The Drowned Woman Read online

  Stop it! I chastised myself. I needed to do something, and when my eyes lit on a fresh bunch of pages from Dr Geisler, I decided to work. I fixed my hair and dressed. I was sitting on the sofa pulling up my stockings when the sunlight caught Daphne’s vase of flowers. The effect dazzled. The light reflected off the crystal facets and threw glints onto the wall. The green orbs in the bottom of the vase shimmered with a life force all their own. I stared, not quite ready to believe what I saw.

  Without thinking, I picked up the vase, tossed the flowers on the table, and carried it into the bathroom. I dumped the water down the sink and pulled the marbles that had come from Toby’s toy box out of the bottom of the vase. I wrapped them in a towel and carried them into the living area where I opened the towel and spread them out on top of it. There, among the cats eyes and spearmint swirls, were the emeralds, hidden right in front of our noses this whole time.

  I opened the door and called out to the policeman in the hallway. He had placed a chair outside my door and had just fallen asleep. I didn’t blame him. I coughed.

  I coughed again.

  He jumped up, almost falling over his own feet in the process.

  ‘Would you please go get Zeke?’ I asked.

  ‘I’m sorry. I was told not to leave you.’

  ‘It’s important. Go get him. Now.’ I used my bossy voice and slammed the door for emphasis, confident that the young man would do my bidding. Sure enough, I heard footsteps as he headed down the stairs.

  I unwrapped the emeralds and set them out on the towel in the sunlight. There were sixteen of them all told. Each and every single one of them stunning in its own right.

  ‘I see you’ve found my little secret.’ Daphne’s voice startled me. Behind her, the French doors were open wide. She still wore the dress that she had on at Ken’s funeral, but two days of wear had made it dull and dirty. It reeked of gasoline, a remnant of her attempt to burn me alive. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, but it was dingy from not being washed.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ I swept the emeralds into my pocket.

  ‘I had to kill her,’ Daphne said. ‘Rachel. I had to do it. For Toby. You understand, I’m sure. Sit here.’ She patted the empty spot next to her on the sofa. I sat down. The smell of her should have made me gag, but fear overtook me. She devoured the toast that lay on the tray before she poured out coffee in the mug I had used earlier, not minding that my lipstick stained the rim.

  ‘We probably don’t have much time, but I want to tell you, want to explain myself.’

  ‘You don’t have to tell me anything—’

  She kept on talking, as though I weren’t there.

  ‘Simon burned through the trust my mother set up for me. He gambled it away. Of course, when a woman marries, her property becomes her husband’s, at least that’s what my mother believed. I should have killed her, too. I needed my own money, and I refused to be in the position where I had to beg for funds from anyone, but especially from an idiot like Simon. I only married him to get away from my mother. We never told anyone that Simon had such horrible gambling debts. Will Sr would have kicked us out of the house, and Toby would have no inheritance.’

  Daphne crossed her legs. ‘I couldn’t let Rachel get pregnant, couldn’t let her have a child. That would have ruined everything for Toby. We were friends, you know. We used to take coffee every morning, so I gave her pennyroyal, slipped it into her drink when she wasn’t looking. I had to protect Toby. If Rachel got pregnant, Toby would have been out of the picture for good. There wouldn’t have been any hope of my son inheriting a penny, never mind the property, the mill, and the prestige of being the heir. You’d think the little bitch would have stopped trying.’ Daphne clasped her hands on her lap, her action prim, proper, and incongruous to this gruesome revelation. ‘Then one day she wanted to borrow something and went into my dresser. She found the pennyroyal. She recognized it right away and realized what I had done. It’s an abortifacient. Do you know what that is? It prevents the embryo from clinging to the uterine wall, resulting in a miscarriage.’

  A shadow moved on the balcony behind us, as the policeman sidled up to the open French door. Zeke was with him, and I realized they must have accessed the porch from Granna’s room.

  ‘So I had to kill her. I stayed home with Toby that Christmas Eve while everyone went to Mother’s party. Rachel was pregnant – she hadn’t announced it yet, but I knew. A mother can tell these things. I thought she’d tire of the party and come home early, and I knew she’d take the path by the lake. All I had to do was give Toby a tiny bit of valerian in his milk. He was a good baby, my Toby was. He went fast asleep. After he was sleeping soundly, I bundled up in my warm clothes, went out to the path by the lake, and hid in the bushes. My timing was perfect. When Rachel walked by, I pushed her and knocked her off balance. She landed in the shallow water on her hands and knees. She had on a fur coat and a long dress, which weighed her down. It wasn’t difficult for me to push her down. I sat on her back, pinning her flailing arms with my legs, as I held her face under water. I did it for Toby, and I almost got away with it.

  ‘But Ken Connor – my god, that man just wouldn’t give up. He worked that case to the point of obsession. I had been very careful and knew that as long as I didn’t have to sell the emeralds, Ken would never catch me. I knew he wouldn’t live forever and once he was gone, I could go to New York or Paris and get rid of the stones discreetly.’

  I sat, mute and numb, in the face of my sister-in-law.

  ‘But then Simon’s gambling got out of hand. He owed a lot of money and there was no way to pay them. I could not expose Toby to that. My stupid husband was my undoing. I had to sell some of the stones. Simon has never won at gambling. He’s too much of an idiot. I sold one stone a year ago, after vetting the buyer’s, making sure they would cut into smaller pieces. Once it was cut, I would be safe. Alas, men are greedy. This particular gentleman sold the emerald intact, and bragged while he did it. After that, it was only a matter of time before the stone was traced to me. When Ken Connor found the jeweler he had to go, and I had to kill him before he told everyone that he had located the man to whom I had sold the emeralds.

  ‘And in case you are wondering, I pushed you that first night. I wanted you scared. You would have to go too, eventually, but I wasn’t in any hurry.’

  ‘Why?’ I asked.

  ‘Because your children will trump Toby,’ Daphne spat the words, as though I were too stupid to comprehend.

  I caught a glimpse of Zeke just then, standing on the balcony white-faced, his hands clenched into fists. The policeman stood next to him, his hand on his gun. Daphne babbled on, unaware that she had witnesses to her confession.

  ‘Ken knew that I had killed Rachel. Don’t look at me that way. I’m not a common criminal. You don’t understand, Sarah. You’ve never had a child. One day you will understand. I did all of this for Toby. I’m sorry that I can’t make you see that now. And I’m sorry, because I think you and I would have been friends.’

  ‘But even if you kill everyone, Toby won’t inherit.’

  ‘Ah, you’re not seeing the end result. I would have married Zeke, after your tragic demise. And, believe me, he would have run into my arms. If Helen hadn’t been in Simon’s room when I planted the emeralds, my plan would have worked perfectly. Fast forward a year, maybe two, to your tragic death. Zeke and I would marry. I wouldn’t have another child. A woman can control that. Toby would have been the only one, and everything would come to him.’

  Daphne stood up and moved to the chair where I had set my purse. In an instant she had my gun in her hand.

  ‘Daphne—’

  ‘Shut up, Sarah. Just shut up.’ She called out to Zeke. ‘You two can come in now. I know you’ve been there listening to my sad tale.’

  Zeke stepped into the room, fury in his eyes. His voice when he spoke was calm and measured. ‘Why didn’t you come to me, Daph? You know I would have helped you and provi
ded for Toby.’

  ‘Because I don’t want charity from you or from anyone.’ She pointed the gun at herself. ‘Promise you’ll take care of Toby.’

  ‘Daphne,’ Zeke said, his voice soft and soothing.

  ‘Promise me!’ she screamed.

  ‘Of course, I’ll take care of Toby,’ Zeke said. ‘I give you my word that I will treat him as though he is my own. He’ll never want for anything. Now put down that damn gun and talk to me.’

  She fired.

  Chapter 18

  The shot deafened me. Zeke and the policeman shouted at each other. Their mouths moved, but all I heard was a relentless ringing in my ears. Daphne remained on her feet, doubled over, clutching her stomach. I expected puddles of blood, but didn’t see any. Not yet.

  The two men hurried over to Daphne, each standing on one side. They balanced on bent knees, trying to get Daphne down on the floor. She hung between them, limp as a ragdoll. I thought for sure she was dead, but she tricked us. Out of the blue, she came to life, rose to her feet, and pushed Zeke and the agent hard. Zeke fell backwards, crashing into the coffee table. The policeman stumbled, almost fell, but was able to correct himself. By the time he stood up, Daphne had run out the French doors, climbed over the balcony, and shimmied down the post to the lawn below.

  My hearing came back. The voices pierced the ringing.

  ‘She’s running toward the woods,’ Zeke said

  ‘She didn’t even shoot herself,’ Agent Wheeler said. The bullet had lodged itself into a floorboard, splintering it beyond repair in the process. He picked up the casing from the bullet and tucked it in his pocket, then climbed out the window and took off after Daphne.

  ‘Are you able to stand?’ I held out my hand to Zeke.

  He took it and rose to his feet.

  ‘Call Wade. Tell him what’s happened.’ He hurried out of the house to join in the hunt. His injured leg wouldn’t let him climb out the window. I watched for a moment as Zeke tried to run in the same direction as Agent Wheeler and Daphne. Soon he slowed, his limp pronounced.

  Thank goodness Wade happened to be at his mother’s house. He answered the phone on the first ring. I didn’t mince words. I told him what happened as succinctly as I could.

  ‘On my way,’ he said.

  I had just placed the phone into the cradle when Granna and Toby came downstairs.

  ‘We thought we heard a shot,’ Granna said.

  I eyed Toby.

  ‘Really? I didn’t hear anything. Maybe a car backfired.’ I tousled Toby’s hair and gave him a smile.

  ‘Toby, go on upstairs. I’ll bring you some ice cream,’ Granna said.

  ‘But it’s only morning,’ Toby said.

  ‘I won’t tell if you won’t,’ Granna said. ‘Give me fifteen minutes.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Toby said. He flew up the stairs.

  ‘I know a gunshot when I hear one. What’s happened?’

  ‘Daphne. She killed Rachel. She killed Ken Connor. She escaped out my bedroom window. Zeke and Agent Wheeler have gone after her.’

  Granna pulled the flask from her pocket, took a swig and handed it to me. I started to shake my head and utter a polite no, thank you, but thought better of it. The brandy burned my throat and warmed my belly.

  ‘Mrs Griswold is off today,’ Granna said. ‘I’ll take Toby to her. She has a nice place in the country with a garden, goats, and plenty of things to keep the child busy.’

  * * *

  Detective Bateson came in his own car. Wade followed, with Simon and Helen in tow.

  Helen’s face was pale, but her eyes sparkled, despite the dark circles underneath them.

  ‘Simon, I’m so sorry,’ I said. We moved as a group into Will’s study. Wade pushed everything that rested on the desk aside and spread out a map of the Caen property and the surrounding area.

  ‘I’m not,’ he said. ‘Daphne and I have been living a charade since Toby came along. She didn’t love me. She loved this.’ He gestured to the house. ‘She only married me to get away from her mother.’

  ‘Simon,’ Helen started to speak.

  ‘Let’s not talk about it now,’ Simon said. He took Helen’s hand as they sat next to each other on the sofa.

  Wade continued to study the map, tracing potential routes with his fingers, while Detective Bateson stood by, his hands crossed over his chest.

  ‘We’ll find her,’ Detective Bateson said. ‘She’s a woman. How far do you think she can get?’

  Wade ignored him, picked up the phone, and dialed.

  ‘This is what I want to do,’ he said. He ordered men stationed at all the bus and train stations within one-hundred miles. He ordered that Daphne’s bank be notified, and that they call immediately should she or anyone affiliated with her request money from her bank accounts. He gave a litany of instructions, casting a net so wide and tight that it was only a matter of time before Daphne became caught in it. Now all we had to do was sit and wait.

  When Zeke came limping through the front door, I resisted the urge to run to him. Sophie was with him, her face pale and drawn.

  ‘Joe’s out with the search party, and I couldn’t stay in that house any longer. I hope it’s okay that I came here,’ she said.

  ‘Of course.’

  She followed me into the study and said hello to everyone. Her eyes lit on Simon and Helen, sitting close and holding hands. Their closeness had no effect on her. She took the chair next to the couch.

  ‘Simon, I am so sorry for the way my sister treated you. I hope that you and I can still—’ Sophie buried her head in her hands and burst into tears.

  We let her cry. Simon put a comforting hand on her back and handed her a handkerchief at the appropriate time.

  ‘This isn’t your fault, Soph. It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s a ridiculous series of circumstances, and I’m glad that it’s over.’

  ‘But Daphne—’ Sophie started to speak.

  ‘Daphne is a murderer. I’m sorry, Sophie, but there you have it. She acts as though she has high ideals and does everything for Toby. Nonsense. She’s greedy. I’m glad to be rid of her.’ He stood up now and faced all of us. ‘I’m going to be filing for divorce. I should have done so a long time ago.’

  Zeke stood and went to his brother. Soon they were hugging.

  ‘I’ve been such a fool,’ Simon said.

  Wade Connor had slipped out of the room and had missed Simon’s revelation. He stood in the doorjamb of the study now, with Nick Newland standing next to him.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ I snapped.

  ‘Hello, Sarah,’ Nick said, as he stepped into the room.

  ‘Sarah, Zeke, a word, please.’ Wade said. ‘Nick, the coffee is in the pot over there. Help yourself. I’ll find you a place to work.’

  The three of us stepped out into the hallway. Wade shut the door behind us.

  Before I had a chance to speak, Zeke said, ‘Just listen to what he has to say before you react.’

  ‘I gave him the exclusive on Daphne. He wanted to write a story about you, Sarah. I had to bribe him. You two need to give him an interview. Don’t look at me like that. It was part of the deal.’

  ‘It’s the best way,’ Zeke said.

  So we gave Nick Newland an interview. To his credit, he asked solid questions and had done his homework. He knew of Ken Connor’s passion for Rachel Caen’s case. He expressed appropriate respect for the man’s death. Wade stayed with me, and the time flew by. Two hours later, Zeke came in to rescue me.

  ‘That’s enough, Newland. We’ve had a rough time of it, and Sarah could use a break,’ Zeke said.

  ‘Of course.’ He stood, shook hands with Zeke and me.

  * * *

  It seemed like hours until everyone left. Simon took Sophie home. He decided to let Toby stay with Mrs Griswold, at least for the next day or two. Wade, Zeke, and I were in our sitting room, sipping hot black coffee from the big mugs that the kitchen staff used. Outside, the rain pounded. We had lost elect
ricity long ago and were sitting in the light cast by the candelabra. The events of the day washed over me, the surprise ending to a twisted story. I was numb to it now. Maybe the numbness let me see the solution to our other problem.

  ‘I know how we can trap Sophie,’ I said, ‘and we can do it tomorrow night.’

  * * *

  ‘If she doesn’t come in fifteen minutes, I am leaving,’ Wade Connor said.

  It had taken a lot of cajoling to convince Wade and Zeke that my plan would work. Earlier in the evening, while Joe, Helen, Simon, Sophie, Wade, Zeke, and I were having dinner – cold sandwiches and hot coffee prepared by Granna, who insisted that we eat even though no one wanted to – we simply hinted that we had indeed found the emeralds and had hidden them in the hollowed poster of Daphne’s bed. ‘The Climber will never find them. They’ll be safe until we can figure out what to do with them. In all likelihood we will need to sell them to pay back the insurance company for the claim they paid out, or just give them to the insurance company,’ Zeke said.

  ‘Good riddance to them,’ Simon said. ‘Those blasted stones have caused this family enough grief to last a lifetime.’

  That is how Zeke, Wade, and I had wound up in Daphne’s deserted room at two-thirty in the morning.

  ‘She’ll come. Just be patient,’ I said. Zeke and I were sitting on the floor near the bathroom door, while Wade had positioned himself next to the armoire. We had been sitting in the dark, hiding, since ten-thirty.

  ‘That’s it,’ Wade said. ‘This is—’

  There was no mistaking the sound of someone shimmying the copper pipe outside Daphne’s window. Wade Connor stuck his nose in the air, as though sniffing out his prey. He waved at us and stepped out of sight. Zeke and I slipped into the bathroom. In a matter of seconds, the window opened. Footsteps light as air moved on the floor.