“That’s certainly understandable. Who wouldn’t be? But if you gave birth to Briley, then I’m certain you have nothing to worry about.” I inched the recipes toward her on the table to distract her.
“You have been just wonderful, Sophie. So many bizarre things happened while you worked on these! I’m amazed that we managed to get them done at all.”
“Would your editor like me to send her a copy via e-mail?”
“That would be so kind of you.” Tilly wrote down her editor’s name and e-mail address and handed me a check. “I don’t know what I’ll do without you popping in here every day. Mia’s gone and the girls will be back in school, at least I hope they will be.”
“I’m sure our paths will cross again.”
Tilly gave me a hug. “Thank you for rushing this.”
I showed myself out and headed straight to the bank to deposit the check. I did some mental calculations of how much I would have left after taxes. It would be enough to do some serious damage to my old bathroom.
Cal, the builder, dropped by in the afternoon. He suggested a number of different scenarios and promised to work up estimates for me. I crossed my fingers that he was right about the affordability of creating two bathrooms, one off my bedroom and another for guests. A girl could hope.
That evening, Mars excitedly called me into the den. He rewound the program he’d been watching. “Listen to this.”
“And in breaking news, the United States is expelling a Russian spy caught right here in Old Town, Alexandria. Authorities say they expect a similar retaliation against one of our operatives in Russia.”
“That can’t be Fred,” I said.
“You bet it is. No messy trial for him. He’s going home.”
I felt a little bit frustrated that there wouldn’t be a trial. All the details would have been laid out and made clear. And someone would have paid for the horrible massacre at Abby’s house. “Do you think prosecutors declined to press charges?”
“No! I think he waved a diplomatic crisis flag, passed Go, and got a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Sophie, no one will want to start an international crisis over a guy like Fred.”
“That’s disappointing. Of course, if he was telling the truth and he only defended Charlene, then I guess he wouldn’t have served time, anyway.”
“Would you like to come to Wesley and Tilly’s house with me tomorrow morning?” Mars asked.
“What’s up?”
“Project ‘Goodbye, Jericho.’ I’m cleaning up Wesley’s image. He will be all over every news channel tomorrow.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
* * *
We were up early the next day. It was still chilly outside when we left, and I was glad I chose to wear a blazer with a scarf around my neck.
The throng of reporters had grown. “How do you feel now that you’re no longer a suspect, Mars?”
Mars smiled and spoke directly to the camera. No ducking away this time. “I’m relieved that Sergeant Fleishman was able to uncover the truth. It’s always better to let the sun in so the truth can shine.”
Tilly opened the door in full makeup and a Texas girl outfit right down to her boots. She called to the press, “Mornin’ y’all!”
When we were in the foyer and she closed the door behind us, Tilly sagged. “What a relief all this is coming to an end. I’m brokenhearted about Mia and especially about Abby. But I’m glad to be able to move on.”
Tilly had knocked herself out with an assortment of eggs, pancakes, and bacon. Plates, cutlery, and red gingham napkins had been set up on the kitchen island so everyone could help themselves.
“How did the DNA tests go yesterday?” I asked.
“There’s nothing to the tests. It’s waiting for the results that’s scary.”
“I hope you get them soon so you can put this behind you.”
She whispered, “Briley nearly freaked out. I have assured her that I was present at her birth and I know she’s our child, but it’s still frightening for a kid to go through.”
Briley and Schuyler ate breakfast with us. Jericho hung around Mars as though he was afraid to miss a single word.
Schuyler sat down next to me. “I guess you heard that one of us might have been kidnapped?”
Chapter 36
Dear Sophie,
I’m redoing my bathroom and I’m confused about shower floors. What’s the best thing to use: tile, stone, marble, or glass?
Drowning in Options in Bath, New York
Dear Drowning in Options,
I know exactly how you feel. While many flooring options look beautiful, you need to consider three main things. How do you clean them? Do they need to be sealed annually? And what size are they? Installers recommend nothing larger than four-by-four inches so that there’s enough grout for you to have a secure footing when the shower is wet. Don’t forget to consider what hard water might do to the material if that’s an issue at your house.
Sophie
Ihad to tread carefully. “Kind of scary, huh?”
“I hope it’s me!” she said. “It would explain so much. Like why my mom was so weird about things and monitored me all the time. I feel like a traitor for saying this, but I feel so much more relaxed now that it’s just me and my dad. I loved my mom, but I always felt like something wasn’t right.”
“I hope it all works out for you.”
“It will. When Dad heard about it, he promised that I can live with him. We’re a pretty good team. He’s kind of goofy sometimes, but we’re managing. You should have seen the two of us trying to figure out the washing machine!” She laughed at the memory. “Dad wants me to see a psychologist to help me through losing my mom and maybe being kidnapped.”
“That sounds like a good idea. You’ve been through a lot.”
A moment later she asked, “Do you think my mom murdered Abby? That’s what they’re saying.”
Oh no! I didn’t want to make things even worse for her. Her father should be the one telling her about that. But as I looked at her, it dawned on me that she wasn’t sobbing. In fact, I would have said she was thriving. I decided it was best to be honest. She’d had the truth hidden from her for too long, and look how that ended. Mars was right about letting the sun shine in. “It appears that she did. Mia was desperate to keep you. She loved you more than anything. It’s all a horrible tragedy, but I would guess Mia had been mentally unbalanced for a long time if she thought it was okay to steal a baby.”
“That’s a good way of putting it. Mentally unbalanced. That’s what I’ve been living with all my life.”
“Okay, everyone! Here it comes,” said Wesley.
“Good morning, Washington! Congressman Wesley Winthrop is having a good day. He was a person of interest in the murder of Abigail Bergeron, but police have officially announced that Mia Hendrickson of Old Town murdered Bergeron. Hendrickson also died at the scene of the crime. In other news, Congressman Winthrop will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce an initiative against hazing in fraternities.”