After “ten-four” crackled back, Kelly whispered “What are you doing here? How did you know?”
“What, that it was Marv and not Stephen? I think in my gut I knew it all of the time but the evidence just didn’t point that way. I’m sworn to uphold the law, and go where the evidence leads me, not my gut. But when Stephen and I pooled our information last night it became crystal clear that Marv, not Stephen, was the person I should have been looking for. ” the detective admitted.
Kelly explained “Marv told me the whole story while he had me tied up. It had been Marv’s plan all along that when Amanda was old enough he would marry her. When Amanda announced her engagement to Stephen, Marv went off the deep end. But that’s not why he killed her.”
Before Detective O’Brien could continue they heard what sounded like a distant gun shot, two actually, in rapid succession. O’Brien’s small two way radio crackled before another voice spoke into it “Detective, we got him. He’s down but still breathing.”
Detective O’Brien answered back “damn, I would have loved to have saved everyone the cost of a trial. The scum bag doesn’t deserve it but you’d better call for an ambulance.” They both climbed out of the small cave, rubbing at muscles that were not responding from the length of time they had been hunched over in the cramped quarters. O’Brien helped Kelly maneuver the steep incline as walked back in the general direction of the cabin, using each other to fill in the remaining blanks.
“She was pregnant, you know?” Kelly offered.
“Yes, it was in the ME’s report, about six weeks. I’m not sure though whether or not Stephen knew.”
“I think he knew.” Kelly had a hunch.
“Well, he never mentioned it to me and I saw no official reason to cause him more pain.”
“It’s just a hunch I have but being a divorced mom you’re always fear that any serious new love interest your lucky enough to find will find out that you have a child and run for the hills. A lot of men don’t want to deal with someone else’s child. I was looking for that kind of reaction with Stephen the day I told him about my son, but his reaction was different. His conscious self left the room for briefly, he went to another place. It was the look of a parent who had lost a child. I didn’t know that then, but now looking back that’s exactly what it was.”
“Well, I’m sure that losing a child or even the expectation of a child must be the worst thing that can happen to a person. Stephen would have made a fine father. Maybe he’ll get another chance someday?”
“We’ll see” Kelly whispered under her breath, and then louder she continued “anyway, that’s why Marv killed her, Amanda that is. He went with her that day for the hike. He wasn’t gray then, his hair was the same color as Stephens, and he’s just as tall so that witness you had, the one who described the man from the back was right, but they were describing Marv, not Stephen.”
“Yes, we had figured that out too but it’s good to have confirmation.”
“He followed her there, to the park that day, to try to talk her out of marrying Stephen. She told him she was already pregnant with Stephen’s child. Marv exploded. He wanted to hurt her because in his twisted mind he thought she had betrayed him. That’s when he pushed her.”
“Yes, he is twisted alright. Did he say anything about why he killed Stephen’s father?”
“Yes, because the elder Mr. Long found out that Marv had killed Amanda. He found her missing windbreaker in Marv’s trunk.”
“That’s where it got to. That was a piece of evidence that I never told anyone, it was my ace in the hole because had I been able to find the person with that jacket, or new about it, then I would find the killer. When I questioned Stephen last night it was obvious that he knew nothing about it.”
Kelly continued “Marv overheard Mr. Long on the phone to Stephen. He said he was on his way over with important about Amanda’s death but he didn’t want to discuss it over the phone. Apparently, Marv planted himself on the side road just in front of a dangerous curve, and shot out Mr. Long’s front tire when he passed by. Mr. Long didn’t have a chance.”
“That’s another piece we didn’t share, we found the shells by the side of the road and buck shot inside the front tire. We knew someone had shot out the tire causing the accident, we just didn’t know who or why. Unfortunately for Stephen not only did he lose his father that day, but the evidence that Mr. Long had against Marv died with him when the car exploded.”
“So now what?” Kelly asked.
“It’s over. The cases will both be reclassified as homicides and closed. If he survives, Marv will be going to jail for a long time. Kelly, there’s much more to the story than you know, probably more than you want to know. Marv is a sick man.”
“Yes, I know” she said quietly.
“He was a suspect in many cases, cases of rape, kidnapping, and other unspeakable acts. Did he do anything to you, hurt you in any way? We need to know everything in case there are other crimes we can charge him with.”
“No, not really. He might have eventually gotten around to it but I didn’t give him much chance. I’m fine, really.” She added when his eyes fixed on her with concern.
“Marv was sick but also smart and had been able to elude justice for many, many years. Stephen knew it, but without proof he couldn’t get help from the police. I’m ashamed to admit that we just missed it. Marv had done a great job of staying under the radar while implicating his nephew in his future maniacal plans at every turn.
Marv left town a day or two after Mr. Long’s death no one noticed because no one was looking at him as a suspect. When Stephen left town after him, our cases went cold. Stephen left no trace or clue as to where he was going but that was because he didn’t himself know. Stephen was out to find Marv. It took him a few years to finally locate Marv in Alaska. Had we known Marv was here we would have known that eventually, so too would be Stephen. After too many failed attempts at getting the proof he needed to convince police, Stephen decided to take matters into his own hands. He bought the land adjacent to Marv’s, set up shop, and patiently waited for Marv to make a mistake. I’m guessing that he didn’t count on you coming along. I don’t think that Stephen would have ever intentionally put you in harm’s way”
“He warned me about Marv, many times. I guess he thought that I would listen to him. In hindsight I should have. No I look back at Stephen’s warnings and I can see the genuine fear that Marv caused him but at the time, to me, Marv just seemed so harmless. I guess that’s how he got away with his crimes.”
“Kelly, Marv planted doubts in your mind about Stephen on purpose. That was his plan. You won’t want to know what other plans he had for you when and if Stephen was out of the way. He planned to use you to repay Stephen for taking Amanda away from him.”
“Yes, I know, and I stepped right into his trap. Good for me” she commented dryly. “Little does Marv know that with my help he’s already achieved one goal.”
“What’s that?”
“To split up Stephen and me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Oh come on detective, I led you right to Stephen’s doorstep. If it hadn’t been for me you wouldn’t have known where he was.”
“But it all turned out ok for him in the end. His name’s been cleared.”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that I betrayed him. I didn’t believe in him. There’s no reason for him to ever forgive me. Conviction of soul is one of Stephen’s strongest traits. For me it’s a character flaw.”
“Kelly, I spent many hours with Stephen yesterday. I don’t get the idea that he’s like that. The Stephen I got to know yesterday is honorable and committed to you. There’s more to him than you give him credit for. Besides, I was here, with him, when we got back and found you gone. His fear at what might have happened to you was real. I had to physically restrain him from coming after you. Give him a chance. Give yourselves both a chance.”
“I can only hope that he’ll give me a chance. S
o how did find me, here in the woods. How did you know that Marv had me?”
“After Stephen and I had put the pieces together, I borrowed a few deputies and followed him back. Our intention was to check in on you and then head down the road to Marv’s to serve a warrant for his arrest. But at the cabin we quickly figured out things weren’t right. Stephen immediately suspected Marv so we went straight to his house. If you two had still been there I think Stephen would have killed Marv and we wouldn’t have been able to stop him. But you were gone, and so was Marv. There was evidence in the driveway of a scuffle, and we found a rope, presumably he had used it on you?” She nodded affirmatively.
“It was then that we made our plan. The four-wheeler was gone so it wasn’t hard to imagine that you had escaped and he was on the four-wheeler trying to find you. Stephen hoped that you would find your way back to his property but we left a deputy at Marv’s just in case you or he circled back, and then we went back to Stephen’s.
Stephen told us about the places he had shown you, those that would be the easiest for you to get to and that you might recognize and we took it from there.
Stephen wanted to be the one to find you but I insisted that no more civilians be put in harm’s way. He wasn’t happy but I didn’t give him a chance. I convinced him to stay at the cabin in case you got there before us and I left another deputy there to take care of Marv should he be dumb enough to head that way. We hoped that he would assume you would head to Stephen’s, and if he still believed Stephen to be in jail then he would have no reason not to follow you there. I guess we were right on that score. Anyway, Stephen should still be at the cabin waiting for us. You heard me radio ahead to them that I had you.”
When they came out of the woods near the cabin Max came running up to Kelly at full throttle, barking and with his tail wagging. Kelly knelt down next to him “a lot of good are you to me now young man? Where were you when I needed you? I’m going to have to do something about your trust instincts.”
They covered the remaining space across the back yard and found Stephen waiting for them on the back patio. He was trying his best to keep his face blank but Detective O’Brien noted the relief in his eyes when with outstretched hand Stephen slapped him on the back and said “thank you Tim, I’ll never forget your help.”
“No problem Stephen; just doing my job. I’m glad everything turned out for you.”
“I’d say you went well beyond the call of duty just keeping these cases both open for all of these years.”
“No statute of limitation for murder. I don’t make the laws I just follow them.”
“But you could have easily written them both off as accidents, closed the cases, and been done with it years ago.”
“Then I wouldn’t be worth a piece of crap as an investigator, would I? Although, I do have to admit that the cases went pretty cold for us before Kelly showed up in my office. She provided me with the added hunches I needed to re-invigorate the investigation. Thank you for that Kelly” he winked at her. “I know you think your story was bullet proof but I’ve been in this line of work long enough now to recognize a woman in love when I see one.”
Kelly blushed and smiled shyly at Detective O’Brien but said nothing. She glanced up at Stephen, who was not meeting her gaze.
With Marv cuffed and loaded into an ambulance, and a deputy assigned to go with him, Detective O’Brien’s business on Old Henry Road was complete for now. He told Stephen that he would need access to Marv’s house to collect evidence in the next day or so.
“And Kelly, take a breath or two but then we will also need you to come down to the station to give a statement. I know it won’t be fun but we’re going to need you to tell us everything that happened with Marv. Anything he told you could be used as evidence in our murder cases against him. Plus,” he hesitated just a bit, glancing at Stephen before continuing “we need to talk about the possibility of additional charges.”
“Detective, there is one more thing. When you get back to town could you please tell Chief Deputy Dawson that Marv was the one who killed Jackie Jensen? Have him show you his file on that case. I’m not sure he will ever have enough evidence to convict Marv without a confession, but he confessed to me if that will be of any help. Maybe they can match the DNA of her unborn fetus to him. Anyway, her family, and the town deserve closure; at least the peace of mind to know there is no longer a killer loose on their streets.”
“Ok, Kelly, will do. You guys have a good night and I’ll be talking to you both soon.” Detective O’Brien climbed into the front passenger seat of a cruiser. Stephen and Kelly stood watching until long after the last cruiser had left. The quiet once again settled over this part of the country side.
After a few moments Stephen took Kelly’s hand and led her back into the cabin with Max in tow. He turned her to him placing his hands on either shoulder and asked “are you ok?” She shook her head yes, trying to keep the tears from welling up. He stood looking into her eyes for several minutes, and then led her to the bedroom. They both undressed and climbed into bed.
“Stephen, there’s something I need to tell you, now. I can’t wait any longer. I’m late.”
There was no response from him. She continued “I should have gotten my period while I was at my parents, but I didn’t. There was still no answer and within a few minutes he was softly snoring. Kelly lay awake for what seemed like hours, wondering how they were to go on from here.
Chapter 21
They ate breakfast in silence.
Stephen was still trying to deal with the kaleidoscope of feelings that were churning their way through his head and heart at the news she might be pregnant. He had heard her confession last night, but didn’t dare to say anything. His emotions were running too deep, too fast, and he didn’t trust himself to say what she needed to hear.
He’d never told Kelly about Amanda, and the baby. But of course she would probably know them by now. He and Kelly had never talked about Amanda or what the prospect of having a child had meant to him so Kelly would have no way of knowing just how he would take her news.
It had been sixteen years since he had last heard those words and although they hadn’t yet been married, the idea of becoming a father was the most incredible feeling he had ever experienced, until last night. When he received the news of Amanda’s death, it was the baby’s death that had affected him most. He had lost a child, and that was something he had never gotten over.
Now, this morning, still reeling from the hurt that Kelly had caused him, the idea of having a second chance at fatherhood trumped all. He had all but given up the idea of every having a child. This time it would be different; it was a chance to have a family with the one woman whom he knew he was meant to be with. And despite everything, her betrayal, her doubts, she was still the woman that he would gladly lay down his life for. Not only could he not seem to find the right words to tell her this, he also didn’t trust himself to be able to tell her with any semblance of self-control.
After the dishes he asked “would you like to go for a hike?” Kelly quietly answered yes.
While putting on their boots Kelly asked “Stephen, did you hear what I told you last night, before you fell asleep?”
Not trusting his voice yet, he nodded affirmatively. She didn’t notice the way his hands trembled.
Kelly was still here, with him, in his cabin, but for the life of her she didn’t know why. She was shocked and slightly fearful that, after a night of not touching, and very few words, he had invited her for a hike. What did he have planned for her? Whatever it was, she deserved it. She could have kicked herself for the thought. Stephen deserved better than that from her.
They left the cabin and she followed as he headed off in the direction of the pond, hiking the trail in silence. His pace was a bit slower this time and she had no problem keeping up. They sat on the moss, leaning back against the bolder, watching wild life at the pond carry out its business. The silence continued and it was deafening in her ea
rs.
Things had worked out in his favor and justice had been served for the deaths of his father and Amanda, and their baby. But none of that changed the fact that she had doubted him every step of the way. He had shown her nothing but a deep-seeded faith in their love. She had given him nothing but betrayal. Marv had it backwards; it was she who didn’t deserve him.
And then there was the possibility of a pregnancy. They had never talked about children. If after forty-two years he had never had one, was it because of the pain of losing Amanda’s unborn baby, or was it because he just didn’t want any. One thing was for sure, she couldn’t ignore this. If she was pregnant, then they had to deal with it now. If she wasn’t, then she deserved to know where he stood for their future, if they still were to have one together.
“Stephen,” she started quietly as she looked over the pond, “I don’t know where we go from here. I don’t know how you could ever forgive me or even if I can ever forgive myself. I should have believed in you with the same strength of conviction that you had in us. I know one thing for sure though; I don’t want to be a single parent again. If I am pregnant and we have a child, this child deserves better. ”
She still looked over the pond, waiting for his response, but none was offered. Not being able to take any more of his silence, she stood and strolled around the pond, looking for fish and pondering what his silence would mean for her and their baby. If only he’d tell her what he was thinking; help her to understand what was in his heart. Even if he didn’t want her anymore, she wished he would let her know. It was time to stop the bleeding.
Convictions: Kelly and Stephen Page 16
