“They’re all right,” Nora said, looking downcast. “Mrs. Mullally, I rather suspect it was my fault that he’s gone.”
“Your fault?” Mrs. Mullally asked. “Why Nora--”
“I was the last person to see him,” Nora said. “He vanished after…” but Nora didn’t complete this, she just shook her head miserably.
“There, there, dear,” Mrs. Mullally said. “Let me make you a cup of chamomile tea. It’ll make you feel much better.”
“Actually, I think I just want to gulp down some coffee today and run into town,” Nora said. “I never did meet Anna, and I think I need to soon.”
“Before that, there’s someone here to see you,” Mrs. Mullally said.
Tina walked in, wearing her workout gear, clearly just in from a run.
“Tina.” Nora stiffened, remembering their last meeting.
“I know you don’t want to see me,” Tina said. “But Sean called, and he told me you might need me. He seemed to think you were unnecessarily blaming yourself for Ricky’s disappearance.”
That was Sean for you - a good man through and through.
“I’m fine,” Nora said tightly. “I’m just afraid for Ricky, and I don’t know what to do. I feel responsible for him.”
“Of course, you do,” Tina said. “You feel responsible for every person on the planet, Nora.”
“That’s harsh,” Nora said.
“I’m not being harsh on you, you’re being harsh on you,” Tina replied. “Nora, if the silly boy was fool enough to blackmail the murderer, then whether or not you were near him, he’d eventually have gotten caught by the murderer. I’m just glad you weren’t in the crossfire.”
“Wait, who told you that?” Nora asked.
“Told me what?” Tina looked puzzled.
“Told you about… about Ricky blackmailing the murderer? Was it Sean?”
“Does it matter?” Tina looked irritated. “What are you doing, Nora? Mrs. Mullally, I’m sure you’ll agree with me. The last thing Nora should be doing is getting involved in this case. She’s got the diner to think about, and she’s still not over Raquel yet.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Mrs. Mullally said. “I told you I toured with the greats, didn’t I? Zany Motts just to name one…”
Tina looked impatient. “Yes?”
“I remember once, we had this drummer, real nice fella named Chauncey. Big guy with more muscles than a wrestler, and a ponytail, but the sweetest man you ever saw. He was a drummer for us then, but he finished college and eventually quit to become an accountant somewhere in Idaho. Can you imagine that? Well, I suppose I did become a science teacher myself, so there’s never a way to tell. Anyhow, Chauncey had a twin brother, Kane. Kane looked just like Chauncey but on the inside, that boy had a mean streak wider than the Grand Canyon. He went into the military to escape some ruckus he’d created in his hometown, and then he was thrown out of the military for being too rough. That’s the kind of guy Kane was. Anyhow, Chauncey was really upset when Kane, for the third time, stole money off his ma and pa to fund some bad habits of his.”
“Mrs. Mullally…” Nora could see Tina was getting a glazed sort of look on her face.
“Yes, dear, I’m coming to the point. My youngest, Steve, often said that the worst part of doing something wrong wasn’t the punishment as much as it was listening to me go on and on.” Mrs. Mullally chuckled. “Never did learn to say it in 10 words when 500 would do.”
Nora laughed. “Mrs. Mullally, I never tire of listening to them.”
“I like you for it,” Mrs. Mullally said. “Anyhow, Chauncey was unloading on us all, how bad he felt about what Kane was doing, and saying that Kane used to be a good guy that his bad behavior all started when their older sister died in a hit and run.”
“Oh, that’s so sad for the parents,” Tina said. “To lose one child to an accident, and another to bad decisions.”
“Oh, there’s no pain like the pain of a wayward son,” Mrs. Mullally said. “In any case, the original point I was trying to make, my dear, was that Zany, listening to all of Chauncey’s rantings, ended it with one sentence. You can’t change a leopard’s spots. If it hadn’t been for the sister, it would have been something else, in all likelihood.”
“You don’t really believe that do you?” Tina asked. “Human beings aren’t fixed creatures. We’re constantly evolving. More importantly, we’re constantly choosing to evolve.”
“Still, you can’t run away from your nature,” Mrs. Mullally said. “It seems to me that it’s in Nora’s nature to help those who are injured, to fight against injustice. I think it’s always been. I remember back when she was in school, there was a girl named Sheryl, who was bullied by the rest of her grade. There’s always one like that in every batch. They have to exist for the rest of the kids to pick on. The lowest on the totem pole. Well, Nora here was the only one who tried her hardest to be nice to Sheryl. I could see she felt awkward about it because she was picked on plenty too, but she never stopped being nice. Nora’s not going to rest till the murderer is caught. You wait and see.”
“But she has to,” Tina said. “Nora has a job, she has a life. Wallis’ death is none of her beeswax.”
Nora wasn’t listening to Tina’s protests any more. Hearing Sheryl’s name reminded her of why she’d been distant with Sean for so long. He’d always been one of the popular kids in school, and he’d picked on Sheryl too.
“You agree, right, Nora?” Tina asked.
“Hmmm.” Nora looked up, confused.
Tina sighed. “There you go. You haven’t heard a word I said.”
“Sorry.”
“I was only saying that it’s every human being’s duty to evolve, to do things that make themselves happier,” Tina said. “I don’t think what you’re doing is healthy, Nora. It seems to me like you’re distracting yourself from what you really want, the diner, and instead chasing around unsolved cases that you have no business chasing around in.”
“That’s one way of looking at it,” Nora said.
“Well, why else wouldn’t you take my money?” Tina asked. “If you did, we could have the diner started as soon as next week. I know you’ve already arranged for licenses and the like.”
“Tina, I didn’t take your money because I thought you were very casual about it,” Nora said defensively. “It doesn’t mean I’ve got no intention of opening the diner. That’s my one dream and I’m going to achieve it.”
“You’re procrastinating,” Tina said. “That’s what it is. You’re still not over Raquel’s death, and that’s what it is too. You won’t admit it. It’s why Ricky was important to you, it’s why you were trying to solve Wallis’ death. It’s why you’re scared of your dream ever coming true, because if you actually open the diner, you’ll feel like you betrayed Raquel, won’t you?”
There was a ringing silence in the room. Mrs. Mullally looked down into her tea cup, suddenly interested in the contents.
“I’ve got one word for you,” Nora said. “No.”
“Oh sure,” Tina laughed. “I told you Raquel and I were close, Nora. She was my best friend too though I know you two were closer. Still, you were away for the last ten years, and I was the one who met Raquel every day. I knew the two of you were as close as sisters. You haven’t gotten over it yet, and that’s why you won’t accept help.”
“I don’t want pity,” Nora said, her words suddenly a scream. “Can’t you and Harvey ever understand that? I don’t want my dream diner opened because people gave me money out of pity. Oh, poor Nora, lost her parents, then lost her best friend. I want to do it on my own. I had bad luck, yes, but someday, I will open the Madness Diner, or maybe I’ll just call it Raquel’s this time. When I open the diner, Tina, and I promise you I will one day, it won’t be because a rich girl who felt bad for me opened up her purse strings on a whim. It won’t be because my rich friend decided he’d “loan” me the money. To do that would be betraying Raquel and all the hard work she’d put into
our dream. To do that would be spitting on her legacy.”
Tina stared at Nora with tears in her eyes. “Do you really think that little of me and Harvey?” she asked. “Actually, I don’t care what you think of Harvey. Do you really think so little of me?”
Nora’s phone began buzzing, next to her. There was a moment of silence, as Tina’s question floated in the air, unanswered. Then, Nora said in a slightly cracked voice, “I have to go now. I needed to meet--”
“No need,” Tina said, putting her hand up. “I give up, Nora. Go chase your suspects. I’m out of here.”
*****
Chapter 19
“Here,” Sean said, turning the car into a small alley that was packed with cars. People dressed in black were crowded around one house, talking in small groups and occasionally dabbing at their eyes with handkerchiefs.
“The town’s here and many besides,” Sean said. “Wallis was a popular man, with a lot of friends. Funny thing is, he didn’t have much of a family.”
“Who took charge of the funeral arrangements then?” Nora asked.
“His wife, Karen. Well, ex-wife, sort of. The two of them were separated, no thanks to Wallis and his rock star ways,” Sean said. “Still, she’s very upset.”
Karen was a pointy-chinned woman with deep chestnut hair that looked painted on, as it rested on her dark grey and black dress. Her eyes looked puffed and red, but she had a brave smile on as she greeted each person in the line. Sean and Nora handed her some flowers and paid their respects to the body.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Nora said. What must she be feeling? Nora wondered, her eyes resting on the widow’s face. In a few months, she would have been a divorcee, but once, she must have loved the man who now lay still in the casket. Was she regretting the words she’d said to him, regretting leaving him? Or was she glad, secretly, that there would be no messy procedure? No division of assets?
Karen nodded, poker faced, and gave Sean a frigid glance.
The wake was filled with whispers. Dean Elbert stood with five rough men around him, looking obviously nervous as they pressed him for details about the investigation. In another corner, Nora saw the Detectives Jason and Rudy talking amongst themselves with a glass of beer in each hand. Casually, she wandered nearby, pretending to be interested in the cold meats.
“You really think so?” Jason was saying.
“We’re fairly sure,” Rudy said in a whisper. “I got a call confirming it not five minutes ago. He’d hired Doctor Gerard Hansen just last month.”
“Ok. Let’s discuss this later,” Jason said, giving Nora a look filled with suspicion. “Never know who’s listening, right, Nora?” he said, in a louder voice.
“Sorry?” Nora asked, turning around. “I didn’t hear what you just said?”
“Oh, funny.” Jason smiled. “Look, about Ricky. Don’t worry too much. We’ve got word that he might be trying to escape the county and head back to his hometown in Nebraska. A cop last night saw someone matching his description in a red pick-up truck, but the boy had a legitimate ID. Rudy and I think Ricky was using fake ID in his job here and used his real ID to escape. We’ll get him and bring him in for questioning sooner or later, though, don’t you worry.”
Nora felt a load lift from her heart. “Thanks, Jason,” she said, “And I’m sorry if I was a little--”
“Rude? Judgmental?” Jason laughed and waved it off. “Life’s too short to hold a grudge, right, Rudy?”
“Sometimes life’s too short because people hold a grudge,” Rudy said. “You know what I’m saying?”
“I hear you.” Jason smiled and took another sip. “You’ll want to watch out for Sean, Nora. There’s a section of people here who aren’t too fond of him right now.”
“Like anyone who was friends with Wallis and trying to get him elected,” Rudy said.
Nora nodded. “I’ll go see where he is,” she said.
“You do that.” Rudy raised his glass to her.
Surprisingly, Sean seemed to have vanished. Nora wandered from one room to another, lost in a sea of black suits and dresses, but he was nowhere to be found.
Finally, she climbed the stairs to the upper levels and was about to pass into a room when she stopped. From inside one of the closed doors, she could hear a faint conversation. It was barely above a whisper, but once she concentrated, she heard the words quite clearly.
“I had to get away,” a woman’s voice said. “It was too much, downstairs. God, it was the same when I lived here. Day and night, there was always someone in the house. Wallis was never happy unless he was surrounded by his courtiers.”
“He was the kind of man who blooms when given attention,” another voice said, this one so low that Nora could barely make it out.
“Oh, I’ve missed you,” the woman said, a little bit louder. “Take me into your arms, will you? I need a strong hug right now.”
There was a few second’s silence, and Nora, embarrassed, wondered whether she should go back downstairs.
“We can’t meet, can we?” the woman said. “No, you’re right. It won’t look good. Wallis and I may have been separated, but it will still seem like I’m being, well, disrespectful. Oh, it’s so unfair! Wallis cheated on me all the time. I don’t believe he was faithful to me for one month of our five year relationship. But still, I’m the one who has to sneak around with you like I’m doing something wrong.”
The man must have replied, but Nora couldn’t hear what he said.
“I hated him,” the woman, clearly Karen, replied. “That’s the whole truth. I hated him. I loved him too, and that’s what makes it so much worse. Being here, being forced to greet strangers as if I was still his wife, feeling their stares and their whispers, it makes me feel like I’m being torn apart, inside out. Why? Why did he have to choose me as his wife? Why couldn’t I have been like all the others, just a fling?”
The man said something, soothing her, but Karen continued. “No, no, that isn’t true. I tell you, Wallis loved me, once. He was never able to be faithful, but he fought hard to keep our marriage intact. When I finally left him, well, I didn’t tell you this at the time because I thought you’d… you’d react,.. but he nearly killed me the day I told him I was leaving. He said that no matter how many women he’d slept with, I was the one who he came home to, and that’s what mattered. If I hadn’t been seeing you already, I think I’d have… reconsidered, even. But he was scary, that day. He broke a guitar, smashing it to pieces. He blocked the door. He sobbed at my feet, begging me to stay. I know you can’t understand a man like him, but Wallis did love me. It was just a very destructive love, and I eventually had to choose my own life over it.”
The voices behind the door ceased, suddenly. Feeling uneasy, as if the couple knew she was here, Nora decided to tiptoe back down the stairs. Downstairs, she nearly bumped into a man and gave a startled gasp.
“Easy, dear,” Dr. Kurt Neil said, steadying her by the shoulders. “You look a little pale. Are you all right? I haven’t seen you since the to-do at the pancake house the other day.”
“I’m fine, Dr. Neil, thank you.” Nora smiled. But she did feel a little off balance. The woman she’d overheard had been Karen, clearly. But who was the man?
Had Karen killed him? She had said Wallis had become violent when she tried to leave him. Had he hurt her? Had she decided to take revenge? Or had the man with her hurt Wallis? Had he been jealous that Karen still had a soft spot for him, and decided to take his life?
She had to find out who the man was, Karen decided, and there was only one way. She’d stay right where she was, near the stairs, until the man came down.
*****
Chapter 20
Deciding to stay by the stairs until Karen and her sweetheart came downstairs was one thing, executing it was another. It seemed that everyone wanted to talk to Nora, and pull her away. It was hard to stay rooted where she was.
Dr. Neil, who had got her in a corner, seemed to think that she was upset
about Wallis’ death, and was trying to be a gentleman by changing the topic to more cheerful subjects. Only he was terrible at it, his conversation inevitably circling around to death.
Some of Wallis’ bandmates had joined the conversation too. Joe, his bass player, was leaning against the wall next to Nora, nodding his head to something Dr. Neil said.
“He played guitar all his life, didn’t he?” Nora asked, trying to participate in the conversation.
“He was born a rockstar,” Joe said. “That’s the truth. If his daddy had been richer, and Wallis had been able to afford going to LA, who knows what he might have become. We were all so surprised when he decided that he was going to become a deputy to pay the bills. It’s not exactly the world’s best side job. But Wallis, he was crazy enough to think that being exposed to real life like a deputy is would make him a better songwriter. Crazy thing is, he was probably right. Seeing all the pain of victims, living the stressful life that cops do, it changed Wallis. He was a kinder man for it, and a better performer too. On some level, he always connected to the crowd’s pain, and that’s why they loved him.” Joe took a swig from the can of beer in his hand and sighed. “Poor guy. Poor Karen too.”
“Oh, Karen will be all right,” Dr. Neil said. “She’s young. She’ll recover.”
As if her name had summoned her, Karen appeared on the stairs. Dr. Neil immediately stopped speaking, and the three of them nodded quietly as Karen passed them by, the red of her hair now contrasted by the red on her cheeks.
“Oh, she’ll recover,” Joe said, a tad cynically, as he watched her go. “It’s Wallis’ fans I’m more worried about. Without him, our band is dead too. I suppose I might as well sell off my instruments.”
“Yes. Karen will sell off Wallis’ collection too, I suppose,” Dr. Neil said. “I heard he had some really classic guitars.”
The Milburn Big Box Set Page 26
