by Dave Daren
“This is the second time you’ve offered to take me home,” she said with a chuckle. “At this rate, you’ll go from being a lawyer to a chauffeur.”
“Being a lawyer involves multiple roles, like chef and babysitter,” I joked. “That’s one of the things they don’t tell you in law school. They’re afraid if the students find out, they’ll drop out on the spot.”
“Babysitter?” the woman laughed.
“You’d be amazed how many times I’ve entertained a kid in my office while working on divorce cases,” I said.
She smiled at this, but I noticed her face had twitched at the word divorce.
“Hopefully, they were good kids,” she mumbled to appear interested in the conversation, but her mind was far away.
“Kids are a mixed bag,” I said. “Sometimes I got stellar kids who helped me organize my office, and sometimes I got kids… who didn’t. Mr. Morris told me you two decided not to have kids because of his occupation, though I think it has more to do with his spending habits.”
Diana’s full attention returned to the conversation, and she gave a humorless chuckle at what I said.
“Yeah, that’s one part of it,” she said. “The other part is my survival. I think bearing a child would actually kill me. If not that, then definitely the childbirth. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I don’t want children.”
“You don’t want children now, but did you want them in the past?” I asked.
We walked in silence for a moment while she considered my words. She stared down at the ground as she thought, and I thought for a moment I had crossed a line by asking that question.
“I don’t know,” the fragile woman finally answered. “I think in my early twenties I imagined myself having one or two kids, and then I suddenly didn’t want them anymore.”
Diana and Morris had moved to Utqiagvik ten years ago, and although I didn’t know their exact ages, I guessed them to be in their early or mid-thirties. That meant they would have been in their twenties when they moved to Alaska. It was likely that Diana’s wish for children had died the moment she stepped off the plane and onto the tundra landscape of Utqiagvik. Why didn’t she admit this outright? Was she afraid the information could be used against her in this murder case?
“Do you think Mr. Morris still does?” I asked, and I saw her frown in response to the question before quickly smoothing out her facial features.
“I doubt it,” she answered. “There are two things Austin’s worried about right now, and those are catching fish and spending money. There’s no space in his head for anything else. Not to mention, children would drain the funds he needs to complete his silly collections.”
“It sounds like there’s no space for you in his head, either,” I observed, and I knew I was tiptoeing very close to the line drawn between us.
I was actually grateful my truck was parked in front of the police station since it allowed me to have this extended conversation with Diana. My goal wasn’t to draw information out of her that could be used against her later, though that was a nice bonus if it did happen. Instead, I was trying to gain her trust and build a bond with her. I wanted her to believe that I was a person she could talk to about anything despite being Morris’ lawyer, and I hoped my little white knight act during her interrogation with Ansong had been the beginning of a shift in her mind that recognized I wasn’t only working in her husband’s interests.
The pale woman pressed her lips into a thin line for a couple of seconds before releasing a sigh. She gently pushed her bangs out of her face and then looked up at me. Those blue eyes pierced me, and I understood what she meant earlier about being assaulted by a pair of eyes.
“It does sound like that, huh?” she said and paused before speaking again. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course,” I said with a nod. “I’m a lawyer.”
She chuckled nervously.
“Right,” she said. “It’s just… I don’t know if Austin sees me as his wife anymore or just another member of his fishing crew. Sometimes I feel like I’m only here to keep the flow of money going.”
By this point in the conversation, we had reached my truck. I quickly unlocked the vehicle for us, and we climbed inside. I started the engine, but instead of immediately getting on the road, I turned to Diana so that we could continue our conversation.
“Sorry,” I apologized as I adjusted the heater. “It’ll take a couple of minutes for the truck to warm up. I hope you’re not feeling worse.”
I set the fan to the lowest setting as cold air blew out.
“That’s okay,” she said as she fastened her seat belt. “I think resting for a couple of minutes would do me some good. I actually feel a little better.”
“Good to hear,” I said. “What you said before…”
“It’s a silly concern to have,” she said with a self-conscious wave of her hand.
“Not at all,” I reassured her. “You didn’t marry him to become one of his workers. Have you brought this up to your husband?”
“No, I haven’t,” she said as she toyed with her seat belt. “I’m afraid of his reaction.”
“His reaction?” I repeated.
“Yeah, I’m afraid he’ll confirm my fear,” she explained. “I don’t know what I would do then.”
“According to Tash, she thinks you two are headed for divorce,” I said.
“Marlene said that?” Diana said as her eyes widened.
“Yeah,” I confirmed sadly. “Is it true?”
“No, it’s not true, and maybe that’s the problem,” she sighed.
“What’s stopping you?” I asked.
“Hope,” she answered quickly. “Things between us went downhill when we moved to this town. I keep thinking one day we’re going to get out of here, and that will fix all of our problems. Maybe it’s foolish to still think like that when it seems like we’re never going to leave.”
“I don’t blame you for thinking that way,” I said. “You made a connection between your marriage and moving here. It makes sense that you’d think the only solution is to move again.”
I felt Diana’s gaze on me as I increased the strength of the fan now that the air was warm. I pulled out of my parking spot and onto the main street.
“Thank you, Mr. Brooks,” Diana said as we began the drive to her secluded house. “For listening to me and for validating my thoughts.”
“Any time,” I said as I glanced over at her.
“I can’t believe you’re a therapist, too,” she joked. “I hope Austin’s aware of the quality of lawyer he’s hired. I fear he’s not as grateful as he should be.”
“Speaking of Mr. Morris, are you planning on checking him out of the hospital now that you’re back in town and here to stay?” I asked.
“Oh, that’s right,” she sighed and frowned. “I need to do that, even if it is safer for him to stay there. I’d never hear the end of it if he knew I was still in town and didn’t come get him.”
“I could detour to the hospital if you’d like,” I suggested, though I knew she’d decline. Besides, the hospital was unlikely to release patients this late in the day.
“You’re a sweetheart, but I think it’d be better to do it in the morning,” she said. “And we’re almost to the house anyway, so there’s no point.”
I realized that she was right about just how close we were. With the lack of trees in the town, the two-storied house was in clear view from where we were. We reached the end of the street, turned right, and a minute later we were in front of her house. I drove onto the grass in front of the garage and then shut off the engine. As I watched her remove her seat belt, I wondered if an invitation would be extended to enter her house or if I would need to invite myself inside.
“Would you like to come inside?” Diana asked as she placed her hand on the door handle, and I nearly grinned in her face.
“Yes, I’d love to,” I answered carefully. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes, I am,” she admi
tted as she climbed out of the truck. “My migraine has gone from searing pain to an annoying throb, and I can live with that. I think being that far out on the water was making me feel ill.”
“Right,” I said as I followed her to the porch.
I doubted that was the case since she had no qualms following Vann out onto the Chukchi Sea. Her earlier sickness had likely stemmed from being confronted by Waska and Ansong and having to lie to them. Her body had been breaking down from the pressure, and now her body could recover since she was safe and sound at home. Her confidence probably added another physical boost since it must have seemed like she was in the clear now for Vann’s murder.
I performed the act of removing my shoes and coat and placing them in the closet again once I entered her home. I needed to get upstairs, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to accomplish that without appearing suspicious. As I followed the pale woman to the living room, I glanced around the first floor again to see if I had missed something important. I then realized there wasn’t a bathroom on the lower level and that was my ticket to the second floor.
“I’ll be right back,” Diana said as I took a seat on the sectional. “Let me take care of this headache first, and then I’d be happy to get you something to drink.”
“Take your time,” I said.
She smiled at me and then turned away to climb up the stairs.
As soon as she was gone, I got to my feet and hurried over to the kitchen. I sincerely doubted the necklace from Vann would be kept anywhere besides the master bedroom, but I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity to be sure. I started with the drawers in the kitchen, because one common trait I had discovered as a lawyer was that every kitchen had a drawer dedicated to random junk, like rubber bands and lighters. If Diana were to hide her nautical necklace on the first floor, it would be there.
I opened a drawer full of silverware, closed it, and then opened another one full of various cooking utensils such as spatulas and tongs that looked like they’d barely been used. I hesitated on closing the drawer when the thought occurred to me that the necklace could be hidden among the jumbled mess, but I couldn’t see Diana putting that much thought into a hiding space.
I shook my head, closed the drawer, and opened another one. This drawer was full of white, plastic containers with masking tape across the lids and the word bait written with a black marker. Would she have hidden the necklace inside one of them? It certainly would have been a good hiding spot, but this seemed like a drawer that Austin would actually look in, so I shook my head and closed the drawer.
I was operating under the assumption that Diana had prepared for a thorough search of her house for this necklace, and therefore would have chosen the least conspicuous spot to hide the gift. The reality, however, was that no one had suspected her of infidelity until today. She likely had kept the necklace with all her other jewelry, and as soon as I left, she would be moving the necklace elsewhere. Unless she was doing it right now while I ransacked her kitchen, but I doubted it. She didn’t view me as a threat. Not yet anyway.
I opened another drawer on the island in the middle of the kitchen and sighed when I was met with old newspapers and expired coupons. I shut the drawer promptly and opened the one next to it.
“Yes,” I said under my breath as I was met with the designated junk drawer.
I dug through the jumbled mess of rubber bands, lighters, sticky notes, and other small knick-knacks until I was convinced the necklace wasn’t there. I closed the drawer and considered if I should stop searching the kitchen entirely. My choice was decided for me as I heard Diana coming down the stairs. I strolled over to one of the display cases in the corner of the room and pretended I was inspecting Morris’ ship in a bottle collection as she bounded down the remaining steps. Once I heard her enter the living room, I turned around to offer a smile.
She had changed out of the waterproof overalls into a pair of white jeans and a pink, oversized sweater that made her seem smaller than she really was. The sweater hung off her shoulders to reveal her pale, bony collarbone, and the stitching contained gaps that allowed glimpses of her skin underneath. Her cheeks, eyelids, and lips were all now a pinkish hue that somehow managed to heighten her white skin rather than imbue it with life. The color did, however, make her eyes more striking. She pointed to the kitchen, and this drew my attention to her closed hand. Once again, she had returned to the first floor with a fistful of pills.
“Would you like something to drink?” she asked and then gave a shy chuckle. “Please say yes. It’s the only way I can repay you for the drive home.”
Our eyes met, and she self-consciously moved her hair from her face so that both eyes could meet mine. I realized I was heading in the same direction Vann had gone two years ago, but I had no plans whatsoever of responding to the signals she was sending. The fact that she sent them at all was bold, considering my current role in her life. I wondered if my charm had won her over or if her desperation for affection had won out instead. Either way, I recognized I was headed toward a situation I would rather not be in.
I planned on rejecting all of her advances, but I knew doing that would instantaneously result in being asked to leave. And then there was the disturbing notion that if she discovered the real reason for my kindness toward her, there was a chance I would meet the same fate as Vann. I nearly laughed at the thought, but I buried it with a cough.
It was impossible for her to overpower me in this situation because I didn’t plan on drinking anything she prepared, and the nearest body of water was the lagoon across the street. Not to mention, her husband wasn’t around to take the blame.
“I’d love some coffee,” I said since I knew it was a beverage that would take time to prepare.
“This late?” she said as she knitted her eyebrows. “Aren’t you going to sleep in the next couple of hours?”
“I wasn’t planning on it,” I said and cursed in my head when I realized that I had unintentionally alluded to a long night with her.
“Oh,” she said as she blinked a couple of times in surprise.
“Where’s the bathroom?” I asked as she turned toward the kitchen.
“On the second floor, in the hallway,” she answered without looking back. “The door’s wide open, so you can’t miss it.”
“Thanks,” I said as I crossed the living room.
“How do you do it, Reese?” I whispered to myself as I climbed the stairs.
At the top of the staircase was a wall with an end table pushed against it. On the end table was a picture of Diana sitting on vibrant green grass while wearing a blue dress. Both her youth and the setting of the photo made it clear the picture hadn’t been taken in Utqiagvik. Her skin was definitely the same shade of white as it was now, but the surrounding bright colors of the scenery made her appear healthier.
I moved from the landing and turned around so that I now faced the hallway. The lights were off, but the sunlight that streamed through the open doors of the other rooms illuminated the space. The first door on my right was the only one that was dark so I peered inside and saw that it was the bathroom.
I flicked on the light just to keep up appearances and discovered Diana’s influence extended to the second floor as well. The rugs and towels were all a light shade of orange while the shower curtains displayed a pattern of sliced oranges. Naturally, this would lead to the assumption that the bathroom had a citrus scent, but instead, it smelled like cinnamon.
I entered the bathroom and opened the cabinet next to the mirror to find rows of pill bottles. My eyes roamed over different brands of sleeping pills and rested on the one labeled Sonata for a second.
But the pain in my shoulder was returning, and I didn’t want to be distracted by its throbbing, so I continued my search until I found a bottle of Tylenol. I grabbed it, popped it open, and threw two pills into my mouth before I returned the pills to the shelf.
It was time to explore the rest of the second floor, so I stepped back into the hallway and ma
de a point of closing the door just loudly enough that Diana would be able to hear it. As an extra precaution, I left the light on inside just in case she came up the stairs.
Satisfied that the ruse would earn me a few extra moments, I crept away from the bathroom and further down the hallway to a short passage that was bookended by bedrooms. In the middle of the hall, on the opposite side, was a pair of folding closet doors that were currently closed. I figured they housed a washing machine and dryer, so I turned my attention to the two bedrooms instead. I looked between them.
Both bedroom doors were wide open, and so they offered me a view of what they held inside. The door on my right led to a room that held five black, wooden trunks and little else. From where I stood, I could see three trunks were stacked on top of each other, and two more trunks in a stack next to the first one. These must have been the trunks where Morris stored his collections that he had lost interest in, as Diana had mentioned before. I stepped up to the threshold of the room for a better look and discovered the room smelled like fish.
I was tempted to turn on the light, but I didn’t want to risk it. I took one step further into the room for a better look at the clutter and discovered several pairs of rubber boots and fishing rods in the corner of the room. A closet took up wall space on the far side of the room to my left, but the folding door was closed here as well. If I had to guess what was inside, I figured it was Morris’ fishing gear and probably the place where Diana had discarded her own overalls.
A duffel bag was draped across the top trunk of the stack of three, and a hunting rifle leaned against the stack of two. I didn’t see any ammo, and so I wondered if the gun found any use in this household. Several traveling bags leaned against the wall next to the door. There were six bags in total, though they clearly belonged to different three-piece luggage sets. One set of traveling bags were pink while the other was black, and I wondered if these were the bags Diana and Austin had used when they’d moved to Alaska.
