I only have a short time left to live, but I’m going to send this letter and then come clean to Chip Goggins, who you probably know as Mr. Ricci’s lawyer. I’ve invited him over with the promise of a story he’ll never forget. We’ve had our differences, that’s for sure, but he deserves to know the truth. And, now that you know, I think I can pass over with a clean heart.
With Love,
Trevor Sullivan
*****
Chapter 24
The Truth Comes Home
Aurora sat in stunned silence and read and re-read the letter five more times. She just couldn’t wrap her head around it at first. Slowly, the words began to make sense. So Beppe had never been responsible for Lauren’s death. It had been Aurora’s own father!
She felt shame rise in her throat, followed by guilt. She’d just sent Beppe to jail. She had to go to the police and stop it, she had to set it right. For just a moment, temptation rose in her like a snake. She didn’t have to go. She could burn the letter instead. If the people of Bent River knew what was written in it, they’d never allow her to stay. As the daughter of a murderer and as the woman who’d coerced a confession out of Beppe, she’d be a social pariah forever. But…but if she burned the letter…well…she’d be hailed as a hero and welcomed to town. She’d find friends and maybe even a family here in Bent River. Her dream would come true.
For a second, Aurora let herself be tempted. Then she laughed. The temptation evaporated. She remembered that party. She remembered how the Ricci family had embraced her as one of their own that night. She remembered how good Ricardo Ricci had been to her, a complete stranger, all because of a debt he thought he owed. She remembered how much Joy cared for her family.
No, she’d never let any harm come to them.
Then a frown crossed Aurora’s face. Her father’s letter explained who had killed Lauren. But it didn’t explain what had happened to Chip. Who had killed him, and why? It was still a big mystery. Surely it was linked to this letter somehow. But Aurora couldn’t find the link at all. She read it one more time.
An organized room is an amazing thing, not just because it looks good, but also because it functions well. When you enter a well-organized space, it becomes a tool, helping you in achieving whatever it is you desire, whether it is to simply relax, or to build a jet engine, or to bond with others.
A well organized mind works just the same.
So Aurora went to work, organizing everything she knew, every small detail she could think of. There was no doubt in her mind that, if she just sorted all the data and studied it, she’d find what she needed.
Mentally, she created a triangle. She placed Lauren, Trevor and Arthur Sullivan on one point. She placed The Ricci Family on the second point. Poised above them, she placed Chip Goggins - whose murder was still unsolved.
Chip had no doubt written Trevor’s confession into an exciting new chapter for his book. He’d been waiting for Aurora to receive the letter and get permission from her to publish her family’s story. Someone had found out, and killed Chip.
Joy’s mother had broken into Chip’s house to read his book because she was afraid of what secrets he might spill. Someone else had come to Chip’s house that night, too. Someone who hit Joy’s mother on the head and then shot Chip six times, killing him.
Who? Why?
Sighing, Aurora headed to the fridge. She grabbed a Coke and leaned on the counter, sipping it. Idly, she looked out the window. Headlights washed up the street as a cold and terrible idea dawned on Aurora. Suddenly, she thought she knew what had happened.
*****
Chapter 25
Cat and Mouse
Aurora swung the front door open just as a red pickup truck pulled up. Her stomach tightened. Cole got out of the driver’s seat and gave her a wave. Then he beckoned her over. Joy was slumped over in the front seat.
“What’s wrong with her?” Aurora asked.
“I don’t know. She said she wanted to go see Max urgently, then she just fainted,” Cole sounded worried. “I didn’t know what to do. Can you help me bring her in?”
Aurora flashed back to her first day in Bent River - her and Joy lifting Beppe onto to the couch in the living room.
“You were a football player, right? Surely you can handle a girl all by yourself.” Aurora tried to keep her voice light.
“Oh…no, I can’t do this by myself. I need your help.” Cole’s smile was fixed, his eyes were hungry.
“Drop it, Cole. I know,” Aurora said. “I know what you did.”
“And what is it that?”
“You murdered Chip,” Aurora said. “You shot him six times in the chest. You were the one who caused the explosion in Pietro’s Café, too, weren’t you? You wanted the thumb drive with Chip’s new chapter and you didn’t care who you hurt to get it.”
Chip threw his shoulders back. He was a foot taller than Aurora. He was also in very good shape. Aurora considered trying to outrun him but knew she’d probably get tackled in seconds.
“Now why would you say such an upsetting thing?” Cole asked her. “Come now, Aurora. Let’s go inside and talk. Help me carry Joy.” His words were an order this time. “You want to help, don’t you? You want to cooperate, because you’d feel oh so bad if something happened to Joy.”
Aurora took a breath. They were so far from town. So far from anyone who could help. The police were busy with Beppe and James, and they had no reason to come by tonight. Aurora had no way of calling them, either - Cole would surely put a stop to any attempt. There was no hope for a rescue. For now, she had to play along.
“Well?” Cole held the passenger door open wide. “Are you helping?”
Wordlessly, Aurora took hold of Joy’s legs. Cole grabbed her arms. Together, they moved her like a sack into the living room. Aurora prayed that Cole wouldn’t notice she’d left the front door wide open. If anyone drove by and saw that, hopefully they’d suspect something and call the police.
But nobody would drive by this place. It was far too isolated out here.
Cole and Aurora placed Joy on the couch. Then Cole pulled a revolver out of his jacket.
“What are you going to do?” Aurora asked.
“I’m going to do what I should have done a lot earlier. Get rid of you once and for all.” Cole smiled.
“Don’t you want to ask me how I know you killed Chip?” Aurora teased. She had to buy time somehow.
“Well…sure. Why don’t you tell me all about it.” Cole grinned.
“It’s the oldest story in the world, and it’s so obvious once you know all the pieces,” Aurora said. “You told me yourself that Lauren was your mother’s cousin. You’re related to the Sullivan family. You’re probably the last one.”
Cole only gave her an enigmatic smile.
“Arthur Sullivan was a rich man. Trevor was in jail for a long time and so he probably never got a chance to spend his father’s money, assuming it went to him. And I suspect Arthur Sullivan’s estate still has properties here in Bent River. Perhaps cash, too. You heard about Trevor’s cancer and began to salivate at the thought of getting all that money. But then, you heard about Ricardo leaving his house to a stranger and, somehow, you figured out who I was.”
“Because, unlike the rest of this town, I’m smart.” Cole’s grin widened. “Go on.”
“More likely you found out through Max. Either way, that’s it, really. You didn’t want me to know who my father was. You didn’t want anyone to know. You wanted Trevor to die with that secret so that you could inherit all his money as his next-of-kin. But you found out Chip was going to visit Trevor and you learned that Chip had a book that was about to be published. So, you panicked.”
“Panicked? Quite the opposite. I became cold as ice. I came up with a simple plan,” Cole said. “The simplest plans are best, don’t you think? I had such a brilliant alibi, too. Slip a pill in Beppe’s drink and have him sleep over at the bar. Then sneak away during the dead hours of the night, kill Chip and s
neak back. Nobody would ever suspect I wasn’t at the bar. Solid alibi. As for Trevor, well, I didn’t have to bother with him. I knew his cancer would kill him.”
Aurora’s eyes welled. “Then he’s really dead?”
“Yep. He died three days ago,” Cole said. “Don’t worry, though. You’ll meet him again real soon.”
Aurora had never known him but she still felt a stab of regret at losing the father she’d never known.
“But now, here we are,” Cole said. “Chip’s dead, Trevor’s dead, Beppe’s in jail, so is James. Kind of perfect, don’t you think?”
“And Joy?” Aurora looked over at the prone figure. Had she seen Joy’s hand twitch just a bit? She thought so.
“That little idiot came into my bar tonight and nearly gave me a heart attack. It was easy enough to slip something into her beer, though. I just had to bat my eyes a bit and distract her.” Cole laughed. “She was bent on exposing you as the liar and the fraud she thinks you are. But I have to give her credit - if anyone was smart enough to solve the case, it was her. Well, and you were, too, obviously. But you surprised me. I didn’t expect any brains beneath that pastel-colored armor of yours.” He paused and gave her a considering look. “Well, I suppose I have to come up with something to satisfy the general public now. Everyone knows you and Joy were fighting about the house. What story shall I come up with? Did Joy shoot you in anger because you got her father arrested? Or did you shoot her because you’d killed Chip and she found out? Either way, it’ll be a murder-suicide, of course. You both need to die.”
“I have an idea,” Aurora said. “Why don’t you confess to everything and give yourself up?”
Cole laughed. “Come now, Aurora. I have a beautiful life ahead of me. I don’t intend to spend it behind bars like your loser father did.”
“I have a question, then,” Aurora said. “How much?”
“Huh?”
“How much did you do it for? What did Arthur Sullivan leave behind? You killed Chip, you were willing to kill Pietro and Giulia, and now Joy and me. What was your price?”
“Three million dollars!” Cole barked with laughter. “That’s a rough figure - it might be much higher. Max told me, the silly dolt. He never even realized I’d be the one inheriting it. He was just marveling that someone with that much wealth had a son in jail.”
Aurora thought she heard something - a soft padding of footsteps in the hallway. She moved in a semi circle. Cole moved in perfect sync with her, the revolver still focused on her forehead. But this way, at least he had his back to the hall.
Aurora looked down at Joy - her fingers twitched again.
“You think you’ve cleaned up all the loose ends,” Aurora said, “but there’s one thing you haven’t considered. There’s a door you haven’t closed.”
“What’s that?” Cole leaned forward.
“The front door!” Aurora suddenly shouted and dove at his feet, sweeping them out from under him. The revolver went off instantly and Aurora felt a flash of heat just above her head. There was a lot of screaming and the sound of heavy footsteps down the hall. Aurora heard a thud as the revolver fell somewhere on the floor.
Cole had fallen to the floor when Aurora dove at him, but he recovered quickly. Instantly, he was on his feet again and aimed a heavy kick at her. Cole was a big man, and one hit was enough to have Aurora seeing stars. She felt the world swim before her. Snarling, Cole turned to search for the gun, and then a blur of feathers obscured Aurora’s vision.
Philbert had followed her all the way home in search of Beppe. And, of course, seeing the front door open, he’d wandered right in.
An Ostrich, when angered, stabs at you with his beak with a force that can rival any dagger in the world. In hand-to-hand combat, a strong man can perhaps defeat the bird. But when caught off-guard, the element of surprise plays a pivotal role. An unprepared man can be defeated by the bird.
Cole was caught off-guard. He was screaming on the floor when Joy leveled the revolver at him.
“Alright…Philbert…that’s enough,” Joy mumbled, awakening from her stupor. She had a silly smirk on her face. But her expression quickly turned to concern as she held out a hand to help Aurora up. “You ok?”
“You saved my life,” Aurora said, dazed.
“Call the police and we can work out who saved whose life later,” Joy said. “Personally, I think the Ricci family owes the Sullivan’s a huge debt…again.”
*****
Chapter 26
After
After the skirmish with Cole, Aurora had a nasty bump on her head. She spent a day in the hospital, at the insistence of Dr. James Russo. He and Beppe had been released immediately when the chief read Trevor’s letter and heard Cole’s reluctant confession.
She didn’t have time to think too much - it seemed that every single resident of Bent River came to see her. The person whose visit cheered her up the most, however, was Max Goggins.
He brought her coffee and donuts.
“You can take the week off, I guess.” Max smiled at her. “Then, maybe you can join me as a proper employee.”
“Are you sure?” Aurora asked.
“I should be asking you that,” Max said. “After all, you’re a millionaire now! Or, rather, you will be as soon as the legal tangles are smoothed out.”
Aurora frowned. “Are you the lawyer handling the Sullivan money?”
“Not me. Sullivan preferred an out-of-town lawyer. If Chip and I had been handling the case, I think I might have helped solve it sooner. Or maybe the police would have figured it out themselves.”
“I don’t know.” Aurora shrugged. “My mom did a pretty good job hiding who I was. She was genuinely scared of my father. Likely, if Ricardo’s private investigator hadn’t found me, nobody would have ever known who I was.”
“It’s just crazy.” Max shook his head. “The whole thing. Who would ever have suspected Cole?!”
“You can say that again.”
“But, well, that’s Bent River for you. Things are always a little crooked here. People too, sometimes.” Max grinned.
Aurora only sighed and sank deeper into her pillow.
“Get well soon, will you?” He squeezed her hand. “Someone else is here to see you, by the way. A whole lot of someones.”
He left the room and the others came in: Joy, her parents, Uncle Pietro and Aunt Giulia, Uncle Beppe. Seven was a crowd in the small hospital room, but they managed to fit.
“We can’t thank you enough,” Beppe said. “I can’t thank you enough.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I should be apologizing to you,” Aurora said. “I put you in jail!”
“No, you forced me to confess, and confession is good for the soul,” Beppe said. “I feel clean for the first time in years. Keeping that secret was rotting up my insides.”
“My grandfather did you dirty,” Aurora said. “He let you believe you killed Lauren when he knew it was Trevor all along. I’m surprised you can stand to be in the same room as me.”
“Everything about you reminds me of Lauren,” Uncle Beppe said. “If she and I had eloped together, maybe we’d have had a daughter your age.” He hesitated. “I know I won’t be worth much but, if you’d like, please consider me your uncle.”
“Why just him? We’re all your family now!” Aunt Giulia chimed in. “You saved this entire family!”
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