Welcome to Temptation (39 page)

"Forty-five minutes," Phin said. "Anybody have an alibi?"

"You and Sophie," Wes said. "Rob and Rachel at the Tavern. Leo in L.A. Hildy and Ed." Phin raised an eyebrow. "Hildy and Ed?"

"Watching porn at his place," Wes said. "Police work turns up a lot of stuff you wish you didn't know."

"So that leaves...?"

"Frank, who didn't go home. Georgia who was home alone after you dropped her off. Your mom, who was home with Dillie in bed. Stephen, who was home, but who sleeps in a different room than Virginia ."

"Christ, this guy can't catch a break," Phin said, and then thought about Virginia . "Or maybe he can."

"And Clea, Amy, and Davy," Wes said. "None of these people can find the guns that are supposed to be in their respective houses. All of them had access to Sophie's bedroom to plant the gun we found there, which, by the way, is now in Cincinnati for a ballistics test."

"Davy and Amy wouldn't put a gun under Sophie's mattress," Phin said.

"Amy might," Wes said. "She's used to Sophie carrying the can for her. And there was a good chance that gun would never be found. But Davy's the one I'm really interested in."

"I don't think Davy Dempsey is a killer."

"You're forgetting Clea. They were lovers five years ago until she dumped him for Zane, and I'm picking up some tension there now. It'd be like Clea to hedge her bets by sending two guys after Zane. What if she told Davy she'd made a mistake, that she'd come back to him if Zane were gone?"

"Davy Dempsey is not a killer," Phin said. "And if he decided to become one, he wouldn't shoot his victim in the shoulder with a pop-gun."

"Unless he knew his victim had heart problems," Wes said. "Then that becomes a smart thing to do. You can't be convicted of murder, but you can cause a man to die, just the same. That's devious enough for Davy. In fact, it's so devious I'm starting to think it can only be Davy."

"What are you going to do?" Phin said.

"Keep digging," Wes said. "Wait for the ballistics report on the gun in Sophie's bed. Watch Davy Dempsey. Pray for a miracle."

"You're doing a helluva job with this," Phin told him.

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"One other thing," Wes said, and Phin tensed at the tone in his voice. "The gun in Sophie's bed was your dad's."

The worst part, Phin thought, was that neither of them was surprised. "I don't want to know this."

"Doesn't mean it's the gun that shot Zane," Wes said,

"No, but it is the gun that framed Sophie," Phin said. "I need to talk to my mother."

*

When Phin got home, Liz was waiting for him in the hall, glowering.

"Now what?" he said, and she said, "You took her to Dillie's softball game."

"Yes," Phin said, looking around for his daughter, and Liz said "She's not here. I took her to Junie's so we could have this out."

"Good," Phin said. "You put Dad's gun under Sophie's mattress. A
loaded gun
, under Sophie's mattress. You could have killed her."

"I suppose she told you that," Liz stood stone-faced, framed by the big front door. "She lies. She's trying to destroy this family and you're letting her. You're going to have to choose. If you're going to continue to consort with her, you can't live under my roof. I won't let you destroy this family for sex."

"It's not sex," Phin said. "And I'm not destroying the family, but you might be."

"Choose," Liz said, and Phin said, "You're right. It's time anyway." Her face relaxed and she smiled. "I knew you'd see—"

"I'll pack my stuff and move down to the bookstore tonight—"

"
No
," Liz said, her face twisting.

"What did you expect? I'll get one of the bedrooms cleared out tomorrow and come back for Dillie and her things then."

"
NO
," Liz said, and Phin said, "You can stop shrieking 'no' at me. This was your idea."

"If you have to move out to be with that—"

"Careful."

Liz drew a deep breath. "—that woman, that's your mistake, but you're not taking Dillie. You're not capable of—"

Phin took another step toward his mother so that he towered over her. "You have no idea of what I'm capable of when it comes to my daughter," he said softly. "Don't try to find out."
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"You're being a fool," Liz said.

"You're being a bitch," Phin said, and Liz drew back as if she'd been slapped. "Stop harassing Sophie. I'll come get Dillie tomorrow." Then he turned and went up the stairs to pack, not looking back at all.

*

It took Phin and Sophie all Sunday to move the books from one of the bedrooms – the one with the window seat in the tower corner because Sophie insisted Dillie would love it – and when they were done, they were both covered in dust and sweat in spite of the air-conditioning.

"Dillie's going to go nuts for this room," Sophie said, wiping the sweat from her forehead and leaving a dirt streak behind. She looked at him cautiously. "Speaking of nuts, how's your mom taking this?"

"About as well as can be expected," Phin said, trying not to think about his mother. "Which is not well at all. Can I interest you in a shower?"

"I assume this is a twofer," Sophie said.

"Water conservation." Phin reached for her, knowing exactly how she'd feel against him and wanting her even more because of it. "Also sex. Come here."

"The things I give up for you." Sophie moved toward him into his arms. "Private showers, vintage mattresses, money, my reputation—"

"So you're not losing anything you really needed." He smiled down at her as she cuddled close, and then what she'd said registered. "What money?"

She stopped to look up at him, caught, her eyes wide. "Money?"

He moved his hands up to her shoulders, exasperated with her and loving her anyway. "Sophie, listen to me, if you know where Zane's money is—"

"Oh, I don't," Sophie said, meeting his eyes without hesitation, clearly telling the truth. She slid her arms around his waist and pulled him close, and she felt great against him, but not great enough to distract him.

"About that shower—"

"About that money," he said. "Whose money, and where is it?" Sophie sighed. "It's your mother's, and it's in her bank account. That day she came out to the farm, she tried to buy me off. But that was two weeks ago so—"

"Buy you off?" Phin looked down at her, incredulous. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"Liz Tucker," Sophiesaid."She's just trying to protect you. Now, can I have that shower?" There was something in her voice; she was talking too fast. "No." Phin guided her over to the window seat and pulled her into his lap. "There's more. I don't give a damn what it is, I'll forgive you anything, but I want it all."

Sophie pulled away from him. "I didn't do anything, you butthead. You can go forgive somebody else."
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Phin winced. "Sorry. But you're not telling me everything. What else did my mother do?"

"I don't know," Sophie said, standing. "I haven't seen her since that day, I swear to God. Now, I'm going to shower. If you want to come, too, fine, but I'm going to be naked and wet with or without you." He followed her into the bathroom, still suspicious, but when she took off her clothes, he decided he could wait to grill her again until they were both clean and satisfied.

An hour later, buttoning up his shirt as he sat on the edge of his bed and trying to think of what he was missing about his mother and money, Phin stopped on the second button and thought,
Diane
. "She bought off Diane, didn't she?" he said to Sophie, and Sophie zipped up her shorts and said, "How would I know?"

"But that's what you think."

"But I'm often wrong," Sophie said.

He thought about Diane and Dillie and the whole miserable mess.

"Christ."

"It's over," Sophie said, coming to him. "Whatever really happened, it doesn't matter. It's over." He put his arms around her and thought,
It's not over
. Two women had come between him and his family, and the first one was dead.

Family values weren't supposed to be lethal.

"What?" Sophie said.

"I have to take you home," he told her, standing up. "It's time for a little Tucker family time."

*

Phinfound his mother sitting at her desk in her air-conditioned office on the Hill. She nodded when he came in and then turned back to her desk, punishing him with her silence.

"You bought Diane off," he said, and she stiffened but didn't turn around. He went to her, grabbed the back of the chair and spun it around on its wheels so that she grabbed the arms.

"Phin!"

"How much?" he said, leaning over her.

She pressed her lips together, stony-faced, and he waited for what seemed like hours. "Fifty thousand," she said finally.

Phin straightened. "Not bad. What was that for, the first year?" His mother nodded.

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"As long as she stayed away from me and Dillie?"

His mother nodded again.

"But she bought a car," Phin said. "New clothes, furniture for the river house. How long did it take her to run through it?"

"She was stupid," his mother said bitterly. "Thank God, Dillie got our brains."

"Right now, I'm wondering about yours," Phin said. "You really thought she'd leave us alone for fifty grand a year? Living right here in Temptation? She wasn't the only one who was stupid." Liz flinched. "She was supposed to move away. As soon as she recovered from having Dillie, she was supposed to go away."

"And how were you going to make her do that?" Phin said. "Who do you think you are?"

"I'm your mother," Liz snapped. I took care of you. That harpy would have ruined you. She made you miserable the whole time she was with you." She looked at him in disgust. "You're impossible when it comes to women. Diane was a greedy little slut and now this—"

"
Careful
." Phin's voice cut across the space between them. "You really don't want to make me choose again."

"The whole town's talking," Liz said, her voice shaking. "That woman killed Zane. They found the gun under her bed—"

"What?" Phin said. How the hell had the gossips gotten hold of that?

Liz nodded. "You don't know her. She killed him—"

"She was in bed with me," Phin said. "Wes has got the time of death narrowed down to forty-five minutes, and she was naked with me the entire time. Where'd you get this crap?"

" Virginia ," Liz said. "But everybody knows. And now you're protecting her—"

"Could you just once listen to me?" Phin said. "Instead of spitting paranoia at me?" Liz clenched her jaw. "I'm not paranoid. You need me. I got you free of Diane. I saved you."

"I'm just wondering
how
free," Phin said, looking at the steel in his mother's eyes. "She died when Dillie was three months old. That must have been about the time she ran out of money. Did she come back for more?"

"Yes," Liz said, her disgust palpable, and then his implication must have registered because her eyes widened, and she said, "No."

"Did you shove her down those steps?" Phin said, sick at heart. "Did you watch her bleed to death? Did Zane find out? Did you shoot him?"

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Liz stood up. "I've given you my entire life and you say this to me."

"I didn't want your life," Phin told her bitterly. "I wanted mine. And Diane and Zane probably wanted theirs, too."

"I didn't kill them," Liz said.

"That's a pretty damn big coincidence, Mom." He turned to go. "I wouldn't want to have to explain it."

"Are you going to Wes?" Liz said from behind him, no emotion at all in her voice.

"No," Phin said, refusing to look back at her. "You're still my mother. Just stay away from Sophie."

"I didn't kill Diane, Phin," Liz said. "It really was a coincidence." Her voice shook a little this time, and he turned back. "Remember that day in the courthouse when you said you'd do anything for me?"

She nodded.

"Don't."

He turned and walked out of his mother's house and down the Hill to the bookstore, not stopping until he was in front of the pool table.

It was a beautiful thing, massive in its elegance, impressive in its tradition. Just like his family. He really did not believe his mother had killed people. His mother might be unhinged from his father's death but she wasn't a killer. There was still a human being in there somewhere, a cold, driven human being, but still a human being. She hadn't become a monster when he wasn't looking.

"Oh, Christ," he said, and sat down hard on the edge of the table. She really hadn't. Not his mother. And now she was trying to pin Zane's death on Sophie.

He got up and went to the phone and dialed Hildy Mallow. "Hildy?" he said when she answered. "I've got some gossip for you to spread."

"I don't spread gossip," Hildy said primly.

"You will this gossip," Phin said. "Somebody's spreading the rumor that Sophie killed Zane."

"I'd heard that," Hildy said "Didn't seem likely but people are strange."

"She was in bed with me," Phin said. "The entire time. Tell everybody."

"Oh," Hildy said. "All right. Your mother's not going to like this."

"Good," Phin said. "Tell her first."

*

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When Sophie got home, Amy was waiting for her.

"Where have you been?" she said. "I need—"

"Get it yourself," Sophie said, and went upstairs.

Amy followed her up. "What's with you? I just wanted your opinion on the cable cut of the video."

"Get all the sex out of it and bleep the foul language," Sophie said. "After that I don't care. I'm worried about Phin and Dillie. They—"

"Oh, sure," Amy said. "Phin and Dillie."

Sophie looked up at the tone in her voice. "You're jealous."

Amy shrugged. "I just think family—"

"That's why you called Brandon ," Sophie said. "You don't like him, but you'd rather I was with him because you know I don't care about him. But Phin—"

"I don't care what you do with the mayor," Amy said. "Screw him all you want."

"It's really Dillie, isn't it?" Sophie said. "I can only have one kid in my life, and that's you?" Amy's eyes filled with tears.