Stolen In The Night Part 7

Tess folded up her wallet and put it back in her bag. Then she placed her hands on the scarred wooden surface of the table. "I haven't been. I don't think," she said. "At least, not so far."

"So, enough fatherly advice. You wanted to see me. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm sure you heard about the announcement yesterday. The DNA results."

Aldous Fuller's eyes were weary behind his gla.s.ses. "I know this is tough on you, Tess. h.e.l.l, it's been tough on me. These reporters calling. It gets to you."

Tess nodded. "I couldn't sleep last night. All these years I've been so sure...then I ran into someone who told me something that shook me up. I have to admit it. This...person said that experiments had proved eyewitnesses were wrong about fifty percent of the time. Did you know that?"

Aldous Fuller nodded. "Yeah, I've been hearing a lot of those theories."

"I keep thinking, what if that's what happened. What if I was wrong?"

"Do you want me to tell you what I remember?" asked Aldous.

"Please," said Tess.

Fuller inhaled deeply. "Well, when we arrived at your campsite that night, I asked you to describe for me the man who took your sister. You remember that?"

Tess shook her head. "To be honest, not really. It's all a jumble."

"Well, I remember. You never hesitated. You gave me an absolutely dead-on description of the guy. Every detail. Here. I took my personal files home with me when I retired. After Mary Anne told me that you were coming by this morning, I pulled these out for you to see. These are the notes I made based on what you told me. Have a look."

Tess reached across the table and took the notebook. The entry read, "Tessa DeGraff, the victim's sister, 9yrs old: white man, filthy dirty. b.u.mps and scars on his skin. Gla.s.ses. Black rims. A greasy black ponytail. A broken front tooth." Beneath his notes, Chief Fuller had written "LAZARUS ABBOTT!!!"

Tess looked up from the notebook. "I didn't know his name at that time," she said.

"I wrote that," Aldous said. "While you were describing him, Lazarus came instantly to my mind. It was as if I had asked you to describe Lazarus Abbott for me. Plus he was a known pervert-a Peeping Tom and a flasher. His mother protected him. Always bailing him out. That's the only reason he wasn't in jail that night."

"So you were sure right away, too?" she asked hopefully.

"d.a.m.n right," said the chief.

And then Tess was struck by a sobering thought. "So you never really...considered anybody else?"

"Did I?" asked the chief. "No. Not really. We just went out and picked up Lazarus Abbott, and brought him into the station. Do you remember that? You started screaming when you saw him."

Tessa nodded slowly. "Yes. That I do remember." She remembered it vividly now-how terrifying it had been to see him walk in-the man she had seen in the tent.

The chief shrugged. "His only alibi was his mother, whom I gave no credence to. His stepfather didn't offer any corroboration. Lazarus had a record. A history of public indecency. We had no DNA testing at the time. Antigen testing was what we used. When we found Phoebe, the blood types were a match. The rapist was a secretor, type A, just like Lazarus. That wrapped the whole thing up with a bow. And you may have been only nine years old, but no DA ever had a better witness than you. The jury saw it the same way we all did. There was no one else it could be."

Tess sighed. "But the DNA says that I couldn't have been right. My brother thought maybe they made a mistake with these tests at the lab."

Aldous Fuller shook his head. "They were pretty thorough in their procedures. Rusty Bosworth told me he had to sign about a hundred doc.u.ments when they came to get the old evidence. They checked and rechecked, just to be sure there was no possibility of error."

"So where does that leave us?"

"I don't know. But I do know this. They're going to try and make you recant, Tess. Rusty Bosworth and his bunch need someone to blame. They need you to say that I-or somebody else-put this idea in your head about Lazarus Abbott. That you were just a gullible child and I was willing to pin this crime on an innocent man, just to have a suspect." He wagged a bony finger at her. "But you know and I know, that's not the way it was."

Tess suddenly realized that Chief Fuller was worried about his own reputation. His recollections had been consoling to her, but now she felt a sort of defensive chill. "I'd never say that," she said stiffly. "Because it wasn't true."

Aldous Fuller looked relieved. "No, it wasn't."

For a moment there was an awkward silence between them. Tess couldn't help thinking he wanted to distance himself from this horrible mistake and make sure the blame fell on her shoulders.

"Well, okay," she said coolly, standing up. "I should go."

Aldous Fuller reached out and took her hand in his. His palms and fingers were cold and Tess shivered involuntarily. "Look here, Tess. It does seem as if there was some mistake. Perhaps the killer was someone who strongly resembled Lazarus Abbott."

"Resembled?" Tess echoed the word.

"But neither one of us has anything to be ashamed of. I mean, I did the best I could with what you told me. And you told the truth as best you could."

"I did tell the truth," she insisted.

Chief Fuller dropped her hand. "In any case, these perverts rarely stop with one," said the chief. "I spoke to Rusty this morning. Those DNA results have already been sent to the FBI's CODIS database."

"What's that?" Tess asked.

"It's a...a national DNA index system of people who have been arrested or convicted of a s.e.x or other violent crime. They may find Phoebe's killer rotting away in some prison."

"And if they do," Tess said, "that means the death of Lazarus Abbott will be on my conscience forever."

She expected him to agree and understand, to say that it would be on his conscience, too. Instead, he shook his head. "That would be hard, Tess," he said.

CHAPTER 8.

Reporters and cameramen shouted her name as Tess scurried, head down, back inside the inn and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against it, her eyes closed, and willed her frantically beating heart to slow down. The visit to Chief Fuller had not made her feel better. If anything, she felt worse.

"Ma, you're back," said Erny.

Tess opened her eyes and looked at her son smiling broadly at her, his teeth large and white in his thin, brown face. Healthy and happy. Rescued from a terrible life in the foster system. She reminded herself that she was a good person. No matter what anyone thought. "I'm back," she said.

"Can you take me down to Blockbuster?" he asked.

Tess's spirit seemed to shrivel at the thought of going out again, of being seen. "Can't you ride your bike?" she asked.

Erny frowned and looked out the door lights at the clamoring reporters camped outside. "I guess..." he said.

Tess saw the reluctance in his eyes. It was her fault that they were out there. Her fault that they had to run the gauntlet to get out of the house. "All right," she said. "I'll take you. Just give me a minute."

The phone in the foyer began to ring. "Go get your jacket," she said. "Don't forget that Blockbuster gift card you got from Aunt Julie and Uncle Jake."

"I won't," he said eagerly, rushing off to find his sweatshirt. Tess picked up the receiver. "Stone Hill Inn," she said. "How can I help you?"

"Liar," an insinuating male voice whispered. "Killer."

Tess stifled a cry and slammed the phone back down on the hook. She stared at the phone as if it had turned into a live snake in her hand. Who would do that? b.a.s.t.a.r.d, she thought. I'm not the guilty one. She clutched her chest, waiting for her heart to resume a calmer beat.

No, she thought. This was wrong. She was not going to be bullied. And it was not too late to do something about it. She picked up the receiver again and pushed *69. A mechanical voice recited the last incoming number and Tess instantly dialed it back, but it was the number of a cell phone, which switched directly to voice mail. "Listen, you coward," Tess declared into the receiver. "Leave me and my family alone or the next time I will call the cops." She slammed the receiver down again and turned around.

Erny was standing there in his sweatshirt, looking worried. "Who was that?" he said. "What about the cops?"

Tess tried to sound calm. "Nothing, honey. Are you ready to go?"

Erny nodded.

"All right." She reached for the doork.n.o.b and then hesitated. "No matter what these people out here say to you, just ignore them and stick with me, okay?"

The Blockbuster was on Main Street, right beside the general store. Tess parked diagonally on the street. "Okay," she said. "Do you know what you're going to get?"

Erny shrugged. "Video game," he said. "Probably Madden."

Tess smiled. Dawn had purchased a PlayStation for her TV, just in honor of Erny's visits, but she had no games for it and didn't even know how to work it on her own. But Erny enjoyed having it at hand during his visits. Tess was glad he favored the sports games over the more grisly crime games that were available. "Okay. Well, you go on in and get it."

"Aren't you coming in?" he asked, surprised.

She didn't want to run into people asking questions. People who may have seen her face on the news. "I'll just wait in the car," she said.

Erny shrugged. "Okay," he said. He got out of the car and slammed the door behind him. Tess looked up the street. She thought about going to the gourmet shop and picking up something for their lunch, but her anxiety kept her trapped in the car. She peered at the Blockbuster window, and between the movie posters in the window she could see a red-shirted clerk gaping at an overhead TV monitor. She knew it would take Erny a while to look over the store's a.s.sortment of games. She could picture her son inside, resting, cranelike, on one leg, frowning intently as he read the game boxes. Tess sighed happily at the thought of him. Everyone told her that once he became a teenager, Erny would only ignore her or grunt at her. She dreaded that day. His smile always made her feel better, no matter what.

A movement in the doorway of the general store caught her eye and she turned to look. There, stepping out on the sidewalk only a few feet away from the hood of Kelli's car, was Edith Abbott. The tall, skinny woman was wearing white sneakers, faded plaid pants, and a blouse beneath a baggy blue denim car coat. The white corsage from yesterday, now brown around the edges, was pinned to the coat's lapel. Edith was going through her purse, looking for something.

Tess froze. She wished she could make herself invisible. To anyone else, Edith Abbott must look harmless, but to Tess, she might as well have been a dragon, able to shoot flames toward the windshield of the car. Tess sank down in the seat, hoping not to be seen.

Last night, when she could not sleep, Tess had thought a lot about Edith Abbott. People had called this woman stubborn and stupid for doggedly pursuing her son's case, even after his death. But yesterday her determination had paid off. In the lonely hours of the night, Tess had imagined herself in Edith's position. What if someone had accused Erny of such a crime? What if Erny were sentenced to death as a result? Wouldn't you be the last person on Earth to give up on him? she had asked herself. And what if he had actually died, and then it turned out to be a mistake?

Tess had thrashed in her covers, trying to imagine it, but it was too terrible to think about. Somewhere in the middle of the agonizing night, Tess had pictured herself going to Edith Abbott, speaking to her as one mother to another. Begging forgiveness. She had tried to imagine what she would say, but it was impossible. The right words wouldn't form in her mind. "I regret that Lazarus was executed because apparently he did not kill my sister, although I still do think he was the one..."

Horrible. There was no good way to say it. She just didn't want to face Edith Abbott. Not now. Not on Main Street with people watching, and her mind a blank.

In the few seconds it took for all those thoughts to race through Tess's mind, Edith Abbott located the item in her purse that she'd apparently been seeking. She pulled out a little round box and popped it open. She extracted something tiny with the tips of her fingers and put it in her mouth.

A mint, Tess thought. Or nitroglycerin for her heart.

"Ma," Erny demanded, rattling the door handle. "Open the door."

Edith Abbott looked up, blinking at the boy standing beside the car. Then her gaze traveled through the windshield and settled on Tess. Tess met Edith's gaze with trepidation, expecting a glare or an outburst. Edith blinked at her from behind her gla.s.ses, with absolutely no sign of recognition in her eyes. Then she hung her pocketbook over her forearm and gazed patiently at the general store, as if she were waiting for someone to emerge.

She doesn't even know me, Tess thought, with amazement and relief. She doesn't recognize me at all. How could she not know me? Tess wondered. And then, in the same moment, she realized that for Lazarus's mother, Tess was frozen in time. Forever a nine-year-old girl, pointing to her son in a courtroom and calling him a killer. And in all the commotion at the governor's press conference yesterday, Tess must have been just another face in the crowd to Edith. However she might feel about the child who had accused her son, Edith Abbott did not connect her with Tess, the woman she had gazed at through the windshield. That realization came as a welcome reprieve.

Feeling as if she had dodged a bullet, Tess took a deep breath and pressed the b.u.t.ton on the driver's side to unlock the car door. Erny opened his door to get inside. Tess put the key in the ignition and waited for Erny to slide in. Suddenly a man's voice called out. "Hey. You there."

Erny, who had one foot in the car, looked up, surprised.

Nelson Abbott had come out of the general store, a roll of burlap under his arm and was walking toward his wife. His gaze had traveled from Erny to Tess, who was behind the wheel. "Tess DeGraff."

At the sound of the familiar name, Edith Abbott began to look around, confused. Nelson pointed at the car and Edith peered in at Tess with a dawning recognition in her eyes. Tess's heart sank. "Who is that?" Edith Abbott asked.

"This is her. The one who testified against Lazarus," said Nelson.

The older woman's eyes widened and she clutched Nelson's arm.

"What do they want?" Erny asked.

"Just get in the car," said Tess, opening her door and sliding out.

"No, Mom," said Erny anxiously. "Get back in."

"I need to talk to these people," she said.

"Why?" he pleaded.

"I'll tell you later."

"You should tell him," Nelson advised her. "Tell him what you did." Tess did not reply. She understood instantly that the bitterness in Nelson Abbott's eyes was now focused on her. He was no longer sympathetic, as he had been when he came to the inn the evening before the press conference to express support for her family.

Tess spoke quietly to Nelson. "Look, I don't think this is necessarily the time or place, but I really would like to sit down with you both-" she said.

Nelson sneered at her. "And say what? How sorry you are?" Nelson peered at her through cold, black eyes. "My stepson was executed because of you."

"All I did was...I tried to tell the truth," Tess protested.

"Did you hear what those results said yesterday? Lazarus didn't do it. You really don't want to own up to what you did, do ya?" Nelson said, shaking his head.

Tess was trembling. "Excuse me, but didn't you tell us that even you thought...?"

Nelson's beady eyes flashed at her, warning her not to complete that sentence. He began to speak, drowning out her words. "The facts have changed everything."

Edith, still clinging to Nelson's arm, c.o.c.ked her head and looked at Tess sadly. "Why did you say those things about my son?" Edith asked in a tremulous voice. "You didn't have to do that. I know someone took your sister, but why did you have to blame my Lazarus?"

Tess turned to Edith. She still didn't know what to say to this aggrieved mother. But there was no escaping her questions. "Mrs. Abbott, I have wanted to speak to you about all this. I'm sure you blame me for what happened to your son..."

Edith nodded. "Well, you were only a child at the time. But child or not, that's no excuse. You're the one who lied," she said.

Tess felt her face burning. "Look, I told the police the truth about what I saw at the time. That was all I could do..."

The other pedestrians on the sidewalk were slowing their steps, aware of an argument and trying to catch the gist of it. Tess tried to ignore their curious faces.

Edith shook her head and began to sniff. She opened her purse and peered into it.