I waited for him to say something else. Another gust of wind sent a shiver down my back. The silence weighed on me as a cocktail of guilt and embarrassment roiled in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, you know,” I whispered. “About what I said.”
He nodded but otherwise didn’t answer.
“So, are you gonna come in or…?”
“I will, just not right now.” He patted my knee. “I’ll be in soon, I promise.”
The quiet way he said it nearly ripped my heart out. “Okay. But, you know, come find me if you want anything.”
He nodded again and went back to staring at the darkened streets of the town sprawled in front of us. Feeling too awkward to stay and push anything or even find the food I’d intended to eat, I went back to my room and stared at the ceiling until I fell back into a, thankfully, dreamless sleep.
I had to choke my panic down when I woke up to an empty house. I knew Sev had promised to take Crista to church, and a note on the kitchen table announced he’d taken Pearl with them. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Had he brought her with him so I could be left to sleep? Had she asked to come? Had he dragged her there in a fit of spite? I put the note down. No, not spite. Unlike Bella, he would never make Pearl a leverage point.
So, I would be alone for a few hours. I could write or gather my thoughts about where my relationship was going or any number of rational things. But Bella was still sitting in Kelly’s cells and me lounging around wasn’t going to get her out. And the longer she was in, the twitchier Sev was going to get. So, I washed up faster than I’d thought was possible and marched back out the door. The destination, the police station.
It wasn’t that I was worried about Bella… Fine, I was a little worried about her. When I’d left her, she hadn’t struck me as stable emotionally. And why should she have been? Her husband was only a few days in the ground, and she was locked up on false charges.
Charges that probably wouldn’t even make it through indictment, now that I’d had some time to think.
So, why would Kelly even bother? He’d shown up at the house with armed backup only about a half hour after we’d seen him, which meant he had been planning on dragging me or Sev or both somewhere against our will. To me, the action said he needed a scapegoat more than a culprit, preferably someone who wasn’t from town. Had Bella just been the unlucky one? Or had she provoked him on purpose to keep his eyes off us?
Well, she was a criminal. I had to give Kelly that. And she was hiding Lord knew what about the Reeds and possibly even this mysterious James Smith character. The trick, though, would be convincing her to tell me the truth.
The police station was open, thankfully, but Kelly wasn’t there. The desk was occupied by the bald officer, the one who had almost shot Bella for daring to defend herself. He was reading a newspaper. As I got closer, I realized there was something behind the paper. A girly magazine maybe? The woman in the picture I saw definitely had less clothing than was generally considered appropriate.
His head shot up at my approach, and he closed the newspaper, careful to fold the pornography inside. “What’d’ya want?”
“I’d like to see Mrs. Ferri, please,” I said.
He chuckled. “What do you think this is, a movie palace? You show up and say what you want to see?”
Thank God I’d gotten some solid sleep because otherwise, his snide comment would have sent me over the edge, and I’d have been with Bella in the cells whether I liked it or not. “Come on, officer…?”
“Wallace.”
“Officer Wallace, please. She’s family.” He raised an eyebrow. Fine, pathos wasn’t the way to go. So, I added, “And I have some important information from her lawyer who will be here tomorrow from Boston.” I leaned forward a little and dropped my voice. “You don’t want to get in trouble with a big-shot lawyer, do you?”
“Not my problem. I don’t make the rules. That’d be Bob Kelly’s job.”
“Fine. When does he get back?”
“He’s off Sundays. Don’t worry, he’ll be in tomorrow to talk to your little lawyer friend.”
I took a breath to bring my flaring mind back to a more peaceable place. “Maybe try to call Sheriff Kelly. What’s he doing anyway? Having Sunday dinner with the wife?”
“Dunno what he does on his time off. Isn’t my business. Now, get on. I have very important things to do.”
“At least tell me where I can find him. I know he has to live in town or near enough.”
“I said, get out.”
In a fit of something that might have been cleverness or maybe simple spite, I snatched the newspaper and magazine off the desk. I let the newspaper scatter and flipped through the pages of the magazine. Yep, porn. “Tsk, tsk, Officer Wallace,” I said. “And at work too.”
“Give it back,” he snapped, his face going red.
“Well, as much as I hate to come between a man and his reading material, I think I’m going to hold onto this. Maybe bring it to the attention of the town council or whatever you’ve got here. The city pays you, right? The state?”
Wallace continued staring at me and reluctantly stood. “Fine. But I’m standing next to you the whole time.”
He unlocked the door and walked me in. It was still roasting hot, even so early in the morning, and it stank to high heaven, which was new. Sweat and piss. Not unlike the gymnasium Pearl’s dad had frequented.
Bella lay on the bunk, tracing the edges of the stonework with her fingertips. She sat up when she heard the screech of the door, and my breath caught. She looked bad—drooping like a wilted flower. Her skin was a couple shades paler than it had been on Friday, which emphasized the discolored rings under her eyes. No one had even given her a comb, and her hair had frayed in the humidity.
“Are you all right?” The words came out of my mouth automatically before I remembered she had brought us to this rotten place.
She ran her hand against her sweaty forehead, somehow making the action look graceful. “I have had better days, Mr. Carrow.”
I turned to Wallace. “You can’t leave her in here,” I snapped. “She’ll get heatstroke.”
“I said I don’t make the rules, I just enforce ’em.” He shrugged, but I noticed his hand went to the pistol on his hip. “Now, say your piece, and we’ll let the lady return to her nap.”
The hair on the back of my neck prickled, but I was determined. I turned back to Bella. “Do you know who James Smith is?”
Her thundercloud eyes skimmed over me. “No. Should I?”
“He was here around the time Leo Manco was killed.”
Bella shrugged. “So why ask me?”
Because you’re obviously hiding things. “Thought maybe you’d have an outsider’s view.”
“I did not speak with him. But maybe Mr. Wallace has.”
She nodded at my escort. He didn’t say anything.
“What about the Reeds?” I asked.
“Again, I do not live here, so I do not know.”
Maybe she was holding back because of Wallace. How could I get rid of him? He wasn’t like the well-meaning secretary in Rutherford’s office, who I had tricked with a few fake coughs and an apologetic face.
“Mr. Wallace.” Bella’s unreadable eyes tracked to the cop. “I see you haven’t broken your habits.” She gestured at the magazine still in my hand.
He blanched. “Not mine.”
She almost smiled. “I happen to know Mr. Carrow very well, and I know he isn’t the sort to amuse himself with pictures of women on a Sunday, so I can only make assumptions.”
Wallace bristled.
“But maybe I am mistaken,” she continued. She nodded at the porn again. “Perhaps I’m seeing things because I’m overheated. Would it be too much trouble to ask you for water?”
He squinted at her. “Fine.” He slunk off, presumably to a sink somewhere. I had maybe a minute, at most.
I took two steps into the cells. “Who are the Reeds?” I hissed. “You rented th
e house from them, you have to know something.”
“Why does it concern you so much?”
“Because they rented the place to someone named James Smith, who probably killed Leo Manco, and if he killed Leo Manco, then Kelly can’t tack that onto you. And if he killed Manco, he may have killed Trask, and if he did, then you’re out of here.”
“Who said I wanted to get out? I must pay for my sins at some point, why not now?”
Because as much as I was sure she’d done plenty of awful things, she hadn’t done this. “Because I promised Sev I’d get you out, and I’m not disappointing him. Now what aren’t you telling me? What has you running scared? Is it the Reeds? Is it this James Smith guy? Someone else?”
“Do not worry about the Reeds or Mr. Smith. They are meaningless to me.”
“You said that about Carlisle and look what happened. You need to help me help you. If you don’t get out of this, they could hang you!”
Before Bella said anything else, Wallace appeared at my elbow. He shoved a half-full paper cup through the bars. Bella took it with as much poise as she would accept a glass of wine at a dinner party. Her gracefulness didn’t last though. She gulped the liquid down almost as soon as it passed into her hands. Wallace glared at me.
I cleared my throat. “So, as I was saying, your lawyer, Mr. Lieberman, will be here tomorrow to get you out,” I mumbled.
Bella’s brow furrowed but otherwise gave no sign of acknowledgment that the words coming out of my mouth were utter bullshit. Smart lady. “Good,” she answered. “I look forward to meeting him.”
Wallace nudged me. “There you go. All done.” He tipped an imaginary hat to Bella. “See you later, ma’am.”
Five seconds later, I was back in front of the desk. Wallace put his hand out. “You got what you wanted, now give.”
I leaned away from him, keeping the magazine clutched in my fist. “She can’t stay in there,” I repeated. “It’s hot as hell, maybe more.”
“And I keep telling you, it isn’t my problem.” He lunged for the magazine. I held it away.
“I’ll give it back if you tell me where I can find Kelly. Today.”
“I don’t know! Check around Judith Howe’s place maybe.”
What? “I thought he had the day off. What’s he doing talking to people about Trask’s death?”
“Like he gives a fuck what happened to Trask—” Wallace closed his mouth, his eyes widening with the realization he’d said too much.
Not that I hadn’t figured. Kelly wouldn’t have been rounding up random people if he was interested in catching the real murderer. But Judith was new. And yet not surprising either. I’d seen how he folded when she chastised him at the crime scene. She was, after all, very beautiful, and now conveniently single. Coincidence?
I tossed the porn onto the desk. “I’ll check Miss Howe’s house.” I inclined my head to the steel door of the cells behind him. “I’ll make sure not to mention this exchange to Kelly if you crack that open so Mrs. Ferri can catch a breeze, at least.”
Wallace, still red as a tomato, glared, but got up and opened the door to the cells by the tiniest bit. I could practically hear Vern chuckling at my resorting to blackmail.
Chapter Thirteen
I kept my eyes out for Kelly during the short walk to Judith Howe’s house, but I didn’t see him. Wallace could have been lying, but I felt Kelly was brighter than to go harassing a woman mere days after her fiancé died.
I saw a figure at her door as I approached. To my surprise, it was Arthur Parrish knocking—evidently futilely—a book wrapped in ribbon in his hand. After a few seconds, he gave up and hurried back across the lawn, head down and muttering. He nearly bumped into me on the sidewalk and about jumped out of his skin.
“Oh, Mr. Carrow,” he gasped, “you shouldn’t sneak up on people, especially with this murder business.”
“Sorry.” I glanced at the house. Something in the front window fluttered. “Going to see Miss Howe?”
“I was, but she isn’t home. At church, I imagine.” He tugged on the bottom of his vest. “I’ll come back some other time.”
I put a hand out to prevent his escape. “So, this might be a silly question, but where does Richard Trask live? I’d like to apologize to him for what happened yesterday.”
“Oh, well, I’m sure he’s forgotten by now. And he’s had worse done to him. By Walter even. Men like Richard.” Arthur shook his head. “Difficult is the kindest thing I can say.”
“And you let a difficult man sleep in your library?”
“Well, I can’t stop him. It is a public establishment. And even difficult men need somewhere to go. There aren’t any government resources out here, breadlines and shelters and such, like there are in the city.” Arthur shifted his weight. “Back to your question, if he lives anywhere, it is the library. There’s a back door, for fire safety, you understand, and I leave it unlocked, so he comes and goes as he pleases. He might be there now, even, if you wanted to—”
“Ah, well, I think it can wait until tomorrow,” I said. “Might scare him worse if I pop in out of nowhere.”
Arthur tittered a high and nasal laugh, the sound not unlike an out-of-tune flute. “Perhaps it’s for the best. If you’ll please excuse me, I must be going.”
I let him pass and watched him scurry down the street for a few seconds, trying to figure out what he reminded me of. A praying mantis, maybe? Strange and spindly with too-big eyes and hands always rubbing against each other. He turned and looked back at me in what I assumed he thought was a furtive manner. I shook my head as he doubled his pace to get away. Poor lovesick weirdo.
I went to Judith’s door and knocked. A few seconds later, she opened it about an inch. “Is he gone?” she whispered.
I checked. Arthur had rounded the corner. “Yeah.”
She relaxed slightly but remained hidden behind the door. “I hate doing that to him. He’s persistent, and I’m not at all interested.” She cocked her head. “How did you know I was here?”
“Well, I knew you wouldn’t be at church. Plus, I could see you peeking out the parlor window.”
She sighed. “At least Arthur didn’t notice.” She gave me a suspicious look. “And what are your intentions, Mr. Carrow?”
“Well, not to drag down your ego or anything, but I’m here on business. Can we talk?”
Her eyes darted around, and I realized she was terrified. Of me or Arthur or something else? She took a breath and stepped back, leaving the gap in the door open. I took that as an invitation and went in, only to almost walk smack into Maude Lamar.
“Oh, excuse me, Mr. Carrow,” she said, keeping her head down. “I was just leaving.”
Stunned, I looked to Judith.
“Maude is quite a dear friend of mine,” she said. “She’s been a great comfort these last few days. Haven’t you, darling?”
“It’s my pleasure. But I must be going now. Have a lovely Sunday.” Maude took off like a shot through the door and down the stairs. I watched her go, fully aware of her bizarre and frazzled exit.
Judith shut the door and gestured at the parlor. “Please come in, Mr. Carrow.”
She took a seat across from me in an armchair, neat and small and pretty, but there was a tenseness in the way she held herself that hadn’t been the last time I’d come to see her.
“That’s very kind of Miss Lamar to visit with you,” I said.
“It is,” Judith replied. She smoothed out her skirt, and I noticed the fabric was crinkled in unusual places. Her eyes skimmed over the covered mirror. “You learn who your true friends are in times of sorrow.” She smiled politely at me. “It’s good to know you aren’t put off by such trifles.”
There was something off about her face, and I studied it for a second. Her mouth? Yes, that was it—it wasn’t a uniform color. Patches were redder than others, and in fact, some of the color extended past the line of her lips. She caught me looking, and daintily coughed, using the back of her hand in
an attempt to discreetly wipe it away. It almost worked.
“Please excuse me. I’ve been a little overwhelmed, as you can imagine. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” she asked.
Overwhelmed was one way of putting it. Distracted was usually how I ended up describing petting sessions. At least now I knew why she hadn’t been too broken up by Trask’s death.
“Mr. Carrow?”
In my startled confusion, I asked, “Is your dad home?”
Her eyes narrowed. “He’s upstairs sleeping. He had a trying night last night. Is there something you need to talk to him about?”
“No, I thought I’d pop in.” Congratulations to you for managing to keep all that under wraps with him in the house. “There’s no reason to disturb him. I’m just asking people about Mr. Trask.”
Judith continued to eye me. “What about him?”
“Why were you engaged to a man you didn’t care for much?”
She blinked. “I loved Walter.”
“It’s pretty obvious you didn’t. You were standing there with his rotted-out corpse, and you came over to comfort Sev and me. No one’s that nice. And every time I talk to you about him, you have no reaction.” I leaned in to whisper, “And you’ve still got Miss Lamar’s lipstick all over your mouth.”
Judith’s fingers flew to her lips, her eyes widening. She turned her head away as she flushed. “I don’t see what difference it makes to you,” she snapped. “Why should you care about a man you’ve never met?”
“So, here’s the thing. I don’t care about him. I care about my family. Robert Kelly arrested Mrs. Ferri on trumped-up charges, and he’s going to do everything in his power to have her executed, and I’m doing everything in my power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
Judith shook her head. “I don’t understand, why is she so important? Isn’t she a…a…”
“Oh, Bella is a lot of things, and many of them are pretty terrible. But Sev cares about her, so I care about her.” Judith still looked baffled and flustered, so I decided to say it. “He’s not my brother-in-law; we’re together.”
Boiling Over Page 12
