"A Murder In Milburn", Book 1: Death At A Diner (7 page)

Luckily, her alibi was strong enough – wasn’t it?

“I last saw her when we… when she…” Nora looked away from him for a moment, fighting to keep the tears within her. Recovering, she began again. “I last saw Raquel at about 8pm. Harvey and I were going out for a date, and Raquel had come over to help me pick out an outfit. She told me that she was going to go to meet someone and then later go to the diner to finish up some work.”

“She told you she was going to meet someone?” Sean perked up. “Who did she want to meet?”

“She didn’t tell me,” Nora said. “But if you’ve got her smart phone, she’d have her messages or-”

“Nora, we never recovered her phone. Her purse – her wallet, keys, and phone – they were all stolen, remember?”

Nora flinched but nodded. “Of course.”

Sean paused, scribbling down notes, and asked, “Nora, this is a tough question for you to answer, and I’ve asked it before, but do you truly have no idea who would want to harm Raquel? It may seem like it was a minor incident to you, but people hold on to grudges. So if you remember something, anything at all…”

Nora shook her head. “As I said, if there were people from her business as an accountant who hated her, I wouldn’t know about it. In her personal life, everyone loved her. Even the boys whose heart she broke had no hard feelings. But… there’s Raquel’s father, of course. Have you interviewed him?”

“We haven’t interviewed her parents yet,” Sean said. “We’ve done a brief round of initial questioning with them, but not a proper sit down.”

“Her father,” Nora said. “Raquel didn’t consider Jolene her mother.”

“Say what now?” Sean paused, then almost smacked himself on the head. “Of course! Jolene’s been married to Davis Madden so long, I’d forgotten. She’s Raquel’s step mother, isn’t she?”

“She is,” Nora said. “Raquel never removed that step from step mother.”

“So there was bad blood between them?”

“Not enough for Jolene to…” Nora shook her head, suddenly feeling guilty. “No. Jolene can’t have done it.”

Sean sighed, and put his pen down. He rubbed his hands together for a while, then smoothed back his hair. “Nora, you can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“You’ve got to put aside your personal feelings for a minute, and tell me facts,” Sean said. “If you start feeling guilty just because you’re telling me facts, I’ll never be able to get to the truth. Now, it doesn’t matter whether Jolene was or was not capable of hurting Raquel. What we need to focus on is this –
did Raquel like her? And if not, why not?”

When Nora still hesitated, Sean appealed to her once more. “If I’m to find out who did this, what I need are
observations
. So many people nowadays watch police shows on TV and think that fingerprints and DNA is the kind of evidence that solves cases. The truth is, more often than not, we recover no concrete data from a crime scene. Even today, we policemen work hard to understand the psychology of the crime and the criminal. That’s what helps us crack cases. Right now, my department needs someone like you, someone who is quiet and reserved herself, but who sees other people around her clearly and without prejudice.”

Nora looked up at him, feeling suddenly glad that Sean was in charge. She remembered his face as he came striding toward them when she’d been standing under a tree with Harvey, the crashed Ferrari nearby. Men like this, men who took control of bad situations, and made you feel like justice would prevail, were a boon to the world.

Without hesitation, she began. “Raquel’s mother died when she was only seven. When she was 15, her father Davis Madden married Jolene. Raquel never liked Jolene. She never liked her father either, after he married that woman. Jolene is a good woman, but very… strict. I was her best friend, so I know. Strangely enough, Jolene liked me a lot and kept telling Raquel to be like me, because I was studious and bookish. She thought Raquel’s fun and outgoing nature was a sign that she was a sinner.”

“Ah,” Sean said. He scribbled something more in his notes. “Jolene and Raquel’s father, Davis, they’re members of… the Cult of Supreme Truth.”

“It’s called the church of supreme truth,” Nora said.

“I know,” Sean replied. “But what it is. a cult. It hasn’t been recognized by any authority as an actual church. It focuses a little too much on its charismatic leader, Stanley Staten.”
 

Sean had wrinkled his nose when he said the name, and somewhere, a part of Nora filed that look away. It was a look of sheer disgust, with something more lurking under the surface.

Nora shrugged. “Whatever the case, Jolene is devout. According to her ways, laughing is a sin, singing is a sin, dancing is a sin, as is consumption of any alcohol, caffeine, sugar or meat.”

“I guess I’m a happy sinner.” Sean took a sip from the cup of coffee next to him and pushed Nora’s untouched coffee towards her. “It’s not the kind of fancy coffee you’re used to, but you do look like you need a little caffeine in you, Nora.”

Nora smiled and lifted the little white styrofoam cup with both her hands, savoring the heat. She inhaled, and felt the rich aroma switch the lights on in her tired brain.

“I did need that,” she said, after taking a sip of the dark black liquid.

“Right. You’re a sinner now, according to Jolene and gang,” Sean said.

Nora winced. “Yes. Well, Jolene was hard on Raquel, and at 15, Raquel’s sole aim in life was to get her own apartment as soon as possible. To be honest, I thought Raquel was the kind of daughter anybody would be proud to have. It baffled me why her parents didn’t appreciate her more. She was generous, loving, and worked hard.”

Sean shrugged. “Parents are a mysterious breed.”

“Yes. Well, Raquel never said much, but I knew she had to hear it every day, from Jolene and all her friends, about how she was doing the devil’s work just by existing. Davis, Raquel’s father, he stayed out of it mostly, and when Raquel yelled or talked back, he took Jolene’s side. I think that made Raquel resent him more. We didn’t talk about parents much, to be honest. Before, when my parents were still around…” Nora hesitated again, and Sean saw the muscles of her neck work as she controlled herself. “Back then, I think we both saw it as disloyal to whine about parents. It was the one subject we left alone.”

“All right. How about boyfriends?” Sean asked. “Give me a list, if you don’t mind.”

Nora shook her head. “Well, look, she’s only had three serious boyfriends in her life, though she’s been out on a few casual dates in Jackson.”

“Their names? The three serious boyfriends?”

“You know the first, of course. He’s a happily married man now. Jeremy Norton. She dated him for three years back in high school. After that, there was Aldo Waybury in 2008. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“He’s working as an architect in Spain now,” Sean said. “I was good friends with Aldo. I guess we can rule him out. The third?”

“Jonah,” Nora gulped. “Jonah Ashburn.”

“Ah.” Sean gave her a pointed look. “Jonah Ashburn, now a devout member of the cult of the supreme truth.”

“Do you call them that to their faces?” Nora asked. “I’d be surprised if you did.”

“I don’t like them, and that’s the truth. But I am diplomatic, yes,” Sean said. “They’ve bought out the old Delaney Ranch, you know the one? Ten miles down south? Well, they’ve taken to living in a community together and keeping to themselves, but their tentacles are spreading. Me, I guess I’ve got to stick to my job and not interfere, but let’s just say I keep an eye on them all. A very close eye.”

“Are you really suggesting the cult was involved?” Nora asked. “I know they’re all very…
strange
, with their chanting and their mix of pagan beliefs, but still, they all seem mostly nice and harmless to me.”

“Right,” Sean said. “I’ve no doubt they are, for the most part harmless.”

“Mostly harmless.” Nora raised an eyebrow. “But, perhaps, not completely?”

“No.” Sean leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. “Not completely. That’s all the questions I’ve got for you now, Nora. But if you’ve had a chance to think things over, do come back to me.”

Nora gathered her coat and exited the station soon after. She’d tried to press Sean for details on Raquel’s death, but he was tight-lipped about the findings of his department.

*****

Chapter 12

Nora exited the Sheriff’s department, coat slung over her hand, her large oval sunglasses hiding the shadows under her eyes. She heard a voice call out to her and turned around.
 

A silver SUV was parked in the shade of a tree, and May Almand waved to Nora from it. Exiting the car, she walked to the front of it, while Nora moved towards her.

“I was so sorry to hear about Raquel,” May said, the words coming out in a rush. “It’s terrible. A true tragedy. I wanted to see how you were doing. I tried to meet you but Mrs. Mullally wouldn’t let me through.”

Nora’s face hardened. “Are you here to see me as a politician’s wife, or a reporter?”

“As a friend,” May said, taking a step back. “But clearly you don’t want one right now.”

Nora made an effort and let some of the tightness leave her face. “I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t want to be…”

“Didn’t want to be fussed over.” May nodded. “I understand, dear, believe me. When my mother died three years ago, I couldn’t even bear for George to come near me, let alone strangers. When we lose the people we love, small talk can feel unbearable, can’t it? As if those strangers, with their smooth words, could ever understand what our loss feels like. Yet even those strangers have all experienced the death of a close one, and more often than not, they know, they can help, if you let them.”

Nora’s lips quivered, and her eyes welled behind her dark glasses. “You loved Raquel too. She was your friend too.”

“She was on three committees with me,” May said. “I will be honest, we had our differences, her and I. But I respected her, and respect’s not something that comes easy with me. She was a good, decent woman, and this is a horrible crime.”

Nora nodded. “I hope Sean catches the murderer soon.”

“The whole town does,” May said. “Every one of us.”

“Not everyone,” Nora corrected her. “There’s at least one person here who hopes the truth stays buried forever.”

May’s eyes narrowed. “It was a drifter that did it, Nora. I don’t like what you’re implying.”

Nora bit her lip, wondering if she’d said too much. Sean wouldn’t approve. But the cat was out of the bag now.

May put a hand on her elbow. “You come with me to Anna’s for some pancakes. You look weak. Have you eaten anything at all?”

Despite Mrs. Mullally’s insistence, Nora had not, in fact, eaten anything that morning. She had no appetite, but May was much firmer than Mrs. Mullally had been. She practically shoved Nora into the car and drove her to Anna’s Pancake House on Main Street.
 

Entering, Nora wished she hadn’t come. The entire town seemed to have gathered at Anna’s and all eyes were upon Nora as the door opened and a musical chime announced their entrance. In one corner, Mason, the town lawyer, sat with his frail wife, feeding her muesli with a spoon. In another, Harvey’s secretary Ashley sat, with her baby belly now more pronounced, a sensible green cardigan draped around her shoulders. Next to her sat her husband Jeremy, absentmindedly tapping on his phone.

Anna, a large Swedish lady who had emigrated to town thirty years ago but still had her homeland’s accent, gave a grunt from behind the counter and nodded at May. May raised her hand and pointed to some items on the menu, then herself and Nora. She had Nora firmly by the elbow, as if she were leading a child, and half-dragged her to a booth in the very back.

“This was not a good idea,” Nora said. “They’ll all want to speak to me.”

“Never mind that,” May said. “You’ve got your back to them, and if anyone makes a move, I’ll give them a glare that’ll send them packing. Now, what’s all this about it being a local. Did the sheriff say something?”

“No. Sean didn’t say anything,” Nora said. “I thought… well, I was thinking that since Raquel’s car was still parked even though her purse had been stolen, it indicated…” Nora shrugged. “May, please don’t print anything I said in the
Milburn Report
.”

“I said I came as a friend.” May frowned. “I’d thank you to believe it.”
 

Nora looked at her, and a small smile upturned her lips. “Thank you.”

May shrugged. She was a small woman, who carried herself big. She was the kind of woman who is almost always prominent in small towns – fiercely intelligent, hyperactive, and loyal. Her chin length hair was cut in a wavy bob, and the few grey streaks in them had been painted over to match her dark brown tresses. She had a pointy chin and prominent cheekbones, but a warm smile that softened the rest of her.

She looked over Nora now, and asked, “You truly think that one of us did it, don’t you?”

“I do,” Nora said. “Even if the facts didn’t point to it, I’d know. Raquel was far too smart to be done in by a drifter. We had a baseball bat hidden behind the counter for safety, and if someone had broken in, I think she would have at least gotten a few swings in. I’m convinced it was someone she knew, someone who had arranged to meet her, someone who waited for her to turn her back and…”