Virna DePaul - It Started That Night

“Eight-thirty. We were going to have a late dinner and then try to catch a movie. Something light. She liked comedies.”

“And she never showed?”

He shook his head. “She called me before I left the house. Told me she had a family emergency and would call me later that night.” For a moment, he stared at his kids, his gaze going blank as if his mind was somewhere else. “She sounded upset. I offered to come by but she said no.” He smiled. “I always told her she was too proud for her own good.”

“You knew her that well? And you’d only been dating, what? Two months?”

He shrugged. “Three. But it didn’t take me long to discover her independent streak. She wasn’t about to lean on another man. Let alone one almost ten years younger. Not after what her ex did to her.”

“So your age was a problem?”

A wistful smile crossed Park’s face. “For me, no. For her, sure. It took me a long time to convince her to go out with me. And when she did, I think she told herself it was just a fling.”

Everything about the man, from his words, to his tone, to his expression, radiated regret. “What about you? What did you think?”

Again, Park looked at his kids. “I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t get the chance to find out.”

Park’s wife waved to him on her way back into the house and he smiled.

John studied him. He was good-looking. Your typical family man, who seemed incapable of brutally stabbing and sexually assaulting a woman. But of course looks didn’t mean a thing. Ted Bundy was proof.

“So what time did she call?”

Park shifted his attention back to John. “I was about to leave to pick her up, so it was just before eight.”

The timing sounded right. Tina had come to his place looking for Lily around 8:00 p.m. Phone records showed she’d called her ex before that. According to the wait staff at 33rd St. Bistro, Park had shown up alone around 8:30 for dinner and drinks, and had left around 10:30, saying he was going to a movie. When the cops had interviewed him the next day, he’d had the ticket stub in his pants pocket. Two hours later, they’d picked up Hardesty. And a day later, they’d found Hardesty’s prints at the scene.

“She didn’t tell you what the emergency was?”

“Something about having an argument with one of her girls. Lily, I’m sure.”

The man’s derisive tone made John stiffen. “Why do you say that? You ever meet her girls?”

Park shook his head. “No. She refused to introduce me to them. Showed me pictures though. They didn’t look alike, but they were pretty. Like her.”

Yeah. Definitely pretty. “So why do you say she probably had a fight with Lily?”

Park shrugged. “It was something Tina talked about a lot. How hard Lily was taking her father leaving. How she blamed Tina and Tina didn’t know what to do. It would have been so easy for her to make Lily hate her father, but she didn’t want that, even if it meant keeping the truth from her.”

“The truth? Lily knew he’d had an affair. She had a new stepmother, for God’s sake.”

“She didn’t know her father had cheated in the past. Many times in the past.”

John pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. “Doug Cantrell cheated more than once? And Tina stayed with him? I have to say that surprises me. I knew the family. Tina didn’t seem like the type of woman who’d stay with a cheater.” But if that was the case, that meant John’s list of potential witnesses had just gotten a hell of a lot bigger. He couldn’t discount the possibility that one of Doug’s jealous lovers—hell, even his present wife had to be considered—had killed Tina.

“Sounds like you knew her pretty well.” Park’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You would have just been a kid when she died. Were you friends with one of her girls? The oldest one? Or even Lily?” He leaned back in his chair, nodding thoughtfully. “Tina mentioned a guy Lily was into. An older guy. What did you say your name was again?”

“Detective John Tyler. Now getting back to Doug Cantrell’s affairs. Why’d Tina stay with him?”

For a moment, the two men stared at one another. Park looked away first. “For her girls. They were younger. They loved their father. And Doug Cantrell—”

Park looked over John’s shoulder and paused.

“And what? What about the ex? Ever meet him?”

Holding up a finger, Park jerked to his feet. “Be right back.” He jogged over to the little girl who’d fallen and was crying. He helped her up, brushing off her knees and giving her a kiss before watching her run inside. He walked slowly back to John.

“What did you ask?”

“I asked if you’ve ever met Doug Cantrell.”

Park’s face hardened in memory. “Oh, yeah. The guy was an arrogant one. Cheated on Tina for years. Married the next woman he’d had an affair with, but then had the balls to accuse Tina and me of screwing around.”

John felt his brows shoot up. “When was this?”

“A few days before. He came by the house when I was there. They started to argue and Tina kicked me out. Told me she needed to talk to the guy.”

John lifted a skeptical brow. “And you just left?”

“Like I said, Tina was independent. I didn’t want to scare her off by getting all he-man on her. Believe me, I wanted to pound the guy into the ground. I still remember the look he gave me as I left. He was so damn pleased with himself.” Park shrugged. “But she was a grown woman. She knew what she was doing. And what she wanted.” Park’s mouth twisted. “Who she wanted.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I was younger, but I wasn’t stupid. She still loved him. Even though she tried to hide it, it was obvious. She knew it. I knew it. And he knew it.”

“And …?”

“And I don’t know.”

But his implication was obvious. Did he really think Doug had tried to reconcile with Tina and that he’d killed her when she refused? Doug Cantrell could make the same accusation against Park.

Testing him, John said, “Mr. Park, would you be willing to take a polygraph exam about all this?”

Park’s eyes widened. “But—I thought—Jesus, do you think I—”

“You were cleared a long time ago. But Hardesty’s making some allegations, and we need to build a solid case to present to the governor.”

“I’m sorry, but I just want to forget about all this. I mean, I have my wife. My kids.”

John nodded, not at all surprised. “Okay. Again, thanks.” John turned to leave and was almost to the outer gate when Park called out to him.

“Detective Tyler?”

John turned. “Yes?”

Park hesitated, looked around and then approached him, not stopping until he was about two feet away. His voice was low but urgent. “How is Lily? And her sister? Tina loved them so much. I—I heard one of them found the body. That she claims memory loss. Is that true?”

John pressed his lips together. “I can’t talk about that.”

“Don’t mean to pry. It’s just, I’m not a religious man, but I often think—if there is such thing as a soul, Tina’s would rest better knowing her girls are okay. You know?”

John studied the man. His refusal to take a polygraph exam hadn’t done anything to make him more trustworthy in John’s eyes, but it wasn’t necessarily damning, either. In truth, he’d think twice himself before agreeing to take one. “I haven’t seen her sister, but Lily’s doing okay. As you can imagine, though, having to revisit all this is tough for her. I’m sure you understand why getting through this investigation quickly would be in her best interest.”

Park nodded his head quickly. “Of course. I’m so sorry it’s having to be brought up for her again. Honestly, I want to help, but—” He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back at his kids. “I have a family now. And who knows what Doug Cantrell would do to protect himself—”