Liquid Lies Part 26

"When I got to Round Lake, I noticed a lot of high school kids wore these silver shiny type jackets. They looked like they were made from the same fabric as the piece I found the night my dad was killed. I thought I had put my dad's death behind me. But things began to fall into place. Those girls I saw in the parking lot, and the piece of fabric, and the '18 going on 21' birthday b.u.t.ton, all began to come together." Jacob leaned back and stretched his legs.

"I remembered the tall girl with long hair. When I found out that Francesca and I had the same birthday, I decided to act on a hunch. It seemed like a long shot, but I had to find out. But you know, I had this weird feeling that I was on target." Jacob folded his arms.

"How did you verify that it was her?" Detective Gentry struck his pen on the table.

"I figured I'd attempt to blackmail her. I called her anonymously and I told her I knew she killed a trucker four years ago, and that I had proof. I told her I needed twenty G's. I thought that if it was her, with her wealth, she could get her hands on that kind of cash. I told her where to put the money. I tried to make it seem urgent. h.e.l.l, I had no idea what I was doing." Jacob shrugged his shoulders as he sat back in his chair.

My legs trembled. Poor Francesca. She must have been under enormous stress. She was pregnant. She was being blackmailed. Bob McNally killed her. I clenched my jaw and balled my hands into fists. After this, I had to get McNally behind bars. I tried to make eye contact with Jacob. He avoided my gaze and only looked at the detectives.

He continued, "I figured if I was off track and it wasn't her, she would blow off the call as a crank. But if it had been her, I wanted closure. I wanted to make sense of what happened to my dad. I viewed the money as a sort of severance pay for my friends." Jacob paused for a moment. He cleared his throat. "But the money was also proof that she was involved, and it was her that I'd seen that night." His eyes darted at me for a split second.

I didn't blame him. I hated me too.

"I only recently discovered that CiCi was her accomplice. Now, if that is all, I want to turn this in." Jacob reached in his jean jacket, pulled out a packet and plunked it on the table. "It's all there. Twenty G's."

"You know what you did was extortion," Wurkowski said, as he rubbed his chin. "You could be charged for that you know."

"Yes sir, I know," Jacob said as he looked at the ground.

"But I think that'll be enough for now. Thank you for your time, Mr. Elmore. We'll contact you if we need anything on this case. Here's my card. Call anytime," Detective Wurkowski said. He got to his feet and shook Jacob's hand.

Jacob picked up the papers, and left the room.

"I'd never heard the other side. We really didn't mean to kill him," I said to the two detectives. I sank into my chair.

The detectives scribbled some notes. Wurkowski's cell rang. He stepped out and took the call. He returned less than a minute later.

"So what's next? Do I get sent up the river to the women's penitentiary for hard time?" I stated more than asked.

"No," Detective Wurkowski said. He pitched the coffee cups into the trash can and grabbed the thermos.

"Then what?" I asked.

"We have reason to believe your case, if ever brought to trial, would be ruled as self-defense," Detective Wurkowski said.

"Francesca was right, she was right," I said to myself.

But now everything was so wrong.

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

I gathered my wallet with Mark's fake moustache in it, my cell phone and a tube of lip gloss. My cell still had a little battery life left. I scrolled through my incoming call log. Several were from the mayor, but he hadn't left a message. One was from McNally, who said to call him back. The other calls were from Estelle and Hazel. I put the items in my jean pockets.

First I called Estelle and told her I would be home in a few minutes. I called the mayor- his line still would not take any messages.

My cell's time read six fifty eight a.m. Tuesday. I shut it down to conserve the battery until I could plug it in at home. It was quiet. There were a few runners out and a handful of people walking dogs.

Some boat engines roared in the distance. The still air smelled of crisp flowers and rich earth. The sun peeked over the trees. In less than twenty minutes, I reached Estelle's house.

"Were you at Jacob's?" Estelle said as she hugged and kissed me.

Hazel ran over to me with arms outstretched in a hug. "We've been working so much on SOS. I've been sleeping in your room. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. You're part of the family. You belong here as much as I do." I kissed Hazel's plump cheek.

"You never answered me. How's Jacob?" Estelle said as she followed Hazel and me to the kitchen.

"Listen. I have to tell you both some things. First know that I love you two so much it hurts." I looked at both of them.

"You sound so serious. What's going on?" Estelle said, her voice trembled. "You're worrying me."

"I never want to hurt you, or cause you trouble. Let's all sit down," I said.

"Sit down talks are never good," Hazel said. "But I'm tough. I can handle it. Hey, I'm in a fight with a big hospital. You gotta be tough to do that."

Estelle and Hazel sat to my right at the kitchen table. Estelle pushed a plate of cookies in front of me.

"No thanks. I'll have some later. It's really important that I tell you what's been going on in my life. You both have a right to know," I said. For the next hour I told them everything. They both listened. Estelle wrung her hands and nodded. Hazel gazed at me with wide eyes as if I was telling her the best story she had ever heard.

"You and Francesca may have been foolish to get in that stranger's truck." Hazel adjusted her bra strap under her lime green top. "Heck I was a fireball when I was eighteen and did some fool things too. My first marriage was one of them. But you're innocent and it's over now."

"What about McNally?" Estelle said, her mouth twisting. Her fingers clenched around the cup. "He killed Francesca."

"Listen, I don't want you to worry. I've got the mayor on my side. No one is going to kill anyone, anymore. Got that?" I reached out and held Estelle's hand.

"Good. That means we can forget that silly old death threat," Hazel smiled.

In unison, Estelle and I said, "Death threat?" My stomach plummeted.

"I didn't want to worry you Estelle. You know I'm a tough old broad," Hazel said.

"When did you get a threat?" I asked.

"Remember Estelle, I told you that I had to go back to the pavilion to finish some work. Well what do you know, right there on the ticket booth window in some sort of chalky spray paint were the words 'Stop SOS or you die.'" Hazel's voice rose. She stood and fidgeted with her hair.

"This is not good. Oh no, this is not good," Estelle repeated, biting her bottom lip. Skipper trotted into the room, wagging his tail, begging for food. Estelle patted his head.

"What did you do?" I asked. "You called the police, right? And they took pictures, got fingerprints or something."

"Oh no. I didn't call anyone. I washed that silly nonsense off," Hazel said.

"You washed it off?" I said. I rubbed my temples.

"No. Remember my husband, Stanley the lawyer. He got death threats all the time. The only thing killed him was donuts," Hazel said. "So I didn't pay any mind to it."

"Okay. Let's regroup. I have to let the police know about it okay? We can't take any chances. I do hope you're right and it's nothing," I said. "You two stick to each other like a bee on honey, and let me know wherever you go."

"Even when we go to the washroom?" Hazel asked.

"Yes. I just don't need details on what happens." I added, "I'll call the police to see if I can get some sort of police protection or a bodyguard for you."

"Oh yes a body guard. Great idea. My full figure body needs to be protected," Hazel said as she smoothed her shirt over her belly. "Make my body guard guy short. I'm tired of tall men. I get a crook in my neck having to reach up to kiss um."

"It's not a dating service, Hazel. Take this seriously," Estelle cracked a smile. "I agree with CiCi. We need someone to watch us at all times. We have to take that writing on the window seriously."

"You two have some breakfast. I'm going to charge my phone and use the land line to make some calls," I said. I made my way to my room and got my charger. I picked up the cordless phone.

I'd started dialing a number when I heard Hazel scream, "I'm in the pantry." Then a minute later I heard Estelle call out, "I'm in the laundry room."

My eyes rolled. They'd taken me literally when I said I wanted to know where they were at every second.

First, I called Annie to let her know that I wouldn't be there to do the mail delivery. It would be just her and Samuel from now on.

"You think I'm ready?" Annie's voice was quiet.

"Absolutely. You've had a month of training with hundreds of jumps under your belt. I think you're going to be one of the best jumpers Round Lake's ever had," I said.

"Really CiCi, you mean it?" Annie's voice rose. Then I heard a deep breath. "Okay then."

Next I called Detective Wurkowski and told him about the death threat. He said he would send an officer to the pavilion to look for prints or other evidence. He was sending Detective Gentry over to interview Hazel and Estelle. Detective Wurkowski also agreed that it would be a good idea to station a police officer at Estelle's.

"You know Ms. Coe," Wurkowski said. "You can keep an entire station busy with just your issues. You practically live at the station."

"And you know what, Detective Wurkowski? You're right. You've seen me so much of me that by now, you should be comfortable calling me CiCi," I said.

He sighed. "Goodbye Ms. Coe."

Chapter Thirty-Nine.

When the police showed up at Estelle's, I felt it was safe to leave them. By then, my cell phone was charged, so I grabbed it and headed out the door. I still had not heard from the mayor.

I felt like I needed him to go with me to the police with my theory of how McNally was Francesca's killer. Why hadn't he called back? He must have gotten the message I left. Well, at least the part that didn't get cut off. He should have at least heard the first part about the fact that I knew who the killer was.

But then again, he was the mayor. He had a whole city to run, plus his construction company. Also, he was busy with ramping up his gubernatorial campaign.

What next? I thought about the death threat. I bet McNally had to be behind it. Now would be a good time to call McNally, even though a personal visit, in broad daylight, in a public place would be harmless and better for what I needed to do.

I dialed his number.

His secretary picked up. I told her who I was. She said he was in a meeting with the mayor, and doubted that he could be disturbed. I asked her to please check. A minute later she put me through to him.

"Hi Cecelia." McNally said. "I hope you don't mind, but I've got you on speaker phone. And I don't have much time to talk to you. I'm in a meeting with the mayor."

"Hi Mr. Pike. Mr. McNally," I said.

"So, how are you?" McNally asked.

It's none of your d.a.m.n business, you d.a.m.n murderer. "Fine. Listen, I'm sorry I didn't mean to disturb your meeting, but is there any way I can see you today? I have something important to talk with you about."

"Could you come by my office at eleven?" McNally said.

It was nine. I'd be there with a weapon of my own...the truth. That would destroy the life he had now. "Great. I'll see you then."

"By the way, just a heads up, this morning we had to close two parking lots so we could bring in some construction equipment. So, you may have to allow yourself extra time to park."

He sure had good manners, for a killer. "No problem, I was planning on walking. It's quicker. Plus, I always use a short cut by the big abandoned building. I'll be there at eleven."

As soon as I clicked off with McNally, my cell rang. It was Jacob. I answered, "Hi."

"We need to talk," he said.

I stopped in my tracks. I could have blown over if a leaf touched me. My heart jumped in happiness.

I never thought I'd hear from him again. "Okay. When? Where?"

"Today, in about an hour," Jacob said.

"Where?" I asked. What did he want to talk about?

"How about the benches by the pavilion?" he said.

"The romantic or the angry bench?" I asked.

"I didn't know they had feelings." He chuckled.

"Oh, but they do."

"Then find a neutral bench. See you then." He clicked off.

My heart sunk. But neutral was better than angry. Obviously, romantic was out. Now I had an hour before I met Jacob, and two hours before I went to McNally's. I headed to the pavilion to wait. The tourists were spa.r.s.e today. But weekdays were always less crowded than weekends. I pa.s.sed by the public dock, adjacent to the pavilion.

"Hey CiCi, over here," I heard a voice boom. It sounded like Ken. I turned in the direction of the voice. Ken stood on the dock by his boat. He waved me over.

"Are you taking her out today?' I asked as I pointed to his boat.

"No. Just some maintenance," Ken said. "How have you been?"