Almost Innocent, page 16
Drained from her interactions with the group that discovered Emma, Judith made her way back home, calling Bruce on the way, saying she’d meet him there. Before leaving, she had made sure Emma felt safe in Tanner and Veronica’s care. She had stayed long enough to hear Emma relay the day’s events to Booker, but left when she realized there wasn’t much more she could do at the moment.
Emma did not know who had attacked her. He hadn’t spoken or shown her his face. He had grabbed her from behind and immediately slid what she assumed was a ski cap over her head.
Booker told Emma they’d talk the next day. Perhaps she’d remember more once she had rested. Everyone was exhausted. They’d start over again in the morning.
On her way home, Judith swung by the office to ensure that Nancy had rescheduled all her commitments for the coming day. As she drove, Judith silently berated herself. They were in the throes of tax season, and she was postponing meetings.
Although she had handed off the task of handling tax returns to her seasonal staff, she remained the bridge between them and the clients. But it was only mid-February, and everyone in town was in a tizzy over the two deaths, so she was getting away with it. For now.
Stripping off her wet coat and muddy shoes, Judith started towards the kitchen, but then pivoted and headed to the solace of her private bathroom attached to her office. This bathroom was her sanctuary. While there were other bathrooms in her house, this one was truly hers, complete with a luxurious soaking tub.
Filling the tub with water as hot as she could stand, she lit a few candles and settled into the steaming water. Slowly at first, and then, as she got used to it, sliding in the rest of the way with a sigh.
Laying her head back on the tub’s cushioned edge, she thought through what had happened and what they had learned in the last few days. It didn’t please her that she had been right when she had told Bruce months before that something was wrong in Spring Falls.
What would have been better was if she had identified the underlying issues before they spiraled into at least two deaths, unlawful developments, evictions, a missing council member, and Emma’s frightening ordeal. Now everyone was aware of the turmoil. But the real puzzle remained. Who was orchestrating all this chaos? Who killed Marshall? Did Barbara die from the stress or something else? Where was Walt?
Margaret and the Town Council topped Judith’s list of suspects behind the chaos. However, her history with Margaret made it hard to believe that the woman she grew up with could be involved in such terrible acts. Yes, Margaret had ambitions and was often ruthless, but was she more than that?
Judith’s mind raced, weaving through the intricate web of Spring Falls’ troubles. Yes, Margaret or Colin seemed to be the central figures in the problem, but weren’t they innocent before proven guilty? But it was hard to ignore the fact that the Town Council members knew what Marshall was doing. And they had either taken part in or even instigated the illegal developments in town.
Colin, someone she had always seen as more of a follower than a leader, was now a suspect. But was it more than participating in the illegal activities? However, she found it hard to believe he would act alone.
And then there was Colin’s cufflink. It seemed like a small yet significant piece of a much larger puzzle, given that the symbol was also in Marshall’s painting. What did that symbol mean? She didn’t have a clue other than confirming that Marshall and Colin were working together.
Judith thought again about Margaret’s character. Was her ambition merely a veil for darker, more sinister motives? Judith could discern the hunger for power in Margaret’s eyes. But was it so consuming that it could drive her to kill? Margaret had always been calculating, cold even, but to consider her capable of murder seemed a stretch.
Lingering in the warm water, Judith’s thoughts kept turning over the possibilities. Was the Town Council collectively involved, or were there dissenting voices among them, voices silenced by coercion or by their deaths? Or could the Council be a pawn, manipulated by another hidden hand?
And what about Walt? His sudden disappearance was suspicious. Especially given his connection to the Town Council and what Tanner and Barbara had shared. Perhaps Walt wanted to be a whistleblower, and he was trying to escape the mess before it caught up to him. Or perhaps he too was a victim, silenced before he could reveal the truth.
The question of Colin and his misplaced cufflink continued to loom large in her mind. Could this seemingly incidental detail hold the key to the whole dire affair? A symbol—a link pointing to the truth? Judith felt a surge of resolve to pursue this idea and unearth any hidden implications.
And then there were the developments. Buildings springing up clandestinely in protected areas. Who stood to gain the most from this illegal expansion? The town’s facade of tranquility and camaraderie was cracking. She could not let that continue. She needed to find answers quickly.
Judith’s thoughts drifted to Tanner. She appreciated the way he had stepped up, especially concerning Veronica and Emma. There was a depth to him she hadn’t seen before. The way he looked at Veronica was hard to ignore, and Judith hoped something good would come out of this chaos for the two of them.
As the water cooled, the weight of her unresolved questions grew heavier. The town was in turmoil, and she could feel the expectancy in the air. It was a collective hope that she would untangle the knots and restore normalcy.
Exhausted and filled with questions, she reluctantly left the comfort of the tub and dried off. She knew she needed to act swiftly and decisively. She needed to piece together the varied strands of information before the precarious balance of the town tipped over into more chaos.
Judith dressed and made her way to the living room, where Bruce was waiting, concern and support clear in his eyes. They needed to deliberate, to map out their next moves carefully. The unraveling fabric of Spring Falls needed mending, and they were at the epicenter of the storm, navigating through the debris of betrayal and greed.
Every question seemed to spawn more questions, and every answer seemed to deepen the shadows over the town. The path ahead was unclear, but Judith was determined. She would face the storm, unearth the truths buried under layers of deceit, and return Spring Falls to its former peaceful state.
Bruce smiled as Judith walked into the living room. Although her hair was wet, it still flared in the light. He knew her well. She was determined to get to the bottom of what was wrong in Spring Falls, and he had found a document that might help her. Or it could make it worse, because it posed another question.
Forty Six
Thursday morning dawned crisp and clear. Only various sizes of dirty gray snow piles beside roads and driveways remained. Looking out the window of the Ruby House, sipping their coffee, April and Marsha watched the town come alive.
There was nothing that was out of the ordinary. If they didn’t know about Marshall’s and Barbara’s deaths, illegal developments, Emma’s ordeal in the cabin, or that Walt was missing, they would think they were starting another beautiful, quiet, and peaceful day in their beloved Spring Falls. But they knew that all that peace was hiding evil, and they had no idea what to do about it.
At the art gallery, Daniel, Cindy, Mimi, and Janet were doing the same thing. They were standing at the front window of the gallery staring out at the town, wondering how something so beautiful could hide so many bad things. How had that happened? When had it happened?
They had no answers to all their questions, so as they watched the town go by, each one wished the answers would simply walk down the street and reveal themselves. They needed answers so they could sort out the problems and then go back to their normal lives.
Booker had asked all the Ruby Sisters and their extended family to keep an eye out for anything that seemed out of the ordinary, and that’s what they were doing. But watching the town go by didn’t seem very helpful. Everything looked as it always looked. What was wrong was still hidden, and that’s how it had gone on for so long.
“Well,” Cindy said, “We best get on with it.”
The four of them were in the middle of uninstalling the last exhibit and installing the new one. They had a routine now. Each one knew their part, and the work flowed smoother each time they did it.
Later that day, Cindy was supposed to teach her art class—now one of her favorite things to do—but she had canceled it so they could all go to Marshall’s funeral. And although they knew they had to go, they had mixed feelings about it.
They had always liked Marshall, but now it seemed wrong to have such a big event for someone who had likely sold out the town. But since they couldn’t prove that, and most people weren’t aware of the allegations, they had to go. There was always the slight chance that someone would give themselves away. Besides, they had once been friends with the man, and despite what he may have done, it had become a beautiful town, primarily under Marshall’s watchful eye.
Just a few miles away, at Bree’s house, Booker had just sat down to breakfast when his phone rang. Hanging up, he dropped his head, stared at his breakfast, and wondered if he could possibly eat anything.
Since the discovery of Marshall’s body, his stomach had been tied up in knots, and every day it just got worse. They were no closer to understanding what had happened to Marshall. There were no clues.
Booker shook his head. How had being a small-town sheriff turned into this nightmare? Was he even capable of solving the mystery of Marshall’s death or unraveling what appeared to be a web of illegal activities that Marshall must have been the head of?
It seemed obvious that someone wanted him dead because of what he had been doing. But why? And why now? What had changed? Did they know Marshall was leaving, and they’d be left with the mess he made?
So far, that was his best guess. And his best guess was that it was someone in the Town Council, but which one? And, of course, there were many people affected by what Marshall and his cronies had been up to, so there were many suspects, and he hadn’t ruled out anyone yet.
But the phone call he had just received answered at least one question. He was grateful for that.
“What’s wrong?” Bree asked.
“Barbara died of a heart attack.”
“Oh, thank heavens. Not that she died. But, you know. That she wasn’t killed like Marshall.”
Booker nodded. “Yes, I am happy about that. So far, it doesn’t look like someone is going around killing off Town Council members. But I still don’t have any other answers. Marshall was very careful about what he was doing. Now it’s all conjecture and allegations that he was behind the illegal developments.
“All the answers to what he was doing must have been on his computer. We found no documents at his house. Nothing. Marshall had made sure his house was empty of anything that incriminated him. His killer either lucked out, or waited for that moment, knowing all he needed to take was the computer.”
Bree stood behind Booker, rubbing his shoulders, wondering who she would make the villain if she was writing this in a book. There were too many possibilities, and many of them they didn’t even know about yet.
“Have you searched Barbara’s house? Maybe she had records.”
“Yes. And she had some. Judith is looking through them. Hopefully, there will be some information we can use to find out who killed Marshall.”
“What about the people building the developments in the Green Zone? Or who is making Pedro and his friends leave their homes? Wouldn’t they be suspect too?”
“Of course, but so far, we don’t know who they are. Everyone working on the developments work for shell companies. We haven’t gotten to the actual owners yet. All we could do so far was stop all construction and evictions, which is good news for Pedro and his friends.
“We also got permission to audit Margaret, Colin, and Walt’s books last night. Judith and Tanner will start on them today.”
“Sounds promising,” Bree said. “That is, if they have only one set of books. Which is unlikely.”
“Agreed. And that could lead us back to knowing nothing.”
“What time is Marshall’s funeral?”
“Noon. For some reason, that was Marshall’s favorite time of the day, or so Margaret said. And of course, she is turning it into a big event. She needs to be seen as in charge.”
“Do you think she is responsible for what happened to Marshall?”
Booker shook his head. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”
Forty Seven
Neither Bruce nor Judith had slept well, both of them wondering if what Bruce had learned from a client had anything to do with Marshall’s death. Judith couldn’t see how it fit in. It was just one more thing that they hadn’t known about Marshall. He had been married, divorced, and had a son. But maybe it mattered that Margaret had known. That’s what Bruce’s client had told him anyway. If Margaret knew about the son, did she know who he was?
Still, they had called Booker and told him, and he promised to get someone looking for an ex-wife and son, immediately. If nothing else, it would delay doing anything with Marshall’s estate.
“The son couldn’t have killed his father for his estate, could he?” Bruce had asked. The three of them had agreed it was possible, but who was the son? Why hadn’t he made himself known before? Did they know him? Had Marshall known him and didn’t tell anyone?
The only thing they knew was that the son would be about Tanner’s age. Other than that, there was nothing. But despite a missing ex-wife and son, the three of them thought that Marshall’s murder probably had to do with the illegal activities that Marshall had been carrying on for years. Activities that could have begun when Judith had worked for him all those years ago.
For Judith, that thought always made her feel guilty. Yes, she had been young and didn’t know much when she went to work for Marshall. But what if she had paid more attention? Could she have stopped him? What would the town be like if he hadn’t been mayor?
However, despite what they now knew about him, it was difficult to imagine Spring Falls without Marshall as mayor. Because no matter what else he had done, there was no denying that he had improved the town. For most people.
There was another reason Judith couldn’t sleep. Bruce had asked her a question she didn’t want to answer. He wanted to know what she thought would happen to the town once it was clear that the Town Council had been involved in the illegal developments. Who would keep the town together then? How could the town survive when all its top officials went to jail?
It was a question that Bruce said needed to be answered. And soon. Because it was only a matter of time before they had proof of who had been in involved, and he was sure that Margaret, Colin, and Walt were not innocent. Either they only took part, or one of them was the leader. Either way, they were guilty.
Bruce had told Judith what he thought would work to save the town and asked her to do it. And she had immediately said no. She had never, ever wanted to be a politician. Ever.
Bruce replied that a politician wasn’t what the town needed. They needed a leader, and she was the obvious choice. Almost everyone in town already knew her, and whether or not they agreed with her about issues, they admired who she was. She stood for integrity. Something Spring Falls would need in a leader more than anything else.
She would not have to change and be someone else. She would remain Judith with the hair that flamed when something was wrong. That’s what the town needed.
Holding her hands as she looked away, Bruce said that the solution to keeping the town from falling apart would be her running for mayor. She could then put together a Town Council that could be trusted. She could fix the problems caused by the current administration, and then, if she wanted to, she could step down.
“Will you do it?” Bruce had asked.
Judith had said no, no, no, over and over again to herself and then to Bruce, even though in her heart she knew he was right. Who else could step up and save the town? So, although she had said no, she hadn’t stopped thinking about it.
And when she kissed Bruce goodbye that morning as he left for his office, she had whispered, “Maybe,” and he had known what she meant.
But that was the future. Now. she had work to do. On her desk lay Barbara’s files, and she was hoping to get answers from them about who was behind the chaos. And perhaps they contained something that would help them find who killed Marshall and stole his computer.
The possibility that Barbara’s papers would reveal who had participated in the illegal activities had also kept Judith awake. Finally, long before dawn, she had gotten up to get to work, hoping to find out who all had been part of Marshall’s circle.
Folders and papers were piled on her desk along with Colin’s cufflink. She kept it in front of her, hoping it would tell her something. So far, it hadn’t sparked a single idea. Just because the symbol matched the one Marshall had asked Cindy to put in his painting didn’t have to mean anything other than the obvious—that the two of them had been working together, and that they both liked hidden power and control. That was already so obvious, Judith didn’t think it deserved any more of her attention.
She’d take the cufflink to Colin and give it back to him at the funeral. Booker had already given her permission to do so. They had everything they needed to find it again if they needed to.
Sifting through Barbara’s files, Judith couldn’t find anything that stood out. Most of the papers were about her nursery business. Barbara had said she hadn’t been involved in what the rest of the Council had been doing. She just didn’t turn them in. And so far, everything Judith found seemed to agree with that. Barbara wasn’t guilty of doing something wrong, but she wasn’t innocent either. She had turned a blind eye to what was happening.
On the other hand, Barbara had finally come forward, and Judith hoped Barbara had found some peace in knowing she had done the right thing in the end.
