Justified

by Carolyn Arnold

  Beth dabbed her nose. “I…don’t see why not.”

  Madison and Terry rose to their feet. Madison thought it was strange she never asked what they expected to find.

  “I’d start in the garage,” Beth said.

  Madison’s eyes shot to her.

  “Well, I assume what you’re looking for has something to do with hunting?” Beth shrugged her shoulders and then felt the need to explain herself. “You asked about hunting trips and the paper said she bled out. I think the paper said something about a knife slash.”

  Madison had memorized the article on Claire Reeves’ murder and there had been no mention of a knife slash. She held eye contact with Beth, but the woman’s eyes revealed nothing.

  Beth led them to the garage and ran a hand over her hair and Madison noticed a gold hairpin. It had a small crest on it, like a university or college logo, and it looked familiar.

  “You’ll have to excuse the mess out here. It’s Aaron’s space.”

  Meanwhile, Madison thought the garage was better organized than some people’s homes. Shelving lined two walls and labeled boxes filled them.

  “Where were you on December twenty-fourth in the wee hours?” Madison asked.

  “Me? You think I had something to do with the murder? I didn’t even know her.”

  Madison didn’t say anything for fear of risking Beth’s permission to search the home. If she withdrew that, they’d be back to waiting on the warrant to go through.

  “If you must know—” Beth crossed her arms “—I was out with a girlfriend for drinks. I didn’t get in until about seven in the morning.”

  Madison nodded and pressed her lips into a smile. She would let it go at that for now.

  Beth left the garage, leaving Madison and Terry to look around. As soon as the door closed, Madison looked straight at Terry.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.

  Madison stood in front of her partner, her heart beating so fast it made her lightheaded. “She said the paper said something about a knife slash, but it didn’t.”

  “She could have just remembered wrong.”

  Madison shook her head. “I don’t know, Terry, but something is seriously messed up here.”

  Terry bobbed his head side to side. “She is rather tall.”

  “Uh-huh. I noticed that, too. Probably about as tall as her husband. If she found out about her husband’s affair, her self-esteem would take a huge hit. Maybe enough to kill for.”

  Terry headed toward a shelving unit, and she walked over to a large tool chest decaled with racing and fuel stickers.

  “There’s just something we’re missing,” she mumbled as she opened drawers in the tool chest. “There has to be.”

  “Maddy, you’re getting ahead of yourself again. Let’s just look things over, go from there. Okay? We can only do one thing at a time.”

  “You maybe.” Madison smiled at him and noticed the box he pulled down was labeled MEMORABILIA. She went back to looking in the drawer she’d just opened and added, “And with you being a guy, multitasking would be a little out of reach for you.” A few seconds passed and he hadn’t snapped back with some smart aleck remark. “Terry?” She looked over at him; he was bent around a sheet of drywall that was leaning against the wall.

  “What is it?” She walked behind him.

  He reached into the crevice between the sheetrock and the garage wall and came out with a bloody tea towel. He took time unfolding it to reveal its contents. “Is this what you were hoping to find?”

  -

  Chapter 44

  HOURS LATER, MADISON AND TERRY were in the lab. She stood there with a hand on a hip wondering if the case had finally come to an end. One thing seemed certain, someone in the Best household was the killer. Now they just had to verify which one. Madison found it hard to believe that the affair and partnership were news to Beth. Maybe she knew about both and killed Claire Reeves because of it.

  “Well, the tea towel matches some others Claire had, and the knife is a match to the murder weapon. I’ll have to confirm it’s Claire’s blood,” Cynthia said. “But I had a look at Mr. Best’s ski jacket and there was blood inside the sleeve.”

  “Was it Claire’s?” Madison asked.

  “Unfortunately no usable DNA.” Cynthia pressed her hands over the jacket, stopping near the hole. “But I can tell you that the down in this jacket was a match to the feather found at the scene.”

  “We have him,” Terry said.

  “Him. Or her?” Madison stated it and both her colleagues looked at her.

  Cynthia looked confused. “It was male DNA in the wound.”

  As confirmed with those words, Madison knew that even if Mrs. Best had committed the murder, she’d walk away at this point.

  MADISON AND TERRY HAD AARON brought up to an interrogation room and directed his lawyer there. Madison walked in to the room first.

  “Do you have the warrant?” Adrian asked.

  “Actually we won’t be needing one. At least not for the murder weapon.”

  “So you found the real killer, then?” Adrian motioned like he was going to leave and placed a hand on Best’s shoulder. “Told you, Aaron. Let’s go.”

  “Not so quick,” Madison began. “It turns out your wife was quite helpful.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Aaron asked.

  The lawyer settled back into his chair.

  Madison went on. “The truth has a way of coming out, don’t you agree?”

  Aaron swallowed audibly.

  “The murder weapon was in your garage wrapped in a tea towel soaked in blo—”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “Reality, actually, seeing as that’s what happened. Your Bowie knife is in the lab right now. How much do you want to bet we’ll pull your prints and Claire’s blood from it?”

  Aaron’s facial expression was a blend of mortification and rage. “It’s…that’s not possible.”

  “I assure you those are the facts.” Madison pulled out a piece of paper. “And actually we do have a warrant.” Both men’s eyes were on her. “A warrant for your DNA.”

  MADISON AND TERRY CAME OUT of the interrogation room; he walked off in the opposite direction from where she was headed. She spun to face him. “Where are you going?”

  “Thought I’d go home for a bit. Call me when the results are in.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Terry turned around and closed the distance between them. “And why is that?”

  “It’s just not sitting right with me. Why would his wife be so willing to direct us to the garage? On top of which, she knew exactly what we were looking for.”

  “Oh, here we go. The OCD trip has started early. Normally you wait until someone is formally charged. Although, I guess this way is better.”

  “Doesn’t any of that stand out to you? What if she knew about the affair? Would that be enough reason for you to suspect that she might be the killer?” She sensed his impatient energy. His mind had already clocked out.

  “I’m going home for a couple hours, Maddy.” He turned around, waving a hand in the air.

  His actions infuriated her. Why was he always in such a hurry to tend to his personal life? This case wasn’t closed yet and it deserved their attention.

  Her cell rang, and she answered. “Knight.”

  “Have charges been laid as of yet?” It was the sarge.

  “I’ll let you know when they—”

  “Hasn’t that man—what’s his name? Aaron Best?—been in holding for hours already?”

  “Yes...” Her words stopped there as she debated whether to give him more information. She decided it wouldn’t hurt. “We’re still waiting on some results from the lab. I thought you’d be happy that I’m waiting for all the details before makin
g an arrest.”

  “Don’t stall this, Knight. If you have enough, do it.”

  His directive angered her more than Terry’s leaving. “Of course.” She hung up on him. She knew she’d likely hear about it later, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. Her cell rang again. Maybe later had come… “Knight.”

  “It’s Darcy Simms.” There was a small silence. She continued. “I heard you have a suspect.”

  “How would you know that?”

  “I have my sources, Detective. It’s not that large of a city. I know it’s Aaron Best.”

  How are they all connected?

  Madison’s heart was thumping. “How? And why hadn’t you said anything before now?”

  “I didn’t want to get involved.”

  “But you are now. Claire was your best friend. Why wouldn’t you expose her killer if you knew who it was?”

  Silence.

  “What else do you know, Miss Simms?”

  The line went dead, leaving her with an odd feeling. How was Darcy involved and what motivated her to call? There had to be a connection to all of them, somehow. Had Darcy found out about Aaron from Beth? Nothing had been put in the paper in regards to a suspect even being taken into custody. Then it hit her, Beth was short for Elizabeth. How could she have been so blind? She went to the file and ran her finger down the list of names from the flash drives, and there it was: number eight, Elizabeth Windsor.

  Madison’s fingers flew over the keyboard. She hit the wrong keys a few times and hurried to backspace. She couldn’t log in to her computer fast enough to pull the background check. She tapped on the side of the keyboard as she waited for the result. “Come on.” Then the information displayed on her screen. She scrolled down, looking for the first indication that Beth Best and Elizabeth Windsor were one and the same. She picked up her phone. “Terry, you have to get back here ASAP—”

  “Cyn has the results already?”

  She stared at the screen. “Something better. Get back here now.” She hung up on him.

  “WHAT IS IT, Maddy? I was already in my living room drinking a beer.”

  “You probably didn’t even make it to the parking lot. Oh my, I’m so sorry.” Her words were full of sarcasm. “I thought your job here was to solve murders, and I may have done this one for you.” She handed him the printout of the background check.

  He took the paper but didn’t look at it. “Excuse me, from what I remember when I left here we had a viable suspect in custody, and were one DNA test result away from a formal charge.” He glanced at the printout. “My god, it’s about the wife…” He let the arm drop that held the sheet and looked at her. She used the power of silence, and he picked up the report. This time he looked at it.

  “Pay attention to what I highlighted in yellow,” she said.

  A few seconds later, he glanced up at her.

  “That’s right. Beth Best is Elizabeth Windsor from the partnership list. She’d have more than an affair to get even for.”

  “And you’re just assuming she knows about the affair.”

  “Yes I am. At this point. However, most women know when their man is cheating.”

  “Did you know that about Blake?”

  His quick comeback was like a strike to her air supply.

  “Maybe that was inappropriate,” he rescinded.

  “Yeah...maybe.” She redirected her comments to the case. “Did you get to the part about education?”

  “She went to the University of Stiles? What bearing does that have on the case?”

  “I did some digging. That’s the same school Claire Reeves, Darcy Simms, Allison Minard, and Darren Taylor attended. I just knew something was off. Everything, everyone, was just too connected.” She went on. “What tipped me off to look at education was two-fold. Remember the framed diploma on Darcy’s office wall?” She paused and he shook his head. She waved it off. “There was one and it was issued from the University of Stiles. Then I noticed that Beth Best had a gold pin in her hair. It had a logo on it that looked familiar. The University of Stiles logo. We know they were all connected to Claire. How they met is still a mystery, though.”

  “How does Aaron fit in?”

  “Besides being married to Beth, I’m not sure. Aaron doesn’t have an education past high school. He was essentially an outsider to the group.”

  “Allison seems like a bit of an outsider, too. At least she didn’t have nice things to say about Darcy.”

  “And Darcy especially didn’t have nice things to say about her when I implied Allison was at the cabin in Newfoundland.” Her words stalled, her thoughts mingled together. “What about Mrs. Best? She was part of that circle. Her hair is red, same color as the mystery woman from the cabin. Maybe she was the one there?”

  “We’ll need more. Like you said, women change the color of their hair all the time. Can’t prove she was a redhead then.” He paused and continued. “Maybe they did conspire to murder Claire, to get revenge for their fallen businesses—”

  “And rescue their bruised egos.” She was thinking specifically of Darren Taylor, who not only lost the program he had developed but was conned into a false marriage.

  “And pin it on the cheating husband,” Terry said.

  “Bingo.”

  Terry went quiet again, but she could tell by the determination in his eyes that his mind was fully on the case. “We better go talk to the missus again.”

  -

  Chapter 45

  BETH BEST STOOD AT HER front door, arms tightly crossed. She was wearing a winter coat and obviously getting ready to leave. “Haven’t I been through enough?” She went to take a step out her door, but Madison and Terry didn’t move. “Fine. Come in.” Beth opened the door wider for them to enter. “Another visit from you two. The second time today. To what do I owe the honor?” she asked sarcastically.

  “You’ve probably heard that your husband has been charged with Claire Reeves’s murder.” Madison studied her reaction to the lie and could swear the woman’s mouth fought from curving upward.

  Beth didn’t make any move to lead them to the living area but kept them in the entry. “It’s been one hell of a couple of days. First I find out my husband cheated on me and then he killed his mistress.”

  “So you didn’t know about the affair before now?”

  “If I had known about that, I would have left him. In fact, I’m on my way to meet with a divorce lawyer now. If you’ll excuse me.” Beth made a motion toward the door. Madison’s feet were grounded where she stood.

  “That was a quick, rash decision.”

  “Rash? That man took everything and squandered it. Risked it all on a five-minute lay!” Her voice escalated in volume and her body shook from anger.

  “Where were you December twenty-fourth between two and four in the morning?” Madison knew she had asked the question before. Beth’s alibi had been drinks with a girlfriend, but Madison thought she’d reconfirm that. Maybe with the woman in a hurry to leave, her impatience would reveal a discrepancy.

  “I was here.” The three words spat out quickly. Her eyes went to the door.

  “I thought you were out for drinks.”

  Beth’s eyes widened and she made another move toward the door. “I’ve got to go.”

  Madison glanced at Terry and then addressed Beth. “You’re in quite a hurry to get to the lawyer’s.”

  Beth’s eyes snapped to Madison’s. “You’re accusing me of murder. I can see it your eyes, hear it in your tone. I thought you said you charged my husband.” She pulled down on her coat.

  Madison remained silent and held steady eye contact.

  “You ask my husband, and he’ll tell you that I was in bed when he snuck out of the house to go see that little slut.”

  Madison looked at Terry, then back to Beth. “So you did know? You lied to us twi
ce now.”

  Caught in another lie, she appeared somewhat uncomfortable. “Lied about what?”

  “First your alibi and second you said you didn’t know about the affair. Why lie unless you have something to hide?”

  “I knew I’d appear guilty if I confessed to knowing about the affair. I watch cop shows. I know when a slut like Claire is murdered it’s either the cheating husband or the jealous wife who gets looked at. Only thing is I wouldn’t kill for that.” She stopped short, leaving the question in Madison’s mind: what would she kill for?

  Madison let it go for now because she needed Beth to keep talking. “What time did he leave?”

  “Around one.”

  “After he left, what did you do?”

  “I followed him to her house.” The disdain that coated her words was impossible to miss.

  “So you were there at the time of Claire’s murder?” Madison glanced at Terry.

  “No.” Beth crossed her arms, her focus turning to the other side of the room.

  “Why so certain? Time of death was placed between two and four.”

  Beth let out a huff of air.

  “How long did you know about the affair?”

  “Let’s just say long enough.”

  “So what did you do after you saw him at her house?”

  “I struggled to get out of the car. I wanted to confront them right then and there, but I couldn’t.” She went extremely still, calm.

  “So you never got out of the car?”

  “Not for a while, but then I couldn’t just sit there, either. I walked to the front window and that’s when I saw my husband humping that bitch on the arm of the couch!”

  That would explain the palm print on the glass and confirm why Aaron hadn’t denied having sex with Claire on the couch.

  “That must have made you pretty mad.”

  “Made me furious, but what was I supposed to do? Go in there while they were doing it? I should have, you know? If only I knew this is how it would turn out. Anyway, I watched them until they were finished. Made me sick, but I was still pulled to watch.”