“These flowers are gorgeous.”
“I know. It was sweet of Josh to come see me, never mind bring flowers.”
“You can’t be surprised that Josh came to visit.”
“No, I guess not. Thanks for calling him. I guess you filled him in too. He didn’t really say much or ask much about what happened.”
“Listen,” Sadie pushed the food tray away from the bed, toward the door. “I asked my mom, and she said she’d love to have you at our place. You can stay with me for as long as you want. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m taking you as soon as you’re well enough.” She took a seat beside Avery. “Listen, I spoke to Inspector Cotter, and we think you should move.”
“To where?”
“Anywhere but the apartment.”
“You and Inspector Cotter really got to brainstorming, didn’t you?”
“I just think it’s a good time to start fresh.”
“You don’t get it. I can’t have a fresh start. He found me. He’s after me now. I can feel it.”
“Inspector Cotter said…”
“Whose idea is this? Yours? No, it was probably his right? Well it’s my decision.”
“Avery, you’re being ridiculous. He asked me if I could have you over for a while. I told him I already planned on it.”
“You’re not just going along with him because you have a thing for him?” Avery asked and Sadie glared at her. “Then why did you ask if he was single?”
“For you!” Sadie stood from her chair, went back to the window, and closed her eyes. “I was asking for you.”
Avery watched as she paced back and forth beside the bed to regain her composure, until she turned back to her.
“It’s no secret I haven’t been the biggest fan of your past boyfriends.” She said with her hands up, and Avery rolled her eyes. “But I’ve supported whoever you date because I want you to be happy. They never seem to make you very happy though. Hell, when’s the last time you felt appreciated? Cared for?”
Avery went to open her mouth, but took a breath, and waited.
“It’s not about Inspector Cotter, but I had to say something because of the conversation I had with him earlier. He expressed more concern and care for you than I’ve ever seen a boyfriend of yours do. Coming from someone you barely know, I mean, I think that says something.” Sadie took a deep breath. “There. I had to say it, and I hope I didn’t hurt you.” Sadie looked at her hands. “I’d better go get a tea.”
“Sadie, wait.” She watched her best friend stand there at the foot of the bed. “You didn’t hurt me. I know you’ve never liked any of the guys I’ve introduced you to, and I’ve always wished you got along better, but I didn’t know you thought all that.”
“Did I say too much?”
“I think about some of those things…sometimes. I’ve even thought about Noah like that—imagined how it could be. Now though? It’s the furthest thing from my mind, okay?”
“I just thought it seemed sweet. The way he looks at you—” Sadie went to sit beside Avery, when they heard a knock on the door, and Sadie went to get it.
When she came back, she was alone.
“I don’t know if you want to see her, but Charla Kent would like to see you.”
Avery wondered how she found out about the attack, and was sure Noah had somehow told her, unless she had already made the news.
“I guess you can let her in. Could you give us a bit?”
Sadie nodded, and moments later, Charla walked into the room and stopped a few feet away.
“Avery, I’m so sorry.” Her face was drained of any colour.
“Why? You didn’t do this.”
“Can I sit down?”
Avery nodded to the chair and Charla took a seat. Her red lipstick had worn off and her eyes looked tired. She set her purse in her lap and grabbed onto it with white knuckles.
“Please don’t feel guilty. It’s not your fault. Listen, I appreciate your apology, alright, but I think this whole thing is bigger than us now. Bigger than what happened so many years ago.”
Avery noticed tears welling up in Charla’s eyes.
“I think it’s my uncle, Avery.” She shook her head and stared off out the window. “I think my uncle’s the killer.”
Chapter 30
Noah arrived at the house to find two unmarked cars parked by the boulevard. He looked down the street, and saw Ethan’s car parked discreetly near the corner.
The Henderson’s lived on the outskirts of town in a bungalow on a quiet street.
“He wasn’t here.” Owen met Noah at the door. “I’ve gotta get to Fiona.”
Noah nodded, and patted Owen’s back as he swept by him.
“Noah, in here!”
He went past another officer, towards Ethan’s voice, into a room at the end of the hall. Ethan stood by the window beside a desk in what Noah assumed was the study.
“The place is clean.”
“You think he has another residence?” Noah asked, and scanned the room.
Bookshelves lined one wall, an old couch against the other. The room was clean and the house smelled like lemons.
“If he’s our guy, yeah. I think he got tipped off when his wife wasn’t home. Maybe he went out to look for her, but if he’s our guy, I think he knew something was up.”
Noah nodded and looked at the desk. Solid oak, with a laptop, and maps strewn across it. The shelves behind the desk held a clear mixture of romance novels, hunting books, and magazines.
“What’s the next step?” Noah picked up a picture frame from the desk.
A picture of the Hendersons when they were younger.
He studied Maggie’s face, and although she smiled, he saw a hint that something was wrong. The smile seemed fake.
He wondered if he would have thought that before he learned the truth about their abusive relationship.
“If he comes back, I’ve got a guy at the neighbour’s house on the lookout.” A techie slipped past Noah, and sat at the desk in front of the laptop.
“Think he’ll be back?” Noah asked.
Ethan shook his head and his eyes scanned the room. “We’re doing a search through everything here, and then we’re meeting up in Room C. Go on home, and see if you can sleep until then.”
“Where’s Maggie?” Noah handed the frame to Ethan.
“She’s staying with her sister and Charla. I’ve got a car sitting on their house. Just sent Owen to Fiona’s.”
“I saw him going when I came. You think he’ll go for her? What about Avery?”
“I’ve got the phone tapped at Charla’s. Maggie’s been calling Uncle Arnie, but no response. She says it’s unlike him. I put out an APB on his truck. Black Silverado. If he’s on the road, he won’t get far.”
“Assuming he did come home.”
“Yeah,” Ethan strode out of the room and Noah followed out the front door. “I’ve got Ken searching the computer, specifically for other properties in their name, and we’ve gotta go back to Charla’s to ask Maggie more questions. Get home Noah. I need you sharp, alright?”
Noah nodded and started down the driveway. “Hey, you get my text?”
“Yup. If Avery bit him hard, there’ll be a mark.”
“It’s something.”
“Good job Cotter. I’ll see you in Room C.”
On his way to his car, he realized Ethan didn’t answer his question about the security for Avery and Fiona. He was sure Fiona was well looked after, and Avery wouldn’t be alone, but he decided to check on her again as soon as he could.
On his way home, he thought about going to the hospital, but it was hard to keep his eyes open. When he got home, he curled up in his bed without changing, and drifted off.
Chapter 31
Avery tried to pull herself up in the bed, but the shooting pains from her stomach made her slump back against the pillow.
“I’m just…I’m so sorry.” Charla
had a dazed look in her eyes, and Avery wondered how hard it must have been to say those words.
“Why would he come after me Charla?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head, tears streamed down her cheeks. “My aunt told him what Jolene and I did to you.”
“You think that made me his target?”
Charla wiped her cheeks, and chin. “I can’t think of another reason why.”
“Where is he now?”
Charla cleared her throat, and her voice cracked when she spoke. “I don’t know. We don’t know. The inspectors are looking for him though. Do you have a safe place to stay?”
Every muscle in Avery’s body clenched, as she took everything in.
Charla shook her head again and stood. “I should be home, but I needed to come and see you. I had to tell you because you have to stay safe. There’s an officer here… when do you get out?”
Avery looked out the window, where storm clouds brewed. “I’ll be fine.”
“Seriously, you need to be careful. Until he’s caught, you can’t be alone, okay? Call me if you need me.” Charla set a business card down on the food tray.
“Why would I call you? You don’t even know me.” Avery looked up at Charla and wondered why she really came.
“I know I got you into this. I owe you, think of it that way. If you ever need me, for whatever reason…”
“Oh, so I call you for help, and you get to feel less guilty about what happened when we were kids?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“If it’s your uncle, you’ve got just as much to deal with as me, if not more. I thought someone was out to get me all these years because of what you and Jolene did. We were kids though. You told the truth just days ago, and for just a moment, I thought I got this fresh start in life. Then I’m attacked, maybe by your uncle?” She shook her head in disbelief, “And now the issue I’ve been dealing with is worse than ever. We each have our own issues to deal with.”
Charla stood still while Avery’s eyes burned through her. “I’m sorry.”
She turned on her heel, and hurried out of the room.
“It’s not your fault.” Avery whispered.
Chapter 32
Fiona
“It’s not your fault.” Owen shrugged, and leaned against the door frame with a mug of tea in his hand.
Fiona took a deep breath, and threw her brown hair into a messy bun. “There’s got to be something else. Something that could help catch him.”
“So this is what you’ve been thinking,” he walked toward her, and sat the mug on her night stand. “Up here torturing yourself. Haven’t you suffered enough?”
She grabbed her mug of tea and looked away from him.
“I’ve got to be of some use. I might be your only shot at finding him.”
Owen walked back out of the room, but stopped at the door. “We might have a lead.”
“What? Since when?”
He turned back to face her, with a small smile. “You know that girl Avery Hart from the news? Well, she thought her attack might have been related to our guy, and it looks like the mask might have been the one used in his attacks thereafter.”
“Why were you holding out on me?”
“You know I shouldn’t be telling you everything. You’re on a need to know basis.”
“You should be telling me everything. I can help.”
“You need to rest.” She could tell he was trying not to look down at her leg, so she smiled.
“Please?”
“Girls from her school tried to play a prank on her the day she was attacked and her injuries were an accident. They used a mask that looks similar to the sketch you drew; we found a picture of it.”
“Can I see it?”
“Not right now. The picture belonged to one of the girl’s aunts. She thinks her husband is the killer.”
Fiona stared at him, wide eyed, and her heart beat faster by the second.
“Is he?”
“We’re trying to find out. The timeline matches so far, but we can’t find him so…”
“So that’s why you’re here. To watch out for me.”
“It’s just my shift. Anyway, it’s looking good. No promises or anything, but when we find him, we’ll bring him in. Feel any better?”
“I feel like that’s a lot to take in.”
“Listen, I’ll be downstairs, so just ring if you need me. Don’t tell anyone I told you anything alright?”
“That’s fine, but can you talk to Inspector Ascott? Let him know I could help to identify him?”
Owen walked backwards out the door. “I’ll do my best. We don’t expect anything from you, help or otherwise, alright?”
When he left, she soaked in all the information he’d given her, and by the time she took a sip of her tea it was cold. She unscrewed the lid from the small container by her bedside, popped a pill into her mouth, and swallowed.
She could hear Owen in her living room, watching the news with the volume just low enough so she could only make out some of the words. She knew it was a story about Wendy O’Connor.
Fiona missed her yoga, and her pilates. She missed being able to walk on her own and drive whenever she wanted.
She did not miss her daily jog in Birch Falls Park.
Fiona placed her mug on the nightstand and rested against her pillows. She watched the sunset, and the glow filled her teary eyes until they burned, but she kept them open. Since her attack on that path, she felt like she appreciated all the little things in life more. Enjoyed them more, not only for herself, but for Tamara Sweeten and Wendy O’Connor.
Chapter 33
Noah checked his watch on the way to Room C, and hoped the meeting wrapped up in time to get to the bar before it closed. Beelson hadn’t given him a time, so he was taking a chance regardless of when he got to Jerry D’s.
“Noah, good, just shut the door.” Ethan stood at the dry erase board with a timeline of facts. The techie from the Henderson’s home stood at the table beside a woman he didn’t recognize.
Her chestnut brown hair sat in loose curls around her shoulders. Her ankles were crossed neatly under the table, with dark red heels, and Noah tried not to stare at her long legs hidden under her pencil skirt.
“This is Ken, our tech expert,” Ethan didn’t turn around from the board, and Ken nodded his shaved head at Noah, “and Special Inspector January Stevens. She’s been going through the Henderson’s belongings, trying to find anything significant.”
Noah nodded and shook their hands.
“This is Inspector Noah Cotter. I’ve just brought him in on the case. I’ve filled them in on the previous work on the Hart case, with you and Jacoby.”
“Have I missed anything?” Noah stood at the table and glanced around the room.
January shook her head, and Ken looked to Ethan. Room C reminded Noah of a board room, with water and coffee in the middle of the table, and ten leather chairs that saw around it.
“Just getting started.” Ethan finished writing something, and they both sat down. “Ken, what’ve you got for us?”
Ken hit a few buttons on his keyboard with his chewed down finger nails.
“The Uncle, Arnie rarely uses the laptop. It’s primarily used by Aunt Maggie. The only searches I’ve found worth any notice were business trips that have all checked out. When he was on business, his company confirms it. When he was hunting, according to Aunt Maggie, it lines up with our vic’s timeline.”
Noah pursed his lips at Ken’s reference of their names. They were the family names Charla called them, and he wondered if there was significance to them for Ken.
“What does he do for work?” Noah poured himself a glass of water and wondered if he should sit down with them.
“He’s a salesman. Travels around as a representative for prescription eyewear.” Ken pulled out a sheet of paper from his file. “However, he was not at any of these job sites when Tamara Sweeten, Fiona Wolfe, Wendy O’Connor or Avery Hart
were attacked.”
“So where was he? Hunting?” Ethan asked.
“That’s what it says in Aunt Maggie’s phone.” Ken nodded to January.
When she spoke her voice was calm and calculated. “A murder or attack was committed on each of the days Maggie Henderson has marked down that Arnold was away. She never specifies if it was business or pleasure, but since we know it wasn’t business…”
“January, what else did you find?” Ethan crossed his arms.
She stood from the table, and lifted the lid off the banker’s box in front of her.
“Everything in this box has told me something about Maggie, Arnold, and the two as a couple. These pictures,” She took out two frames, as well as several loose photos, and spread them on the table, “are what interest me most.”
Ethan pulled one in front of him. “Their wedding day?”
“Mhmm, they’ve been married for thirteen years, together for twenty-four.”
“What’s this one?” Ken asked, and held it up.
“A picture of one of the themed parties they were famous for.”
Noah pushed around several pictures on the table.
“And this one,” She picked up another photo, “is of the Henderson couple on their honeymoon.”
“Am I missing something?” Ken pushed his photo away.
“There are only a few photos of the Hendersons even touching. No hand holding, no kissing, no brushing of body parts. They’re disconnected. What kind of married couple doesn’t touch each other?”
“Most that I know.” Ethan smirked, and Ken chuckled. “So their relationship was distant. Doesn’t make him a killer. Give me more.”
“They didn’t get married until they were together for over ten years. That rarely happens, and when it does, it’s usually high school sweethearts. They met after high school though, when they were both twenty.”
“So what does that mean?” Ethan shrugged, “Other than a case of cold feet and commitment issues?”
“It supports the abuse theory, but I think there’s something else going on here. I just can’t figure it out.” January handed a photo to Ethan. “Then, there’s this. You know what kind of gun that is?”
Lies Come True Page 10
