Page 119 of False Evidence
“The man I glimpsed that night disappeared when Joe was arrested. Over the last nine years—well, six, really—he came back, piece by piece. But Christmas dinner…that was a revelation. The way he looked at you and Gemma. I’m so glad you’ve found your way back to each other.”
The words were a reason to smile as they stood on a roadside that would forever be inhabited by nightmarish memories.
“I’m finally getting my happily ever after. But it won’t be complete until we know what happened here. I won’t be free from worry or fear until the person who murdered Williams—and probably Kendall—is caught.” She kicked at the flecks of destroyed cell phone. “Williams was awful and terrifying. But no one deserves to be executed like that. Even he deserves justice.”
“Well, let’s hope we find something at Kendall’s. We were talking in Mara’s car…”
“Oh no,” Tricia said. “You are not Scooby-Dooing on me too.”
“Scooby-Dooing? Is that a verb?”
“Everyone runs off separately to search Kendall’s,” Alexandra explained.
“What part are you searching?”
“Attic. Leah has called dibs on the dead computer closet.”
“Only if Nate is with her,” Tricia insisted.
“She’s Velma,” Alexandra said. “What room do you want to search?”
“No idea. But Kendall must’ve left a message for you somewhere. She was too deliberate with the recording. Didn’t you say one of the couches is yours?”
“Convince Keith to babysit you,” Tricia said. “Otherwise, you’re in the attic with me.”
“Trina, we’re going to need you to give Keith sexual fav?—”
Tricia covered her ears. “Stop. You are talking about my boss.”
“Sorry, Trish,” Isabel said. “I’ll make sure they behave.”
Tricia shook her head. “Right.” But she was smiling. “C’mon. The sooner we get to the house, the sooner you meddling kids can start your crime solving.”
Achill ran down Alexandra’s spine as she approached the front door. The last time she’d been here, she’d been on the run and had only stopped to take Kendall’s car, which was still up on Catoctin Mountain.
She and JT planned to drive north after the wedding to enjoy a week up at the cabin with Gemma, and then she’d drive the Jetta back here, which was fine with Tanya.
Later, she and JT would take a real honeymoon, leaving Gemma with Lee and Erica for a few days.
But first, she had to cross this threshold.
“I want to search the house first,” Keith said. He, Chase, and Nate had been waiting in the driveway when they arrived.
She handed him the key and stepped back. Three operatives searched the house while Chase stood guard over the rest of them outside.
After the house was cleared, Tricia led Erica, Mara, and Alexandra to the attic. Nate and Leah headed for the home office with a closetful of old components. Trina and Isabel went with Keith to search the upstairs bedrooms, while Eden and Chase took the living room and kitchen.
The attic ceiling was low and pitched, requiring Alexandra to hunch over even in the very center. It contained a daunting number of boxes even though Kendall had only lived here for five years. But of course, she was storing more than her own lifetime in this attic. She’d been generous and held on to Alexandra’s forgotten items.
Penance for the little betrayals of letting Russ show up in their apartment periodically?
Deep down, she must have known there was more truth on Alexandra’s side.
“Will you recognize the box?” Erica asked hopefully.
“No. Honestly, I don’t remember packing it up. It’s entirely possible Kendall did it and didn’t tell me. I might have told her to donate it. Or throw it away. I was a bit of a wreck.”
“Let’s hope Kendall liked labeling things, then.”