Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

"What do you think?" I asked Jack once we were back on the road.

"Might be something," Jack said. "Or it might be nothing. But the timing falls in the window for when Evie Lidle was murdered. We can check out the guy's alibi. See what time he left the bar."

I texted Martinez and let him know we were headed to question Lizzie Ryan, and then I called Plank.

"You still at the house with the team?" I asked him once he picked up.

"We just cleared out," Plank said. "Lieutenant Daniels combed this whole place. We pulled fingerprints in the staff passageway. They're small, and Daniels said they match Evie Lidle's, but she'll confirm in the report once she gets them under the magnifier. The staff passageway led to different rooms—to a library on the second floor—and then the hallway split on the first floor and there was a secret entrance into the kitchen pantry and another that led to Robert Lidle's study. The exterior door of his study was unlocked."

"Interesting," I said. "Any prints on the exterior door?"

"Evie Lidle's," Plank confirmed. "Robert Lidle and his family arrived back at the home. We let them know the upstairs bedroom is still cordoned off as well as Astrid Nielsen's cottage. He wasn't happy about it. Said he'd be calling the sheriff himself."

"I look forward to the call," Jack said.

We thanked Plank for the update and then disconnected. I checked my phone to see if Martinez had responded, but there was nothing from him yet.

"Interesting that Robert Lidle would go home instead of to the hospital to see his wife," Jack said.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Everyone we've talked to said they're not really involved in each other's lives. Sounds like it's kind of always been that way. You have the address for Lizzie Ryan?"

"She lives in Newcastle," Jack said.

"Alex told us he let her go home around ten this morning since she was up all night with the foalings. Maybe she didn't go straight home? Maybe she and Alan Goble connected. He was supposed to be on duty this morning, but no one was at the front gate when we arrived."

"We need to check the schedule of every guard who was supposed to be on duty yesterday and today," he said. "Pull them all into questioning. There should be a log of anyone who came in or out, and if they weren't at their post to see it I want to know why."

Newcastle was a boutique town that prided itself on unique boutiques, original restaurants, and the arts. There were galleries and theaters downtown, and unlike Bloody Mary, there were a lot of places open after nine o'clock.

Lizzie Ryan lived in a cute little neighborhood with houses that looked like they'd been built in the forties, even though I knew they were only a few years old. She lived in a blue craftsman on the corner, and Jack parked behind a white pickup truck.

"Think she's home?" I asked.

"We'll find out soon enough," Jack said. "But I'd say someone is. I just saw the curtains move in the front window."

We made our way up the sidewalk and the three porch steps, and Jack rang the bell. It wasn't long before the door was opened. I'd been expecting to see Lizzie Ryan, but instead a tall young woman with skin the color of dark coffee opened the door. She was one of the most breathtaking people I'd ever seen. Her eyes were black and her skin flawless, and her full lips spread into a smile showing stunningly white teeth.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We're looking for Lizzie Ryan," Jack said, showing his badge.

Her smile dimmed some. "Oh, sure. Lizzie's here. Come on in."

"What's your name?" Jack asked.

"Trinity," she said. "Trinity Armstrong. I'm Lizzie's roommate."

"You work with horses too?" I asked.

She chuckled, the laughter in her eyes contagious. "God, no. They scare me to death. I'm good with smaller four-legged animals." As if on cue a white ball of fluff barreled into the room. I assumed it was a dog, but it was hard to tell. "I'm an accountant. The idea of being on my feet all day is not appealing."

"Do you live here?" Jack asked.

"Yeah," she said. "Lizzie and I went to college together. Figured we'd keep rooming together until we fell in love and got married. We're obviously both still waiting."

"The men around here must be stupid," I said.

"I like to think so," she said, grinning. "Maybe if the men around here looked up from their phones from time to time they might see their soul mate standing right in front of them. Lizzie has better luck. Men who work outdoors aren't so attached to an electronic device. I'll go get Lizzie. Just have a seat wherever."

"Nice girl," Jack said after she'd disappeared into a back room.

"Gorgeous," I said. "She could be a model."

I took a seat on the edge of the sofa and realized the dog was still there. I couldn't decide if he was staring at me, or if he was afraid to move because he couldn't see through the hair covering his eyes.

But apparently he could see because he jumped onto the couch beside me and wiggled his way into my lap.

"Well," I said. "Hello there." And then I remembered Oscar and that there was still the possibility that Jack hadn't heard about him yet. But I figured that was unlikely. If Martinez had told Cole, and Cole had told Lily, then he'd probably mentioned it to Jack too. I figured the best thing to do was not say anything until faced with the moment.

We only had to wait a couple of minutes. I was expecting for Lizzie Ryan to have some semblance of her grandmother, at least in the height department, but Lizzie was a couple of inches taller than me and her hair was the same color as the chestnut foal I'd seen in the foaling pen earlier that day. There was a smattering of freckles across her nose and her eyes were wide set and green. She was a girl-next-door type, pretty and fresh faced and understated in black sweats and a KGU sweatshirt.

"Trin said you were the police," she said coming in. "Does this have to do with Evie? I saw about her on the news. It's a horrible thing that something like that can happen here. We always feel so safe."

"It always pays to keep an eye out," Jack said. "Why don't you have a seat?"

"Sure," she said. "I don't really know what I can tell you about Evie. I work down at the stables."

"How long have you worked there?" Jack asked.

"I graduated from KGU with a degree in equine therapy," she said. "My dad introduced me to Alex and he hired me on about three years ago."

"Alex said y'all had quite a night last night," Jack said.

Her smile was radiant. "It was a great night. And exhausting. We were up all night. I've been sleeping most of the afternoon."

"Tell us about Alan Goble," Jack said, his gaze steady.

Her smile faltered and slight color came into her cheeks. "What about him?"

"What was your relationship with him?"

"I guess you already know that or you wouldn't be here," she said, blowing out a breath. "Alex told you he caught us, didn't he?"

"He did," Jack confirmed.

"I knew it was stupid when we were doing it," she said. "I don't know what came over me. Alan has that ability to make you feel wild and reckless. We were right there in the stables. Upstairs in one of the storage rooms. Alan always knows where there are no cameras because he's the security guy. But still, anyone could have walked in. My dad could have walked in. I was mortified when Alex found us."

"Did it make you stop seeing Alan?" I asked her.

Her lips pursed together tightly and her hands rubbed nervously on the knees of her sweats.

"No," she admitted. "And I already know it's stupid. You don't have to tell me. And I know it won't last. He just has this kind of raw animal magnetism." She looked directly at me. "You ever met a guy like that? A guy that just fries your circuits?"

"Yeah," I said, cutting a look to Jack. "I get it."

"When was the last time you saw him?" Jack asked.

She chewed on her bottom lip and looked back at Jack.

"I'm not here to cause trouble with your job," Jack asked. "We're trying to find out what happened to Evie Lidle."

Her eyes widened. "You think Alan had something to do with it?"

"We don't know," Jack said. "I guess you haven't watched the news recently. I'm sorry to tell you that Alan is dead. He was killed earlier today."

The color drained from her face so her freckles looked stark against her pale skin. "What? No way. I just saw him. I saw him today."

"You went to him instead of going home?" I asked gently.

Her eyes were glassy and I knew she was in shock. She shivered involuntarily. "I was revved, you know? From the foals. So I texted him when Alex cut me loose, wanting to celebrate. He told me to meet him at the staff garage." She swallowed with some difficulty. "So I did."

"He was there waiting for you?" Jack asked.

She shook her head. "No, he'd not come into work yet. Said he'd had to take care of some things. He pulled into the garage around ten thirty."

"Did y'all go anywhere?" I asked.

The color came back into her cheeks. "Uhh, no," she said. "We stayed in the garage. In his car. He has a Bronco. When we were done I left in my car, and I came home. I grabbed some lunch and watched the news. That's when I saw about Evie. And then I crashed and slept the rest of the afternoon."

"Why would Alan be in Astrid Nielsen's house?" Jack asked, taking a different route to the questions.

"They had a thing for a while," she said, her voice almost robotic as she talked. "Alan had a thing with just about every female who stepped foot on that property as long as they were somewhat attractive and didn't mind him not being able to commit."

"A recent thing?" I asked her.

"I think on and off for a while," she said, shrugging. "He'd told me a couple of months ago he'd broken it off for good this time. He said she was starting to show her age."

"I'm going to ask you some hard questions," Jack said. "And I need you to really think about the answers."

"Okay," she said, looking at him warily.

"You said Alan had a thing with just about every female who stepped foot on the property," he said. "Did he have an age limit?"

"Astrid was probably as old as he was willing to go," she said. "I think she's in her mid-forties."

"What about the other direction? Younger girls?"

She started to shake her head and then her eyes widened in shock. "Like girls girls?" she asked. "Like Evie?"

"Any whisperings he liked to start young?"

"Not that I've ever heard," she said.

"Ever caught him watching pornography or anything he shouldn't have?"

"No," she said.

"What about his sexual habits? Anything weird in the bedroom?"

"No, no," she said, continuing to shake her head. "He was just a hot guy who oozed sex appeal. To tell you the truth he wasn't all that great in bed once you got past the initial stages. He was always more concerned about himself than making sure I was having a good time. But other than that it was just sex."

"Do you know of any other sexual partners he was juggling besides you and Astrid?" he asked.

"Not since he and I started things up," she said. "I believed him when he said he'd broken things off with Astrid for good. I knew he wouldn't last. That he'd start sniffing around someone else when he got bored with me. But for a couple of months I had his undivided attention. Or at least I thought I did."

Jack stood and I pushed the dog off my lap and followed suit.

"We're sorry to be the bearers of bad news," Jack told her as we walked toward the door.

I paused and looked back at her. She was still sitting on the couch, frozen in her shock and pain.

"You might see your grandmother," I told her. "She's taking Evie's death pretty hard. And they're not sure Kitty is going to make it either."

She nodded and said, "I'll go see her. She's probably full of whiskey and sound asleep by now." She tried to smile, but it was difficult for her. "She didn't approve of Alan. She kept telling me he'd lead to no good. But she never told my father about us. I asked her not to."

"It sounds like you're close," I said.

"She's the best."

"Lizzie," I said, knowing what I was about to say was never easy for anyone to hear. "Did you and Alan have unprotected sex?"

Her face flushed with embarrassment. "A couple of times," she said, shrugging. "But I'm on the pill so I didn't worry too much about it."

"You probably need to be tested," I told her. "Some things showed up in his blood work you should be concerned about."

She nodded, but I could tell the information hadn't really hit her yet.

"Let us know if you think of anything else," Jack said. We let ourselves out and closed the door behind us.

"Is it just me or was it weird that she didn't ask how Alan died?" I asked Jack once we'd gotten back into his unit.

"Or why we'd asked about him being in Astrid's apartment," Jack said. "Let's head back to the station and see if Martinez is ready to interview Astrid. We're going to need Doug tonight. I'll swing by and pick him up and bring him back to the station. It's going to be a late night for all of us."

I was speechless. If Jack went to pick up Doug he was going to find out about Oscar. I didn't know Oscar on a personal level yet, but I hoped he hadn't made himself too comfortable.

I looked at Jack and opened my mouth, hoping something convincing would pour out, but it didn't.

"I know about the dog," he finally said. "Cole told me. I also know about the sofa. I'm reserving judgment on Doug's cleaning skills, but we can deal with the mess once this case is solved."

"That was much more painless than I expected it to be," I told him. "You're mellowing in your old age."

"Nah," he said. "I've just learned not to sweat the small stuff. When you lived in as many life-or-death situations as I have, it puts other things into perspective."

"I guess when you put it that way…"

We were almost back to the station when Jack got a call on his personal cell.

"It's Everett Lidle," he said, holding up the phone so I could see and then he answered, "Jack Lawson."

"Jack, it's Everett Lidle."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Everett," Jack said. "You know if there's anything Jaye and I can do for you and your family we will."

I'd forgotten that Jack knew the Lidles, on a personal and a professional basis. It seemed like Jack knew everyone. It was me who was the recluse. I grew up in Bloody Mary, but the first chance I got I left to go to college and then on to medical school. It wasn't until my parents' scandal that I moved back home. Being a recluse at that point of my life seemed more of a necessity than anything. Every time I walked down the street I could hear people talking about "that Graves girl" like I'd steal their silver if they had any.

But things had improved when I'd married Jack. Not that I'd ever cared, because to me, he'd always just been Jack, but his family name and his reputation meant a lot and my circle of acquaintances now included people like the lieutenant governor of the state of Virginia and other influential names. And from time to time, we had to dress in fancy clothes and rub elbows with people Jack didn't necessarily like, but it was important to keep relationships cordial. I'd never understood politics, but I also knew that elected sheriffs in the state of Virginia had a lot of power, and everyone wanted a piece of it.

All that to say, it was no surprise that Jack could talk to the Lidles on an intimate and comfortable level, and on the other side of the coin there was me who'd never met any of them and only heard about them on the news.

"We're a mess, Jack," Everett said. "Would you mind…would you mind coming by the house? I think it might help Jenny if she heard straight from you how things are going."

"Jaye and I are in the car now," he said, flipping on his blinker and cutting across two lanes of traffic to take an exit. "We can be there in about fifteen minutes."

"I really appreciate it," Everett said. There was a catch in his voice and then he simply said, "Thanks," and hung up the phone.

We wound our way through the manicured streets of Nottingham until Jack turned onto the Lidles' street.

"You've been here before?" I asked.

"Several years ago he threw a Christmas party for several hundred people as a thank-you for supporting his election campaign. I believe Jenny was pregnant with their youngest at the time."

"I didn't realize you supported his campaign," I said.

"I didn't," Jack said, grinning. "And there are many policies we disagree on. But those things are for the citizens to decide in the voting booth. But he's a likeable guy and he loves his family. You can see that right off. So it's easy to put politics aside when you have those kinds of things in common."

Jack circled the arched driveway and parked so he wouldn't get blocked in. Unlike my earlier visit, there were several cars parked at the Lidle residence. All of them very expensive.

The front door opened before we could reach the stoop and Everett Lidle stood there waiting for us. He looked like a man who'd been dragged through hell and back again.

He was tall and he carried himself like a man who was used to commanding rooms. He was lean and trim and the slacks and sportcoat he wore didn't look like a man who'd spent the day on a plane trying to get home to his family. But maybe there were people on the planet who traveled more gracefully than I did.

But his face told a different story. There were dark circles beneath his red-rimmed eyes, and his golden hair looked like he'd run his fingers through it repeatedly. There was a steeliness in his gaze.

"Jack," he said, holding out his hand.

"Everett," Jack said, shaking his hand in return.

Everett ushered us inside and closed the door behind him.

"This is my wife," Jack said. "I don't think you've met."

"No," I said, reaching my own hand out. "J.J. Graves. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances."

"Me too," Everett said. "Family is starting to arrive. I hope you don't mind. I think they're in the kitchen right now. My sister is trying to get Jenny to take something so she can rest. I hope she listens to her. I wanted a chance to talk to you alone first."

Everett moved robotically toward the family room I'd been shown to earlier.

"My mother-in-law took the girls with her for a little while. I feel like I'm losing my mind," he said.

"That's understandable," Jack said. "Your whole world just got turned upside down."

"I got on the first flight I could find to get home," he said. "Jenny…" He dropped his head in his hands. "My wife and girls are a mess. And my mother. Phin and Janet and I are going to see her in a little while. My whole family is falling apart. I don't know why this is happening. None of it makes any sense. We're good people. Why is this happening to us?"

"We're doing everything we can to find out," Jack said.

"Who did this to my daughter?" he asked, his voice breaking. "I've seen the reports on the news. How she was found. How could anyone do that to a little girl? My little girl."

"A monster," Jack said. "There was nothing you or anyone did. A monster is who is to blame. And that monster took Evie from your parents' home. And that same monster potentially drugged your mother to get Evie out of the house. Has there been anything recent your parents have been concerned about as far as security or employees? Any threats?"

He rubbed his hands over his face. "I don't think so. They're not as active as they used to be. Mom loves the house and her horses. She rarely leaves anymore. Most of the staff they've had for years. Maybe a new gardener or housemaid every once in a while. And dad is just nosy and likes to be in the middle of things in DC. It keeps him busy."

"Any problem with any of the staff?" Jack asked.

"Not that I know of," Everett said, shrugging. "Wait, the trainer. Alex. I remember when Mom brought him on. The security guy, Alan, tried to convince Dad not to hire him because he had a conviction. I don't remember what for. But Mom was adamant that he was the right guy for the job. He's been there several years now."

"Anyone else?" Jack asked. "What about issues with you personally? You're a public figure. Any threats or disagreements?"

"Threats? No," he said. "But my days are filled with disagreements. You know how it is. King George County has a lot of people with a lot of opinions. But I've never felt unsafe. And my family certainly hasn't. I'd never put them in danger. My parents are the ones who always led life in the spotlight. And now my brother. I guess my sister too. All I've ever wanted was to live a normal life and have a normal family. I don't know how we can have that now. My oldest daughter is gone. And now Evie. We'll never be a normal family again."

"We're not going to stop until we find out who did this to Evie," Jack said. "We're going to bring her justice and put away whoever is responsible."

"I'd kill him if I got my hands on him," Everett said, anger flashing in his eyes.

"And I can't say that I'd blame you," Jack said. "But let us do our jobs. We're good at it."

He nodded and his head jerked up when a door opened somewhere on the other side of the house, followed by muted voices. Everett stood up and Jack and I followed suit as Jenny and several other people walked into the room. Jenny walked right to Everett and he tucked her gently into his arms. Her face was red and swollen from crying, and there was a glassiness in her eyes that made me think Janet had been successful in getting her to take something so she could rest.

"Jack, I don't know if you've met my brother and sister before," Everett said.

"We have," Janet Lidle-Downey said, coming forward to take Jack's hand warmly and then mine. "Though just briefly a time at some political function." She was a petite woman, built very much like her mother, though Janet's hair was impossibly dark and her eyes a startling shade of blue. She was an attractive woman, but the lines of grief had etched themselves around her eyes and mouth.

"You have a good memory," Jack said.

"Comes with the territory," she said, her mouth almost reaching a smile.

"My wife, Jaye," Jack said.

"And this is my husband, Carson," Janet said.

A short, quiet man with gentle eyes and soft hands came forward to greet us. He looked to be at least a decade older than Janet, possibly more, but they touched each other affectionately and you could see they were a unit. You could tell a lot about a marriage by the way couples interacted in public.

"My brother, Phin," Everett said.

You could feel the tension there between brothers. Everett's mouth tightened into a firm line and he looked down at his wife, kissing her gently on the head. I knew it probably hadn't been easy to grow up as the second son in a family that was as close to American royalty as you could get. His brother took over the family business and his sister was a congresswoman. But Everett had chosen a life of service in a small community and he never made national news.

Phin Lidle was an imposing figure. He was an inch taller and broader through the shoulders than his brother. He carried himself with authority and dignity. All of that probably would have mattered except I remembered seeing the pictures of him on TMZ in a seedy motel room with his boxers around his ankles and a tableful of lines of cocaine.

He shook Jack's hand, but didn't bother to shake mine, which I was perfectly okay with.

"And these are our friends Peter and Tiffany Bancroft," Everett said. "They might as well be family. We've known them since college. Our kids all go to school together."

"I'm the head of school at the Dolley Madison School for Girls," Tiffany said. "We've closed down for the rest of the week. Evie touched so many lives. Had so many friends." She started to tear up and tried desperately to keep her tears from falling by pressing under her eyes, but still a few escaped.

"We've been fielding calls all day," Peter said. "We've been working on getting counseling centers set up so students and parents both can have access. I'm the school psychologist."

Peter and Tiffany Bancroft were an attractive couple, obviously well educated and well to do. Peter was tall and took good care of himself. I imagined him playing tennis several times a week at his club, and making himself a dry martini when he got home from school every day.

Tiffany was petite and blond and wore an ice-blue sweater set and matching pants, and there was a single strand of pearls around her neck and matching pearl studs in her ears. She moved close to Jenny and put her arm around her, and Jenny hugged her hard as they wept together.

"It's okay," Tiffany kept telling her. "However you need to grieve is okay. We're here for you no matter what you think you need or don't need. Just rely on us to help."

Jenny nodded and wiped her eyes and sat down on the couch behind her. And then she looked at me out of tear-drenched eyes. Everett sat down next to her and they clasped hands. Everyone else surrounded them like fierce protectors.

"When can we have her?" Jenny asked. "When can we see her?"

I hesitated, looking back and forth between Everett and Jenny. "It will be at least a couple of days. Depending on the investigation. But I promise you we'll take good care of her."

There were certain things I'd learned never to mention to parents of children. They had the knowledge in their heads, and they'd eventually come to terms, but I never reminded them that their child had been through an autopsy unless they asked me specific questions.

And I couldn't bring myself to tell any of them that they shouldn't see her remains. No one should have to remember their child that way.

"I don't know what to do next," Jenny said. "I always do better when I have something to do. She has a new dress. We just went shopping last week for some spring clothes. All this rain was getting us down, and she said she wanted bright color so she'd look like sunshine even if there was none outside."

Jenny hiccupped out a sigh and I watched a silent tear slide down Everett Lidle's face.

"It's okay to make plans," I told her softly. "I'll give her back to you as soon as they give me the word."

Jenny nodded and then looked up at her husband. "I think I need to lie down now."

"I'll take her," Tiffany said, sliding an arm under her friend and helping her to her feet. "Come on, love. I'll tuck you in. Just like you used to do for me when we were in college and I cried myself to sleep over Peter flirting with that horrible cheerleader instead of me."

Jenny gave a laugh-sob, and then they disappeared out of the room together.

"Jack," Everett said. "I need you to find the son of a bitch who did this to my daughter. I don't know what we'll do to think that he's still out there somewhere. Doing those things to other girls."

Jack nodded and said, "We'll find him."

We stood to let ourselves out, but Peter said, "I'll walk you to the door."

We followed him out into the entryway, and I raised my brows as he slid the doors of the family room closed behind him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card and handed it to Jack.

"Whatever Tiffany and I can do to help," he said. "Just reach out. I'm the head psychologist at the school, and I oversee all of the counselors. But I still see patients privately. I'm sure this was very difficult for some of your officers who were on scene."

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness," Jack said, taking the card.