Death and Deceit (31 page)

She pulled away from him and ran a finger across her nose and sniffed. “I
think he wanted to, but he looked so weak. The doctor practically asked me to leave, but Davis acted like he wanted me to stay.”

Kent thought of Davis’s accusations earlier and wondered if he wasn’t now maybe having second thoughts about the whole thing. Why had he even come out for Jessie? Unless he thought Alvarez might tell her something he wouldn’t tell anyone else.

“If he could speak, he would,” Jessie said, looking determined. “I know he wants to do what’s right. The only thing he ever lied to me about was sending the e mail threats, and I haven’t figured out yet why he wouldn’t admit to that.”

“Because he didn’t do it,” Liz blurted.

Jessie gaped at Liz. “He didn’t? Then who —”

“I did.”

“Liz,” Kent spoke up. “This is hardly the time or place.”

“Then when, Kent...where? When do I clear
my
conscience, hey? I’m
tired of carrying around a dirty secret. And Alvarez in there is bad enough off. He doesn’t need to be blamed for something he didn’t do. I did it, Jessie. I sent those
e mails, but it wasn’t to hurt you — ever. You know, I always came to your rescue —”

“Liz, stop it,” Kent yelled.

The desk nurse raised her head from her papers and scowled at the loud
noises. “This is a hospital,” she said, “quiet down.”

Jessie didn’t know where to turn. What Liz had said didn’t make sense to her. And Kent didn’t seem surprised at all. But Alan looked horrified. Jessie ran to his arms. “Take me home, Alan...now.” She and Alan turned towards the elevator; his arm lay across her shoulder protectively.

Davis and Dr. Farley emerged quietly from Ricardo’s room.

“Jessie,” Kent called. “Stop...wait!”

Jessie turned around and caught sight of Dr. Farley and Davis. She stopped
and turned. Alan waited while she backtracked. She walked up to Dr. Farley. His
expression told her what she didn’t want to hear, but she had to ask. “Is he…?”

The doctor nodded. “He fought a good fight.” He turned to consult with the nurse.

Jessie turned to Davis and saw his tears. Ricardo had meant the world to him. Her eyes clouded too. “I’m...sorry,” she said to him.

Davis cleared his throat in a way one does when he is embarrassed or can’t speak because of emotions. He chewed on an invisible toothpick. “Well, you’re off the hook, missy.”

Jessie gaped at him. “What?”

“He said two words.” Davis held up his index and big finger, and shook them in the air. “Innocent...Jessica.” That was all, but it’s enough for me. It’s time to close the case. Ricardo needs a decent funeral.” He cleared his throat again and raced towards the elevator.

Alan had heard it all. He came to Jessie. “You’re cleared, Jess. What a relief. Thank God.”

Jessie knew she was supposed to feel relief too, but the tightness in her heart
wouldn’t let go. Something terrible was still going on. Something Kent and Liz knew — something they had kept from her. She felt deceived by both of them.

“Alan, let’s go home now.” She didn’t look at Liz or Kent.

Alan placed his protective arm across her shoulder once again, and Liz and
Kent watched the red-haired couple enter the elevator.

As soon as the door closed, Kent was on her. “You little fool. What was that all about? Confessing now? You didn’t think things were bad enough?”

“It slipped out,” Liz yelled. “Besides, she had to know sooner or later. I
couldn’t let him take the rap for something I did.”

Kent shook his head as the second elevator opened. They stepped inside and he punched the mezzanine button. “Did your conscience hurt that much? He’s dead. He never could have told her anything different. She never would have known. Now you not only messed things up for yourself, but what about me? Damn. Now she hates me. She knows I knew. She probably thinks I was in on it with you.”

“Stop it. I’ll tell her everything. I’ll save your precious skin.”

“Don’t do me any favours.”

At the car they sat huddled in the front seat. The rain had returned, this time it was almost hail beating on the windshield.
“Well, where do we go from here, Liz?” Kent asked. “Dare we go to the house? Or back to Harbourside?”

****

Jessie huddled on the sofa, her arms wound around herself. She shivered.
Alan stood in the doorway looking at her. “Do you want me to light a fire?” he
asked her.

Jessie’s teeth were actually chattering. “I’d like that, but you have to leave, don’t you?”

He walked up beside her and bent down on one knee. He touched her arm. “I can’t leave you alone. What was all that stuff about e mail anyway? And why
are you so freaked out over it?”

Jessie looked over at her brother’s face. They’d never been this close in years. How ironic that when she was down to the lowest she’d ever been that it
should be Alan who’d stand by her. All this trouble had started years ago — growing from a seed into a full-blown mess. And it all began with Alan. It was only fitting that he be there at the end of it.

“Light a fire,” she said. “I’ll explain everything.”

****

Kent decided it wasn’t a good idea to go back to the Albright house, at
least not right away. It was past supper time, and he took Liz into the restaurant where they’d eaten on Saturday.

“Eat something, Liz; you’re going to need strength later, when you explain
this mess to Jessie.”

“I can’t,” she whined. “And I can’t face her again.”

“Ha! You were pretty brave at the hospital, volunteering information, when
you didn’t need to…shouldn’t have, damn it.”

Liz jumped to her feet. “Look, if you’re going to yell at me, I’m leaving.”

“Sit down.”

“No.” She took off to the ladies’ room.

Kent calmed himself. She was right. Yelling at her would get them nowhere. He was just mad because he’d been found out. He’d kept a secret from
Jessie, and he knew it had been wrong. But she was going through so much, and he really believed it was up to Liz to tell her anyway. He’d go to the house and tell her that. If she couldn’t forgive him that small mistake, then they would never make it through a lifetime together anyway. Wasn’t life all about forgiving and moving on? He’d forgiven her for doubting him. He forgave Liz for accusing him. Damn it, someone needed to forgive him. It was over...or was it?

****

“Liz did that to you?” Alan’s voice rang flat.

“I can’t believe it either,” Jessie agreed. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe she needs to explain herself. And you think Kent was involved?”

“I know it. The way he tried to get her to shut up...you heard him.” Jessie
rose and stood in front of the fire. She was warm now and calm. “You don’t have to stay with me, Alan. I know you have a case tomorrow, and it’s getting late.”

“But what are you going to do?”

She turned and faced him, her hands placed on her hips. “I’m staying here
tonight. I’m staying until the funeral.”

“You’re going?”

“Yes. I’m sure Sandra will go with me. I need closure. And, he deserves
some people there.”

“After what he did to you?”

“I can forgive him. He didn’t mean to hurt me. He was misguided.”

“So, you can forgive him but not Liz, or how about Kent? You don’t even
know what he did, and you’re angry with him.”

“That’s true,” she said. “Look, you’d better go, Alan. I’m fine, really. I’ll
shut the place up before I leave, and I’ll call you when I get back to Harbourside.”

Alan walked over and put his arm around Jessie. “Okay, I’ll leave. But I
hope you work things out with Kent. He’s a nice guy. I like him. And both he and
Liz put themselves through plenty to chase after you.”

“Are you taking up for them?”

“You decide whatever you must, when you hear their explanation. But, don’t be too quick to hold a grudge. Remember what it did to you and me all
those years? I promised myself I’d never be that stupid again.”

“Can you forgive Liz?”

“Maybe. Probably. I need to hear the story. But I can’t hang around. You
decide. If you can forgive her, I can too. Open your heart, Jess. Consider all the circumstances before you lay judgement. That’s what Mom would want.”

Jessie smiled. “That’s what she would say. You sound just like her.”
She gave Alan a hug and he left.

Jessie stirred the dying embers. It had been almost an hour since Alan left.
She thought about eating but wasn’t that hungry. She remembered she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, except for a cookie, when Kent had made the coffee. Where were
Kent and Liz? Had they gone back to Harbourside? After all this time, they must
have. At least they could have shown up and explained things to her.

Were they
so cowardly they couldn’t come clean? There she was judging them again, even before she heard the whole story. She knew well that the brush off she’d given them at the hospital had probably scared them away. They probably figured she’d collapse under the strain of it all. Well, she was stronger than that, and she’d show them. She marched into the kitchen determined to eat and keep up her strength, even if she wasn’t hungry.

****

Liz noticed Kent staring thoughtfully at the road. This is the way she’d planned it in the beginning. Have Jessie get suspicious of him and drop him, and she’d pick up the pieces. He was so handsome. She remembered their one and only date. How he’d kissed her goodnight, and how she swooned over him. She just had to tell Jessie didn’t she? And introduce her to him. Then she lost him to her.

Kent caught her glancing at him. “What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I was just thinking about our date.”

“Come on, Liz. That’s ancient history.”

“Yeah, I know. But think about what I did to try and get you back. Now
here we are together.”

“Oh, no. We’re not together together.”

“I know that. And I don’t even want that anymore.”

“You like Alan, don’t you?”

“Yes I do. But that’s over now.”

“You give up easily, you know.”

“Oh? Mr. Optimistic are you? You think Jessie is going to run into your
arms when you ring the doorbell?”

“No. But I can hope.”

“Yeah?” Liz sighed. “Well, I think it’s a waste of time. You might as well
take me to my car
.”

“I told Jessie I wouldn’t leave her, and I meant it, unless she tells me to go.
I just wanted to give her some time to digest everything.” He turned in the Albright drive.

****

The front door bell rang. Hardly anyone rang the doorbell anymore. It certainly wasn’t Sandra.
She was a backdoor person. She’d knock, then try the door. If it was unlocked, she’d walk in.

Jessie pulled open the door. Kent grinned at her. “I saw lights on. Can we
come in?”

Jessie had barely noticed Liz hiding behind Kent. She stepped back from the
door. “Yes, come in. You both own me an explanation. Who wants to be first?”

Liz will begin,” Kent offered.

Liz took a seat in the rocker by the fireplace. It was the same chair Sandra
had told stories in yesterday. Kent and Jessie seated themselves on opposite ends of the sofa. Jessie was being pleasantly polite by Liz’s gauging of her.

“It was totally wrong and stupid of me,” Liz began. “But I wanted Kent back. I thought you took him unfairly, and I was angry, looking for revenge. So I contrived a way to make you doubt him. I sent the e mails then ran to your side to protect you from them. You were in no danger, believe me.”

“But I didn’t know that,” Jessie said.

“No, that’s true. After I started the whole thing, I was sorry. And by then I’d
met Alan, and I realized I didn’t want Kent.”

“Oh, thanks,” Kent said.

“Be quiet, Kent,” Jessie said. “You’ll get your turn.”

“Remember I tried to tell you I was wrong about Kent?”

“Yes, but it was too late, I had my doubts then.”

“And I begged you not to go to the police. It would have all blown over. I
was through with the e mails, I hated myself.”

“And you liked Alan.”

“Yes, a lot. But you had to go to the police. How could anyone know he’d
be a crackpot?”

“Or Alan’s friend.” Jessie added.