Killing the Secret (9 page)

“Not really. Fifteen people from my graduating class. None of them acted strangely. Clay told me he didn’t see anything either. And you?”

“The only thing I saw out of character was Jamie wearing a black hat and sitting alone in the balcony. She didn’t use a tissue during the ceremony.” Lexie braced for his reaction.

“You really are pulling things out of your ass. Don’t even imply that Jamie killed Abbey.”

“Don’t be so touchy, Tye. As far as I’m concerned everyone is guilty until proven innocent. That includes your girlfriend.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Tye fingered the college basketball schedule then wadded it up in one hand and made a free throw toward the trashcan. Delia and Lexie went home at seven and Clay was on patrol. He stopped at the window before retrieving his misguided shot and tossed it on the top of his desk. Pole lights and “Closed” signs flickered, confirming that Diffee was locked down for the night.

He walked back to his desk and picked up the phone. It rang several times before he heard the familiar, “Hello?”

“Can I come over tonight, Jamie?”

“I guess, as long as we don’t talk about your belligerent sister.”

“She was just trying to do her job,” Tye defended.

“Well, she needs to adjust her attitude.”

“Is ten okay?”

“Yes,” Jamie ended the conversation.

There was plenty of time so he drove his truck along the curvy road to Mud Creek. With flashlight in hand, he got out of the truck and illuminated the area. He wanted the gentle breeze to bring him a message, a sign of who’d been in the woods with Abbey. There was no hint, only his overpowering sense of ineptness.

Driving back toward town, he thought of how short life seemed. Maybe he should marry Jamie and have a family. He hadn’t asked her before because he was sure the answer would be “no” with a “don’t smother me” clause attached. She liked the sex but wasn’t into hugs. Jamie was a tough woman—perhaps not mother material.

The door was unlocked when he arrived. He heard the shower running. Undressing quickly, he climbed into her bed. He made a mental note to berate her about leaving her door open when a murderer might drop by at any moment.

The light from the bathroom shone behind her naked body as she came toward him. Neither spoke as she crawled in beside him and started kissing his neck passionately. After thirty minutes, they lay breathless and sweaty beside each other.

“I’m surprised you came over tonight,” Jamie said, “what with all the drama at the sheriff’s office.”

“That’s why I wanted to be with you.”

“Oh, am I your tension reliever?”

“You can make me forget anything.”

“Well, I’m a powerful woman,” Jamie sighed.

Tye rolled over and kissed her hard on the lips.

“What was that for?”

“I wanted to soften you up before I start preaching at you,” Tye said dryly. “Why the hell did you leave your front door unlocked? You know someone wants to kill you.”

Jamie sat up. “I don’t believe that crap.”

“So there is no secret?”

She shrugged. “There’s plenty of secrets, but none of them worth killing for.”

“I came upon an interesting coincidence.” Tye leaned against the headboard. His eyes focused on Jamie’s reaction.

“What’s that?”

“On the dates of Terri, Heather, and Tina’s murders, you were coaching ballgames out of town.”

Jamie leaped out of bed as if it was on fire. “You come here and have sex with me then imply I’m a killer. You sonofabitch!”

Tye retrieved his jeans from the floor and pulled them on. “I’m just stating a fact. You don’t need to get so riled up. You’re going to have to explain it at some point so you might as well deal with it now.”

“So you insinuate I’m a murderer and that’s supposed to somehow benefit me? You must think I’m a fool.”

“I don’t think any such thing. It just looks bad,” Tye cautioned.

She didn’t respond but he heard the bathroom door slam, the lock click, and the shower come on. He got the message.

He put on his shirt and headed out the front door being sure he locked it on his way out.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The sun had risen thirty minutes before but Lexie could barely discern it. Fog surrounded her car and it seemed to inhabit her head as well.

Her father’s old saying, “I could kick myself,” came to mind. She knew she messed up when she interviewed Jamie, Loretta, and Beth together. It was a rookie error and she deserved to be kicked. She knew better than to allow them the power of numbers. Now she needed to interview each of them again, individually.

First, she’d visit the other states where the murders occurred. Talking to the investigating officers about similarities and possible slip-ups might get her a Mode of Operation on the killer. The haze in her head cleared some by the time she found Tye with his brown-stained coffee cup in one hand staring at a wad of paper on his desk.

He hadn’t shaved and the black stubble blended in with the dark circles under his eyes.

“You okay?” Lexie asked.

“Just couldn’t sleep last night.” He raised his cup to his lips.

“Lot of that going around.” She rolled her chair to the other side of his desk to face him as she processed her thoughts out loud.

“The murderer killed three women who lived out of state. Mariah should’ve been next. He could’ve killed the first four and it’s unlikely anyone would’ve realized they were connected. Unfortunately, Abbey found out they all died within a short period of time. My theory is that he killed Abbey out of sequence, because he wanted to shut her up.”

“So whoever killed Abbey was someone she, or someone else, told her suspicions to,” Tye followed her logic.

“Exactly. Mariah would’ve been next but Abbey screwed up his plan.”

Tye nodded his agreement.

Lexie pecked Gary’s number into the phone. “Gary, it’s Lexie. I need to know everyone Abbey told about the suspected murder plot.” Lexie forced herself to keep her words even, her voice calm. She hadn’t spoken to Gary since the night Abbey disappeared. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest.

Gary answered laboriously, “Jamie, Beth, and Loretta when she met them about the deaths of the others. She tried to phone Mariah but talked to her assistant instead. The guy was rude and didn’t connect her with Mariah so Abbey phoned Mariah’s dad, Sean. What’s this about?”

“We’re working on the theory that Abbey was killed because she interrupted the murderer’s plan. Did you tell anyone about this yourself?

“No, I didn’t.”

“Did your daughter or Abbey’s parents know her murder plot theory?”

“No one was told that she didn’t think was in danger. Afraid people would think she was imagining things.”

“Thanks, Gary.” Lexie paused, “We’ll keep looking until we find the bastard who did this.”

“Phone me when you learn something.”

“We will,” Lexie promised.

Tye reached for his pen. “Who we got?”

“Loretta, Jamie, Beth, Mariah, Sean, Mariah’s assistant, and Gary to start the list.”

“Probably the husbands of all the women. I can’t imagine they didn’t tell their spouses if they thought they were going to be murdered,” Tye concluded.

“Beth’s husband is Darren Flanders. Sam Wells is Loretta’s husband. Our potential president is Donovan Toleson. At least we have a list of possibles.” Lexie was heartened by the small achievement.

“Where from here?” Tye asked.

“You’re going to hold the fort down while I check out the other murder sites and investigation reports. With any luck, I can get on a plane to DC this afternoon. I’ll meet with Johnson, visit with Ronald again, and then go interview Mariah.

She pushed in Johnson’s number. “Stan, it’s Lexie Wolfe. I’m on my way to Washington and want to meet to go over Terri Womack’s case.”

“It’s a waste of your time…except for seeing me.” Johnson’s voice was seductive.

“I can change your mind about that. Also, where’s Ronald? I need to talk to him.”

“Now I’m curious,” Johnson said. “Let’s meet at the jail at five this afternoon. You can fill me in and then we can go see Ronald. Where are you staying?”

“I don’t have a reservation yet. It was a quick decision to make the trip.”

“It wouldn’t be very hospitable of me not to offer a fellow law enforcer a bed for the night.”

“Well…thanks. What’s the jail address?”

“1458 NE Hickory.”

Tye’s words were shooting out of his mouth before she hung up the phone. “Is pretty-boy Stan going to fix you up?”

“He’s arranging for me to meet with him and Ronald.” Lexie ignored his innuendo. Her personal life was none of his business. “I’m going home to get packed. My plane leaves Tulsa around noon. If you need me, call my cell.”

He shrugged, “I can manage.”

Lexie didn’t know if it was the escape from Diffee, or the prospect of seeing Stan again, that brought on her sudden exhilaration.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The phone buzzed incessantly. Bud stood on the porch. His mind took no pleasure from the daffodils blooming in the garden or the sun sending rays across the lawn. He suppressed the urge to smash the phone to the floor. Finally, a meek voice said, “Hello?”

“Beth, it’s me, Bud. I heard about Abbey’s death. Horrible!”

“Yes, the hardest funeral I’ve ever been to,” Beth replied.

“I can’t even imagine the pain this has caused her family. Have they found her murderer?”

“No, but Delia told me that Lexie is going out of state to investigate the other murders for clues.”

“I’d like to meet with you,” he urged. “Maybe together we can figure out what’s going on.”

“No, I can’t,” Beth’s voice squeaked. “I don’t go anywhere without my husband. Lexie told me never to be alone. I can ask him to come with me on Saturday if that works for you.”

“No, I have a schedule conflict. I just wanted to offer my condolences.”

“Thank you,” Beth said. “See you soon.”

“Yes,” Bud replied.

Bud finished the bourbon in his glass then hurled it. Glass fragments glittered from the floor, the swing, and his shoes. His face contorted with contained rage. Now his time would be wasted with an eighth murder. That sheriff bitch had to die.

Chapter Twenty-Four

The flight was long and late. Lexie worried about arriving past Stan’s appointed time. She rushed in the building only to find that he wasn’t there. When he did appear, he offered no explanation or apology.

“Hi, Babe.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze.

He was even better looking than Lexie remembered. The red shirt under his gray jacket was open at the neck showing a triangle of chest hair. The shoulder squeeze sent ripples through her body.

“So what mystery have you brought me to solve?” Stan said the words loud enough that a couple of men seated in the multi-desk area looked up in interest.

“The mystery of an innocent man.” Lexie said the words so the listeners could clearly hear.

Stan’s voice lowered. “Are we still playing My Hometown Boy Ain’t a Murderer?”

“We sure are. I can’t prove it yet but I know he didn’t do it.”

“Enlighten me, Sweetheart.” Stan winked at one of the eavesdropping detectives.

Lexie felt the redness in her cheeks. “Is there someplace where we can talk privately?”

“Sure. I can find a place for us to be alone. But remember we’re here to work, not play.” Again Stan winked at the detective.

Lexie followed Stan into a small room devoid of anything but dust, two chairs, and a card table.

She told him about the murders after Terri’s and the apparent pattern. “I’ve no answer as to why, yet, but I’ll get there,” she said with certainty.

“Does make some sense,” he stated.

“Well, thanks. Occasionally, I’m logical!”

He pulled back, pretending fear. “Get those cat claws down, Honey. I’m on your side.”

“Can we go visit Ronald now?” Lexie stood.

“Yes. I’ll order the guard to take him to a visiting room.”

The visiting room smelled of disinfectant and body odor.

Ronald sat on one of the four chairs, his shoulders bowed down. What little hair was present on his head at Terri’s funeral was now gone. His face was drawn and his cheekbones protruded through pale skin.

“Ronald,” Lexie said.

He rose slowly and walked toward her. Lexie reached over and shook the hand he offered.

“Ronald, I need to ask you some more questions. I know you’re innocent but we’ve got to prove it.”

Ronald stared at the floor. “Not even my son or parents think I’m innocent.” He backhanded his cheek, wiping away the moisture that brimmed from his eyes.

“Well, neither did I until Lady Sheriff came around,” Johnson said dryly.

“Ronald, did Terri ever talk about having an enemy during her senior year? Someone who hated her and her team members?”

“Not that I remember. Terri told me people thought she was too blunt so she was always making people mad. What’s this about?”

“Three more members of her team were murdered.”

“Oh, my God!” Ronald gasped. “Who?”

“Heather, Abbey, and Tina and I’m afraid the other four are in danger. Johnson reported that the man you passed in the hall the day that Terri died was never identified as visiting any of the other rooms. There’s a chance he was the one who murdered Terri. What can you remember about him?”

“I wasn’t really paying any attention to him. I just wanted to get to Terri.”

“Was he short? Tall?” Johnson questioned.

“Almost as tall as me. We were close to eye level with each other when he looked away. Probably around six feet tall.”

“You said in Diffee that his toupee was falling off. Did you see hair underneath?” Lexie scooted closer to the edge of her chair with each question.

“I don’t remember any hair.”

Johnson started another sequence of questions. “Was he fat? Thin? Muscular?”

“He wasn’t fat?”

“Here’s my last question.” Lexie’s heart beat faster. “Could the person have been a woman disguised as a man?”

“I never even thought about it.” Ronald looked puzzled. “I guess so–a very tall woman.”