A Crying Shame: A Jesse Watson Mystery (21 page)

I looked up at the monitors and said, “Here they come.”

The doorbell chimed and then we heard a pounding at the front
door.

Randy was the first to reach the door. He turned the handle
and as soon as he opened the door, Detective Trainum and his three angry
officers barged in. Randy shut the door behind them and punched in a few
numbers on the alarm keypad.

Detective Trainum was stunned by Randy’s actions. “What are
you doing?”

“Calm down, Frank,” Abby said as she walked up to him. “Randy
tried to call you but your cell phone is off.”

The detective reached into his coat pocket, pulled out his
phone, and then said, “It sure is. How…”

“We had to warn you, Frank,” Randy said. “We were watching
you on the monitor, and Jesse saw someone hiding behind a tree in the back
yard. We didn’t want to take a chance that it could be the killer out there, so
I did the only thing I could to get your attention.”

“You got it. Let me see what you’re talking about. If there
was someone out there, you probably scared him off with that blast. I know you
just took ten years off my life.”

“I’m sorry,” Randy said. “But I couldn’t just ask you to come
inside.”

After Detective Trainum pulled himself together, he calmed
down somewhat, but I could sense he was still a little ticked off.

“We didn’t have a whole lot of options,” I added as we all
walked into the study and looked up at the monitors.

“I don’t see anything,” one of the officers said. “I think
they pulled this stunt because they were afraid we were getting close to
something. They’re using this story as a ruse. There’s no one out there.”

“And your name is,” I said as I walked up to the officer (a
young stud who obviously was fresh out of the
Police
Academy
) and then stared down at his badge.

“Officer Julius Ray,” he said, proudly. “My friends call me
Jewels.”

“Jewels,” Abby said as she nudged me aside and then got up
close and personal within his intimate distance. “I’m sure you’re a bright
young man, and one day maybe your instincts will be much better than they are
right now. Ask yourself this: Why would I allow you back into my house unless
it was extremely urgent?”

“Look,” Claire interrupted. “There he is again and he’s
headed for the back door of my house!” She turned to Detective Trainum and
yelled, “Do something!”

Detective Trainum and his men went into action. With their
guns drawn, they hustled out the front door as fast as they could. They were
quick on their feet!

We stood and watched them on the monitors as they snuck up on
the person in the shadows. We couldn’t see everything that was happening, but
there was no doubt of the criminal’s identity as they passed by our line of
vision in the monitor. They had the suspect handcuffed and was taking him into
custody.

“It’s Carl!” Claire shouted. “He’s alive! He’s really alive!”

I turned to Claire and said, “I’m glad. I’m not crazy about
the guy, but I never wished him dead. I’d give anything to be a fly on the wall
in that police cruiser.”

“The detective’s coming back,” Abby said as she pointed to
the screen.

The five of us couldn’t make it to the front door fast
enough. We bumped into each other as we came to a halt. Randy opened the door.

“We’re taking your husband into custody,” Detective Trainum
said as he looked over at Claire. I thought I’d give you the opportunity to
talk to him first. He asked to speak with you and I figured it wouldn’t hurt.
Should I bring him in or would you rather go out to the car?”

She looked around as if to get the okay from Abby before
responding.

Abby shook her head in agreement.

“Bring him inside where it’s warm,” Claire responded. “Maybe
we can talk in the study… alone.”

“Speak your peace with him and get it all out,” the detective
said. “If he’s the one who killed that woman; he’ll be going away for a long
time. It was a brutal murder.”

His words sent chills down my spine. It made me wonder about
Ophelia’s death, something I’d tried not to think about until now. Was she
smashed in the skull with the poker I found, or was she stabbed to death with
it? Either way, it was a gruesome thought that turned my stomach. I’ve never
been able to understand how a person could murder another. What goes through
the mind of a killer when they commit their awful act?

Officer Ray brought Carl inside and led him to the study with
Claire fast on his heels. The officer closed the door, crossed his arms and
stood guard.

It was almost
midnight
and I was so tired I was beginning to get giddy, but I wasn’t about to conk out
now. I had to hold on and hear all the details. I was sure the rest of the
group did, too.

“I’ll be back shortly,” Detective Trainum said. “I have to
report in to headquarters. I’ll leave Officer Ray to stand guard until I
return.”

“Thank you,” I walked over and said to Detective Trainum.
“You didn’t have to do this, but I’m glad you did. I’m sure Claire appreciates
it, too. My money says that she probably has a few things to say to Carl.”

“I bet she does,” he said as he turned to leave.

“I thought you were heartless, but I see now that you were
only doing your job, in your own way. I guess you’re not such a bad guy after
all.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he snipped and then walked out the door.

“What is it with that man?” I asked as we all headed to the
parlor. “You try to pay him a compliment and…”

“That’s just his way,” Abby said. “He doesn’t know how to
handle flattery. He had a hard childhood. Why don’t we go have a seat and wait
for Claire to finish her conversation with Carl?”

“I can’t imagine what he has to say to her,” I said as I
followed the others to the parlor.

“I’m sure he’s trying to convince her of his innocence,”
Isabel said. “I’d imagine he’s trying to enlist her support.”

“I think he can write that off,” I said, chuckling. “He’s
been a terrible husband and father. He cheated on Claire and treated her badly.
She won’t give him the time of day.”

“Don’t be surprised,” Abby said. “If he can spin a good tale,
she’ll probably stand by him. They’re together in my study, so she’s obviously
giving him her time.”

“Did any of you consider the possibility that Carl might be
innocent?” Randy interjected.

The three of us looked at each other and then turned back to
Randy and shook our heads.

“I doubt that very seriously,” I said as I sat down on the
settee next to Abby. “Why did he run off if he wasn’t guilty?”

“Maybe he was…”

The conversation continued without me as I leaned my head
back and closed my eyes. I tried to stay awake, but I was too tired. I dozed
off for only a minute when Abby nudged me in the side.

“Wake up, sleepyhead. You’re going to miss everything.”

I roused myself awake and sat up. “How long was I asleep?”

“Twenty minutes.”

I looked up and saw Carl and Claire coming out of the study.
Claire looked like she had been crying and Carl had his head hung down.

“This doesn’t look good,” I said as I got from the settee and
walked toward the hallway. I looked at Abby as she stood next to me. “I think
you’re right. He’s convinced her of his innocence.” I looked over at Officer
Ray and noticed that Detective Trainum had returned.

Isabel and Randy joined the crowd in the hallway.

A long silence hung in the air until Claire finally spoke.
“We have a real problem, Detective Trainum. Carl didn’t kill Ophelia;
Sherry Lane
did.”

Everyone in the hallway made grunting noises. Detective
Trainum started to walk over to Claire, but stopped when she said, “Please give
me a chance to explain.”

“I’ll give you ten minutes and then we’re out of here,” the
detective replied as he looked at Carl and then back to Claire. “This better be
good.”

“Sherry and Carl had an affair. When her husband shot Carl in
the leg, Carl figured it was time to end the affair. As far as he was concerned
it was over, but Sherry wouldn’t let go. He’s explained everything to me.”

“I bet he has,” Abby said snidely.

“It’s true,” Claire said. “Sherry wouldn’t let Carl end the
relationship. She threatened to harm us. She told him that if he dumped her,
she would kill me and the kids. Every time he tried to get away from her, she’d
do something crazy. Once he found a box filled with animal guts sitting on his
desk at work. She told him that the next time it would be his wife’s finger.
Since we were separated, he figured he’d go along with her until he could find
a way out.”

“Claire, someone once made a movie out of this scenario. It’s
crap. Carl’s just trying to get you to take up for him,” I said. “Back off and
let him drown in his own lies.”

“No!” Claire shouted. “I believe him! Sherry even tried to
get him to kill her husband so they could be together. He was shocked at her
suggestion. He didn’t know what to do. Ophelia Pitman overheard Sherry on the
phone trying to hire someone else to do the job. After Trevor was killed in
that car crash, Ophelia confronted Sherry about it and tried to blackmail her.
Sherry had a key to get in, so she lured Ophelia to Carl’s house on the
pretense that Carl was going to pay her the money. Carl wasn’t even home at the
time. When they got there, Sherry over-powered Ophelia and pushed her down the
steps to the cellar. Then Sherry went down there and beat her over the head
with the poker. Carl didn’t even know Ophelia was in the cellar until he
snatched the kids. He brought them here and when Sherry found out, she was
hysterical. She didn’t want anything to do with his kids. She wanted him all to
herself.” Claire looked over at me. “When Billy showed up, Carl tried to get
Sherry to hide in the cellar, but she wouldn’t go and then she told him why.
Carl was frantic. Ophelia had been in the cellar for two days already. He made
Sherry hide in the closet until Billy left. He said he knew all along that
Billy was snatching the kids from him, but he had other problems to deal with.”

“So where is Sherry now?” I asked.

“We fled to my house in
Florida
,”
Carl spoke for the first time since the two of them had walked out of the
study. “I was in a panic. I had a dead woman in my cellar and a crazy woman by
my side. I didn’t know what else to do but run.”

Detective Trainum stepped forward and asked, “Where is
Sherry Lane
?”

“That’s the problem,” Claire said. “The only way that Carl
could get away from Sherry was to lock her in the food pantry. He sent her in
there to get something and the minute she walked inside, he slammed the door
and nailed it shut. The pantry has no windows and no other way out. Carl
planned this ahead of time. It was the only thing he could think of to do to
get away from her so he could come back here and set the record straight. The
only problem is that Carl said she suffers from severe claustrophobia. That
concerns me. People with that kind of disorder have been known to go insane
when locked in a confined space for a long period of time. She’s been in there
for two days.”

“At least she’ll have plenty to eat,” I said.

Abby snickered.

Claire gave me a dirty look and then went back to her
explanation. “Once Carl had her locked up, he jumped in her car and headed back
to here. He was going to the police, but when he got home they were all over
his place. He panicked and hid out until they left. He saw my car in Abby’s
driveway and was going to come over, but the police returned. He was waiting
for them to leave so he could talk to me, but you caught him first.”

“That sounds like a bunch of bull, if you ask me,” I said.
“Where’s this house of yours you’re talking about, Carl? I’m sure the police
would like to find Sherry and arrest her if your little tale is true.”

“I swear I’m telling the truth,” Carl cried. “You have to
believe me! I had nothing to do with the murder of Ophelia Pitman.”

“What about
Trevor
Lane
’s car crash?”
Detective Trainum asked.

“Sherry said it was a lucky break,” Carl replied. “She said
she never could find anyone to do the job. She called me a coward for not
killing him myself but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be with me. She’s
obsessed! I think she might have done something to his car to cause the crash.
I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“I’m going to need an address so I can alert the police in
Florida
and have her brought back here,”
Detective Trainum said.

“The address is
714 High Road
,
Saint
Augustine
,
Florida
,” Carl replied. “The house is
located in a gated community called
Breezy
Shores
.”

“You’ll have to come with us,” Detective Trainum said. “We’ll
have to verify your story.”

“Am I under arrest?”

The detective looked at Carl as if he’d lost his mind. “Yes,
you are. Did you think I was going to let you go just because you came up with
this sad-sack story? I suggest you call a lawyer, because you’ll going to need
one.”

“I’ll act on his behalf until he gets someone else, if that’s
okay with Mr. Benson,” Randy said.

Abby gave him a sly look. She was probably thinking the same
thing that I was. He was doing it to impress Claire.

“Thank you,” Claire said. She looked at Carl and asked, “Is
that okay with you or would you rather I call my brother, Jack?”

“Randy’s a good lawyer,” Carl said to Claire and then looked
at Randy. “I’d appreciate it if you’d represent me, Randy.”

“Okay,” Randy said. He looked at the detective. “I guess we’d
better get a move on it if I’m going to get my client out on bail.”

Claire hugged Carl and told him not to worry; everything
would work out. The detective and his men, along with Randy, led Carl out the
door and to the police car.

Abby closed the front door and pressed buttons on the alarm
keypad.

“The house is secure,” she said. “Are we ready for bed, or
would you like to talk a little bit, Claire?”

Claire looked at me and then back to Abby. “Maybe a hot cup
of tea would help me sleep better, if you gals are up to it.” She looked around
at the rest of us.

“Why not?” Isabel replied. “My system is so out of whack from
staying up so late, what would it hurt to stay up a little longer?”

“I’ll go fix the tea while you ladies go sit in the parlor,”
Abby said.

Isabel looked surprised at Abby’s offer, but agreed to it.
“Be my guest,” she said as she led me and Claire to the parlor. “Just be sure
to bring the honey. I don’t take sugar in mine, but you always seem to forget.”

“I know exactly what you like and dislike,” Abby replied as
she walked down the hallway heading to the kitchen.

While Abby was busy preparing tea, Isabel sat down next to me
and said, “I know this hasn’t been the most pleasant circumstance, but I just
wanted to let you know that I have enjoyed meeting you and the time we’ve spent
together, Jesse. It was you who got me off my butt and made me stand up to
Abby. I never did it before because I was afraid she was too fragile. She talks
a good game, but she’s really an insecure person. It was time for me to put her
in her place, and because of you, I did. When I lost my husband, I was
devastated. Abby convinced me to sell our estate and come live with her. I
always thought it was because she felt sorry for me, but now I know it was
because she was lonely. She needed me, so I let her have her way. Pete is hardly
ever home anymore and that makes her sad, but she doesn’t want to do the things
he wants to do. Eventually, she started taking her frustrations out on me. It
was time to put a stop to it, and because of you, I got the courage I needed.
I’ve learned that Abby really isn’t so fragile after all… she’s just lonely and
never wanted to admit it to me. Now that I know the truth, we’re going to do
things together and plan a life that only includes Pete when he’s around.”