A Killer Column mbtn-2

by Casey Mayes

  I hadn’t heard that tone of voice from her often, but I knew enough to abide by whatever she said. “I understand.”

  “Good, but just a yes would have been better.”

  She stepped outside for a moment, and I suddenly realized how lucky I was to have her represent me. Jenny was exactly who I needed by my side, not my dear sweet husband. Zach would come in like a bulldozer, knocking down everything in his path until he was sure I was okay. Jenny, on the other hand, would get things resolved without compromising my position. I’d tell Zach what was going on, but not until I was sure he’d finished testifying against the Slasher. What he was doing was too important.

  Jenny and Detective Murphy came back into the room, and we started. I was a good girl, not admitting to anything or overexplaining, and there were more questions Jenny wouldn’t allow me to answer than I ever could have imagined.

  “Are we finished here, Detective?” she asked.

  He glanced at his notes. “I guess we are for now, for all the good this interview did.”

  She smiled at him. “I’m sure once you begin your investigation, you’ll see that my client is innocent.”

  He just chuckled at that, and Jenny took my elbow, leading me out of the police station.

  “Wow, those years in law school really paid off,” I said.

  “Don’t kid yourself; you’re not in the clear yet by any means. This is just getting started.”

  That sobered me instantly. “Then I’m glad you’re on my side. Are the partners going to mind you taking my case?” I knew the people she worked for were bottom-line folks, intent on squeezing every cent they could from their clients.

  “They really can’t say much about it, since I’m one of them now.” She smiled at me as I wrapped her up in a bear hug.

  “When did that happen?”

  “Last week.”

  “And you didn’t tell me the instant you made partner?”

  She shrugged. “I knew you were coming, so I wanted to surprise you and tell you in person.”

  “Congratulations, Jenny. You earned it.”

  “You bet I did. I was going to take some time off to celebrate, but this is more important.”

  “I’m ruining your vacation?” I asked. I knew she hadn’t had a real one since law school.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll just postpone it. There’s no way I’d be able to live with myself if I left town when you needed me.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I owe you.”

  “In more ways than you can imagine,” she said with a smile that reminded me of our college days together.

  “What happens next?” I asked.

  She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to wrap up a few things back at my desk. Do you need a ride to your car, or do you want to come in with me?”

  “No offense, but hanging around in a law office all afternoon isn’t my idea of a good time.” I looked around and took in the beautiful day. “Why don’t you take me back to the Crest Hotel so I can get my car?”

  “What are you going to do in the meantime?”

  “I’m not leaving town, if that’s what you’re worried about,” I said with a laugh.

  “Good. It wouldn’t be a smart thing to do right now.”

  She was deadly serious.

  “Jenny, am I really a suspect?”

  “Until the police get a better one, you’re the only one on their radar.”

  “I can give them more names, if that’s what they’re looking for,” I said.

  That certainly got Jenny’s attention. “Who did you have in mind?”

  “There’s at least two other columnists he fired today. Either one of them could have done it. I don’t know what Derrick’s personal life was like, but I can’t imagine he left anyone behind that he didn’t infuriate at some point.”

  “Enough to murder him?” Jenny asked.

  “I don’t like speaking ill of the dead, but yes, he was just that kind of guy.”

  “Then I have to make a phone call when I get back to the office. Shawn’s not a bad guy, but once he gets his teeth into an idea, he hates to let it go. The faster I can send him looking in another direction, the better off you’ll be.”

  She drove me to the hotel, and as I got out at my car, I said, “I’ll see you at your place in a few hours, if you still want me.”

  “Of course I do.”

  “You’re going to hide your steak knives though, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged. “Oh, yes. A girl can’t be too careful these days. See you soon.”

  “Thanks, Jenny. For everything.”

  “What are friends for?”

  “If not this, I can’t imagine what,” I said as she drove away.

  I had a couple of hours to kill in Raleigh, so I headed for the art museum. There might not be anything in the world that could perk me up at the moment, but the collection’s pieces would do it if anything could.

  I was wrong.

  As I tried to take in the artwork, my thoughts kept going back to Derrick’s body slumped over the table.

  It was not an image I relished, and yet I couldn’t drive it from my thoughts, not even staring at my favorite Georgia O’Keeffe, or the Monet that always touched me.

  I was still trying to appreciate the artwork in front of me when my cell phone went off, earning me an angry glance from an elderly gentleman standing nearby.

  I didn’t even need to glance at the screen to see who was calling as the quacking of a hundred ducks suddenly filled the air.

  Chapter 4

  “YOU’RE OUT EARLY,” I SAID AS I HURRIED TOWARD A PUBLIC space in the museum where we could talk.

  “It’s all over,” he said, the sound of pure defeat filling his voice.

  “He’s free?” I asked, not believing what I was hearing.

  “I guess you could say that. They found him hanging in his cell this morning. He was too big a coward when it came down to facing the world with what he’d done, I guess.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I said. My husband believed in justice, and I knew that this wasn’t any approximation of it in his eyes.

  “It happens. At least he’s finished terrorizing this part of the world. How did your meeting with Derrick go?”

  “Not well,” I admitted. I hated to add to his misery, but there was no way I could keep what had happened to myself any longer. As I brought him up-to-date, he interrupted more and more until I finally said, “Just let me talk, Zach. I’ll answer your questions when I’m through.”

  “I can do better than that,” he said. “I’m catching the next flight to Raleigh. I’ll leave my car in Knoxville at the airport and we can pick it up later.”

  “Jenny’s handling things. There’s no need to rush here,” I said, though I was heartened by my husband’s reaction.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I’ll call you back as soon as I get a flight time,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Just hang in there, kiddo,” he said.

  And that’s when I felt myself breaking down. “I will,” I managed to get out before I hung up. I’d been bottling everything up inside, but hadn’t realized it. Hearing my husband’s voice had triggered something in me, and it all came rushing out in a sudden avalanche of tears.

  I was standing in front of a modern piece, a collection of paper butterflies and flowers hovering overhead. An older woman walked up to me and handed me a tissue. “It affects me the same way, dear. You have the soul of a poet seeing its beauty as strongly as you do.”

  I didn’t have the heart to tell her why I was really crying. “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “You’d be surprised.”

  I walked back out to my car and sat there until I got myself composed again. I wasn’t sure how long I’d been there when my phone rang.

  “Where are you?” It was Jenny.

  “I’m at the art museum. Why?”

  “Well, get over to my place. I’ve got a pitcher of sangria waiting with your name on it.”
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  “You know I’m not much of a drinker,” I said.

  “Trust me, now is as good a time to start as any.”

  “I thought you had work to do.”

  She laughed. “I put most of it off on some of the associates at the firm. Rank does have its privileges. Now, are you coming, or do I have to drink this all by myself?”

  “I’m on my way,” I said.

  AS I WAS DRIVING TO JENNY’S PLACE, MY PHONE STARTED quacking, and I’ve never been so happy to hear that sound in my life.

  “Hey, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing,” he said. “I’ll be in Raleigh by seven.”

  “Tonight?”

  He laughed. “Yes, tonight. I got lucky. I found a flight and weaseled my way onto standby. They just told me I got a seat, so I’ll be there in a few hours.”

  “I’m so glad,” I said, letting the remaining tension flow out of me. I was a brave, independent woman who wasn’t afraid to fight her own battles, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t love having my husband by my side, especially when things got dicey. I knew he felt the same way about me. It wasn’t weakness on either of our parts, but we both knew that we were stronger together than we were apart. Our marriage was a partnership, and that was the way we both liked it.

  “You can’t be any happier than I am about it,” he said.

  “What time should we pick you up at the airport?”

  “Don’t bother,” he said. “I’m going to rent a car and drive to Jenny’s.”

  “Nonsense. We’ll be happy to come get you.”

  He said solemnly, “Savannah, there are some things I need to do on my own. I can’t drag you back to the police station while I’m there asking questions, now can I?”

  “Do you know anybody on the force here?”

  “I’ve got a few connections,” he admitted. “In fact, there’s one—hang on, they just called my flight. I’ll call you when I land. Love you.”

  “Safe flight,” I said, but he was already gone. Suddenly I felt a world better knowing that Zach was going to be on the case. If anyone could get me out of this jam, it was my husband.

  By the time I got to Jenny’s, I was actually beginning to feel a little better. I started to knock on her door when I saw an odd little man staring at me from the porch next door.

  “Hello,” he said with a wave.

  “Hi,” I replied.

  I knocked, and Jenny answered, dressed in slacks and a casual blouse. “Who’s your friend?” I asked as I gestured toward him.

  “That’s Charlie. He’s harmless. He likes to keep an eye out on my place since he works from home.”

  “He’s a little odd, isn’t he,” I said, but Jenny just laughed.

  “He’s fine.” To show she meant it, she waved next door and called out, “Hey, Charlie.”

  “Hi, Jenn . . . y.”

  “Very good,” she answered with a smile. “You’re getting better. You caught yourself from using my whole name just in time.”

  “I’m trying, but it’s tough.”

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get there.”

  He nodded. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”

  “The best,” she said.

  When Jenny led me inside, I saw that she already had a glass of sangria waiting for me.

  “Have a drink,” she said before I could take off my coat.

  “I’d better not,” I said. “Do you have any orange juice?”

  “You’re not serious, are you? Come on, you need a stress reliever.”

  “You’re right, I do, and I just talked to him. He’s on his way.”

  Jenny pushed the glass aside. “Maybe you’re right. We don’t need any alcohol in our systems if we’re going to drive to the airport to pick him up. How would that look if we got stopped?”

  “Not good,” I admitted. “But he’s renting a car, so that’s not really a factor. I just think I need to keep my wits about me right now, do you know what I mean?”

  “Sure I do, but I insist you take one sip. I’ve been dying to toast my partnership with you. We can do it with these, or we can crack open a bottle of champagne. It’s your choice.”

  “Let’s save that for when I’m out from under this mess,” I said.

  “Then in the meantime, this will do nicely,” Jenny said as she raised her own glass.

  “To you,” I said, picking up the fruity but potent concoction and raising it toward her. “Congratulations.”

  We clinked glasses, and then I took a sip. It was a sweet and icy drink, and the first time I’d had one in college no one had told me that it packed an alcoholic punch. After three drinks, I had slept for twelve straight hours and woke up with the worst headache of my life.

  I finished my sip, and then put the glass back down. “I know you were just expecting to house one Stone, so we’ll find a hotel in Raleigh.” I knew that my Uncle Barton owned the Royal Hostelry in Raleigh, and I had a standing reservation there, along with all of the other hotels he owned, whenever I wanted it. I’d told Jenny a little about my long lost uncle, but I’d purposefully left out the fact that he was rich beyond my ability to describe it.

  “Nonsense. I’ve got plenty of room. Besides, it will be good to see that big bear of a husband of yours again, even if it is under such rotten circumstances.”

  “I know he’ll be happy to see you, too,” I said. I looked around her place, a beautiful home in one of the nicer sections of Raleigh. “You’ve really done well for yourself, haven’t you?”

  “It beats the place we had on High Street, doesn’t it?”

  “Your kitchen alone is bigger than our entire apartment,” I said. “But we still managed to have fun, didn’t we?”

  “We did at that. I love my life now, except for the present cloud hanging over it, but we had some good times back then, didn’t we?”

  “The best.”

  As we moved into the living room, I admired the elegant Queen Anne style of her furniture. “My, my, my. Your style has certainly improved over time.”

  “Don’t kid yourself. I’ve always had elegant taste. It’s just that I’ve only recently begun to be able to afford it. I’m not sure how long I’m staying in this house, though.”

  “What’s the matter? Do you need something bigger to impress your partners?”

  “Just the opposite. I don’t have to care nearly as much now. I’m thinking about getting a condo downtown. Think how nice it would be to walk to the office and the courthouse. My idea of heaven is not having to drive to work every day and fight traffic.”

  There was a lull in our conversation, and not the comfortable one we usually shared. I knew we were both thinking about Derrick’s murder, and the fact that I was involved in it, but neither one of us would say anything about it.

  Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

  The great thing about our friendship was that I didn’t have to explain any more than that for her to understand.

  “I won’t lie to you. It’s not good.”

  “Zach seems to think he can help,” I offered.

  She paused for a moment, and then said, “Maybe he can. To be honest with you, I’m glad he’s coming. I’m sure he’ll have more luck getting something out of Murphy than I would.”

  “Did you two ever go out?” I asked, noticing the hint of something in her eyes when she spoke his name.

  “Savannah Stone, have you been spying on me?”

  “You mean I’m right? It was just a stab in the dark.”

  “Well, you hit what you were aiming at,” she said as she stood. Jenny walked around the room, her fingers lightly trailing over furniture as she moved. It was clear that she’d be more comfortable without direct eye contact, and that was fine with me. After a few moments, she said, “Two years ago, he asked me out. I figured, what could it hurt? He’s a nice-looking man, and he’s very good at what he does. We went out for a while, but there just wasn’t any spark there for me, you know
? I finally turned him down when he asked me out, but he kept asking, all the while I kept saying no. Persistence is an excellent trait in police detectives, but in unwanted suitors, it’s not so wonderful. I finally had to tell him bluntly that I would never go out with him again under any circumstances, and what should have faded away into oblivion suddenly became a barrier to my work. I made it a point never to date another cop or lawyer since, and I haven’t regretted the decision.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “I’m the one who should be apologizing. It’s going to make things a little tougher on you.”

  I smiled at her. “I’m a big girl. I can take it. Besides, I shouldn’t be the only suspect on his list. There were other folks there today who had just as much motive as I did to want Derrick dead.”

  “So you said. Hang on a second, I want to start digging into that. Let me get a legal pad so I can take some notes.”

  “Are you billing me for this?” I asked.

  She grinned. “I’m officially on vacation, so this isn’t any of the firm’s business. Besides, I’ve got some pro bono work figured into my workload.”

  “Seriously, I can afford to pay you.”

  She mentioned her current hourly billing, and I whistled under my breath. “Okay, I might have to do it in installments, but I can still handle it.”

  Jenny frowned, and then suddenly brightened. “Do you remember back in school that you loaned me money whenever I needed it without a word about me ever paying it back?”

  “You were on scholarships and student loans. Anything I had was yours, and I was glad to do it.”

  “Well, consider this return payment in full.”

  I stood and approached her. “Jenny, we both know it couldn’t have been more than five hundred dollars altogether.”

  “So, think of it as compound interest. It might not sound like much now, but it saved me back then. Let me do this, Savannah.”

  I grinned at her. “Well, if you insist.”

  She hugged me, and then said, “I’ve really missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “Before we get started, I’ve got something you’re going to want to see,” she said as she reached into one of the drawers of an end table.