Hush (27 page)

Coby let herself have a moment of remembrance of her evening eating pizza with Danner, then she reluctantly moved from that to her meeting with Rhys Webber, Nicholette ‘s unfaithful client with the myriad girlfriends. Coby had tried to tell the man to settle with his ex-wife, give her what she was asking for because it wasn‘t all that much in the larger scheme of things and it would prevent them going to court and him having to air his dirty laundry. But Rhys had practically laughed at her. He wanted to screw his ex-wife financially like he‘d screwed every other woman who‘d crossed his path. He wouldn‘t listen to Coby, so she told him in no uncertain terms that he was making a mistake, which pissed him off big-time. He was into domination over women; he didn‘t take it well when one of them talked
sense
to him.

From Webber she thought about her friend Willa, whom she‘d called the previous night.

She‘d wanted to fill Willa in on everything that had happened, but they had just begun discussing Annette‘s murder when one of Willa‘s children started wailing as if her life were over. In reality she‘d simply been bopped on the head by her sister with a plush toy. The emotional hurt was huge, however, and Willa had needed to play parent. She‘d begged off, asking for a rain check, but Coby suspected maybe Willa didn‘t really have the time or even interest in her affairs that she‘d hoped for.

The one thing Willa did say, however, after she‘d explained about overhearing the argument between Yvette and Annette, was, ―Why don‘t you call this Dana person? See if she can tell you something, since it doesn‘t sound like Yvette will talk to you.‖

Coby had mulled that over and finally sent Dana an e-mail asking for her current phone number. Dana had responded with a number with a Southern California area code, and last night, when Coby called her, she‘d been clearly mystified by Coby‘s sudden need to connect.

―I heard about Annette Deneuve,‖ she said. ―Is that why you‘re calling me?‖

―You heard she was murdered?‖

―Dad said so. He‘s totally shaken up.‖

Coby remembered how white-faced Hank Sainer had looked after Annette‘s death. She wondered if she‘d looked the same. Easing into the conversation, Coby brought up a few things from high school, but Dana wasn‘t in the mood to be coerced.

―Just tell me why you‘re calling, really,‖ she said. ―Does this have something to do with the campout?‖

―The campout? No. It‘s about Annette. She was my stepmother,‖ Coby reminded her, since Dana had referred to her by her maiden name. ―And she was talking to me at her birthday party about secrets. How they needed to be brought to the light, so to speak, so they didn‘t have so much power. She gave me the impression she was about to reveal something big. Or at least something she thought was big.‖

―Like when I admitted my eating disorders?‖ Dana suggested coolly.

―A little like that, yeah,‖ Coby said, not backing down. ―But then later I heard Annette arguing with Yvette and she brought up your name. She said, ‗And what about Dana? The truth‘s going to come out.‘‖

―What truth?‖ Dana asked.

―I guess that‘s what I‘m asking you. You don‘t have a clue what they were talking about?‖

―Look, I told you all about my anorexia and bulimia at the campout. I‘ve got things kind of under control now and I‘ve got my kids and I‘m happy, but back then I was in real pain. And all of you gave me this ho-hum attitude, like my problem didn‘t even count! That it wasn‘t
secret
enough, or maybe I just wasn‘t cool enough for the rest of you. I don‘t know what the hell Annette was talking about. Are you sure she mentioned me? I‘m in recovery from my eating disorders, and the truth about that was aired long ago, so, no, there‘s no other secret about me. Certainly nothing Yvette would care about.‖

―It‘s just what I heard.‖

―Maybe you heard wrong,‖ Dana stated flatly.

Coby hadn‘t been able to learn anything further and shortly afterward Dana found a reason to hang up, which was something of a relief. Coby didn‘t believe Annette had been talking about Dana‘s eating disorder; it wasn‘t even a secret when Dana had thought it was a secret!

Maybe the thing to do was ask Yvette and see if she would tell her anything. Maybe Danner would bring it up when he interviewed her, or maybe he already had, Coby thought with a sudden jolt back to the present. If Danner had mentioned it to Yvette, Yvette could be seething over Coby‘s eavesdropping and just waiting, now, for a moment to pounce on her about it.

Well, okay, she told herself. If that happened, she would be prepared, at least, and maybe she could actually learn something. Not that it would be pleasant. Talking to Yvette was never pleasant.

Jean-Claude finally wound down and then Suzette said how much she was already missing her sister and shed a few tears, and then Nicholette and Juliet added a few words, then Genevieve walked to the front. She gazed across the top of their heads and said, ―Annette was my friend. We knew each other a little bit in high school, but we really connected later. The last few years she ‘s really been a help to me, an inspiration. I treasured her friendship, and I want to know what happened to her. We all do.‖

With that she found her seat again and Coby shot a sideways glance at Yvette, who sat like a statue while Benedict fidgeted beside her.

When no one else rose to speak, Dave stood and announced that refreshments were now available in the basement and the crowd slowly dispersed and trooped downstairs. There were hors d‘oeuvres and wine, and tiny pastries and tea and coffee from the Lovejoy‘s tearoom/wine bar.

Coby chose coffee and a tea cake and was just leaving the serving table when she saw Danner standing next to one of the bistro tables set up around the room, his gaze on her as Jarrod spoke in his left ear.

Her heart kicked and she lifted her coffee cup in acknowledgment. Then she found a spot at another bistro table opposite the white cloth–covered serving tables laden with food and drink.

She‘d barely set her cup down when Faith found her and crowded close to her. Before Faith could say more than, ―I‘m glad that‘s over,‖ Yvette strode up to them, her expression dark.

―You sicced your boyfriend on me,‖ she said to Coby.

―Um . . . you mean Danner Lockwood?‖ Coby asked.

―He
interviewed
me,‖ Yvette said through a tight jaw. ―I don‘t care for you meddling in my affairs. You must think you‘re some kind of detective, but leave it to the professionals. And I don‘t count Danner Lockwood in that. As far as I‘m concerned, he‘s worse than his brother. Leave me and Benedict alone. We‘re grieving, too, y‘know. Annette was my sister, and I don‘t care that you overheard us arguing! I loved her. I wish she were here right now!‖ At that she pressed her lips together as if she were afraid she might blurt out more.

Faith said flatly, ―Don‘t feel so special. The police grilled our dad, too. I imagine we‘ll all hear from them eventually, won‘t we?‖

―Stay away from me,‖ Yvette warned Coby, then turned abruptly away and joined Benedict near the serving table.

―She‘s sure fun, isn‘t she?‖ Faith murmured, stealing Coby‘s tea cake and biting into it. ―Is Danner really investigating Annette‘s murder?‖

―He‘s helping out,‖ Coby said. Then, ―Dad didn‘t tell me he was grilled.‖

―I may have overstated that a bit. But they did talk to him. Of course they would. That‘s what police do.‖

―When he talked to Clausen?‖

―That guy from the Tillamook County Sheriff‘s Department.‖ Faith lifted an uncaring shoulder.

―Yeah. Him.‖

―I guess so. Ask Dad. I wouldn‘t have said anything, but she really bugged me. What a self-serving bitch.‖ Faith finished off Coby‘s tea cake. ―So, what argument did you overhear between Annette and the bitch?‖

―They were arguing about the truth coming out, and I told Danner. He said he was going to interview Yvette, among others, and he must‘ve said something to her and she knew where it came from.‖

―She caught you eavesdropping. Shame on you.‖ Faith grinned. ―I wonder what truth she was talking about.‖

Danner arrived at their table at that moment. Faith lifted a brow and gave Coby a look that said,
Be careful what you say.

Ignoring her, Coby told Danner what had just transpired with Yvette, finishing with, ―She‘s not the most forthcoming.‖

―She‘s prickly,‖ he agreed.

Coby added, ―Faith said Detective Clausen grilled my dad about Annette‘s homicide.‖

―It‘s usual,‖ he said.

Faith said dryly, ―It‘s always the spouse, isn‘t it? That‘s where you go first.‖

―A lot of times,‖ Danner admitted.

―But not this time,‖ Coby said in her father‘s defense. ―Someone else killed Annette. I don‘t think Dad was anywhere near that hot tub.‖

―That‘s the problem, though,‖ Faith said. ―None of us really knows who was where, unless we were with them at the exact moment Annette was drowned, and when was that exact moment?‖

As if she couldn‘t help herself, Faith moved her gaze toward their father, and Coby could practically read her sister‘s mind, could sense the niggling doubt inside.

Danner said, ―If your father wanted to kill his wife, I‘m pretty sure he would have chosen a different scenario rather than a huge party where the chance of getting caught was so big.‖

―Good point,‖ Coby said with relief. ―Why would anyone choose the party?‖

Danner answered, ―Sudden opportunity? Could be a crime of passion. Things happen.‖

―That doesn‘t help Dad,‖ Faith said. ―I don‘t even want to speculate anymore.‖ With that, she left them and went to join Dave and Jean-Claude, Suzette and Galen, and Nicholette, who were all standing together.

Danner said, ―I got the M.E.‘s report on Lucas Moore‘s death. A small section of his hair had been sheared off.‖

Coby looked at him. ―What?
Hair?”
Then, ―Are you saying what I think you‘re saying?‖

―There‘s no way of knowing whether Moore‘s hair was the lock you saw in the envelope.‖

―But if it was Lucas‘s hair, if someone was
saving
it all these years . . . and Annette found out about it . . .‖ She glanced around the room, staring at the people she‘d gone to school with and their fathers through new eyes. ―Flat-out creepy.‖

―I thought I might mention it to some people,‖ Danner said. ―See what kind of reaction pops up.‖

―Is there a connection?‖ Coby asked. ―Between Annette‘s death and Lucas‘s?
Is there?”

―What we know is a chunk of Lucas Moore‘s hair was cut from the crown of his head.

Whether it was postmortem, I don‘t know.‖

―Someone at the party had that envelope. Annette was distracted as soon as she had it in her hands,‖ Coby said.

―But
after
she said she was going to tell secrets.‖

Coby nodded. ―Yeah.‖

―So, that was something else.‖

―I guess so,‖ Coby said, unwilling to completely let that go. This seemed so big, yet maybe she was making connections too soon.

―It sounds like whatever she was arguing with Yvette about wasn‘t the lock of hair in the envelope,‖ Danner said.

They both turned and looked at Yvette, who‘d collected Benedict and was saying her good-byes to her sisters and father. Feeling their gazes on her, she glanced over. Her face tightened and she gave them the cold shoulder on her way out.

Seeing Danner with Coby, Jarrod headed their way and Genevieve ended her conversation with McKenna to follow after him. As if they‘d been invited to the party, Kirk Grassi, Paul Lessington, and Vic Franzen came over in a group, as well. Coby was a little surprised they‘d all showed; it wasn‘t their kind of event.

Kirk spoke up before anyone could say anything, ―We‘re at the Cellar this weekend. Come and see us.‖

This was apparently meant for Coby, as he was looking at her. ―I‘d like to,‖ she said.

―Friday night,‖ Kirk said and slid a look toward Danner. ―You dating?‖ he asked him. ―Or just checking out the suspects?‖

―Are we all suspects?‖ Gen demanded with a frown.

―Sure,‖ Kirk said. ―Paul and Vic, too. They were at the beach that night. In Seaside. I joined up with them.‖

―Jesus, Grassi,‖ Vic protested. ―God damn it.‖

Kirk turned up his palms. ―If I‘m lying, I‘m dying.‖

―We weren‘t anywhere near the party,‖ Paul said, flushing angrily.

―Well, let‘s just all make ourselves look guilty,‖ Kirk said in a singsong voice.

Danner said tightly, ―Let‘s go outside and talk.‖

―What‘s wrong with here?‖ Kirk demanded.

―Don‘t be such an ass,‖ Coby told him tightly, which surprised everyone because generally it was Gen who got in people‘s faces. ―It‘s a memorial service,‖ she pointed out.

―Good going,‖ Genevieve said admiringly as they all moved toward the exit, stopping to say their good-byes to Dave and the Deneuve family.

The wind had picked up while they were inside and Coby watched as it whipped at Danner‘s hair, tossing it into his eyes. He had gone down the front of the steps and into the parking lot.

Jarrod, Genevieve, Kirk, Paul, and Vic had followed him, creating an impromptu meeting near Danner‘s Wrangler. Suzette, Galen, Nicholette with Paige, Juliet, and a couple of the dads, Hank Sainer and Donald Greer, had apparently taken the others‘ exodus as a sign to do the same and were a few steps back, looking like they wanted to join in. Wynona stayed on the front porch of Cramer Hall but was looking their way, her dark hair waving around her face like Medusa‘s snakes.

Or maybe it was just the dark scowl on her face that gave Coby that impression. There was no need to be fanciful, Coby reminded herself.

Coby was standing near Genevieve as Danner said, ―If you haven‘t heard yet, Annette‘s death is being treated as a homicide.‖

―God.‖ Gen inhaled sharply and Coby slid her a glance.

―You‘re kidding.‖ Vic‘s jaw dropped.

―It‘s gotta be a mistake,‖ Jarrod said, but his eyes were on his wife, who‘d already posed the idea of murder.

―Who did it?‖ Gen demanded, ignoring her husband.

―We‘re working on figuring it out,‖ Danner said. ―I‘m helping out with the Tillamook County Sheriff‘s Department. Some of you may have already spoken to Detective Clausen or someone else from the TCSD. There are a few theories being tossed out. Nothing concrete, so far.