He frowned for a moment. “They’ll both be there, most likely. The good Judy and the bad Judy.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot about the bad Judy.” There were two women in the bereavement group both named Judy. The good Judy was the one Gramps enjoyed spending time with. Jane had met her and she was a lovely woman. The other Judy, the bad Judy, Jane hadn’t met. She had a somewhat aggressive interest in her grandfather and he found it off-putting.
“Did I tell you she showed up at my house two nights ago? Had a casserole for me. She wanted to come in and visit but I told her I was on my way out. I think she’d been drinking.”
“What kind of casserole was it?” Her grandfather would usually eat just about anything, especially if it was covered in cheese.
“I have no idea. I couldn’t identify anything in it and I didn’t like the smell of it. The bad Judy really isn’t a very good cook. Moe and Larry wouldn’t even touch it.”
Jane laughed at that. “Well, tell the good Judy I said hello.”
“I’ll do that. So, what did Jake have to tell you?” Gramps finally got to the real reason why he wanted to stay and talk to her.
“Not much. I think he was just circling back to question me again. He seemed surprised that you suggested to him that I help investigate.”
“If he knew you, he would think it’s a good idea, too,” Gramps said.
“He didn’t seem too opposed to the idea. I could tell he was a little wary at first, but then he seemed to warm up to it, and I think he’d welcome the help, actually. So far, they’ve up come with nothing.”
“We need to make a list. Everyone Jake’s already talked to and anyone else we can think of who might have an issue with Samantha.”
“That might be a long list.” Jane had been thinking the same thing though.
“I’ll work on my list tonight, and we can compare notes in the morning and then divvy them up.” Gramps was enthusiastic about their project and Jane admired his energy. She had been debating whether or not to share her other news with Gramps. She didn’t want to alarm him needlessly, but she also valued his opinion and knew he’d be furious if she didn’t tell him.
“I had a call from Nick yesterday.”
“Nick from Boston? The one you used to go with?”
“Yes, and work with. I went to see him after work. Drummond called him in for a meeting.”
“What did he want?” Gramps already looked angry, and when she told him that Drummond wanted to meet with her, he looked like he wanted to explode.
“What does he want with you?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea. I told Nick to tell him no, of course. Still, I thought it was strange.”
Gramps paced back and forth for a moment and then finally stopped and faced Jane.
“I think you should see him.”
“What? You do?” Jane was truly shocked. She had expected his anger on her behalf, but had also assumed he’d agree with her and insist that she stay clear of Drummond.
“I do. See what the man wants, and get some closure for yourself. Make the nightmares stop.”
“What if seeing him makes them worse?” That was her biggest fear.
“How could it be worse than not knowing? Aren’t you curious to know why he wants to see you?”
Gramps knew her so well. She’d been wondering about it all day and hadn’t slept well at all the night before.
“You’re right, as usual. I’ll go see him.”
“Do you want me to go with you?” Gramps stood up straight, ready to protect her and it made her want to give him a hug.
“No, thank you. I think it’s best that I go alone.”
11
Jane knew she’d made the right decision. On the way home from work, she felt a sense of relief that then shifted into apprehension. As Gramps had said, she was curious about what Drummond wanted from her and it had been eating at her all day. She couldn’t imagine why he would even give her another thought, now that the case was over and especially since he obviously knew that she’d left her job at the law firm. He had nothing left to fear from her.
When she got home, she quickly fed Misty and then jumped in the shower. She was heading to David and Lauren’s house for dinner and needed to pick up a bottle of wine along the way as well. An hour later, she was dressed and out the door. She brought a bottle of merlot, since Lauren was making her famous spaghetti and meatballs.
Jane had always been close with her cousin David and she adored his wife, Lauren, who was a high school teacher in Waverly. They’d only been married for about a year and they’d both been incredibly supportive when Jane first moved to Waverly and was settling in.
Lauren had been especially sympathetic, as she’d dealt with a difficult situation herself in the weeks before her marriage. One of her students had gone missing and when he was found dead soon after, Lauren became a person of interest in his murder. But, they finally caught the true murderer and Lauren’s name was cleared.
Lauren was in the kitchen tossing a salad when she arrived, and David took the bottle of wine and went in search of an opener.
“I’m so glad we decided to do this. I haven’t seen you in ages,” Lauren said as she came over to give Jane a hello hug.
“I know. These past few weeks have been crazy,” Jane said as she shrugged her jacket off and hung it in the front closet.
“How is the store doing?” David asked as he handed her a glass of wine. Jane settled onto one of the high-backed stools that lined the island Lauren was working at.
“It’s busy. Seems to be growing each week.”
“That’s great! I’ll have to try and stop by on my way to work. I keep meaning to,” Lauren said apologetically.
“I’ll remind her. Once she tries one of your muffins you won’t be able to keep her away,” David chuckled.
“You sound like Gramps,” Jane said.
David settled in the chair next to her and grabbed a slice of cheese from a plate of cheese and crackers.
“I heard you talked to Jake earlier,” he said casually.
Jane was surprised. “How did you know that?”
“I called him on my way home from work, to confirm our plans to watch the game tomorrow night and we got to talking. He asked me about you.”
“What do you mean?” Jane felt excited for a moment then realized he was probably referring to her former job.
“He wanted to know how good you were. At investigating. I told him you were the best and he’d be lucky if you ever gave him any help at all. I think that satisfied him.”
“Did he mention anything else?” She wondered exactly how much Jake had shared with David.
“You mean about Drummond?” Crap. She couldn’t help but feel annoyed that he’d told David that.
“Don’t be mad. I can tell by your face that you’re pissed. He’s just worried for you and figured I’d want to know. He knows me well.”
“I would have told you anyway,” she admitted.
“So, you have no idea what he wants?” David leaned forward and tapped his fingers back and forth on the counter, a habit Jane recognized as something that he did when he was trying to figure out a problem.
“None.”
“Are you sure you want to meet with him? I don’t know if I’d be able to. He looks pretty intimidating on TV. I don’t think I’d want to get that close,” Lauren said.
“I don’t want to meet with him, not at all. But, I can’t not do it, if that makes sense. I need to know what he wants. So I can deal with it, and move on, for good.”
“Will anyone be with you? Gramps said he offered.”
“You talked to Gramps, too? When?”
“He called me at work and said he was on his way to his bereavement group. He’s just worried about you. I think he felt a little guilty for suggesting it.”
Jane sighed. “I’m not going because of Gramps, although he did surprise me. I didn’t think he’d want me to go near Drummond. But, he knows me
so well. Knows the curiosity would be too much. He’s right.”
“And what about Samantha Sellers? Gramps mentioned that you’re going to investigate that together? Do you know if anyone has talked to Maxine Cummings?”
“Maxine Cummings? Who is that?” Even though Jane had grown up in Waverly, there were still so many unfamiliar people.
“Samantha’s stepsister. They barely spoke. Maybe it was worse than anyone knew?”
“I’m sure Jake must have talked to her, but we will, too. Did anyone like that woman?”
“Samantha? The only person she seemed friendly with was Ellen Smith. They were best friends,” Lauren said as she spread a mix of soft butter, garlic and chopped parsley across two halves of a loaf of Italian bread.
“She’s friendly with Ellen? Really?” Ellen Smith was also a high school teacher and had recently become a regular at Comfort & Joy, stopping in most mornings on her way to work for a coffee to go.
“I wonder if Samantha knew she’d started coming to my place.”
“If she did, I don’t think they’d be on very good terms.” Lauren laughed as she slid the buttered bread into the oven to bake.
“I will have a chat with Ellen next time she comes in.” Jane was curious to know if Ellen and Samantha may have had a falling out. Either that or she was keeping her morning coffee routine a secret. It would be interesting to find out.
“So, if Gramps isn’t going in with you, who will? Will Nick be there?” David clearly didn’t like the idea of Jane facing Drummond alone. Jane wasn’t too keen on it, either. But, she knew it was for the best if they had any hope of getting any information.
“Nick is going with me, but we both agreed that it’s best for me to actually meet with Drummond alone. He’ll be behind glass, so I’ll be perfectly safe.”
David frowned. “Why is it better for you to be alone? I don’t like it.”
“Nick will be there, right outside the door. But, Drummond asked to meet just with me. We figured there’s a reason for that, that he might be more open.”
“I suppose that makes sense. As long as Nick is nearby”
“How is Nick? Any chance the two of you might work things out?” Lauren looked hopeful. She’d always liked Nick. Everyone liked Nick, though. He was quite likable, just not great boyfriend material.
“I don’t think so, but I think we can work on being friends.”
Lauren looked disappointed. “That’s something, then. So, are we ready to eat?”
12
Jane felt a mix of nerves and curiosity when Nick pulled into the lot at the state jail in Plymouth. This is where a lot of the high profile cases were sent until further determination was made on where to send them. Plymouth was a large but sleepy town on Boston’s South Shore. Most of the inmates were here for minor offenses, except for the maximum security wing, where Alex Drummond was residing. Jane’s shoes were loud as they walked down the silent hallways and then finally reached the waiting area. She checked in at the reception desk, showed her ID and then took a seat. Nick sat next to her.
“You can still change your mind. You don’t have to meet with him.” Nick seemed almost more nervous than she was, if that was possible. Jane took a deep breath. The thought had crossed her mind. Just say no and walk away.
“No, I want to. I do.”
Twenty minutes later, a correctional officer stepped into the waiting area and called her name. Jane stood.
“Follow me.”
Nick stood, too. “You sure you don’t want me to come with you?”
“I do, you know I do. But I have to go alone.”
“I’ll be right here.” Nick sat back down and Jane followed the guard out of the room and down an endless hall. Finally, she was led into a visiting room that had a wall of Plexiglas separating a long desk and phones on either side. Drummond was sitting there waiting. He was tall, easily six foot three or even six four, and rangy with longish, sandy blond hair and whisker shadows along his chin. He was a handsome man, but as he smiled at her, a sly smile that he no doubt thought was charming, all Jane could focus on was his eyes. They were dead and cold. Chilling. She took a seat across from him and the guard instructed her how to use the phones.
“Just pick it up and start talking. You could try without, but you’ll hear better with the phone.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll be right outside the door. Holler if you need anything.” The guard walked off and Jane lifted the handle of the phone, willing her hand to stop shaking as she did so. Drummond already had his phone glued to his ear.
“Thanks for coming,” he said as a greeting.
“You’re welcome.” She waited for him to get to the point of this summons.
“Lovely weather we’re having,” he drawled. Jane said nothing.
“Okay, I can see you’re not in the mood for polite chit-chat.”
“Why am I here?” she asked.
“That is a very good question.”
There was a long, increasingly uncomfortable silence as he simply looked her over and then smiled again. Jane felt her stomach flip over. The man was just vile.
Finally, he spoke again. “I need your help.”
“You need my help? You do realize I’m no longer with the law firm? I’m out of the business entirely.”
“Yes, I had heard that. Shame, really. You were an ace investigator.”
“Well, almost getting killed has a way of making you reassess things. I decided I’d like to stay around a bit longer. Investigating no longer suits me.”
Drummond made a face. “Getting up at the crack of dawn and making muffins and serving coffee suits you better? You can’t be serious.”
“I like it well enough.” It unnerved her that he was so familiar with what she was doing now. How did he know that? She wouldn’t put it past him to have someone find out where she was and what she was doing. No wonder she’d had nightmares lately.
“Hmmm. Well, I’m not sure I believe that. But, I’ll let it go for now. I still think you can help me.”
“Why would I want to help you? You’re the one who tried to have me killed.”
Drummond laughed. “Oh, that. Water under the bridge. Nothing personal, you understand. A simple misunderstanding.”
“How do I know you won’t try it again?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Like I said, I need your help. I have no reason to kill you.” He smiled then and added, “Unless you give me one.”
“Are you threatening me?” She stood up to leave. Coming here was a dumb idea. She should have known better.
“Please, wait. I’ll be on my best behavior. Just hear me out,” he implored and for the first time, she picked up something else in his voice—desperation. That made her curious. She sat back down and waited.
“So, here’s the thing. I need a new lawyer. I really am innocent. Of what they are accusing me of, anyway. And I need a new legal team for my appeal. I want Nick himself to take it on.”
Of all the things she could have imagined, this scenario had never crossed her mind. It didn’t make any sense.
“You just met with Nick the other day. If you want his firm to represent you, why didn’t you just ask him?”
“That seems so simple, doesn’t it? But things are never as simple as they appear. His firm defended against me. They might not be inclined to switch sides now. But it’s not only that.”
He paused for a moment while Jane considered what he’d said. He was right, especially because Nick wasn’t likely to want to take on a dog of a case. This one could make him look bad, as it didn’t seem like there was any chance of the verdict being over-turned. Not based on what Jane knew, anyway.
“The thing is, I don’t just want Nick’s firm. I want you, too.”
* * *
“He wants us to represent him? And you, too, as lead investigator? What did you tell him?” Nick buckled his seatbelt as he waited for Jane’s response. They were sitting in his car, in the parking lot. J
ane hadn’t wanted to say much until they were well out of ear shot.
“I told him it was out of the question, for me, anyway. But that I’d talk to you and you can follow up. He didn’t like that much, but he seemed to accept it. And he wished me well with my baking. It was disturbing to me that he knew so much about my life now. The whole exchange was odd. He’s a strange one.”
Nick was quiet and then said, “Well, I’m not inclined to accept, based on what we know. The case against him, though mostly circumstantial, seemed solid enough. Did he give you any information on why he thinks he has a chance?”
“No. He said you should think about it and then set up a meeting to discuss strategy. He seemed quite confident.”
“The insane usually do,” Nick chuckled.
“I don’t think he’s crazy. If anything, he’s crazy like a fox. Cunning and manipulative, too. He is used to getting what he wants.”
“Well, I’ll talk to him. But, I still doubt we’ll take it on. Wouldn’t look good to take on a case this high profile unless we have a good shot at a reversal.”
“I mentioned that to him. He just smiled.”
Nick started the car and turned on the radio. They chatted comfortably during the drive back to Boston. It was the middle of the day, so traffic was light and about forty-five minutes later, Nick pulled into the parking garage off Boylston Street. As Jane opened her door and was about to get out and walk to her own, which was parked a few spots down, Nick spoke, “Thank you for doing this. Do you want me to keep you posted?”
For a brief second, Jane considered saying no, but then she smiled and said, “Sure, why not?”
13
Jane called Gramps on the way back to Waverly and invited him to come over for dinner that night. She told him that she’d fill him in on everything then. When she got closer to home, she stopped at the local Stop and Shop and picked up a package of her grandfather’s favorite hot dogs and a box of macaroni and cheese. It was his favorite combination and every now and again, Jane liked a good hot dog, too.
Motive Page 4
