Mariah Stewart - Last Look

“How could you have done such terrible things-”

“How could I let my family be destroyed?” the old woman snapped. “My husband would have gone to prison, we’d have lost everything. Our church, our standing in the community, the respect of our son…” She shook her head. “There was no way I could have permitted Franklin to hear such ugly lies about his father.”

“But you knew they weren’t lies and you protected him. Your son lost his daughter because of you. How do you think he’s going to feel when he hears all this now?”

“I suppose you’re going to tell him?” She laughed. “The daughter of the man in charge of the investigation back then? The man who got a big TV career out of it? Looking back, your father was the only one who profited from that mess, wouldn’t you say?” She waved a dismissive hand in Dorsey’s direction. “You don’t really think Franklin would take your word over mine, do you?”

“Maybe not, but there is this.” Dorsey reached into her pocket and pulled out the small tape recorder. She rewound for a second, then hit play.

“There was no way I could have permitted Franklin to hear such lies about his father…”

The woman froze in her seat for a moment, then laughed.

“I know you can’t just record a conversation without me giving permission,” the smug old woman told Dorsey. “I watch all the shows, you know. You can’t use that as any kind of evidence.”

“Sorry, but that’s not quite true,” Andrew said as he stepped into the room. “The law varies, state to state. Here in South Carolina, the law says that only one of the parties has to be aware of the recording.”

He turned to Dorsey. “You were aware that your recorder was on, weren’t you?”

“I sure was.”

“See?” He held up his hand and Dorsey tossed the recorder to him. He caught it midair. “No law broken here.”

“I haven’t broken any law,” the woman reminded him.

“Well, assault on your granddaughter, we’ll probably have to let that one go. The theft of the money from the church, I’m thinking we’ll have to let that one go, too. Statute of limitations has run out. Withholding information? Don’t know where the D.A. would stand on that, all these years later.” He nodded. “So there may be nothing you can be arrested for, that’s true. But facing your son, your daughter-in-law, the rest of your family”-he held up the tape-“well, now, that’s going to be a problem, don’t you think?”

Andrew turned to Dorsey. “Anything else?”

“No, I’d say my work here is done.” Dorsey turned to leave. “Enjoy your old age, Mrs. Randall.”

“Well, I’d say a toast would be appropriate right about now.”

Having decided champagne would be an appropriate way to end the meal he and Dorsey had shared in the only really nice restaurant in Hatton, Andrew poured from the chilled bottle the waiter had just brought to the table. He handed a glass to Dorsey, then poured one for himself.

“To Shannon,” he said solemnly. “May she rest in peace.”

“To Shannon.”

“And to us. For batting a thousand here in Hatton.” Andrew tilted his glass in her direction.

“Another good one.” She took another sip.

“To Jeanette Beale. For not pulling the trigger.”

“Here, here.”

“To Edith Chiong and her new life.”

“Definitely.” Dorsey raised the glass to her lips once again.

“And to many more.”

“Many more what?” she asked.

“Many more cases solved in a week or less.”

She put her glass down. “You know.”

“Know what?” He pretended to examine the stem of his glass.

“You know John called me.”

“He might have mentioned it.” Andrew shrugged nonchalantly.

“Then I suppose he mentioned he has an opening he’d like me to fill?”

“I seem to remember having heard that.”

“And that he wanted me in Virginia by the first of the month?”

“Sounds familiar.”

“Thank you.”

“For…?”

“I know you put a word in for me. After I showed up at Tim Beale’s trailer and went off on John the way I did, I figured I had less than a snowball’s chance to ever work for him.”

“Actually, I think that was when he decided to bring you on. He said you showed initiative, courage, determination, understanding of what the situation called for-”

“Stop! Stop!” She laughed. “You’re going to give me a swelled head.”

“Well deserved, though.”

“Thanks. I can’t deny I’m excited at the prospect. I’ve been hearing about his unit for years. The best of the best, and all that. How you get all the best cases…”

“Oh, that we do,” he said wryly. “The best of the serial killers. The craziest of the crazies.”

“Doesn’t sound too different from some of my cases in Florida.”

“I’m sure your experience was a factor in John’s decision. And for the record, he’s had a lot of applications ever since the position became available.”

“So it’s true? He only has so many spots in his unit?”

“Yes. Only way to get in is if someone leaves.”

“Who left?” The minute the words were out of her mouth, she knew.

Andrew’s brother, Grady.

“Oh. I’m so sorry. Andrew, are you all right with me taking the job?”

He nodded. “That’s the only reason John called me. He doesn’t make it a habit of discussing new hires with anyone else, but he wanted to make sure both Mia and I knew he’ll have a place for Grady when he decides to come back. If he comes back.”

“Do you think he will?”

“I have no idea. He’s not very communicative these days. Mia wanted to take some time off and spend it with him, but he told her not to come. Said it was a bad time.”

“What would he do if you just showed up?”

“I don’t know. I’ve thought about doing just that, but I hate to put either of us in that situation. You know, him not wanting me there, me being uncomfortable forcing myself on him. I think we’re just going to have to wait for him to come around, and pray that he does.”

Andrew tore a small piece of the napkin that sat under his glass.

“Nothing can screw you up like your family, you know that?” He wasn’t really expecting an answer. “I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Paula Rose and Brendan. Both betrayed the people who loved them the most, and all but destroyed their families. Poor Shannon got a triple dose. Her grandfather, her grandmother, her sister.” He looked up at Dorsey with tired eyes. “Some family, eh?”

“And the scariest thing is that compared to some other families I’ve seen, the Randalls look like the Waltons.”

“You know it’s going to be worse,” he told her. “Some of the cases we get are so gruesome they never even make the news.”

“John said.” She nodded. “I’m going to meet with him in two weeks-to make sure I know what I’m getting into, he said. I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. I can’t imagine there’s anything he could say that would make me change my mind. Then I’ll only have a few weeks to settle up my old cases as best I can, pack up my stuff, and move.”

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” he said.

“Maybe you could suggest a good place to live. I’ll be looking for an apartment while I’m up there.”

“My complex always has a few openings. It’s well located, the rents aren’t astronomical, and the maintenance people are available 24/7. Just let me know which days you’ll be around, and I can take you on a tour.”

“That would be great, thanks. But do they allow dogs?”

“In some apartments, they do.” He drained his glass. “You have a dog?”