The Cinderella Murder (27 page)

“How did she
look
? Like a million dollars. That role called for an absolute beauty, and she fit the part.”

Laurie smiled to herself but was impressed that Alex kept his expression neutral.

“The coroner estimated Susan’s time of death as between seven and eleven
P.M
. She was expected here at seven thirty. You and Madison said Madison arrived here at eight thirty. The assumption has always been that you could not possibly have killed Susan, called Madison, returned Susan’s car to campus, and then returned home by the time Madison arrived.”

“No, I have not yet found a way to navigate Los Angeles traffic at hyper speed.”

“But our research has revealed a new wrinkle to the timeline,” Alex said. “We have learned that Susan had been having car trouble prior to her death, so she may have gotten a ride to her audition from someone else. That means you could have had a violent interaction with her upon her arrival and have been home before Madison arrived.”

“If I went to a movie studio and pitched a story where a culprit sets an appointment to meet with someone at seven thirty, then phones her dorm room at seven forty-five, and then for some reason chases her into a park and murders her by eight thirty or so, I would get laughed out of the room. Alex, you’re one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country. Does that really sound plausible to you?”

Laurie watched Frank smile on the screen. She knew how this would play on television. The director was cocky, but he had a point. Unless they broke his alibi, Frank was in the clear. And so far, every part of the evidence supported his alibi: the phone records, Madison’s statements, the pizza receipt.

But Laurie still felt in her gut that the evidence was almost too perfect. What was she missing?

52

T
alia lingered at the edge of the yard, in her carefully selected white sheath dress, wondering why she had bothered. By the time she met Frank, this was the starter house he would ask their driver to cruise by after he’d had too many drinks, eager to reminisce about his younger, less privileged days. It was probably worth two million dollars by now, but by comparison to their current homes—five total—this place was a shack.

Why had she thought for a second that the producers of
Under Suspicion
would ask her opinion? She wasn’t a part of the narrative. When the press wrote about Frank, at best an article might mention that the previously hard-to-get bachelor had now been married for a decade. But they never bothered to name his wife, or to mention that she was the valedictorian of her class at Indiana University, was an accomplished pianist and singer, and had had a semi-promising acting career before she’d fallen in love with Frank.

Though she’d never played out the full arc of her career, she knew enough about show business to recognize that her husband wasn’t hitting a home run on the screen right now, answering Alex Buckley’s questions. Yes, he had scored a single—maybe even a double—pointing out the ridiculousness of Alex’s theory: how could he have decided to kill Susan, executed the deed, and been back in time to answer his door in less than an hour’s time? Yet, at the same time,
he sounded a bit too much like those guilty guys in bad movies who sneered while taunting, “Too bad you don’t have any evidence.”

In short, Frank had noted the lack of evidence of his guilt but hadn’t offered any alternative theory of his innocence. He had told his version of the story but hadn’t helped the show with theirs.

Talia watched the crew pack up the cameras into their overstuffed van. This clearly was not a high-budget operation. Why, oh why, had Frank even bothered participating? It would have been so easy for him to say he was too busy to help.

Their equipment was loaded, and the crew was ready to leave. Alex Buckley and the producer, Laurie, were thanking Frank again for his participation. They’d be heading to their cars soon.

She was about to miss her opportunity. How was she going to catch them without Frank’s seeing her?

Just as Alex and Laurie were walking down the driveway toward the black Land Cruiser parked on the street, Frank’s assistant, Clarence, stepped out of the production trailer, one hand covering the microphone of his cell. “Frank, I’ve got Mitchell Langley from
Variety
. He’s been trying to reach you all day. I told him there’s no truth to the rumors about Bradley pulling out of the project, but he wants to hear it straight from you.”

She overheard Frank offer a final good-bye before he followed Clarence into the trailer. She caught up to Laurie and Alex at the end of the driveway.

“My husband is being overly cautious.”

When they turned toward the sound of her voice, it was as if they were seeing Talia for the first time. At forty-two years old, Talia knew she was still beautiful, with high cheekbones, catlike green eyes, and shoulder-length waves of dark blond hair.

Laurie said cautiously, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Parker. We really didn’t get much of a chance to talk. You have something to add to your husband’s replay of the night?”

“Not directly. I didn’t even know Frank then. But I’m tired of this cloud hanging over him. I get it—her body was found a hop and skip from this house, and she was killed when she was supposed to be right here, alone with my husband. But, despite that, Frank truly has never understood why his alibi for that night hasn’t put him in the clear. In that respect, my husband can be a bit naive. Until someone comes up with a better theory, he will always be suspected. But, I’m telling you, you’re on the wrong track with the movie connection.”

“I understand your frustration—”

Talia cut Laurie off before she chickened out. “Susan Dempsey had a huge fight with her roommate just hours before her murder.”

“With Madison?”

“No, the other one; the third girl, Nicole. At least, according to Madison. You know how after Frank couldn’t reach Susan on her cell phone, he called the dorm room? Well, when Madison answered, she said that Susan had a knock-down, drag-out fight that afternoon with their other roommate, and maybe that’s why she was late.”

“This is the first we’ve ever heard of this,” Alex said. “Are you sure?”

“I wasn’t there, but I know for a fact that’s what Madison told Frank. It was so bad that Nicole even threw something at Susan. Then Susan called Nicole insane and said she was going to get her kicked out of the dorm, maybe even school, if she didn’t change her ways. Back when the police were clearly targeting Frank, he hired investigators to look into it. It turns out that Nicole suddenly quit school after Susan was killed. And she didn’t just take a semester or school year off. She left Los Angeles entirely and started all over again. Cut off ties with everyone. She was even using a fake name when she first moved. Then she changed her last name when she got married. Look into it: it’s like Nicole Hunter died right along with Susan.”

“Why didn’t your husband ever tell anyone this before?” Laurie asked.

“His lawyers admonished him not to,” Talia explained, clearly frustrated. “They were planning to use Nicole as the alternative suspect if he was ever formally charged.”

Talia watched Laurie look to Alex for guidance. “It’s probably what I would have advised too,” he said. “Better to say as little as possible and spring it on the prosecution at trial.”

“But there was never a trial,” Talia said. “And yet twenty years later, here we are. Formal accusations aren’t the only kind of punishment. Maybe now that you know the truth, you can ask the question the police never did: what happened between Susan and that other roommate?”

•  •  •

While Alex was starting the engine of the SUV, Laurie snapped her seat belt in place. “Good timing,” she said. “Not even noon, and we’re already wrapped up with Frank Parker.”

Alex turned to her and smiled. “That means there’s no need to rush back. Your dad is at the house with Grace and Timmy, so we know they’re all safe. I have a suggestion. Let’s drive up the coast for an hour and find a place on the water for lunch. I don’t know about you, but my brain is scrambled. It’s as though every time we talk to one of the witnesses, a new suspect emerges.”

Laurie started to protest that they needed to get back to the house, but Alex was right. It would be good for the two of them to quietly discuss what they had been hearing from the potential suspects these past few days.

And a little time alone with him would be a nice bonus.

53

T
he next morning, Laurie was on her knees by the front door, buttoning Timmy’s jean jacket.

“Mom, are you sure you and Alex can’t come to the zoo with us?”

She had the fleeting thought that Timmy had begun to call her Mom instead of Mommy. He was growing up so fast.

“Sorry, sweetie, but we talked about this. Alex and I have to work, just like if I was in New York, but we get the bonus of being out here in California. I’ll see you tonight, though.
Dad,
” she called out. “
Are you about ready to hit the road?
”

She looped the last jacket button and glanced at her watch. This was the start of the summit sessions, and today’s participants would be here any minute. Up first was Susan’s social group: Keith Ratner, Nicole Melling, and Madison Meyer. Rosemary was coming, too, because she wanted to watch. Tomorrow they’d talk separately to the computer crowd, Dwight Cook and Professor Richard Hathaway.

She heard rushed footsteps down the stairs. “Sorry, sorry,” her father said. “I’m coming. I got that e-mail I was waiting for from the Alameda police: a list of license plates that were near Rosemary’s neighborhood the day her neighbor was killed.”

“Dad,” Laurie whispered protectively.

“Aw, don’t worry about Timmy. Kid’s tough as nails, aren’t you?” He tousled Timmy’s brown wavy hair.

“Nails made of kryptonite,” Timmy shot back.

“When we’re done with the zoo, I might swing by the local precinct here for a little help running some criminal records. How does that sound, Timmy?”

“That sounds
cool
. And can we go see Jerry too? I want to get him a stuffed animal from the zoo and bring it to his room to keep him company until he wakes up again.”

When they had agreed to bring Timmy out to California for an adventure, this wasn’t what Laurie had in mind.

“You guys have a good day,” she said. “And, Dad, try to take it easy on certain subjects, all right?”

Alex and Grace came out of the kitchen in time to say good-bye. Just as the rental car pulled out of the driveway, a red Porsche convertible replaced it. Keith Ratner was here. They were greeting him at the door when a black Escalade arrived, carrying Rosemary, Madison, Nicole, and Nicole’s husband, Gavin.

Laurie leaned toward Grace to whisper a question. “Madison’s staying at the hotel with the out-of-towners? Her house is, like, twenty minutes from here.”

“Tell me about it. But girlfriend’s agent insisted.”

As Keith, Nicole, and Madison exchanged polite hugs and exclamations of
It’s been so long
and
You look just the same,
Laurie escorted Rosemary and Gavin into the house to settle in as the day’s observers. “Craft services brings in a ton of food throughout the day, so please, help yourself. It’s all set up in the kitchen. Gavin, I didn’t realize you were making the trip down to L.A.”

“It was the least I could do, given how nervous Nicole has been. You’re probably used to camera shyness, but I’ve never seen her like this.”

After the bombshell Talia had dropped about Nicole and Susan fighting just hours before Susan’s murder, Laurie had to wonder if the cameras were the only reason for Nicole’s nerves.

With Jerry still in the hospital, Grace was doubling as production assistant, escorting Keith, Nicole, and Madison to the bedroom they were using for hair and makeup. Once they were camera ready, they’d have a group conversation with Alex in the living room.

“You ready to roll?” Laurie asked Alex. Their lunch excursion to the coast the previous afternoon had been fruitful. They had rehearsed the plan ad nauseam, but now Laurie found herself hoping that their suspicions about Nicole were wrong.