Suspicious Origin

by MacDonald, Patricia

  “I said I’ll do it,” he replied irritably.

  “Could you give me your address and a phone number where I could reach you? I don’t even know your last name.”

  Dave ground out his cigarette in the snow. “My name’s Kronemayer. Dave Kronemayer. If you want me, you can always call Vicki. But I told you I’d go to the cops and I will.”

  “I don’t have…” Vicki’s number, Britt started to say. Then she remembered that Vicki had given it to Zoe. “All right,” she said.

  The squall of a crying baby was suddenly audible from the direction of the house. Dave and Britt looked up at the porch as Caroline rushed back inside the house.

  “Is that him?” Dave asked. “Is that my son?”

  Uh-oh, Britt thought. “Sounds like a baby all right. You know, I think your…son will be very happy here,” she said. “The Carmichaels really want to give him a good home. It’s a very generous thing to do. To give a baby up to people who really want to love him and take care of him. I really admire people who do that.”

  But Dave didn’t answer. He was gazing up at the house with a wistful expression in his eyes.

  Britt stopped at the police station, and learned that Ray, alerted by Kevin, had also journeyed to the trauma unit at the Mid-State Medical Center. She left Ray a brief message explaining that she had located Dave and confirmed Alec’s alibi to her own satisfaction. All right, Britt thought, as the sergeant read back the message she had been given. Now, Chief Stern, it’s up to you to question him and cross all the legal Ts, so to speak. For her part, Britt was undeniably eager to deliver this news to the person to whom it mattered the most.

  She drove above the speed limit, and tried to formulate in her mind the way she would break the news to him. As little as she liked Alec, she still could hardly wait to see the look on his face when she told him that she had stumbled across the keys to his freedom. It wasn’t often in life that you had the opportunity to deliver such news. And, if she was going to stay close to Zoe, and she certainly planned to do that, it was important for her to get along with Alec somehow. She didn’t want him to always think of her as the woman who’d done her level best to get him arrested. Not that she was doing it for that reason, she reminded herself. It was simply the right thing to do.

  She arrived at the jail as several family members of prisoners were leaving, some tearful, some hard eyed. Britt locked her car and hurried inside, submitting her coat, her satchel and herself to a search. She signed all the paperwork that was required from a visitor and then a prison guard with a holstered gun and handcuffs hanging from his belt escorted her to the visitors’ area. She sat down in front of the Plexiglas shield, waiting impatiently while the guard on the other side went to fetch Alec.

  Britt took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She couldn’t help smiling when she thought of Alec’s reaction to her news. She heard the door open on the other side of the shield and looked up. Alec was being led in by a guard. Unsmiling, he stared at her as the guard removed his handcuffs, his silver eyes wary beneath his dark eyebrows. He rubbed his wrists, but his gaze did not waver.

  Britt returned his gaze and wished, not for the first time, that she had been able to perform this small miracle for someone she liked better than Alec Lynch. He took his seat and the guard stepped back.

  ‘Where’s Zoe?” he demanded, not bothering to greet her.

  “At school,” said Britt.

  “Is she all right?” Alec asked.

  “Zoe’s fine,” said Britt. “She asked me to tell you…She sends her love.”

  “Well, if you didn’t bring Zoe, what are you doing back here?” he asked. He made it sound as if being removed from his cell to meet with her was an irritation to him.

  Britt felt like telling him to go to hell, and walking out, but she resisted the impulse. She reminded herself that he was sitting in a jail cell, unfairly accused. And she was partly to blame. It would be enough to make anyone surly.

  “I have some news for you,” she said. “Good news. Great news, actually, where you’re concerned.”

  Alec frowned and regarded her suspiciously. “What are you talking about?”

  Britt took a deep breath. “Well, first of all, Dean Webster admitted to me that he started the fire at the Bayberry cottage.”

  “Dean Webster? The news guy?”

  Britt nodded.

  “I heard he was in an accident last night. That he’s critical.”

  “It’s true. They airlifted him to Boston. Kevin and Chief Stern have gone to see him, to try to obtain his confession.”

  “Jesus,” said Alec. “I can’t believe it. Why?”

  Britt blushed, not wanting to admit to Alec that Dean had set the fire to try to satisfy her. The less said the better, she thought. She realized he wasn’t expecting an answer from her. “Alec,” she said. “That’s not all. Remember, when Chief Stern asked you about your alibi the night of the fire, you told that story about the hitchhiker and how you were driving him home when the fire started?”

  “Yeah…“he said cautiously.

  “Well, at the time I was skeptical. Actually, I thought it was… a lie.”

  “I know,” he said coldly.

  “Well, the other day,” said Britt. “I thought I saw the guy. I mean, I saw a guy who fit the description. He was hitchhiking out by your old house. By the time I realized who it was, he’d gotten away from me.” Britt knew this was not precisely true. She’d hadn’t tried to stop him the first time. But this time, she made up for it. Britt tried not to smile, but she couldn’t help it. The grin spread across her face. “Today… I found him!”

  Alec peered at her and shook his head slightly.

  “I found him,” Britt repeated. T found Dave. The guy you picked up. It turns out that he was hanging around on Brightwater Road because he’s the father of Vicki’s baby. You know Vicki? The girl who is giving her baby to the Carmichaels? He used to come and visit her in the evenings. They’d meet outside on the sly. Sometimes in the barn behind your house. That’s why you saw him hitchhiking. And why I saw him. ’Cause he was out there as often as he could get there without a car. Anyway, I went to the hospital today to see Vicki, to bring her a scarf Zoe made for her, and he was there, visiting her. I recognized him from your description. So I questioned him. And… I learned that everything you said was true. I’ve just come from the police station. I told them that your witness is coming in. Your alibi is going to be corroborated. They’re going to have to let you out of here.”

  Alec turned his face away from her, and Britt wondered if there might be tears in his eyes that he wanted to hide from her.

  Britt leaned toward the mesh-covered hole in the Plexiglas. “This will prove it Alec,” she said eagerly. “This will prove that you didn’t kill Greta.”

  Alec began to shake his head. “Oh God,” he said. Then he sighed. “Oh no.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Excuse me?” Britt demanded. She thought she must have heard him wrong. She could not believe her own ears. Alec turned and looked at her as if he had forgotten she was there.

  Britt felt the color rise to her cheeks. “This is what you have to say?” she demanded. “Oh…no…? I find the man who can free you and that’s all you can say?”

  Alec frowned. “Sorry,” he said. “I should be thanking you.”

  “Don’t bother,” she said. She shouldered her satchel with her bandaged hand and stood up.

  Alec looked up at her and his clouded gaze seemed to clear for a moment. “Britt, I’m really sorry. Sit down, please. I’m sorry. I am grateful.”

  Britt remained standing, glaring at Alec.

  The guard behind Britt approached her. “You done here?” he asked.

  “Please,” Alec pleaded to the guard. “Just give us a few more minutes, okay? Britt, sit back down.”

  There was something absurdly familiar in the way her ordered her to sit that was almost amusing. Not quite. “Like hell,” she replied.


  “I need you to,” he said simply. “Please.”

  Britt hesitated, tempted to ignore him, but finally she spoke to the guard. “I’ll stay a minute more,” she said, resuming her seat.

  The guard shrugged, and stepped back.

  Alec kneaded his hands together on the other side of the Plexiglas and then he looked her in the eye. “That is great,” he said. “Really. I’m trying to take this all in. How did you find him?”

  p

  “I told you. It turns out he was Vicki’s boyfriend,” she said coolly

  “Vicki?” he repeated, frowning.

  “The pregnant girl who lives at the Carmichaels’. Earth to Alec.”

  Alec shook his head. “Oh, right. I’m sorry.”

  “Apparently he came to visit Vicki from time to time, this Dave. Without the Carmichaels’ knowledge. They’d meet out in the woods behind the house. Yesterday, Zoe saw him there, lurking in the yard while she was feeding Vicki’s cat. She called me, and I…” Britt said, starting to explain again. Then she hesitated. She could see that he was following what she was saying with only half of his attention. “Suffice it to say, I found him,” she said abruptly. “Don’t let me interrupt your train of thought.”

  “Britt, I really am…I’m trying to think about…everything. What it means.”

  Britt rolled her eyes. “I saved your butt. That’s what it means.”

  “You did,” he murmured, nodding. “I don’t know why, but you did.”

  “For Zoe’s sake,” she spat back at him.

  He nodded again, compressing his lips. “That’s the problem,” he said. “Zoe.”

  “What are you talking about?” she demanded irritably. “She’ll be thrilled. She…loves you. She believes in you.”

  “I know that,” he said. “She’ll always believe in me. Even if they sent me away for life, she would never believe I did it.”

  It was Britt’s turn to shake her head. “Isn’t that a little, oh, I don’t know, egotistical, conceited? You pick the word. How can you be so sure of that?”

  “That’s the way it is,” he said.

  Britt sighed. “If you say so.” But a little part of her thought that he might be right. Zoe’s faith in her father did seem to be unwavering, even in the face of public scorn and disapproval.

  Alec leaned forward and commanded Britt’s gaze. “It’s because I believe in her that I was able to stand it. I could do the time. For her sake. To spare her.”

  “To spare her? How does that spare her? Am I missing something here?” Britt demanded sarcastically.

  “With what you’ve done, I’ll be cleared, and they’ll have to reexamine all the evidence. If they keep at it long enough, I’m just afraid…”

  “Afraid of what? I should think you’d be afraid of the gas chamber.”

  “I’m afraid the truth will come out, and they will know who really set the fire. I wanted to spare Zoe from that if I could. If it meant jail, so be it.”

  Britt stared at him. “What do you mean, who really set the fire? Do you know who set the fire?”

  “I’m pretty sure,” he said, nodding.

  Britt frowned. “Who?” she asked, genuinely mystified.

  Alec hesitated, chewing his lip. “Can you keep this to yourself?” he said. “I mean it. To the grave.”

  Britt looked at him with narrowed eyes. “Why would you confide your secret in me?” she demanded. “You hardly know me.”

  “Because you probably have a right to know. She was your sister,” he said.

  “What?” Britt reacted as if he had slapped her.

  “You heard me.”

  “Are you insinuating it was Greta! How dare you?”

  “She was depressed. She was suicidal.”

  “You’re trying to blame my sister for something that was your fault?” said Britt. “If she was depressed, it was because her marriage was on the rocks.”

  Alec shook his head. “Our marriage was not on the rocks. She was depressed about your mother…”

  “Oh that’s right. It was the fault of our long-lost mother. Look, I know all about you. I know you were planning to leave her. I know you talked to a business broker about selling your dealership. I know you rented an apartment in Virginia Beach. Behavior you still haven’t accounted for to the police.”

  “That’s right. The apartment was for your mother,” he said.

  Britt gaped at him.

  Alec looked around, as if to be sure he would not be overheard. Then he leaned forward. Britt leaned toward him, transfixed in spite of herself. “When Gardner, the private detective, first located Jean,” Alec said, “your mother was in jail in Virginia. An assortment of crimes. Fraud, forgery…Greta went down there to see her. She wrote to her. Sent her packages. Testified at her parole hearing. Greta promised to take care of her and Jean seemed to be really grateful and happy. We rented an apartment for her for when she got out on parole. A brand new complex. With a pool. Nothing but the best for Jean. By the conditions of her parole, Jean wasn’t supposed to leave the state, so Greta wanted to move down there to be near her. She wanted Zoe to know her grandmother. We hadn’t told Zoe about finding her. We thought we’d wait until Jean was out of jail. First impressions and all. It was too hard to explain to a child.

  “Anyway, we went down to visit her while Zoe was at that sleep-away horse camp. That’s when we contacted the business broker. Greta wanted to move there to be near her mother, to make up for lost time, and I agreed to it. Reluctantly, but it seemed as if it was the only thing that would make your sister happy.”

  “My mother is in Virginia Beach?” Britt asked weakly Alec snorted. “No. Not anymore. The minute they let her out of prison, she bolted.”

  “What do you mean, bolted?” Britt asked.

  “Bolted. Ran away,” he said abruptly. “Blew off her parole, the apartment, her long-lost daughter, everything. Left the county, the state. For all we know, she left the country. Greta hired Gardner to try to find her again but it was no use. Gardner told my wife that her mother didn’t want to be found. Greta was devastated. That’s when the depression set in.”

  “I don’t believe you,” said Britt. But she did. Though she didn’t want to, she did.

  “Gardner can tell you all about it.”

  It was difficult to take it in. Britt thought about her sister, searching for Jean Andersen, finding her. Thinking they would be reunited at last. And then, being betrayed again. And this time, Jean Andersen had not left any room for doubt or hope. After all those years of hoping. Britt thought about Dr. Farrar, telling her about Greta’s deep depression. And then, of course, the inescapable conclusion. Depressed people did, sometimes, attempt suicide.

  “At first, when I found out about the fire,” Alec continued, “I assumed it was an accident. I mean, at first, just like everybody else,” he said. “The curtains catching fire, the candles. That sounded right. Greta often used candles. And she was taking a lot of pills. She could have been too groggy to help herself. But then, when I heard about the paint thinner on the walls of the room where Greta was sleeping. That it was arson… I started to wonder…”

  Britt frowned, trying to absorb the idea. Trying to picture her sister, planning her own death. Tossing lighter fluid on the walls of the room where she was going to sleep. Despondent. Lighting the candle and setting it by the curtain. Awaiting her fate. “Wait a minute,” Britt cried. “Wait a minute. It’s impossible. Greta would never have set that fire. Zoe was home. Greta knew she was home.”

  Alec nodded and sighed. “Yes. And she loved Zoe so much. But she wasn’t all that rational at the end. When I realized that Zoe was home, and that she’d been drugged…When you told me what Dr. Farrar said about her being drugged, that’s when I started to think the worst. I knew Zoe didn’t take those drugs on her own. She never would touch drugs. I told you that.”

  “What do you mean? You think Greta drugged her?”

  Alec nodded. “Probably put it into her dinner that
night.”

  “You’re insane,” said Britt.

  Alec shook his head. “Greta talked about suicide a lot. She insisted that I increase the amount of our life insurance, even when I yelled at her that they didn’t pay it out for suicides. That’s why we had such a big policy on her life. She insisted.”

  “You were worried that they wouldn’t pay,” Britt said angrily.

  “Oh please, Britt. Give me some credit. I would get frantic when she talked that way. It made me crazy. I would argue with her and plead with her. But to calm me down, she always said…” His voice cracked, and he stopped for a moment and Britt was shocked to see this break in his composure. Alec took a deep breath. Then he continued in a steady voice. “She always said that she would never leave Zoe alone, motherless, the way your mother had left her. She didn’t want Zoe to suffer the same way she had.”

  Britt felt as if his words were bricks he was piling on top of her heart. She gasped from the weight of it. She had never understood how much her sister had suffered. Greta had always tried to be strong, for Britt’s sake. But all the time, she had felt such despair it had made her think of suicide. And then Britt thought about Zoe. Greta’s beloved daughter. Whom she would never leave behind.

  Britt stared at Zoe’s father. “Are you saying…?”

  “I’m saying she decided to take Zoe with her. She didn’t want her to suffer. So she made sure that Zoe would be unconscious when the fire happened. Even now, Zoe doesn’t remember a thing about it.”

  “No,” Britt insisted in a whisper. “It’s too horrible.”

  “She always said that. She wouldn’t leave Zoe. I was reassured by it. I didn’t realize it was actually a threat,” he said in a dull voice.

  “No, I don’t believe it. Greta wouldn’t do that.”

  “You didn’t know her,” Alec said flatly.

  Britt glared at him, but in her heart she knew he was right. She didn’t know her sister. She’d seen Greta as calm and confident and able to deal with anything life threw her way. And all the time.…No, Britt was forced to admit to herself. J didn’t know her.