The secrets they keep, p.19
The Secrets They Keep, page 19
“Thanks,” she muttered.
As she left, she wasn’t sure if she heard him say something, but she couldn’t bear to stop or look back. Her heart thudded even faster, and she took a deep breath as she stepped out into the fresh night air.
You would have regretted it if anything happened in there, no matter how tempting it was. And still is.
Focus on the case. There’s a killer out there, and you have to find him.
“Why aren’t we following Blaze?” Madigan hollered. “Why won’t you answer me?”
Luke made another turn, and she understood for the first time where they were going.
“No.”
“Yes,” he said, merging onto the bridge.
He’s taking me back home.
“Come on!” She folded her hands over her chest and stared out her window.
“Do you think that was him?”
“Maybe if we followed him, I’d know,” she sneered. “What was the point of showing him to me if I couldn’t get a closer look? I need to hear his voice. I won’t be able to tell unless I do.”
“It’s too dangerous to get that close. We followed him for as long as we could without him catching on.”
They drove across the bridge, and Madigan stared out her window, gazing into the distance over Bones Bay.
“He doesn’t know you, does he?”
Madigan folded her arms over her chest and kept her face hidden from him.
“Or does he?”
“I’m not telling you anything. You were supposed to help me. Grant my wish,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “So much for that. I’ll do fine without you.”
“You go alone, you’ll end up in a bad situation.”
“Why do you care?” She turned to him. “Seriously.”
“Because you seem like a good person to me. Good people should steer clear of the ones you’re in search of. You made your decision, but what would you say if I told you I’ve seen people beaten by those men with my own eyes? Heard stories of even worse things happening. Torture. Murder.”
She stared down into her lap.
What would he have done if Grace hadn’t interrupted him that night? Tortured me? Raped me? I thought I was going to die.
“I already know what kind of men they are,” she said.
“Then you must have been wronged by them somehow. This is vengeance. Revenge. You know what they say about that? You’d better dig—”
“Dig two graves.” She turned to him. “This isn’t what it’s about.”
I wanted revenge—I might still get it—but I need the truth most of all. I need to get back to who I was or who I’m supposed to be. Not this scared mess. I’m tired of being a victim, and I won’t allow whoever he is to harm anyone else.
“No? Then what is it about, Madigan?”
“Justice,” she shouted, realizing she’d been too open with him too late.
He shook his head. “You can’t bring these men down.”
“All the more reason to do something about it.”
“Ha,” he laughed, “see, right there. I knew it.”
“What?”
“You’re a good person. You’re just trying to do the right thing, but you have to consider that maybe the right thing is to make sure you’re around for the people who care about you. Love you.”
Grace is all I really have left. I don’t know what she’d do if something happened to me, and I’ve forced the thought from my mind more than once in the past few months, because it makes me less determined. Less focused.
“I don’t have anyone relying on me like you do,” she said. “You have your mom to take care of. You’re assuming I have people who need me.”
Just one, but she’d be okay without me. She’s stronger than me.
He frowned, studying her. “You must have someone…”
His voice trailed off as she shook her head.
“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “Well, wait. There’s John.”
“I met John last fall. Didn’t know him before that. We aren’t family. We are barely friends.”
Maybe there’s a bit more to it than that, but in the end, he wouldn’t miss me.
“Then why is he willing to use his favor for you?”
She shrugged and grabbed the handle. “You’d have to ask him.”
But I think he sees something in me that reminds him of himself. A younger version of who he was, someone he wishes had protection or help.
They pulled up to Grace’s home an hour later, both too stubborn to talk the rest of the ride. She unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her bag.
“I’ll take you,” he said, rubbing the fingers of his left hand against his temple. “I’ll get you close enough to hear his voice.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You’re right. I need to follow through on my promise to John. If he’s not the guy, though, you have to promise to stop looking. They say the best revenge is a life lived well.”
“You’re really into sayings, aren’t you?”
If I can have his help for a little longer, I should take it. But I don’t trust him… not after the stunt he just pulled.
“We have one mouth and two ears for a reason—to listen more.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. When?”
“I’ll call you. Be ready.”
She opened the door.
“Hey,” he said. “This will fulfill my promise. You have to promise me if this isn’t him, you’ll drop it. I honestly don’t have any more leads for you on Mr. Magic, and the jokers who work at the clubs definitely aren’t threatening enough to have done whatever was done to you.”
She nodded. “Fine.”
I won’t stop.
“Talk soon,” he said as she stepped out of the car. He pulled away and made the same U-turn as he had when picking her up as headlights shone in her face.
Grace.
She waited by the end of the driveway, watching the cars pass, but Grace stared straight ahead at her.
I hope she didn’t see me get out. If she did, he’s a friend from work.
Grace parked and got out of the car, opening the back door. Madigan met her, taking her jacket from her hand before she grabbed a binder from the back.
“Thanks,” Grace said. “How was work? Just getting off?”
Wow. How did I forget about my shift?
Madigan nodded. “I’m going to take Buster for a walk. Want to come?”
Please say no. I have to call in and pretend I’m sick. Fell asleep. Yeah. That’s it.
Grace shook her head. “It has been a hell of a day, and it isn’t over yet. I’m going in with more work to be done.” She held up the binder and started for the path.
“Something bad happen, or?”
Grace shook her head. “Not a good time to talk about it. Have to hit the books.”
“Sure,” Madigan said.
Grace walked straight down the hall to her room with her shoes still on.
Something’s definitely wrong. I have to handle my own mess, though. Best to give her space.
The door creaked and clipped shut to Grace’s room as Madigan put Buster’s leash on and took her phone out, arming the alarm system and shutting the door behind her.
Wherever Luke takes me, I have to hear Blaze. If there’s even a chance it was him, then I’ll need to see him again. When he isn’t dressed. I need to see if there’s a bite mark from Buster somewhere on him.
I’ll follow him from the gym one night to his place. Luke isn’t going to stop me.
No one can.
Chapter Twenty Four
Grace drove past Mac’s empty car near the back of the lot at the funeral home and parked a few spaces away. She pulled her sun visor down and studied her face.
So much for not making things awkward between us. We’re back to square one. Travelling separately. Doing things apart.
She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair in a combing motion before flipping the visor up and getting out. She zipped her jacket up and strode to the funeral home entrance as the strong wind sent her hair flying behind her.
So much for trying to look polished.
An employee held the door open for her. “Boyd?” she asked.
“Down the hall to your left, Ma’am,” the man said, and she nodded.
Her heels made no sound along the carpeted floor, and she fought to smooth her hair back to normal as Mac came into view, standing just inside the entrance of the visitation room in a suit with his hands folded in front of him and his eyes scanning the room.
He looks good. I guess he always looks good…but he cleans up even better.
“Hello,” she said, nodding to him as she stepped beside him. Under his eyes, slight shadows had formed.
Could you sleep last night, or did you lie awake thinking about our time in the dark room like I did? Running the scenario over in my head, trying to find a way I could have made it less awkward.
Small groups speaking in hushed tones were scattered all over the room, with both Mrs. Boyds on the floral sofa along the wall.
They must all have the same furniture.
Light beige carpets, wooden chairs and floral antique sofas. The last funeral she’d been to was for her own parents. Her biological parents. Although she didn’t remember much about them, the sight of the furniture sent the memories flooding back.
Distant family from her father’s side had flown in from Dublin, Ireland, and she remembered it was the first time hearing their funny accents. They were charming. They seemed kind.
But no one would have her as their own.
When she turned eighteen, she contacted her cousin—still in Ireland—and asked about her parents. Her father had moved to Canada for business, losing touch with most of his family, to whom he had never been close anyway. Her mother had lived on a native reserve, according to the cousin, and once she left to be with her father, her family disowned her. None of her mother’s family showed up to her funeral, and she wondered if they even knew she had died.
That they had a little granddaughter who was placed in foster care because there was no family to claim her.
I sat on a sofa like that while grown-ups knelt beside me telling me what a good little girl I was. Hugging me. But I couldn’t have been good enough, because none of them wanted me.
If they could see me now, would they change their minds?
“So,” Mac said. “Did you find anything in the financial reports?”
“All transactions were made in Tall Pines, Amherst, or for one weekend, Las Vegas. Nothing unusual purchased. Nowhere out of the ordinary visited.”
“The warrant went through early this morning for the Vegas casino tapes. I had them sent over, and I watched them. Cory was on the tape, but only once was he on an elevator with a woman. They gave each other a friendly smile, but they didn’t touch. They got off at different floors.”
“So Todd lied?”
Or it didn’t happen the way he remembered…
“I think we should get clarification from him now that we have the facts. Catch him in a lie. If we do, we can bring him in for obstructing justice. Really question him.”
You’d love to have some time to get a confession from him.
“Did you not go home last night?”
Mac cleared his throat and gestured toward the other entryway. Todd walked shoulder to shoulder with Jack Holden, followed by Kurt and Doreen. They walked straight toward the couch, and Marie stood, reaching out for Doreen.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice carrying through the room as it broke into a cry.
Everyone turned, and a few hushed whispers followed, but Grace kept her eyes on Todd. At his turn to hug Marie, he wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head against his chest as he pulled her in tightly. He whispered something to her before handing her a tissue. She took it, smiling up at him through the tears, and dabbed at her eyes.
Mac began to walk in their direction, and Grace followed.
Is he going to question Todd now?
“Hold on,” she whispered. “Now?”
Mac didn’t stop or turn back. As Todd stepped to the side and Jack took his turn hugging Marie, Mac leaned in toward Todd. “May we have a word outside before the service?” he asked.
Todd glanced at Mac before turning to Grace. “This is hardly the place or time,” he said.
“We can escort you outside,” Mac muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, “if you prefer a scene.”
Todd looked around the room before turning around, walking out the door. They followed until he stopped just before the rear exit.
“You have no right—”
“I’ll let you know what your rights are,” Mac said, an edge to his voice that echoed through the hallway. “It’s not your right to lie to the police about an investigation.”
He frowned and shook his head.
“Cory and the elevator?” Mac said. “I saw the tapes. Didn’t happen.”
Whoa. So much for questioning him and giving him enough rope to hang himself with.
“Yes, it did,” Todd said. “I saw it with my own eyes. They were flirting. Started making out. Got in the elevator and then—well—I don’t need to tell you the rest.”
“I saw with my own two eyes. They weren’t even close to each other on that elevator, and they got out on different floors.”
“Well, I think they stopped before getting on the elevator—”
Not what he said before.
“Stop bullshitting me, Todd,” Mac sneered. “I’m not buying it.”
This won’t get us anywhere.
She stepped forward, turning toward Todd. “You made it seem like they were showing physical affection on the elevator. Could you have remembered it wrong? Might you have been drinking at the time?”
“Well, I was drinking, but I know they made out.”
“You have proof?” Mac asked.
Todd shook his head. “I wasn’t going to whip out my phone and take a picture, although in hindsight, I should have. If I had, I would have shown it to you, and Marie, and everyone else. I don’t regret telling her. Even if they got off on separate floors. Even if they didn’t sleep together—he cheated on her.”
His face is turning red. He’s angry, either that he’s been cornered, or that Marie was betrayed. Maybe both.
“So you say,” Mac said, shaking his head.
“I’m going back in there,” Todd said, “and don’t—”
Mac held out his arm against the wall, blocking his way.
“Cory might have seemed like a good guy to some people, but I always saw through him,” Todd said, turning to Grace. “Marie deserved better. Even if it could never be me, she deserved to know, and I wasn’t going to lie to her like everyone else…”
His voice trailed off.
“What do you mean?” Grace asked.
“Everyone saw how much Cory was spending, when the only thing Marie wanted was a child. He spent money on booze, cars, a business of his dreams. Sure, he bought them a house, but what else does she have to show for it? Nobody questioned him. Nobody told her about the expensive nights out. She was home, alone. Waiting for her husband. Waiting for a child…” his voice trailed off again.
“You seem awfully invested in their business,” Mac said. “What would you do to be with Marie, Todd? Did you kill him to be with her, and now that your plan isn’t working—what? What now, Todd?”
“Mac—” Grace said, but Todd interrupted her.
“Now,” Todd said, readjusting his tie, “I go in there and be a support to her in her time of need.” He moved to walk past Mac, and Mac held his hands up, letting him go.
Todd cocked his head—seemingly unable to believe Mac would let him go. He walked past them and turned over his shoulder before entering the visitation room.
“Okay, whatever’s going on between us, you should have asked me before talking to him. We could have discussed it—”
“Back to this again?” Mac asked. “You just hate not having control.” He started walking back down the hallway, and she joined him.
“Let’s leave the personal stuff out of this and work this case together, alright?”
He rubbed his hand back and forth across the back of his neck and turned to her.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I don’t regret that, though. His motive is the strongest. It’s all pointing to him, Grace. He was outside alone when it happened. He wants Marie to himself and is willing to lie to make it happen. He’s being uncooperative with us.”
Grace shot Mac a look, and he rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin.
I agree with it all, but he’s not keeping an open mind about this. He reminds me of Madigan, following more of a gut instinct than just the facts.
“Those are the facts, yes, but you’re not exactly being the kind of person someone would open up to,” she said.
He pursed his lips and nodded. “You’re right. Once we gather some more evidence, you should be the one to question him.”
She sighed and leaned against the wall. “We can’t just zero in on Todd. We have other suspects.”
“I intend on moving forward with an open mind.” He strode back into the room, leaving her in the hallway.
Chapter Twenty Five
Gliding down the street to the only place Madigan had ever called home, a For Sale sign hung from a bright white post, hammered into their front boulevard. She rolled to a stop at the bottom of the driveway and parked, taking off her helmet and getting a better look at the sign.
It’s real now.
A flurry of emotions stirred inside her as she got off her bike and trod up the driveway with a heavy heart, beating fast. Too fast.
It’s all going to be over soon, and I can leave it where it belongs. In the past.
She knocked at the front door, and her mom called for her to come in. She walked inside, remembering the races she had with Drew down the staircase for dinner. Winner got to sit at the seat looking out across the street at the Holden’s place. Drew wanted to see when Jack finished dinner and ran out onto the street, ready to play again.
