‘No, but I heard about her. My mom was pissed that she took over Lauren’s career. But Lauren was moving to Branson, and my dad wouldn’t go.’
‘Your mother wanted him to?’
‘Of course,’ said Dory. ‘That was all she cared about.’
‘Do you remember when Lauren was dating Walker?’
‘She brought him home at one point.’
‘I guess at that time your mother didn’t know that Lauren was gay.’
‘Apparently not. She was planning the wedding,’ said Dory ruefully.
‘I guess she did it for appearances,’ Alex observed. ‘It’s a high price to pay for success. Living a lie.’
Dory threw her an angry glance. ‘Nobody made her do it.’
‘Are you sure about that?’ Alex asked. ‘It sounds like your mother was pretty heavily invested in Lauren’s career. She was willing to move to Branson, for heaven’s sake.’
‘Are you kidding? Lauren was a hog for the spotlight. Pulling out that goddam guitar everywhere. “Do you want to hear ma new song?”’ Dory imitated her sister in a sing-song drawl.
‘Did she have a Southern accent?’ Alex asked.
‘She . . . acquired one,’ said Dory bitterly. ‘Whatever she had to do.’
Alex was quiet for a moment. ‘Was there anything about her that you liked?’
‘No,’ said Dory.
Alex thought about the song she had listened to, ‘Love You Only’, and the picture it painted of a woman trying in vain to please her mother, her fans and all the strangers around her. A woman whom no one really knew.
‘You think I’m terrible, don’t you?’ Dory asked. ‘You’re thinking how you’d be a much better sister than me.’
‘No, I’m not,’ said Alex, suddenly weary of Dory’s automatic habit of taking offense.
‘You probably think I was crazy, accusing her of trying to steal Rick Howland away from me. Why would she do that if she was gay? I’ll tell you why. Just for the pure meanness of it. She didn’t care who she hurt. Look at that Walker guy. He was thinking about marrying her, and she was just using him to make it seem like she went with men.’
Alex felt a headache forming as Dory drove along in the dark, ranting. Suddenly her phone rang.
‘Who’s that? Seth again?’ Dory asked sarcastically. ‘Must be nice to be so in demand.’
Alex frowned when she saw the caller ID. It was Detective Langford of the Boston police. She hit the button and answered the phone.
‘Ms Woods,’ he said. ‘How you doing?’
‘Much better,’ said Alex. ‘I’m doing fine.’
‘I just wanted to call you,’ he said, ‘because we got the lab tests back on that piece of liver we found at your house.’
‘Oh?’ said Alex, wondering why he would call her with that.
‘I thought you should know. That wasn’t poison on the liver. It was a sedative. A mild sedative for dogs.’
Alex felt a sickening flip in her stomach. ‘Why are you telling me this?’
‘You ought to be aware that your assailant, whoever he or . . . she might be, had no intention of poisoning that dog. Only wanted him to take a short nap so she . . . or he . . . could carry out their plan.’
Alex understood exactly what he was saying. She did not reply.
‘Based on these test results and, in the interests of our own investigation, we have decided to get a search warrant for the Colsons’ apartment in Boston. We feel that we need to go over that place again.’
‘I see,’ said Alex.
Dory was looking at her suspiciously.
‘You be on your guard, Ms Woods,’ said the detective.
TWENTY-SIX
The minute they walked into the house, Remus rushed to the door to greet them. Dory immediately crouched down and began to tussle with the dog, crooning to him and tugging on his ears. Alex looked on in sickening fascination, thinking about the call from Detective Langford. A canine sedative. A way to quiet the dog without hurting him. Would Dory have done that? Could it have been Dory, after all, who had attacked her? Suddenly Alex felt completely unmoored. She didn’t know what to believe. Was it possible that Dory had, in fact, been the one who killed Lauren? It would be difficult to find anyone who hated Lauren more.
‘What’s the matter with you?’ Dory demanded, looking up at Alex.
Alex jumped. ‘Nothing. Nothing. I’m going upstairs. I’m worn out.’
‘Go ahead,’ said Dory.
‘G’night,’ Alex mumbled as she hurried up the steps to her room, closed the door and locked it. Then, just for good measure, she took her desk chair and tilted it up so that it was wedged beneath the doorknob.
She got into her bed but didn’t take off her clothes. She picked up her phone and toyed with it. She was so tempted. Tempted to call Seth and tell him everything. Tell him that she was in the hospital because she had been stabbed. Tell him that now she was locked in her room, and that her possible assailant was just down the hall. But what could Seth do? she chided herself. She would be alarming him when there was no way he could help her. It wasn’t fair to put him in that position. She had to handle it herself.
She checked her address book and punched in Laney Thompson’s number. The phone rang several times and then went to voicemail. ‘Laney, this is Alex across the street. I’m just feeling a little jittery after that incident the other night. Please call me when you get this. I’d feel a lot better knowing you were right there.’
Well, she thought, that was no help. She tilted her head back against the headboard on her bed and tried to think. She couldn’t tell Dory that she suspected her of being the one who stabbed her. There was no rational explanation for why she would do that. Surely Dory hadn’t become so attached to Seth that she would hate Alex for stealing him away. And want to kill her. A person that did that would be . . . out of their mind.
Alex shuddered, remembering Dory’s rant in the car about Lauren. The force of her anger against her sister. I need to get away from her, Alex thought. No matter what. I have to put distance between us without letting her know of my suspicions. Tomorrow, she thought, I’ll tell Dory that I don’t need her here after all, that I’m going to stay with Uncle Brian. And this time, Alex thought, I’ll actually do it. I’ll stay there until Seth gets back, and then I’ll be safe.
Alex could feel a tightness in her chest, and her breathing became shallow. Stop it, she thought. Stop getting yourself into such a panic. If Dory had wanted to hurt you, she could have done it yesterday. Last night. Just because the person who attacked her had not tried to poison the dog that didn’t mean, ipso facto, that it was Dory. There are lots of dog lovers in this world, she told herself. Lots of people who wouldn’t hurt a dog, but wouldn’t hesitate to hurt their fellow man. Perhaps, in the end, it was just a burglary gone wrong. She couldn’t think of anyone in her life who might want to hurt her. What good would killing Alex Woods do for anyone else? She couldn’t think of anyone she had injured to that extent that they would want revenge. And no one stood to gain much if she should die. She didn’t even have an heir to leave her property to. She recalled her attorney John Killebrew telling her that she had to make a will and designate an heir, but she hadn’t done it yet. It didn’t seem necessary. It would probably go to Uncle Brian.
Or . . . to Dory.
The doorknob to her bedroom suddenly rattled and she cried out in alarm. ‘Who is it?’
‘Who do you think?’ asked Dory.
‘What do you want?’ Alex demanded.
There was no answer.
‘Dory?’ She waited. ‘Dory?’
She looked anxiously around the room. There was no other way in. From her front windows it was a sheer drop to the ground. Relax, she told herself. You have your phone. You’re perfectly safe. But no amount of reassuring herself seemed to work. She sat up in the bed, fully clothed and, try as she might, she could not get to sleep.
Dawn came and went and still Alex sat on her bed. She was not sure
if she had dozed off or not but, if she had, it hadn’t lasted long. She felt utterly exhausted and nervous at the same time. She realized that Laney Thompson had never called her back. She must have gone away. Well, the night was over, Alex thought. Thank God for that. Suddenly she heard a minor commotion in front of the house. Several cars pulled up, and she heard car doors slamming. Alex jumped off the bed, ran to the window and looked out. A dark sedan was parked in front of the house with a black and white cruiser just behind it. Two men in suits and overcoats were coming up the walk, followed by a pair of uniformed officers. Jiggling the chair out from under the doorknob, Alex left her room and clattered down the steps. She had opened the front door before they even rang the bell.
‘Ms Woods,’ said Detective Spagnola. ‘You look tired.’
‘I haven’t slept,’ said Alex. ‘I’m glad to see you.’
‘We need to talk to your sister. Is she here?’
‘Yes, she’s upstairs. I’ll call her.’ Alex went to the foot of the staircase. ‘Dory,’ she called out. There was no answer.
Spagnola directed the two young uniformed officers to mount the stairs. They did as they were told, thundering up the steps.
‘Last door on the left,’ said Alex.
There was silence for a moment, and then one of them shouted down the stairwell, ‘No one here.’
At that same moment, Alex realized that there was no sign of Remus. ‘Oh, wait. She must have taken the dog out for a walk.’
‘Where does she take him?’
‘Probably down by the park at the end of the street.’
The detective summoned the uniformed officers to come back downstairs and then directed them to go down to the park at the end of the block to look for Dory and the dog.
Once they were out the door, Alex turned to the detectives. ‘Why are you here? What do you want to talk to Dory about?’
‘We’ve just come from the Colsons’ home,’ said Detective Langford. ‘As I told you on the phone, after we found out about the dog we obtained a search warrant and executed it early this morning. There was a knife with traces of blood on it hidden under the mattress in Dory’s room. We are testing it against samples of your DNA from the crime scene to confirm whether it is the weapon that was used to stab you.’
Alex felt suddenly light-headed. She sagged against the wall. ‘Oh my God.’
At that moment the back door opened and Dory came in with Remus tethered to her on a leash. Her cheeks were pink, and she was wearing a knitted blue cap with ear flaps and long tassels in a Nordic design. She looked as if she had skated in on the Zuider Zee. She bent down to let Remus off the leash and he rushed down the hallway. Dory straightened up and looked at her sister and the two detectives at the end of the hall.
Detective Spagnola turned his back on Dory and began to murmur into a two-way radio which he raised to his mouth.
Dory looked from the police to Alex. ‘Why are they here?’ she asked.
Alex looked at her coldly. ‘They want to talk to you.’
The look on Dory’s face shifted from curiosity to anxiety. ‘What for?’ she asked.
‘They want to question you,’ said Alex.
Detective Langford raised a hand as if to silence her. ‘We’ll handle this, Ms Woods,’ he said.
‘Question me about what?’ Dory demanded. She glared at Alex. ‘Did you call them?’
‘No,’ Alex said.
‘Based on results of some tests conducted here after the attack on your sister,’ said Spagnola, ‘we obtained a search warrant and went to your parents’ apartment this morning. We found a knife in your room. We believe it is the knife which was used to stab Alex Woods in the attack which occurred in this house the other night.’
‘No,’ said Dory. ‘That’s not mine.’
‘Come along then, and you can tell us your version of what happened.’
‘Come along where?’
‘To the police station. We are taking you in for questioning.’
Alex looked on anxiously as Dory pointed an index finger at the detective’s face. ‘No. I’m not coming. You can’t blame this one on me,’ she said.
‘If you don’t come willingly, we’ll have to place you under arrest.’ With that Detective Langford walked up to her and put a hand under her elbow.
Dory twisted away from him. ‘Let go of me.’ She turned furiously on Alex. ‘Tell them. Tell them I didn’t do this. You know I didn’t do it.’
Alex felt her face flaming.
‘You leave us no choice,’ said Spagnola. ‘Dorothy Colson, we are placing you under arrest for the attempted murder of Alex Woods.’
‘NOOOO . . .!’ Dory shrieked, and her wails echoed through the house.
Detective Langford, aided by Spagnola, lifted her by the arms and started to half-drag, half-carry her down the hallway.
Alex stood back to let them pass. She didn’t want to look at Dory as they dragged her by. She was afraid to see the hate, the contempt in Dory’s eyes. But as her gaze inadvertently met Dory’s, she saw instead the face of a frightened child looking back at her. Confused, defenseless and utterly alone.
TWENTY-SEVEN
Marisol Torres was sitting in the second-floor lounge of the Justice Initiative, eating yogurt and a payday candy bar, and drinking an Orangina while she reviewed a pile of notes spread out before her on the formica tabletop. Alex hesitated in the doorway of the makeshift lounge. The receptionist, who recognized Alex right away, had sent her up here, but now that she stood in the doorway, watching Marisol multitask, Alex was reluctant to disturb her.
‘Can I help you?’ asked a curly-headed, owlish-looking young man in shirtsleeves.
‘No, I’m fine,’ said Alex.
Hearing that familiar voice, Marisol looked up and saw Alex hovering in the doorway. Her serious face broke into a wide smile. ‘Alex!’
‘I hate to bother you,’ Alex said sheepishly.
‘I’m glad for the company. Come on in.’ She indicated a chair at the table where she was sitting.
Alex sat down across from her.
‘No offense,’ said Marisol, ‘but you’re not looking too good.’
‘I’m not feeling too good,’ Alex admitted.
Marisol looked at her expectantly.
‘Dory,’ said Alex.
Marisol sighed. ‘Well, you can’t have your money back,’ she said, only half-teasing. Alex had dropped off a generous contribution to the Justice Initiative after the DA decided not to refile the charges against Dory. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Do you know about the incident at my house?’
Marisol winced. ‘There was an incident? Oh, no. What?’
‘Somebody attacked me with a knife.’
‘Oh my God! No. Are you all right?’
‘Yes. Thanks to this vicious-looking dog named Remus that Dory got us while she was staying with me. He’s not really vicious. He’s actually a good boy. He prevented the attack from being much worse.’
‘Did they catch the guy?’
‘They think they have. This morning, they arrested Dory.’
‘Oh, Jesus,’ said Marisol, clapping her palm over her heart. ‘You’re kidding me. Tell me you’re kidding.’
Alex shook her head. ‘It’s the truth.’
‘I’m so sorry, Alex. Did you know it was her?’
‘I didn’t know who it was. I didn’t know what to think. The cops arrived this morning. Said they found the knife under her mattress at the Colsons’.’
‘Why? Why would she do that? After all this . . .’
Alex shook her head. ‘I’m not sure. She was a little jealous about this guy, Seth, that I’m seeing now.’
‘Oh, right. The good-looking guy with the glasses who was at the courthouse. I met him at your house, after the appeal hearing.’
‘That’s the one. She was attracted to him, apparently. She asked me, and I told her I didn’t have a boyfriend, because I didn’t at the time. And then things happened between Seth
and me and the situation changed. She didn’t like it when she found us kissing.’
Marisol shook her head. ‘And for that she stabbed you? I’m sorry. Are other people not allowed to have a life when Dory’s around? I mean, God forbid you should have a boyfriend. Oh, Alex, there is no help for this girl. Lots of people just can’t readjust to life on the outside of prison. It happens all the time. But I had hoped she might give it a little better effort than that. How long she been out? A week?’
‘The thing is, Marisol, I’m having trouble believing it. I mean, she seemed a little . . . miffed at me. But not that angry. Not like that.’
Marisol looked at her with raised eyebrows. ‘What is this? Turn the other cheek week?’
‘She seemed . . . more hurt than anything else when they came to get her.’
‘Hurt that she got caught,’ Marisol fumed.
‘Maybe it is that. I don’t know. I was just wondering if you could talk to her,’ said Alex. ‘She really needs the advice of an attorney.’
‘I’m not an attorney, as you know.’
‘But she trusts you. And she needs someone to advise her. Even as a friend.’
Marisol sighed and shook her head. ‘Where’s she at now?’
‘I’m not sure. Two detectives – the same two that reopened Lauren Colson’s case – took her in.’
‘Then she’s probably at the Back Bay precinct,’ said Marisol. ‘I’ll make some calls and find out. I’ll go see her.’
‘Can I come with you?’ asked Alex.
‘No. You can’t come with me. You’re the victim,’ said Marisol.
‘Oh. All right,’ said Alex. ‘I know you think I’m crazy coming here, but if you had seen her . . . She was so distraught when the police came. She looked completely lost. She insisted that she didn’t do it.’
‘That’s what she said the last time,’ Marisol reminded her. ‘All right, I’ll see what I can do. I’ll call you later.’
Alex went home, took a shower, lay down on her bed and fell instantly into a deep sleep. She couldn’t resist sleep. She’d been up most of the night. But as she laid her head on the pillow, she had to admit to herself that she felt undeniably safer knowing that Dory had been arrested. There was something fundamentally alarming about her. Maybe it was just the unresolved fear that Dory had escaped her punishment for Lauren’s murder because of a judicial technicality.
Sisters Page 19
