Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates (distant reading .txt) 📗

“Ricky? Yes. I was just on the phone with him. He and Evangeline are bringing Rich home on Monday.”

“Monday’s too late. I need Ricky here. Now. He needs to start explaining this mess. Sorry, honey. I’m sure you didn’t call to hear about the firm’s problems. What’s up?”

“Actually, I did call to talk to you about something to do with the firm. Stephen Livingstone. Can you—”

Dad cut me off. “He’s another one who needs to be here explaining himself, not gallivanting around the beaches of the Outer Banks.”

“Gallivanting? Didn’t you send him here to act as Evangeline’s attorney in case she needs one?”

“Stephen? No. Can’t stand the little—uh, guy. He’s Rich’s lapdog, not mine.”

“He told me you sent him here.”

“I wouldn’t send him across the street for a bagel.” I heard Dad take a deep breath. Someone had been coaching him on calming techniques.

“You told Mom you were sending someone down here to represent Evangeline if she needed it, and to keep an eye on the firm’s interests. Not Stephen?”

“When I say I’m sending someone to do something, Lucy, I mean I tell someone to tell someone to send someone. I don’t pick a junior attorney out of the pack.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe I should. I would never have involved Stephen Livingstone. Never mind that, honey. My problems to deal with. Why did you call?”

“Just to say hi.”

“Hi,” he said, and I was pleased to hear the warmth creep into his voice.

“When all this is over, Dad, you and Mom need to come down for a real visit. A vacation. You know, the beach, swimming, seeing the sights, nice dinners out.”

“That,” he said, “sounds like a great idea. Good night, honey.”

“ ’Night Dad.”

I hung up. Charles was sitting up, watching me. “You know what I’m going to do now, Charles?” I said. “I’m going to do what everyone is always telling me to do and hand it over to the police.”

I made another call, and it was answered immediately.

“Sorry to bother you at home on a Saturday evening, Detective.” In the background I could hear the muted sounds of a TV. “I’ve learned two pieces of information about the Rich Lewiston case, and I thought you’d want to know.”

“You’re not bothering me, Lucy. CeeCee’s waving hi. Hold on a sec.” A door slammed and the TV sound died. “What’s up?”

“You met Stephen Livingstone.”

“Yeah. Lawyer guy from Boston; your dad sent him down to act as Mrs. Lewiston’s attorney.”

“I’ve just learned that my dad didn’t send him. My dad doesn’t like him—doesn’t think much of him anyway—but he worked for Rich. If anything, Dad’s angry that he’s here rather than back at the office helping sort out what he calls Rich’s mess.”

“You think that significant because?”

“I’d dismiss it as an eager young associate trying to curry favor with the late boss’s wife and son, but you’ve taught me that when people lie to the police, even about insignificant matters, it’s worth wondering why.”

“Particularly about insignificant matters. I hate to think I’ve taught you anything about policing, Lucy.”

“Nevertheless, you have. That’s one piece of the puzzle. For the second piece: did anyone ask Ricky and Stephen where they were last night when I was being lured out of the lighthouse?”

“Officers questioned the lot of them. I can’t recall precisely what everyone said, which means I didn’t regard it as significant.”

“I bet Ricky and Steven said they went to a bar after having dinner with Evangeline and Leon Lions and your officers left it at that. According to Ricky, they had one drink together and then Ricky went back to the hotel, leaving Stephen at the bar. With the car.”

“What time was this?”

“Around ten thirty, Ricky says. I’m guessing, and it is just a guess, that not long after Ricky left, Stephen abandoned the table of women he was trying to charm, got the car, and went in search of me.” Conveniently for him, I’d been at Jake’s—a place Rich’s killer would know I hang out at. “Maybe he wanted to talk to me, to find out what I know, or maybe his intention all along was to threaten me.” I remembered a car following us out of the parking lot of Jake’s and out of town, then continuing on up the highway when we turned into the lighthouse laneway. Easy enough to turn around, switch off the headlights, follow us and watch us. “He saw Josie drop me off and drive away and me go inside. So he had the bright idea of trying to scare me. Did you locate the owner of the phone that called me?”

“A burner. Probably at the bottom of the Sound by now. This is good, Lucy. Very good. You’ve given me something to work with. I’m going to call your father and ask for more information about this Stephen Livingstone and then pay him a call myself to ask about his activities last night. Sometimes all I need is to make a small chink in the wall of artifice, and the whole case comes tumbling down.”

“I assume you mean the case is built up, but never mind, I get the point. Glad to be of help, Detective.”

“Where are you now, Lucy?”

“I’m home. I have no plans to go anywhere tonight. Safe as lighthouses.”

“Glad to hear it. Thanks again.”

We hung up, and I settled back with my movie while Charles snoozed on one side of me and Fluffy dreamt she was chasing rabbits on the other side. The movie was a murder mystery story with Daniel Craig as a private detective, and I found it unrealistic compared to my own experiences. About halfway through I switched it off, disturbed the animals, and got up to microwave a bag of popcorn. I then settled back on the bed, resettled the dog and cat, turned the movie back on, and made my way through the entire bowl while Daniel continued his investigation.

I was licking my fingers clean when Daniel Craig solved the mystery and the movie