The sheriff’s station on Monday evening was livelier than it had been in eight years, as enthusiastic debriefs and verbal backslapping filled the coffee-scented air. While Deputy Loggins booked Pristine, the nightshift deputies had arrived, and they joined the sheriff, Deputy Harris, Wayne and Victor in listening to Emory and Jeff relate in feverish detail the events of the evening and all unanswered questions involving the murder of three Barter Ridge residents, as well as the attempted murder of the PI. Wayne didn’t look at either of them, and he had grunted maybe two words to Emory after catching him kissing Jeff. Ian, now released and no longer a suspect in any of the crimes, sat on the bench by the front door, listening with his eyes on the floor.
Jeff rubbed his aching neck, bright red and welted from the numerous electric shocks he had endured. Now barefoot, he wore an old deputy uniform shirt and pants that Sheriff Rome found in a cabinet, but the clothes were, of course, too small for him. Emory had also given him his jacket to wear, telling him, “Try not to stretch out the shoulders.”
Jeff explained how he figured out that Pristine was involved in the drug scheme, and he told them about her confessing to the killings and her attempt on his life.
Victor seemed to have regressed into an emotional numbness that kept his face stuck in desolation. Every once in a while, he shook his head and moved his lips for lamentations like, “I can’t believe I married that woman,” and, “She destroyed my life.”
Jeff told Emory, “I still don’t know how you found out about Pristine.”
Emory pointed to his dad. “It was the snake handlers. Dad told me about the controversy that surrounded their arrival here a year ago.”
“Got that right,” said Deputy Harris. “Those freaks should’ve never come to this town.”
“Stop being a bigot, Deputy,” ordered Sheriff Rome. “They have a right to their religion, same as you.”
Emory continued, “I imagine the news stories about them included some of their rituals.” The sheriff nodded. “They drink strychnine during their services, but they don’t just pick it up one day and take a swig, hoping it doesn’t kill them. They build up a tolerance by ingesting a little at a time over months or years.”
Victor said, “Pristine’s not a snake handler.”
“No, but I think that’s what gave her the idea to fake her own poisoning with strychnine.”
Victor asked, “Why would she poison herself?”
“To throw suspicion off her by making us think that whoever killed Britt and Rick was after her too.”
Jeff shook his head. “I was there when she took the strychnine. Her reaction looked real to me.”
Emory said, “I think she ingested more than she anticipated. Regardless, the amount of strychnine she ingested would’ve killed someone who hadn’t built up a tolerance to it. I took some of Pristine’s hair from her hairbrush when she was in the hospital, and I gave it to the lab for testing. I got the call from Cathy when I was interviewing Ian, and she told me that Pristine had been taking strychnine for at least eleven months.”
Jeff said, “So that’s how you knew I was in trouble.”
Emory nodded before asking Wayne and Deputy Harris, “How did you end up at Victor’s house?”
Deputy Harris responded, “We thought Scot might’ve rented a car so we checked the only rental place in town. He used a fake credit card and ID, but the clerk recognized his picture when we showed it to him. The car he rented had a tracking system, and we found it parked in the woods, just off the road near the driveway to the Algarotti house. We thought he might’ve gone there to get revenge on Victor. When we got to the house, we heard the explosion.”
The next second, all eyes turned to the same face. Deputy Loggins had returned to the room with Pristine.
“Victor!” Pristine called with her cuffed hands reaching out for him.
To Emory’s surprise, Victor advanced toward her. With each step he took, the emotions that he appeared to have dammed up inside him seeped through expanding cracks until the wall crumbled as he stood before her.
“Pristine, why?” he asked. “I loved you. Why would you do this to Britt? To my son? To me?”
“Victor.” Pristine grabbed his hands before Deputy Loggins pushed her forearms back down. “I love you. This is a mistake. None of it’s true. I would never hurt you.”
Victor told her, “That’s how you did it, isn’t it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“You lie with such conviction. I couldn’t see it before.”
With that, Pristine’s sadness evaporated, leaving behind a salty indignation. “You know nothing about me! You just wanted someone to plug the hole left by your precious Meredith.”
Victor turned from her, and Sheriff Rome told Deputy Loggins, “Take her to the interrogation room.”
Jeff smirked at Pristine. “What’s your plan B for this?”
She glared at him while asking, “Victor, did Jeff tell you how you and I met?”
Victor turned back around. “What do you mean?”
Emory approached her in an attempt to get her out of the room. “If you have a statement to make, save it for us.”
“We didn’t meet by chance.” Pristine smiled at the growing nervousness in Jeff. “He set it up.”
“That’s enough!” proclaimed Emory. He placed a hand on Deputy Loggins’ shoulder urging him to move her out.
Victor turned to Jeff. “What’s she talking about?”
Jeff sighed and gritted his teeth. “Pristine hired me to find her a rich man to marry…” He trailed off when he saw Victor drawing back his right fist.
Emory sprung to Jeff’s defense, pushing him out of the way. Victor’s punch landed on Emory’s left jaw, and the special agent fell to the floor on top of Jeff.
“You brought this plague on my house!” Victor shouted, looking at Jeff but pointing at Pristine. “This is all on you!”
The sheriff and Deputy Harris rushed to restrain Victor, while Wayne only watched. “Lock him up for assault!” ordered Sheriff Rome.
“No!” Emory countered as he climbed back to his feet and helped up Jeff. He tilted his head toward Ian. “He shouldn’t be alone right now.”
The sheriff frowned at his son’s decision. He pointed an angry finger in Victor’s face. “Control yourself, or I will lock you up. Don’t test me!”
Victor nodded, and Deputy Harris released him. Sheriff Rome told Deputy Loggins, “Get her out of here. Victor, take your son and go home. You both have been through too much.”
Victor walked to the front door without looking at Ian. “Let’s go.” The boy hopped from the bench and followed his dad, closing the door behind them.
Sheriff Rome put a hand on Emory’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
The sheriff inspected the bruising skin just below his eye. “I’ll get you something for that eye.” He hurried to his office, past Wayne, who was now sitting on the edge of Deputy Harris’ desk with his arms crossed and eyes down.
Emory asked Jeff, “How are you?”
Jeff checked out the damage to Emory’s face. “You shouldn’t have done that. I deserved that punch.”
“And you should’ve gone to the hospital like the paramedics suggested. I guess we’re both good at ignoring what’s best for us.”
Sheriff Rome returned with an emergency ice pack. “Here you go, Son.”
Emory took it and placed it against his cheek. “Well, I think we’ve done enough damage here. We’ll be heading out.”
The sheriff smiled at him and gave him a hug. “Thank you for everything, Son. There’s no way I would’ve seen this outcome. Don’t tell your mother about the shiner. She’d blame me for not keeping you safe.”
“I won’t. Dad…” Emory stopped, as he searched for the right words to say.
“What is it, Son?”
“I’m sorry about losing my temper earlier.”
His father waved off the need for any apology. “It’s forgotten. This case was tough on us, and we both needed to blow off some steam.”
Emory started to get choked up. “You’re a wonderful lawman, and you know you’re the reason I wanted to be one too.”
“I know.” The sheriff flashed a smile that let Emory know it was good to hear. “Now don’t be such a stranger.”
Emory nodded. “Wayne, are you ready to go?”
Wayne glanced up but not enough to make eye contact. He pointed to the man at his side. “I’m catching a ride with Deputy Harris.”
“You are?”
Deputy Harris explained, “I’m driving Pristine Algarotti up to Knox County tonight. I’m not risking another escape.”
Instead of arguing with Wayne, Emory felt it best to leave him alone. He escorted the still-weak PI from the sheriff’s station.
Once buckled into the car, Jeff reclined in his seat. “Do you mind if I rest my eyes a bit? I’m exhausted.”
“Of course not.” Emory drove the car from the parking lot and onto the main road out of town.
His eyes closed, Jeff smiled. “You took a punch for me.”
“Only because you’re too out of it right now to defend yourself.” Emory grinned and added, “Otherwise, I would’ve let you take it.”
When Jeff didn’t reply, Emory glanced over at him and saw his eyes were closed and mouth open. Jeff didn’t stir again until they got back to Knoxville and pulled up to his place. Emory stared at the office building for Mourning Dove Investigations for a moment before whispering, “We’re here.”
As Jeff opened his eyes and stretched, Emory hopped out of the car and ran to the other side to open his door and help him out. He grabbed the PI’s right arm and placed it over his shoulders, and he helped him walk to the front door. “Do you need me to stay with you?”
Jeff leaned his back against the office door. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to fall into bed and hibernate until spring.”
“Do you need anything?”
“Just to thank you for saving my life.”
“It’s a life worth saving.” Emory walked away, turning back just to say, “Call me when spring comes.”