“Why are we doing this?” Melina asked.
“We’re not really,” Hannah explained. “After a minute or two, I will pretend to have a seizure. I’ll fall to the floor and start writhing around, flailing my arms everywhere. One of you should get the older lady to help you subdue me. The other should tell the younger saleswoman to see if they have anything sweet in the back—juice, soda, whatever. When she goes to the back and, while the older one is helping me, Janine just walks out with whatever jewelry she has on. Head straight for the mall exit. Once you’re outside, put the bracelet in your pocket and walk to the McDonald’s across the street. Wait inside. When I ‘recover,’ we’ll meet you. Sound good?”
The three girls all stared at her with their jaws hanging open. It took several seconds for any of them to speak. Finally Kayla did.
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“Are you in if I am?”
“No,” she said emphatically. “No top, no matter how cute, is worth getting arrested for. That’s not just shoplifting. Stealing an expensive bracelet from a jewelry store takes it to another level.”
Hannah looked at the other two and saw that they felt the same way, so she pivoted hard.
“You guys fell for that?” she asked mockingly. “I can’t believe you all thought I was really suggesting it. I just wanted to see who was a little bit extra.”
“Looks like it was you,” Melina replied sharply.
Janine looked at the phone she’d dramatically pulled out of her pocket.
“Listen,” she said, her expression hidden beneath a mask of longish brown hair, “it’s getting kind of late. I told my folks I’d be home around this time.”
“Me too,” Melina said, though she’d been talking about getting a snack in the food court only minutes earlier. “Maybe we just call it a day.”
“Yeah, okay,” Hannah said, belatedly aware that she’d horribly misjudged the group vibe. “See you guys tomorrow.”
They nodded. Melina and Janine started off. Kayla lingered a moment longer.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked.
“Of course,” Hannah told her quickly. “I was just messing around. I thought everyone would joke about it, just play out how the scenario would go, you know, as a lark. I didn’t think anyone would think I was for real.”
“Okay,” Kayla said, seemingly unconvinced. “Sorry for spoiling it.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Hannah replied.
She walked around the mall for a little longer after they’d left so that she wouldn’t face any awkward moments if any of them was still outside. After a bit, she called for a rideshare to take her to her favorite coffee shop, and headed to the outdoor pickup location.
She felt the frustration bubbling inside her. Now, in addition to the whole thing with Kat, she had this to deal with too. Part of her wanted to say “screw ’em” to the girls if they couldn’t take a joke. Of course, it hadn’t been and everyone knew it. What would they say on Monday? she wondered.
She’d kept these kinds of dark ideas to herself for a reason and now she had a painful reminder as to why. Other people just didn’t think the same way she did. She’d let her guard down for a minute and now she was sure to pay a price for it.
As she approached the mall exit nearest the rideshare pickup zone, her thoughts were interrupted by an uneasy sensation, as if she was being watched. She turned around and scanned the people behind her, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to her.
Two young mothers were walking side by side, pushing strollers and sipping expensive coffee drinks. Some pre-teen boys were waiting in line at a freestanding pretzel kiosk, whacking each other with their jackets. A few senior citizens were doing their group exercise thing, ambling slowly in her direction, more focused on each step before them than any person in their path.
She heard a chuckle and glanced up to the second level, where a couple of guys, probably a few years older than her, were looking down in her direction. It took her a moment to realize that they were trying to peek down her top. She pretended not to notice and turned around, continuing toward the exit.
In her head, it made sense that those were the eyes she’d sensed on her. But in her gut, she knew it was someone else. It was only when she was in the car and the driver pulled out onto the street that she realized that her whole body was clenched into one big ball of stress. It took a long time for it to return to normal.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Despite the exhaustion burrowing into her bones, Jessie was still tingling with anticipation as she pulled up to the Aldridge house.
She was about to get out of the car when a text came in for her and Peters from Deputy Heck: All hotel employee alibis check out. Please advise.
She waited a few seconds to see if Peters would respond. When he didn’t, she texted back: Thanks. Unless Detective Peters disagrees, please stand down for now.
She had just turned off the car when Peters called.
“When are you coming into the station?” he asked. “I’ve been looking over the info on these swinger folks for over an hour now.”
“I’m just following up on a few loose ends,” she assured him, knowing that if she mentioned her current location, he’d either want to join her or warn her away. “I should be in soon.”
“Okay,” he said. “I could use your help. Nothing I’m finding so far is hugely revealing. All of these people are incredibly rich. But none of them have criminal records. Their businesses don’t seem shady. I can’t find anything obviously suspicious.”
“I’m not sure I could do much better,” she told him. “But I’m happy to look it all over when I get in.”
She hung up and walked up to the house as casually as she could. She was excited to see how Theo Aldridge would react when she revealed what she knew but she didn’t want to tip her hand. Getting that immediate, visceral reaction from a suspect was often essential to gauging their potential guilt.
This house, only a quarter mile from the Landers’ home, was equally impressive, if more tasteful. It was a standard Tudor-style mansion with perfectly manicured grass and well-trimmed rose bushes. She didn’t see any lawn ornaments simulating sex.
She rang the bell and waited for what felt like a long time before it was finally answered. Standing in front of her was a pretty, if harried-looking woman about Jessie’s age. She was small, with short black hair and piercing blue eyes.
Wearing yoga pants and a stretchy top, she looked like the kind of woman who modeled in mom shopping catalogues—attractive and shapely, but not so intimidating as to engender resentment. Before she said a word, Jessie knew that this was Ariana Aldridge.
“Hello, Mrs. Aldridge,” she said pleasantly. “I’m Jessie Hunt. We spoke on the phone earlier.”
“Oh, right,” Ariana said, snapping her fingers. “I know I was supposed to get back to you about doing an interview, but I had a rough time locking down times when my mom could watch Ginny, and then Theo came back and said everyone had gotten lawyers. I guess I just assumed it was off. Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” Jessie assured her. “Since I’m just a civilian profiler, I’m not bound by the rules regarding questioning once an attorney has been invoked. And I’d still love to talk to you if you’re open to it. But right now, I’m actually here to speak with your husband. We’re trying to nail down some final details and I think he can fill in some blank spots that could be really helpful. You said he’s home?”
“Yeah, he’s in the living room, supposedly playing with the baby but mostly watching the game. Come on back.”
Jessie followed the woman back, silently marveling at how fit she looked only months after having a baby. It seemed that she’d been using some of the family’s substantial wealth to maximize her personal training opportunities.
When they stepped into the living room, it took a second to locate Theo. The carpet was covered in toys, mats, stuffed animals, and multiple bouncy contraptions. Eventually she l
ocated him, sitting on the floor with his back resting against the couch. An adorable little girl was trying to climb up his chest and neck to yank his hair, just out of her reach. He accepted it without complaint, his eyes focused on the football game on the large screen on the wall.
“Hello, Mr. Aldridge,” Jessie said in a soothing voice she hoped wouldn’t upset the baby. “Good to see you again.”
Aldridge looked over at her and she could tell that the feeling wasn’t mutual.
“I thought you couldn’t come here after I called my lawyer.”
“That only applies to police,” Ariana volunteered on her behalf.
Jessie moved forward and sat on the edge of the couch. The baby eyed her curiously as she pulled three drool-covered fingers out of her mouth and pointed at her.
“I’ve actually just come from seeing the Landers,” she said as she gave the little girl a goofy smile, which got a happy cackle in response. “They were receptive to my visit when I indicated that I thought I could help square away their alibi.”
“What was that alibi?” Ariana asked curiously.
“I’m sorry,” Jessie said, trying to sound genuinely regretful. “I’m afraid I can’t share that with you. I assured them discretion, just as I would with you. That’s why I’d like to speak to Mr. Aldridge privately. I want to afford him the same level of confidentiality. I still very much want to speak with you, Mrs. Aldridge. But since you weren’t on the island at the time in question, I don’t want to taint your recollection with your husband’s description of events. You understand.”
“Sure,” Ariana replied, though it didn’t look like she did. “It’s time for Ginny’s afternoon nap anyway. I’ll put her down so you two can talk.”
She picked up the baby, who screeched in opposition, and left. When they were gone, Jessie turned to Theo, who didn’t look excited to have this conversation. She got the impression he would have said “no” flat out if his wife hadn’t been there.
“I think we should find somewhere more private to talk, Mr. Aldridge,” she told him. “This discussion could address some sensitive issues that you might want to keep private.”
“Why should I talk to you at all?” he asked, barely containing his belligerence.
She smiled as if he’d asked if she’d like a cookie.
“Because I might be able to formally remove you from our suspect list. Is that something you’d be interested in?”
He scowled at her but didn’t speak. Instead, he got up and motioned for her to follow him down the hall, where he opened the door to what looked like his office. When she entered he closed it behind her.
“Don’t lock it, please,” she instructed.
He raised his eyebrows, apparently surprised at the insinuation that she might not be safe alone in his presence. But he said nothing as he walked around to the other side of his desk and sat down. She took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs facing him.
“I don’t know how long we have before your wife returns,” she told him. “And I suspect you’d prefer she not hear what I have to say, so I’ll get right to the point: I know where you were last night.”
Though his eyes got wide, his voice was calm when he responded.
“I already told you where I was,” he countered. “I even gave you a list of people and places.”
“You gave me a laundry list without any specifics about when you were where and with whom. But some of your friends helped nail it down for me.”
Theo Aldridge’s face turned ashen but he didn’t reply so Jessie pressed on.
“Your good friends, Marin and Barry, indicated that they spent some quality time in their room with you. Does that comport with your recollection?”
“You can’t…no one is supposed to…please—” he stuttered, seemingly unsure how to respond.
“I’m not trying to mess up your marriage, Mr. Aldridge,” she told him, sensing his concern. “I don’t care about your little group’s cardinal rule about intermingling. And I don’t need to know the particulars of what activities you engaged in and with whom. That’s not my business. What I need to know is if you were in their hotel suite from ten p.m. until Melissa Ferro started screaming. And one more thing you should know before you answer: the Landers say they took video.”
He stood up and pressed his hands on his desk, palms down. He looked like he might faint. Jessie got to her feet as well.
“I was just curious to see what it was all about,” he said, his voice a mix of fear and confusion. “Ari had gone home. I had a lot to drink. They invited me up when they were leaving the bar. One thing led to another. I’ve never done anything like that before.”
“I’m not your priest, Mr. Aldridge,” she said, refusing to be sucked into his psychodrama. “I just need to know if you were all in that room from the time you left the bar until you heard the screams.”
He paused for a moment, as if he was debating whether he could still find a way out of this. Then, seeming to sense he couldn’t, he nodded.
“I was there. I was in their room the whole time. I didn’t have anything to do with Gabby’s death. I swear.”
Before she could reply, Jessie heard a bang behind her. She spun around to see that the office door had been thrown open. Ariana Aldridge was standing in the doorway with the baby in her arms and fury in her eyes.
“You bastard,” she yelled as she advanced on him.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
Jessie tried to be gentle.
She was worried about the baby and didn’t want to do anything that might put her at risk. So she took one large step forward and spread her arms wide, blocking Ariana’s momentum. The young mother, realizing she had nowhere to go, stopped. But that didn’t prevent her from yelling.
“I heard everything!” she shouted over the baby, who had gone from wide-eyed confusion to terrified crying. “I wanted to believe you. You said you just wanted to relax, that you didn’t want any part of that group sex stuff. I told myself I could trust you. But I had a feeling. I just knew it. I knew that the only reason you really wanted to stick around was to be a part of their little game. You disgust me!”
Theo was standing behind his desk like it was a shield that might protect him. He looked genuinely fearful.
“Ariana,” Jessie said softly, forcing the woman to meet her eyes,” I know you’re upset. You have every reason to be. But look at your child. She’s scared. You’ve got to think about her.”
“He wasn’t thinking about her when he decided to have a threesome the second I was gone.”
“I just—” Theo began to protest. But Jessie cut him off so that he didn’t exacerbate the situation.
“No, he wasn’t,” she agreed, “and he’s going to pay a price for that. But right now, we need to cool things down a little. So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to hand me Ginny and I’ll pass her over to Theo. They’ll stay in here for a little while. You and I are going to the kitchen to get some water and take a breath. Then we’ll reevaluate, okay?”
She looked back and forth between them. Theo’s face was pinched in apprehension and his hands squeezed the back of his chair, as if he was ready to use it to defend himself if necessary.
Ariana Aldridge didn’t look like she was especially enthused with the idea, but after a few seconds her face softened slightly and she nodded. She whispered soothing shushes to the baby as she handed her over to Jessie, who in turn put her in Theo’s outstretched arms.
“Don’t leave this room,” she ordered, and then turned back to his wife. “Why don’t you lead the way to the kitchen?”
Ariana, who no longer looked like she might jump across the desk to get at her husband, gave him one last, sickened stare and left the room. Jessie followed her, keeping enough of a distance that she had time to react if the woman changed her mind and charged back to the office. It turned out not to be necessary.
They reached the kitchen and Ariana walked over to a cabinet and pulled out two glasses.
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“Is tap okay?” she asked. “Or would you prefer mineral water?”
“Tap is fine,” Jessie said. She wasn’t really thirsty. She was just hoping that having the woman perform an everyday task would get her back on the road to normalcy.
As she waited, she rested her hands on the kitchen counter and allowed herself a moment to regroup. She casually scanned the messy countertop, covered in empty baby bottles, pacifiers, and a pile of unopened mail. Next to a set of keys rested a checkbook with several pieces of paper sticking out. Glancing at them absently, she noticed a name at the bottom of one. It said: Catalina Couriers. Looking closer, she saw that there were multiple receipts with the name.
“Ice?” Ariana asked with her back to Jessie as she opened the fridge to get herself some.
“Sure.”
As Ariana rifled through the ice tray, Jessie slid out the receipts slightly and saw that they weren’t receipts at all. They were ticket stubs. There were four of them.
Ariana closed the fridge and turned around to hand over the glass. Jessie’s body was tingling slightly, though she couldn’t quite place why. Something just felt off.
“I hate to impose but do you think I could have a little something to eat?” she asked. “I didn’t have lunch. Even a few crackers or a granola bar should tide me over.”
“No problem,” Ariana said. “That’s all in the pantry. Just give me a second.”
“Thanks so much,” Jessie replied.
The second Ariana was out of sight, Jessie moved the stubs out further so she could read them all clearly. The first two made sense. One was a ticket from Long Beach Terminal to Avalon on Friday afternoon. The second was a return trip to Long Beach on Saturday afternoon. That one was clearly Ariana’s unexpected, rushed return to the mainland after bailing on the swingers’ weekend.
The Perfect Impression Page 18
