“Before you call her, I’d like to ask you some questions. Please, take a seat.”
Quinn noticed that the attitude in the room seemed to shift as the mayor realized this wasn’t just an informational meeting about Reed. “What’s this about?”
His father stood again, his size intimidating as he faced Calvin Jessup, and for the first time Quinn realized what a formidable man his father was. “Reed attacked Miss Lang and my son Quinn yesterday and tried to kill them. They both identified him as the attacker. And now, today, Miss Lang is certain it was the same man. We also have multiple witnesses at the library when he started shooting that corroborate her account. The thing is, we have evidence that he may not be acting alone. We believe his attacks on Miss Lang have been orchestrated by someone else.”
“That makes sense. I can’t imagine what he would have against a woman he doesn’t even know. Someone must be paying him. He’s a heroin addict. He would do just about anything for money to buy more drugs.”
John nodded. “You say you haven’t spoken to Reed in weeks?”
“Am I being accused of something, John?”
“No. Right now, we’re still in the asking-questions phase of our investigation.”
“Aside from Reed being my nephew, what possible reason would I have to want to harm a TV reporter?”
“Because she’s in town looking into the old Renfield murder.”
Jessup stood and folded his arms as the realization of why he was really called here seemed to hit home. “Ah. I see. And I’m once again the prime suspect? Is that right?”
“The fact of the matter is, Calvin, that you’ve never actually been cleared as a suspect in Rene’s murder.”
“I didn’t want her dead, John. I loved her. I would never have killed her.”
Dana glanced up at Quinn. His father had told her to come in at Jessup’s mention of loving Rene. “That’s my cue.” She walked from the room and he caught sight of her again as she opened the door and stepped into the interview room.
Jessup turned to look at her. His eyes widened in shock and he took several steps backward as he watched her.
“Mayor Calvin Jessup, this is Miss Dana Lang.”
“I’m sorry,” Jessup said of his reaction. “It’s just that you look very much like someone I used to know.”
“Rene Renfield?”
He nodded almost involuntarily. Finally, he managed to croak out a yes.
But Dana was unaffected by his loss of composure. She was cool and calm as she approached him, her eyes refusing to give away any detail of the raging emotion she must be feeling as she confronted this man who might be her father, and her mother’s killer.
“That’s because I’m her daughter.”
* * *
Mayor Jessup looked as freaked out as Dana felt at the moment.
“No, that’s not possible. Alicia was her only child and she died in the fire.”
His shock seemed genuine, but then again, if he was the killer, he’d spent years believing he’d gotten away with a double—or triple—murder. “That’s what everyone believes, but it’s not true. Alicia didn’t die that night. Instead, she—I—was left at a church several days after the fire. My identity was hidden and I was adopted, but I’m Alicia Renfield.”
“Alicia? Alive?” He looked at John for confirmation. “Is this true?”
Sheriff Dawson came to her aid. “Her story seems to add up. And given the fact that someone has been trying to kill her since she came to town, I tend to believe it.”
“But how did this happen? Why does everyone believe she died all those years ago?”
“I believe my grandfather was worried about her safety,” Quinn stated from behind her, entering the room. She sighed. She hadn’t known he was coming in, too, but she felt better having him so close.
“He worried that whoever killed Rene wanted Alicia dead, too.”
“But Paul—”
“We’ve never been able to name Paul as the killer,” Sheriff Dawson stated. “In fact, I personally believe he died that night along with his wife.”
Jessup scrubbed a hand over his face and paced the small room. He stared at the table as the shock of the situation changed to realization. “You all think I was behind this. You think I killed them all. Why? Because she rejected me?”
“Did she reject you?” Dana asked. She wanted to learn everything this man knew about that terrible night’s events.
He looked at her and nodded. “She did. She wanted to try to make her marriage work. Also, she wasn’t interested in being a politician’s wife and I had my sights set on a career in politics. But I would never have killed her over something like that. I’ll admit I was heartbroken, but why would I kill them?”
Quinn gave his mother’s answer. “Because an illegitimate child with a married girlfriend might be enough to halt a political career before it even got started.”
Dana stepped forward. “And an illegitimate daughter of a murdered woman could end one in its path.”
He stared at her, but shook his head. “If this is true, Miss Lang, if you truly are Rene’s and my daughter, I can guarantee you I would be nothing but thrilled. If my political aspirations are that shallow, then perhaps I shouldn’t be in politics to begin with.”
“Are you claiming, Mayor, that you aren’t behind your nephew’s attacks?”
“I am not. As I’ve stated, I haven’t been in touch with Reed in weeks. I certainly haven’t paid him to attack anyone. If I were looking for ways to end my political career, that would certainly do it.” He stared at her and there was a sort of admiration in his eyes. Was he really seeing her mother in her face? “You know, I’ve seen you on television before but I never noticed how much you look like Rene. It’s not only the looks. You move like her. You even sound like her.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond to this. Was this man her true father?
But suddenly his demeanor changed again and the politician’s face she’d noticed earlier went up. “Looks aside, may I ask what evidence you have that makes you believe you’re Rene’s daughter? After all, there was a funeral. Are you claiming they buried an empty coffin?”
“We don’t have those answers yet,” Sheriff Dawson admitted.
“Well, I think the next logical step would be to exhume the grave and make certain there’s no body inside that coffin. I can arrange to have a judge sign the order of exhumation.”
She glanced at Quinn who looked at his father. Sheriff Dawson agreed. “We’ve already contacted the county attorney to set up a meeting with the judge for that.”
“Well, maybe I can get that hearing date sped up.” Jessup stopped to gaze at Dana. He looked like he wanted to reach out to her to stroke her face and make certain she was real, but he stopped himself before making contact. “If this is true, if you do turn out to be my daughter, I hope we’ll get to have another conversation. Hopefully not in a police interrogation room next time, though.”
He walked out. Dana watched him leave the sheriff’s office and climb back into his SUV. He was already on the phone, probably calling his wife to let her know about the situation with their nephew. She was conflicted about meeting him. Was this the man who’d given her life? Or the man who’d tried to take her life as a child? Or both?
SEVEN
By that evening, Dana was back at the hotel packing her bags. Quinn had insisted she come stay at his home and, honestly, she was glad for the offer. The memory of being trapped by Reed Jessup and not knowing if she would live or die made her shudder. She’d come so close to dying that it frightened her.
Quinn came up behind her. He must have sensed how being in this room affected her because he wrapped her in his arms and held her close. “We’re going to figure this out,” he whispered. “It’s all going to be okay.”
She was thankful for his presence h
ere today, but she was beginning to wonder if they would ever find Reed Jessup before he killed her and if she would ever discover who was behind these attempts on her life. Her confrontation with Mayor Jessup hadn’t gotten her any closer to answers. In fact, now she was even more confused. She’d met politicians before and knew they could be two-faced and charming all at once, but she’d believed him, sincerely believed him, when he’d told her he’d loved Rene and could never hurt her.
But someone had harmed her. If not Jessup, then who?
He put his arm around her and pulled her close. “We’ll figure this out,” he assured her. “We won’t stop until we do.”
She breathed in the scent of him, leaning into his chest for support. It felt good to have someone on her side for once. She realized how alone she’d felt since her mom died. It felt good to have someone to lean on.
Tracy would say she was falling for Quinn and as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t. She looked forward to seeing him each day and he was the first person she thought of each morning. She’d learned to rely on him, to depend on him, and it had been so long since she’d depended on anyone.
She trusted him, and that was as close as she was ready to admit to falling in love. But she couldn’t tell him. She wouldn’t. Because no matter how good it felt to be in his arms, she knew any relationship she entered was destined to fail. She was born to be alone forever.
She waited until she was settled into Quinn’s spare bedroom before she pulled out her new cell phone and called Tracy. She needed to hear her friend’s voice and restore some semblance of normalcy to her life. Tracy and her producer and the show were real life. All this—West Bend, Quinn and multiple attempts on her life—was surreal.
“How’s it going there?” Tracy asked her.
She touched her neck, remembering the feel of the blade against her skin. “It’s been a tough few days. How is everything there?”
“Oh, you know, Mason’s freaking out about getting the show together. Basically, normal stuff. How are things going with Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome?”
“Everything is good.” She still hadn’t told Tracy the real reason she’d come to West Bend and, quite frankly, she wasn’t in the mood to get into it tonight.
“Have you worked out what you wanted to find yet?”
“No, not yet. I need you to do something for me, Tracy. I’m trying to find a man named Jay Englin. He used to be a fireman in West Bend, Missouri.”
“Okay, sure. I’ll see if I can track him down. Can I tell him what you want with him?”
“I have some questions about something that happened in this town thirty years ago. He’ll know what that was if it’s truly him. Hey, and can you also check on some insurance payouts for me?” She gave Tracy what she knew about the insurance company and the fire at the Renfield estate.
“Sounds like you’re on the track of something,” Tracy said excitedly. “Sure you don’t need help?”
“Not with this, but if you could keep Mason off my back, that would be great. I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“You don’t know the half of it, Dana. We’ve been receiving calls at the station about you digging into cases that are better left alone.”
That comment made Dana perk up. “Who called?”
“Mason said he’d received calls from several prominent senatorial offices complaining about you. You must have made someone very powerful angry.”
The only person she knew who would have that kind of clout was Calvin Jessup, whose election for senator was upcoming. She sighed. Back to the nontrusting side again.
“What did Mason tell them?”
“Oh, he was eating it up. He thinks you’re on the trail of a hot new story that’s going to ruffle a lot of feathers. He’s super excited about it. Is he right?”
“In a manner of speaking. Feathers are already being ruffled.”
“That’s obvious. Be careful, Dana.”
“I will. Thanks, Tracy. You’re the best. I promise I’ll explain all this someday soon.”
“I imagine it’ll be quite a story. I’ll keep you updated if I find anything.”
She hung up with Tracy and thought about what Mason had told her. If Calvin Jessup was powerful enough to get other senators involved in smearing her name, then he must be used to getting his way around this town as well. She had to place him firmly back into the suspect category.
Maybe he had loved Rene, but people in love often did things they later regretted. Only one person she knew of was left alive who knew the truth and he was doing his best to stay hidden.
Jay Englin, where are you?
* * *
Dana would never have imagined things could proceed so quickly, but within two days, she had a date to see the judge and request the exhumation of Rene and Alicia’s graves. Once they knew for certain Alicia was not in the coffin, Rene’s DNA could be checked against Dana’s to confirm she was who she claimed to be. Dana chewed nervously on her fingernail as she sat at the table across from the county prosecutor and waited for her opportunity to present her evidence.
Quinn, sitting behind her, gently took her hand. “Calm down,” he said as she fidgeted. “Why are you nervous?”
Why was she? Opening the grave and discovering whether or not Alicia was inside it was the only way to know for sure if Dana was right that the little girl hadn’t died that night thirty years ago. Now, one man, Judge Michael Henry, stood between her and her answers.
She glanced around the full courtroom. Somehow, the entire town had heard about her petition to have the grave opened. It appeared most everyone in West Bend was now sitting in the courtroom. She recognized many of them. Customers and staff at the restaurants she’d dined at. Lila and the library staff. Milo, the night clerk at the hotel. Even Mayor Jessup and his wife, Meredith, were present for these proceedings. They’d taken seats behind Dana, and she imagined she could feel daggers in her back from Meredith Jessup, who’d hardly spoken three words to her when they were introduced. Of course, Dana was accusing her nephew of attempted murder and trying to have him thrown in jail while also claiming to be her husband’s illegitimate daughter back from the dead, so she supposed that was reason enough for the animosity she felt from Meredith Jessup. The woman obviously wasn’t as skilled at hiding her feelings as her politician husband was. The rest of the people present had seen her around town or knew her from her show, she concluded. Perhaps they hoped to be on television. If that was why they’d come, they would be disappointed.
“It’s going to be fine,” Quinn said. “Stand up and tell the truth. That’s what everyone wants to hear.”
Dana felt her nerves on edge as the judge entered the courtroom and everyone grew quiet. Colette Williams, the county prosecutor, stood and addressed him.
“Your Honor, we’re here today to petition the court to exhume the body of murder victims Rene Renfield and Alicia Renfield. We have new evidence that might refute the official records on the case.”
Judge Henry glanced at her. “What exactly is the evidence, Mrs. Williams?”
“We believe Alicia Renfield was not murdered thirty years ago.” She glanced at Dana, then continued. “In fact, we have evidence that she’s not buried in that grave at all.”
An uproar arose in the courtroom and the judge banged his gavel. “Quiet,” he demanded and the room hushed after several moments. He turned to Mrs. Williams. “Present your evidence.”
She took the papers from Dana and handed them over to the judge. “As you’ll see, there’s a letter from a preacher whose church was used as a safe haven thirty years ago. In it, he stated someone from this town, someone he trusted, left a baby girl with him believing the child to be in danger. He also claimed the child’s parents had both been killed and she was now an orphan. We have a photograph of Alicia Renfield that was used in the media at the time she supposedly perished along wit
h a photograph of the child that was adopted. They’re similar enough to give us concern that this child and Alicia Renfield are the same person. We believe that, for whatever reason, someone pretended the child died and buried an empty coffin, but she was actually abandoned several towns over. We would like to have the grave opened to confirm the remains are inside.”
Judge Henry glanced at Dana. “I understand you were the one to provide the information, Miss Lang?”
“Yes, Judge.” Dana stood, her hands trembling. Although she couldn’t see them, she felt all eyes on her. This town of West Bend had come here today to listen as she opened up to the judge about her journey to discover her identity. “I was the one who brought the information to Mrs. Williams. I connected the two cases.”
“And what’s your interest in this case? I need more of a reason to disturb a child’s grave than it’s for a television show.”
She gulped. This was it. This was the moment the entire world would know her secret once and for all. “This isn’t for a show, Judge. This is personal for me. I found those items among my adopted mother’s belongings when she died. The little girl that was abandoned was me. I believe I’m Alicia Renfield.”
She heard a gasp roar through the crowd and turned. Something popped and whizzed past her. Someone was shooting at her! She screamed and fell, crawling beneath the table as several other shots cracked through the windows of the courtroom. Behind her, Mayor Jessup cried out, then grabbed his shoulder and fell.
His wife clutched her husband and yelled, “He’s been shot! Someone’s shooting!”
Dana glanced at the mayor, saw the color drain from his face and pain riddle his complexion as people began running screaming from the courtroom.
* * *
Bum ankle or not, Quinn leaped over the court gate, his gun drawn and ready. He ran to Dana.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded, her eyes conveying the fear she felt. “I’m not hit,” she told him, knowing that was his greatest concern.
He ran to the window, peering out cautiously when it seemed the gunfire had stopped. He didn’t want to make himself a target, but he needed to get a look at what was happening. He scanned the tree lines and the buildings, but saw no one who could be the shooter. Likely, he was gone already. Through the window, he spotted people pouring out the doors of the courthouse, doing their best to get free of the building, which seemed incredibly reckless to him because they were heading right into the shooter’s line of sight. But as he glanced back at Dana, he knew she had been the only target in this room.
Cold Case Cover-Up Page 12
