The Trophy Exchange (15 page)

“
Did that vic have a silver hoop earring in one ear?
”

“
Don
’
t know
. . .”

“
Was one of the others missing a turquoise cross?
”

“
I didn
’
t ask about the jewelry, Lucinda. I figured that was your hold back and I didn
’
t want to poison the well before you had a chance to talk to the other detectives.
”

“
You could have handled that, Ted.
”

“
Hey, Lieutenant, I
’
m just a lowly sergeant. Don
’
t want to go mucking about in sanctified gold shield territory.
”

“
Give me a break, Ted.
”

“
I
’
m guessing by your questions that the ring was a match.
”

“
Think so. I
’
m bringing it home to get a positive ID from
Dr.
Spencer.
”

“
And there
’
s an earring missing in Riverton?
”

“
Yep.
”

“
Doesn
’
t look good, Lucinda.
”

“
No. It doesn
’
t.
”

“
The press is going to swarm when this gets out
–
serial killers turn reporters into rabid dogs. They
’
ll be all over you.
”

“
Not if I run faster. Besides
,
most of them are afraid of me.
”

“
You
’
re pretty proud of that fact, aren
’
t you?
”

Lucinda laughed.
“
Yeah. I call it my Purple Prose Heart
–
wounded in the field of battle with the forces of the fifth estate. Where
’
s the most recent homicide?
”

“
Just outside the city limits in Leesville. You heading there before coming in?
”

“
Not a chance. I want to get this ring secured before I go anywhere. I
’
m not used to carrying around jewelry worth almost as much as my car.
”

“
So does the serial killer idea drop Spencer lower on your suspect list?
”

“
Not hardly, Ted. A lot of those guys maintain a respectable front and lead a double life.
”

“
Killing a family member doesn
’
t usually fit into the profile.
”

“
Not usually midway into the game. But Spencer isn
’
t a typical suspect. And he is hiding something.
”

“
What, Lucinda?
”

“
Don
’
t have a clue, Ted. But I will find out. The good doctor will slip. And I
’
ll be there to catch what falls when he does.
”

Sixteen

Charley snuggled her face into her pillow and smiled. She felt so much better now that Gramma was here. Her hugs were softer than Dad
’
s and her cooking was better, too. Tonight, she
’d
made meat loaf, mashed potatoes and corn
on
the
cob. It was almost like Mom was here. Charley choked back a sob.

She wanted to talk to Gramma ever since she
’d
got here today. Returning home from school, Charley had her hand on the gate to the yard when she
’d
heard the
“
toot toot
”
of a car horn. She
’d
spun around and there was Gramma pulling up to the curb.

All evening, Charley looked for an opportunity to speak to Gramma alone
,
but every moment either Ruby was needing something or Dad was right by Gramma
’
s side. She loved her dad but she just couldn
’
t talk to him anymore
–
not about anything important. Every time she tried, he squeezed her in a tight scary hug and told her she needed to forget about what she saw in the basement, forget about what happened to her mother. He told her not to look back. To let it all go.

I can
’
t. I can
’
t.
Tears formed in her eyes and slid across her face.
Why was Daddy mad all the time? Maybe Gramma knows. I
’
ll ask her.
Tomorrow, she thought, tomorrow I
’
ll talk to Gramma. Daddy will be gone all day. I
’
ll talk to her then.

She closed her eyes and drifted away. The sound of voices snapped her back to awareness. She heard the angry edge that seemed a permanent part of her father
’
s deep voice since her mom died. She listened to the soft murmur of Gramma
’
s responses.

She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the top of the stairs. She sat down and listened.

“
The girls need counseling, Evan,
”
her grandmother said.

“
No,
”
he replied
.

“
Yes, Evan. A good child psychologist could help them both. They need to talk it all out to get past it.
”

“
No, they need to forget.
”

“
Forget their mother?
”

“
Yes.
”

Charley shook her head. She could never forget her mom.

“
Evan, you know that
’
s not the answer. They need someone to talk to.
”

“
I am not going to expose my children to the well-meaning but ineffective
–
if not outright dangerous
–
theories of those so-called mental health professionals.
”

“
Evan, this is something specialists are well equipped to handle. They understand a child
’
s grief
–
a little girl
’
s horror.
”

“
Oh, yeah, mother, we know first hand how little good they do. All of our lives might have been quite different if you
’d
never trusted them in the first place.
”

“
You can
’
t blame the psychiatrists. They did all they could. Some things
–
some people
–
just can
’
t be fixed.
”

“
But they can be broken. I will not allow shrinks to gamble with my girls
’
minds.
”

“
They need to talk to someone, Evan.
”

“
They
’
ve got me, mother,
”
he spat.
“
I
’
m their father.
”

“
You
’
re grieving, too, son. And your grief has stirred up a perpetual state of anger. The girls need to talk to someone who doesn
’
t have an emotional investment in the tragedy. How about a minister?
”

“
The girls are Jewish, mother
–
by birth. Remember?
”

Jewish? What does that mean? Charley wondered.

“
Of course, Evan
. . .”

“
You remember Kate was Jewish, don
’
t you,
M
other? You threw quite a fit over that fact when I told you we were planning to marry, didn
’
t you? And now I don
’
t have a Jewish wife. Are you happy?
”

“
I am not proud of my initial reaction back then, Evan. But I did everything I could to make up for that. You know I did. I loved Kathleen.
”

“
But I
love
her.
”

“
I know you do. And I know you are in pain. But we need to think about what
’
s best for the girls. Charley
’
s all tied up in knots. Ruby has not uttered
more than a couple of words
all evening. If not a counselor, why don
’
t we let them talk to that lady detective? Charley might feel as if she were doing something useful helping to find who did this. It might do her a world of good.
”

“
Oh, right,
M
other. Now you think you
’
re an expert on child-rearing? If it wasn
’
t so pathetic, it would be funny. You think Charley should talk to the woman with the mutilated face. That
’
s rich. Like that
’
s not going to dredge up memories of
the
last sight of her mother.
”

“
That might be just what she needs. I could call the detective in the morning.
”

“No! Just stop getting involved, Mother. You’re not exactly good at the child-rearing thing.”

“
What do you mean?
”

“
You know what I mean.
”

“
No, I don
’
t, Evan.
”

Charley
’
s breath caught in her throat. Now Gramma
’
s voice
wa
s angry, too.

“
W
ell, you’re not exactly reliable in a crisis, are you, Mother?
Dad
’
s not around. He was dying and you traipsed off to Italy with your friends.
”

“
Evan, let
’
s not twist reality.
”

“
Twist reality? You
’
re a fine one to talk. Were you there when he died,
M
other? Were you?
”

“
No, but
—”

“
He was dying and you weren
’
t exactly the dutiful wife by his side, were you?
”

“
Evan, this is ridiculous,
”
she shouted.

On the stairs, Charley cringed.

“
Your dad was not dying when I left for Italy,
”
she continued.
“
He had a massive coronary and died instantly. You
’
re a doctor. You should understand that.
”

“
But you weren
’
t there, were you
,
M
other? Just like you weren
’
t there when I nearly lost my life.
”

“
I
’
m not spending the night after all, Evan. Please tell the girls I
’
m sorry.
”

“
And just what reason can I give them for your absence?
”

“
You
’
ll think of something, I
’
m sure. Just tell them your mother is a witch. And smile while you do it.
”

“
Cut it out, mother. It
’
s too late for you to be driving back to Lynchburg.
”

“
Maybe so but I can
’
t stay here any longer. Goodnight, Evan.
”

The front door slammed. Charley threw her hands to her mouth to stifle the sounds of her sobs as she stumbled back to her bedroom. She threw herself under the covers and cried herself to sleep.

Evan leaned his forehead against the pane of frosted glass beside the front door.
What have I done?
He watched the blurry red lights of her car fade away. His anger faded with them until all that remained was despair.