Murder in Hillsboro

by Jane T O'Brien

  “Elizabeth was in an accident? I ran into her a few months ago at a political event. Is she all right?”

  “The doctors believe she will be, she suffered an injury to her back and was paralyzed for a time, however, she is making remarkable progress. The accident happened the night of the rally. Elizabeth said you walked her to her car. Do you remember seeing anything unusual or anyone else in the parking lot?”

  “I wish I could help you, Luke. I’d almost forgotten about that night, seeing Elizabeth again was the bright spot in the evening. I’d dropped in at Avery Conway’s headquarters earlier in the day. Her daughter, Candace greeted me when I entered the office. She was personable and urged me to attend the rally that night. My fiancé was busy with a work project and I had time to kill so I stopped by. I’m afraid Candace had the wrong idea and thought I was there because of her. I was surprised and relieved when I saw a familiar face. Elizabeth and I were friends in high school and hadn’t seen each other since. We had a lot of catching up to do and I’m afraid I monopolized her time. I offered to walk her to her car, she was leaving early because she was meeting her guy for dinner. It was dark out there and the lighting is bad. When she was safely in her car, I went back to the party. I didn’t stay too long after that and didn’t know Elizabeth was in an accident.”

  “Elizabeth has only a vague memory of the accident and the aftermath,” said Luke. “She remembered you talking about a red Porsche parked near her car.”

  “That’s right, I stopped to admire it. I was thinking of buying one a few years ago; I met Shannon and gave up my plans for living the single life. Not that I’m complaining but I like to dream occasionally.”

  “Do you know who the car belonged to?”

  “No,” replied Tim, “there were so many fat cats at the party, it could have been anybody’s car. Why are you asking about the Porsche, was it involved in the accident?”

  “Elizabeth had a memory of being followed closely that night by someone in a red Porsche. The owner could be responsible for the accident or merely an eyewitness.”

  “I wish I could help you. No one was in the parking lot, but it was dark that night. The moon must have been only a sliver and covered in clouds.”

  “Was Candace Conway waiting for you when you returned to the party?” asked Luke.

  “You know, I don’t remember seeing her again, she might have been in the back room. The liquor was flowing steadily and I’m sure the bar needed replenishing often during the evening. I was meeting Shannon later that evening and didn’t stick around long after Elizabeth left. Give me time to think about it and I’ll call you if I remember anything else.”

  Luke thanked Tim for taking the time to talk to him and left the insurance office. His instinct told him Tim Hobart did not know of the accident. It wouldn’t be difficult finding the owner of a red Porsche in Hillsboro. There couldn’t be too many of them. Hillsboro is a diverse town with many wealthy residents, but most are middle class or borderline poor. Only a handful of those who can afford to drive a two-hundred-thousand-dollar vehicle opts for a sports car.

  He thought of Molly Ryan. He wanted to help her and Stephanie find their birth mother. He marveled that both girls found homes where they had parents who loved them. He didn’t consider himself a man of unquestioning faith, however, if ever there was a miracle, those two babies found theirs twenty-five years ago. He was fascinated with their story and had to admit, he was also fascinated with the lovely Molly. His car seemed to have a mind of its own when he pulled into the parking lot of Buds and Blooms. He knew Elizabeth Carpenter started her job there today and told himself he wanted to update her on his conversation with Tim Hobart. Not that Tim had anything new to add but it would give him the excuse to see Molly again.

  “Luke, how nice to see you,” said Molly when he walked into the store. “Are you here to see Elizabeth?”

  “Yes, I’d like to talk to her if I’m not interrupting her work. This place is fantastic, I thought a flower shop only sold flowers.”

  Molly laughed, “I’m guessing it’s been a long time since you’ve been in a floral shop. If we didn’t carry a variety of items, I’m afraid we wouldn’t stay in business. If our biggest sellers are floral arrangements, I’m not complaining. Maybe you’d like to pick something out for your best girl, it’s on the house.”

  “I might take you up on that, does it matter if my best girl is my mother?” he asked.

  “No, in fact, that’s better, I mean mothers should be our best girls.” Molly blushed, “I’m not sure what I’m trying to say so I’ll get Elizabeth, she’s in the back. Pick out something you like and I’ll whip up a fresh arrangement for your mom.”

  Elizabeth walked well on her crutches. “Luke, did Tim have anything helpful to say?”

  “Elizabeth, you’re walking better than you did the other day, that’s a good sign. I talked to Tim, he confirmed what you remembered and added nothing new. He was sorry to hear about your accident and I’m sure he had nothing to do with it.”

  “Tim wouldn’t have any reason to hurt me, he’s engaged and seems happy, you can’t be thinking he was upset that Brad and I were planning a wedding.”

  “No, I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. What do you know about Avery Conway? Luke said you were both at a kick-off party for her congressional run,”

  “Yes, I attended, I was more curious than anything about Senator Beresford’s daughter. My mother is the same age as Avery Conway, she said when she was a pre-teen Avery’s picture was in the paper often. She was the princess of the strawberry festival parade two years in a row. Mom said Avery fit the role of a princess and was the envy of every girl in her class because she was pretty and seemed to have everything a girl could want. Mom thought she’d changed through the years from a smiling beauty to a sullen woman. I only met her briefly that day and although she smiled and put on a good performance, I had the feeling she was an unhappy person.”

  “From what I’ve heard of Senator Beresford, he is extremely disciplined and expects the same from those around him. He doesn’t talk much to the press, maybe because he’s been in office for thirty-six years he feels above scrutiny. Do you know anything about Mrs. Conway’s daughter, Candace?”

  “Yes, Candace was at the kick-off party. She was interested to hear about her mother when she was young, she looked at me questioningly and I suspected she didn’t believe what I told her. Before we finished our conversation, I saw Tim and excused myself to talk to him. Tim said he was trying his best to avoid her and we walked into another room.”

  “I might be heading in the wrong direction but I think someone was at the party who didn’t like you or didn’t like you talking to Tim. Do you have any enemies you know about, Elizabeth? Someone you dated or someone Brad dated, were there any messy breakups?”

  “No, nothing like that, we’ve both had other relationships although none were serious enough to warrant someone trying to kill me. Brooke Hartley works with Brad and told me the girls in the office all had a crush on Brad. I didn’t take it seriously.”

  Molly heard them talking and wondered if she should mention Brooke and her feelings for Brad. No, that ended the minute she saw Elizabeth. She didn’t know Brooke well but she couldn’t imagine she would run someone off the road. She’d keep quiet for now.

  “Have you chosen an arrangement you’d like for your mom, Luke?” Molly asked.

  “I’d like that one but I insist on paying for it.”

  “No, I promised you flowers and that’s what you will get.”

  “How about if I take you to dinner instead?”

  “She would be delighted!” called Elizabeth as she walked to the back room.

  “She’s a bossy one, isn’t she? I’d love to go to dinner but I must warn you, I’m not a cheap date. You’d be better off paying for the flowers,” laughed Molly.

  Luke enjoyed watching her put the arrangement together. She knew exactly where each flower stem should be placed to make a beaut
iful display. He knew his mother would be happy to receive them and planned to go directly to his childhood home to present them to her. She loved flowers and had a bouquet on her dining room table all summer long.

  In the Conway house, Charles Conway opened the morning mail.

  “Grayson,” he called to his son, “you have mail. It looks like your driver’s license has finally arrived.”

  Grayson taught himself to drive shortly after his fourteenth birthday. His parents never paid much attention to what he was doing and it worked out well when he practiced his driving on the grounds surrounding their home. Candace went with him to apply for his permit six months before his sixteenth birthday. She guessed he’d been driving for some time when he drove home from the Department of Motor Vehicles like an experienced driver. Finally, I can drive by myself without Candace sitting in the passenger seat annoying me.

  He knew Candace wasn’t sleeping in her bed every night and planned to follow her when she drove off later in the day. Maybe she was with that Tim guy she was always mooning over.

  Grayson suspected his sister was hiding something and was determined to find out what it was. He’d searched her room several times and couldn’t find anything unusual. He’d watched a movie where money was hidden beneath a loose floorboard and planned to check the floor in her room the next time she disappeared.

  Candace sat at her dressing table. She pulled her hair back and wrapped it into a bun at the nape of her neck. Wearing no makeup and dressing in the cheap clothes purchased from the discount store in town, she stood back and admired her Lucy West look. Stupid Elizabeth almost recognized me last night. I forgot to wear my horn-rimmed reading glasses. I won’t make that mistake again. I don’t know why jolly Molly talked to me. I can’t believe she is my flesh and blood. Nobody in my family is that friendly. It will be my pleasure to wipe that smile off her beautiful face. Candace could feel the bile rising in her throat when she thought of her two sisters who were as beautiful as her mother. My life would be so different if I looked like them, all the boys would fall at my feet and Tim Hobart would be mine forever.

  Candace drove to the Balsam Lake Apartments not realizing her brother was following behind her. She removed the Gucci jacket used to cover her Lucy look when she left her house and parked in the resident parking.

  Grayson watched his sister as she stepped out of the car. He didn’t recognize the girl who he thought was his sister. Why is she in disguise? he wondered, she looks even uglier than she is. Does Tim live here? Grayson wasn’t sure what to do, he knew he couldn’t enter the building without a key and didn’t want to sit in his car waiting for her to leave. I’ll go check out the floorboards in her room.

  When Grayson arrived home, his father was waiting for him. “I thought you’d like to take a drive with me now that you have your license, we could go to the driving range at the club. I’ll teach you the basics of golf.”

  “Why the sudden interest in me, Daddy dearest, you’ve wanted nothing to do with me before this?”

  “I know, Grayson, I haven’t been a good father to you and Candace. However, I would like to start over if you give me a chance.”

  “Not today, Pops, I have better things to do,” he said while turning his back on his father.

  Charles wasn’t surprised at his son’s reaction; he knew he had a lot to make up for but was determined to change his life around and that included winning over his children and his wife. Up to now, he shown little interest in Avery’s political career and maybe he could make up for it by joining her at her campaign headquarters.

  Grayson watched out his bedroom window until he saw his father drive off. He felt bad about turning down his offer but he wanted to check Candace’s room one more time while she was gone. Although Charles had been indifferent to his son through the years, Grayson loved his father. At his young age, he knew instinctively that his mother had little or no feelings for the man she married.

  Grayson walked to the end of the hall to Candace’s bedroom, he wasn’t surprised when he discovered the door was locked. It didn’t take much to spring the lock, he’d done it several times before. He walked into the room and noticed the empty bags from a discount store on her bed. The receipt was still in the bag. She’d purchased over two hundred dollars in clothing and shoes. This was his sister who refused to wear anything but designer clothes. Again, he wondered what she was up to. He looked at the small rug on the far side of her bed, lifted it and felt the floorboard. It was loose. He pulled it up and found a shoe box. He carefully opened the box only to discover a diary. He didn’t want to read the junk his sister wrote about and put the box away when the diary opened and he recognized his mother’s handwriting. He read and was shocked to know his mother, the ice princess, had given birth to twins when she was his age.

  Maybe Candace isn’t disguising herself for Tim, maybe it has more to do with our sisters. Mother thought they were both dead, however, I’d be willing to bet they are alive and Candace knows where they are. This can’t be good for them; Candace won’t want to share her inheritance with anyone else and that includes me. I don’t know how to stop her but I must try.

  Grayson was curious about his sisters. He had to figure out a way to find them. I’m sure at least one of them is alive and Candace knows where she is. Maybe she is living in the apartment building where Candace went today. I could park across the street and wait for people to go in and out of the building. No, I don’t know what she looks like and somebody might call the cops on me. Grayson needed time to think. He put the diary back in the shoebox and returned the floorboard in place covering it with the rug. He locked Candace’s door as he left the room. He didn’t know how but he would find his sister or sisters.

  Chapter Nine

  Candace hated her studio apartment. How people lived like this, she would never understand. It never occurred to her that a jail cell would be even smaller and more unappealing than the cozy little apartment she rented to rid herself of one sister.

  Candace’s apartment was on the fifth floor, the same floor as the fitness room. If I open my front door a crack, I can watch people sweating and gasping for breath while they work out. Molly uses the room almost every evening after she closed that dumb little flower shop. Most people come first thing in the morning or shortly after they come home from their mundane jobs. It’s rare that anyone works out when Molly is there.

  It will be so simple to push her down the stairs. She never uses the elevator and she will be tired when she finishes her workout. I’ll meet her by chance when she leaves and walk with her to the fourth floor, that is the longest drop, I’ll give her a shove and that will be the end of one sister. If she survives the fall, it will knock her out, and that’s when I’ll make sure she’s dead or bash her head in and finish the job. Someone will see her dead body or investigate the stench coming from the stairwell. The other one will be so distraught over her sister’s death, I’ll help ease her sorrow by leading her to the waterfall at Hillsboro Point, one shove and she’ll never know what hit her. The sisters will be together for eternity.

  Candace rubbed her hands together and smiled her sinister smile while watching herself in the mirror. Everyone will look for Lucy West but she will no longer exist. After I’m through with the twins, I’ll work on getting Tim into my bed. Now that Elizabeth is married; he will be free to love me.

  Luke arrived at Molly’s apartment at six o’clock. Brooke opened the door for him. “Hi Luke, Molly is changing, she’ll be out in a second. How’s the newspaper business?”

  “It was a slow news day, I talked with Elizabeth Carpenter’s friend, Tim Hobart. I don’t believe he had anything to do with her accident.”

  “So, you don’t think he’s a disillusioned lover, seeking revenge?”

  “No, he and Elizabeth ran into each other at a political rally. They had been friends in high school and, according to Tim, they hadn’t seen each other since. He is engaged to someone else. I’d like to know more about the function
they both attended. It was a kick-off for Avery Beresford Conway’s campaign. The accident happened when Elizabeth drove off after leaving the party.”

  “I’m not into politics but now that you mention Avery Conway, I remember seeing her picture a few weeks ago,” Brooke took her phone out of her pocket and brought up a photo of Avery Conway. “Is it my imagination, or does she remind you of Molly and Stephanie?”

  Luke looked at the picture. “I can see a slight resemblance, she’s older and her smile isn’t warm like Molly’s. I haven’t paid much attention to her campaign; Bud Ambrose is assigned to the political desk at the paper. Maybe I should stop by the campaign office tomorrow to ask about her next public appearance.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Molly stepped into the living room. She was wearing a casual dress that accentuated her tiny waist with a gathered short skirt showing off her shapely legs.

  “Wow!” said Luke, his eyes widened as he watched Molly walk across the room, “you look terrific.”

  “Thanks, Luke, you don’t look so bad yourself. What’s this about campaign offices, are you a political junkie?”

  “No, can’t say I’m a junkie although I was thinking of checking out Avery Beresford Conway. Have you heard of her?”

  “I’ve heard of Senator Beresford, he’s well-known. I knew he had a daughter running for office but I know nothing about her.”

  “Molly, have you ever seen a picture of her?” asked Brooke. “You and Stephanie look like her.” Brooke showed Molly her phone with the photo of Avery.

  “You think she looks like Steph and me? I don’t know, Brooke, the woman looks like she’s mad at the world.”