“What was with the feathers?”
“He wanted to let Melissa know that he was following her—that he knew about her life, both public and private. She has a blog and, like her business card, the graphic design includes a quill. Because her last name is Plume. Get it?”
Makayla nodded.
“That’s also how Justyn knew she’d be in Inspiration Valley,” I explained. “She posted on her blog that she planned to attend our conference.”
“I’ll never look at a crow the same way again,” Makayla mumbled. “And we all know he went after Tilly next.”
I nodded sadly. “With no formal education and no family support, Justyn could only land thankless, low-paying jobs. He worked as a housepainter, as a roofer, and for a landscape company mowing lawns. And what he saw during those years as he changed from a boy to a man was what a real family looked like. A loving family.” I thought of Trey and felt a lump in my throat. “He saw mothers singing lullabies and dads throwing baseballs in the front yard. He saw parents and children gathering around the supper table to enjoy a home-cooked meal. He saw pictures taped to refrigerators and Christmas trees surrounded by presents. He saw all that he’d never had, and it turned him into a monster.”
Makayla had tears in her eyes. “He wanted someone to pay.”
A loud sigh escaped my lips. “When he finally found Tilly, only to discover that she’d had other children after leaving him on the proverbial doorstep, he must have seen red. Especially since you only had to watch her with those kids to know that she clearly doted on them.”
“It sure would have put salt in the wound to see what a loving mom she was to them. The same woman who gave him up so he could be passed from one foster home to another—who never tried to reconnect with him. Meanwhile, she’s baking cookies and knitting scarves for her other kids.” Makayla frowned. “I’ve got to admit that that boy had a bad time of it. Still, lots of people face rejection from their own mothers and don’t go around murdering them.”
“Tilly was no longer the drug-addicted teenager who gave birth to Justyn. She’d cleaned up, made a new life for herself, and wanted to forget all about her dark past. That’s why she lied to me about knowing Melissa, so the old Tilly could remain buried.” I shifted in my seat. “You know, even though she was messed up then, I think she thought she was doing the right thing by leaving him at a church so he could be taken care of. The teddy bear Justyn placed beside Tilly’s body was the same one she’d left in the laundry basket with him before walking away forever. Her only gift to her son.”
Makayla pursed her lips in disapproval. “Drugs will twist people’s lives into all kinds of knots. Everything would have been completely different if Tilly hadn’t gotten hooked on drugs when she was young.” She glanced my way. “It’s a good thing Jasper’s little ’shroom operation at the co-op was closed down. Who knows how many more kids’ futures would have been derailed by it.”
I heartily agreed, pushing aside images of what might have happened if Trey had gotten pulled into those “meditation sessions.” We were quiet for a while, each with our own thoughts, watching the road flit past.
“I wonder how my assistant managed the Sunday morning at the coffee shop,” Makayla mused, breaking the silence. “Lila, we make a mighty sharp sleuthing team, if you ask me.” She reached over and touched my hand. “But let’s hang up our superhero capes and focus on being Bella Barista and Awesome Agent. Books, coffee, and a good-looking man are all the excitement we should be seeking from here on out.”
ON MONDAY MORNING, I showed up at Novel Idea scandalously late, hobbling up the stairs at ten. My knee was still giving me a lot of pain and I was moving slowly, despite getting some rest on Sunday. Vicky followed me into my office carrying a hot caramel latte and a stack of phone messages for me to sort through. “Officer Griffiths is quite the gentleman,” she said, handing me the Espresso Yourself take-out cup. “He called and explained everything that happened this weekend and why you’d be tardy today. There was no need to worry, seeing as Ms. Burlington-Duke informed me that she wouldn’t be in until eleven, but I would have covered for you in any case.”