The fear turned to panic. “It’s happening again.”
He’d expected her to jump to denial, and her response threw him. “What do you mean? What’s happening again?”
Meredith’s eyes filled with tears, but when he reached toward her, she shook her head. “Because of me you were labeled a thief and chased out of town. And now you’re being blamed again for something you didn’t do. Because of me.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He grabbed her hands despite her effort to pull free. “Listen to me. What your mother did years ago was her fault, not yours. And what’s happening now is caused by Chief Burkhalter’s blindness, nothing else. We both know we didn’t harm your mother, and we’re going to prove it.”
“If it weren’t for me—”
“Stop it,” he snapped. “You’re not a martyr, so don’t act like one.”
That brought a flare of anger to Meredith’s face. Good. He’d rather have her mad. Then they could fight their way to the truth.
He tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his mind that commented on the irony of the situation. Margo had parted them once before. Now that she was gone, she still seemed to stand between them.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MEREDITH GLARED AT ZACH, anger swamping every other emotion. “How can you talk to me that way? All I want—”
“All you want is to find some way to make yourself responsible for everything that goes wrong.”
He held her by the wrists, and she could feel her pulse pounding against his fingers.
“That’s not true.” Wasn’t it?
Ach, my little Merry, don’t fret yourself so much over other people. They must find their own happiness. Her father’s voice, speaking softly in the Pennsylvania Dutch he’d used only when they were alone together. What would he say to her now?
“Isn’t it?” Zach’s intense gaze held hers, challenging, demanding. “Don’t feel responsible for me. That’s not what I want from you.”
The very air in the room seemed charged with emotion. She couldn’t look away from his face. What do you want, Zach? If she said the words aloud, what would he say?
A siren wailed outside and then cut off. It had both of them spinning to look outside as a police car pulled into the driveway and stopped.
Zach released her. “This isn’t good. If he asks you anything that makes you uncomfortable, say you want your attorney present. Promise me.”
His urgency compelled her to nod, but wasn’t it far more likely that he’d be the one who’d be asked the tough questions? Another glance out the window told her it was Ted Singer, not Chief Burkhalter, and her stomach churned.
The doorbell rang at what seemed unnecessary length. Meredith took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Coming on top of that emotional exchange with Zach, a visit from the police was less than welcome.
She opened the door, hoping her face expressed nothing more than her ordinary composure. “Ted. What can I do for you?”
He jerked a thumb in the direction of the patrol car. “You can get in. Chief wants to see you.”
For a moment she couldn’t speak. Had it really come to this, that Chief Burkhalter was sending someone to pick her up?
“If Burkhalter wants to see Ms. King, he can come to the house.” Zach stood, feet apart, shoulders tense as if ready to spring.
“My business isn’t with you, Randal.” Ted gave a thin smile. “Yet. Chief wants me to bring her in.”
“Then I’m coming.” Zach was close enough to touch if she reached out her hand, and she could feel the fury radiating.
“Not with me, you’re not.” Ted’s big hands curled into fists. He’d like nothing better than for this to turn physical, she realized, and she couldn’t let that happen.
“It’s all right.” She managed a smile for Zach, even though there was nothing to smile about. “I’ll ride with Officer Singer, and you can follow in your car.”
Please, don’t make a scene. Don’t make this worse. She willed him to get the message.
He gave a short nod. “Right. I’m also calling your attorney. He’ll meet us at the station.”
Singer took her arm, as if to force her away from Zach. She froze, giving him a glare that should make him think twice.
“Excuse me. I need to get a jacket and my bag and lock the house,” she said firmly.
He met her eyes for another second, and then looked away and let go of her.
Meredith took her time putting on her jacket and double-checking the door as they went out. She found her confidence rising. Annoying as Singer was, it was gratifying to know that she could make him back down, even a little. Or maybe it was Zach’s comment about calling her attorney that had done the trick.
Zach followed them down the walk, his cell phone already at his ear. He must be calling Jake, who she supposed was her attorney, not that he’d ever had occasion to do much legal work for her.
Zach touched her arm lightly as they reached the car. “Remember what I told you.”
She nodded. Singer held open the back door of the patrol car. So she was meant to ride in the back, like an arrested felon. It was too much to hope that the neighbors weren’t noticing. She could see the front curtain twitch at Jeannette’s house as Singer slammed the door.
Meredith leaned back, clasping her hands in her lap. It was too late for worrying about what the neighbors would think. She had a bigger worry right now.
The three blocks to the police station were too short to come up with any kind of strategy for answering questions. The smart thing was probably to do as Zach said and refuse to say anything until her attorney was there. Unfortunately that felt like an admission that she had something to hide.
Singer opened the car door and reached out to take her arm.
She pulled back. “I’m perfectly capable of walking inside without your help.” She stalked toward the double glass doors of the station without waiting to see what he would do.
The door swished open and closed gently behind them. Too bad. Now that she was fired up, she’d have taken some pleasure in slamming it.
Burkhalter was leaning on the counter that bisected the front office, apparently talking to the department’s secretary and dispatcher, Josie Welsh. He turned, opening his mouth to speak, but she got in first.
“If you wanted to talk with me, Chief Burkhalter, all you had to do was call. It certainly wasn’t necessary to have an officer bring me in like a Saturday-night drunk.”
Burkhalter closed and opened his mouth a couple of times. “I didn’t—” He stopped, turning a fulminating look on Singer. “Sorry, Meredith. There must have been a misunderstanding. I surely didn’t mean you had to come in right this minute, but as long as you’re here...” He seemed to run out of steam. “Josie, bring some coffee and a couple of those crullers to my office.”
“Coming right up.” Josie, who’d been in chorus with Meredith back in high school, gave her a reassuring wink.
Burkhalter led Meredith back to his office and fussed over pulling up the most comfortable of his chairs. Once she was settled, he backed toward the door. “Josie’ll be right in with the coffee. Excuse me for just a minute.”
He closed the door, but Meredith had no trouble in hearing his voice.
“What the devil did you mean by that? I told you to contact Ms. King and say I’d appreciate her stopping by, not go drag her out of her house.”
“I thought...”
“You didn’t think, that’s your trouble. Going out and rousting a respected citizen like that—you’ll be lucky if she doesn’t have you fired.”
“Listen, she’s the one who’s a suspect, not me.” Singer sounded as sulky as if he’d been called on the carpet by the principal.
The door opened just then, and Josie came in carrying the p
romised coffee and crullers. She wore a grin as she kicked the door closed behind her.
“Chief’s giving it to Ted, and he deserves every bit of it. Always throwing his weight around, just like he did in high school.” Josie set the tray down on the desk. “Listen, don’t you worry. Anybody who knows you knows you couldn’t have hurt your mom. Truth is, the county attorney was on the phone first thing this morning, and Burkhalter’s scared to death he’s going to get shoved out of the investigation unless it looks like he’s doing something.”
Several of the knots in Meredith’s stomach unraveled. “Thanks, Josie. I appreciate the support.”
“Don’t let them bully you.” The door rattled as it opened, and Josie slipped out as Burkhalter came in.
“There, now, that’s taken care of.” He rubbed his hands together and looked at the plate of crullers in obvious anticipation. “Now, don’t you worry about this visit. I just have to make sure I have a complete record of everything that happened, that’s all. You understand, don’t you?”
Meredith hesitated, remembering Zach’s advice. But it was natural that the police would need a record of the events of that night, and she didn’t have anything to hide.
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good. Milk? Sugar?” He held up a mug of coffee.
“One sugar, please.” She concentrated on arranging the events of that evening in her mind while Burkhalter fussed over the refreshments as if he were presiding at a ladies’ auxiliary tea.
Finally Burkhalter lowered his bulk into the swivel chair behind the desk, which creaked in protest. “Now, then.” He took a bite of cruller and pulled a notebook toward him. “I think we have all the times down already, and we’ve checked with the restaurant, just as a matter of routine, you know. That all seems straightforward.”
She nodded. So what was she doing here if he already had the information?
“Was there any...well, unpleasantness with your mother about you going out with Randal that night?”
The coffee turned to acid in her mouth. So that was what the police were thinking.
“I’m thirty years old, Chief Burkhalter. I don’t ask my mother’s permission when I go out.”
“Well, no, of course not. But to be honest, I remember how she felt about him back when you were teenagers. She can’t have been glad to see him back in town again.”
Meredith’s mind raced. She could deny that her mother had been upset by Zach’s return, but Mom had probably talked to half the town about her feelings. It would be only too easy to prove.
“She wasn’t happy about Zach’s return, no.” Meredith picked her words carefully. “But she knew he’d be leaving again soon. And she didn’t raise any objection to my going out that evening.”
Now that she thought about it, her mother’s complaints had been very mild. If she’d wanted to keep Meredith at home, she was capable of working herself up into a state, but she hadn’t. Maybe because, as Zach said, she had an appointment with someone herself?
“So you really expect me to believe your mother was okay with you going out with Randal, despite the fact that she knew he was a thief?”
“He was not a thief.” Meredith tried to control her voice. “I’m sure you realize my mother made that whole thing up just to get rid of Zach when we were teenagers.”
“Well, I have to admit I thought as much at the time.” Burkhalter leaned forward. “But it seems like the kind of thing a man wouldn’t forget easily. The kind of thing someone might want revenge for.”
She could feel the blood drain from her face. She’d been wrong. Burkhalter was more devious than she’d given him credit for. He’d been after Zach the whole time, and he was trying to use her against him.
“That’s ridiculous. Zach didn’t harbor a grudge against my mother. And he couldn’t possibly have attacked her. She was fine when I left, and we were together the whole evening.”
Burkhalter raised his eyebrows, managing to look doubtful. “Were you?”
“Yes.” She was frightened now, really frightened. Josie had been wrong. Jim Burkhalter, someone who had known her all her life, thought she would cover up for her mother’s murderer.
Voices were raised in the outer office, loud enough to penetrate the door. A moment later it flew open. Zach and Jake Evans jostled each other as they erupted into the room.
“Chief Burkhalter, is my client under arrest?” Jake was at his most formal, a side of him she’d seldom seen.
“What? No, of course not. Ms. King’s just answering a few questions. She doesn’t mind. Isn’t that right, Ms. King?”
She felt, rather than saw, Zach move behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders. Strength and protection flowed through them.
“I don’t believe I care to answer anything else.” She kept her voice firm.
“Good,” Jake said. “We’ll just be leaving.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Burkhalter protested.
“No.” Jake leaned forward to plant his fists on the edge of Burkhalter’s desk and glare at him. “Your actions are way out of line, and you know it.”
“This isn’t going to go away.” Burkhalter’s face reddened. “A woman’s been killed, and it’s my job to find out who did it. And I’m not going to go chasing fairy tales about Aaron Mast, either.”
“Fine. Investigate. But you don’t talk to either of my clients unless I’m present.”
“Either?” Burkhalter said.
“I also represent Mr. Randal.” Jake’s tone was firm. “Call me the next time you want to have a little chat with either of them.”
Meredith couldn’t get out of there fast enough. She sent a quick thankful glance toward Josie in the outer office, and then Jake was pulling open the door.
Once outside, she sucked in a breath. “Thank you. Both of you.”
Jake shook his head. “Don’t thank me too fast. Burkhalter might be slow, but he’s stubborn. This isn’t over.”
Meredith nodded, realizing she was clinging to Zach’s hand. She ought to let go, but she didn’t want to. Little though she might want to believe it, this situation was real.
* * *
AT JAKE’S SUGGESTION, they’d come back to Meredith’s house to have what Zach was mentally classifying as a council of war. He’d had his doubts about Jake at first, but he found his opinion rising as they talked over the coffee and cinnamon rolls Meredith insisted on setting out.
That was probably as much a defense mechanism on her part as any desire for food. If she treated this as a social situation, maybe she could handle it better.
Jake had patiently led Meredith through every word that had been exchanged in Burkhalter’s office. Zach listened, trying to push down the urgent desire he felt to flatten most of Deer Run’s police force.
“What part of ‘Don’t say anything until your attorney is present’ didn’t you understand?” he asked.
Meredith sent an annoyed glance his way. “All right, I was wrong. You don’t need to keep harping on it. But I’ve known Jim Burkhalter since I was a child. I just couldn’t believe he thought I might be involved in my mother’s death.”
“If it’s any consolation, I’m the one he has in his sights, not you.” He hadn’t been particularly surprised to learn the aim of Burkhalter’s little interview.
“Meredith is the stumbling block to his building a case against you,” Jake said. “Unless he can get her to say you weren’t together all evening, the only way he can proceed against you is to presume she’s covering for you.”
“How can he even think that?” The words burst out of Meredith. “Why is he focusing on us instead of trying to find the person who attacked my mother?”
Zach shrugged. “If I were in charge of the investigation, I’d start with the people who were closest to the victim, too.”
“That’s always going to be the police reaction,” Jake said. “Combine that with the fact that Burkhalter is more used to drunk and disorderly and petty theft—well, it’s not surprising. Though I confess, I’m surprised that he’d move against Meredith so quickly and so publicly.”
“It must be because of the district attorney.” Meredith frowned, pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear. “Josie said that he’d called the chief this morning, pushing him on the investigation.”
“Josie?” Zach tried to remember someone by that name and came up empty.
“The department’s secretary, receptionist, office manager and dispatcher,” Jake clarified.
“She shouldn’t have told you any such thing, but I’m glad she did.” Zach pictured the instant dismissal that would come to any member of his department who leaked such information. But this was Deer Run, not Pittsburgh.
“She was just trying to help. She said nobody who knew me would believe I could do something like that.” Meredith was clearly comforted by that vote of support. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to make much difference.
He exchanged a look with Jake, relieved to see that the attorney was as skeptical as he was.
“I’m sure that’s true,” Jake said carefully. “But it will be the district attorney who decides whether or not to take the case to trial, and he doesn’t know you. And if it should come to that, chances are slim that anyone from Deer Run would even be on the jury.”
It was much of what he’d already tried to tell Meredith, but it was good for her to hear it from Jake. Maybe now she’d be able to accept it.
He sat still for a moment, unable to take his gaze from Meredith. There had to be a way to protect her.
“Look, Jake, there are a couple of things you don’t know.” He spoke abruptly. “For one, Margo was wearing a jacket that belonged to Meredith when she was killed. Almost anyone who spotted someone in that jacket in the dark would think it was Meredith.”
Jake looked at Meredith questioningly. “Your tan windbreaker?” he asked, proving Zach’s contention.
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