“With whom?”
“Your apartment manager.”
She gripped her phone. She’d deal with him later.
“Look, I’m not trying to freak you out. I just want to talk about Jennifer, Erika, and Gina. Are you doing anything right now?”
“I’m at an Irish pub grabbing a bite to eat. If you want to see me, it’ll have to be here.”
“Sure. Give me the address.”
She read the street number off the menu as the waitress set down her food and soda.
“Great, I’ll see you in twenty minutes,” Ashley said.
Kaitlin took a bite, not expecting to be so hungry, but the chili tasted good and this was her first real meal since last night’s pizza. The soda was cold and refreshing.
A couple across from her leaned in for a kiss. They were smiling and enjoying themselves. She envied their connection. She’d never really had anything like that before.
The pub was starting to fill, and she missed Ashley’s entrance until she was right on top of her. Kaitlin lowered the soda from her lips and slowly, gingerly rose.
Ashley regarded her with a mixture of curiosity, anger, and pity. Neither leaned in for a hug, so Kaitlin extended her hand to the opposite side of the booth.
Kaitlin settled in. “I’m so sorry about Jennifer.”
Ashley sat and tapped her index finger on the table. A waitress appeared, took her order of vodka soda, double. “The medical examiner’s office released her body yesterday.”
“This must be terrible for you.”
“It was. I never thought I’d ever go through something like this. After Gina vanished, it was bad enough, but this is almost unbearable.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her drink arrived, and she took a sip. “The funeral home cleaned my sister up and let me see her. I could tell they were proud of her. ‘So lifelike,’ the attendant said. I didn’t think she looked anywhere close to a living person. It was still and plastic, nothing like my Jennifer.”
“When is the funeral?”
“The viewing is tomorrow, and the service is on Sunday afternoon.”
A clawing sadness scraped the inside of her throat. She struggled for words that would make all this better but knew there was nothing she could say.
Ashley reached for a paper napkin and folded it in half and then in quarters. “She told me about your interview. She was actually relieved after you two spoke. That night had been bottled up inside her and was preventing her from being happy.” Ice clinked in the glass. She took another big swallow.
“I’m glad it helped.” Kaitlin took a sip of her soda. “I remember your car pulling up, but I didn’t see you.”
“So, is it my turn to be interviewed?”
“I just want to understand what happened that night.”
Ashley shrugged. “Jennifer didn’t want Mom knowing she was wasted, so she called me. Big sis to the rescue.” She shook her head. “I was pissed, but I came right away to pick her up.”
“You told the police she passed out in the backseat.”
“She did, the second she climbed in. She and Erika both were pretty wasted.”
“You dropped Erika off first?”
“That’s right. And then I drove home with Jennifer.”
“How’d you get her inside the house?”
“It was hard. She could barely stand.”
Kaitlin traced her finger through the condensation on the glass. “Jennifer remembered hearing you argue with a man.”
Ashley stilled. “She was mistaken. I got her to bed and then joined Derek in the family den. About one a.m., we left for a party.”
“Derek was never alone with her?”
“No. I saw to that.”
“Did you have to protect her from Derek?”
She traced the rim of her glass. “No. Stop making him sound like a monster.”
“You’re still loyal to him, aren’t you?”
She lifted her chin. “I can’t betray someone I loved so much. He’s not perfect, but he’s always there for me.”
“Randy and Derek were good buddies.” Kaitlin thought about the country, the barn, and the grim faces of the medical examiner as she’d asked her what Gina had been wearing. “Remember the parties they used to have at the barn?”
“Sure.” Ashley sat back as if the memory bothered her.
“Did Derek ever talk about Gina?”
Ashley studied her a long moment. “Randy talked about her. Randy, not Derek, was obsessed with Gina.”
“Did you tell the cops about Randy’s obsession?”
“Derek asked me not to. He said the guy was a fuck-up but no killer.”
How many half truths and omissions had saved Randy from a murder-one charge? “It might have made a difference.”
“Come on, this is Randy we’re talking about. He isn’t a killer.”
“A security camera filmed him stabbing a woman in mid-February.”
“That was an accident. He was on drugs. It’s not like he planned to do it.” She shook her head. “If having a thing for Gina was a crime, half the guys at Saint Mathew’s would have been suspects. Besides, he’s been back in jail since late February. He couldn’t have killed Erika or Jennifer.”
“What about Derek? Would he have killed them to protect a secret for an old friend?”
Ashley reached for her glass and downed the last of the vodka. “No.”
Kaitlin watched as Ashley’s gaze dropped to her glass. It didn’t take a body-language expert to recognize possible signs of deceptive behavior. “Was Derek in the car that night?”
Absently Ashley nodded, indicating a yes even as she said, “I already told you he wasn’t.”
Kaitlin took a chance, figuring she had nothing to lose by provoking Ashley. “I think you’re lying.”
Ashley looked up as if she’d been struck. Her eyes sparked with challenge. “Fuck you.”
Kaitlin leaned in, knowing she’d struck a nerve. “The cops have all my interview tapes now. They know Jennifer brought the booze and Erika put the Ecstasy in it.”
Ashley pushed out of the booth. “The cops have long forgotten about who was where that night.”
“Don’t bet on it.”
Ashley stood. “I hope you’re right.” Gripping her purse, she turned away from Kaitlin and cut through the crowd and out the front door.
Kaitlin sat in the booth, tracing her finger through the condensation on the side of her glass. She took no joy in hurting people or making them remember such a painful time. But if she didn’t keep pushing, the truth might still get swallowed up by time.
Her phone rang, startling her from her thoughts. The screen displayed Steven Marcus’s name.
She cleared her throat and pushed her hand through her hair before answering. “Mr. Marcus.”
“I hear you’ve been busy today.”
“What’s that mean?”
“I still have friends in the police department. They said a forensic team was headed for Hanover County and that Randy Hayward was along for the ride. They also said the cops think they’ve found Gina.”
“If you’ve got friends in the department, then you know more about it than I do.”
“I know you were up there.”
“Really, how?”
“Randy Hayward called me, and I went by to see him. He wants me to write his side of the story.”
She gripped the phone. “He craves attention. And he’s also looking to hurt me.”
“Why?”
“Because I rejected him. Sure he didn’t have any nasty parting shots for me?”
He was silent for a moment. “Nothing earth shattering.”
She wasn’t sure if she believed him but didn’t have the energy to press it now. “Just don’t be fooled by him.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not that naive. I do want to get your take on the guy. It will make for a more balanced piece.”
“Sure. I’ll share what I know about him.”
Silence echoed through the line. Then, “Tomorrow evening. By then you should have something to comment on.”
INTERVIEW FILE #25
A STORY THAT WOULDN’T LET GO