David Baldacci - Hour Game

"Motives needn't be simply financial," replied Remmy as she buttered her roll.

Like your motive for killing your husband? thought King.

"You have something in mind?" asked Michelle.

"No, I'm just stating what I thought was an obvious fact."

"You had no idea Dorothea was taking one of Bobby's cars and renting a place at the Aphrodisiac? Or that she had a drug problem?"

Remmy shook her head. "But then, I'm not my daughter-in-law's keeper, am I?"

"I knew she had a drug problem." All eyes turned to Savannah.

"Did she mention it to you?" asked King.

"No, but I saw her once, I guess she was coming back from that place. It was early in the morning, and I'd gotten up to go for a walk. She was coming up from the direction of the car barn. She was a mess. I was surprised she could even drive home."

"You didn't just assume she was drunk?" asked Michelle.

"After four years of college I know the difference between drunk and high."

"I'm so glad our money bought you such an invaluable education," snapped Remmy.

"Did you confront her about it, Savannah?" asked King.

"No, it was none of my business."

"But didn't you tell anyone, like Eddie?"

"Again, it was none of my business. Dorothea and I aren't close, in case you hadn't noticed."

After dinner Remmy excused herself, saying she had some letters to write, and Savannah was left to say formal good-byes. However, King had to use the bathroom and asked Harry and Michelle to hold up for a minute. As they waited for him to come back, Harry led Savannah over to a corner and started speaking to her in a confidential tone. When King returned, they said their good nights and left.

Harry said, "I didn't meant to ignore you, Michelle, but I'm worried about Savannah and wanted to speak with her privately."

"Did you notice she's dressing like her mother now?" King said.

"That was one indication something was amiss," said Harry diplomatically. "Remmy is a very intimidating woman, and I guess not even an independent soul like Savannah is immune from her force of will."

"And Remmy writes lots of letters, keeps a journal and presumably gets a lot of letters from friends," commented King.

Harry looked at him quizzically. "I suppose she does. As do I. Is that important?"

"While I was using the bathroom, I happened to pass by the study. Remmy was in there writing out some letters like she said she was going to."

"So?" asked Michelle.

"The one thing that's been bothering me is that we still don't know what was taken from her and Bobby's closets. What if it were letters, or a diary, something like that?"

Harry said, "That would make sense. Women like Remmy often desire a secure place for their confidential letters."

"Letters that could be incriminating somehow," said King. "Not necessarily in a criminal sense, but in a personal one. At least it's something to keep in mind."

They left the house. Michelle had driven over separately. She said good-bye to Harry and King and drove off. Harry climbed into his convertible and waved as he pulled out.

King was getting into his car when he saw the note on his front seat.

It was short and to the point. "I want to talk. I'll meet you at your place at ten tonight." It was signed "Sally."

King looked around but saw no one. He checked his watch. It was nine o'clock. He debated whether to call Michelle and tell her to meet him at his houseboat. Then he thought better of it. That might scare Sally away. He drove off. In one hour part of this mystery might be cleared up, or at least be less muddled. Right now he'd take that.

AN HOUR LATER KING MET SALLY at the end of his driveway, led her past all the construction on his new home and down the steps to his houseboat.

The young woman was obviously very nervous. To put her at ease, King said, "It's the right thing to do, Sally. It really is. And once you get it off your chest, you'll feel better."

They sat at his small kitchen table as the lake water slowly lapped at the boat's hull. He'd fixed her a cup of hot tea and was now staring at the woman expectantly.

"Junior," he finally said. "You came to tell me about Junior?"

Sally let out a huge breath and plunged in. "I was with him when the burglary happened."

King was startled. "You helped him break in?"

"No! Not at the Battle house. At Junior's house, the new one he's building."

"So he didn't commit the burglary?"

"He couldn't have. We were there from eight at night until almost four in the morning. And it's a good hour's drive from the Battles'."

"Why were you with Junior at his new house?"

Sally took a drink of the tea and sat back, her face flushed, her cheeks stamped with fresh tears. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm telling you this."

"Sally? Why were you with him?" King asked pointedly.

"We'd gotten to know each other when he worked at the Battles'. We… we were both lonely, I guess."

"You were having an affair with Junior?"

"It's not like that, not at all!" she answered hotly.

"Then tell me what it was like," said King calmly.

"We were just friends. At first. I mean, well." She put down the teacup and leaned forward. "He'd told me he was going to be working at the house all night. His wife had the night off and was with the kids. I went there, seduced him, and we had sex. There. That's it. I told you."

" You seduced him ?"

She looked offended. "I'm not always dressed in jeans and covered with horseshit, Sean. I clean up pretty damn well. He was surprised when I showed up there, of course. But I made it clear to him what I was after."

"But I thought Junior really loved Lulu."

"He did, but he's a man after all and I was wearing next to nothing and my offer was pretty tough to refuse. I just wanted sex, no questions and no commitments. And from what he told me, Lulu hadn't been paying him much attention for quite a while. Worked long hours at that club."

"So you found Junior ready, willing and able?"

"Let's put it this way: he wouldn't have been physically capable of committing that burglary. Hell, I could barely walk when it was over."

King put up a hand. "Okay, okay, I don't need any more details."

Sally rubbed her eyes. "The thing is, I really liked him. I know he was big and tough-looking, but he was really a sweet guy underneath."

"Why didn't you come forward when Junior was arrested for the burglary?"

"He wouldn't let me! He said he'd rather go to jail than let Lulu find out."

"Okay, I guess I can see that. What else?"

"That's it. I snuck away from the Battle funeral to say my good-byes over Junior's grave. I didn't think anyone had seen me." She looked down at the table. "Will all this have to come out?"

"Maybe not, now that Junior's dead and Remmy is convinced of his innocence. And I guess there's no reason to ruin Lulu's memory of her husband."

"He did love her, Sean; I was just a onetime fling, that's all." She added in a very small voice, "I guess that's all I ever am."

After Sally had left, King thought about calling Michelle but decided to let it wait until morning. It had been a long day. He went to bed.

Outside the houseboat the man had watched Sally leave. He had used the listening device he'd planted to hear the entire conversation between the two. He looked up at the houseboat as the last light was extinguished there. He'd wait until Sean King was fully asleep, and then he was going to pay him one final visit.

MICHELLE HAD DRIVEN HOME, done some kickboxing on the heavy bag hanging in her basement, put away some laundry and actually cleaned her kitchen. After that she showered and was thinking about going to bed but had grown very restless. Her mind kept returning to the murders. Was there something they were overlooking? King had suggested that Mrs. Canney hadn't died in a car accident, that she had been murdered. If so, by whom?