by Ellery Adams
He frowned. “What do we do with their cars?”
“Iris’s place isn’t too far from here, and it’s remote,” Sabrina said. “We’ll drive the cars there, and we’ll leave the last two cookie jars in the woods. The police will think they’re dead and waste their time looking for them.”
Molly knew she had one last card to play. “Julian, hasn’t it occurred to you that once Iris and I are out of the way, Sabrina will have to get rid of you, too?” He stared at her, dumbfounded. The thought had never crossed his mind. “She can’t risk you telling anyone about this.”
Sabrina took a step toward her. “I told you to shut up,” she said. “Don’t listen to her, Julian. You know I love you, and as soon as they’re out of the way, we’ll get married, and I’ll buy Laurel Wreath for you, and we’ll run it together.”
Molly said, “Sabrina, did you know Brett asked Iris to move in with him?”
Slowly, Sabrina turned in her direction, her eyes flaring. “You’re lying,” she hissed.
“No, I’m not,” Molly said.
Sabrina said to Iris, “Tell her it’s not true.”
Iris opened her mouth and closed it. She couldn’t speak. But it didn’t matter. The damage had been done. Molly could see the beginnings of doubt spread across Julian’s face. Everyone has their daydreams and fantasies, she thought. Sabrina was his. But Sabrina’s had been Brett, and now he knew it.
Sabrina said to him, “If you’re not going to kill them, I will. Give me the gun.”
“No,” Julian said. “I’ll do it.” He waved the gun at Molly and Iris. “Get up, both of you. We’re going to the basement.”
Sabrina kissed his cheek. “I knew you’d come through for me again,” she said in a sweet voice that made Molly feel like throwing up. “I love you so much.”
Julian smiled back at her, and that’s when Molly knew she and Iris were going to die.
This can’t be happening, she thought. I can’t let these two losers kill us. Tyler needs me, Matt needs me, and my mother will be furious with me for getting myself into this situation.
She glanced at Iris. Her eyes were as big as saucers, but she flicked her brow, and that’s when Molly realized she was alerting her to something she had barely noticed, a subtle movement on the porch.
“Julian, you don’t have to do this,” Molly said.
“I told you both to get up,” he said.
Molly stood, but Iris couldn’t move. She tried to, but her legs were like wet noodles, and she flopped back down on the couch.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Sabrina said. “What do I have to do, carry you downstairs?”
Molly risked a quick glance out the window. At the same time, the front door smashed open and someone yelled “Freeze!” Julian turned, his gun pointing away from Molly. Without hesitating, she grabbed Iris by the arm, pulled her to the floor, and threw herself on top of her. Gunfire exploded into the room, and she covered her eyes as the powder smell filled her nostrils.
Opening one eye, she saw Julian on the floor, the color drained from his face, blood pooling around him. Sabrina had dropped to her hands and knees and was crawling toward the gun, which had dropped out of his hand. But she never made it. The room quickly filled with cops, and one of them stood over Sabrina with his gun drawn.
It all happened so fast, Molly felt like she was in a movie. Iris was curled up on the floor in a fetal position moaning, and she said to her, “It’s okay.” She rubbed her back like she was a baby. “The police are here. We’re all right.”
“Are you sure?” Iris squeaked.
“Yes,” Molly said. “The game is over, and we won.”
Chapter 29
Molly saw Lombardi heading their way, holstering his gun. He helped her and Iris to their feet, but Iris wasn’t ready to stand on her own, and she flung her arms around Molly’s waist.
“Are either of you hurt?” he asked.
“We’re okay,” Molly said, holding Iris upright.
Lombardi called for an EMT. Two men came into the house and took Iris away from Molly. She went willingly, averting her eyes from Julian’s lifeless body, and Sabrina, who was glaring at them as Detective Sanchez read her her rights.
Molly said, “Julian was going to take us to the basement to kill us. They’re both responsible for killing Brett and Jasper.”
He held up a hand. “It can wait, Molly. I’ll get a statement from you later, okay?”
“Right, okay.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “How did you know I was here?”
“You can thank Starling,” he said. “She tried to call you twice, and when you didn’t answer, she got worried something was wrong. She said you always answer your phone if she calls, no matter what.”
“She’s right, I do. Is Tyler all right?”
“Yeah, he’s perfectly fine, so is she. She was calling to let you know she was going out to dinner tonight and needed to leave by six. Anyway, I knew you’d gone to Laurel Wreath, so I headed over there while Sanchez tracked your phone. She was able to triangulate it to this vicinity, but when I got to the store and you weren’t there, I knew something was wrong. Then I noticed it looked like there was a party going on over here, with all the cars parked outside, so I used my binoculars, confirmed your vehicle was one of them, and had Sanchez assemble a team. We took the shortcut through the meadow to get here, since I didn’t want to tip Julian or Sabrina off. Approaching the porch was the tricky part. We weren’t sure where you were exactly, so Sanchez belly-crawled under the windows and took a look in. Lucky for us, Julian and Sabrina were both standing at an angle where they couldn’t see us, but we had a view of them, and of you.”
“Iris must have known. She made me think someone or something was outside. At the last second I looked, but then the door crash opened. I hadn’t heard anything until that happened.”
“Then we did our job,” he said.
An EMT came over to Molly. “We’re taking your friend to the hospital to get checked out. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” she said.
“No, you’re not,” Lombardi said. “Your arm is scraped up and bleeding, and the side of your face is bruised.”
“I must have done it when I fell to the floor.”
“You could also be in shock. Go to the hospital. I’ll call Matt and tell him what’s happened, and that you’re on the way.”
“It’s not a big deal. I just need some Band-Aids.”
“I’ll have someone drive your car home, and I’ll see you later. There’s nothing for you to do here.”
Molly knew better than to argue with him. If she didn’t go willingly, he’d drag her to the ambulance. “My phone, and Iris’s, are on the back step,” she said.
“I’ll get them for you,” he said.
• • •
When Molly and Iris arrived at the hospital, Matt was waiting for them in the emergency room. Iris was taken to a separate room, and at Molly’s request, Matt stayed with her while she was examined by one of his colleagues, Dr. Nancy Brody.
“You have some bruising on your face, and you’re bleeding from the scrapes on your arm, but the good news is you don’t need any stitches,” Dr. Brody said. She poked her head outside the curtain and Molly heard her ask a nurse to bring a tray with bandages. Then she checked Molly’s eyes and vitals. “How’s your head? Did you hit it when you fell on the floor?”
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“Well, except for some minor injuries, physically everything looks good,” Dr. Brody said. “But after what you’ve been through, you might experience some anxiety. I can prescribe something for that, if you want.”
“No, thanks,” Molly said. “This isn’t my first rodeo with being under fire, believe it or not. What I need to do is get some rest. I always feel better in the morning.”
“All right, but if you change your mind, don’t hesitate to talk to your general practitioner,” Dr. Brody said. The curtain opened and a nurse walked in carrying a tray with
antiseptic ointment and bandages. “Ally will take things from here,” she said. “I’ll leave you in her capable hands.”
Matt turned to Molly. “I have to get back to work,” he said. “I called your mother, and she’s going to meet you in the cafeteria.”
Molly was horrified. “You told her what happened?”
“Of course. She would have found out one way or the other. It’s better it came from me. Besides, you’ll need a ride home.” He kissed her. “See you later.”
• • •
A half hour later, Molly sat down at a table in the cafeteria with two cups of coffee and two cinnamon rolls. Her mother walked in the door a minute later and made a beeline straight to her.
“Oh, my dear girl,” Clara said, hugging her. “Look at your face, and your arm. All those bandages! What happened? Matt didn’t tell me much on the phone.”
Molly slid a plastic-capped cup of coffee over to her. “I got you a coffee and a cinnamon roll. Sit down and I’ll fill you in.”
Molly told her how Julian and Sabrina had conspired to kill Brett and Jasper, and how Lombardi had located her and Iris at the farmhouse. What she didn’t tell her was how close they’d come to being killed.
“It was a close call, wasn’t it?” Clara asked.
So much for keeping it under wraps, Molly thought. “Yes, Ma, it was a close call. And before I go home, I’m going to buy Starling some flowers in the gift shop to thank her for saving us. If it wasn’t for her worrying about me, and having the smarts to call Lombardi, Iris and I might have died.”
“I was afraid this would happen,” Clara said. “You put yourself in danger again.”
“I should have known it was Sabrina from the day Brett was killed. When I ran into her at Java Jitters, she was already playing the game, telling me how Iris collected cookie jars and liked to play board games. She wanted me to know, because she was banking on me telling the police.”
“I’m disappointed in Julian,” Clara said.
“He’d developed an animosity toward Brett because he wouldn’t make him a partner, as he’d promised, and he was bewitched by Sabrina. Not that it’s an excuse for killing two people, but at least it explains his motive. Sabrina’s is pure spite and jealousy.”
“If only Jasper hadn’t shown up at the house when he did, he would still be alive,” Clara said.
“Yeah, alive and in jail, where he belonged for what he did to Helen,” Molly said.
Clara finished her cinnamon roll and took a drink of coffee. “What I don’t understand is why Sabrina delivered those boxes to you and Holt. If she didn’t want you to solve the murders, why take the risk of being found out?”
“It was her ego,” Molly said. “She wanted to prove she could outsmart us. And you know what? She almost did. If she hadn’t overplayed her hand and told Julian it was time to take care of loose ends and kill me and Iris, we might not have solved either case. It’s not like Lombardi had any physical evidence connecting them to the murders. They were very, very careful. Even tracing the ketamine back to its source was no guarantee Sabrina would be identified. I do think had the police closed in on her, she would blame the killings on Julian. She was the brains behind it, but she didn’t actually do it herself. She stood by and watched as her willing accomplice killed both men.”
“I wonder how Atlas is taking the news,” Clara said.
“Elliott Gellman is the family’s lawyer, and he’s the best money can buy,” Molly said. “But it won’t matter. Iris and I will be witnesses at her trial, and her father won’t be able to buy her way out of this one.”
“Could she have done all this because of her father’s lack of attention when she was growing up?”
“I refuse to accept that excuse,” Molly said. “Her father being away from home when he was making movies didn’t turn his daughter into a psychopathic killer.” She finished her cinnamon roll and drank the rest of her coffee. “Even so, when I get home, I’m going to hold Tyler and tell him how much I love him. I don’t ever want him to think he’s not loved.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Clara said. She reached out and took her hand. “Knowing you and Matt, it would be impossible for him to grow up knowing anything less.”
Chapter 30
Two weeks after Molly and Iris survived their close call with death, Molly and Matt threw a barbeque party to thank everyone who had come to their rescue. They invited all of the police officers and their families, including Detective Sanchez, who brought her husband and children. Lombardi came alone, although he seemed content spending time with Starling. Clara and Sean closed the shop early, and Jazzy Joyce brought the desserts.
Standing at the sink, Molly filled a vase with water for the large bouquet of flowers Iris had given her. As she started to arrange them, the sliding glass door to the patio opened and Lombardi walked in holding a beer bottle. Molly could hear voices and laughter from outside, and music drifting in with the scent of burgers grilling. Then he shut the door and it was quiet again.
He walked over to her and smiled. “Nice flowers,” he said.
“They’re a gift from Iris,” she said.
“Hostess gift?”
“A way of saying thank you for saving her life,” she said. “She really should be thanking you.”
“Why me?”
“You’re the one who rounded up the troops and saved us,” she said.
“She gave the flowers to the right person,” he said. “You knew it wasn’t a suicide from the start, and that the cookie jars were important, and if you hadn’t followed up on it, Sabrina’s frame job on Iris might have worked. You deserve all the thanks for solving the case.”
“If Julian hadn’t confessed and Sabrina shown up when she did, we might still be in the dark. All I did was stumble into a danger zone without any exit. If you hadn’t come along when you did . . .” Her voice trailed away.
“Don’t think about it,” he said. “In my experience, the more you think, the more you’ll scare yourself. Better to keep moving forward.” He took a swig of beer and nodded toward the window. “Who’s that little old lady talking to Jazzy? The one who looks like an inquisitive little bird.”
“Don’t talk about Mrs. Houghton that way,” she said. “She’s my next-door neighbor.”
“The nosy one?”
“Yes. I invited her so she wouldn’t strain her neck trying to spy on our party from her windows.”
“You’re so thoughtful,” he said.
“What’s the latest on Sabrina?”
“Gellman is filing motions, trying to angle for a mental disorder defense, but the judge isn’t buying it.”
“Good. I hope she goes to prison for the rest of her life,” Molly said.
“I talked to Atlas the other day,” he said. “I was surprised to hear from him, considering I arrested his daughter. He told me when the trial is over, they’re going to Paris.”
“They’re moving to Paris, France?”
“They’re renting a place, for now. He said he has to get away from the media blitz.”
“What about the staff? Does this mean they’re all out of a job?”
“Didn’t Iris tell you?”
“She doesn’t know what’s going on at the Dolans’. She never went back to work.”
“Oh. I didn’t know that,” he said. “Dominic and his girlfriend are going with them. The girlfriend is going to take over babysitting Katie, since Bonnie has no interest in moving.”
“She can always find another position as a nanny, or work at the shop with her husband,” Molly said. “What about Helen and Holt?”
Lombardi smiled. “This is where it gets good,” he said, glancing at his watch. “About an hour from now, Helen and Holt will be in the sky flying back to California.”
“Did Atlas terminate their employment, or did they not want to go to France?”
“They quit,” he said. “It seems while Helen was sharing Holt’s apartment, they got together, so to speak.”
<
br /> Molly felt her eyebrows shoot up. “Are you saying they’re a couple?”
“Yep,” he said. “Helen told me she’s as surprised as anyone, considering what she knows about Holt’s reputation. But she’s convinced this is the real thing. And who knows? Maybe it is. When I talked to Holt about it, he said he was fed up with all the drama, and Helen is the only sensible person he knows.” He took another swig of beer. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they get married by the end of the year. They seem really happy together. Oddly enough.”
“Will wonders never cease?” Molly laughed. She never would have guessed Helen and Holt would fall in love. “How did Whitney take the news about their romance?”
“You still think she was having an affair with Holt, don’t you?”
“You have to admit, her insistence that Atlas build an apartment for him over the garage with a door close to her bedroom was suspicious.”
“I agree, it does seem that way, but sometimes looks can be deceiving,” he said. “Atlas told me she’s so excited about moving to Paris, she’s not scared of intruders anymore. He also said she’s hinting around that she’d like to make it a permanent move and buy a place over there.”
“I can’t imagine what Atlas has gone through,” she said. “The reporting on Sabrina has been vicious, and a lot of people are blaming him, saying it’s his fault for being an absentee father. But I think Sabrina’s problems go a lot deeper than her relationship with her father.”
“I wonder how Atlas will manage without Helen? She did everything for him.”
“I bet the first time he has to make his own dinner reservation, he’ll hire a new Helen.”
He took another drink of beer. “Man, I wish I could apply for the job. I’m fed up dealing with murderers and other lowlifes. I wouldn’t mind sitting behind a desk all day, scheduling appointments. Sounds like heaven.”
“It’s not as easy as you think,” she said. “You should stick with detecting. You’re really good at it.”
“Thank you,” he said. “So are you.” He looked out the sliding glass door to the patio. “Do you think Brett was really in love with Iris, or was he using her, too?”
