The Victim's Wife Page 16

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “My parents begged, they pleaded with me to get out of there, but I refused. Not only was I sucked in, I started to believe I had feelings for him.”

  “How did you get out?”

  “I drew the line at killing.” She looked at me and held my eye. “Grand theft auto. Did it. I was never caught. Thankfully the statute of limitations has passed on that one.”

  “He wanted you to kill somebody?”

  Penny hesitated. “He never came right out and asked me to do it, but he was grooming me towards it. He spent an excessive amount of time with me. We had even started dating if you could call it that. He was grooming me to kill another woman in the cult. Somebody he had a relationship with as well. She was starting to get troublesome, probably because she was going to expose him, I don’t know for sure.

  “I came to myself and got out. I could never prove he was behind the death that had happened around him. Neither could the police or the FBI.”

  “One murder or multiples?”

  “Multiples. Over many years. It just kind of dawned on me one day that a lot of people around him had been murdered by people whom he also knew. That one hundred acre compound I told you about? That doner was the first kill.”

  “What happened to the group?”

  “They shut down. A jealous follower killed the leader after I left—not the one I was being groomed to kill—they disbanded and disappeared. Some have tried to remain in contact with me over the years, but I don’t respond. I don’t call them back. I almost went so far as to change my name, but when I got involved with Max, I just took his last name and didn’t look back.”

  She stared, holding my eyes until it started to become uncomfortable. “I hope you can understand now, Mr. Turner, why it is that I have a sense for these things. I have first-hand experience watching somebody manipulate people into killing each other. I know that is what happened with Max. I know it deep down in my bones. While I cannot prove it, I am certain I am right.”

  I nodded. “I believe you. After an experience like that, I would expect you to have some expertise on the subject of coercion. So assuming Vivian did kill Max –”

  “No assumption, she did.”

  “There must be some sort of distinguishable quality you see in Vivian.”

  “Yes. It’s hard to describe when you’re with somebody like this, but your skin just starts to crawl. The hair on the back of your neck sticks out.”

  “I met with Vivian. Did I tell you that?”

  “No.”

  “I thought she was nice enough. She came across as authentic. I felt like I could trust her. I even felt like we kinda had become friends by the time my meeting with her ended.”

  “It is all an act, I can assure you of that. I can’t prove it, but it is true. I am telling the truth.”

  I leaned back in my chair, trying to put all this together.

  “Can you point to any circumstance where you saw Vivian manipulate somebody to do something they wouldn’t have done otherwise? It doesn’t matter how small. I just need something.”

  Penny thought about it for a long time, taking so much time that I was starting to wonder if maybe she had fallen asleep as she had closed her eyes and was breathing deeply. Eventually, she opened them.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t think of anything.”

  “Back to your experience at the compound, what was that group called again?”

  A thin smile crossed her lips. “I’m not going to tell you the name. That’s on purpose, remember? I have given you way too many of my secrets, hoping for justice. I am intent on keeping at least something back, so I have some sort of self-dignity when you walk out of here.”

  “Why don’t you want me to verify your story? As you already said, the statute of limitations has run on your crimes, so you should be okay.”

  “Should be and are, those are two completely different things.” She sighed. “I’m telling you the truth, Mr. Turner. I don’t care if you believe me or not. I have done my best to distance myself from that history. I have put that firmly in my past, and I intend never to let it see the light of day again.”

  “I see.”

  “Mr. Turner, do you think you’re going to be able to prove this?”

  “Not unless I can show how Vivian provoked Mason, and right now, it’s a long shot.”

  Penny stared at me in silence for so long that it was starting to get uncomfortable. “You took this case primarily on my word, didn’t you?”

  I nodded, taking a long sip from my Dr Pepper. “It’s more complicated than that, but yes, I essentially took this case because of you. I thought at the time I might be able to prove your theory.”

  “Please, there must be something. Vivian cannot get away with this. If she does, it’s gonna happen again. Please, whatever you need from me, I’m happy to provide it.”

  I stood. “Examples. I need examples of past behavior so that I can establish a pattern.” I shook my head. “And that’s only the starting point. We’re gonna need far more if we’re hoping to get Mason off.”

  “I don’t have any examples.”

  “Then I’m afraid we’re sunk.”

  “I’ll try my best. There must be something from over the last decade I can use.”

  Penny’s phone beeped and she looked at it. She did a double-take, as if not believing her eyes.

  “No.”

  “What is it?”

  “No, no, no!”

  Penny looked up at me. “They found Frank. Frank Ashton. He’s dead. The police suspect foul play.”

  29

  What are the chances that two murders occurring this close together at the same company are not connected? I wondered as I pulled up to Meridian Solutions and noticed a lot of people just hanging around in the parking lot.

  Especially if they were both partners?

  After I parked, I paused and looked up at the building, wondering if I even wanted to try to get involved in what was going on. My gut told me that this was related to what had happened to Max. If nothing else, I was going to cross my t’s and dot my i’s.

  I looked around at the people as I got out of my car. They had assembled into two groups.

  I scanned the crowds but didn’t recognize anybody until I saw Vivian’s receptionist, Karen Barr. She was talking with four others. I hesitated but only for a moment before I approached.

  Karen scowled when she saw me.

  “What is going on here?” I asked, not letting on that I already knew that Frank had been murdered.

  “The police asked us to clear the premises. We’re not quite sure why.” She hesitated but finally went on. “The rumor is that a bomb threat was called in. That’s all we know.”

  “I’ll check into it.” I walked away before saying anything else. I could hear their silence until I was out of earshot.

  If they weren’t talking about me before, they certainly are now, I thought, resisting the urge to look back because I was certain Karen’s eyes would be focused on me like lasers.

  I did not make it much farther than the parking lot before I noticed a police officer standing in the middle of the road with his arms folded, scanning everybody as if expecting someone to run into the building at any moment.

  He frowned when he saw me, apparently recognizing me. He shook his head and held his hand up, moving to step into my path as if I had been headed right past him, even though I had come toward him.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” he said as if addressing a loathsome animal, “you must stop right there.”

  I did as he requested, stopping in the street just a few steps from the curb. “What is going on?”

  “We’re just sweeping the building. There is nothing to be alarmed about.”

  If there’s nothing to be alarmed about, why do you feel the need to reassure me?

  I glanced at the officer’s name tag, which was hard to read because it reflected the sunlight. I made my best guess.

  “Officer John
son, can I talk with you for a moment?” I asked, motioning like I wanted to come closer.

  He hesitated. “I will speak to you, but do not try to get past me.”

  “You have my word.”

  As I approached, I sized up Officer Johnson. He was just a couple inches taller than six feet, well-built, and looked like he was in his mid-thirties. There was something about his demeanor that told me he had not been on the job for long.

  He’s excited just to be here. That’s what it is. An older rookie.

  Officer Johnson gave me a wary look, so I gave him my best smile, which just made him frown.

  “Thanks for giving me a moment of your time, Officer Johnson. I appreciate—”

  “Johnston. There’s a ‘t’ in my name.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Don’t mention it,” he said while avoiding eye contact. His eyes continued to move, not staying in place longer than just a moment as if expecting somebody to slip past the perimeter. Perhaps he thought I was trying to distract him so that this could happen.

  “I understand that a body was found up there. Is that accurate?”

  He blinked and stared. “How do you know about that?”

  I hid a smile, glad that I’d been able to so easily confirm what Penny had told me.

  “Can you tell me more about it?” I asked, ignoring Officer Johnston’s question.

  “No.”

  “I already know that the dead man is Frank Ashton. Can you tell me more about the circumstances of his death?”

  The officer gave me a long stare. “Who is your source?”

  I shrugged. “I heard it from somebody who heard it from somebody.”

  He growled. “We just arrived fifteen minutes ago. How on earth did you find out about it so quick?”

  “I’m well-connected. Can you confirm for me that it is Frank Ashton who is dead?”

  “I’m not gonna confirm anything.”

  “Probably a wise choice,” I said, staring up at the building, hoping to build some rapport with him. “You said you were sweeping for something? What is it, a bomb threat?”

  “Do you really think I am going to tell you something like that?”

  “You seem to be new. What is this, your first year on the job?” I gave him a moment to protest, but he didn’t, confirming I had a correct read on him. “It’s good to do people favors. You do me a favor. I do you a favor. I’m just asking you a couple of questions. The time will come when you want a favor from me, and I’ll be happy to help you out because you helped me out.”

  The officer frowned even further.

  “I can tell you’re thinking about it. All I need to know is a few basics about the situation. Your name will never come up. I’ll never include it in anything I file with the court. Just a little bit of information. Such a small thing.”

  The officer didn’t answer.

  “Things can be difficult for police officers, especially at present. I recommend you try to make all the friends you can because you never know when you’re going to need some help.”

  He glanced my way, staring at me up and down before finally sighing.

  Officer Johnston held my gaze. “If I ever hear you tell anybody that you got it from me, I’m never going to talk to you again, got it?”

  I nodded, hiding my look of satisfaction. “I didn’t get it from you.”

  “There was a letter. It had a bomb threat.”

  He was acting like he had just given me classified information, but this was hardly top-secret. By the end of the day, everybody reading the newspaper would know about it. He had nothing to fear from sharing this information with me.

  “What did it say?”

  “There’s a bomb in the building, that’s all.”

  “Meridian Solutions just can’t catch a break, can they?”

  “Excuse me?” Officer Johnston asked, clearly feeling guilty for talking to me.

  “Another partner was murdered here several months back.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I remember that case. Max Moyer. I actually met the guy once. He was a nice fellow. It’s too bad your client killed him.” The officer stared right at me as if in challenge.

  “Allegedly.”

  “We caught him red-handed, didn’t we?”

  I smiled. “Were you a responding officer?”

  “I might have been.”

  I hesitated, wanting to grill him about what he had seen the day, but kept my focus on the matter at hand.

  “What else was in the letter?”

  “There was nothing else. It just said that there was a bomb in the building. We have to take it seriously, especially since it was found right by a dead body.”

  “Could you tell who the author was? Was it Frank?”

  “I have no further comment.” He gave me a steely glare. “And you better not forget, when I need a favor, I’m going to expect you to make good on your word.”

  “I surely will. Did he commit suicide?”

  “I have nothing more to say.”

  “I appreciate all you’ve told me. You’ve been a great help.” I turned to walk away.

  “It was murder.”

  I glanced back at the officer. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. It might’ve been made to look like a suicide, but there’s no question it was foul play.”

  “I will not forget this.”

  I didn’t make it more than two steps before a car came to a screeching halt. Vivian got out and ran towards us.

  30

  “What’s going on here?” Vivian demanded of Officer Johnston. She glanced over at me, her eyebrows rising into her hair, but she didn’t bother to address me.

  “I’m sorry ma’am,” Officer Johnston said, “I’m not at liberty to—”

  “You better tell me what’s going on right now. This is my company.”

  My company?

  Was that a Freudian slip or is that how she thinks of Meridian Solutions?

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Did you hear me?” Vivian stepped closer, getting right into his face. “This is my company. I am an owner of this company. I have every right to know. My employees are not working right now. I’m paying for their time. What is going on?”

  Officer Johnston was starting to look agitated and glanced at me as if for help until he remembered who I was. He frowned as he looked away. Apparently, the rapport we had built had not yet stretched that far.

  I stepped up and put a hand on Vivian’s arm, pulling her away. “Vivian, how about we talk over here?”

  “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “I know some. I will tell you what I know.”

  “Thanks for nothing,” Vivian said to Johnston as I walked her away. I took note of the relieved look on the officer’s face.

  A favor right in return, I thought.

  “There’s been another death in the office building,” I said to Vivian, glancing around to make sure that none of the employees were within earshot.

  “What?”

  “Frank has been found—”

  “Frank?” Vivian stepped back and almost tripped on the curb. I reached out and caught her hand, helping her to stabilize as she sunk to her knees. “Frank?” She said this far more softly, tears flowing into her eyes. “You must be joking.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  A sob escaped from Vivian, and she covered her eyes with her hand. “This cannot be happening. This is just way too much. Tell me that this is just all some sick joke. I’ll forgive you if it is.”

  “Were you close to him?” I asked as innocently as I could, remembering how Winston had told me that Vivian and Frank were seeing each other. I need not have bothered because she did not even look up.

  “Just professionally,” Vivian said, “but we’ve been working together for years now. It is quite a blow.”

  I tried to imagine losing somebody at my office. I had a hard time envisioning that I would cry like this. I thought about Ellie. What if I died? W
ould she cry?

  That’s a strange thought.

  We had a good relationship, and we’d been working together for almost a decade, but I didn’t think that she would cry like this for me. I think she’d be sad, but nothing like this.

  Winston was telling me the truth, I thought. I had been tempted to dismiss his report out of hand, but there was no denying it now.

  Vivian was starting to tremble.

  I wanted to reach out and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, but I barely knew this woman.

  I’m trying to pin a murder on her!

  “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said. There was a commotion behind me, and I turned to see Ronald running through the crowd. I stepped back to give him room, feeling no small amount of relief to know that somebody else was here to take the pressure off of me.

  “Vivian!” He elbowed me out of the way. “Did you hear the news?”

  “I just did,” she said, looking up at Ronald as the tears streamed down her face. “It’s just such a surprise,” she said as if trying to explain away her tears of which she had not seemed ashamed of before but appeared to be now.

  Was it just my imagination?

  I stepped away from them, hoping they would forget I was there so I could continue to observe them. Ronald sat beside Vivian on the curb, putting his arm around her and hugging her to him, going so far as to kiss her forehead.

  “It’s just so sudden,” Vivian said, leaning into him, “I just cannot believe this.”

  “Things are gonna be okay. We’re going to be okay.”

  The way Ronald said this made me think that, at least in his mind, the two of them were still together. Judging by the way Vivian had just been crying about Frank moments before Ronald appeared, I was not so sure.

  I could not stop watching them, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. Eventually, I forced myself to look away.