A Matter of Marriage (22 page)

Alex
felt his stomach plummet to the floor. How much had Alberta written?

Muffie
yapped, and Julia quieted her. “What does it say, Tom?” she asked, her voice no
more than a whisper.

“It’s
a letter addressed to a Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Ellingson, Baltimore, Maryland. MacLean’s former in-laws, if I read this right.”

Rivulets
of sweat trickled down Alex’s spine, but he felt chilled all over. “Yes, their
daughter was my first wife.”

“Dearest
Gerald and Amanda,” the marshal read. “You will never guess who I have
discovered out here on the shores of Coronado Island—your dreadful son-in-law!
It’s absolutely scandalous. A travesty. He should never have been released from
prison. I am shocked to say that, before I knew his true identity, I attended
his outdoor wedding to the heiress of the Hotel Grand Victoria. She is a
beautiful and accomplished young woman who has no idea of his criminal past.
It’s not right! He is taking advantage of her just as he did your poor Elizabeth. Well, before he can set fire to this lovely hotel in the same manner he did to the
home you so generously provided to him, I intend to notify the local police and
Mrs. MacLean, the former Miss Fairbanks, before she is killed, too. Someone has
to protect her, and I …” Landis looked up. “It ends there.”

Alex
gritted his teeth. This looked bad. Really bad. “I did not set the fire. I
wasn’t even in the house at the time.”

Landis
laughed. “I bet you were close by, though. Most arsonists like to watch their
handiwork.”

He
didn’t answer. What was the point? He had been close by, and the marshal would
use that against him. Landis didn’t care about the truth.

“May
I assume you were arrested for the murder of your wife?” the marshal asked,
though the question sounded more like a statement.

Alex
winced. “Yes. And my son and a servant girl. I was put in jail.”

Julia
stared at him, her disillusionment as clear as the moisture glistening in her
eyes.

“Julia,
I told you what happened.” His heart drummed with his desperation. “I didn’t
kill them.”

“You
left out a lot of the story, though.” Her voice shook. “I trusted you, Alex, but
you didn’t trust me.”

He
felt as if a knife were being plunged into his chest. He loved Julia. Had known
it for days now, but until this moment, he hadn’t realized how much, nor how
important she had become to him in the short time they’d been together. He
needed her in his life.

“I’m
sorry, Julia. I didn’t want to remember. You know I would not have hurt Alberta any more than I would have intentionally hurt Elizabeth or Danny.”

“But
you were arrested for their deaths,” she said.

“My
in-laws blamed me. They convinced the police I was guilty and had me thrown in
jail. Two weeks later I was released for lack of evidence.”

Landis
folded the letter and stowed it in his breast pocket. “Released for lack of
evidence doesn’t prove you were innocent. I don’t know what your motive
might’ve been back then, MacLean, but your motive for this crime is clear. You
killed this lady to keep her quiet.”

Every
muscle in Alex’s body tensed. “You’re wrong. I was falsely accused in Baltimore, and I’m being falsely accused now.”

“I
disagree.” The marshal pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

Alex
sidestepped away. “Don’t do this, Landis. Somebody wants you to think it was
me, someone who must’ve witnessed my disagreement with Alberta.” Realization
struck him like a fist to his face. Whoever wanted Julia dead had killed Alberta to get him out of the way. If he hadn’t argued with her in the lobby, she would
still be alive. His knees nearly buckled as he added the weight of another
death to his burdened conscience.

“MacLean,
you’re a no-account drifting murderer, and you’re under arrest. Turn around and
put your hands behind your back.”

He
ignored the order. “It wasn’t me. If I had killed her, I would not have left
that letter lying around for anyone to read.”

Tom
Landis swung the handcuffs. “Turn around. Now.”

Alex
stayed where he was. “Julia, please. You’re in terrible danger.” He couldn’t
lose her. They had only just found each other. “This is what the killer wants.”

She
hugged Muffie closer. “I’ll hire a lawyer for you.”

“I
don’t want a lawyer. I want you to be safe.”

Landis
edged around him and yanked his arms behind his back. “MacLean, you duped a
good woman into marrying you, but you won’t be taking advantage of her anymore.”
He clamped the cuffs around Alex’s wrists. The metal clicked shut, the sound
seeming to echo in the room. The marshal spun him toward the doorway.

He
winced at the pain in his ribs and lurched forward.

Muffie
whined.

The
marshal gave Alex a shove into the hallway. The crowd scattered, opening a path.

Alex
twisted around to face Julia. “Promise me you’ll be careful. With me gone, your
assailant will have a better chance at getting to you. Let Tyler watch over
you. And Theo and the doctor. Don’t go out alone.”

She
didn’t respond.

“Promise
me! I can’t protect you from jail.”

She
swiped at a tear and finally nodded. “I promise.”

Alex
stared at her hard, afraid to look away. In spite of her promise, there was no
guarantee she’d be safe. And if anything happened to her … well, he wasn’t sure
what he’d do.

From
her desk chair, Julia peered down at Muffie. Daylight from the Garden Patio
filtered in through the window and lit the tiny dog who lay on a pillow in the
corner of the office. Muffie stared back at her with big, sad eyes.

“It’s
all right, girl,” she said, trying to reassure herself and the dog. “Everything
will be all right.” But how could anything ever be all right again? Her
husband, the man she loved, was in jail, charged with murder, and not for the
first time.

What
a fool she’d been, dreaming that her marriage of convenience could be a
marriage of forever. She had allowed herself to fall in love with a man who had
abused her trust by willfully keeping an allegedly criminal portion of his past
from her while letting her think there was nothing more to tell.

Obviously,
there’d been plenty more.

She
slowly swung her head from side to side. How could she have lost her heart so
completely to Alex MacLean? She had considered him a hero—her hero. Now it had
all come crashing down.

And
yet, even with the evidence against him, now that she’d had time to absorb
everything, Julia could not bring herself to believe that Alex was a murderer.
How could the man who had made such sweet love to her, who had risked his life
for her and again for a little boy, be a cold-blooded killer?

On
the leather blotter, she laid her head on her arms. All night these same
questions and more had spun through her brain, leaving her exhausted and
without answers, feeling an emptiness that swept outward like rings from a
stone tossed into the bay. She didn’t know if Alex loved her, but as Tom Landis
had dragged him away, he had been consumed with worry for her safety rather
than concern for himself. The desperation in his voice reverberated in her mind
and heart. He was afraid for her. She remembered what he’d said to her before
they climbed the gazebo steps and spoke their vows. “I promise I will always do
my best to help you. I hope you’ll remember that.”

“Julia?”
Tyler’s voice came through the door.

She
sat up and dashed a hand across her eyes.

He
knocked, then the doorknob shook.

Muffie
lifted her head and yapped.

“I
know you’re in there. I’ve heard all about what happened. Let me in.”

Sniffling,
she plodded to the door, smoothed her hands over her pale blue shirtwaist and
gray walking skirt, and let her brother in.

He
wore a solid black coat over charcoal, pin-striped pants. “I am not happy.” He
threw his fedora onto her desk. “I returned to the hotel late last night and
was told nothing until this morning. You should have sent word to me, or at
least left a message for me at the desk.”

“I’m
sorry, but it was all such a shock. I could barely think straight. It’s still a
shock. I have to do something to help him, but, other than hire a lawyer, I
don’t know what I can do. The evidence is against him.”

He
studied her face. “You love him, don’t you?”

She
briefly shut her eyes, then nodded. “Yes.”

“Do
you think he could have killed her?”

“No,”
she answered firmly, “but what I think doesn’t matter.”

“Not
to the courts, but I’m sure it does to him. Does Alex know how you feel?”

Swallowing
hard, she shook her head, remembering the way he had looked at her while
proclaiming his innocence, both past and present. He had needed to know she
believed in him, and she had disappointed him.

A
pang of guilt quaked within her. Julia grasped the edge of her desk and leaned
heavily against it.

“Are
you all right?” Tyler took her arm. “Do you need the doctor?”

“I’m
tired and emotionally drained, but I’ll be all right.”

Muffie
trotted over and laid one paw on her shoe.

“Is
this the victim’s dog?”

“Yes.
Muffie. She was Mrs. Hensley’s closest companion.” Julia lifted Muffie from the
floor, shuffled around the desk, and sank into her chair with the dog on her
lap. “Tyler, what am I going to do?”

“First,
you’re going to let Alex know you haven’t abandoned him. After that, you’ll
hire the best defense attorney in San Diego.”

His
decisive manner gave her the burst of energy and determination she needed. She
straightened. “I’ve already gathered several names, but will the jail let me in
to see Alex?”

“If
not, we’ll figure out a way to make it happen. I’m coming with you.” He fitted
his black fedora to his head.

“Thank
you.” She stood with Muffie in her arms. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m
glad you’re here.”

“We’re
family, and we’ll sort this out.” He led the way into the lobby.

Trying
to decide what to do with Muffie while they were out, Julia glanced around. Mr.
Chalmers was a possibility, but he was currently occupied with several guests
who were most likely checking out. Since Mrs. Hensley’s death, some of the
registered guests had chosen to leave before the scheduled end of their stay.
The majority, however, felt they were safe, the supposed killer having been
caught and removed to the San Diego County Jail.

If
they only knew. Certain that Alex hadn’t killed Mrs. Hensley, Julia knew the
real murderer was still at large, and very likely somewhere inside her hotel.

She
shivered and held Muffie closer. Though she felt reasonably safe with Tyler watching after her, she would have been more at ease if Alex were with her.

Across
the Rotunda, Theo and Tilden stood beside the bell desk’s podium. Nearby, a
cartload of cases and hatboxes waited to be wheeled outside.

She
crossed to the bellboys, Tyler following on her heels. “Theo, I have a huge
favor to ask of you.”

“Anything,
Mrs. MacLean. You know that.”

She
did know. He had already confided to her how sorry he was about Alex’s arrest.
He had taken off his spectacles, wiped them with his handkerchief, and said, “I
just can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it.”

She
nodded down at the dog. “I need you to watch after Muffie while I’m in San Diego with Mr. Wolff.”

“Happy
to do it. If you’ll be seeing Mr. MacLean, please give him my best.”

“I
will.” She held Muffie out to him.

The
dog growled, sniffed the air, and growled again. Her little head turned this
way and that as she continued sniffing. She began wriggling like a freshly
caught fish.

“Muffie,
what’s wrong?” Julia struggled to keep from dropping her.

The
Yorkshire terrier let out an ear-piercing yap and jumped to the floor. She
landed on all fours, bared her teeth, and pounced at, of all people, Tilden.

“Muffie,
stop,” she ordered.

The
dog sank her teeth into the cuff of his uniform pants.

Hissing
at the dog, the bellboy shook his leg, but Muffie didn’t let go.

“I’m
sorry, Tilden. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.” Julia started to bend down
to grab Muffie, but Tyler stayed her with a hand to her shoulder. She glanced
up at him.

“Wait,”
he said, his voice nearly lost amidst the growling. “Let’s see what this is
about.”

Muffie
released Tilden’s pants, backpedaled, and leaped nearly as high as his left
pocket. Again and again.

Tilden
inched backwards. “Shoo! Get away! Down!”

Muffie
kept jumping.

Julia
exchanged glances with Theo and her brother. “Tilden,” she said, cocking her
head, “what’s in your pocket?” She imagined him carrying some food that he
might have pilfered from the kitchen.

His
gaze flicked around the hallway. “Nothing.” He backed up even more.

Muffie
jumped again.

Julia
followed, with Tyler and Theo beside her. “There must be something that’s
attracting her. Show us what’s in your pocket, and the matter will be settled.”

His
expression hardened. “I’ll settle it all right.” He leaped at her, grabbing Julia
by the throat.

*   *   *

Alex
paced the dank, stinking confines of his cell. Every so often he slammed the
heel of his hand against the bars, the noise reverberating along the
second-floor tier of cells. The other inmates grumbled.

A
guard shouted, “Keep it down!”

He
had spent most of the night pacing the concrete floor, worried sick about Julia,
but also reliving the doubt he had seen in her eyes when he most needed her
trust.

Could
she truly believe he had killed Alberta?

He
dropped onto the narrow, creaky, moldy-smelling cot and buried his face in his
hands. He loved Julia, but she obviously didn’t love him. If she did, she never
could have doubted his innocence. She hadn’t even come to check on him.

When
he’d been out on the road, drifting from town to town, he had been lonely,
searching for a place to belong, but that loneliness was nothing compared to
what he felt now. He had found where he belonged, found the woman he wanted to
spend the rest of his life with, but in a matter of minutes, it had all been
snatched away from him.

He
was utterly alone again, worse off than ever.

“Hey,
you, new guy next door,” came a deep, gravelly voice. “What are you in for?”

Alex
straightened, pulled at the striped cotton prison-issue shirt abrading his
neck, and pushed to his feet.

“Who’s
asking?” He pressed the side of his face to the bars.

“Marvin
Sisko, occasional pickpocket enjoyin’ the county’s hospitality for a few days.
I got food, a bed, and no worries about gettin’ sent up to Folsom or San
Quentin.” He belched contentedly. “You going to be here long?”

“I
… don’t know.” Before last night, Alex had had a future to look forward to. Now
he had nothing and no idea what the future held. If he was convicted of Alberta’s murder, his life would end on a gallows. He would never see Julia again, never
make love to her again, and never have a family again.

Alex
started to shake. He didn’t want to die. Married to Julia, he had just begun to
live.

“What
did you do?” Marvin asked.

“Nothing.”

“You
must’ve done something.”

“Somebody
else did it. I got blamed for it. Murder.”

The
man cackled and slapped what sounded like his thigh. “I’ve heard that before.”

“I
expect you have, but it’s true. My wife, however, doesn’t believe me any more
than you do.” Alex dropped back onto the cot and leaned against the rough,
whitewashed wall.

“I’ve
got me a wife, too,” Marvin said. “And in my experience, wives are usually more
interested in what we can do for them than what they can do for us.”

Alex
nodded to himself. Julia had married him to obtain ownership of the Hotel Grand
Victoria. In the beginning, she had wanted him to disappear after the ceremony,
leaving her alone with her hotel. Maybe she would be happy to have him gone.

Even
as he thought it, Alex didn’t believe it. They’d been content together. He
hadn’t imagined that. She even wanted to have children with him.

“They’re
all the same,” Marvin added. “O’ course, there are times when they do earn
their keep.” He laughed, a bawdy, you-know-what-I-mean laugh.

Alex
refused to let himself think about the night he and Julia had made love. Those
memories didn’t belong in this filthy place. None of his memories of her
belonged in this place. But like a series of moving photographs playing across
his mind, he once again saw her approaching him that first day on the carriage
drive. She had shown no revulsion at the sight of his scarred face. Next, a
fascinated Julia brazenly, yet naively, watched him taking off his shirt in the
doctor’s office. Then his mind showed her walking toward him in her wedding
gown under the twilight sky. Lastly, she stood unselfconsciously before him in
her prim nightdress as he unfastened the buttons.

The
images tortured him, and he pounded his fist into the hard, lumpy mattress.

*   *   *

Rendered
helpless by Tilden’s unexpected attack, Julia could do nothing. His powerful
hands gripped her throat. His fingers dug ever more deeply into her flesh.

Face
to face, she clawed uselessly at his hands. Time slowed to a crawl. The vicious
determination in his eyes mesmerized her. Unable to breathe, she mouthed, Why?

He
didn’t answer.

She
struggled harder for air, trying to gulp it in, but there was nothing. Her head
didn’t feel right. She heard things as if from a distance—the ring of the
telephone, Muffie’s yapping, a woman’s scream, and Theo yelling something. Tyler was trying to pull Tilden’s arms away from her, but the bellboy was too strong.

Darkness
fringed the corners of her mind, and she felt like sobbing. Her regrets rolled
through like a winter storm. She desperately wanted to see Alex again, tell him
how much she loved him and apologize for not standing by him. Tilden had
obviously killed Mrs. Hensley, strangling the matronly woman the same way he
was now strangling her.