The Heart of Lies

chapter 18



“We should get going pretty soon.” Emily rolled her wrist to check her watch. “I’ll do the dishes later.”

Colin brought their plates from the table and set them in the sink. “It’ll only take a minute to rinse them off and stick them in the dishwasher.” Because of his military training, Colin always liked things squared away when he left them.

“I’m anxious to talk to Isabel. She was so mysterious on the phone.” Emily cleared the glasses and silverware off the table and set them on the counter next to the sink.

“Get your shoes on, and your purse, and we can go,” he said, sticking the glasses in the dishwasher and closing the door.

She put a hand gently around the back of his neck and drew his face down to hers, giving him a quick kiss. “Thanks for making dinner and cleaning up.”

“My pleasure.” He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her tight.

She made an exaggerated fanning motion with her hand. “Why, whatever will I do when you’re gone, Mr. Andrews?” Emily teased with a heavy Southern drawl, purposely sounding like a helpless female.

“Miss me like crazy?” he replied with a grin.

“Absolutely.” She threw her arms around his neck and planted a wet, passionate kiss on him.

“I thought you were in a hurry to leave.”

“I am.” She released him and stepped away. “Just wanted to make sure you were going to miss me like crazy, too.” She sauntered down the hall after her shoes, swaying her hips, assuming he was watching her go. She slanted a quick look behind her—she was right.

~*~

By the time Emily and Colin arrived at Maggie’s, the small gathering of friends had already eaten, and Camille and Isabel were cleaning up the kitchen. Emily could hear the girls chattering in the kitchen and noticed through the rear kitchen window that Jonathan and Alex had retreated to the back deck. The guys were sitting on canvas director chairs, when Colin stepped outside and joined them.

“Hey, Em, so glad to see you made it.” Isabel looked up from the suds-filled sink as Emily stepped into the small, cozy kitchen.

Maybe the 1920’s cottage lacked a dishwasher, but it definitely oozed with charm. A fair trade-off, Emily always thought.

“Yes, we were starting to wonder about you.” Camille was drying a platter with a well-worn, checkered dish towel.

Before she could respond, Maggie came rushing into the kitchen with her arms outstretched to Emily. She looked exhausted and frail in her sweatshirt and jeans, nothing like her usual vibrant self. Her face was bare of makeup and her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail.

“Emily!” Maggie cried out, squeezing her firmly.

Emily returned the hug. “How are you holding up?” Emily asked once Maggie released her grip.

“I slept most of the day, but I’m doin’ better now. Havin’ everyone here helps so much.” She smiled at Camille and Isabel, still doing the dishes.

“I’m assuming your brother came by to see you too,” Emily said.

“Yes, Sully was here this afternoon for a bit. He was so worried about me and Josh—and about the project with so many people in town puttin’ their money into it.”

“How’s Josh doing?” Camille asked, drying the last of the dishes.

“Alex saw him today.” Isabel wiped her hands on a towel. “He said Josh was nervous about being able to get out on bail tomorrow. I hope my husband can convince the judge he’s a low flight risk.”

“I don’t understand how they can think my son would kill Lucas.” Maggie had tears welling up in her eyes. “What possible motive would he have?”

Since walking into Lucas’s office the night before and finding Gloria seated beside his bloody and battered body, Maggie had been pretty much in the dark—literally—mostly sleeping and sedated.

Maggie was not aware of the facts that had unfolded during the day, and Emily wasn’t sure how much to share with her at this point. Taking a moment to consider her best move, Emily decided that if Maggie knew what a scumbag Lucas was, it would help her get over him faster.

“Why don’t we all go into the living room? I’ll explain what I learned today,” Emily suggested.

“That would be great, Em. I feel like I don’t know what’s goin’ on,” Maggie replied.

Camille shot a questioning glance at Isabel, as if to ask if they should go, and Isabel nodded her agreement. Emily turned and led the way back to the quiet living room.

Emily took a seat next to Maggie on the floral-print sofa, rearranging the jumble of pillows behind them, while Camille and Isabel settled into the sage-green overstuffed chairs that flanked the stone fireplace, facing them.

“Listen Maggs, I know getting through this is probably the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do—you know it was for me, when Evan died—but there are some things I need to tell you.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Maggie pulled her legs up cross-legged on the sofa, grabbing a tissue from the box on the white painted end table.

“It won’t be easy to hear, but you need to know the truth.” Emily searched for the right words while every eye in the room was fixed on her. “There’s no easy way to say this—”

“So spit it out, already,” Camille directed, shifting in her seat.

“Calm down, Camille.” Isabel reached out and put her hand on Camille’s forearm. “Let Emily find her own words.”

“Sorry, I’m just a bundle of nerves,” Camille apologized, running her fingers through her short fiery locks.

“Emily?” Maggie muttered, her eyes growing large with alarm.

“Okay, here it goes.” Emily sucked in a deep breath. “You wanted to know what possible motive your son could have, well, Josh caught Lucas fooling around with Fiona at the engagement party.”

“Fiona?” Maggie gasped. “No! That couldn’t be. He loved me. He was going to marry me. That doesn’t make any sense at all.” She pulled an accent pillow in front of her and wrapped her arms around it, clinging tightly.

“I’m so sorry, Maggie. Josh said he ordered Lucas to come clean with you about Fiona, to break off the engagement within twenty-four hours, or he would tell you himself.”

“I thought she was my friend.” The tears began to flow once more. “I introduced her to Lucas.”

Emily scooted closer to Maggie and put an arm around her, as Maggie leaned into Emily and began to sob.

“I never liked that woman,” Isabel said, her eyes narrowing. “There always seemed to be something evil about her. Even at the presentation the other night, she seemed resentful that Lucas had proposed. Remember that, Em?”

“How come y’all never said anythin’ about that to me?” Maggie looked from Isabel to Emily, dabbing her eyes.

“She seemed a little jealous of the two of you at the welcome party, too,” Isabel added. “And didn’t you say, Em, you saw them together in the lounge at the Hilton Hotel a week or so ago?”

“Why am I the last to know?” Maggie bawled, throwing her hands in the air.

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t know either,” Camille said to Maggie while scowling at their other two friends.

“We’re not saying they had sex, Maggie,” Emily tried to explain.

“You think they were havin’ sex?” Maggie queried. “We weren’t havin’ sex, but do y’all think they were?”

“We don’t know what they were doing, Maggs.” Emily rubbed her hand over Maggie’s shoulder. “Josh is the one who said he saw them fooling around, those were his words.”

“Fooling around, huh?” Maggie murmured, patting the tissue under her eyes. “I still don’t understand why y’all didn’t say one word about it to me.”

“They were just observations we made, we didn’t know anything for sure. And we certainly didn’t know they were playing around,” Emily tried to justify.

“You could have at least told me,” Camille pouted.

Isabel twisted in her chair to face Camille. “We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want Maggie to know until we were sure. Let’s face it, Cam, you’re not the best at keeping secrets.”

Camille frowned at the characterization.

“We just thought Fiona was attracted to Lucas, maybe had a little crush on him,” Isabel said.

“He was handsome and charming.” Emily had to give him that much. “If we had known something for certain, we would have come to you with it,” she assured Maggie, patting her hand. “Let’s get back to Josh, hmm?”

“Okay,” Maggie mumbled.

“When Josh found out Lucas hadn’t told you about Fiona, he went to Lucas’s office to confront him.”

“Oh, Emily, no,” Maggie whimpered.

“Josh confessed to me that he beat Lucas for what he did to you, but he swears Lucas was alive when he left,” Emily explained. “The cops have a security video showing Josh coming and going from the office building, and Josh admitted to them about the fist fight.”

“Why did he let the cops question him without his attorney?” Camille asked.

“Just looking at him, anyone could see he’d been in a fight,” Emily said.

Maggie took a long cleansing breath, gaining control over her sobs. She dried her eyes with the tissue and blew her nose. “Yesterday mornin’ when I got up, I saw Josh looked like he got in a fight, but the police showed up and arrested him before he got a chance to tell me what happened. Right away I called Alex and he headed down to the jail.”

“Doesn’t Josh get military representation?” Camille asked.

“Oh, I never even thought of that,” Maggie said.

“Well,” Emily looked at Isabel, who through Alex, also knew about Josh’s current status. “He’s kind of not in the Navy anymore.”

“What?” Maggie cried. “Does anybody tell me anythin’ anymore?”

“I’m sure he’ll fill you in later, Maggie. He didn’t want to burden you with it before your wedding.” Emily rubbed Maggie’s shoulder.

“Do you think Josh did it?” Isabel asked Emily.

“Isabel!” Camille’s eyes darted to Maggie. “How can you ask that? Especially in front of poor Maggie.”

Maggie’s eyes widened, looking at Emily in anticipation.

Emily bit her lip, wondering how to best respond without inciting another round of wailing from Maggie.

“I’m so sorry, Maggie. I don’t mean to be insensitive.” Isabel sat forward in her chair. “I was just wondering what Emily thought Josh’s odds were.”

“Isabel,” Camille reprimanded again. “Why don’t you talk about this in private with Emily—later.”

“All right,” Isabel relented, plopping back in her chair and crossing her arms like a child who had just been scolded.

“Emily?” Maggie asked. “Do you think my son killed Lucas?”

“I don’t want to believe it, Maggs—and if he did do it, I don’t think he meant to kill him—but I have to be honest, the evidence is pretty compelling.” Emily squeezed Maggie’s hand. “Just know Colin and I will do everything we can to find the truth.” Emily hoped that meant proving Josh innocent.

“I appreciate that.” Maggie’s voice was small and trembling.

“But you do have to consider the possibility that he did it,” Emily warned. “He was furious, he admitted to beating the snot out of him, and he was there very close to the time Lucas died.”

“I’m gonna support my son, no matter what, Em. He’s my family.”

“I understand,” Emily replied.

“Whatever I can do,” Isabel offered, “if there’s anything Emily needs from the FBI resources, I’ll do my best to get it done.”

“There is one thing on Josh’s side,” Emily remarked. “The murder weapon hasn’t been found.”

“I thought he was beaten to death,” Camille said.

“Well, according to the medical examiner, the cause of death was being hit in the head from something sharp and jagged,” Emily explained.

“What on earth?” Maggie exclaimed.

“Something like that paperweight you said you got in Sun Valley, the one in the shape of mountain peaks,” Emily told her.

“How do you know that?” Maggie asked.

“Um, well, you’re not going to like this, but—”

“But what?” Maggie interrupted, her blue eyes turning gray with worry.

“I borrowed your paperweight when I was here Saturday.”

“Borrowed? What for?”

“Well, that’s the part you’re not going to like.” Emily glanced at Isabel, then back to Maggie.

Maggie frowned at her as a perplexed expression washed over her face.

“I wanted to give Isabel something that might have Lucas’s fingerprints on it. Isabel and I had an uncomfortable feeling about that man and we wanted to find out more about him.” Emily braced herself for Maggie’s reaction.

“You did what?” Maggie’s face turned from confusion to anger. “Behind my back? How could you, Emily? Isabel?”

“It appears we were right to do it, Maggie,” Isabel said in their defense. “I wish we had done it sooner, maybe he would still be alive, and Josh wouldn’t be in jail.”

“Why are you sayin’ that?” Maggie cried.

“Isabel’s right, Maggie. I haven’t told her this yet, or Alex for that matter, but I just learned the whole Whitetail Resort was a scam,” Emily admitted. “But that information doesn’t leave this room. Understood?”

Maggie and Isabel nodded in agreement.

“I knew it,” Isabel muttered angrily. “A hundred grand gone.”

“Camille, not a single word to anyone about this—not even to your husband,” Emily warned.

“I understand,” Camille agreed.

“A scam? Oh, Em, are you sure?” Maggie buried her head in her hands.

Emily gently stroked her back. “Yes, I’m sure, but we’ll help you through this, Maggs. Whatever you need.”

“Wait a minute,” Maggie gasped, shooting up straight in her seat. “You said the murder weapon was like the mountain paperweight?”

“Yes,” Emily replied. “Dr. Walters said the peaks are a perfect match to the wound.”

“Was it my paperweight?” Maggie asked. “Or did they find the paperweight in Lucas’s office?”

“In Lucas’s office? No, I had it with me the whole time,” Emily said.

“No, Em, you don’t understand.” Maggie shook her head, causing her blonde ponytail to flop from side to side. “There were two.”

“Two?” Isabel’s expression changed from surprise to comprehension.

“You know what that means,” Emily deduced.

“The other one could have been the murder weapon,” Isabel answered.

“Where is the other one?” Emily asked.

“Lucas gave me one and he put the other on his desk,” Maggie said. “He said it would keep us both close to our dream.”

“Maggie, you may have solved the mystery,” Camille congratulated her.

“Not so fast, Cam,” Emily cautioned. “That still doesn’t clear Josh. There was no paperweight on the desk. I was in there for a while, I never saw one, and I would have noticed it. The police will say Josh used it, took it when he left, and then disposed of it.”

Maggie’s face had held the briefest of smiles for the first time since the murder, but it quickly faded to a frown.

“We have to find the second paperweight,” Emily stared directly at Isabel.

“But where?” Isabel asked.

“First thing we have to do is let Detective Kaufman know, get his people to go over Lucas’s office again with a fine-tooth comb. This time they’ll know what to look for. Let’s pray it doesn’t have Josh’s fingerprints on it,” Emily said, hoping it didn’t have Sully’s prints on it either. She wondered if it might have Fiona’s.

“Shouldn’t you call him tonight?” Maggie asked.

“It’s late, Maggs. They won’t do anything about it until tomorrow. I’ll fill Alex in and we can get a hold of Ernie first thing in the morning.”

“Fill Alex in on what?” Alex asked as the men sauntered into the room.

“Somebody’s ears were burning,” Camille joked.

“On what we’ve discovered in Josh’s case. Why don’t we step out to the deck and talk?” Emily suggested. She assumed Colin would have refrained from sharing information in front of Jonathan the way Emily just did in front of the girls.

“We’ll start dishing up dessert while you talk,” Camille offered. “Peach cobbler a la mode.”

“You tryin’ to make me fat?” Maggie laughed weakly.

The girls got up to head for the kitchen, and Isabel leaned over and whispered to Emily. “Don’t forget we need to talk. Jethro?”

“I haven’t forgotten. After I brief Alex.”