The Bishop's Wife (27 page)

“What's going on?” he asked. Apparently, he hadn't noticed me taking Kelly inside, or thought once about where she'd been during his interviews. “Sister Wallheim, what are you doing here?”

I thought about what Kurt had told me. I had to make Alex Helm think I was on his side. “I just thought I would come help out. Keep Kelly company while you were busy, and make some cookies. I hope you don't mind the mess I've made. I'll clean it up when I'm done.” Playing to his neat freak.

Kelly was yawning, and I had placed myself between her and him so that her head was tucked against my side.

Alex Helm stared at me for a moment, then nodded. “All right. Kelly and I need to talk privately for a few minutes, though.”

“She really should go to bed. It's late,” I said, putting a hand on her head.

“I think you should go now,” he said. He reached for Kelly.

“But the cookies aren't done yet. And I should clean up upstairs first. Kelly left some clothes on the room of her floor. And the bathroom is a mess.” I had to stop myself from listing anything else in that false, cheerful tone I was using. “I'll just take care of that and then I'll be out of your way.”

“All right, then. I'll sit here with Kelly and we'll wait for the cookies.” He reached around me and pulled Kelly toward him. She was limp, sleepy, and I hoped to keep her that way. Arguing with Alex Helm wouldn't help her, so I let go of my antagonism, for the moment, and left the kitchen.

I hurriedly picked up Kelly's bedroom, and then went into the bathroom. I cleaned out the tub, and then returned the thick towel to the upstairs master bath. Only then did I dare go back down the stairs to the main level. “Hello?” I called as respectfully as I could. The timer was still going off, and I hoped the cookies hadn't burned.

“Come on in and have some cookies,” said Alex Helm's voice.

I saw that the cookies had been taken out of the oven and were cooling on the stove top. It was strange that Alex Helm hadn't turned off the timer. Did he not know how?

I touched the off button on the stove, then found a spatula and put the cookies on a plate.

That was when I saw that Kelly was snoring away on Alex Helm's shoulder.

I wanted to snatch her away from him and take her home with me. But that wouldn't help. Despite my anger at Kurt, he had been right. I had to be logical about this. I had to do what I could for Kelly, in the circumstances she was in. “Can I help you get her to bed?” I asked.

“No, I think I can manage it,” Alex Helm said, lifting her up and putting an arm under her bottom.

“Well, maybe I can come back and help again tomorrow? I'm sure there will be a lot to do with Jared—and lawyers.” I was trying to avoid saying the words “jail” and “murder.” For my own sanity as much as for Alex Helm's. “I could come by in the morning as early as you want and just stay here until you come back.”

Alex Helm thought a moment, jiggled Kelly as she stirred a bit and then settled. That one moment told me a lot about him as a grandparent, and I wasn't sure that I wanted to see him this way. Indulgent, loving, and well attuned to her patterns. “Thank you, that would be a great help,” he said.

I went home and Kurt asked me what had happened. He nodded when I told him I'd be going back tomorrow. “And you think that you are going to find something over there that will help the police? Or are you just there for Kelly's sake?”

I didn't know the answer anymore, and I think Kurt could see I was conflicted.

“Just be careful, all right?” he said, and sighed.

“Be careful? Does that mean you think the Helm men are actually
dangerous?” I asked. I guess I was still in an argumentative mood, despite the hour and how tired I was.

Kurt put up his hands. “I don't know what it means except that I think you have been finding yourself in more and more dangerous situations lately. I thought you had grown out of that phase when I married you, but apparently not.”

W
E WENT TO
bed and kept mostly to our own sides. I woke up several times during the night and found myself snuggled up next to him, and pulled away.

S
ATURDAY MORNING
, I
woke before him and hurried over to the Helms' a little before seven.

Alex opened the door. He was already dressed, though he looked bleary-eyed. He was buttoning the top button on a dress shirt and I leaned forward to help him cinch up his tie, surprising myself with the domestic reflex.

He told me Kelly was in the kitchen, and he went upstairs to get his suit coat.

In fact, Kelly had decided that the butter cookies we'd made last night would make an excellent breakfast. I didn't argue with her, but I did get out a glass of milk to try to counter the effects of the sugar.

Alex Helm came back downstairs and told me he didn't know when he would be back. He said he would call me when he knew more about Jared, but I didn't press him.

After her late night, Kelly fell asleep on the couch next to me while I was reading her another book. I gently slipped out from under her and began to go through the house methodically—again. Here was the answer to the question Kurt had asked, I suppose. I couldn't stop myself from trying to find out more. And Kelly was fine, safe and secure on the couch.

In the master bedroom, I found that Alex Helm had left his cell
phone behind in his hurry to leave, and I thumbed through the phone history. I was getting used to doing things like this.

He had called the Las Vegas number I had seen on Carrie Helm's phone, the one belonging to Will, several times over the last few days. Had he talked to Carrie directly? Maybe he was the reason Carrie had left Will. Or was he part of the whole scam about Carrie being in Las Vegas? I still didn't know when exactly she had died. It was when I checked Alex Helm's messages that I had to sit down in shock. He had been texting Carrie right up until a few days ago, and she had been texting back. There was no reason for Alex Helm to fake these.

K
ELLY NEEDS HER MOTHER
. I
EXPECT YOU HOME IN THE NEXT DAY
, Alex had written imperiously.

I
AM NOT READY TO COME HOME
. A
ND
I
SUSPECT
J
ARED DOESN
'
T WANT ME THERE
,
ANYWAY
, Carrie had written back.

Alex had texted in reply, J
ARED WANTS HIS WIFE HOME WITH HIM
,
WHERE SHE BELONGS
. Y
OU ARE CAUSING A TERRIBLE SCENE
,
EXPOSING YOUR FAMILY TO CONSTANT NEWS COVERAGE
.

Then, H
OW DO YOU THINK THAT WILL AFFECT YOUR DAUGHTER
?

Carrie responded, S
HE
'
S TOO LITTLE TO REMEMBER ANY OF THIS
. Then, almost immediately afterward, she followed up with, S
HE
'
LL BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT ME
. I
SN
'
T THAT WHAT YOU TOLD ME
?

My neck prickled at this.

I
F YOU DON
'
T COME HOME RIGHT NOW
, I
WILL COME AND GET YOU
.

I
WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY THAT
.

Y
OU WILL REGRET HUMILIATING ME AND
J
ARED
. Y
OU CAN BE SURE THAT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN
. W
HEN YOU GET BACK
,
THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE
.

W
HEN
I
GET BACK
? I'
M ALREADY MOVING ON
.

Y
OU ARE A MOTHER
. Y
OU CAN
'
T MOVE ON FROM YOUR DAUGHTER
. S
HE IS YOURS FOREVER
. A
ND YOU ARE
J
ARED
'
S FOREVER
. Y
OU MARRIED HIM IN THE TEMPLE
.

Y
OU WON
'
T EVER SEE ME AGAIN
. I'
M DUMPING THIS PHONE
. I'
LL MISS
K
ELLY
,
BUT NOT AS MUCH AS
I
WILL BE GLAD TO BE AWAY FROM YOU AND YOUR SON
, Carrie returned.

Alex continued to text her, but got no response.

Y
OU CAN
'
T HIDE FROM ME
. I
WILL FIND YOU
.

D
O YOU WANT YOUR PARENTS TO KNOW WHAT YOU
'
VE DONE
? I
CAN TELL THEM EVERYTHING
.

And the last one, G
OD WILL TAKE HIS VENGEANCE ON YOU IF
I
CAN
'
T
. W
ICKEDNESS NEVER WAS HAPPINESS
. W
HEN YOU ARE DEAD
,
YOU WILL SEE THE ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES
.

When she was dead?

I realized that my breathing was heavy. I tried to calm down but was overcome with panic when I heard the door open downstairs. Alex Helm had come back—now of all moments.

“I forgot my phone!” he called out.

And I had no reason to be in the master bedroom.

I put the phone down shakily, and then called out, “I'm up here, just doing some cleaning,” I said. I tried to step out of the room, but Alex Helm caught me.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

I put up my hands in an attempt to prove my innocent intentions. “My husband and sons are terrible at cleaning the bathroom. I just thought I would help.”

“I don't need your help with cleaning in here,” he said roughly.

“Oh, are you sure? Usually when I come in and help with children, I try to clean up, as well.” Meek, subservient, keeping my head down.

“Well, that isn't necessary here.”

“Kelly fell asleep and I wanted something to do,” I added with a shrug.

“You could go watch a soap opera on television,” said Alex Helm. “Or read one of those romance novels women like.”

“I didn't bring any,” I said, trying to act cowed. “Next time I'll think of that.”

Alex Helm simply nodded, and turned back to the phone, as if I was no longer important. “If you can stay for a few more hours, until I can get Jared out on bail, that would be useful,” he said, not bothering to look me in the eye.

“Sure. Whatever you need,” I said.

He took the phone, and I swallowed hard as the door shuddered closed behind him.

The rest of the day, I stayed close to Kelly and let my mind run over the messages Alex Helm had sent Carrie. What did they mean? What had Alex Helm done?

I had to leave Kelly with Alex when he came home, and it was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

For the next several days, the whole ward had to deal with the reality of the Helm situation. Jared Helm was in jail on charges of spouse abuse, presumably to be followed by murder charges. In the meantime, Kurt was dealing with Jared's father. Alex Helm was demanding that the ward send character witnesses to Jared's bail hearing. He also wanted the names of all the lawyers in the ward so he could ask them to donate their services to help the lawyer he had hired.

Meanwhile, I stewed over thoughts of Kelly alone with her grandfather. I'd seen a good moment between them, but that was no guarantee that there were many such moments. And just because Kelly Helm was physically cared for did not mean her grandfather's misogyny wouldn't have far-reaching effects.

On Wednesday God sent me a distraction from my worries about Kelly. Anna Torstensen called to tell me that the woman in the photos had been found.

“Her name is Ellie Vasquez. She claims that Tobias offered her a thousand dollars all those years ago to pretend to correspond with him as his wife and to dress up in some clothes that he sent her and have photographs taken. She thought it was a little creepy, but she needed the money.”

So, I had guessed right—or had been guided in that leap of intuition. “So how did Tobias find her, did she say?”

“Apparently it was on a business trip to California. He happened to see her and told her that she looked like his wife. He asked for her name and address and wrote to her when he returned home. She felt sorry for him at first, she said.”

“And why did Tobias do it? Did she have any guesses?”

“She said that she thought it was because he was lonely. He wanted to imagine his wife was still alive, that she might come home. Ellie Vasquez took advantage of that, tried to get more money from him. But at some point, she worried that the fantasy had become too real. She moved to a different location and never had contact with him again.”

Somehow, this sounded more like the Tobias I had known. Emotionally unstable, perhaps, but not a bigamist. “Well, you must be so relieved.” But if his wife was dead, then I had to go back to the question of whether or not Tobias had killed her.

“I feel guilty, too,” said Anna. “I should have known that Tobias would never have done any of those things to me. I lived with the man for thirty years. I should have known him better.”

“You are still in shock over losing him,” I said to Anna.

“Maybe,” she said.

At that, I decided it was time to change the subject. “What about the house? Have you made any decisions on that?”

“The boys are very upset, and I feel terrible about selling it, so we've reached a compromise. Liam wants me to rent it out for a year instead of selling it outright. That way, I can go on my cruise and still have some money from rental, but I can also come back to it if I want to. I even got a promise of more time off from my job, if I want it.”

It sounded like a sensible solution. “Do you have enough money otherwise?”

“Liam agreed to give me a loan against the value of the house at
no interest. He's not even making me sign a contract.” Anna chuckled at that. “If you knew Liam, you'd see why that seems so out of character.”