The Happiest Day (6 page)

She had a
terrifying thought.  “What if the police think I have something to do with it?”

“There’s no reason
to.  You and Stern were to be married.  You had no idea that they were having
an illicit affair.  Only you and I know the truth.”

“I’ll have to lie
to the police.”

“Rachel, we’re in
this together,” he said intensely.  “I did this to protect you, to save you
from that man.  He was an evil man.  The things he could have done to you…”  He
stopped and took a deep breath.  “Listen to me.  You were asleep all night.  I
woke you up and showed you the scene.  You’re distraught and confused.  The man
you loved is dead.”

They heard the
wail of the siren pulling up the drive.  Rachel started and looked away from
Norris.  She was shaking again and thought about Peter’s stash of whiskey.  If
only she had more time to think about this.  If only she could talk to Peter or
even to Laurie, she could decide if this was the best thing to do.  It was just
her and Norris, though, with two dead bodies laying upstairs and the police in
the driveway.

“Rachel,” Norris
said, desperation heavy in his voice.  “Rachel, what are you going to tell the
police?”

She swallowed
hard.  “Peter dropped me off around midnight last night.  I took a sleeping
pill and knew nothing else until you woke me this morning.”

Norris carried her
hands up to his lips.  “Perfect.  I love you, my sweet.”

The police arrived
and Norris showed them upstairs to his bedroom.  Rachel stayed where she sat
with her now cold coffee cup.  Belatedly, she thought of Peter, Maryanne, and
Geoff and how they needed to be told that their mother had died. 
Peter. 
When
the story came out, he would know she was lying to the police about being
home.  No one knew better than him that she hadn’t arrived home until five this
morning.  She would need to talk to him before he talked to the police or
Norris.  Maybe she should just the police the truth now.  She wouldn’t want to
be caught in a lie later.  She realized immediately how ridiculous of a thought
that was.  She was going to be telling much bigger lies before this day was
out.

“Miss Warner?”

Rachel jumped a
little and looked up to see a police officer standing there with a serious look
on his face.  “Yes, sir?”

He came into
Norris’ study, closing the door behind him.  “I’d like to take your statement
now.  Do you feel up to it?”

“Where’s Norris?”

“He’s upstairs
giving his statement to another officer.”  He sat down opposite her, pulling out
a small notebook.  “When was the last time you saw the deceased?”

“The deceased?”
she asked dazedly.  “Do you mean Frederick?”

“And Mrs.
Thornton,” he prompted.

“Uh…should we wait
for Norris?”

“No, it’s
customary for everyone to give separate statements.”  His eyes narrowed.  “Is
there a problem?”

“No,” she said,
flushing.  “I’m sorry, I’m still in shock.  Norris woke me up just a little
while ago...I saw them dead.  It was horrible.”

His face was
sympathetic.  “I know that it must have been.  If I remember correctly, your
parents were murdered about a decade ago.  This must be bringing back some
difficult memories.”

Her eyes filled
with sudden tears.  “Yes.  I…uh…what was your question?”

“When was the last
time you saw Frederick Stern and Helen Thornton?”

“At the wedding
last night.  Helen was sitting with friends inside and…”

“And?” the officer
prompted.

“I went outside
and Frederick followed me.  We talked and that was the last time I saw him.”

“Can you tell me
what you talked about?”

Should she tell
the truth?
she wondered wildly. 
What was Norris saying upstairs? 
“Not
really.  I don’t remember that it was anything specific.”  She bit the corner
of her lip.  “He…he became amorous and I was uncomfortable with it, being in
public like we were.”  She knew when Peter gave his statement, he would tell
what had happened on the terrace of the club.  “Helen’s son, Peter, came across
us and asked Frederick to stop.”

“Peter MacGregor?”
the officer asked.

“Yes.”

“Did Stern stop?”

“He did but he
wasn’t happy,” she answered, deciding not to elaborate.  “Norris came out then,
also, and asked Peter to take me home.”

“Did he?”

This was the
moment when she could tell the truth.  Norris was upstairs right now, telling
his version of the story and she couldn’t allow him to be caught in a lie.  She
owed him too much.  “Yes.  I had a horrible headache, so I took a sleeping
pill.  I knew nothing else until Norris woke me up an hour ago.  He said he had
spent the night at the club and had just gotten home and found the…deceased.”

“Your fiancé was
in bed with Mr. Thornton’s wife.  Did that shock you?’

“Of course it
did,” she asked, her voice trembling.  “I…I told Frederick that I wanted to
wait until our marriage to be intimate.  I guess he was seeking companionship
elsewhere.”

“Did Mr. MacGregor
stay with you when he brought you home?”

“No, he didn’t
even come in,” she said honestly.

“About what time
was that?”

“Uh…around midnight,
I think,” she said vaguely.

He closed the book
and stared at her for long, thoughtful moments.  “Well, your story corroborates
with Mr. Thornton’s statement.”

Rachel heaved a
silent sigh of relief.  “What do you think could have happened?”

“On the surface,
it looks like a murder-suicide but we’ll have our detectives come in and
investigate the scene.  We’ll need statements from everyone who was at the
wedding, but we’ll start with the family and the staff here at the house.”

“There was no
staff,” Rachel informed him.  “Norris gave all of them a holiday.  They all
left yesterday afternoon and don’t have to return until tomorrow morning.”

The officer’s
eyebrows came together a little.  “Is that a normal occurrence?”

“No.  I think he
wanted to reward them for all of the extra work they’ve been putting in for the
wedding.”

“No staff at all?”

“No.  When I got home,
the house was empty.”  She cringed inwardly at the lie.

“All right.”  He
opened up his notebook and made another note.  “We need to contact the family
first.  Could you assist me with that?”

She nodded and led
him to the phone.  They called Peter at his apartment first.

“Hello?” he
answered crisply and she wondered if he ever slept.

“Peter, it’s
Rachel.”

“What’s wrong?” he
asked immediately.

“There’s been an
accident.  You’ve got to come home right away.”

“What is it?”

“The police are
here and asked that we tell you when you get here.”

“God damn it, Rachel!”
he bellowed.  “What’s happened?”

She knew the
officer could hear Peter’s reaction and she looked at him helplessly.  The
officer nodded, giving her the go-ahead.  “It’s your mother, Peter, and Frederick. 
We found them in bed…they’re dead.”

His silence spoke
volumes.  She clutched the receiver and waited.  Finally he said in a muted
voice, “Are you all right?”

“I’m all right,”
she answered.  “Could you go to the hotel and tell Bert and Maryanne, then go
to their house and get the boys?  The police need to speak with everyone as
soon as possible.”

“I’ll be there as
soon as I can.”  He disconnected the call and her heart ached for him.  Despite
his difficulties with his mother, he was still her son.  He had loved Helen in
his own way.

Twenty minutes
later, Norris entered the room, accompanied by the second police officer.  He
no longer looked dazed but more like himself, in control and confident.  His
eyes immediately sought Rachel.  “Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she
said for what seemed the millionth time.  She was not fine.  She felt like her
insides were being shredded by knives.  One lie was piling on top of more and
she feared that she wouldn’t be able to remember them all.  “I just called Peter. 
He’s going to get everyone and they will all be here soon.”

“Would it be all
right if Rachel and I go to the chapel while we wait for the family?” Norris
asked the police officer.

“Of course, Mr.
Thornton,” the man said respectfully.  “We’ll send your family to you when they
get here.”

Norris led her
down the long side hallway and into the darkened chapel.  He closed the door
behind them for privacy and immediately turned and grasped her by the
shoulders.  “Did you stick to our story?” he rasped.

“Yes,” she assured
him.  “Everything you told me to say, I did.”

With relief, he
pulled her into his arms, sinking his hands into her unbound hair.  “Thank
God.  I was so nervous when they separated us.”

“Me, too.  They
said they think it’s a murder-suicide but are still going to bring in
detectives to investigate.”

“They have to do
it.  We must act like we want it, too.  We can’t let them suspect anything.” 
He led her to the front pew and they sat down together.  “We need to pray that
God protects us during the investigation.”  He crossed himself and knelt,
bowing his head to his clasped hands.

Rachel didn’t
move.  She stared at Norris, her head shaking slowly in disbelief.  He had just
murdered his wife and friend in cold blood, but believed he had the right to
ask for God’s protection from discovery.  She had admired, idolized, and loved
this man for her entire life.  She had thought that he was the epitome of
urbane sophistication and success.  She would go to her grave to protect the
man who had saved her and Laurie on that horrible night.  In this moment,
however, she questioned his sanity.  Did he really believe that he was
justified in what he had done and that God condoned his actions?  Did he really
believe that he was without sin after the events of the past night?

She sat with him
for the next half hour while he stayed on his knees, head bent, and lips moving
silently.  A cold feeling had settled like a stone in her heart.

The chapel door
opened and Rachel turned, looking over her shoulder.  Maryanne came in first,
Bert supporting her with his arm around her shoulders, tears streaming down her
face.  Rachel’s heart broke when she realized that Maryanne’s wedding
anniversary would forever be a reminder of what had happened to her mother. 
Geoff and Laurie came in behind her, then Peter and Blanche.  Blanche looked to
be in a state of shock and Rachel recalled that she had been embroiled in an
affair with Frederick.  Rachel hugged her brother briefly, assuring him she was
all right, then grasped Peter’s elbow tightly.  “I need to talk to you,” she
whispered.

He nodded, his
face somber, and drew her aside from the group.  “How are you doing?”

“I’m O.K, really,”
she answered.  “Peter, I lied in my statement to the police.”

Confusion was apparent
as her words sank in.  “What are you talking about?”

She looked over
her shoulder nervously and stepped closer, whispering near his ear.  “Norris
thought I was home all night.  He thought you dropped me off after the incident
on the terrace and that I was asleep when…all of this happened.  I was
embarrassed that I had been with you at your apartment and…that I had been
drinking…and everything else.  So I let him believe that I was here.”

“You told the
police that you were here?”

“Yes.  When they
were interviewing me I was afraid of changing the story because I didn’t want
Norris to look like he was lying or that he had anything to hide.”

“Rachel, you’ve
got to tell them the truth.”

“No!” she hissed. 
“It’s too late.  Please Peter, does it really matter whether I was here at midnight
or not until five hours later?”

“It could!”  He
grasped her painfully by one arm and pulled her further into the shadows of the
chapel.  “You need to tell them the truth.”

“Peter, they’re
saying it was a murder-suicide.  There is no suspicion on anyone.  If we go
changing our story now, it could change things.”  She raised her face to look
pleadingly into his eyes.  “You fought with Frederick just hours before his
death.”

“I have nothing to
hide!” he bit out.  “I was with you.”

“I was asleep for
hours.  Plenty of time for you to drive out here and murder them.”

The look on his
face was incredulous.  “Are you serious?  Do you really think that I could have
done this?”

“I know that you
didn’t, Peter, but if I change my story, it could open up a whole can of
worms.  Please, please let this be.  It won’t change anything that happened.”

He didn’t like it,
she knew.  She thought she even saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes but
her only concern right now was guarding Norris from suspicion.  He had done
this to protect her from Frederick and she couldn’t let him down.  “Fine,” he
said stiffly.  “I won’t offer it, but if they ask, I’ll say I dropped you off
last night.”

“Thank you,” she
whispered.

He nodded briefly
and stepped around her to join his family.  He didn’t speak to her for the rest
of the day.

A month later,
Rachel sat on the patio, staring at the lush garden but seeing nothing.  How
could her world have crumbled so quickly?  She remembered the last time she sat
on this patio, eating lunch and laughing gaily with Maryanne, Bert, and Peter. 
It was as if that person, that world, no longer existed.  She didn’t know if
she could ever laugh again.

Despite their
attempts to lead the police to believe in the theory of a murder-suicide, the
detectives’ report ruled the deaths a homicide.  They believed that the murders
happened between four and seven a.m., around the time that Norris had reported finding
them.  There were no signs of forced entry and no signs of any disturbance to
objects or belongings. There was no sign of struggle on Helen’s body,
indicating that she had not fought Frederick’s attempts to strangle her.  The
angle and depth of the cuts on Frederick’s wrists were not indicative of
self-inflicted wounds.  Most damning, there were identical scrapes and bruises
on the backs of both Frederick and Helen’s thighs and buttocks, indicating they
had been dragged to the bed.  Bruises on their wrists confirmed that someone
had pulled them a long distance in a rough manner.

When questioning
staff at the club, no one could confirm that Norris had spent the night there. 
One staff member reported seeing Norris leave the building around one in the
morning.  Several people confirmed to police that Frederick and Helen had been
engaged in an affair and that Frederick and Norris had been seen embroiled in a
heated argument on the terrace of the club while the reception took place
inside.

Norris was
arrested on the morning of June 3
^rd
.  They took him away in
handcuffs, with the staff looking on in disbelief.  Norris remained calm as he
turned to look back at Laurie, Geoff, and Rachel.  “Rachel, call Leonard
Winston.  He’s my personal attorney.  Tell him to meet me down at the police
station.”

Rachel nodded
wordlessly, her hands twisting behind her back.  Her heart was thudding so hard
in her chest she felt sure the boys could hear it.  Norris held her gaze for a
moment, and then gave her a brief nod.  The police nudged him forward and they
left the house, leaving behind a stunned silence.  Rachel felt several sets of
eyes on her, waiting for her lead.

“Everyone can
return to work,” she said quietly, but firmly.  “Geoff, Laurie, you may come
with me.  We need to make some calls.”  She called Leonard, and then called
Maryanne to give her the news.  She asked Maryanne to call Peter.  She had
barely seen or talked to Peter since his mother’s funeral and knew that he was
still struggling with her lie to the police.

Due to the crime
and to Norris’ financial status, it was determined that he could be a flight
risk and bail was denied.  For the first time since her parents had been
killed, Rachel felt adrift and frightened.  Norris had been her rock and her
compass since that night.  Her future, and the security of her brother, was
suddenly at risk.  If Norris was found guilty, they could lose everything. 
Where would she and Laurie go, how would they live?  For the first time ever,
she wondered what happened to her family home.  Had Norris sold it?  The
thought of being able to return home made tears come to her eyes suddenly.  She
swiped at her eyes, letting out a shuddering sigh.

“Why are you
crying?”

She jumped a
little and looked up.  Peter stood there, his hands in his pockets, looking at
her somberly.  “You scared me.”

“Sorry.”

“I didn’t know you
were coming out.”

“It’s been a few
weeks since I’ve seen you.  I was wondering how you were doing.”

“I’m fine,” she
lied.

He walked over to
where she sat and pulled out a chair.  Sitting, he said, “I’ve been talking to
Leonard Winston.  It doesn’t look good, Rae.”

“Why not?”

“The evidence is
circumstantial but he’s afraid that the jury won’t be able to get past the fact
that he lied about staying at the club.  He certainly had the motive and the
means.  This whole city knew of his acrimonious relationship with my mother.”

“Is he saying
where he was if he wasn’t at the club?” she asked quietly.

“He said that he
can’t say and that he’s protecting someone.  That, I don’t understand.  Who is
he willing to protect at the expense of his own freedom?”  He leaned forward,
resting his forearms on his legs.  “Do you have any idea, Rachel?  Was he home
when I dropped you off?”

“I went up the
back staircase and went directly to bed.  I didn’t see or hear anything until
Norris woke me up.”

“Do you think it’s
possible that he did this?”

His words lay
between them like a ticking bomb.  “No,” she finally said firmly.

“Do you know who
he may have been with?  If we can find out we can convince her…or him to come
forward and provide an alibi.”

“I don’t know, I’m
sorry.”

He sighed. 
“Shit.  This family is falling apart and I don’t know how to stop it.”

Laurie and Geoff
came out on the patio then, pulling out chairs and sitting next to Peter. 
“What’s happening?” Geoff asked, his face troubled.

“I’m just trying
to find information that might help clear Norris’ name.  He’s saying that he
was with someone that night but he won’t give the name.”

“Why not?” Laurie
asked, confused.

“He said he can’t
tell anyone.  My guess is that he was having an affair and he’s not willing,
yet, to expose the woman.”

“If she can clear
his name, though, why wouldn’t he give her name?”

“I don’t know,”
Peter said, sounding weary.  “I’m not going to stop trying to find her.  How
are you boys doing?”

“It’s strange not
having Mother or Dad here,” Geoff admitted.  “Is there anything we need to be
doing?”

“I’m not sure. 
I’m going to visit Norris tomorrow and I’ll ask him what we can do to keep
everything running smoothly.  There are the household accounts and the
newspaper that needs to be attended to…I’ll let you know.”  He looked at
Rachel.  “Why don’t you come with me?  He may need to give you some information
about running the house.”

“I can do that,”
she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

“You’re quiet,” he
noted.  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

She nodded.  “I’m
fine,” she said again.  “Do you want to stay to supper?”

“No, thanks.  I
have to go back to the office and work some more.”  He stood.  “I’ll pick you
up around two o’clock tomorrow?”

“I’ll just have
the driver bring me downtown.  I know you’re busy.”

“I’m not too busy
to come pick you up,” he said, his eyes narrowing.  “Rae, look at me.”

She looked up,
keeping her eyes purposely blank.  Peter had always been able to read her
thoughts, but this secret was too horrible to share.  “What is it?”

“What’s wrong?” he
asked insistently.

“I’m just tired. 
I’ll see you tomorrow, all right?”  She stood.  “I’d better go check on
supper.”

He watched her
re-enter the house, then looked at Geoff and Laurie.  “How long has she been
acting like that?”

“Since it
happened,” Geoff said.  “Her fiancé was killed, you know.”

“She hated Stern,”
Peter said dismissively.  “She wanted to break things off with him.  That’s not
what’s bothering her.”

Geoff looked at
Laurie and a silent message passed between them, and then he asked Peter, “Did
Dad do this, Peter?”

“I don’t know. 
You know things have not been good between them for years, but I would never
have guessed that he could murder.  It’s just not his style.”

“Maybe it was
finding Helen and Frederick in bed together that made him snap,” Laurie
suggested.

Peter shook his
head.  “I just don’t think he would care that much.  Helen had flaunted many
affairs under his nose for years.  Norris has been no angel either.  The whole
city knew they had an open marriage.”

Like his sister,
Laurie was confused.  “What does that mean?”

Geoff looked
angry.  “It means that Mother and Dad fucked other people and neither of them
gave a shit.”  He crossed his arms over his chest and tightened his lips in
fury.  “How long had it been like that?”

Peter looked at
his brother with sympathy.  He and Laurie were being asked to grow up quickly. 
“At least as long as I’ve known what it meant.  I’m sorry.”

  “It was Stern,
though, Rachel’s fiancé.  Even if he didn’t care that Helen was being
unfaithful, maybe it was Stern’s unfaithfulness to Rachel that he couldn’t
handle,” Laurie suggested.

“Like I said,
Rachel was trying to end it with Stern.  Why would Norris need to murder him? 
Although…”

Geoff looked up
sharply.  “What?”

“I just remembered
something.  Rachel said that Stern was holding something over Norris.  She said
that if she didn’t go through with the wedding, Stern had threatened to ruin
Norris.”

“What was it?”
Laurie asked.  “What did he have on Norris?”

“She wouldn’t tell
me.”

“Peter,” Laurie
asked tentatively, “you don’t think Rachel was involved…?” He couldn’t even
finish the question.

“No,” he said
calmly, but his insides were suddenly quaking.  When the police had set the
time of death to between four and seven a.m., Peter could no longer even offer
her an alibi.  He had dropped her off at five a.m.  He couldn’t believe that
she had anything to do with the murders, but he also couldn’t protect her from
suspicion.  “Not Rachel.  Never.”  Laurie nodded but he didn’t look convinced. 
Silence fell between the three of them and Peter moved restlessly.  “I have to
go.  I’ll see you guys later, O.K.?  Take care.”  He left the estate,
undeniably disturbed.

The next day, he
met Rachel at the prison and searched her face for any clue to what was
bothering her.  She continued to be quiet and withdrawn and he felt frustrated
that he couldn’t seem to reach her.  They sat together in a holding room until
Norris was brought to them.  He looked tired and pale but his eyes lit when he
saw the two of them.

“It’s so good to
see family,” he said, sitting at the table across from them.  “How is everyone
else?  The boys?  Maryanne?”

“Everyone is
fine,” Rachel assured him.  “We just miss you and we’re frightened.”

“It’s going to be
O.K.,” he said.  “Leonard and I are working on the defense and we’re confident
that I’ll be found innocent.”

“Is there anything
you need us to do?” Peter asked.  “For the newspaper or the household?”

“I’m handling the
newspaper from here.  They’re allowing my staff to come in and everything is
under control.  The household accounts need to be managed, though.  Rachel, can
you handle that?  Make sure the staff gets paid and run things?”

“Of course,” she
said, nodding her head.  She was thankful for something to do.  “Are you being
treated well, Norris?  You look thin.”

“They’re treating
me just fine,” he said, reaching across the table to grasp her hands.  “Rachel,
I miss you.”

She was surprised
at his action, but knew that he was under enormous strain.  She gently
corrected him, “I’m sure you miss everyone.”

“Of course,” he
amended but continued to gaze into her eyes.

Peter looked from
their clasped hands to Norris’ gaze and felt a rush of discomfort.  What was
going on?

The door opened
and Leonard Winston, Norris’ attorney, came in then.  “Oh, MacGregor, how nice
to see you.”  The men shook hands.  “Rachel, I’m glad you’re here.  We need to
talk.”

Norris’ hands
tightened on hers and she chewed her lip nervously.  What had Norris confessed
to his attorney?  “Peter, you’ll excuse us?” Norris asked genially.  He seemed
to be in high spirits but had a steely look in his eyes that suggested he would
not accept “no” for an answer.

Peter drew back in
surprise.  “Oh…could I stay?  Maybe I can be of some help with your defense.”

“I’d prefer not,”
Norris said amiably.  “Thank you for coming by, though.”

Peter was being
dismissed.  He stood, shoving his shaking hands in his pockets, trying to hide
the awkwardness he felt.  He could feel the undercurrent in the room and didn’t
like being excluded.  He also didn’t like leaving Rachel alone with the two
men.  “Rae, do you want me to stay?”

She lifted hooded
eyes to him.  “No.  I’m fine.”

He was starting to
hate those words.  She sounded brainwashed.  “All right, I’ll go.  Maybe I’ll
come out tonight and we can have supper.”

“If you like,” she
said neutrally.

“All right,” he
said, stalling in case someone wanted to change their minds.  No invitation to
stay came, however, and he found himself forced to leave the room.

Norris waited for
the door to close, and then leaned close to Rachel.  “Listen to me,
sweetheart.  Leonard is worried that we can’t beat the charges.  There’s only
one way out of this.”

“What’s that?”

Leonard sat next
to her.  “I need you to testify that you and Norris were together the night of
the murders.”

“How is that going
to change anything?” she asked confusedly.

“You can be his
alibi.”

“But I’ve already
given the police a statement saying that I was in my bed asleep all night.  Who
would believe me if I change my story now?”

Leonard’s eyes
were kind and he touched her arm gently.  “The judge will understand why you
lied when he hears the truth.  Everyone will know that you were just trying to
protect yourself, and Norris, from the affair being exposed.”

Rachel was so
confused, she shook her head as if to clear it.  “What affair?”

“I need you to
tell the court that you and Norris were together, in bed, all night.”

Rachel jumped as
if she had been slapped.  “Are you crazy?” she asked the attorney.