“Show me what you did with it.”
Jamie picked up the club and carried it over to the pool area. Looking at the end of the club, he said, “This one is clean. The other one was dirty.” He put it on top of a recliner at the side of the pool.
So when Jamie picked up the club off the lawn and brought it to the pool area, he believed he was helping to clean up, Aline thought. That explains why his fingerprints are on the murder weapon.
She followed closely behind him. They were facing the patio.
“You’re doing a great job, Jamie. Did Alan come back after the party to see Kerry?”
“Yes.”
“Show me what he did, where he came from.”
Jamie walked to the side of the house, out of her sight.
Then he turned around and came back. He picked up the club off the recliner and laid it on the stone patio. “Alan did this,” Jamie said as he picked it up again and leaned it against a patio chair.
“Then what did Alan do?” Aline asked quietly. “Make believe I’m Kerry. Do everything Alan did.”
Jamie walked over to her. He gave her a hug, then kissed her forehead. He then walked away and around the side of the house.
When Jamie came back, Aline said, “We are still playing the pretend game. I want you to pretend that I’m Kerry. Now show me what the Big Guy did. Show me where he came from.”
Jamie walked to the other side of the backyard that bordered the woods.
Aline felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the name on the screen. “Mike Wilson.” She was making progress with Jamie and didn’t want to stop. I’ll call him back, she thought.
Jamie began tiptoeing across the backyard. As he approached the patio, he motioned Aline to stand closer to the pool.
“Turn around,” he said. Aline faced away from Jamie but glanced back over her shoulder at him. Jamie picked up the putter that was leaning against the chair. As he came closer to her he raised the putter high over his head and began to swing it.
“Okay, Jamie, that’s enough,” Aline said as she raised her hands to protect herself.
“That’s what Big Guy did.”
“So the Big Guy came out of the woods. He picked up the club and hit Kerry. Then what did he do?”
Jamie nodded as he threw the club into the grass past the pool.
Forcing the words from her lips, Aline asked, “Jamie, are you the Big Guy who hit Kerry?”
Jamie seemed bewildered by the question. He shook his head, looked all around and when he glanced over at the woods, his expression changed. Pointing emphatically, he yelled, “Aline, he did it. He hit her. Big Guy pushed her in the water.”
78
Mike sped down Chestnut Ridge Road and turned onto Waverly Road. Instinct told him not to turn on the siren. If Kimball was with Aline, Mike did not want him to have advance warning of his arrival.
He pulled into the Chapman driveway, sprinted the twenty yards to the front door and rang the bell. While waiting, he slipped the safety off his sidearm holster.
“Come on, Aline, answer,” he said out loud as he rang again and pounded on the door with an open hand.
79
Aline was stunned at the sight of Scott Kimball. He was walking toward them, a pistol pointed at them. His smile was a twisted grimace. He began to laugh.
He looked at Jamie. “One day after lacrosse practice you told me your dad called you Big Guy. I told you that’s what my dad called me.”
Stunned, Aline cried, “Scott, what are you doing here? Are you crazy?”
“No, you are, Aline,” he said. “Same as Kerry. Pumping Valerie to tell you things that are none of your business.” He laughed loudly. “What is it about you and Kerry that people talk to you when they should keep their mouths shut? I could tell last month that Valerie was getting harder to control. It was only a matter of time before she talked to somebody. I had a feeling that somebody was going to be your sister Kerry. I put a tracking device on Kerry’s car. It’s still on there, by the way, on the car you’re driving. That’s how I know you went to see Valerie this morning. But let’s get back to Kerry. That Saturday morning when Kerry picked up Valerie, I followed the signal to the diner. They got a window seat. The same one you sat in when you showed the waitress the pictures. I couldn’t hear what Kerry and Valerie were saying, but from watching I could tell that Valerie was spilling the beans to her.”
Aline shrieked, “You killed Kerry! Why?”
“It’s Valerie’s fault. She came on to me.”
“But why did you kill Kerry?”
“Aline, I had to. Valerie was easy to control. Kerry, no chance. Lucky for me, I got wind of Kerry’s little beer bash. I waited for an hour in the woods over there, until Kerry was alone. I was about to make an appearance when who comes around the corner but Kerry’s Romeo, Alan Crowley.”
“He gave Kerry a hug and a kiss,” Jamie said.
“I know he did, Jamie. I was watching. But what I hadn’t figured on, and this is very bad news for you, Jamie, is that you also were watching—”
Aline interrupted, “You’re a coward, Scott. You crept up on my sister and—”
“Oh, that wasn’t the plan, Aline. I had every intention of shooting her. But when Alan Crowley brought that golf club over to the patio and then took off, let’s just say I improvised.”
Aline was trying to think of any way she could to keep him talking. She thought of the call she hadn’t taken from Mike. I’ve got to keep stalling until he gets here.
Scott was coming closer to them.
“Scott, you don’t have to do this,” Aline pleaded.
“Oh, yes, I do, Aline. With you out of the picture, you and your friend Jamie, Valerie will keep her mouth shut. Just like last time.”
80
Maybe she brought Jamie back to her house, Mike thought. He started toward his car but then remembered that a quick cut through the backyards would get him there faster. As he started around the side of the Chapman house, he saw that the lights were on in the Dowling backyard. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Aline and Jamie standing by the pool. He was about to call out to her, but he stopped. She wasn’t talking to Jamie. Instead they were both looking toward the wooded area that bordered the property. Aline was standing in front of Jamie as if to protect him.
Mike moved quietly across the Chapman rear yard and made his way to the row of hedges that separated the properties. He could see a man approaching them with a gun in his hand. The wail of faraway police sirens began.
Mike pulled out his pistol, put his left hand under his right fist and assumed a firing stance.
“Kimball,” he yelled. “Freeze! Drop the gun!”
Scott swerved in the direction of Mike’s voice. Aline turned, pushed Jamie to the ground and sprawled protectively on top of him.
Scott swung his arm holding the pistol back toward Aline and fired. The shot passed inches over her head.
Mike’s first shot hit Scott in his left shoulder. He slumped momentarily, then raised his hand with the gun and fired wildly. Mike’s next shot shattered two of Scott’s ribs, knocking him over backward as his pistol went skidding across the patio.
Mike raced across the lawn to the patio, his pistol still trained on Scott, who was writhing on the ground. From the front of the Chapman house he could hear screeching sirens, the squeal of tires, car doors slamming.
“Back here!” he yelled to the officers, who came running around the house. Holding up his badge while pointing to Kimball on the ground, he said, “Get him an ambulance and arrest him.”
Aline was helping Jamie to his feet.
“Were you hit?” Mike yelled as he rushed to them.
Without answering, Aline threw her arms around Mike.
“Big Guy tried to shoot us,” Jamie yelled. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“Thank God you’re both okay,” Mike said as he held her.
“You’re not getting out of having dinner with
me,” Aline whispered. “Change of plans. We’re having Chinese food with Jamie.”
81
Marge was lying quietly in the intensive care unit of the hospital. Cardiogram leads on her chest were monitoring her heart.
The operation had been successful. The grogginess from the anesthesia was wearing off. Her intense worry about Jamie was returning in full measure.
There was a tap on the door and Father Frank walked in. “How are you doing, Marge?”
“It’s hard to tell, but I guess okay.”
“Well, I have some news that will make you feel a whole lot better. Jamie is home having Chinese food with Aline. She said she’ll stay overnight with him at your house tonight.”
Father Frank decided to skip the fact that shots had been fired at Aline and Jamie. Instead he began, “The police arrested Scott Kimball, the lacrosse coach at the high school. They are one hundred percent certain that he’s the one who murdered Kerry Dowling. It turns out that he’s ‘the Big Guy’ Jamie was talking about.”
It took a full minute before the implications of what she had been told sank in. “Oh, thanks be to God,” Marge said fervently. “Thanks be to God and his blessed mother!”
82
Alan was sitting with his mother and father in the den. It seemed to him that ever since they’d heard about Jamie’s potential involvement in Kerry’s murder, they could not stop watching the local news. A breaking story caught their attention. A woman reporter was standing in front of the high school. “Saddle River, New Jersey, high school lacrosse coach Scott Kimball has been arrested for the murder of Kerry Dowling.”
Impossible, Alan thought. It’s not going to be true.
But it was. In total shock he listened as the details of Kimball’s attempted murders of Aline and Jamie were reported. As his mother screamed in relief, tears welled in his eyes. “I can’t believe it’s really over,” he said, “for Jamie and for me. I guess I’ll be going to Princeton after all.”
83
Fran and Steve were having a quiet dinner at the Bermuda Hamilton Princess. They were the only ones in their corner of the restaurant. At the same time both of their cell phones signaled the arrival of a text. It was from Aline. Watch this and call me right away!!!!!!!!!!!
Puzzled, Fran came around and sat next to Steve. He tapped on the link and the broadcast of the CBS local news began with the arrest of Scott Kimball for the murder of Kerry Dowling and that Aline had saved Jamie’s life as Kimball had tried to kill them too.
Fran and Steve fell into each other’s arms as they realized that they might have lost their other daughter.
“Fran, Fran,” Steve said, his voice husky with emotion, “to think what could have happened.”
Fran, filled with relief and overwhelmed with gratitude, was finding it hard to speak. Then she whispered, “Let’s go home. I need to put my arms around Aline.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Scott Kimball had been arraigned while in his hospital bed recovering from his wounds. The charges were the murder of Kerry Dowling, the attempted murders of Aline Dowling and Jamie Chapman, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, and aggravated sexual assault against Valerie Long.
The prosecutor had told Valerie and her parents that there was overwhelming evidence on the other charges and that Kimball would spend the rest of his life in prison. She would not have to testify unless she really wanted to.
Valerie agreed to her parents’ suggestion that she go for therapy to help her cope with what Scott Kimball had done to her and the many personal losses she had suffered. She remembered vividly Wayne’s furious reaction when he heard what Kimball had done to her. For the first time she viewed him as her father.
Two stents in her heart improved Marge’s health considerably. But she insisted that knowing the cloud had been lifted from over Jamie’s head was the only medicine she really needed.
Jamie was thrilled that the manager at Acme had offered him his job back. In response to Marge’s vehement insistence, it was agreed he would even be given a raise.
Princeton immediately reinstated Alan for the January semester. He was counting the days until he could leave for school. Three months earlier he had no idea what career he wanted to pursue. Now he was pretty sure he wanted to be a defense lawyer.
He was working five nights a week as Christmas help at Nordstrom’s. June had found him the job.
Aline and Mike knew the moment they embraced after the shooting that they were destined to hold on to each other forever. They decided they would be married in the fall, after Kerry’s one-year anniversary. Fran and Steve would always deeply grieve Kerry’s loss, but they were delighted that Aline and Mike would be together. Fran’s mind leapt to the future as she thought of holding a grandchild in her arms.
Father Frank would preside at the wedding. Mike’s parents loved Aline and could not have been happier with their son’s choice.
Father Frank had shared with Aline, Mike, Fran and Steve something Rose Kennedy once said: “Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn’t people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?”
Acknowledgments
This newest book is finished. And it is time to thank all the people who shared their expertise and those who encouraged me along the way.
Michael Korda, my editor who for forty years has been my guiding light. All the thanks in the world, Michael.
Marysue Rucci, editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster, who as always is a wise and discerning voice every step of the way.
John Conheeney, spouse extraordinaire, who for over twenty years has listened to me as I sigh that I am sure this book isn’t working.
Kevin Wilder for all his help educating me on how a detective investigates a murder case.
Kelly Oberle-Tweed for giving me insight into the role of guidance counselors.
Mike Dahlgren for his advice on what a college would do if it had a controversial student headed its way.
My son Dave, who works with me every step of the way. Much of the credit for this plot belongs to him.
My grandson David, who has Fragile X syndrome. Thank you for inspiring my Jamie character.
Finally, and of course, to all of you, my readers, I hope I will entertain you in the time you give to reading this book. God bless you, one and all.
About the Author
The #1 New York Times bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark has written thirty-nine suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir, and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke she writes the Under Suspicion series including The Cinderella Murder, All Dressed in White, The Sleeping Beauty Killer, and Every Breath You Take. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she has coauthored five more suspense novels. More than one hundred million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone. Her books are international bestsellers.
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