“Then, a short while ago, Mr. Collier retrieved a voice-mail message from Strickland, which had been left very early this morning. He said that Moody was dead and mentioned that he might have to move because of the mess. Mr. Collier called nine-one-one immediately and gave them Strickland’s address.”
“What a guy,” Dent muttered. But the detectives didn’t hear him because Nagle was asking Abbott about Strickland’s state of mind when he was taken into custody.
“He wasn’t.”
“He’s at large?”
“ ’Fraid so. We’ve got the license plate number for the car. Shouldn’t take too long to bring him in. He’s been upgraded to an armed-and-dangerous.”
“How did he manage to get away?” Bellamy asked.
“According to the first officers in, they found him in the bedroom, asleep on the bed. They surrounded him. He was startled awake and launched an immediate attack with a knife, apparently the murder weapon. They said he was a wild man. Didn’t heed their orders to drop the knife.
“One of the officers was wounded. He took the blade in the shoulder. Deep and dirty, but it looks like he’ll be okay. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Strickland made good his escape.
“There’s something else,” Abbot said, looking down at Bellamy. “Strickland left these behind on the bed.” From his jacket pocket he removed a sealed evidence bag and held it out to her. “Could these have belonged to your sister?”
Bellamy was loath to touch the bag, but she took it from the detective and looked at the article inside. Her throat seized up. Dumbly she nodded, then said, “That’s the type she wore.”
Abbott took back the evidence bag. “I’ll get them to the lab, see if there’s any forensic evidence to prove they were hers.”
Haymaker said, “Dale always contended that the guy who had her underpants was the guy who killed her. If I’m remembering right, Allen was Ray’s guardian. Maybe he took the fall for his little brother.”
Bellamy ventured another theory. “Perhaps Allen gave them to Ray so he wouldn’t be caught with them in his possession.”
“We’ll go digging in that case file,” Nagle said. He seemed eager to do so.
“While you’re at it, you may want to take a look at this, too.” Bellamy passed Moody’s confession to the detective. “I think you’ll find it interesting reading. Especially in regards to Rupe Collier and why he was the first person Ray called after killing Dale Moody.”
Steven disconnected the call and turned to address his mother. “She said she would stop by and fill us in on the details. She sounded tired and a bit hoarse from talking for hours to the police, but she says she’s basically okay.” Wryly, he added, “She also said it will be a long time before she’ll open a text message.”
“How awful that must have been for her,” Olivia said.
“ ‘Ghastly’ was the word she used.”
“I’m worried about her. She’s had to endure so much the last several days.”
“And I’m partially responsible. Is that what you were about to say?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, it’s true.” He sighed and sank back into a chair. “I’ll never forgive myself for hiring Dowd, who only gave Bellamy something else to worry about.”
“You made a mistake,” William said. “Your intention was good. You didn’t foresee how it would be perceived or turn out. You’ve apologized. Let it go.”
Steven smiled across at his partner. “Thank you.”
William returned his smile, then asked to be excused. “I should call the restaurants and check in, make sure no crises have arisen.”
Steven saw through the ruse. William was sensitive to the family matters Steven and his mother needed to discuss and was giving them the privacy to do so.
As soon as he’d cleared the door, Olivia let down her guard. Her shoulders slumped with fatigue, which Steven knew was a holdover from the days she’d stood vigil over Howard’s deathbed. She was also suffering equal parts of grief and mental anguish.
“As soon as this Strickland character is caught, it will be over, Mother. Finally and forever.”
“God, I hope so.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “It will be strange to wake up and not dread the day and what ugly surprises might be in store. From the day Bellamy’s book went on sale, I haven’t welcomed a single dawn.”
“I know what you mean. Neither have I. I just wish… Well, I wish a lot of things that can’t come true.”
“Such as?”
“I wish Bellamy hadn’t received that hideous text.”
“She has Dent’s broad shoulders to lean on.”
“That’s another of my wishes. I wish he weren’t in her life.”
“It’s not official.”
Olivia looked at him and arched her brow.
“Yet,” he added ruefully.
“Do you think it’s inevitable?”
“I’ve seen the way they look at each other.”
“Which is how?”
“The way you and Howard looked at each other just after you met.”
She smiled sadly. “That bad? Well, in any event, there’s nothing I can do about it. Just as I can’t stop you from going back to Atlanta tomorrow. I wish you didn’t have to leave so soon.”
She would be hurt to know just how badly he wanted to escape this house that held so many horrible memories for him. He’d stayed this long only because he didn’t want to leave her alone in her grief. But he wouldn’t breathe easily until he was miles away.
“Mostly,” she said on a sigh, “I wish that Howard had lived long enough to see the end of all this.”
“I wish that, too. But thank God it’ll soon be over for the rest of us. Bellamy’s quest, for lack of a better word, came to an end when Susan’s undies were found in Ray Stickland’s house. Case closed.”
Olivia put her elbow on the arm of her chair, leaned her head into her hand, and massaged her forehead. “The recovery of her panties will be in the news. It will be written about, talked about, speculated on. For days.”
“But not forever. Another scandalous story will soon come along.”
“That little trick of hers cost us all so dearly.”
Steven went perfectly still. He stopped breathing, and he would have sworn that his heart stopped also, except that his body was infused with an incredible rush of heat. His eyes remained fixed and unblinking on his mother.
Eventually she lowered her hand, raised her head, and looked over at him, smiling wanly. “We have no choice but to get through the coming media blitz. God knows I—” She broke off and looked at him curiously. “Steven? What is it?”
He swallowed. “You said that little trick of Susan’s cost us all so dearly.”
Olivia’s lips parted, but nothing came out.
“What little trick were you referring to, Mother?”
She still didn’t speak.
“Mother, I asked you a question. What little trick? Her little trick of taking off her panties and giving them to men?”
“I—”
He shot to his feet. “You
“No, I—”
“You knew, didn’t you? You knew she’d done that little trick with me. Many times. Did you also know about everything else?”
When she stood up she was wobbly on her feet and had to grab the back of her chair for support. “Steven, listen to me. Please.”
“You knew about… everything? All of it? And didn’t do anything about it?”
