Rebecca hesitated. “I don’t think I should drink to that. I feel disloyal to my husband.”
“Oh, come on, Rebecca. Be a sport. Your aunt might be watching,” Erica prodded.
Rebecca shook her head and held up her glass. “To Aunt Millicent.”
“To Aunt Millicent,” the other two women said in unison.
* * * *
Rebecca had been right about Vernon’s reaction to Aunt Millicent’s will.
“Damn her, damn her, damn her!” he shouted over and over.
“Vernon, please. You’re making a fool of yourself.”
“I’m making a fool of myself? What do you mean? Everything I’ve worked my ass off for is going down the drain.”
“That’s not true. Nobody is taking anything away from you. You’re still in charge of Davidson Industries.”
“Right. And some little ringtail lawyer in a skirt is going to tell me when I can move on something at the plant. Don’t you understand? They’ve tied my hands.”
“Vernon, it’ll be just like always. Justine will consult me on how to vote the stock, and I’ll consult you. It will be the same.”
“Nothing is the same, Rebecca. Can’t you see that?”
“No, I can’t. It seems the same to me.”
“That’s because you don’t know a damn thing that’s going on. I have to have a free hand. The company won’t survive if I don’t.”
“You’re over-reacting. After all, you went from general manager to president in three years. I think you have it pretty good.”
For the first time since their marriage, Vernon lost control of himself. He walked across the bedroom and slapped Rebecca. “I had to marry you to get it, didn’t I? I think I’ve paid my dues.”
Rebecca recoiled and stared at him. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. This was the man who had said he loved her. The man who was supposed to be her protector. The man whose child she’d carried. The man who’d said he’d do anything in the world for her.
The instant his hand made contact with her face, she knew he wished he could take it and his harsh words back.
“Oh, Rebecca,” he said and reached for her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
She moved away from him. “Don’t touch me,” she said, her voice icy.
“But darling, I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.” He had gotten himself back under control. “I don’t know what came over me. Must be the two deaths, and things are tough at work.” He put out his arms. “Please forgive me. You have to forgive me.”
“Get out of this room.” She backed further away from him. “No man is going to hit me. I don’t deserve that.”
“But Rebecca--”
“I said, get out! If you don’t, I’ll call the police.” She straightened up.
“Instead, why don’t you call your friend Quimbley?” he snapped. “I’m sure he’d love to know I hit you. He’s after me just like Aunt Millicent was. Doesn’t anyone see that I’m a good husband and a good business man?”
Rebecca ignored him. “I mean it, Vernon. I don’t want you in this room tonight. Go to one of the guest rooms.”
“No. I won’t leave our room. I want to be near you. I want to make it up to you.”
She ran to the door. “Then I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
He caught her arm. “You can’t do that. You have to stay here with me. I can’t stand to be alone. Please, Rebecca. You have to forgive me.”
She pulled her arm away. “Maybe I’ll forgive you tomorrow, but I can’t forgive you tonight. Either leave this room now, or I will.”
He backed away with a hurt look on his face. “You’d really sleep in the guest room?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to do that,” He sighed. “If someone has to leave, it’ll be me.” He looked at her and let out another mournful sigh.
She looked away. “Go, then.”
As soon as he left, Rebecca locked the door. For the first time since she was a little girl, she was afraid.
Chapter 36
It was almost ten o’clock when Tess opened the door to the condo and walked in. She was surprised when George didn’t speak, as he stood by the television. Still not speaking, he flipped the switch and sat on the sofa.
“What are you watching?” Tess asked.
When he didn’t answer, she came up to the sofa. “Want to hear about the meeting?”
He put his forefinger to his lips and pointed to the seat beside him.
She dropped down. “George, I…” She stopped mid-sentence. She couldn’t believe what he was watching. “Where did you get this?”
“It was a gift. Someone sent it to me in the morning mail.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I have it. That’s what’s important. Now be quiet and enjoy the show.”
Her heart pounded as she watched herself on the screen with Max Garvey. Even with the disguises, she knew George recognized both of them.
He didn’t say anything else. He simply sat with clinched fists, his knuckles turning white.
“George,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
He stared at her, his eyes filled with contempt and disgust. He reached for her arm and clamped his hand around her wrist. She thought he might to kill her.
“I know that’s Max Garvey, but I’m not sure who the others are. You’re going to watch this DVD with me and tell me the name of every man in it.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Oh, yes. You can.” He twisted her arm. Pain shot from her wrist to her elbow.
“You’re hurting me!” she yelled as she tried to pull away.
He twisted harder. “You don’t know the meaning of pain yet, you slut.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t answer him.
“Are you going to tell me?” he demanded.
“I don’t know them,” she said meekly.
When the film was over, George stood and jerked her to her feet.
“Now I’m going to teach you a little lesson.”
Fear slid through her. “What are you going to do to me?
He didn’t answer, but his vice-like grip on her arm told her there was no use in struggling. She couldn’t get away. George took her into the bedroom and slammed her down on the bed. He took a silk scarf he’d laid on the bedside table and tied it around her mouth.
“Now if you decide to scream, nobody will hear you.”
She wanted to beg him not to beat her, but he’d tied the scarf too tight. Begging would futile, anyway. Her only hope was that he wouldn’t get carried away and kill her.
* * * *
“Ms. Rebecca,” Wilma called from the other side of the door. “Ms. Rebecca, are you all right?”
Rebecca pulled herself to wakefulness. “I’m coming, Wilma.” She opened the door. “I’m sorry. I forgot I locked the door last night.”
“I came to check on you. Too many strange things have happened around here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mr. Armfield left without a word. He didn’t have coffee or anything.”
“It’s okay. We had a fight last night. He’s probably still brooding about it.”
“He didn’t hurt you did he?”
Rebecca stared at her. “What makes you think he’d hurt me?”
“I don’t know.” She looked worried. “It’s just that strange things have happened.”
“That’s the second time you’ve said that. What do you mean?”
“Well, Miss Millicent told me she thought she might be killed.”
Rebecca frowned. “When did she say that?”
“A few days ago. Right after Miss Mindy’s funeral, I think.” She turned toward the door. “I left a tray in the hall. I have coffee for you.”
“Thank you.”
Wilma returned with the tray and set it on the table beside the window. She poured a cup for Rebecca.
“Wilma, ple
ase sit down. I want to talk with you.”
Wilma took the chair on the other side of the table facing Rebecca. “Please, Ms. Rebecca. I don’t want to say nothing that’ll get me in trouble.”
“I assure you you’re not going to get in trouble. But you must tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s just that Miss Millicent told me to watch out for you. She thought you were in danger.”
“Why did she think that?”
“I’m not sure. She said Mr. Armfield isn’t what he seems to be. She said he’s a dangerous man and…” Her voice trailed off.
“Wilma, you can be open with me. Aunt Millicent told me on several occasions she thought Mr. Armfield killed Mindy. She also said she thought he would try to kill me.”
“Yes, Ma’am. She told me that, too.”
“Let me assure you that Mr. Armfield was here with me the night my sister was killed. There’s no way he could have done it.”
“I know. It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“You won’t fire me?”
“I’m not going to fire you.”
“When you were in the hospital a few months ago, I saw something.”
“What did you see?”
“Mr. Armfield and Miss Mindy.”
“Yes?”
“I came in early that day because I thought you might come home,” Wilma continued in a rushed voice “I came up here to fix up the room, and they were in bed together. Mr. Armfield told me if I ever told you he’d fire me and maybe worse. Miss Mindy, she just laughed. She said you’d be better off without him anyway. That’s when he slapped her. I ran out of the room. I never mentioned it to anyone but Miss Millicent. She said she knew all about it because Miss Mindy had told her.”
Tears stung Rebecca’s eyes.
Wilma saw them. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you, but I’m worried about you. I want you to be careful. I think Mr. Armfield has a bad temper.”
“He slapped me last night,” Rebecca whispered.
“Oh. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I have to think it over.” She reached out and touched Wilma’s hand. “Don’t let him know I told you.”
“I won’t.” She stood. “Ms. Rebecca--”
“Yes?”
“I think it’s time I moved into the servants’ quarters for a while. You need somebody in the house with you.”
“I can’t ask you to leave your family.”
“I don’t have any family with me anymore. My husband left me last year, and my youngest son is in college now. So it won’t be a problem for me to move in here. It will actually help me. I can let my apartment go.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t know about your husband. That’s not like me. I should have noticed something was wrong when it happened.”
“I’m making it just fine. But as I said, it would help me to move in here.”
“I’d love having you here, Wilma.”
“Then I’ll start getting the servants’ quarters ready.”
“I’ll come down later and see if we need to do any decorating.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“We’ll see. That apartment hasn’t been used in a long time. I’m sure it needs fixing up.”
At the door, the maid turned around. “I’m sorry I told you about Mr. Armfield.”
“Don’t be. I needed to know.”
Rebecca poured herself another cup of coffee and stood up. She looked out on the front lawn from her corner window.
“So,” she said just to hear her own voice, “Aunt Millicent was right about Vernon having an affair with Mindy. I wonder how many other things she was right about.”
Chapter 37
George shook Tess.
“Wake up!” he shouted. “You’ve slept long enough.” He pulled the scarf from her mouth.
Tess opened her eyes and blinked. Sunlight streamed in through the window. She didn’t remember passing out last night, but the pain had been so horrible she had welcomed the darkness of unconsciousness.
He stared at her and she turned her head away from him, but she couldn’t cry any more. She had no tears left. Every area of her body throbbed. She knew she should probably see a doctor but doubted George would allow that. Tess wondered what he’d do next.
She didn’t have to wonder long.
“Now, it’s Max Garvey’s turn,” he said. “It’ll give me pleasure to kill him first.”
“George, no.” She tried to sit up. “Don’t do that.”
“Still trying to protect your lovers, Tess?”
“You’ll get in trouble. I don’t want you to go to jail.”
“If I do, I’ll have had my revenge.” He intercepted her glance toward the phone. “Don’t think you can call and warn him. I cut the telephone wires this morning. And just in case you believe you can get out of here and go for help, I have that covered, too.” He picked up the scarf he’d tossed on the nightstand. “I have to gag you again. I can’t take a chance that you’ll yell for help. That Shallowford woman is home, and she just might hear you through the wall.” He tied the cloth around her mouth. “As for getting out of this room, that’s also a no-no.” He reached under the bed and brought out a rope.
Tess closed her eyes. He’d planned everything. She’d just try to stay calm and hope she got out of this mess alive.
In spite of everything, as soon as he left her alone, exhaustion compelled her to drop off to sleep again.
She awoke when George untied her. He had blood spattered on his clothes. As soon as he removed the gag, she gasped. “What did you do?”
“Just what I said I was going to do. When Max’s wife comes home for lunch today, she’s going to find one hell of a mess in their condo.” He laughed. “If by some miracle he lives, he’ll never be able to pleasure you or her—or any other woman—ever again. I made sure of that.” He let out a vicious laugh. “I castrated him just like an old horny bull. I almost hope he lives.”
“Oh, George. I’m sorry I hurt you so.”
“Why am I even talking to you? Once I get my revenge, I’m out of here. I never want to see you again.”
“You can’t mean that. How will I live?”
“Do you think I care? You can hit the streets. Being a whore is the only thing you seem to be good at.”
Her tears were not all gone. She began to cry.
“Stop that,” he shouted at her. “It’s time you got up and fixed me something to eat.” He jerked her arm.
Tess could hardly walk. She stumbled.
George shoved her from behind. “Get on with it. I’ve got a lot to do today.”
In the kitchen, he sat at the bar while as she put a pan on the stove. “I want two eggs over easy, bacon, and toast. I’ve already made coffee. Give me a cup.”
She poured coffee into a mug and handed it to him.
He sipped it and glared at her. “Did you really enjoy being with Max?”
She said nothing.
“I asked you a question. Did you enjoy it?”
“Sometimes,” she managed to say.
He reached across the breakfast table and slapped her. “You’re not even smart enough to lie to me.
“Oh,” she cried as pain traveled through her eyes and into the back of her head.
“You know, I was going to kill you, Tess, but I think I’ve changed my mind. Keeping you around to take my anger out on every now and then might be more fitting.
When she said nothing, he laughed. “Yeah. Maybe that’s what I’ll do.”
His mood changed, and he glared at her again. “Hurry up with that food. I’ve got to get to the bank and clean out our accounts. When I do get around to leaving, you’ll be penniless.”
Again he laughed at the horrified look on her face.
* * * *
Rebecca leaned back in the booth when Nick came into the Red Lobster Restaurant. The hostess led him to her.
“Hi,” she said and looked up. “Thanks for
coming.”
“I never turn down a chance to eat here. It’s one of my favorite restaurants.” He wanted to add that he’d never turn down a chance to eat with her, either, but he didn’t.
“I like it, too. I eat here a lot.” She smiled at him.
The waiter brought menus and water to the table, then left to get their drink order.
“You seem to have something on your mind, Rebecca. What is it?”
“A couple of things.” She told him about her aunt’s funeral request.
“I’d be honored to be there. I’m glad she liked me, because I thought she was a pretty smart old lady—and I say old with respect.”
“I know you do.”
The waiter returned. Rebecca ordered the coconut fried shrimp with a garden salad and a baked potato. Nick had the fisherman’s platter with a baked potato and a salad.
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” he asked when the waiter left to turn in their order.
Rebecca took a deep breath. “Vernon was having an affair with my sister.”
He avoided her eyes. “How do you know?”
“It doesn’t matter. I just do.”
“It might matter more than you think.” He shook his head. “Now you’re going to ask me why, aren’t you?”
She laughed. “Yes, I am. Why?”
“Millicent told me they were having an affair.”
“She told me, too. I didn’t believe her.”
“But you do now?”
“Yes.”
“It’s my turn to ask. Why?”
The salads arrived, and she didn’t answer until they were alone again. “Wilma saw them together. She finally told me about it.”
“And you believe her?”
“Yes. But you mustn’t tell anyone. She’s afraid. Vernon said he’d fire her if she ever told.”
“He can’t fire her if you don’t want her fired, can he?”
“He can try, but I won’t let him get away with it.”
“Good for you.” He stirred more sugar into his iced tea. “Now, I have something to tell you.”
She looked over her water glass at him. “What?”
“We’re going to talk with Max Garvey again this afternoon.”
Murder in North Carolina Page 14
