From the Heart: Romance, Mystery and Suspense a collection for everyone (44 page)

Chapter Fifty-two

“You know that saying, Richard, how you can’t go home again?” Maggie rested her head on Richard’s bare chest. He soothed her, tracing tiny circles up and down her arm.

“I know you, Maggie, sometimes better than you know yourself. Memories are too much sometimes. But this is our home, and you want to leave.” She propped her chin on her hands where they were touching him. He was so hard sometimes. This time he didn’t shut down.

“Not you, I love you. I mean us. Just leave; start over somewhere else. Let’s just walk away from everything.”

He smoothed back her hair and gently tucked it behind her ears. “No, we aren’t going to run away. This is our home. You and I are going to get up in the morning. And we’re going to keep going, and we’ll get through this.”

She brushed her toe against his ankle bracelet. It was an ugly reminder of what they faced. “You must think I’m a coward. I don’t want to lose you. I’d rather run and hide with you and Ryley than face them locking you up for the rest of your life.”

He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her closer. “It won’t come to that. I promise you. We’ll beat this. You need to have a little more faith in Sam, Diane, and Harper. That wasn’t me on the tape. They’ve already discovered it was altered.”

The way he said it, the slight hitch in his tone, she knew those words were merely for her benefit.

“I won’t leave you and Ryley, whatever it comes down to.”

She didn’t know how long she lay there waiting for Richard’s breathing to even out. How she felt about him when he wrapped his arms around her, the way he kissed her when he was weary, every moment they were together now was bringing them closer to a place she didn’t know was possible. She didn’t know if he understood how he made her feel now. Coming back home, they’d both changed into different people, and she didn’t know how she deserved his love.

She didn’t have a restful sleep, but when she dragged herself downstairs in the morning, the entire crew was there. Sam, Diane, Harper, and Marcie with Kyla. Maggie peered at Daisy, her faithful dog, lying on her doggy bed in the corner by the woodstove. With all the stress of the last few days, she hadn’t noticed how slow she was getting. Her food dish didn’t appear to have been touched since yesterday, and her water dish was still full. “Richard? Did you let Daisy out?”

“No, she didn’t want to go.”

Maggie crouched down and smoothed the rough fur on Daisy’s head. “Come on Daisy, let’s go outside.” The dog struggled to get up and then shook. Her long nails clattered across the floor as they went outside, and each step appeared full of effort. Her tail hung straight down. “Come on, it’s okay, girl.” Maggie encouraged her down the steps and then watched her dog as she walked around and then lifted her head to sniff the air. Maggie walked a little farther on the grass encouraging Daisy to follow. She told herself Daisy was old. She’d perk up. Maybe she needed to change her food. Finally, Daisy found a spot and squatted, but it was so brief Maggie wondered if it was for her benefit as Daisy wandered slowly up the stairs and waited at the door. Maybe it was a virus. “Do you want to go back and lie down?” Daisy gazed at the door waiting for it to magically open. But then she looked up and gave Maggie a pitiful wag of her tail. That was encouraging.

Maggie followed Daisy in the house and watched her dog slump back to bed.

“She’s an old dog, Maggie. She’ll be okay. Just let her be for now.” Richard poured her a cup of coffee. “We ate already, and Ryley’s already gone to school. Do you want some eggs?”

“I’ll do it.”

Richard lingered for a moment until she looked up at him. She forced a tight smile. He was so strong and together. Why couldn’t she be more like him? The depression and blue days snuck up on her. She didn’t see them coming. Maybe it was waking up with all this uncertainty, and she still carried Lily’s aura, her tiny little being with her. She could see her face as clear as day. She swallowed and tried to push away the giant ache that shredded her heart in two.

Richard squeezed her shoulders in his way of letting her know he knew what she was thinking. “One day at a time Maggie. Eat and then join us. Harper got the 911 tape. We need to listen and figure out who made the call.”

He was good at distracting her. But for some reason, the pain was a giant hole right in her center, and today—this morning—it felt as wide as a crater.

She blinked hard to stop the tears that burned her eyes, and she cracked an egg in the frying pan, and then popped two slices of bread into the toaster. Richard rubbed her back
, then traipsed into the living room where Sam was hooking up computer equipment. Maggie leaned against the counter and listened to the low chatter, rustling papers, and eagerness of this amazing group of friends, here to build a strong case, brick by brick, to save her husband.

Maggie dumped her plate in the dishwasher after she choked down breakfast and wandered into the room just as the 911 tape played. The operator came on, “What’s your emergency?”

A young woman’s hysterical voice trembled on the other end. “Help, I think he’s going to kill him.”

“Who, ma’am? And what’s your address.”

“Richard’s shouting at Dan. They’re arguing please come quick. Richard’s going to kill him. Oh my God, he just pulled out a gun. He shot Dan!” The young lady screamed.

The operator came on again. “Ma’am, are you safe? Is this Richard still there, and did you say he has a gun?”

“He can’t see me. But he’s still there. I’m hiding, but I need to get out of here before he sees me.”

“Ma’am, what is your name? What’s your location?”

Maggie gazed at her husband who frowned and held up his hand when she started to speak.

Marcie stared at Sam and said not a word as they listened to the woman rattle off the address before hanging up.

“Well, that was interesting. Anyone recognize the voice?” Diane slipped off her jean jacket and tossed it over the back of the sofa.

Kyla cooed, waved her chubby little arms, and kicked her legs in her pink terry sleeper. She was wrapped in a purple and white crochet blanket and rested on her mother’s hip. Marcie swayed the way a mother does to keep her baby content.

“Marcie?” Something passed between Sam and Marcie before she shrugged, frowned, and patted Kyla’s back.

“I don’t know. It’s familiar but…”

“There was a lot of noise in the background, kind of hard to hear, to make out who it is.” Richard sounded irritated.

“That’s traffic you’re hearing, Richard. A lot of traffic.” Diane never turned around while she adjusted something on the computer.

“Traffic? Traffic, how? The property’s off the highway, it’s isolated. No way you can hear that kind of noise. Play it again, Diane.” Richard hovered closer to the computer.

They played the recording about a dozen times. As Maggie listened she hoped there was something about the voice that was familiar, but there wasn’t. Marcie watched her and said nothing.

“There’s no way that call was made from the Gardiner property. It’s off the highway and still too isolated for that kind of traffic. And we know the number came from a disposable cell. We need to find the young woman who made that call.” Sam appeared to be strategizing something as he eyed both Diane and Richard.

Someone pounded on the backdoor.

“I’ll get it.” Sam hurried to the back door, and a minute later, reappeared with a good-looking trendy guy oozing so much confidence that Maggie had to take a step back.

“Maggie, Richard, this is Frank, my techy FBI guy.”

Frank reached for Maggie’s hand and grinned. “Charmed.”

Maggie yanked it away, and Richard stiffened beside her.

“Hey Diane, heard you need some help.” Frank fairly swatted Diane away from the computer, and took over the tape. Whatever he was doing on the computer, his fingers were flying over the keyboard. Diane stood behind him and frowned the way a big sister does at her irritating younger brother.

“Frank, can you filter out the background noise so we can hear the woman’s voice clearly?” Harper leaned against the table and looked down at the computer.

“No problem, why don’t you all take a break and give me a minute to clean it up.”

“Marcie, we’re going to rely a lot on you here. You knew Dan’s friends, the ones he hung around with, some from his past. Do you remember an Alison Johnson from high school? She was Sandra’s friend and apparently dated Dan back then.”

Maggie saw Marcie glance at Sam, and sensed something odd pass between them. One thing Maggie had noticed recently was how unusually quiet and distant Marcie had become. Kyla started fussing as she rubbed her eyes.

“I’ll take her and put her down for a nap,” Sam said. He touched Marcie’s cheek, hesitating only a second before taking his daughter.

“Maggie, is that playpen still set up in Richard’s office?”

“Yeah, Sam. No sense moving it.”

Sam hurried away as Kyla started to fuss.

Marcie wandered into the kitchen.

Maggie followed. “Is this coming between you and Sam?” How would she even begin to make up for all the hurtful things she’d said to Marcie? She wanted to say she was sorry, to take everything back but didn’t know how.

“No. This is hard, though. No matter where Sam and I are, talking about Dan and his friends still hurts him. It hurts me to talk about when we were together. It’s a part of my life that’s over. Sam’s determined to bring him down. I guess that’s his right. I’ve passed it over and off me.” She raised her hand up. “You ever heard that phrase, let go and let God? Well that’s where I am. At some point after you’ve done all you can, you have to step back, and that’s where I am with bringing Dan down. I mean for God’s sake, the man’s dead.”

Marcie walked over to the sink with such an odd look on her face.

“Marcie, I never apologized for what I said to you that awful day we buried Lily… I never meant one of those hateful words or--”

Marcie touched her arm so kindly. “I know, Maggie. I never believed you did. It’s okay.” Marcie leaned against the sink and looked away. “Alison Johnson was Dan’s high school girlfriend. I didn’t know her. She was a friend of Sandra’s. Dan’s type back then—big boobs, hour glass figure, a body I would have given my right arm for at the time. Sandra introduced her and Dan. They dated for a few years, I think. Why would you want to know about her?”

“She works at Ryley’s school,” Richard interjected. “Wow, she’s really changed. Overweight troublemaker now. She’s been questioning Ryley for some time about Maggie.” Richard rested his hands on Maggie’s shoulders.

“She’s related to Fred White,” he continued. “White’s daughter painted a really ugly picture to Ryley of me and Maggie. Alison’s affidavit in court, and the fact she was friends with Sandra, and Sandra still has a contract for respite care. Doesn’t all of this sound too coincidental? Like someone put together a plan to nail me. Maybe get back at me and Maggie.”

Marcie leaned against the sink and narrowed her eyes. “Yes, it does, Richard, but let me ask you this. Why has the focus been put on just you and Maggie? I’m the one who betrayed Dan and Sandra. And yet they’ve done nothing to me.”

“That’s because, my sweet thing, they’re smart enough to know right now you’re untouchable,” Sam interrupted, as he handed Kyla to Marcie. “She’s hungry, and I can’t help her in that department.” Sam kissed Marcie, and she wandered off to Maggie’s sunroom with her daughter to nurse.

“What do you mean she’s untouchable?” Maggie asked.

It was Sam who answered. “Haven’t you watched her? It’s as if she’s walking in and creating miracles around her. I mean that higher power stuff she’s always talking about. Surrounding herself in light, her angels. I see the miracles every day just being around her. Nothing bad touches her. She sends out love around her to everyone. And when she does something, it’s out of love. Don’t create bad karma, that’s what she says all the time. And it’s as if she’s doing her part to clean up all the bad and darkness that’s been created here. Whether you believe or not. Nothing can touch her.”

Maggie and Richard stared at each other. This mystical new-age weirdness was something neither expected from Sam.

Before anyone could say anything further, Frank hollered from the living room. “Break’s over, let’s rock and roll! I’ve reworked this tape, and cleared off enough of the background noise to get a better listen to who this chick is.”

Diane and Harper wandered away from the dining room table where they’d hunkered down organizing and prioritizing a list, shuffling papers, and devising some strategy to poke holes in the state’s case against Richard. They were detail people. And good at it. But it was Diane who added, “I spoke with forensics, apparently that video tape at the crime scene was one pulled right from the security camera.”

“Someone’s sure doing a bang-up job trying to frame me, Diane, and they’ve gone to a lot of trouble.”

Everyone stood around the computer when the clear voice played on the 911 call again. And it was clearer. Easy now to pick-up the slight twang in the way she lingered on Richard and Dan’s name. But even then, Maggie couldn’t place the voice. Richard shook his head, and Maggie knew he was frustrated to near a snapping point.

Sam must have realized the stress this put on Richard, as he slapped his shoulder. “Don’t push too hard. We’ll figure it out.”