I Know What You Did

by N L Hinkens

  Lydia stared at her, aghast, for a long moment. “I can’t believe she would go that far, but there's always been something about that girl that nagged at me. I want to know the truth, however awful it is. Sérgio has connections. I’ll make a few calls. Leave it to me."

  A few minutes later, Jo left the Tomaselli residence with Lydia’s promise of help ringing in her ears. Buoyed by her success, she set her sights on one more target—Mia’s mother, Tory.

  26

  Jo sent Tory a quick text asking if she was at work or at home and telling her she needed to speak to her urgently. Tory responded almost immediately.

  Home. What’s wrong?

  Jo typed back a quick response before starting up the car.

  Be there in 10

  Tory’s face was creased with worry when she opened the door to Jo and showed her inside. “Is everything all right? Is this about Mia?”

  “Possibly,” Jo replied. “I’m hoping you can help me answer that.”

  Tory took her into the family room and sat down on the couch next to her. “I’m glad you’re here,” she blurted out. “I’m really worried about Mia. She’s drinking more than ever—something’s definitely eating at her.” Her eyes clouded over. “To tell you the truth, I think she’s scared of Robbie.”

  Jo frowned. “How do you know that?”

  “She’s mentioned it several times, but I didn’t take her seriously at first. I thought he was getting angry with her about her drinking, and I didn’t blame him. He has Olivia to think of. But Mia insists Robbie flew into rages even before she began drinking. She says he’s very controlling about everything, especially … money.”

  Jo raised her brows. Robbie had never given her the impression he cared much about money when Sarah was alive. But, now that she thought about it, he had expressed concern about Mia’s spending habits on a few occasions.

  “Mia hasn’t always been truthful with me,” Tory went on. “But this time I believe her. I think she’s genuinely afraid of him.”

  “Robbie hasn’t always been honest with me either,” Jo conceded. “It’s hard to figure out what exactly’s going on between them. I’m questioning everything about their relationship. It all seems to be based on lies.”

  “What do you mean?” Tory asked, picking at her fingers nervously.

  “Don’t you think it’s a little strange that they got together at the same time their partners were having an affair?”

  “Well, perhaps a little, but in a way it made sense,” Tory said, sounding uncertain. “They each knew what the other was going through.”

  “Maybe that’s what they wanted us to believe. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s possible one of them had something to do with what happened to Sarah and Noah.” Jo let out a heavy breath and leaned back on the couch. “I know it sounds shocking, but I keep coming back to the idea.”

  Tory chewed on her lip, a shrewd look in her eye. “That could be why Mia’s afraid of Robbie. Maybe she found out something. He might be threatening her to keep her quiet.”

  Jo held Tory’s gaze for a long moment. Mia could just as easily be holding Robbie hostage. She didn’t want to accuse Mia without any evidence, but she wasn’t going to lie to Tory either. “I don’t know what to think, other than that one of them knows more than they’re letting on.”

  Tory frowned. “You don’t really think Mia had any part in it, do you? She’s manipulative and a good liar, but she’s more self-destructive than anything else.”

  Jo grimaced. Mia was such a good liar that there was no telling what all she was capable of. But she couldn’t risk alienating Tory by pointing that out. “Her conscience is plaguing her about something.”

  Tory rubbed her temples slowly. “If she knows what Robbie did, she might be in danger.”

  Jo blinked, sensing an opportunity. “I can’t help her unless I can uncover some evidence that proves Robbie was involved. If you could get a hold of Mia’s laptop, my husband Liam can check if there’s anything incriminating on it—emails from Robbie hinting at what he was planning, or threatening her if she goes to the police, anything of that nature.”

  Tory thought for a moment. “Is that legal?”

  “No, but neither is covering up murder. If it turns out Robbie did something, and Mia knows about it but is too afraid to say anything, then she’s culpable too. The best thing we can do is find out what’s really going on and then urge her to come forward with the truth.”

  “I’m not sure how to get my hands on her laptop,” Tory said. “Robbie doesn’t want me to babysit Olivia anymore, so I don’t go over there very often these days.”

  “Do you still have a key to the house?” Jo asked.

  “Well, yes.” Tory tugged at her earring nervously. “Are you asking me to steal her laptop?”

  “Borrow would be a better term. I only need it for about a half hour. Liam and I could meet you at a nearby café. What’s Mia’s schedule like?”

  “She goes to the gym at lunchtime—she says she isn’t drinking anymore since Robbie threw out her secret stash, but who knows?”

  “Does she take Olivia with her to the gym, or will the babysitter be at the house?” Jo asked.

  “She takes her. There’s childcare there.”

  Jo nodded, assessing their limited time frame. “Can you get the laptop tomorrow at lunchtime?”

  “I suppose I could try.” Tory tugged at her hair. “If Mia’s hiding the fact that Robbie killed those poor people, I’ll never forgive her.”

  “There’s no sense jumping to conclusions yet,” Jo said, getting to her feet. “Let’s wait and see what Mia’s laptop reveals. Liam and I will meet you at The Mill coffee shop tomorrow. You know where that is, right?”

  Tory gave a nervous nod.

  “Text us once you’re on your way. And whatever you do, don’t mention our conversation to Mia,” Jo warned her. “You could be putting us all in danger if she warns Robbie we’re on to him.”

  27

  Jo and Liam were already seated at a table in the back of The Mill when Tory arrived shortly after one o’clock the following afternoon. She quickened her pace when she spotted them, weaving her way through the packed tables. As she sat down, she placed a black laptop bag on the table and slid it toward Liam. “She’s at the gym.” Her voice was husky with fear. “This better not take long. She never did like me touching her stuff even when she lived with me.”

  “I don’t need much time,” Liam assured her. “I’ll jump right on it.”

  “Her password’s Olivia44,” Tory added.

  Liam gave an approving nod. “Good, makes my job that much easier.”

  Jo and Tory went up to the counter to order coffees while Liam got to work. By the time they arrived back at the table, the hacking program was already running.

  “That went smoothly,” Jo remarked, glancing at the screen.

  Liam’s gaze swerved between her and Tory. “Sort of. I had to circumvent the password. Are you sure this is Mia’s laptop and not Robbie’s? There’s no email program on it so I can’t tell.”

  Tory’s eyes widened. “What? I thought … it looks like the one she uses.”

  Liam shrugged. “I might as well sweep the hard drive now that we have it.”

  Tory’s fingertips fluttered nervously over her brow. “What if Robbie finds out? He could have me arrested. I’m scared of what he might do—“

  Jo laid a hand on her arm. “Don’t worry about it. Liam will make sure he doesn’t detect a thing. And if he does, I’ll take full responsibility.”

  Tory interlaced her shaking fingers around her paper coffee cup. “How long is this going to take?”

  “Only a few minutes,” Liam assured her. “The software’s very efficient.”

  Despite his assurances, time seemed to drag on as they made small talk and sipped on their coffees. Jo found herself glancing at the door more than once, half afraid she might spot Robbie or Mia, or both of them, walking in. At last, a familiar whooshing sound
signaled that the program had run its course.

  “All done!” Liam announced. “I’ll take a quick look at the results.”

  “Start with the browser searches this time,” Jo said.

  Liam tapped on the keyboard. “Okay, I’m pulling up a list of URLs.”

  Jo and Tory exchanged anxious glances as he silently scanned the screen for several long minutes. Eventually, he peered over the lid of the laptop at them. “I think I’ve got something.”

  They scooted their seats around to the other side of the table and leaned in to take a look. “There are several searches about carbon monoxide poisoning,” Liam said, pointing at the screen. “What’s really revealing is that these dates indicate they were all carried out in the span of roughly four weeks prior to Sarah’s and Noah’s deaths.”

  Jo stared at the screen, blood flushing her face as she read through the links. Carbon monoxide kills in minutes, painless suicide, death by carbon monoxide, how to kill yourself using car exhaust fumes. She read the dates on each of the links. A tight feeling gripped her gut. Liam was right—all the searches had been conducted prior to Sarah’s and Noah’s deaths. This was not the action of a bereaved partner searching for answers. This was the work of a killer laying out a sadistic plan.

  Tory’s lip trembled. “Mia must have found out what he did. That’s why she’s been drinking so heavily.” She slumped down in her seat, dropping her head into her hands. “I’m shaking. I can’t take this in. I knew I should never have trusted a teacher who would take advantage of a seventeen-year-old. He must have murdered his wife so he could be with Mia. What other explanation is there?”

  “That’s for the police to decide,” Jo responded grimly. It didn't look good for Robbie, but there was still the possibility that Mia had conducted the searches. Still, it wouldn’t be wise to point that out to Tory. She was far too easily influenced by Mia and Jo was afraid she might tip her off. “We don’t know anything for sure yet. But we need to let the police know about this.”

  Tory passed a hand over her brow. “Are you going to give them the laptop?”

  “No, put it back where you found it.” Liam ejected his device and pocketed it. “I have everything I need right here.”

  “Are you going straight to the police?” Tory asked.

  Jo and Liam exchanged a quick glance.

  “One of us has to,” Liam said.

  Jo gave a terse nod. “I’ll do it.”

  Liam handed her the memory stick lookalike. “Hopefully, it’s enough to reopen the investigation.”

  Tory slid the laptop back into the sleeve and got to her feet. “How can I ever forgive myself for letting my daughter marry that monster?”

  “It’s not your fault,” Jo reassured her. “If it turns out it wasn’t suicide, then even the police were fooled.”

  “What if the Tomasellis think Mia was in on it?” Tory said. “They’ll hire the best lawyers and go after her.”

  “There’s no point in getting ahead of ourselves,” Jo replied. “We’ll turn everything over to the police and let them investigate. I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything.”

  They exited the café and headed to their respective cars. Jo texted Ed and explained that she had an emergency and wouldn’t be coming in that afternoon. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed inside a fist as she drove to the police station. She hadn’t wanted to frighten Tory prematurely, but there was no getting around the fact that someone had conducted searches on carbon monoxide suicide on the laptop prior to Noah’s and Sarah’s deaths. It was damning evidence. It remained to be seen if either Robbie or Mia would admit to anything.

  Jo pulled up outside the police station and walked up the steps, her legs threatening to buckle beneath her. She went inside and asked for Officer Bowman.

  “Take a seat, please. I’ll let her know you’re here,” the receptionist said.

  Jo sank down on the caramel-colored plastic seat in the waiting area. Her palms were clammy with sweat. How could she share her findings with the officer without implicating Liam in an illegal search? Tory had a key to Mia’s and Robbie’s house, and Liam was Robbie’s computer tech, so perhaps that made it legitimate. Jo had no idea whether the evidence would be permissible in court or not, but it would surely be enough to prompt the police into reopening the case and interviewing everyone again.

  “Mrs. Murphy?” Officer Bowman appeared in the hallway and gestured to Jo to follow her into her office.

  Jo sank down in the chair opposite her and placed the device with the files on the desk between them.

  Officer Bowman glanced at it and then raised a questioning brow. “What can I help you with today?”

  “I’m here about the double suicide case last year—Sarah Gleeson and Noah Tomaselli.”

  “Hard one to forget,” the officer commented drily.

  “The thing is, I’m not convinced Noah and Sarah committed suicide.

  Officer Bowman’s demeanor changed from mildly bored to moderately alert. “What makes you say that?”

  “I never really believed it. I’ve never known two people less likely to commit suicide,” Jo began. “They had everything to live for. They were both upbeat people and well-liked by their peers.”

  “By all appearances,” Officer Bowman responded. “Sometimes things look very different beneath the surface. Sarah Gleeson was having an illicit affair with an underage student. She would have gone to prison if they’d been discovered. That’s a fairly weighty consideration to factor in to the suicide.”

  Jo sat up straighter in her chair. “I was one of Sarah’s best friends. She never once hinted to me that she was having an affair with Noah Tomaselli.”

  Officer Bowman shrugged. “People go to great lengths to hide affairs from friends and family. The evidence was right there on their phones.”

  “Burner phones that anyone could have placed in the car with them,” Jo said, testily.

  “Technically, that’s true,” Officer Bowman conceded. “But someone would have had to go to considerable trouble to send texts between the two phones for several months prior.”

  “Someone who was highly organized and analytical, a sociopath, perhaps. Don’t you think it’s just a little too much of a coincidence that Robbie and Mia found solace in each other’s arms while their partners were supposedly carrying on this illicit affair?”

  “Look, I sympathize with you that you lost your best friend and a promising student,” Officer Bowman said. “But unless you have evidence to support your theory, there’s nothing more I can do.” Her eyes darted to the thumb drive. “Do you have evidence?”

  Jo pushed the device toward her. “The browser history on the laptop in their house indicates multiple searches for carbon monoxide poisoning, how to kill yourself with the car exhaust fumes, that kind of thing—all conducted in the weeks prior to Noah’s and Sarah’s deaths.”

  Officer Bowman frowned and reached for the thumb drive. “Where’d you get this?” she asked, as she inserted it into her computer.

  “We had access to it. My husband’s a computer tech,” Jo replied, glossing over the particulars. “I asked him to trawl through the browser history. I’ve always had my suspicions about Sarah’s and Noah's deaths.”

  The officer studied her screen for several minutes, fingers tapping on the keyboard as she scrolled through the list of URLs. When she’d finished, she sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I admit it’s disturbing, but we can’t use this as it was obtained illegally.”

  “Can’t you get a search warrant and retrieve the information yourselves?” Jo countered.

  “A judge won’t grant a search warrant if we don’t have probable cause. Unless you have something more than this to show me, that’s not gonna happen.”

  Jo’s heart sank. She’d been certain the police would at least agree to re-interview the key witnesses. Maybe they’d be able to get Mia or Robbie to admit to something that would justify a search warrant. Jo had nothing else to offer them. I
t wasn’t as if either Mia or Robbie had confessed anything to her. Her mind cast around in desperation for something to bolster her case. Sarah’s journal? If nothing else, it proved she hadn’t been suicidal leading up to her death. Jo dug it out of her purse and thrust it at the officer. “Read through these pages and tell me this is the work of a woman who would take advantage of a minor and then talk him into committing suicide with her.”

  Officer Bowman reached for the journal with a skeptical air. She flipped through it, barely stopping to admire the artwork, let alone read the motivating quotes. Just when Jo had begun to despair of anything coming of her visit, the officer’s demeanor changed. “What happened here?” She turned the journal around and pushed it back across the table to Jo.

  Jo frowned. She hadn’t noticed there was a page missing toward the center of the journal. She quickly flicked through the rest of the book, but everything else was intact.

  Officer Bowman pinned a penetrating gaze on her. “Where did you get this?”

  “It was in Sarah’s classroom, lying under some artwork.”

  The officer got to her feet abruptly. “Wait here. I need to check something.”

  As soon as she exited the room, Jo pulled out her phone and texted Liam.

  Evidence is inadmissible—obtained illegally. They can’t get a search warrant without probable cause. Not looking good. :(

  Liam texted her back almost immediately. That sucks. They should at least interview Robbie and Mia. Search history is highly suspect.

  Before Jo had a chance to respond, Officer Bowman strode back into the room carrying a small plastic bag. She opened up Sarah’s journal to the spot where the page had been ripped out, and then placed the plastic bag next to it.

  Jo’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her eardrums rang with the thud of her quickening pulse. The missing page was in the plastic bag. A perfect match. Badly damaged, but she could still make out a few words, shame, regret, never look back.