. I squinted against the sun’s glare off the snow, and tried to see to Lower Main Park. I could make out some yellow tape, but that was all.
Boot and I walked down Blackburn, crossed Sommerfield, and made our way toward the crime scene.
There was not much to see. There was a patch of blood in the snow. With James’ confession, I wasn’t sure how much physical evidence would be needed. And if it was decided it was an accidental death…
I looked up the hill, picturing the truck coming down. Beth would have been where? In the middle of the road, of course. She’d want the most even and cleared path if she was running.
I looked around. There were plenty of trees on either side of Blackburn, skeletons against the sky, even without leaves making the road even darker.
And then I knew.
I knew.
I turned back and slowly walked home.
Glory and Garth were in the kitchen. Glory stood up quickly as I entered.
“Oh, Ellie, I hope you don’t mind, we made coffee and toast…we didn’t get to eat much yesterday.”
She looked even smaller than usual, almost frail, and completely exhausted. I crossed the room and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry. Can I fix you guys anything? I still have eggs, and there’s frozen waffles…”
“No, thanks,” Garth said gruffly. “You’ve done enough.”
I looked at them. “I’m sorry you two had to go through all this. James…well, thank God Sam was paying attention.”
Garth cleared his throat. “They would have found his fingerprints.”
“Yes, but until then one of you could have been in jail.”
Glory sniffed and sat down. “What should I do now?” she asked.
“Well, you run the website and have access to the mailing list. I would go ahead and publish the new book under your own name. Beth’s death is going to make your rights to the previous books a nightmare. I have the name of an intellectual property lawyer somewhere. I’ll get it to you.”
“The money? Without Beth paying me, I really need the money.”
I sighed. “Oh, Glory, that’s a tough one. Until you prove you wrote those other books, if you take any of her royalties, you could be in serious trouble. Do you know if she had a will?”
Glory nodded. “Yes, she did. She was obsessive about stuff like that.”
“Then I would wait and see who inherits, and appeal to their better nature.”
Garth shifted in the chair. “She had no family, maybe she left everything to Glory?”
Glory put her head down on the table and started to cry. I left them, went upstairs to my office, and started at my blank computer screen until Garth came up and asked me to drive them to the train station.
Glory came upstairs and took the few things from the room that had been Beth Riley’s. She packed up her tote bag and followed me down and out to the car. We rode down the hill to the train station. I watched them board, then drove to Dunkin Donuts and bought coffee, three Boston cream doughnuts, and a jelly stick.
I ate them all by myself, sitting in front of my cold fireplace.
* * *
When Sam finally came in, it was late afternoon. He kissed me briefly and shrugged out of his coat. “Can I sleep?”
I nodded and watched him go silently upstairs.
I made a Shepherd’s pie out of some ground beef and frozen vegetables. I used pre-made mashed potatoes for the top. When I finally took it, hot and bubbly, from the oven, Sam had just come downstairs, looking tired and unhappy.
We didn’t speak as I dished out the steaming goodness. We made it through most of the meal without a word.
“This is really good,” he said at last. “Can I finish it up?”
“Sure. You must have been starving, Sam. You practically ate the whole thing.
He nodded. “Yeah, well, I didn’t have lunch today.”
He finally pushed the empty plate away and took a deep breath. “They released James, as I thought. No bail. He’s not considered a flight risk.” He shook his head. “This whole thing is just so sad.”
“Sam, I need you to take a walk with me.”
He saw it in my face. He got up from the table, put on his coat, and followed Boot and I out Abrams Lane, and down to Blackburn Road.
The night was similar to last night, cold but not too windy, with a sliver of moon. We walked past lower main Park, then farther down.
I stopped in the middle of the road. “Look, I know the street lights are working now, but I don’t think it will make a difference. You’ll be able to see it. Just watch me, okay?”
I walked down the middle of Blackburn, Boot scampering by my side. Then I stood for a moment, then turned to face Sam.
“Well?”
He swore. I heard him. I walked back up to him, and he held out his arms, and held me tight while I finally cried.
* * *
Shelly did not look happy to see us. Her eyes were puffy. Her short hair was pushed up on one side, as though she’d slept on it.
“What do you want?” she asked dully.
Sam shouldered his way in. “I need to talk to James,” he said.
She didn’t shut the door in my face, but allowed me to follow Sam into her house. Her arms were folded against her chest and she looked small and frightened. “He’s sleeping,” she muttered.
“Then wake him up,” Sam said gently.
She looked at me, her eyes pleading. I had to look away.
It took her a few minutes, but James finally came downstairs, Shelly behind him, her hand on his shoulder.
He glared at Sam. “What now? I thought we were through.”
“I thought so too, James. I thought you ran over Beth Riley accidentally. I thought you couldn’t see her in the dark, and never knew what happened until too late.”
James sniffed. “That’s what happened.”
Sam shook his head sadly. “No, James. Ellie and I just walked down Blackburn. And you know what I saw? Clearly? I saw Ellie. Even in her dark coat. You know why? Because it wasn’t dark at all out there, James. The ground is covered with snow. White snow. Even with just a sliver of moonlight, it’s so bright out there…you saw her, James. You had to have seen her. You couldn’t help but see her, that black coat against the white snow.”
I couldn’t breathe. I watched Shelly.
Her face crumbled. “James? You said…but you said…” she whispered.
“She threatened Shelly,” James said, his voice low and broken. “She said now she knew where I lived, and that she’d find out where Shelly lived…you don’t know what she was capable of.” Tears were streaming down his face. “Please, Sam, if you don’t say anything…”
Sam’s face was impassive. “James, find a good lawyer. Talk to the DA. This doesn’t have to ruin your life forever.”
“I killed her,” James whispered. “And she got me. Again. She told me that she’d get me in the end. She laughed when she told me that.”
Sam walked over to Shelly and bent down a little. She raised her eyes to his.
“I know that Ellie loves you,” he said quietly. “And I love her. Nine o’clock tomorrow morning, I’m going to the DA’s office and tell him. You two have until then to do the right thing.”
He straightened up and walked back to me, took
me by the arm and led me out the door. I barely felt Boot as she tugged at the leash the whole long way home. I didn’t even feel the cold.
Chapter 8
My girls got home on that Saturday night, exhausted and full of stories. When I told them I’d made their favorite, homemade pizza, they pulled off their coats, left luggage piled up in the living room, and demanded to eat immediately. My ex-husband, Marc, sat and ate with us around the table. He looked happy and fit, and when he finally pushed himself away from the table, he announced, very casually, that he was going down the street to Lou Lombardi’s so maybe they could all go out for breakfast in the morning.
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Dad, you are disgusting at breakfast. I mean, all that healthy crap? Egg white omelets with veggies? No thanks. I’ll just sit here with Mom and watch her eat pancakes.”
Cait smiled. “It depends on how much I sleep in. I’ll text you, okay?”
Marc and I watched as the two of them climbed the stairs, dragging their suitcases behind them. I gave him a sidelong glance. “So, you and Lou still getting along?”
He nodded sheepishly.
Louise Lombardi was not a good friend, but we’d known and liked each other for a long enough time that the fact that she was sleeping with my ex raised more than a few eyebrows in town. I didn’t care. God knows, Lou didn’t either. I had been surprised when he told me, mainly because I knew that Lou liked men in the short term, but I’d never expected her to settle down. But with Marc, she’d obviously found someone worthy of more than a casual fling.
“And you and Sam?” he asked.
I took a deep breath. “Did Cait tell you what’s been happening here?”
We went into the living room and he waited patiently while I got the fire going. Boot had immediately jumped up on his lap and was trying to get as much of her furry body close to his as possible. I sat on a chair across from him and told him what had happened to Beth Riley.
He listened in silence, absently scratching Boot behind her ear. “Did James turn himself in?” he finally asked.
