by Ellery Adams
“No,” Nathan said. “Pamela came up Friday. I didn’t get here until Monday night. Why?”
“Ah, no reason. I was curious, that’s all.”
Matt said, “Molly, we should go.” He opened the door, but Molly remained where she was. Pamela walked past them into the kitchen, carrying a tray with the dirty dishes and silverware.
“Molly?”
She shook herself a little. “Yes, I’m coming.” She looked at Nathan. He looked tired, and she couldn’t bring herself to say good night to him. The words would ring hollow.
Walking to the car with Matt, she wished she could shake the feeling that she had gotten something wrong.
Chapter 30
As Matt held the passenger door open for her, Molly glanced back at the house. Nathan stood on the other side of the glass door, watching them. She gave him a small wave, and he lifted his hand and waved back. She got into the car, but she didn’t buckle her seat belt. When Matt slid in behind the wheel, she rested her hand on his arm.
“Wait. We can’t leave yet.”
He looked at her. “Why? What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure.” She stared out the window at the house. Nathan was gone. “I need a minute to think.”
“Okay.”
Matt started the engine, and turned on the heat. Then he leaned his head back against the headrest, knowing Molly would need more than a minute to organize her thoughts. Five minutes later, she turned to him and said, “It’s Alison’s confession. It isn’t sitting right with me. I have questions that still need answering.” She reached for the door handle. “I have to talk to Pamela.”
Matt frowned. “Right now? She’s not exactly in a good mood.”
“I know, but it can’t wait.” I can’t believe I’m going to do this. She knew she could be wrong, but there was only one way to find out. She opened the door and got out. “I won’t be long.”
She took a deep breath before she rang the doorbell. Through the glass, she saw Nathan walk out of the living room. When he saw her, his brows drew together, and he opened the door. He was holding a whiskey tumbler in his hand. He’d consumed most of it while she’d been sitting in the car with Matt analyzing Alison’s confession, trying to alleviate her doubts, but failing to do so.
“Molly, I thought you’d gone home. Did you forget something?”
“Yes. I mean, no. Not exactly. I need to talk to Pamela. It’s important.”
He let her into the house, and Molly felt relieved that he wasn’t pressing her to explain herself.
“Pamela’s in the kitchen.” He pointed to the seamless door. “I’ll be in the living room, topping off my drink.”
He wandered away, his shoulders slumped. Molly wished there was something she could say to cheer him up, but under the circumstances, that was impossible. She took another deep breath before she went into the brilliant white kitchen. The door shushed softly closed behind her. Pamela was standing by the dishwasher, red rubber gloves on her hands, rinsing dishes before placing them onto the racks. When she saw Molly, her mouth turned down in a frown.
“What do you want?”
“When did Alison first tell you about the calls between Charlotte and Wyatt?”
“I don’t have the exact date, but it was shortly after she discovered them on his phone. Why do you want to know?”
“Please, just humor me. Did you advise her?”
Pamela stared at her. “If you think I told her to wreck her car to reel Wyatt back in, you’re quite mistaken. I had no idea she was going to do such a thing.” She placed a glass on the top rack. “I advised her to talk to Wyatt, and ask him what his intentions were. She said she would, but then she wrecked her car before she got around to it. Or so I thought. And Wyatt . . . well, it appeared he did have a change of heart after the accident. He became very attentive to Alison, and was truly worried about her. We both felt he’d learned his lesson the hard way. He wouldn’t take Alison for granted again.”
“So, neither of you ever actually discussed the affair with him?”
“No, because there didn’t seem to be a need to. Alison told me the calls had stopped. We assumed it was over.” Pamela started rinsing the silverware. “I’m not sure what you think you’re doing, bringing this up now.” She turned to face her. “You made me sit there in my living room, and forced me to listen to Alison confess to the whole world that she killed Charlotte.” She shook her head. “If you’re looking for absolution, you’ve come to the wrong place. Maybe in time I can forgive you for destroying her life, but not now.”
“I don’t think Alison killed Charlotte.”
Pamela held still. “What?”
“You drove up on Friday, before Nathan did. You had plenty of time to go to A Checkered Past, confront Charlotte, and kill her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Pamela turned back to the sink, and started rinsing again. “Why would I kill Charlotte?”
“Because Alison had tracked Wyatt’s car, and knew he’d gone to see her. And just like she did before, she called you for advice. You both thought he’d started the affair again, and you knew you couldn’t let it go on.” Pamela had started to stack the utensil tray with silverware. Molly continued. “Wyatt is the head of your company, a company you and your husband built together. His marriage breakup would be hard on Alison and the girls, of course, but you worried how it could affect the business, because that’s what you really care about, and that’s why you had to make sure Charlotte was stopped for good. You certainly didn’t trust Wyatt to end it. You think he’s weak. I know it was you who killed her, not Alison.”
The attack happened so quickly, Molly had little time to react. Pamela suddenly ran at her, arm upraised, a silver knife gripped in her hand. Molly ran for the door, but Pamela was angry, and fast. Molly heard a whoosh of air behind her, then felt the sharp steel of the knife tear through her coat and slice into her back. She fell hard on the floor, barely breaking her fall with her hands. Rolling onto her side, she saw Pamela lunging toward her again, knife raised.
Molly kicked Pamela’s ankle. She teetered for a moment, but didn’t fall. She kicked her again, this time in the shin. Pamela stumbled and landed on the floor beside her. Molly scrambled to her feet and stepped on Pamela’s wrist, forcing her to release her grip on the knife. But as Molly bent to pick it up, Pamela grabbed her leg and pulled her off her feet. On the floor again, Molly stared into Pamela’s eyes. They were wild, and full of hate as she reached for the knife.
“You will not ruin my family!” Pamela spat.
Molly knew she had to do something fast if she was going to stop her. She threw a punch, striking Pamela in the jaw. Pamela retaliated by jabbing Molly in the ribs with her elbow. They tussled on the floor, scratching and kicking each other, and the longer it went on, the more Molly felt her energy draining. The pain from the knife wound in her back wasn’t helping. It was like a hot fire, burning away her resolve to fight on. Pamela could sense she was growing weak. She grinned as she shoved Molly away from the knife, then got to her feet and walked over to pick it up.
Is this how my life is going to end? Tears slid down Molly’s cheeks. Matt knew she loved him, but what about Tyler? He was so little. He wouldn’t remember her. She tried to call out for help, but her voice was as weak as the mew of a kitten. Why had she not asked Matt to come in with her? And where was Nathan? The room began to darken, and she thought she heard voices. Then suddenly, everything went black.
Chapter 31
When Molly woke up, Matt was hovering over her, and there were cops everywhere. She felt herself being lifted on a gurney into an ambulance, and saw Matt climb in after all for the ride to the hospital. There she learned the good news, that the knife hadn’t damaged her lungs or any other vital organs. Matt and Nathan had come to her rescue before Pamela could strike a mortal blow.
When Molly got home two days later, Starling fussed over her, and the days blurred a little from the pain medication. Her mother came to visit every day, and although she
didn’t say say it out loud, Molly knew what she was thinking: I told you so. For the first time in her life, Molly thought her mother might be right about ending her sleuthing. Maybe it was time to rethink the crime reporting side of her job, and stick to interviewing dealers, and attending auctions and estate sales. Hunting killers was dangerous, as this case had sadly proven, once again.
Lombardi stopped by to see her a few days later. Starling took Tyler to her apartment to give them privacy. He sat with Molly in the great room, where Starling had lit the gas fireplace. The sun was low in the sky; the days were getting shorter as October drew to a close. Molly had a mohair blanket wrapped around her, and the warmth from the fire made her feel sleepy, or maybe it was the pain medication, she couldn’t be sure.
“How are you feeling?”
“The meds help with the pain,” she said. “I have an appointment with my doctor in a week to see how it’s healing, but so far, Matt says it looks good. I’m just thankful Pamela didn’t stab me with a butcher’s knife. It could have been a whole lot worse.”
“Matt was really shook up about it.”
“Yeah, I know.” Molly felt terrible remembering the expression on his face when she’d regained consciousness. He was petrified.
“He said it was a scary scene, you on the floor, bleeding, and Pamela standing over you with the knife. He grabbed her arm, and Nathan took it away from her.”
“You know what? I’d rather not think about that part, if you don’t mind,” she said. “Officer Connelly took our statements. You can read those.”
Lombardi was sitting in Matt’s recliner, and decided to put his feet up. “This is comfortable. I might have to get a chair like this.” He gave her a smile, then grew serious again. “I have read your statements. But you didn’t explain how you figured out that it was Pamela, and not Alison, who killed Charlotte.”
“Oh. Well, I suppose it was the way Alison described what happened. It seem scripted, as if she’d prepared to say it, in case anyone asked. It was also the words she said to Pamela, Let me do this. Do what? My gut was telling me something was wrong. What I don’t understand is why she confessed to a crime she didn’t commit in the first place.”
“Well, since I’ve interviewed everyone, I can answer that question,” he said. “First, Alison’s version of what happened wasn’t entirely wrong. She did try to talk to Charlotte at the shop that morning, but she went there with Pamela. When Charlotte pushed her, to get her to leave, it was Pamela who went after her, and killed her.”
Molly shook her head. “I should have paid more attention to Charlotte’s feelings for Wyatt. He wasn’t like the other married men she was involved with. I don’t even think she was really blackmailing him with the property. She knew it would all come out eventually, that she didn’t own it. In some ways, she was a lot like Alison. They both thought if they did something drastic, Wyatt would come running back to them. Only instead of a car accident, Charlotte pretended to buy the land. It was the reason he went to see her, after ignoring her.”
“What I found creepy about both women was how calm they were about the fact that Pamela killed Charlotte. They weren’t too worried about getting caught, because they were wearing gloves. They actually took the time to talk through what they would say if the police questioned them.”
“So I was right, Alison was prepared.”
“Yeah. What’s sad is, Pamela convinced her that if they were arrested, it would be better for Alison to confess to the murder. She told her a jury would be more sympathetic to a married woman with children, especially one who had been cheated on by her husband.”
“Pamela is not a good person.”
“No, she’s not.”
Molly sighed. “What will happen to them?”
“There will be trials, they’ll both go to prison. It will be worse for Pamela, of course, since she killed Charlotte, and tried to kill you.”
She wrapped the blanket closer around her. She didn’t like to think about the wound in her back. “What about Janell?”
“She’s had her arraignment, and bail was set, and paid. She’s home with her son. Theodore moved out.”
“Oh, no.”
“I talked to him. He feels betrayed, which is understandable. But I think eventually he’ll go back to her. He loves Janell. He’s just needs time to process it all.”
“Do you think he knew about the coin robbery?”
“No.” Lombardi shook his head. “I think Janell kept him in the dark. Rene didn’t know either. I’ve been able to go through her financial records. There are no abnormalities. I don’t think she had a clue that Charlotte was blackmailing anyone. As for any money Charlotte got for the coins, she says she never saw any signs of it.”
“She finally blew through it all, that’s why she started blackmailing those men. What about Quincy? Do you have anything on him?”
“Shelly was able to obtain a warrant to search his house to specifically look at his coin collection. We got Darcy Meadows, the coin expert, in as a consultant. She was impressed with the collection. He has a single original one-cent coin dated 1863, and he has a sales receipt for it that goes back to 1986. Darcy said the person who sold it to him is long dead, and it’s impossible to know if it’s a forgery. It’s on mimeograph paper, the kind they used to use to write out receipts. It could be fake.”
“Sounds like he won’t be charged with anything.”
“No. Shelly doesn’t have any reason to arrest him, although she does now think you could be right, and the hundred grand he paid Rene and Charlotte was money he gave to Charlotte in exchange for the coins. There’s just no way to prove it.”
“He probably sold the other coins, or traded them years ago, and never left a paper trail.” Molly felt disgusted. “I hate that he probably got away with it.”
“He and Rene are moving to the Virgin Islands. He has a home there.”
Molly wasn’t surprised. “I bet he never marries her, though.” She yawned. “Why do people kill each other?”
“Money, love, and greed come to mind. But I truly believe, at the heart of it, is selfishness. Pure and simple. They want something, and they’re going to get it one way or the other, even if they have to kill for it. Pamela’s lawyer is insisting her actions weren’t premeditated, by the way, but the fact that she’s so protective of her company, and the family name, I can’t believe she didn’t plan the whole thing, or was at the very least ready to take advantage of the opportunity when it arose. She believed Charlotte was a menace, not only to Wyatt and Alison, but to the company.”
Molly nodded. Her eyes were getting heavy. “Anything else you want to share with me?”
“No, that’s about it.” He looked at her. “Have you talked to Nathan?”
“I haven’t seen him since that night, but he called Matt after I got home from the hospital, to make sure I was all right. I sent him a text yesterday. I asked him to give me a call, but I haven’t heard back. I’ve invited him to our Halloween brunch.”
“Are you sure you’re still up for that?”
“Yes! I’m looking forward to it. I’ve got a couple more weeks. I’ll be all healed up by then, I’m sure. But I have a feeling he isn’t going to come. He’s probably mad at me.”
“Why?”
She looked at him. “Why do you think? Because I’m responsible for his wife and daughter-in-law getting arrested.”
“Molly, his wife confessed to killing Charlotte, and she tried to kill you. He should be thanking you for exposing that his wife was a murderer. I’m actually kind of surprised that you invited him to the party. Are you sure you want to see him right now?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe it was the drugs that made me do it. I feel a little loopy.”
He laughed. “Well, I’ll leave you to rest. Get back on your feet soon. Let me know if I can do anything for you. Okay?”
“Sure. You know, there is one thing you could do for me.”
“Name it.”
> “Check on Tyler and Starling. And if you have some time, hang out with them for a while. Tyler needs a distraction.”
He smiled. “I can do that. Get some rest.”
He walked away, and Molly smiled as she heard him open the door to the in-law suite and climb the steps. He really had no idea she knew anything about his engagement to Starling.
She closed her eyes and thought about Wyatt, and how he had lied and cheated on Alison. What part was worse? The lying, or the cheating? She couldn’t decide. Were they mutually exclusive? They were both bad. And now Watt would have to live with the consequences of what he’d done. He had wrecked his marriage, and Charlotte was dead.
Molly wondered how Nathan was doing. He’d been lied to as well, and Pamela’s lie was a real whopper. She wondered if he was going to divorce her. If he did, he’d probably never come to Vermont again.
Her mind began to drift, and as the fog of sleep rolled over her, she thought maybe, just maybe, she was learning how to forgive him. Why else would she feel so sad?
Chapter 32
A week after she was stabbed, Molly’s back was healing nicely, and she was off the prescription medication. She felt much better with a clear head. And just in time, too, since there was one more thing she needed to do to wrap up the Larry Pruett case.
She made a phone call to Noble Dyson, a private detective in Boston. They had met last year on another murder case, and at first, she was a little afraid of him. Later, she realized he was doing a job, too. He looked dangerous though, with his crooked nose, close-set eyes, and the scar on his left cheek. Lombardi had told her he had a reputation for doing dirty work for his clients, but he always managed not to cross the line into illegality. Molly thought he probably had, on more than one occasion, but he was too smart to get caught.
“If it isn’t Molly Appleby,” he said with a laugh. “To what do I owe the honor?”
“I need your help with something,” she said.
“Are you ready to work for me?”
“No.” Molly smiled. He’d offered her a job, which she’d politely turned down. She wouldn’t work for him in a million years, but she’d taken the offer as a compliment. “I’m trying to find some people and the Internet isn’t getting me anywhere.”
