No Place for Marriage

by Jaden Skye

  Out there it was a wonderland, filled with soft light, the shade of trees, wonderful smells of flowers, and the sound of a pond rippling below.

  “Sit down,” said Alice, pointing to a comfortable chair.

  Olivia sat down, grateful to be out here.

  Alice promptly sat beside her. “Okay, what are you really here for, anyway?” she asked. “I heard the case is over and Megan’s been arrested. But there’s something more, isn’t there?”

  “There is.” Olivia tried to sound conspiratorial.

  “Tell me what it is. No one can hear us out here,” Alice replied.

  “Are we hiding up here?” Olivia asked quickly.

  “Not hiding.” Alice smirked. “We’re just safe and secure. When I want to hide, believe me, I know how!”

  “Really?” Olivia was taken aback. “Like how?” She urged Alice onward.

  Alice took Olivia right up on it “Remember the time you went looking through Tyron’s house for the person peeking in the door?” She suddenly laughed.

  “Yes,” Olivia murmured, fascinated.

  “Well, it was me!” Alice exclaimed proudly, enjoying Olivia’s amazement. “That used to be my house too and I had a right to see what was going on! So, from time to time, I’d come and peek through the doors and disappear quickly. I knew how to get out and totally hide.”

  Olivia shuddered, completely startled to discover it had been Alice peering through the door. What else was there to discover about her?

  “No one found out you did that, ever?” asked Olivia intently.

  “Never! And I had a right to do it! Don’t you think so?” Alice demanded.

  Obviously Alice was testing Olivia’s loyalty. “You have a right to know what’s important.” Olivia stayed neutral.

  Pleased by Olivia’s answer, Alice went on. “Who sent you here to see me, if you didn’t come here to be with Clay?”

  “I came on my own,” Olivia started. “Something in the case still doesn’t feel right to me.”

  “And you don’t know what! Am I correct?” Alice looked closely at Olivia.

  “Yes, exactly,” replied Olivia.

  “You guys are working for Megan, aren’t you?” Alice rubbed her hand over her face then.

  “Yes, we are,” said Olivia.

  “Why are you still on the case then? I heard it’s over now, isn’t it?” Alice looked uneasy.

  “No, it’s not over, that’s just a rumor,” said Olivia, wanting to unnerve Alice.

  “What do you mean it’s just rumor?” Alice took the bait.

  “New scathing evidence has turned up,” Olivia lied, stirring the pot further, wanting to see how Alice would respond.

  Alice looked totally alarmed. “What?”

  “I’m not at liberty to say exactly.” Olivia deliberately played with Alice’s mind.

  “What do they have? What did they find?” Alice’s face began flushing. “What kind of scathing evidence?”

  The intensity of Alice’s reaction alerted Olivia immediately. What was she so afraid of?

  “For starters,” Olivia finally declared, “we all definitely need to know more about your marriage to Tyron.”

  Alice jumped right into the trap. “Me? My marriage? Did that bastard leave papers that revealed something about me? Are you here because of something he implied?”

  “Tell me what your marriage to Tyron was really like, Alice.” Olivia now dug in forcefully.

  Alice started, breathing hard. “From the outside everything looked great. Tyron was wonderful at public displays. Privately, he had his lousy moods, but so does everyone. I put up with it and never said a word. I thought I was happy. Okay? Now tell me what evidence they found!”

  Olivia knew she had Alice in the grip of her hand. “First, you tell me more about your marriage,” she replied. “Everyone thought you were happy. Was it true? Why wouldn’t you be?”

  “No reason.” Alice breathed raggedly. “After all, I had everything I wanted, didn’t I? I had money, daughters, plenty of friends, and I was always in the limelight. But that wasn’t the whole picture.”

  “Did Tyron cheat on you during the marriage?” Olivia wondered if he’d seen escorts then as he did now.

  Alice shuddered. “No, not at all! That was one thing I never would have put up with and Tyron knew it, too. Even though he got moody, he didn’t want to lose me. I kept his life together in all kinds of ways. And I told him over and over, if ever there was anyone else, I would be gone instantly!”

  “Then one night Megan walked into the picture, didn’t she?” Olivia upped the ante.

  “That’s right,” Alice snapped. “Okay, I told you a lot. Now tell me, what’s the evidence?”

  Olivia stayed single-minded. “I can’t yet,” she insisted. “Keep telling me about your marriage.”

  Alice closed her eyes suddenly, as though she were growing dizzy. “Why can’t you yet?”

  “When I tell you finally, you’ll understand,” breathed Olivia. She knew she had Alice in her grip and had to keep pressing.

  “It’s awful, isn’t it? It’s about me?” Alice wailed suddenly.

  “Yes, it’s about you, Alice.” Olivia played along. “Tell me more, right now! It will help you.”

  “Tyron and I had been married a long time when he met Megan.” Alice was growing frantic. “I knew he was getting bored and restless. I knew I no longer held any fascination for him, but I never knew that everything we had together would disappear in a flash. That my whole life would be snuffed out overnight.”

  Olivia could only imagine how awful that had to have been. But she couldn’t sympathize with Alice now, though. In fact, Olivia had to get her more upset. The more upset Alice was, the more she would reveal. Olivia felt close to a full revelation.

  “Megan must have been beautiful, too,” Olivia commented, intensifying the pain.

  “Who the hell cares?” Alice practically spat on the floor. “Megan was rotten and no good and, in the long run, she and Tyron deserved each other. I always knew something bad would happen to both of them. You don’t do what they did with no consequences.”

  “You always knew Tyron would die?” Olivia took a sharp breath.

  “Not that exactly,” said Alice. “But I knew something awful would happen.”

  “Like what?” Olivia was alerted.

  “For a while I thought just being married to Megan was going to be awful enough for him!” Alice jeered. “I knew she’d end up making a fool of him, like he made a fool of me.”

  “And she did, didn’t she?” Olivia urged Alice on.

  “Yes, of course she did,” said Alice. “Everybody knew he was seeing those other girls. And believe it or not, I felt badly for Tyron. I kept visiting him and telling him to get rid of Megan like he got rid of me. What did he need her for now? I also told him to get rid of the escorts and take me back again. We could have our old life and become a family again.”

  “Tyron wasn’t into it, though?”

  “He laughed at me and said forget about it, honey, what’s over is over. Our time together is done.”

  “That had to be humiliating for you, Alice,” said Olivia.

  “In a way yes, in a way no,” Alice murmured. “For a long time I didn’t believe it. I believed Tyron got off on it that I still cared. I could see that he enjoyed my visits, and I kept waiting for him to tell me I was the only one he ever really loved.”

  “He didn’t, though, did he?”

  “No, he never did. Finally, one day, I had enough.” Alice’s face contorted. “I was sick of being made a fool of. You know that moment comes to us all.”

  “I know.” Olivia nodded.

  “Enough was enough!” Alice’s voice rose. “I suddenly decided to do him one better. I was still pretty enough, and had plenty of his money, to boot.”

  “So you decided to marry a young guy yourself!” Olivia jumped in.

  “Absolutely right.” Alice’s eyes shot fire. “I’d show the bastard
how it felt.”

  “You married Clay to get back at Tyron?” Olivia breathed.

  “Partially, that’s true! And also to make myself feel good again.” Alice looked briefly triumphant.

  “Did it work, Alice?” Olivia began to feel edgy.

  “For a while it did,” Alice breathed. “Believe it or not, for a while Clay and I were happy. Until the bitch came back onto the scene again!”

  “Megan?”

  “The bitch! The bitch!” Alice yelled. “All of a sudden, out of the blue, Megan started throwing herself at Clay, right in front of my eyes.”

  “How did Clay handle it?” Olivia was spellbound.

  “He said he didn’t give a damn, but he lied. I could see that he went for her hook, line, and sinker,” Alice cried out. “And people at the club we went to saw it too. Hank even warned me.”

  “Who’s Hank?” Olivia was spellbound.

  “Hank’s my friend at the club. He used to be Clay’s friend, but now he’s mine, too. Hank cares about me, wants what’s right for me.” Alice was sputtering. “He told me it wasn’t enough that Megan took Tyron, now she’s after your second husband, too!”

  “Horrible, really horrible,” Olivia couldn’t help but cry out.

  “More than horrible.” Alice jumped up out of her chair and then sat down again quickly.

  “When did you find out that Clay and Megan were actually seeing each other?” Olivia needed details.

  Alice shook her head wildly back and forth. “The first time I asked Clay if he was involved with Megan, he swore to me that they were just friends. He got down on his knees and swore that he wasn’t sleeping with her. For a little while I believed him, but then I kept wondering. When I brought it up over and over Clay would say I was paranoid. I really found out, though, when Hank got me the receipt and photos from the hotel in Mexico.”

  “What was Hank doing there with them?” Olivia immediately felt odd about it. What was his part in this? What was he getting out of it?

  “Hank went down there with Clay for a few days,” Alice continued. “They were both setting up an art exhibit. But I had no idea at all Megan would be there. Neither did Tyron, or anyone else.”

  “Is Hank an artist too?” asked Olivia. “Is he successful like Clay?”

  “He will be successful one day if I have anything to say about it,” Alice breathed, her eyes darting back and forth wildly.

  Olivia’s heart started beating fast. “So then Hank took the picture of Clay and Megan there and betrayed his friend?”

  “Hank didn’t betray anybody.” Alice gasped. “He was looking after me, and doing what was right. After I got the photo I also did what was right! I took it over to Tyron and let him see it for himself. Then I begged him to write Megan out of his will. The bastard said no, again. Whatever I wanted, he refused. He did it later, but to me he said no. Something snapped then. Megan couldn’t have both my husbands. I couldn’t let her have both Tyron and Clay.” Alice’s eyes looked half crazed now.

  “You couldn’t let her do that, so what did you do?” Olivia felt her heart sinking.

  “I did what I had to,” Alice suddenly wailed. “You would do it, too. Any woman would!”

  A shock of silence descended upon them then as Alice’s words hung in the air. Suddenly the clouds in Olivia’s mind parted and she saw what had happened clearly.

  “So you took Tyron from Megan then, didn’t you?” Olivia exclaimed.

  Alice smiled oddly. “I did,” she whispered, seemingly victorious. “I knew Hank would help me too, and he did. I arranged for him to be there on the patio when Tyron was alone. The night before he pushed him, we placed a huge rock at the foot of the stairs. Then the next day, Hank crawled up onto the deck from behind and then wheeled Tyron’s wheelchair to the top of the stairs. After that all it took was one push. The rest is history.”

  “You had Tyron killed!” Olivia could barely breathe.

  “I had no choice, I had to.” Alice started to moan. “And I did everything in my power to make it look like Megan’s fault.”

  “What did Hank get out of it? Money?” Olivia was beside herself.

  “He got plenty of money, but so what?” Alice began sobbing uncontrollably.

  Olivia’s heart was beating wildly. Thank God she had a recorder on under her dress. “Tell me more, Alice, more!”

  “I heard that Tyron finally wrote Megan out of his will a few days before he died.” Alice was wailing now. “It was too late, though. Too late for everything! All this time and he refused to ever take me back!”

  Olivia froze completely. Despite her wild, desperate manner, Alice knew exactly what she was doing.

  “So now you know what happened, but you can’t do anything to me.” Alice stared at Olivia boldly. “And why should you? I’m not to blame. It’s not my fault! It’s Megan who deserves to be locked up forever.”

  “It is your fault,” Olivia whispered, in a grating tone.

  Alice blanched. “I thought you said you understood. I thought you said the same thing happened to you. I thought we were sisters.”

  “I never had someone thrown down the stairs,” Olivia retorted sharply. “And you’re trying to put an innocent woman away!”

  “Megan is not innocent! She ruins one life after another!” Alice turned pale suddenly.

  “And what about Tyron?” Olivia exclaimed.

  “Tyron deserved it.” Alice looked at Olivia with pleading eyes. “He tortured so many people.”

  “Alice, I have to bring you back up to Naples with me and to the police station,” Olivia said.

  “You’re crazy, you’re nasty,” Alice spit back.

  “I have no choice about it,” said Olivia.

  “You set me up, you tried to trick me!” Alice jumped up then and rushed over to the patio railing, crouching beside it and holding on tight. “Another betrayal! I can’t take any more.”

  Olivia leapt out of her chair and followed her there. “Don’t be afraid, please,” said Olivia. “I didn’t betray you, I’m doing what’s right. I’ll make sure they treat you fairly. You’re not well. You’re in great mental distress.”

  Alice became livid. “I’m not in mental distress! I did what I had to and I’m not sorry!”

  “I have to call the police station down here then to come and arrest you,” said Olivia firmly.

  “They’ll never believe you.” Alice grew pale. “I’ll deny I ever said a word to you.”

  “I have a recorder on me,” Olivia told her. “Every word you’ve said has been recorded. Please come with me calmly instead.”

  “A recorder?” Alice’s eyes opened wide, filled with bewilderment and fury. “You recorded everything I said?”

  “I had to, it’s for your own good too.” Olivia began shouting. “You’re sick, you need help.”

  “Not me! Never!” Alice howled and in a moment of horror, she quickly straightened up, leapt into the air, and hurled herself onto the railing.

  “Alice, stop, stop,” Olivia yelled as Alice, in the flash of a second, plunged headfirst onto the pavement below.

  “Alice! Alice!” Olivia began screaming, as she looked down at the lifeless body, sprawled out motionlessly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Olivia ran downstairs in a daze and huddled under the tree beside Alice. But her body was totally numb now, no pulse, no breath, no sign of life. Olivia quickly swooped down over the body to resuscitate it, but whatever she did, there was no response. Was this real? How could it be happening? Olivia felt as though she were caught in a horrible dream.

  Exhausted and shaking from head to toe, Olivia quickly grabbed her phone to put in a call for help. She called 911 and reported what had gone on. Help was on the way immediately, they assured her.

  Then Olivia quickly put a call in to Wayne. Thankfully, he picked right up.

  “Alice jumped off her balcony!” Olivia’s heart was pounding and she could barely get the words out. “She dead here, sprawled on the gr
ound.”

  “What? What?” Wayne was dumbfounded.

  “We were talking, I pressed her, challenged her, and she confessed to having Tyron killed.” Olivia’s words spilled out over one another uncontrollably. “I have it all on recording.”

  “Stay where you are. Don’t move, please.” Wayne went into high gear. “I’ll be there as soon as I possibly can.”

  After she hung up Olivia sat under the tree, frozen. The police would arrive in a few minutes, but where was Clay? Was he at home in his studio? Somehow Olivia didn’t think so. She also didn’t think she could face him, or anyone, now. Was this her fault? Olivia had known Alice was crazy, but had no idea she was this close to the edge. Had Olivia pushed her too far? Olivia sat there huddled under the tree.

  Before long local police officers arrived and swarmed through the property.

  “Officer Tauber here,” a tall heavyset gentleman introduced himself to Olivia. “I understand you’re a detective here on a case?”

  “I pushed her too far.” Olivia voice broke as she answered. “The dead woman confessed to having her ex-husband killed. I have it all here on recording.”

  “Good,” Tauber exclaimed. “Let me listen to the recording, and I’ll give it right back.”

  Olivia handed him the recording, her hands shaking.

  “I offered to take her to the police station myself.” Olivia felt herself babbling. “She wouldn’t go. When I finally said I’d have to call you to come and arrest her, she suddenly swung herself down over the railing.”

  “Come on inside with me,” said Tauber. “I’ll get you a glass of water.”

  “I can’t.” Olivia started to cry. “Let me stay here with her for a little while.”

  “It’s not a good idea,” he said.

  “Please, please,” Olivia wept.

  “For a little while,” Tauber said quietly, “but then you have to go inside. I have to help the other officers now and we also have to contact the family.”

  Olivia couldn’t even begin to imagine the pain they would all be in. She also couldn’t help but think of the way Alice’s death resembled Tyron’s. Like him, she fell from a height to the ground.