AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The man’s handsome face looked incredulous. “Nobody...?” he whispered. “Of all the stupid—” He took a breath.
“Your sister talked to us,” Kate said. “You had problems in your marriage.”
“Your kids painted WITCH on Janet’s garage door,” Sara said.
Kyle was shaking his head in disbelief. “Do you really not know? Everyone said you were good at uncovering the truth, but it looks like you know nothing.” When a car pulled into the lot, Kyle jumped out of sight, waited until the car passed, then stepped back into the light. “Did you see that?” His voice was rising. “I have to hide. I can’t be seen. Do you know why?”
“No,” Sara said. “We don’t.”
“Because my ex-wife has a restraining order against me. I can only see my sons under supervision. And this is all Janet Beeson’s fault.” He paused to look at them. “I can see that you don’t believe me. No doubt you’ve been told that I have a temper. That I’m jealous. You think you know all about me, and that Janet Beeson was a good person. Long-suffering and caring.”
Another car drove in and Kyle stepped to the side. “My wife lost her phone for a day. I found it and there were texts from a man on it. She said she didn’t know him, but I thought... I went crazy. I know it was that Beeson woman! She—” His lips tightened. “I can see that you don’t believe me, but there are lots more like me. Talk to those teenage girls. The snotty ones. She nearly killed one of them.”
“Janet did?” Sara asked. “But they said she saved them.”
“Girls like that think evil is posting bare-breasted photos of their ex-friends online. They haven’t lived long enough to understand people like Beeson. They don’t even know the truth. But if you’re as smart as people say, you can figure it out.” He was walking backward. “Or are you going to let Tayla swing for a crime she didn’t commit? I should have killed the bitch myself. I’d probably have more visitation rights if I were in prison.” Turning, he hurried toward the exit.
“All this because your kids painted on her garage?” Jack was derogatory, disbelieving.
Kyle didn’t look back. “Yes!” He ran across the street and disappeared around a building.
* * *
It was another silent drive. They were stunned by what Kyle Nesbitt had said. His sister had given the impression that her brother was unreasonable, a person of unpredictable temper. But then, Jack had said Megan was “a fluffy-brained giggler,” so perhaps her perceptions weren’t correct. On the other hand, maybe Kyle was one of those people who blamed others for their misdeeds. Like alcoholics who said, “I wouldn’t drink if you didn’t do ___.” Fill in the blank.
Or maybe Kyle was telling the truth.
At home they saw that Jack’s room had been cleared of Chet’s belongings. Everything from shoes to shaving gear was gone.
“You’ll like having your own bed again,” Kate said.
“I guess,” he answered. He’d liked seeing Kate first thing every morning. Had even liked sharing a bathroom with her. All her ointments and salves smelled good.
When they were clean, they met in the kitchen. Jack grilled burgers and vegetables while Kate and Sara put together the rest of the meal. Until they sat down at the table, there was only necessary talk.
“Do we believe him?” Sara asked as she reached for the mayonnaise. Her keto diet didn’t allow carb-rich buns but she needed lots of fat.
“Not much,” Jack said. “He seemed crazy angry to me. His wife was probably right to leave him.”
“And a judge decreed that he shouldn’t be alone with his kids,” Kate said.
“But then, we worry that a judge will give joint custody to dumb Zelly,” Sara said. “Judges aren’t infallible.”
“Whatever, we can’t get involved,” Kate said. “Chet...”
“Right. Chet. We can’t risk something like that happening again,” Sara said. “I called Daryl.”
“And what did our illustrious sheriff have to say?” Jac
k asked.
“Chet’s body is being transported back to Atlanta today. It seems that for years his colleagues said that the White Lily Kidnapping case would someday kill him. Consensus is that he was driving too fast while chasing another pointless lead and lost control.”
“There won’t be an investigation?” Kate asked.
“No. There’s no suspicion of foul play. To the authorities, Janet Beeson’s murder has been solved.”
“They believe Tayla poisoned, stabbed, and shot the woman because of a lawsuit?” Jack asked.
