The Girl Who Didn't Die--A Suspense Novel
Page 17
Alice froze for a moment.
Vera died four years ago?
Then who had killed Melissa? Who had Melissa met in the Scripps Ranch Community Park on June 27?
It was you, Alice. You met with Melissa in the Scripps Ranch Community Park on June 27. You killed Melissa.
Alice broke out in a sweat. “I’m very sorry. How did she die?”
“Car crash.”
You thought you were out of the woods, but you were wrong.
Vera had abducted Melissa thirteen years ago, but she had not killed her.
Maybe there was no abduction?
In a couple of days Hagan would find out that Vera was dead, and she would become a prime suspect again.
“It’s terrible. I’m very sorry,” Alice said. “I was looking forward to meeting her.”
“She would’ve loved to meet you.”
“Did Vera know she was adopted?”
“Yes, she did.”
“Did she know she had a twin sister?”
“Yes.”
“Did she try to find me?”
“I don’t know.”
Should she tell Walsh that Vera had abducted Melissa from her?
What was the point? Vera was dead.
“When did you tell her that she had a twin sister?”
“When she was nine or ten.”
It was time to call David and tell him she was okay.
“Excuse me, Andrew.” Alice dialed David’s number. David answered on the first ring.
“I’m talking to Vera’s father,” she said to her boyfriend. “I’ll be done in ten minutes.”
“Okay,” David replied.
Alice hung up.
“Someone’s waiting for you outside?” Walsh asked.
“Yes. My boyfriend.”
“Ask him to come inside.”
“He doesn’t want to. He’s playing some game on his iPad.”
Walsh nodded.
“Did Vera ever get married?” Alice said.
“Yes. She got married seven years ago.”
“Did she have children?”
“Yes. A son. His name’s Bobby.” Walsh smiled. “He’s six years old.”
“Does he live with his father?”
“Yes. Do you live in the Bay Area?”
“No. I live in Pasadena.”
“When are you going home?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Would you like to meet my wife? She should be back by ten o’clock.”
“I’ll try to drop by. Can you give me your phone number?”
“Sure.” Walsh told her his number and then said, “It’s my cell. Can I have yours?”
Alice gave Walsh her number.
“Do you have other children?” she asked.
“No. Vera was our only child.”
Alice picked up her bag. “It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Andrew.” She stood up.
“You’re welcome here anytime, dear.”
“Good night, Andrew.”
“Good night.”
Walsh walked Alice to the front door, and she went outside.
She took a deep breath of fresh air. There was no need to despair. She didn’t know for sure she had murdered Melissa.
“So you found Vera’s adoptive father?” David said after starting the car.
“Yes.”
“Did he give you Vera’s address?”
“He said Vera died in a car crash four years ago.”
“Wow. That’s… Wait. If Vera’s dead, who killed Melissa?”
“I don’t know.”
Chapter 39
1
They were hungry, so they stopped at a Denny’s. Alice ordered a loaded veggie omelette and David a steak skewer skillet.
“Maybe your mom had triplets? Maybe you have another sister who looks like you?” David said with a small smile as he ate his food.
Something was bothering Alice, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.
“You want to go to San Francisco tomorrow and do some sightseeing?” David asked.
Alice shook her head. “I just want to go home. Do you want to go San Francisco?”
“It’ll cheer you up. Let’s go.”
A trip to San Francisco might distract her from her misery.
“All right,” Alice said.
As they went to their hotel room, Alice realized it was something Andrew Walsh had said that was bothering her.
Walsh had said a lot of things. They had talked about Vera, about Natalie Walsh, about Vera’s family.
It was a good thing she had their conversation on tape.
When they entered their room, David said, “I’m going to take a shower. You want to go first?”
“No. I’ll go after you.”
David went into the bathroom. Alice pulled off her shoes, stretched out on the bed closest to the door, and rested for a minute. Then she sat up, grabbed her phone, put in the earbuds, and started playing the tape of her conversation with Andrew Walsh.
Walsh: “Did you lose your—”
Alice: “Hi, how are you doing? Sorry to disturb you so late. Can I talk to Andrew Walsh?”
Walsh: “Sure. I’m Andrew Walsh.”
Alice: “I’m looking for a woman named Vera Walsh. Her parents’ names were Andrew and Natalie Walsh. Do you have a daughter named—”
Alice paused the tape and then replayed the first words Walsh had said.
“Did you lose your—”
Why had Walsh said that?
He had said it to her, hadn’t he?
Yes, he had.
He saw me, he recognized me, and he said, ‘Did you lose your—‘
Yes, he must have recognized her, otherwise he wouldn’t have said what he’d said.
He thought I was Vera.
How could Walsh have thought she was Vera if Vera was dead?
There was only one explanation: Vera was alive.
He had stopped in mid-sentence because he had realized that she was Vera’s twin sister. Perhaps there was something in her appearance that had told Walsh she wasn’t Vera.
What had he wanted to say? What could Vera have lost?
‘Did you lose your wallet?’
‘Did you lose your phone?’
‘Did you lose your key?’
The key. Vera probably had a key to the Walshes’ house, and Andrew Walsh must have thought she hadn’t used it because she’d lost it.
Vera is alive.
Why had Walsh told her Vera was dead?
Maybe he was trying to protect Vera? He must have figured out why she was looking for her.
Walsh knew Vera had abducted and killed Melissa.
David came out of the bathroom and began to towel off. Alice put her phone on the nightstand, undressed, and went into the bathroom.
2
Alice stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed and invigorated. She had come up with a plan to find Vera: she would get Vera’s husband’s name and phone number from Andrew Walsh and then meet with him at his place.
David lay on the bed in his underwear watching TV. Alice sat beside him and said, “I think Vera’s father lied to me. I think Vera’s alive.”
“Why do you think so?”
Alice explained her reasoning, and David said that she might be right.
Alice picked up her phone and checked the time. It was 11:54.
It was a Saturday night, so Walsh might still be up.
Alice dialed Andrew Walsh’s number. Walsh answered on the third ring.
“Hi, Andrew. This is Alice,” she said.
“Hi, Alice. How are you?”
“I’m sorry to call you so late.”
“No problem. You can call me anytime.”
“Can you tell me where Vera is buried? I’d like to visit her grave.”
“Vera was cremated, and we scattered her ashes over the ocean.”
“Do you have her husband’s phone number? I want to meet her son.”
“Yes, I d
o. Just a moment.”
About ten seconds later Walsh told Alice Vera’s husband’s phone number.
“His name is Justin Garcia,” Walsh said. “He lives in Santa Cruz.”
“Thank you, Andrew. Goodbye.”
Alice hung up.
“You want to meet Vera’s son?” David said.
“I want to talk to her husband.”
Alice dialed Justin Garcia’s number.
“Can I talk to Justin?” she said when Garcia answered the phone.
“This is Justin.”
“My name is Alice Cannon. I’m your wife’s sister. I’m sorry to call you so late.”
“How are you doing, Alice?”
“I’m fine.”
Was this man the real Justin Garcia? He might be one of Andrew’s friends pretending to be Justin Garcia.
By the way, Walsh might have lied about Vera’s husband’s name, too.
“Honey, it’s your sister Alice,” Garcia said.
He was talking to Vera!
She was right. Vera was alive.
Vera said something to Garcia, and then he asked Alice, “Did you say your name’s Alice?”
“Yes.”
“My wife says she doesn’t have a sister named Alice. Are you sure you called the right number?”
“Is your wife’s name Vera Walsh?” Alice asked.
“Oh, I see. You’re Vera’s sister. I’m glad you called.”
“Can you give me Vera’s phone number?”
“Vera died four years ago. You didn’t know that?”
“No. I lost touch with her a long time ago. How did she die?”
“A car crash.”
Had Walsh instructed Garcia to tell her that Vera had died in a car crash?
“I’m in San Francisco. Can we meet tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
“Is eleven a.m. okay?”
“Yes.”
“Can you give me your address?”
After Garcia told her his address, Alice said, “Did the car crash Vera died in take place in Santa Cruz?”
“It took place a few miles from San Jose.”
“Did Vera take your last name?”
“Yes, she did.”
“It was nice talking to you, Justin. See you tomorrow. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Alice.”
She needed to verify that Vera had really been married to Justin Garcia.
Alice went to a website offering access to marriage records and searched for Vera Walsh and Justin Garcia’s marriage certificate.
She discovered that Vera had really married Justin Garcia seven years ago.
Alice googled “Vera Garcia died in car crash San Jose.” Among the search results was a news story about Vera Garcia, who had died in a car crash that had taken place in San Jose on McKean Road near Bailey Avenue on October 12 four years ago. According to the story, Vera’s Toyota had caught fire after the crash and burned down before the firefighters arrived. There had been no passengers in the car. Vera had been twenty-nine at the time of her death, which was Alice’s sister’s age four years ago.
Alice did a search for an obituary for the woman in the news story and found it. The obituary said that Vera Garcia was survived by her husband, Justin, and son, Bobby.
“What are you reading, honey?” David looked at the screen of Alice’s tablet. “Is this about your sister?”
“Yeah.” Alice nodded.
The driver’s body must have been burned beyond recognition.
Vera staged her death.
Why?
Because she knew that sooner or later I’ll find out that she abducted Melissa.
David crawled under the covers. “You said she was alive.”
“She faked her death.”
Andrew Walsh knew Vera was alive. Did Justin Garcia know that?
“Are you going to meet her husband tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
David yawned, switched off the TV, and handed the remote to Alice. “Good night, babe.”
“Good night.” Alice put the remote on the nightstand and turned off the bedside lamp.
There was an easy way to find out if Justin Garcia knew that Vera was alive. They had agreed to meet at eleven a.m. She should show up at Garcia’s place at eight o’clock and pretend to be Vera.
Alice looked up Garcia’s address on Google Maps and got the directions. Garcia’s house was about thirty-five miles from the hotel. They would have to leave at seven to arrive there at eight. Just to be on the safe side, they would leave at six-thirty.
Alice set the alarm on her phone for 5:50 a.m. She was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow.
Chapter 40
1
The phone alarm yanked Alice out of a bad dream about Vera and Melissa, whose details she was unable to remember. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and turned off the alarm.
“What time is it?” David said sleepily.
“Six.” Alice sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Get up, Dave.”
“It’s only six.”
“Get up, honey. We’re leaving in thirty minutes.” Alice got out of bed.
David opened his eyes and looked at her. “Where are we going?”
“Santa Cruz.”
Alice went into the bathroom and washed her face and brushed her teeth. When she came out, David, who was still in bed, asked, “I thought you were meeting with Vera’s husband at eleven.”
“I changed my mind. I’ll meet him at eight.” Alice pulled on her jeans.
Yawning, David threw back the covers and rose from the bed. “Are we going to San Francisco after you talk to Vera’s husband?”
“Yes.”
David shuffled into the bathroom. Alice sat down at the table and began putting on her makeup. As she applied lipstick, David came out, his face washed and his hair combed, and said, “What time did you go to sleep?”
“Fifteen minutes after you.”
David stood behind Alice and kissed her neck. “We’re going to find that bitch.”
Alice capped the lipstick. “Look what I got.” She opened her handbag and retrieved the Glock.
“Nice.” David’s eyes lit up. “Is it yours?”
“My father’s.”
David held out his hand. “What kind of gun is it?”
Alice gave him the pistol and said, “Glock nineteen. Be careful. It’s loaded.”
David examined the gun. “Very nice.” He pointed the Glock at the window. “My dad says: ‘If you think you might need a gun if you go somewhere, you probably shouldn’t go there.’” He smiled. “How many rounds does it hold?”
“Fifteen in the magazine and one in the chamber.”
“Have you fired it yet?”
“No.”
Alice put on the blouse she’d brought with her, then took the pistol from David and placed it in her bag.
“Promise me you’ll shoot Vera only in self-defense,” David said.
“I promise.”
2
The sun was barely above the horizon when they left the hotel. Alice explained to David why she wanted to meet Justin Garcia at eight o’clock. David said it was a clever idea.
They reached Santa Cruz at half past seven. David suggested getting something to eat, and they grabbed two chocolate chip cookies, a cheeseburger, and two coffees at a McDonald’s.
“You think they’re up?” David said as he ate his cheeseburger.
“I don’t know.”
Alice hoped Justin Garcia slept late on Sundays: people couldn’t think fast when they were sleepy.
She parked about forty yards from Garcia’s place. She ate a cookie, then texted Garcia’s address to David and said, “I’ll be at this address. If I don’t call you in ten minutes, call the police.”
“Okay.”
Alice picked up her bag and went to Garcia’s house. A tall dark-haired man with a neatly trimmed beard opened the door about twenty seconds after Alice rang the bell. When he saw Alice, a stunned loo
k came over his face.
“Who are you?” he asked.
He doesn’t know Vera’s alive.
“It’s me.”
“You… You look exactly like my late wife. Who are you?”
“I’m Vera’s sister. I called you last night.”
“You’re Alice? I didn’t know you were twins.”
“She never mentioned we were twins?”
“No, she didn’t.”
Alice could see why Vera had fallen in love with Justin Garcia: he had a chiseled nose, beautiful, mesmerizing eyes, and sensual lips. He looked like one of those soap opera actors who played love interests.
“I’m sorry to come so early. Did I wake you up?”
“No, you didn’t.” Garcia stepped back. “Please come in.”
An attractive young woman was sitting on the couch in the living room. Garcia pointed at her, and said, “This is my wife, Julia.”
“I won’t stay very long, I promise,” Alice said to Julia.
“Julia, this is Alice, Vera’s sister.”
“Hi, Alice,” Julia said. “You look exactly like Vera.”
“They’re twins,” Garcia said. “Vera never told me they were twins.”
“I came three hours early because my boyfriend has to be home by four o’clock. I’m sorry I didn’t call you.”
“Is your boyfriend waiting for you in the car?” Garcia asked.
“Yes. He doesn’t want to come in.”
“Would you like some coffee?” Julia said.
“Yes, please.”
Julia stood up and went into the kitchen.
“Where do you live?” Garcia asked.
“Pasadena.”
“You have a son?” Alice said, pointing to a framed photograph of Justin Garcia, Julia, and a young boy on the lamp table.
“Yes. His name’s Bobby.”
“Is he Vera’s son?”
“Yes.”
“How old is he?”
“Six.”
Julia set a mug of coffee in front of Alice and put a packet of sweetener next to it.
“Thank you,” Alice said to her.
“Do you want to talk to Bobby?” Garcia asked.
“Yes. But let’s talk about Vera first.” Alice tore open the packet of sweetener and emptied it into her coffee. “Did Vera tell you about me?”
“Yes, she did.”
“What did she say?”
“She said that she had a sister and that she hadn’t seen you since she was given up for adoption.”