I heard footsteps on the stairs. I slammed the door shut and raced into the hall.
“Are you okay?” Helena asked. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d taken ill.”
“I was feeling dizzy and thought I’d lie down for a few minutes.”
Helena stared at me without speaking. Does she know I just saw the two pieces of Laura’s jewelry that were stolen the night she was murdered? Does she know I know they belonged to Laura?
“I’m better now.”
“Good. We’re about to have dessert and coffee.”
“Where have you been?” Jared asked when I sat down. “I was about to look for you, but Helena insisted on going.”
“I’m sure she did.” I folded my hands in my lap so no one would see they were trembling.
“What does that mean?”
I glanced around, glad the other guests were engaged in conversation. Francine had made herself the official cake cutter and was asking everyone which of the three cakes they wanted.
“Jared, we have to talk. But not here. Not now.” I gave him a meaningful look.
His face took on a mulish expression. “I hope you’ll explain everything on the way home.”
“I will.”
I did my best to be social the rest of the evening, but I had never been good at dissembling. I must have looked troubled, because Ken shot me a look of concern. I sipped my coffee and made mush out of the molten chocolate cake I normally would have devoured, but I was too upset to eat. I wanted to stand up and shout, “Everyone! Helena isn’t the person you think she is! She killed Laura. The proof is upstairs in her jewelry armoire!”
What held me back? That I might be wrong? That Helena would claim Laura had given her those items and I’d look the fool? I needed to call John Mathers ASAP and tell him what I’d discovered. And pray that Helena didn’t dispose of the items before the police came to search her condo.
Finally, Pam and George said they had to be going. I breathed a sigh of relief and helped Helena clear the table. Gillian got up to help too. When she returned from the kitchen, Ryan told her they were leaving and driving Bryce home. Bryce entered the kitchen to say good night to Helena. He tried to take her in his arms, but she brushed him aside, saying she was putting the kitchen in order and they’d talk in the morning.
Francine brought in the rest of the dessert plates and cups as I was pouring the pitcher of milk back into the carton. Then she, too, thanked Helena for a lovely evening and left. I wondered how Jared and I were the last to leave when I desperately wanted to tell him what I’d discovered.
At last we were out the door.
As we walked down the path to the street, Jared put his arm around my waist and drew me close. “Carrie, please tell me what you’ve discovered.”
I looked around, afraid Helena might be following us, but the only person I saw was a man walking a fox terrier. “Wait until we’re in the car.”
Jared let out a grunt of annoyance, since we’d had to park two blocks from Helena’s condo.
As soon as we climbed inside, I began. “First of all, I found the pages your mother wrote about her secret lover.”
“You did?” Jared’s eyes shone in the near darkness. “When? Where were they?”
“In the library attic.” I paused. “I found them Sunday.”
“Last Sunday?” He gripped my arm.
I pulled away, suddenly afraid. “You’re hurting me.”
“Sorry.” He let go. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you telling anyone. Not your father or Ryan—or Helena.”
“Like I did at dinner the other night.” He started the motor. “I get it.”
He sped down Devon Woods Drive and exited the development.
When we stopped at a red light half a mile down the road, he turned to me. “I’d love to read the journal, Carrie. After all, my mother wrote it.”
“I know, Jared. I gave it to Lieutenant Mathers. I’m sure he’ll let you have it when they’re done with it.”
“What does it say? Does she mention the man she was involved with?”
“She writes about him but doesn’t say who he is. She refers to him as L.”
Jared thought as he turned onto the main road leading to my cottage. “That’s why you mentioned Francine’s husband, Lonnie.”
“Helena told me your mom kind of liked him.”
Jared shrugged. “She spent more time talking to our neighbor Lou Devon and to Lloyd Koppel.”
“She used to talk to Lloyd?” I was surprised.
“Sure. My parents were best friends with the Koppels. You knew that.”
“But—” The headlights of a car behind us blazed in the side mirror. I turned. Though the lane beside us was empty, an SUV was tailgating us.
“Jared, there’s an SUV on our tail.”
“I know.” Jared sped up.
The vehicle kept pace.
“What’s wrong with him?” I asked.
“There are plenty of crazy drivers on the road.”
The SUV moved to the lane to our left.
“Good,” I said.
I’d spoken too soon. Now it was veering into our lane, trying to push us off the road and onto the shoulder. Only there wasn’t a shoulder. Beyond the guardrail, the land ran downhill into a gully below.
Jared drove faster. The SUV did too and inched farther into our lane. Jared tried to drive straight ahead, but the SUV was bigger and heavier and kept edging us over. Another few inches, and we’d hit the guardrail.
I was terrified, but I bit back my scream. I didn’t want to distract Jared, who was doing his best to stay on the road.
The SUV sideswiped us. Jared swerved and rammed into the guardrail. I looked back. The SUV had reversed several feet. Now it was heading straight at us to send us to the ravine below.
Suddenly a black car passed both our vehicles. It veered across the road not ten feet in front of us, blocking both lanes.
“Oh, my God! What’s happening?” I screamed.
The SUV screeched to a stop. I stared at the driver and saw a tuft of blonde hair. “It’s Helena. She was trying to kill us!”
Dylan Avery stepped out of the BMW, his gun aimed at Helena Koppel. “Out of the car, Helena. The police are on their way.”
Helena didn’t move. Sirens sounded in the distance. Dylan approached the SUV. Helena climbed out and raised her hands.
I stared at Dylan. How did he know? How had he figured it all out?
Three squad cars arrived. Lieutenant Mathers spoke to Dylan and then to Helena. I heard her say she was driving past us when she noticed we were in trouble. Thank God they didn’t believe her! I was relieved when an officer handcuffed her and put her in the back of a squad car.
Jared backed up slowly and turned off the ignition.
Dylan walked over to the car and knocked on my window. In the police cars’ flashing lights, his face looked ashen. “Are you all right, Carrie?”
“Yes.”
He gestured to Jared. “What about you?”
“I’m okay, but my car’s going to need a ton of work.”
“That’s the least of it. Are you well enough to come down to the police station?”
“Sure.” Jared turned to me. “Are you, Carrie?”
“I think so.” I opened the car door. “But if you don’t mind, I’ll ride with Dylan.”
Jared looked at Dylan and then at me. “You two have a thing going. You should have told me, Carrie.”
“I’m sorry. I never found the right time to say I want us to be friends, nothing more.”
Jared revved the motor. I closed the car door and watched him drive away.
Hours later, after I’d given my statement, Dylan drove me home. I unlocked the door to the cottage and plopped down on my living room sofa, thoroughly exhausted. But I wasn’t too tired to ask a few questions of my own. “How did you know I was in trouble?”
Dylan sat beside me.
“I only found Laura’s jewelry this evening,” I continued.
“Could be Helena sensed Laura’s journal existed. When she knew you were looking for it, she grew suspicious of you.”
“Why? She didn’t know I’d found the pages Laura had written.”
“You were curious about Laura’s lover. Helena must have figured you knew it was Lloyd or that you’d find out very soon. I was worried about you. So was John Mathers.”
I looked at him. “Were you following me last night when I left the supermarket?”
Dylan grinned, making my heartbeat quicken. “Maybe I followed you there too.”
“Did John tell you to keep an eye on me?”
“We both agreed you needed looking after. I knew you wouldn’t agree to skip Helena’s party tonight. Since John didn’t have the manpower to send someone from the force, I offered my services.”
I smiled. “Poor Dylan. You had to hang around all evening, waiting for Jared and me to leave.”
“At least I was saved from having to stand guard outside the cottage all night.”
I turned to him. “You would have done that?”
He nodded. “I would have.”
“That’s very sweet.”
“You’re sweet.”
I yawned as he moved to kiss me.
“I’m sorry.” My ears grew warm with embarrassment.
“So am I.” He gave me a quick hug. “You’re exhausted. We’ll talk tomorrow. Are you scheduled to work?”
“From noon till five.”
“How about I pick you up at six for dinner?”
I smiled. “I’d like that.”
As he got to his feet, I said, “I have one question. Did John really suspect the murderer was someone in the Foster family, or did he suspect Helena?”
“Helena, of course. She must have been furious when she found out her husband and best friend were having an affair. She went over to the Fosters’ house to have it out with Laura. Judging by her choice of weapon, she hadn’t intended to kill her. When Al announced he knew who the killer was, Helena had to get rid of him too. The police found his iPad in her bedroom closet. It had been wiped clean.”
I missed the closet. “Poor Bryce. Falling for his wife’s killer.”
“Helena’s an egotist,” Dylan said. “The affair must have rankled her all these years. She made a play for him to get back at Laura.”
“And to get her new furniture faster and cheaper, no doubt.” I thought a moment. “Do you think she gave her husband something that caused him to have a heart attack?”
“I’ll discuss it with John and leave it in his hands. Now that his wife has confessed to killing two people, they may think it wise to exhume Lloyd’s body.”
I stood, and Dylan walked me to my bedroom.
“I’ll say good night.” He took me in his arms and kissed me.
This time I didn’t yawn.