Holmes & Moriarty 02 - All She Wrote (MM) (27 page)

“How should I know?” I groaned. “
I
fed the cops that whole line of Anna’s bullshit about those attempts on her life. Anna faked it all. No wonder it all sounded like a figment of her imagination. It was.”

J.X.’s eyes were sympathetic, but his tone was brusque. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“The hell I don’t.”

He caught my arm, forcing me to pay attention. “You
don’t
know any of this for a fact.”

“Do you think I’m right?” It really did matter to me.

“Yes.” He said it without hesitation.

“Then?”

“It’s beside the point. I think you’re right because I know you. And I know Anna. I know her enough, anyway. These cops
don’t
know you. Anna is a big fucking deal in this town, and no one is going to accuse her of killing her secretary without substantial proof.”

I yanked my arm away. “Then let’s
find
some goddamned proof.”

“Like what? A note from Anna saying she did it? Because that’s about what it would take at this point.”

There was something else he wasn’t telling me. I could read it in his eyes. What?

Something he didn’t want me to know.

“I’m willing to bet money that this new as-yet-untitled project of Anna’s is one of Sara’s first efforts. Or maybe an earlier draft of
Death and Her Sisters
. Anna looked ready to faint when I said the book was going to be published.”

“Okay, but Sara’s laptop has already been confiscated by the police.”

“She had to have back-up files. Someone as methodical as Sara? No way did she trust it to a cyber-data backup and recovery site and let it go at that. She’ll have made copies, maybe even disks.”

“She probably used an external hard drive, which the cops will have.”

A brilliant idea struck me. “We could search Anna’s office. We might find what we need there.”

J.X. was not impressed. “And what do you think is going to happen if you’re found searching Anna’s office or trying to break into her computer? The cops aren’t going to understand what you’re doing and they aren’t going to have any sympathy with it.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s going to matter when they arrest you.”

I turned on him in exasperation. “So we should just leave it alone? We should just let her get away with it? Let her get away with murder? Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m saying you do
not
want to get caught trying to make off with evidence from this crime scene. Kit, will you please listen to me? It’s already on record that you came here to play amateur sleuth. Yes? That’s not an endorsement of your overall credibility—or stability. I’ll tell you flat out there is a perception that you’re a flaky-writer type. Wandering around the hospital half-naked and crocked on pain meds didn’t help your image.”

I felt myself turn scarlet with recollection. But it was just for an instant. “Oh screw them all,” I snarled. “Screw their small-town minds and mores. Their lack of imagination isn’t my problem.”

J.X. ignored that. “You’re on record saying you thought there was a plot against Anna.

Now you want to go on record saying you think Anna is the plot mastermind, that she killed her PA. Think about how that’s going to sound.”

“I don’t care how it’s going to sound.”

“I do. I care for your sake how it’s going to sound because if this gets into the papers and there isn’t any proof against Anna, you’re going to sink your career for nothing.”

I stood still.

He said quietly, “
Think
. I know you’re upset, but stop and really look at this objectively.”

I felt my resistance start to crumble in the face of his unshakable and calm certainty. As angry and betrayed as I was, I wasn’t ready to destroy what was left of my career, especially knowing that Anna would remain unscathed and unassailable.

“She used our friendship. She used me. She used me to commit murder.”

He pulled me into his arms. “I know.” He kissed my temple. Kissed the bridge of my nose. The warmth was real and tangible. I felt an unfamiliar and alarming desire to howl my anger and hurt and guilt onto his broad and capable shoulder. It was almost liberating to know that I could have a moment of weakness and it would be met by sympathy and that J.X. wouldn’t think anything the worse of me for breaking down.

I didn’t break down although I closed my eyes. Let myself be comforted for a few seconds. “God knows how long she planned it. Weeks. Maybe months.”

“I know.” He nuzzled my ear.

“I fell right into it.”

He was nibbling my earlobe.

“Your timing is off.” I pushed him away.

J.X. sighed and raked a hand through his hair. “I know. Speaking of timing, we need to get out of here.”

I nodded reluctantly. “And speaking of getting out of here, see if you can get us on a plane tonight. I don’t think I can face Anna again and not do something you’ll regret.”

He scanned my face. Nodded grimly.

The police were still searching the house for the mysterious source of Sara’s poisoning when Rudolph and Anna returned from the funeral.

I was in the library listening to J.X. schmooze our way onto a new flight when I saw the long black car pulling up the drive.

Rising, I went to the window and stared out. First Rudolph got out of the car and then he helped Anna, who was slower and clumsy on her crutches. I watched them walking across the courtyard and was forced to admit that they made a strikingly handsome older couple in their black, fur-trimmed coats.

I was perfectly positioned to see their faces. Anna had been crying, but she was smiling now and gazing up at Rudolph with unselfconscious affection. It was a completely unguarded moment and I could see the love she felt for him. My stomach knotted. That’s the problem with real-life villains. Rarely are they black and white.

As for Rudolph, he was smiling indulgently down at her, a protective arm wrapped around her as they moved slowly up the front steps to the house.

The receiver rattled into its cradle behind me. J.X. said, “Okay. If we move fast we can make this flight out of Bradley International. If we miss it, they’ll put us on standby. Either way, we’re getting out of here tonight.”

I blew my nose a final time.

Silence. He came up behind me.

“Are you okay, Kit?”

“Oh hell yeah.”

He put his arms around me. “Is there anything I can do?”

“I think you’re doing it.” I sniffed, gently freed myself. “Let’s do this.”

Detective Eames was in the main hallway when Rudolph and Anna entered and we were in time to hear him break it to Anna about Sara’s body being loaded with poison.

“How is that possible?” Anna said, and she sounded truly shocked, truly horrified.

Not as shocked and horrified as Rudolph, who was literally struck silent. His face was haggard with pain. He and Anna clung together in the wake of it.

“Could it have been suicide? Is that what you think?” Anna asked at last.

Detective Eames was unable to vouchsafe comment on what he thought. He said the police were still searching for the source of the poison, but it appeared as though Sara Mason had eaten cereal shortly before her death.

“Cereal?” Rudolph repeated numbly.

“Oh fucking hell,” Anna murmured—shocking Eames, I think. “Yes. Yes, that’s true. She used to have a bowl of some god-awful granola or something like that every night. She was very health conscious. Fanatical, really.”

“That’s what your kitchen staff said. They said you’d given orders for Ms. Mason’s groceries to be tossed out.”

Anna’s jaw dropped. She looked around bewilderedly. “That’s not true. Cook was asking me what to do about some spoiled soy milk, and I…well, I suppose I did say to dispose of it. The
milk
. I’m afraid I had assumed your people had already gone through the food.”

“We did. This cereal was evidently overlooked. At the time we were under the impression we were looking for a liquid.”

“Miscommunication all around then. Oh, but this is fucking
ghastly
. I’ll never forgive myself if—” She broke off as her gaze fell on J.X. and I standing in the library doorway on the periphery of this gathering. I had the impression that she wasn’t thrilled to see us, although she summoned a weary smile. “Had a nice afternoon, darlings?”

“As a matter of fact we’ve got to leave now or we’ll miss our flight,” J.X. said.

“Oh?” Anna looked startled. “You’re leaving
now
?” Her eyes sought mine.

“Yes.” I couldn’t manage more than that one single flat word.

“But is that all right?” Anna asked Eames.

Eames nodded. “We’ve already discussed Mr. Moriarity and Mr. Holmes’s traveling plans. They’re good to go.”

“I don’t quite know what to say.” Anna stood motionless.

Not as motionless as Rudolph. He looked like he’d turned to stone. He hadn’t said a word since Eames had mentioned the poisoned cereal.

It took us less than fifteen minutes to pack. When we carried our bags down to the front hall it was empty. No sign of anyone. Even the police seemed to have scattered to the far winds.

“I’ll bring the car around.” J.X. set his suitcase down next to mine.

“I’ll be right back,” I told him, turning back to the staircase.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I want to say goodbye.”

“Kit.” He started after me, stopping after a step or two when I put my hand up.

“It’s all right. I’m not going to do anything crazy. Just…don’t leave without me.”

His expression was fierce. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”

I took the stairs fast and reached the second level out of breath, but that was more about anger than exertion. I retraced the steps to Anna’s room, remembering walking this way with Sara that first afternoon.

Anna was in her room staring out the window at the frozen lake.

“Didn’t we already say goodbye?” she asked without turning.

“
Why
?” I demanded. “Why the
hell
did you have to drag me into it?”

She did turn then, her expression one of polite inquiry. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, darling.”

“Do me the courtesy of sparing me the bullshit. You faked a bunch of tries on your life to make Sara’s murder look like a backfired attempt to kill you. You framed Sara for her own murder.”

Anna smiled, the smile I remembered from classrooms long ago, when a student, against the odds, had managed to get something correct. “If you’ll recall, that was your theory. I’d gone to some pains to spread the clues around. I tried to make sure no particular person looked guilty.

But then you popped up with the theory that Sara was trying to kill me to conceal the murder of her sister.”

“There was no murder of her sister.”

“True. But you didn’t know that. Sara never spoke about her sister. Never spoke about anything personal, in fact. She was a very private person.” She added, “Not particularly imaginative, which is surprising in a writer. And devoid of any sense of humor.”

I had a sudden, shocking urge to shove her out that lovely picture window. It took a second or two before I could ask, “Did you do it for Rudolph or was it for
Death and Her
Sisters
?”

Anna’s face changed again. “I can’t believe the little bitch submitted that manuscript without talking to me first. After everything I did for her.”

“You mean like killing her?”

“Keep your voice down, Christopher,” she said softly. “Fair warning. I could ruin you if I wanted to. You’re hanging on by your fingernails now. One word to your editor at Millbrook House and you and Miss Butterwitch will be a footnote in the next edition of
Murderess Ink
.”

“You go right ahead. You’re a fucking lunatic, Anna. What I still don’t get is why you dragged me across the country to be a part of this?”

Her eyes darkened with emotion. “If anyone should understand, it’s you.”

“What should I have understood?”

“What it’s like to be a has-been,” she cried, and now she seemed to be appealing to me.

“What it’s like to know your career is over. To lose your lover to someone younger and stronger.

To lose
everything
.”

I felt the poison arrows hit, but the pain barely registered. “You can’t get it back by killing your…your rival.”

Unnervingly, she laughed. “I might have agreed with you once, but you’re wrong about that. The only reason Rudolph and I weren’t still together was Sara, and ironically her death is serving to bring us back to where we were before she interfered.”

Even if I’d tried, I couldn’t have hid my feelings—and I didn’t try. Anna snapped, “You know nothing about it. Right now you feel magnanimous toward David because of J.X. but J.X.

won’t stay with you. Why would he? He’ll be gone to greener pastures as soon as the novelty wears off, as soon as it becomes clear to him that your careers—your lives—are going in two different directions.”

“Even if that’s true, it wouldn’t justify—it wouldn’t change anything.”

She said with utter certainty, “Oh, it’s true. And it will change
everything
.”

It took effort to drag the focus of the conversation back to where it needed to be. “What about Nella? Did you do something to Poppy’s car?”

She recoiled, staring as though I were the crazy one. “I
loved
that child. How could you accuse me of something like that?” She seemed honestly horrified. “Even if it had been physically possible, I’d never have done anything to hurt her. I would never do anything to hurt anyone…who wasn’t trying to destroy me.”

I didn’t think I misread the warning.

“So this was all about getting Rudolph back? And now everything is supposed to be back to normal?”

She raised her chin. “He never really left me. Sara was merely a distraction. It hadn’t gone far between them and now it never will.”

“Yeah right. So you and Rudolph are going to live happily ever after and he’s going to publish Sara’s stories under your name? Maybe Sara showed him her other stories too.”

“What do you mean
too
?” Her eyes narrowed.

I started to tell her that Rudolph had advised Sara to submit to Wheaton & Woodhouse—