The Trophy Exchange (50 page)

“
That
’
s so hard to accept. And he committed all the other murders you questioned me about?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
How can you be so sure, Lieutenant?
”

The method of murder and the signature of the perpetrator are the same in every scene. And it
’
s all reinforced by the trail of jewelry, Dr Spencer. Like the turquoise cross around Kathleen
’
s neck and Kathleen
’
s ring on another woman
’
s finger. There is a clear chain from the first murder we are aware of until the failed attempt last night. The only thing we don
’
t know is if the first murder we have in the string of homicides is really the first. There could be more.
”

“
But why Kate? Why Ruby? Why Charley?
”

“
I wish I could answer that, Doctor. The best I can do is theorize that he was all wrapped up in rage at your family
–
at his family.
”

Evan hung his head and shook it slowly from side to side.

“
Does your mother know you
’
re coming? Have you told her anything at all?
”

“
No. I haven
’
t talked to her. I called but I didn
’
t get an answer.
”

Alarm stabbed a sharp pain into Lucinda
’
s chest.
“
She
’
s not answering the phone?
”

“
Oh, that
’
s nothing. My mother usually turns off the ringer on her phone before she goes to bed at night. Even if she
’
s up, she often doesn
’
t remember to turn it back on until she happens to go past the answering machine and sees the blinking light. I left her a message. She
’
ll probably get it before we get there and call my cell.
”

Back at the station, Ted and Lucinda headed to the conference room.
“
Wonder how long it
’
ll take them to come with my suspension notice?
”
Lucinda mused out loud.
“
I know they
’
ll ask for my gun but I gave that up to the crime
-
scene techs. I hope that doesn
’
t piss them off.
”

“
That was proper procedure. How could that tick them off?
”

“
You know Internal Affairs
–
they
’
re not happy unless they
’
re pissed.
”

“
You want to start packing this stuff up while we wait?
”
he asked gesturing to the murder wall.

“
Not yet,
”
she said.
“
I
’
ve got to figure out where Kirk got that daisy pin.
”

“
That
’
s something we may never know Lucinda. We sure can
’
t ask him.
”

“
I
’
m well aware of that,
”
she snapped.
“
I had no damn choice, Sergeant!
”

“
Whoa, Lucinda. I know that. Ease up. I
’
m on your side.
”

Lucinda ran a hand through her hair.
“
I know. I
’
m sorry.
”
She crossed the room and stood before the crime
-
scene photos from Waverly. She poked a finger at the shirt of the victim.
“
I have to know, Ted. I have to know if the owner of that daisy pin is another victim of Kirk Prescott.
”

Sixty-Nine

Evan made the two-hour and fifteen-minute drive to his mother
’
s house. His uneasiness grew with each mile that passed without a call from his mother. He had to focus to participate in light-hearted banter with the girls and conceal his apprehension. Several times he checked to make sure he still had a signal on his cellphone. Three times he called and got her voicemail.

He pulled into her driveway in the back of the house and saw an open, empty garage. Panic beat a fierce tattoo on his heart. Maybe she just ran out to the store, he thought. But she never leaves the garage door open when she
’
s not at home. Beads of sweat popped up on his forehead.

Fortunately, he
’
d already spoken to the girls about playing outside in the yard while he had a minute with his mother alone. Hopefully, that would prevent any arguments about not going straight into the house. The girls bounded from the car and over to the swing hanging from a branch of the large oak tree in the backyard.

He walked into the garage and up to the door to the kitchen. He held his keys in a trembling hand but he didn
’
t need them. The door was not locked. It was not even all the way shut.

He took a deep breath and entered the house. He saw an open carton of eggs and a partial pack of bacon sitting on the counter. A container of melted ice cream and spoon crusted with smears of chocolate sat next to an upended purse on the kitchen table. An empty milk carton
was
discarded on the floor. Mom would not leave this mess, he thought. Not ever.

He raced into the living room and up the stairway calling out,
“
Mom! Mom!
”
He entered her bedroom and saw the disheveled blankets and sheets.
Mom wouldn’t go anywhere without making the bed.

He plunged back down the stairs hollering,
“
Lily! Lily Spencer!
”
as if those words would evoke the response that his cries of
“
Mom!
”
did not. He went through every room on the first floor but saw no sign of his mother
’
s presence. Back up the stairs, he checked her bath and walk-in closet. Nothing. He moved down the hall and searched the two guest bedrooms without finding her.

Down the stairs he went again with thoughts of checking on his daughters foremost in his mind. As he reached the closed door to the half bath nestled under the
stairs
leading upstairs, his steps slowed, then stopped. He wrapped his hand around the knob, breathed in deeply and pulled open the door.

His breath surged out in a rush. Although the cast
-
iron skillet concealed a view of his mother
’
s face, he knew it was her body that stretched out covering the tiled floor of the small room. He knelt beside her and grasped her hand. It was cold and unresponsive.

Tears coursed down his cheeks. The girls flashed back into his mind and propelled him to his feet. He walked with a heavy tread through the kitchen, through the garage and out to the yard.

When Charley saw him, she rushed to his side and said,
“
Daddy, Daddy, what
’
s wrong?
”

“
I
. . .
I
. . .”
Evan did not know what to say. He fell to his knees and sobbed.

“
Daddy,
”
Charley said laying her soft small hand on the side of his face.
“
Do you need
me
to call Lucy?
”

At first, Evan could not understand. Did she follow me inside the house and see what I saw in that Godforsaken bathroom? Then, he realized, Lieutenant Pierce
had
saved her life. For a long time, Charley
’
s solution to every problem would be to call her friend, Lucy.
Can’t blame her for that. I wasn’t there when she needed me. In fact, I haven’t really been there for her since her mother died, have I?
He pushed down his bitter anger at himself and said,
“
I don
’
t have her number, Charley.
”

“
I do.
”
Charley dug into her pocket and pulled out Lucinda
’
s card. As she did, her folded photo of her mother fell into the grass.

“
What
’
s this?
”
Evan asked picking it up.

“
Oh, Daddy, please let me have it. Please don
’
t take it. Please, Daddy, please,
”
Charley pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Evan unfolded the paper, saw the creased face of Kathleen and his throat constricted.
“
Your mom,
”
he said.

“
Yes, Daddy. Please let me keep it.
”

He folded the photo back up, pressed it into Charley
’
s hand and wrapped his arms around his daughter.
“
I
’
m so sorry, Charley.
”

“
That
’
s
okay
, Daddy,
”
she said hugging him tight.
“
I love you.
”

Evan swallowed hard to keep from crying.
“
I love you, too, Charley. I need to call Lucy.
”

“Okay
, Daddy. I
’
ll watch Ruby. Don
’
t worry.
”

Evan stepped inside the garage and picked a vantage point where he could still keep an eye on the girls without being overheard by them. Lucinda
’
s cellphone rang once. The welcome sound of
“
Pierce
”
entered his ear and flooded him with relief.
“
Lieutenant, I
’
m at my mother
’
s house in Lynchburg.
”