Knitting With the Dead

by Nancy McGovern

  Nora frowned. Something was wrong. Something that Jess was saying had sparked an idea in Nora’s brain - a vague theory, whose outline she could see stretching out in front of her. She looked at Jess, who refused to make eye contact. Could it be…?

  Nora asked brusquely. “Jess, there was something that struck me as odd the other day. You said that you saw Tyler driving toward his house at 11pm while you were walking your dog. You were the last person to supposedly see him, correct?”

  “That’s right,” Jess said.

  “But isn’t it true that there’s an entire mountain between yours and Tyler’s house? There was no reason for you to be all the way over there at 11pm that night. Was there?”

  Jess looked horrified, as though she’d been caught in another lie. Her face turned pale and her eyes skittered around the room looking for an escape.

  “Why were you in that neighborhood so late that night, Jess?” Nora asked. “Tell me the truth."

  Biting her lip, Jess said, “The real reason? James was the real reason.”

  There was a pause as Nora stared at her.

  “I know you’re going to jump to all sorts of conclusions,” Jess said. “But it’s not like that.”

  “No?” Nora stared at her. “Please, then, tell me what it is like.”

  “Cut the sarcasm, will you?” Jess groaned. “First you barge in here when I’m not even fit for human interaction, then you barrage me with questions.”

  “Jess, I don’t think you have any idea just how serious your situation is,” Nora said. “Explain yourself.”

  “I…” Jess sighed. “I don’t know. I wanted to meet him, okay? I’ve always liked James. In fact, it was me who asked May to set us up again. He was 'the one that got away' for me. After May died, I found myself needing him again in a way that I…” She closed her eyes. “Look, I just wanted an excuse to go talk to him, and I thought walking my dog was a great excuse. That’s it.”

  “And did you talk to him?” Nora asked.

  “No,” Jess said. “I chickened out. I just stood outside his door and then walked away and just wandered. That’s when I saw Tyler rushing to his house.”

  “And did you see where he went next?” Nora asked.

  Jess turned her eyes away.

  “You did, didn’t you?” Nora asked. “Tyler went to James’s house that night.”

  “Well, I don’t…” Jess bit her lip hard. “I’m not sure. I just saw him drive in that direction. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “You didn’t tell the sheriff, did you?” Nora asked. “You just told him the part about Tyler rushing out of his house with something in his hands.”

  “I didn’t want to get James in trouble for no reason,” Jess pointed out. “Especially when I have no idea if Tyler actually went there.”

  “Oh, Tyler did more than go there,” Nora said. “Tyler punched James in the face that night.”

  “What?!” Jess put a hand to her mouth. “No!”

  “I have to leave.” Nora got up.

  The kitchen door opened and Natalie stepped out, stretching. “Finally done,” she chirped. “A happy client means a happy paycheck. What’s up with…” She looked from Nora to Jess and her happy tone changed into somberness instantly. “What are you two talking about?”

  “I need to go,” Nora said. “Thanks for everything, Natalie. Goodbye, Jess.”

  Leaving the two staring at her, Nora headed to her car. It was time to ask James some serious questions. She had a feeling that only he knew the one detail that Tyler had lacked - the detail that would pull together all the questions she had, and answer them in one horrifying shot.

  *****

  Chapter 18

  The Punch

  James’s house was where it had all begun, really. Nora thought back to the night of the party, when she’d observed May resting her head on Tyler’s shoulder. She’d had no idea back then just how immediately and urgently she’d be thrust into their drama.

  Nora parked in front of the house, gathering up her courage to go in. The memory of that day lingered on - the music, the laughter and the happiness on the faces all around her. Yet who is truly happy? Even then, someone at that party had murderous rage in their heart.

  But who?

  Through the window, Nora could see James standing by the kitchen counter, chopping something. Breakfast was underway, clearly. With a deep breath, Nora walked to the backdoor and knocked. It opened up into the kitchen, and a surprised-looking James stared at her.

  “You’re the last person I expected to see,” James said.

  “Was it Natalie you were hoping for?” Nora asked.

  James blushed. “I’m that transparent, huh?”

  “Not quite,” Nora said. “May I come in?”

  “Sure.” James moved aside and she walked into the kitchen. It was black and white tile with a small table for two in one corner and a sink full of pots and pans. James caught her gaze and his face reddened further.

  “I can be a little lazy about doing dishes," he admitted.

  The counter had a half-chopped onion, some green peppers and two eggs lying, uncracked, next to a pan.

  “Can I offer you breakfast or coffee?” James asked. “I’ll have to be quick. I have to head to work in half an hour.”

  “There’s only one thing you can offer me,” Nora said. “The truth.”

  “What?”

  “Tyler came to see you the night he disappeared.” Nora stared him down. “Didn’t he?”

  “Of course not,” James yelped. “Why would he?”

  “He’s the one who punched you,” Nora said. “That’s how you got that black eye. Isn’t that right?”

  “Y-you’re talking crazy,” James tried.

  “Am I? Do you know how easy it’ll be to find your DNA on his knuckles?” Nora asked. “I guess since you won’t admit anything, I’d best head to the sheriff.”

  “No! Wait!” James held out a hand. “Stop. Just let me think a minute. Please.”

  “You talk, and you talk now,” Nora demanded. “It’s your only chance to save yourself. What did Tyler say to you that night?”

  “He…he…” James looked miserable. “He was out of his mind, Nora. I’ve known him for years, and never seen that wild look in his eyes before. He was out for blood. He was pure fury, unleashed. I was terrified of him that night, in a way I’ve never been before.”

  “What. Did. He. Want?!” Nora thundered.

  James hung his head. “He came to confront me. He came to ask me whether I’d seen Maybelle the day she died.”

  “And had you?”

  There was a long silence. James took a deep breath and linked his hands behind his head, squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he had a resigned look on his face. “Yes. I saw her the day she died.”

  Nora fell silent. She waited for James’s confession, which she knew would soon pour out. He looked almost relieved that he could finally tell someone. His face was dark with some suppressed emotion as he looked out the window, unable to meet Nora’s eyes.

  “I went to their house that day,” James explained. “Right before Natalie’s party. I wanted - no, I needed - to talk to May.”

  “What did you say to her?”

  “I confessed that I loved her,” James said. “I told her that I never got over her. I said that I knew she wouldn’t want me, but that I needed to know…why not me? Why Tyler?”

  Nora could only stare.

  “I know,” James said. “I know how pathetic I sound. I know she was married. I know Tyler was my friend. But I just…I could never get May out of my head. It was torture being friends with her. Pure torture. Believe me, I wasn’t trying to strike up an affair or anything like that. I just…I wanted closure. For so long, I’d wanted her, and I just wanted to tell her and get it over with. I didn’t care about consequences. I just wanted her to know.”

  “You’re lying,” Nora said. “Nobody makes a confession like that if some small part of t
hem doesn’t, at least, hope to win over their love.”

  “Well, so what if I did?” James asked defiantly. “Of course some tiny part of me hoped she’d throw her arms around me and tell me she loved me, too. But I’m telling you - the rest of me knew I’d be rejected.”

  “What happened?” Nora asked.

  “What was bound to happen,” James said. “She rejected me. She told me I was an idiot and that I needed to move beyond her and find my true happiness.”

  “What did she mean?”

  “I was confused, too.” James laughed. “But Maybelle sat me down. She reminded me about high school. Jess and I were the perfect couple, but we were both immature. We were both young and in love, but we just couldn’t make it work because we couldn’t handle how big our emotions were. I was a coward then, I’ll admit it. Instead of talking out my feelings with Jess, I ran. I broke up with her. I started dating Cynthia, and half-a-dozen other girls, and then I got a crush on May.” James paused. “May said that it had always been obvious to her that I have a deep fear of commitment. Jess was the one I truly wanted back then but…I was too much of a coward to admit it. I guess maybe I feared losing her. That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? To run away from what you want because you fear losing it? But, you see, my parents were in love the same way Jess and I were, and I saw how their relationship deteriorated. I saw how, even though they loved each other, they fought all the time and made each other’s lives a living misery. The high school me couldn’t bear to face a future like that. So I ran. I loved Jess, but she scared me, too. I guess in some ways, she still does.”

  “Go on.”

  “So, according to May, instead of facing up to my fears and working on them, I avoided Jess. I ran away and constructed a fantasy in my head about being with May, even though I knew it would never happen.”

  “Wow.”

  “She was right,” James said. “Once she said it out loud I could see it myself. It was Jess all along.”

  “You’re lying to me,” Nora said. “Even now, you’re lying. It’s Natalie you’re dating now, not Jess.”

  “No, I’m really not lying,” James said. “I would have asked Jess out that very day except…May died. And, then, Natalie came to me. She was in such need. I comforted her and, well, I don’t know. We just happened to kiss. I felt like such a jerk about it. But I couldn’t tell Natalie about my feelings for Jess - not when May’s death was so recent. I really couldn’t bear to hurt her any more than she was already hurt. So, I kept putting it off - but the time was never right. I even called her today, but then I found out about Tyler’s death and I guess I can’t tell her now, either.” James inhaled sharply then let his breath out slowly. “I’ve gotten myself into another fine mess. I don’t think Jess will ever want me back if she knows I'm dating her closest friend. I’d be lucky if she even looked in my direction again, anyway, after the way I’ve treated her.”

  “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Nora looked into his eyes, believing him for the first time.

  “Of course, I am,” James said.

  “But Tyler…why did he punch you?”

  “Well, wouldn’t you punch the guy who propositioned your murdered wife?” James asked. “The second I opened the door, he punched me in the face. He told me to confess that I’d seen May that day. He said he knew everything. He said he knew I’d confessed my love to her.” James shook his head. “To be honest, I was petrified. I thought he was going to kill me. I truly did.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  “No,” James said. “He just left.”

  Nora stared at him, not quite sure if she believed that. “Just left? He just punched you and left?”

  “I’ll be the first to admit I deserved that punch. But I swear with every fiber of my being that I did not kill May. I am not a murderer,” James said. “I don’t know why he left just like that.”

  “Me, either,” Nora considered. “But here’s another question - how did Tyler know? How did Tyler know what you'd said to May?”

  James shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “Let’s go back.” Nora frowned. “I’m missing something here. What time did you go over to their place?”

  “About 5:30. Maybe 5:45,” James said.

  “And where was May? What was she doing? Who else was in the house?”

  “Tyler was nowhere to be seen. May was working out, I think, because she was all sweaty. There was nobody else in the house,” James said.

  “Why didn’t you tell the police?” Nora asked.

  “I’m not an idiot,” James said. “I didn’t want to get arrested. Besides, what difference did it make if I saw her? I didn’t kill her.”

  “No? Then who did?” Nora asked. “You were in love with May. You confessed your feelings to her. She rejected you. And you hid that fact from everyone. Everyone.”

  “I told Natalie,” James said quietly. “I asked her what to do and she told me it would be best if I left it alone. She said anyone would do the same in my position.”

  “Nothing makes sense,” Nora said. “I believe you. I believe you, despite everything. But there’s something…something I’m missing. How did Tyler know what you told May? Where did he go when he left here?” Frustrated, Nora paced around the room. “There’s got to be something he said to you. Anything at all. Can’t you remember? Didn’t he say something about where he was going?”

  “I was a bit distracted considering he’d just punched me in the face and I was in fear for my life,” James pointed out. "He just stared down at me and said, 'She’s dead because of you. You should know that.' Then he stormed away."

  Nora stopped. She stared down at James.

  “After that, well, it became obvious what had happened. Tyler had heard me confess my love, misunderstood the situation, and killed Maybelle after I left. Probably in a fit of anger. In his rage, he blamed me for her death instead of himself,” James said. “Then, after punching me that night, he drove away and killed himself as punishment for what he’d done.”

  “That’s the explanation you came up with?” Nora asked. “If Tyler was angry enough to murder his wife, why didn’t he murder you, too? Why would he murder her in the first place if May had rejected you? No. That makes no sense.”

  “It’s the best explanation I could come up with,” James said.

  “No. It wasn’t Tyler. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Tyler confronted you and then went to confront the murderer, resulting in his death,” Nora said. “It’s all beginning to make sense now. There’s just one thing I don’t understand - how did Tyler know what you’d done? He wasn’t there!”

  “I don’t know. This is all too complicated.” James sat down. “I just need to take a deep breath and think things through.”

  Nora froze. She turned and stared at James. “What did you say?”

  “I said I need to take a deep breath and think things through.”

  “That’s exactly what I told Tyler the night he came to see us,” Nora said. “Take a deep breath. Those were the words I said before he ran out of the door. That was the final connecting link. Tyler understood right then.”

  James stared at Nora. “What? What?”

  “It’s not what she knew, it’s what she didn’t know,” Nora whispered. “Tyler said that to me before he left.”

  James stared at Nora quizzically. “Nothing makes sense. You’re just talking in circles.”

  Nora began pacing the floor again, holding her hands to her head.

  “Look, you need to give me an explanation, Nora,” James barked. “If Tyler didn’t kill May, then what did he mean when he said that May was dead because of me?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Nora stared at him.

  “No! Of course not! The only explanation I could come up with was that Tyler killed May in a jealous fit. Why else would May be dead because of me? What could I have done that caused someone to kill her?”

  “We know exactly what you did.” Nora stilled. “You confessed your love to May. Tha
t’s what Tyler meant. Your confession led the murderer to kill May.”

  “But why?” James pleaded.

  “Because, James. The murderer is in love with you. Has been in love with you for a very long time,” Nora said.

  *****

  Chapter 19

  Confessions

  James and Nora both pulled up to Brooke’s house half an hour later. Nora felt a tremor inside her heart at what she was about to do. An eerie feeling of deja vu descended upon her. Jessica’s sedan and Natalie’s convertible were parked outside Brooke’s house, just as they had been the day after Maybelle had been murdered. The charming craftsman house sat stolidly on the curb, it’s striped chimney puffing out smoke. Nora felt regret course through her - she’d be doing the right thing, but she’d be breaking friendships forever. She walked up to the door with its hand-painted sign and knocked three times. There was movement inside, and then an astonished Jess opened the door.

  “Nora? You again?” Jess looked from Nora to James. “And…James?”

  “Hi, Jess,” James managed.

  “Why are you here?” Brooke asked sharply from behind Jess.

  “Let them in, Jess,” Natalie said quietly from beside Brooke. “I think we can all guess why they’re here. Tyler’s death.”

  Nora walked in, studying the house. It looked messy and lived-in. Papers were strewn about, bags thrown under chairs and dishes on random tables. Clearly Brooke had been far too distraught to do much cleaning the past few days.

  Jess stood in the doorway, her eyes refusing to meet James. She finally shut the door quietly and turned around. Leaning her head back on the door, she asked Nora, “Why are you here now? More accusations?”

  “Something like that,” Nora said. “I’m here to tell you all who killed Maybelle and Tyler.”

  There was a gasp from around the room. Brooke let out a small cry and fell back on the sofa. “Don’t believe a word she says!” Brooke cried. “All she does is spin stories! She knows nothing.”

  “I know quite a lot, Brooke,” Nora said. “I know that you’re tough. Tough enough to scare even James into submission when he tried to throw your child off the team. Tough enough to undergo a medical procedure instead of bowing in to your husband and your in-laws’ pressure to have more children. Tough enough to stand toe-to-toe with May and not give in. Some feat, that, considering how stubborn May could be.”