Beverly Barton - The Outcast

"When do you want to meet my family?"

"As soon as possible."

"This evening," Christina said. "You can have dinner with us."

"Why don't you and I leave Sam and Gary to discuss what they can do, and in the meantime, you and I can become better acquainted." Elizabeth squeezed Christina's hands, then helped her stand.

Christina glanced at Gary Elkins, a weak smile trembling on her lips. "Gary, I think you and I need to have a nice, long talk very soon."

Elkins's ruddy complexion flushed a blotched pink and red. "Yes, Chris, we do."

Christina turned to Elizabeth. "Do you have your car with you, Ms. Mallory? I'm afraid I had Mother's chauffeur drop me by here.''

"Call me Elizabeth. May I call you Chris?"

"Yes, please do."

Elizabeth waved goodbye to Sam, and ushered Chris out the door.

Three hours later Elizabeth sat across the table from Chris at Calahan's, a downtown restaurant located in a restored building. Their table was on the second floor, in the non­smoking section by the windows looking down on Main Street.

In the time since they had left Gary Elkins's office Chris had given Elizabeth a tour of Newell, including a ride down Lilac Road where Reece had grown up. Elizabeth had felt an instant rapport with Christina Stanton, and had no doubts that the woman was sincere in her desire to help her brother.

Elizabeth watched Chris play with the piece of apple pie on her plate. "Are you sure it's a good idea for me to go home with you after lunch?"

"I'm sure," Chris said. "Mother had some sort of charity do at the country club, so she'll be out until around four. Kenny's at work, trying to keep things going at Stanton Industries, and finding out he can't fill Daddy's shoes."

"You want to run Stanton Industries, don't you, Chris?"

Chris turned her head sharply, staring at Elizabeth with round eyes. "How did you... I forgot, you're psychic. You really did read my mind, didn't you? You knew exactly what I was thinking."

Elizabeth wiped the corners of her mouth with the white linen napkin, then laid it on the table beside her empty des­sert dish. "Your father must have been a very old-fashioned man, one who didn't believe his daughter should be left in charge of his business."

"Daddy didn't have any problem with me working at Stanton Industries, giving me an honorary position to pacify me." Chris scissored through her piece of pie with the prongs of her fork. "But he wasn't too thrilled when I started coming up with ideas, making suggestions, actually taking my job seriously."

"I'd bet you have a degree in business. Right?"

"Can't you just read my mind?" Chris smiled.

Elizabeth picked up her coffee cup. "I only pick up on strong emotions, usually, and I try very hard not to tune in to every thought of the person I'm with."

Chris laughed. "Yes, I have an M.B.A."

"And Kenny?"

"Kenny didn't go for his M.B.A. after getting his B.S. because Daddy thought it best for him to learn to run the business by running the business."

"What happened?"

"Reece happened."

Elizabeth sipped her coffee. "Reece worked at Stanton Industries, and he and Kenny didn't get along."

"That's the understatement of the year. Reece and Kenny hated each other. Kenny was so jealous of Reece he couldn't see straight."

"Why? Because he knew Reece was your father's illegitimate son?"

"Oh, it went a lot deeper than that." Chris shoved her pie plate away from her, dropping her fork on the table, the edge hitting the plate with a clink. "Daddy was a manipulator. He deliberately pitted Reece against Kenny. He saw that Reece was smart and quick to learn, that he was hungry for acceptance and success. He used that against Reece, and against Kenny."

Elizabeth had wondered how much his inheritance would mean to Reece, how deeply his need for revenge against the Stantons ran. Once the real murderer had been found, would Reece stay on in Newell, accept his share of Stanton Industries and seek his place as a member of society? If he did, was there any hope for her to have a future with Reece? She couldn't live in Newell. She could never become a part of the world he would live in as part of the Stanton family.

"Do you think Reece would like to be in charge of Stanton Industries?"

"I'm not sure," Christina said. "I know he feels cheated by my father's unwillingness to recognize him as his son. I think Reece wanted Daddy's acceptance more than he's willing to admit."

"I understand that your father changed his will shortly before his death," Elizabeth said. "Who knew that your father left Reece one-third of his estate?"

"As far as Gary could find out, no one other than Willard Moran, our family's lawyer, knew about the new will."

"How long before his death did your father have his lawyer draw up a new will?''

"Three days."

"Reece thinks that your father asked him to your house the night he was killed because he planned to tell him about the new will."

Sighing, Christina rubbed her forehead. "Uncle Willard suggested to the sheriff that Daddy had told Reece before. . .that Reece actually killed Daddy for the money. The district attorney tried to use Uncle Willard's testimony at the trial."

"When can I meet Uncle Willard?" Elizabeth asked.

"He will be dining with us tonight. He's been very supportive ever since Daddy died. I'm not sure Mother would have survived half as well without him."

"So, I'll not only meet your mother and brother, but Uncle Willard, as well."

"And don't forget Tracy!"

How could she forget Tracy? After all, she and Reece were hiding out in the woman's parents' summer house. "You don't like your sister-in-law, do you?"

"You didn't have to read my mind to figure that out, did you?" Chris laughed.

"How did Tracy get along with your father?"

"Tracy got along better with Daddy than she does with Kenny. Daddy handpicked Tracy, you know. Old family. Old money. But Daddy didn't realize the good breeding that was supposed to come along with old families and old money was sadly lacking in our dear Tracy."

Elizabeth reached across the table, touching Chris's hand where she clutched her napkin. "Do you think a member of your family could have killed your father?"

Chris breathed deeply, letting out her breath on a long sigh. "As much as I despise Tracy, she had no motive. Kenny feared Daddy and sometimes hated him, but be also worshiped him. And Mother...well, Mother and Daddy lived separate lives. She knew he had his women, and she chose to look the other way. I suppose she hated him for it, but I doubt she would have killed him, not after all these years."

"And we know that Reece didn't kill him," Elizabeth said.

"I'm not sure how much good it will do for you to meet the family this evening."

"If I can pick up on anything, something I learn might help Reece."

"Let's go, then, and we'll see what we can find in my closet that might fit you. Mother would die if you came down to dinner wearing jeans."

Elizabeth grinned. "Thanks, Chris. I'm afraid I left Sequana Falls in such a hurry I didn't consider I'd need anything to wear other than jeans."

Chris stood, placing the straps of her bag over her shoulder. "Lunch is on me."

"I'll leave the tip."

When Elizabeth opened the driver's side door of Sam's '65 T-Bird, she saw a note lying on her seat.

"What's that?" Chris asked as she got inside the car.

Elizabeth picked up the note and opened it. A key fell out. Holding the key in her hand, she read the note silently to herself. Sam had left her the name of his motel, the room number, a key and a message to meet him after her dinner with the Stantons.

"It's from Sam."

Elizabeth started the engine and drove down Main Street. The bright sun had melted most of the snow, leaving a grimy slush along the roadside. Following Christina's instructions, Elizabeth maneuvered the car out of town and toward the highway. Glancing in her rearview mirror, Elizabeth noticed an older model Chevrolet, the paint faded, rust splotching the surface and the vinyl top ragged. The car had been behind them since they had pulled out of the parking lot at Calahan's.