Chapter 54

54

The next morning, Thursday, the detectives interview Jake Brenner again. He has taken the train up to Aylesford. He’s more wary this time.

“Jake,” Reyes says, “we’re going to give you the opportunity to come clean with us.”

“What do you mean?”

“We know you didn’t spend the night at Jenna’s place here in Aylesford on Easter Sunday. You’ve been lying to us.” Jake blinks rapidly. Reyes says, “You were caught on the security camera at the Aylesford train station. You took the eight forty back to New York.”

Jake’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of them. “Okay, yes, I went back to the city that night,” he admits at last.

“And you didn’t have a problem with lying for her?” Reyes asks. He watches the other man swallow.

“No.” He explains. “She came into the city the next day, Monday, and spent the night. Everything was good. On Tuesday morning, I left for work, and she called me to tell me her parents had been robbed and murdered and asked me to say I was with her all night on Easter Sunday. She said it would just be easier.” He adds, “I agreed because I didn’t think she had anything to do with it.”

Reyes pushes photos of the crime scene across the table in front of Jake’s face. He glances down, his face blanching. He suddenly looks like he might be sick.

“You don’t honestly think she could have done this,” Jake says.

Reyes doesn’t answer that. Instead he says, “Obstruction of justice is a serious charge.”

“I never thought—I mean, she was perfectly normal on Monday. It never occurred to me that she could have killed them. I mean, why would it? I knew they fought that night, but fuck—”

“What did they fight about?” Reyes asks.

He’s willing to tell them everything now. “The father was mean to everyone at dinner. Insulting everybody. The others all left really pissed off, even the cleaning lady. We were about to leave and then Jenna got into it with her dad.” He pauses, as if he doesn’t want to say what he has to say next. “Her father started complaining about how useless they all were and said that he’d decided to change his will and leave half of everything to his sister, and that he’d already made an appointment to do it. Jenna was furious. I wanted to go but Jenna wouldn’t leave. It was ugly.”

“Did it get physical?”

“No, but they were both shouting.” He adds, “She told me afterward that she’s the only one who ever stands up to their father. The others are too afraid of him.”

Well, well, well, Reyes thinks, when they’ve finished with Jake. Jenna Merton, at least, knew for certain that her father was going to change his will. And Jake wasn’t with her that night. Reyes taps his pencil on his blotter, deep in thought.

Each of those four kids stands to gain millions. All of them are roughly the same height, right-handed, and physically capable of committing the murders.

Perhaps, he thinks, the kids are in on it together, and this is all part of a grand plan. Perhaps they are playing him. He has no evidence of conspiracy, but any conspiring could easily have been done in person, without leaving any trail. They are sowing enough confusion among them to create reasonable doubt—they’re all behaving as though they might have done it. Getting people to lie for them. The earrings in Catherine’s jewelry box. Dan being sighted in Brecken Hill. Jenna lying about what happened that night after the others left and saying Jake had been with her. Even Irena’s behavior with the knife. And Rose—maybe they’re all in this together somehow.

Is he being manipulated by all of them? He remembers how Irena said that they would never work together.

Is he not going to be able to solve this case? Reyes rubs his eyes tiredly. He refuses to acknowledge the possibility. The truth is there. He just has to find out exactly what happened.

And then he has to be able to prove it.

They have to talk to Jenna again.

“Hey,” Jenna says. “What’s up?” she asks lightly.

“I’ve been in Aylesford, talking to the police,” Jake says, his voice tight.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“They know, Jenna,” Jake says.

“They know what?”

“They caught me on the security camera at the Aylesford train station going back to the city that night. I told them the truth—that I wasn’t with you. And I told them about the argument with your parents.”

She’s stunned. And furious. “What, exactly, did you tell them?” she asks, her voice cold.

“That your dad said he’d decided to change his will and give half to his sister.”

She doesn’t speak for a moment. Then she demands, “Why the fuck did you tell them that?”

“Just stay away from me. I don’t want anything to do with you,” Jake says, and disconnects the call.