Death at First Sight

by Lena Gregory

  Cass glanced at Stephanie for support.

  “Don’t look at her. I’m telling you right now, I’m done. Put that thing away, and let’s get out of here.” His gaze darted back and forth as if trying to take in every corner of the room at once.

  Stephanie bent to retrieve the board. She put it back in the box, then used the top of the box to shove the planchette into the bottom of the box on top of the board. She shot Cass a sheepish grin. “What? Bee screaming like a banshee probably scared all the spirits away anyway. No sense trying again now.”

  Cass huffed out a breath. “Okay. I guess it’s back to trying to solve this the old-fashioned way.”

  24

  Bee and Stephanie sat in the car and watched Cass until she opened the front door and went inside. She waved before she closed and locked the door. Exhaustion overtook her. She thought briefly about pouring a glass of wine to take in the bath with her but dismissed the thought just as quickly. All she wanted was a hot bath and a soft bed.

  “Ruff!”

  Beast. She should probably let him out again if she didn’t want a repeat of the last time she’d forgotten. She sighed and headed toward the kitchen.

  “Ruff!”

  “Shhh!”

  Cass’s heart stuttered in her chest and stopped. Someone was in the house. The sound of someone hushing Beast was unmistakable.

  Indecision held her frozen in place. Hide? Turn and run? But where? Her car was still at the theater. She forced air into her lungs. A weapon. She needed a weapon.

  Had whoever it was heard her come in? Maybe they didn’t even know she was home yet. She tiptoed backward across the living room, keeping her eyes glued to the kitchen door. Thankfully, she had to keep it closed so Beast didn’t tear the house a—

  Beast. Would he have let someone in? He’d never acted weird toward strangers and was friendly to everyone who came into the shop. Except Jay. Which made it highly unlikely it was Jay in her kitchen.

  Okay. She couldn’t stand there all night. She was going to have to do something. Could she call for help? What if whoever it was heard her? She crept quietly into the living room, searching desperately for some sort of weapon. Anything. She wished desperately she’d brought an umbrella with her. At least that would be something.

  She eased open the small drawer on the table where the answering machine sat. The red light blinked rapidly. Two messages. She searched the drawer in the pulsing red light, terrified to turn on any lamps. Aha . . . She pulled the letter opener triumphantly from the drawer.

  “It’s about time you got home.”

  Cass sucked in a breath and spun toward the voice. Her heart lurched into her throat.

  The overhead light flipped on, forcing Cass to squint against the brightness. Ellie stood in the doorway.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do. I need to talk to you.”

  “How did you get in here?” Cass pressed her hand to her chest in an effort to get her heart lodged back in there.

  Ellie wrung her hands. “The back door.”

  She was going to have to start locking the door. If Ellie could walk right in, so could anyone else. With the initial fright over, Cass studied the young woman more closely. The stress of the last week had taken its toll. Dark circles ringed her eyes. Her cheekbones appeared more prominent, and she seemed to have lost weight, if that was even possible. Her usually mousy brown hair hung greasy and limp down her back. “I thought you were afraid of the dog.”

  She nodded. “I am, but not as afraid as I am of . . . other things out there.” Her gaze shot nervously toward the window.

  Cass gave up all hope of a hot bath and a good night’s sleep. She moved to close the curtains over the big picture window. “Do you want a cup of tea? Or a glass of wine, maybe?”

  Ellie shook her head.

  “All right. Why don’t you have a seat?”

  Ellie eyed the cushionless couch, then moved to sit in the chair.

  Cass slid a small stack of books aside and perched on the edge of the coffee table, facing her. Now that she was past the shock of finding Ellie in her living room, a barrage of questions assailed her. Her tired brain worked to sort through and make sense of them all. She squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, shook her head, then dropped her hand into her lap and looked directly at Ellie. “Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare anyone.” She covered her mouth and choked back a sob.

  “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Are you all right?”

  Ellie hugged herself and rocked back and forth. She didn’t say anything, so Cass simply waited. She watched the other woman closely but didn’t say a word.

  Ellie lowered her head and put a hand across her eyes. Her shoulders shook softly.

  Cass went to the bedroom and grabbed a box of tissues from the nightstand. She brought them back and handed them to Ellie.

  Ellie finally looked up. “Thank you.” She grabbed a tissue from the box and wiped her face, then took a few more to blow her nose.

  Cass moved a wastebasket to the side of the chair, then returned to sit on the table. “Can you tell me what happened? Are you hurt?”

  Ellie shook her head and spoke so softly Cass had to lean forward and close the two-foot gap between them to hear her. “No. Not really, just scared.”

  “Scared of whom?”

  The look in Ellie’s eyes was feral, panicked prey running from a predator. “Jay.”

  “What happened?”

  She heaved in a deep breath and blew her nose once more. “Jay’s always been a little . . . nasty . . . maybe even a bit controlling.”

  No. Really?

  “He never hurt me, physically. But he’d make me feel so bad about myself, and there were a few times he scared me pretty bad.” Ellie’s hands flew up to cover her face, the memories obviously traumatic.

  Cass’s heart ached.

  “He’d yell at me for everything. No matter what I did or how hard I tried, I never seemed to get things the way he wanted them. I never told anyone, not even my mother, though she suspected.”

  Did Ellie really think no one knew she was being emotionally abused by that bully? She was even more naïve than Cass realized. Her anger toward Jay grew into rage.

  “Why didn’t you file for divorce?”

  Ellie’s eyes widened. “My mother said the same thing, but how could I do that? He’s my husband. I love him. Besides, it’s my own fault. If I made sure everything was just the way he liked it when he was around, he left me alone.”

  Cass pushed her fingers through her hair and squeezed. She counted slowly to ten. This girl has been abused her whole life. She doesn’t know any other way. Cass blew out her breath slowly, choking back the reprimand that sat on the tip of her tongue. She’d worked with too many women like Ellie over the years in her practice. Insecure women were targets for men like Jay.

  “Anyway, the reason I came to you for that reading after my mother specifically ordered me not to was because . . .” Ellie sat up straighter, determination hardening her eyes. “My mother told me Jay was cheating on me. She said he had girlfriends all over the place and that was why he was sending me to the city with his sister. We argued about it, and my mother told me to smarten up.

  “After I saw you, I went home and confronted Jay. I told him what my mother told me, but I told him you said it was going to be okay.”

  A wave of guilt tore through Cass, but at least that explained why Jay thought he could trust her. He probably thought she was just as gullible as Ellie.

  “He asked if I believed my mother, and I told him I didn’t know. He was working on his car, and he had a screwdriver in his hand. He came at me so fast I didn’t know what to do. I put my hand up, and he accid
ently swung the screwdriver and cut my hand.”

  Accidentally? Was this girl out of her mind?

  “Then he took off out of the house in a blind rage.” Terror filled Ellie’s eyes. “I’ve never seen him that mad.” She broke down into sobs, covering her face with her hands.

  Cass got up and went to her. She crouched beside her and rubbed circles on her back. “It’s all right, Ellie.” Her psychiatrist instincts warred with her friendship instincts. “You’re going to have to call the police. You know that, right?”

  She lifted her head, and the pain etched in her face was heartbreaking. “I can’t.”

  “Even if he did hurt you by accident, you should still have it on record.” Cass had seen too many emotional abuse cases escalate over the years to be comfortable letting Ellie return home to Jay. “You can get an order of protection, and he’ll have to stay away from you. I have a friend. Stephanie’s husband, Tank. He’ll be very kind.”

  “No. You don’t understand. He’ll kill me if I go to the police.”

  Cass sat up, startled at the vehemence in her words.

  “Don’t you get it? He left that night . . . irate . . . and he never came home. The next morning, my mother was . . .”

  Cass sucked in a breath. “Oh crap.” She hadn’t put the timeline together.

  “Exactly.”

  “All right.” Her mind raced. Jay killed Marge. If he killed Marge, he probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone else. “What about the other woman? Did he kill her, too?”

  Ellie’s eyebrows drew together. “What other woman?”

  Ah jeez . . . All right. Think, think, think. She had to do something. “Will you talk to the police and tell them what you suspect?”

  Ellie shook her head wildly and launched herself from the chair.

  “Calm down, Ellie. Sit down. We’ll think of something else.”

  Ellie barely perched on the edge of the seat, ready to bolt at the least provocation.

  Cass took a breath. She had to calm down. What if Jay followed Ellie here? She ran through the kitchen to lock the back door. Beast greeted her wildly, prancing in circles in front of the door. Cass glanced out into the dark. She scanned the section of the yard lit by the floodlight on the back deck. “Sorry, boy. You’re gonna have to hold it.”

  She ran back to the living room and knelt on the floor in front of Ellie. Her heart raced, her pulse pounding erratically. She took Ellie’s hands. “Listen to me. You’re not going to be safe unless Jay is in jail. You know that, right?”

  She nodded absently.

  “If you won’t talk to the police, I will.”

  Ellie stiffened, but Cass held firmly to her hands. “I can have Bee or Stephanie come stay with you here, and I’ll go to the police station and tell Tank what you’ve told me.”

  Ellie looked at Cass—though it seemed her mind was a million miles away—bit her lower lip, and nodded.

  “All right. Stay put. I’m going to see whom I can get ahold of.”

  Ellie slid back on the chair, obviously resigned. She tucked her legs beneath her, curled into a ball, and lowered her head.

  Cass grabbed an afghan from the love seat and covered her. Her mind raced. Bee was probably still up. He didn’t usually go to bed until early in the morning. She dialed his cell phone.

  He picked up on the first ring. “I’m not talking to you until you’ve sufficiently groveled for forgiveness.”

  “Bee. I need help.” Her voice shook, but she couldn’t help it.

  He sobered instantly. “Where are you?”

  “I’m home. Ellie’s here. I have to go to the police station, but I can’t leave Ellie alone, and my car’s at the theater.”

  “I’m already walking out the door.”

  Cass disconnected. A flicker of guilt licked at her consciousness. How could she have suspected Bee of killing anyone?

  Cass stood in the foyer, peering through a gap in the curtains on the window beside the front door. Her heart thundered. Was Jay out there right now? Was he watching? She scanned the dark yard, the pools of light beneath the streetlights . . . The deep shadows tormented her. The darkness was too complete. Anything could be crouched there. Waiting.

  Twin beams of light rounded the curve. Headlights. Relief battled sheer terror. Help, or danger? She jumped back from the window. All right, now you’re just being dramatic. She took a few shaky breaths, then peeked through the curtains. Bee.

  Relief surged over her like a tidal wave. She flung the door open, met him at the bottom of the porch steps, and threw herself into his arms.

  He didn’t say a word. She hugged him tightly until she got a grip on herself, released him, and stepped back. “Come in, hurry.” She led him up the stairs and into the house, slammed the door behind her, and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Are you all right?”

  She shook her head. “Honestly? I have no idea.” She double-checked the lock and led Bee to the living room, where Ellie slept, curled in the armchair.

  “Oh, the poor thing.” Bee pressed a hand to his chest. “My heart just breaks for her.”

  Cass put a finger to her lips to shush him. She gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. With Bee there, the sense of urgency receded a little. She popped a cup in the Keurig and pulled out two mugs. Despite everything that was going on and the adrenaline pumping through her system, her eyes burned with exhaustion.

  Bee pulled out a chair and sat at the table. “What’s going on?”

  “After you dropped me off . . .” Her thoughts faltered. If Jay was the killer, Luke was innocent. A small smile formed.

  “Mmm . . . Looks like there’s a story there, but unless you’re going to share it, can you go on?”

  “Oh, sorry.” Heat crept into her cheeks, and she turned to get the first cup of coffee and start the second one. She placed Bee’s cup in front of him, along with a carton of milk. “Anyway, she admitted Jay’s been emotionally abusive.”

  Bee rolled his eyes as he stirred milk into his coffee.

  “I know, I know. But at least she’s finally admitted it.” Cass grabbed her coffee and sat at the table across from Bee. “She said on the night Marge was killed, Jay left the house in a rage and didn’t come home.”

  Bee’s eyes shot up and coffee sloshed onto the table. “Are you serious?”

  Cass nodded and sipped her coffee. “She’s terrified, but she won’t go to the police. Would you stay here with her while I go to the sheriff’s office and talk to Tank?”

  Bee grabbed napkins and mopped up the spill. “Of course.”

  Beast whined at the door. Cass got up and went to him. She peered out the window and studied the yard. Nothing. At least, nothing she could see. “Okay, boy. I’m going to open the door. You run out, do your business, and get back here. Got it?”

  Beast whined again and danced around.

  Cass whipped the door open long enough for him to dart through, then slammed it shut and turned the dead bolt. “Make sure you keep the doors locked. He shouldn’t have to go out again until after I get back.”

  Scratching against the outside of the door interrupted them, and Cass’s heart skipped a beat. She scolded herself as she peeked out and opened the door to let Beast back in. She picked up her coffee and paced the kitchen.

  Bee ran a finger around the rim of his cup. “I can’t blame her for being scared. If he killed her mother, and she’s the only one who knows he was gone that whole night . . .”

  Cass hadn’t thought of that. Ellie was in more danger than she’d first realized. “Do you think maybe I should drop you guys off at your house? Jay’s already contacted me once. He assumes Ellie will come to me for help.”

  “Nah. Don’t worry about it. Beast will protect us. Right, boy?” He rubbed the big dog’s head.

  “Marge must have known.”
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  Bee looked up. “Known what?”

  “When she decided to tell Ellie about Jay, she must have known he might try to hurt her. It’s the only thing that makes sense. Why else would Marge have gotten this giant dog?”

  Bee delicately sipped his coffee. “You could be right. But where does the second body come in?”

  Cass shrugged and massaged her temples. “Who knows? Maybe she found out what he did, and he had to eliminate her, too.”

  “Could be.”

  Cass dumped the remainder of her coffee down the sink and set the mug on the counter. “I’m going.” She glanced at the clock. Ugh . . . “Do you know what time Tank gets off?”

  “I’m pretty sure Stephanie said seven. They were going to meet at the diner for breakfast, and she asked if I wanted to go before I went to bed.”

  “I don’t think I’ll be back by then.”

  Bee waved her off. “Actually, I’m kinda beat. I think I’ll take Beast and go lie on the couch . . . uh . . . maybe I can curl up on the love seat.”

  Cass laughed. “Good idea—at least that one has cushions. For now.”

  Bee tossed her his keys, walked her to the front door, and stood on the porch until she reached the car, climbed in, and shut the door. She glanced in the backseat to make sure it was empty, swallowed a sigh of relief that it was, and hit the lock button. Then she waved. He went back inside before she pulled out.

  Cass hit the button for the radio but turned it right back off. Her head ached too badly to have even the slightest noise. Besides, she needed the quiet to order her thoughts. How could she have been stupid enough to meet Jay alone in the middle of the night? She was lucky he hadn’t added her to his list of casualties.

  Bright light reflected from the rearview mirror, momentarily blinding her. She squinted and looked away. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She glanced in the side mirror. The headlights came closer, inched their way forward until they were only an inch from her bumper. “Oh jeez.” She fumbled in her purse for her phone.

  25