The Sleeping Beauty Killer Part 22

"Are you saying that Angela thinks Casey's guilty? She gave me the opposite impression."

"She gives everyone the opposite impression. I try not to resent Angela for being the one Casey credits with undying loyalty, but the truth is that Angela has her doubts, too. She always says, 'If Casey says she didn't do it, then she didn't do it,' but that doesn't mean she really believes it. But I made my peace a long time ago. I worried Casey wouldn't be able to get through her prison sentence if she didn't believe she had at least one person truly on her side. I continue to let Angela play that role."

"Paula, it's none of my business, but what are you going to do when our show airs? Are you going to continue to stand by silently while Casey blames everyone for Hunter's death but herself? She's already served her sentence. Maybe the way for her to find peace is to admit the truth about what she did-at least to her own family."

"I said before that I hope your son never breaks your heart. Mine was truly broken once I realized my daughter would never trust me with the truth. And if you ever repeat what I told you today, I'll deny it, just like my daughter."

57.

Laurie had just put Paula on an elevator when the doors to the next one opened. Charlotte stepped out, wearing blue jeans and a black Ladyform-logo hoodie. Laurie was used to seeing her in elegant pantsuits on workdays.

"This is a surprise," Laurie said. "Are we planning a heist?"

"That would be much more fun. I'm on my way to Brooklyn." She said it as if it were a foreign country. "We need to get the warehouse in shape for the fashion show. The set builders started yesterday, but there's a lot of work to do. Angela and I need to go over the final plans."

Laurie had been so wrapped up in the show that she'd completely forgotten that her friend was under her own pressures.

"Can I help somehow? Not that I know anything about fashion shows."

"Unfortunately, I'm here for a different kind of favor. It's about Angela's cousin. Can we talk?"

Charlotte was clearly surprised when Laurie told her that Casey's mother had already beaten her to the punch. "She just left. I explained that Casey's signed agreement is straightforward. She can't revoke her consent now."

"I told Angela I didn't think there was anything I could do. But she sounded desperate when she called, and she's my friend, so-"

"I get it. But if my show is successful, there's always going to be at least one family torn apart by the truth. Everyone has a family. It sounds cold," Laurie said, "but I can't concern myself with that."

"What if you had found out something terrible about my sister? Would you have run with the story, even after my mother put so much trust in you?"

It was the first time Laurie had ever contemplated the question, but she answered without hesitation. "Honestly, yes. But, Charlotte, your sister was a victim. Casey's not. I know she's your friend's cousin, but she's a killer. Think of what she has put her family through. If I feel sorry for anyone, it's the Raleigh family." James Raleigh lost his son, and Andrew lost his brother. If the show was going to explore every aspect of the re-investigation, Laurie was going to have to expose their wrongdoing, too.

"General Raleigh isn't a perfect man," she continued. "I don't approve of his tactics. He had Jason Gardner write the book that convinced everyone Casey was crazy. He, in concert with his sidekick Mary Jane, was probably the source of the RIP_Hunter posts."

At that she stopped. The General had silenced and even threatened Mark Templeton to cover up the fact that Andrew used the family foundation as his personal ATM. But his concern was always for his sons. He wanted to make sure that Hunter's killer was punished, and he was desperate to protect his sole surviving son.

"I'll talk to Angela directly if you want. You shouldn't be dragged into the middle."

"I wasn't dragged. She's my friend, so I said I'd talk to you. But you're my friend, too, so I understand you need to do your job. Down the road, Angela will understand, too. Right now, she's in shock about Casey. She was so certain of her innocence, and now she's beginning to wonder."

Laurie's face must have revealed her apprehension. Charlotte asked if something was wrong. Laurie wasn't going to repeat what Casey's mother had told her, but she did want Charlotte to know that Angela might not be as shocked as she was letting on.

"I think Angela may have already had suspicions about her cousin's guilt. If she asked you to get involved, it might be because she feels guilty for not telling Casey earlier the real reason she thought she shouldn't do the show."

Charlotte furrowed her brow in disagreement. "I wouldn't read that much into it," she said. "She's just a really loyal friend and is worried about Casey."

"I'm sure she is," Laurie said, "but it's my understanding she was worried it would come to this. Neither one of us would be in this situation if she'd told us from the beginning she had her doubts about Casey's innocence."

Charlotte looked away, and Laurie realized she'd spoken out of turn. Laurie was bothered that Angela had let Charlotte go to bat for her cousin with Laurie, when apparently she had told her aunt she thought Casey was guilty. But Charlotte had known Angela far longer than Laurie. It wasn't Laurie's place to question their friendship. "Anyway," Laurie said, "thank you for understanding my decision."

"At least I can tell Angela I tried," Charlotte said matter-of-factly. "Speaking of Angela, I better get a move on. She's already down at the warehouse. And speaking of warehouses, you might need one to expand your office. It looks a bit like a serial killer's lair in here." She rose from the sofa and began browsing the various whiteboards Laurie was using to organize her thoughts. "What is all this stuff?"

"It's not as bad as it looks. Most of those printouts were a futile attempt to find out who's been posting negative comments about Casey online. I had a theory it might be the real killer."

"Or it was yet another weirdo writing from his mother's bas.e.m.e.nt," Charlotte said. "You should see the hateful things people post on Ladyform's Instagram account. Everyone's either too fat or too skinny or too old. It's easy to be cruel when you can be anonymous. What's the deal with 'and also'?" Charlotte asked, pointing to the large red block letters that Laurie had circled.

"A phrase our favorite troll tended to use. Anyway, it's not important now. Good luck on your show. I'm sure it'll be amazing."

"Do you want to come?" Charlotte asked.

"Really? I'd love to."

"Cool. I'll put you on the list for Sat.u.r.day. And good luck on your show, too. I feel horrible for Angela, but I know this is going to be a big win for you."

A big win, Laurie thought once she was alone. The words reminded her of something Alex had said when they were first arguing about Mark Templeton. "You win," he had said. She picked up her cell phone from her desk, hoping he might have called, but she had no new messages.

She was tired of waiting. She typed a text message. Do you have time to talk? Her finger hovered over the screen, then hit the send b.u.t.ton.

She waited, filled with anxiety, as she saw dots on the screen, indicating that he was composing a response. I got your message earlier. I just need some time to think. I'll call when things have cooled down.

Cooled down, she wondered. More like, gone cold.

She heard a knock on the door. It was Jerry. "It's been Grand Central in here," he said. "You ready to make that punch list of what we need to do before we can start editing?"

They'd started the list earlier today. An affiliated studio in D.C. would get footage of the exterior of Casey's childhood home and high school. Jerry was tracking down yearbook photos and video images of Tufts, where Casey had spent her college years.

Once they were seated at the conference table, Laurie said she still thought they needed to interview someone who knew Casey and Hunter as a couple. "We have Andrew's recollections, but of course he's going to emphasize the negative. Mark Templeton's obviously a no. And Casey's cousin and mother won't be talking to us any time soon. Didn't Casey have any friends?"

"She did, as in past tense. They dropped her like a hot potato once she was arrested."

"What about her friends' boyfriends? Maybe there was a go-to couple for double dates." She was thinking out loud now. "Actually, Sean Murray might be perfect."

It took Jerry a moment to recognize the name of the man who had been Angela's boyfriend fifteen years ago. "I thought he already pa.s.sed."

"He did, but he wasn't adamant about it. I didn't push, because it didn't seem important." Laurie now realized there was another reason Sean might be helpful. It would be interesting to know if Angela had ever told him that Casey's own family thought she might be guilty. "And I think he was worried how his wife would feel about his crossing paths with Angela again."

"But now that she's not on camera-"

"Let's track down his address. I might have a better shot in person."

58.

Thanks to traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge, it took Charlotte's taxi nearly an hour to make the six-mile drive from Laurie's Rockefeller Center office to the Brooklyn warehouse where Ladyform would host its fall show in four days. As she swiped her credit card for the enormous fare, the cabdriver seemed to read her mind. "This time of day, it's better to take the subway over the bridge." Taking the hint, she left an extra tip to get him back into Manhattan, where business would be better.

She found a one-foot gap beneath the warehouse's steel roll-up door. She gave the handle a hard pull until the door rolled up enough for her to slip inside, then pushed it back to its starting place behind her. She'd been here three times previously, enough to know the basic layout of the building. What had been a distribution center for a commercial linen company had been overhauled into a three-story building with huge, arched windows and soaring ceilings. Eventually, the floors would be split into individual condo units, but for now the developer was bringing in revenue by renting out the largely unfinished s.p.a.ce for photo shoots and corporate events. After Angela found the listing, Charlotte had immediately agreed that it was perfect for their fall show. They could "bring their vision" and "make the place their own," as the leasing agent said. Plus, it was dirt-cheap.

The first floor would be set up like a cross-fitness gym to feature the workout clothes and bodywear that Ladyform was already famous for. The second floor would be staged like a typical workplace with office cubicles, starring Ladyform's new expansion into business-casual attire for the working woman. And the third floor would have a homey feel to highlight pajamas and weekend loungewear.

"Angela?" she called out. Charlotte's voice echoed through the warehouse. "Angela-where are you?"

The only overhead lighting came from the dim, fluorescent ceiling boxes that buzzed above Charlotte as she worked her way through the first floor. Portable construction floodlights cast shadows as she pa.s.sed. The stage lights wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, but the set was coming along nicely. A row of treadmills faced a series of Pilates equipment. Visitors would walk between the two as if moving through a gym, with models "exercising" on either side.

Charlotte recognized three large bins of sporting equipment and a box with their soon-to-be-released, long-sleeve workout tops that had been in the hallway outside Angela's office earlier that morning. She used the light from the screen of her cell phone to read a note that had been taped to the side of one of the open bins. For first floor gym set.

Having completed a loop through the first floor, she made her way to the elevator at the front of the warehouse. The doors opened, but when she stepped inside and pushed the b.u.t.ton for the second floor, nothing happened. She tried hitting 3, but that didn't work either. Spotting the stairwell door in the corner, she took the steps instead. She was disappointed to see that the second floor seemed barely touched, other than more notes that Angela had taped throughout the s.p.a.ce.

She was nearly out of breath when she reached the third floor, which seemed slightly more put together than the second. Two faux "rooms"-a living room and bedroom-had been constructed like the soundstage of a television show. A few pieces of furniture were in place. More notes evidenced Angela's presence. Charlotte could only read the one closest to her: Accent wall. Paint gray.

"There you are," Charlotte said, spotting her friend sitting cross-legged on an area rug in the fake bedroom. "I may need to work less and work out more. Two flights of stairs were a killer."

"They're high ceilings, so it's probably more like four or five." Angela looked up momentarily from the sketch pad she was writing on. "Can you believe what a wreck this is? And, as you probably discovered, the elevator's on the fritz. That's why the second floor's barely touched. It got stuck downstairs in the middle of the day. The agent promised it'll be fixed tomorrow, but trust me, I'm getting a price concession. I should have been here all day riding herd on the crew."

"Your family needed you. That comes first." Charlotte had spent five years in a frenzy of worry about a family member. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to find out that someone you loved like a sister-the way Angela loved Casey-was probably a murderer. "I spoke to Laurie. No luck, I'm afraid."

"Well, maybe it won't be up to her. Paula was talking about hiring a lawyer."

"I doubt it will do any good. I hate to say it, but is it possible your cousin is actually guilty?"

Angela's marker stopped moving. "I honestly don't know what to think anymore," she said quietly. "I'm so sorry I got you involved."

Charlotte was walking through what they were calling the "at home" set, impressed by the details outlined on Angela's notes. Place light here in one spot. And also here in another. This chair is too low. And also it looks like it's meant for the second-floor set.

Charlotte did a double take as she read the note on the chair. "You wrote all these?" she asked.

"Of course, I did. Who else was going to do it?"

59.

It was late afternoon, but Laurie decided she had to try to interview Sean Murray. She had his address and went downstairs and hailed a cab. I might have more luck face-to-face than I would on a phone call, she thought.

Sean's Brooklyn Heights brownstone was on a quiet, tree-lined street, where children could ride their bikes on the sidewalk toward Prospect Park, and small purebred dogs roamed free on the occasional fenced front lawn. Laurie had thought many times about moving to give Timmy a larger home and more open s.p.a.ce, but he loved his school and his friends and seemed perfectly content in their apartment on the Upper East Side.

From the front stoop, she heard the thunder of rapid footsteps inside the brownstone in response to the doorbell. "Daaa-aaad," a young voice called out. "There's a grown-up at the door. Should I get it?"

A deeper voice gave a response she couldn't make out, and soon she was looking at Sean Murray, the man who had been dating Angela when Hunter was killed. She recognized him from a few of the photographs Casey had provided for a montage. She could tell that Sean recognized her name when she introduced herself. "I wanted to talk to you again about the possibility of helping with our program." She lowered her voice. "As it turns out, Angela won't be partic.i.p.ating in the show. I thought that might change the dynamics."

He stepped back so she could enter and walked her into a sitting room at the front of the house. She could hear children's voices and the sound of a television from upstairs. Sean took a seat in the wing chair across from her.

"I know you weren't sure how your wife would feel about the show," Laurie said. "Perhaps we should meet somewhere else?"

Sean let out a small laugh. "I felt silly the second I said my wife would mind. Jenna doesn't have a jealous bone in her body-"

"Then why did you say it was about Jenna?"

"Because I'm a terrible liar," he said, laughing again.

"You just didn't want to talk to me," she surmised. She started to pick up her briefcase, a.s.suming the trip had been futile.

He held up a hand to stop her. "It's not that. It's-Oh, I may as well tell you. Angela asked me to find a reason not to sign on."

Unbelievable, Laurie thought. Angela had made it clear she had concerns about Casey's decision to go on Under Suspicion, but now it turned out that she had been actively undermining them.

"Is that because Angela has always believed Casey was guilty?"

Sean's eyes widened. "Absolutely not," he insisted. "Personally, I think Casey did it, but I can't know for sure. But Angela?" He shook his head. "She was a fierce advocate for Casey. Supporting Casey brought out the best in her."

"How so?" Laurie asked.

"I have no idea what Angela's like today, but back then, her whole ident.i.ty was wrapped up in being a model. But she was losing work, always to younger women. She started to live in the past, as if her best days were behind her. It wasn't easy. Angela could be vain-and bitter. But she was completely unselfish after Hunter was killed. She told anyone who would listen that her cousin was innocent. It was almost like being Casey's most loyal supporter became her new ident.i.ty."

"So why didn't she want you to talk to the show?"

Laurie could tell that Sean was on the fence about revealing a private conversation. "Fine, I'm telling you, because it's for her own good. She and Casey are practically sisters. They shouldn't have secrets between them. Angela didn't want me talking to you because she never told Casey that she was in love with Hunter."

"She was in love with him? She and Casey both told me that it was just a couple of dates. They even joked about it."

"Trust me, I heard that comedy routine, too. No, it was definitely more than that. Casey was so concerned with all those high-society women swooning over Hunter that she never noticed the way her own cousin looked at him. But I did. One day, I caught Angela staring dreamily at his picture in the newspaper, so I confronted her, point-blank: 'Do you have feelings for your cousin's fiance?' She tried denying it initially, but when I told her that I couldn't continue a relationship with her if she wasn't honest with me, she came clean. She said that at one point she had really loved him. She made me promise never to tell Casey."

"You stayed with her, even after she lied to you?"

"Well, she didn't lie so much as not tell me the whole truth." Laurie couldn't help but think about her own b.u.mp in the road with Alex-or was it the end of the road? She forced herself to focus on Sean as he continued to explain. "Ironically, knowing about Angela's past relationship with Hunter made me feel closer to her. Her love for Casey was stronger than anything she ever felt for Hunter. She wanted Casey to be happy and didn't want to do anything to cause a problem in her marriage. I admired her selflessness. But I can't believe she's still hiding this from Casey after all these years. Why does it matter anymore? If anything, it shows how much Casey meant to her. But once she told me, it felt like a wall came down between us."