Cluttered Attic Secrets (26 page)

“She’s fine.” Tina smiled. “And adorable.”

Vicky’s face lit up. She nodded. “She’s wonderful.” She wiped away the tears with her fingertips and sat up straighter. “You can get me out of here?”

“I think so.” Brandon pulled a yellow pad and a pen out of his briefcase. “I need you to tell us exactly what happened in the store before the police came.”

Vicky bowed her head and wouldn’t look at Brandon. “I was in a hurry. Sophie wanted to go home. My friends all wanted lipsticks and asked me to buy some. Different colors. Different brands. I picked them out, and not thinking, stuck them in my pocket as I found each one. Suddenly, police were there. Yelling at me.”

“You were still inside the store when they came?”

“Yes.”

“Then what happened?”

“I was scared.” She kept looking down at the table. Tina thought she was ashamed. “I’ve never even talked to a policeman before. There were two of them.”

She stopped talking. Brandon waited.

“They told me empty my pockets. At first I couldn’t move. One reached into my pocket. I knew the lipsticks there, and I suddenly knew why the police had come. They thought I steal them. I never steal. I’m afraid to steal. I’m afraid I go to jail. Like now.”

She shook her head, over and over, and couldn’t seem to stop. Tina rested a hand on Vicky’s and squeezed. “We understand. It’s all right. They made a mistake.”

“Sophie was crying.” Her head still shook. “I had a tantrum. Like when I was little. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop. They pushed me on floor. Sophie screamed and screamed. They tied my hands behind my back Took me to the car. Put me in a cage thing in back.”

Vicky was shaking all over now. Tina continued to squeeze her hand. “Calm. Be calm. That’s over now. We’ll help you.”

“I can go now? I want see Vicky and Joshua. I want go home.”

“Just a couple of questions,” Brandon said. He looked at Tina. She could tell he dreaded what would happen when they told her about Joshua. “Did you try to tell the police officers why you had the lipsticks in your pocket?”

“I wanted to. I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t form words. They were mean to me. Scared, so scared,” she whispered.

“I understand.” Brandon made a note. “After they brought you here, did you explain then?”

“No. No. A man came, he said he’s lawyer. He said bail me out, but nothing happened. No one else talk to me. Sophie’s all right? She and Joshua with Irene?”

“Sophie’s fine,” Tina said. “We do have some bad news about Joshua. Aren’t you surprised he didn’t come to see you?”

“No. No, he doesn’t talk to people. He hide away. Never come to police station. Afraid. Bad news? What? What?”

Tina took Vicky’s other hand in her own. “He passed away. The other night.”

“Passed away?” Vicky frowned. “That means…dead? Dead? No! Joshua not dead. Can’t be.”

No tears, just total shock. Vicky’s hands convulsed around Tina’s. “What happened? How?”

Tina swallowed hard. “He was on Kay Street. By his old house. Someone hit him too hard on the head.”

“No, no, no, no. Can’t be.” Her eyes were enormous, staring. “Joshua never hurt anyone. No one hurt Joshua. Good man. Can’t be.”

“Do you know the house I mean? Did the three of you maybe stay in a secret room there sometimes?”

“No, no, no, no. No secret room.” Vicky turned completely pale and jerked her hands away from Tina’s.

“It’s all right. We know about the secret room. You can tell us.”

“Irene get mad.”

“We already know quite a bit. Irene is in trouble. Irene is your sister?”

“Yes.”

“You gave her legal guardianship for Sophie?”

“Paper. Signed paper. In case something happen to me. Joshua. Joshua not dead. Can’t be dead.”

Tina realized Vicky was beginning to talk like Sophie the more agitated she became. Tina wanted to ask how Vicky and Joshua met, learn their whole backstory, but she knew it wasn’t the time or place for that.

When Tina and Brandon remained silent, Vicky, voice soft, said, “Irene in trouble? How?”

“We believe she’s helping illegals hide from the authorities.”

“Illegals? What are illegals?”

“People who come to America without the proper papers. They need papers to show who they are, like you have a birth certificate. They are sent back to their own countries if they don’t have those papers.”

Vicky looked totally baffled. “Why?”

Brandon and Tina exchanged a quick glance. How to answer that? “It’s the law.”

Vicky frowned. “No sense. I don’t understand. They hide, then?”

“Yes. People help them hide. Some people who do that are good people. Some people who do that are bad people.”

“Irene bad. Yes?”

“We think so.” Tina felt a headache coming on behind her eyes. She rubbed her forehead and looked at Brandon.

“Did Irene know about the secret room?” he asked.

Vicky nodded.              

“How did she find out?”

“Sophie tell her.”

“How did you get in?” Tina asked.

“We waited until no one home. Joshua had key. Joshua. Not dead.”

“He had a key?” Tina couldn’t figure out how he had kept a key all those years.

“Hid under rock in back yard. Old key. He surprised it still worked.”

“Sophie didn’t have to climb in the basement window and open the cellar doors?”

Vicky looked horrified. “No. Never. Why would she do that?”

“Well, if someone wanted to get in and didn’t have a key.”

“Irene made Vicky do that?”

“We think so. Irene and the baby sitter.”

“Peter? Peter from next door?”

Tina looked at Brandon’s shocked face, sure hers was equally surprised. “You mean Peter Collier is Sophie’s babysitter?”

Vicky nodded. “Good to her. Give her candy, sometimes a dollar.”

Tina’s heart jumped. All she could hope was that she’d been right when she thought Sophie hadn’t been sexually abused. “You have a job, Vicky?” Tina asked.

Vicky nodded, looking proud. “Grocery store. I put things on shelves. Sometimes I do cash register when busy. I’m too slow, though.”

“Are you on Social Security disability?”

Vicky nodded. “Can only work a little so don’t lose.”

“Yes. Did Joshua have a job?”

“No.” Vicky stared at the table. “No papers. He afraid to try to get them. He work some in yards, mowing for neighbors. Do some construction.”

“Did you live with Irene, then?”

“Only sometimes. When money gone too fast. She move into new house last year.”

“You can drive?”

Vicky nodded. “Work hard to pass tests.”

Tina smiled. “That’s wonderful.”

“Can I go now?”

“Vicky,” Brandon asked, “did that man who said he’d help you meet you in a courtroom in front of a judge?”

Vicky put her hand over her mouth. “I forgot. Judge want me to pay a lota money to go home.” Tears welled. “I don’t have much money.”

Tina looked at Brandon. He stood up. “I’m going to see what I can do. Either way, I’ll let you know.”

They left Vicky and went to find Captain Swanson. He agreed to drop the charges and let Vicky go with them after Brandon implied he wouldn’t pursue a wrongful arrest case against the department. He also strongly recommended some sensitivity training for his officers.

They joined Hank in the lobby. As they waited for Vicky, Brandon said, “I just don’t think she could go through a court case about this arrest—it wouldn’t be worth it. This is better. Get her out of here and hope she forgets the whole incident.”

Tina agreed.

“The next hurdle will be getting Vicky and Sophie reunited. If Vicky can move away from Irene,” Hank said, “I’m not sure Social Services will want the child to live there any longer.”

“You know what you need to do, Brandon,” Tina said. “Talk to you parents. Sophie is probably your father’s niece. I bet he’ll help her and Vicky out.”

Brandon smiled. “I’m not betting against that. I’m sure you’re right.”

Vicky finally came out, dressed in street clothes, carrying a battered purse. She smiled when she saw them.

“I’m going to take you to your sister’s now,” Brandon said. “We’ll find out what’s going on with her, and go from there. I didn’t tell you before, but Joshua is probably my uncle. We think my father is his brother. I’m going to talk to him about you and Sophie.”

“Oh. Oh. If only Joshua had known.”

“Yeah. Well, let’s go. Thanks, Tina. Hank. I hope we’re near the end of this nightmare now.”

Tina hugged him fiercely. “I hope so, too. Vicky, take care of yourself. It was nice meeting you.”

Vicky surprised Tina by hugging her. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome. I want to keep in touch with you and Sophie.”

Vicky pulled away and nodded. “Good.”

Tina and Hank watched them walk out of the police station. “I wonder what’s happening in Newport,” Tina said as they followed.

“Let’s go find out.” Hank took her hand.

Brandon and Vicky arrived at his car before Tina and Hank reached his. After Hank unlocked it, someone called to him.

Tina looked up and saw the man who had been following them approach. She gasped. Up close, he looked even scarier than he had at a distance. The chiseled face. The burning eyes. .

“Darwin,” Hank said.

Tina gaped.
The mole. The man Michele had entrapped.

“Hank, nothing is as it seems. We need to talk. I was framed.”

Slowly, Hank nodded. “Okay. You have a room somewhere?”

“A suite at the Viking.” He told Hank the room number.

“We’ll follow you.”

Darwin glanced at Tina. “You sure she should come along?”

“Yes.” Hank opened the door for Tina, and she got in. She didn’t know if she was more shocked by finding out the man was Darwin, or that Hank had decided to let her hear what he had to say.

She hadn’t been in the Viking, except in the dining room, for years. It was still as beautifully elegant as before it was sold to an exclusive chain.

Darwin opened the door when Hank knocked. He invited them in and offered drinks. Everyone had a Coke and settled into a leather chair for Darwin, and a damask couch for Tina and Hank.

Without further preliminaries, Darwin said, “Michele set us up. She hoped you’d turn me in to Rudy. That got rid of you. Then she turned me in to Rudy, and that got rid of me. Clever bitch.”

“And I should believe you instead of her, why?” Hank took a sip of his soda, looking totally at ease.

Tina forced herself to relax. She was not involved, only an observer.

Darwin just sat there scowling.

Hank set his glass down. “You’ve been following me around, and Tina. Why didn’t you come to me right away?”

“I had no proof. Until now.” Darwin opened a leather folder on the coffee table. He pulled out some photos and handed them to Hank.

After Hank looked at each one, he passed it on the Tina. Shots of Michele and Peter. Michele and Mrs. Hendricks. Michele and Sidney Emerson. Michele and Mr. Hall. Hank and Tina and Michele all together.

“She never spotted me. I’m that good.” He looked at Tina. “I was more careless around you. I figured you wouldn’t catch me.”

Tina didn’t say anything.

Hank put the pictures back on the table. “These prove nothing. She could be investigating these people.”

“That works for Irene Hendricks. We had her street’s name in New York. But not for Peter Collier. He and Irene have not been seen together since I started following her. But he and Michele have been. Nor for Sidney Emerson. He was the first one to put his house on the market.” He waved his hand at the pictures.

“What about Mr. Hall.”

Darwin laughed. “She picked him up. She was simply dating him.”

Tina felt relieved. She’d liked Mr. Hall.

“All right. What else do you have?”

Darwin grinned. “You knew I’d have more.” He pulled out a voice recorder from his pocket, placed it on the table, and pushed play.

Michele’s voice came out loud, clear and low. “I can’t believe you were so stupid.”

“I never thought—” Irene.

“That’s the problem. You didn’t think. You didn’t think that someone would find it odd that eleven houses in this neighborhood would suddenly be listed for sale on the same day. You knew the police were investigating you.”

“I still don’t know how they found out so soon.” Irene’s voice had a whine to it Tina had never heard before. Gone was the stridency, the defiance.

“Sheer luck. Tina Shaw.”

Tina startled when she heard her name spit out.

“She got the bright idea to go house hunting, saw that Sidney had his place up for sale, which is right down the street from the Young’s. She probably thought it would be a great idea to live so close to her friend. Then the Realtor looked around for other homes for sale in the area and found all of ours listed.”

“What are we going to do now?”

“Disappear. We have no choice.”

Darwin pushed the stop button.

Hank stood up. “That’s it?”

“Yes. They moved out of range.”

“When was that recorded?”

Darwin looked at his watch. “Two hours ago.”

“Have you contacted Rudy?”

“No. For all I know, he’s involved, too.”

Hank stared at him a moment. “You don’t think I am?”

Darwin smiled. Tina was surprised at how it transformed his face. He actually looked human. “No.”

“Why not?”

“The way Michele acted around you. This is hindsight, you realize. She did her usual flirting and bantering with you, but all the while, she was watching you.” He looked at Tina, then quickly glanced away. “She wanted you again. Yes, I know about your past history with her. I think the whole agency knows. But she was also worried about something. I didn’t know what until she set us both up.”

Hank sighed. He didn’t look at Tina. “We need to find her. Any suggestions about where to look?”

“Haven’t a clue. I’m sure she’s holed up someplace we neither know about nor even suspect.”

“You’re right. We’ll probably never find her.”