I’d insisted to Adrian and Jake I was fine to drive back to Santa Sofia alone in my battered car. I really wasn’t alone on the road because Jake followed closely behind me in his car. I was grateful to have some time alone to decompress. A million thoughts swirled around in my head and a host of emotions filled my heart. More than anything, I was still trembling from the shock that someone I’d known and trusted for years had murdered my father, my husband, and my aunt. The enormity of violence still stunned me. I also felt a tremendous relief that Jed Barnes, or Todd Keaton, or whatever name the poor excuse for a human being called himself today, would now be behind bars, no longer able to hurt anyone else.
Back in Santa Sofia, we all regrouped inside the police station, taking turns giving our statements to various officers and waiting for a debriefing. Sam followed Adrian down a hallway to be interviewed while the rest of us, Jake, Ashley, Uncle Bob, Aunt Veronica, and me, all sat around a large meeting room’s oval conference table, speaking in hushed tones.
A few minutes later, Adrian joined us and pulled up a chair. “Sam rode back to the station with me and he shared some of what had been going on with him recently.”
Uncle Bob cleared his throat. “Can we see him?”
Aunt Veronica, teary-eyed, asked, “Is he okay?”
Adrian smiled briefly. “You can talk to him after we’ve finished questioning him and he’s signed a formal statement. Your lawyer is there with him. He’s hanging in there. I think he’s relieved to have it all over and out in the open.”
A whimper emanated from Aunt Veronica. “He must be. I can’t imagine the stress he’s been under. He must have been constantly living in fear, with Jed’s threats of jail or hurting us. It breaks my heart he had to endure all that.”
I reached across Ashley and patted my aunt’s hand as Uncle Bob squeezed her shoulder.
Adrian offered her the box of tissues he grabbed from a small table behind him before he spoke. “I’ll try to give you a chronological outline of events from what Sam told me. As most of you know, Sam went in search of his birth mother several months ago. Sam’s parents had told him that his birth mother was Bob’s sister, Jo. But Bob and Veronica had never given him many details about his adoption, other than his birth mother couldn’t properly care for him because of her personal problems. Because of Jo’s history of mental illness and addiction issues, they thought this was the best way to go.”
My aunt and uncle, both with sad eyes and downturned mouths, nodded to confirm Adrian’s explanation.
Adrian sat up straighter in his chair. “Sam didn’t completely believe his parents’ story that Jo Benning was his birth mother. He interpreted his parents’ reticence to elaborate as meaning they’d concocted that story to make him feel like a blood relative. So he did one of those DNA tests to see if he could find conclusive evidence, one way or another, that Jo was his birth mother. As luck would have it, Jo had previously done a DNA test through the same company to trace her Benning family ancestral roots and made her results accessible to other database members. Sam’s results came back showing he was related to Jo and he managed to find Jo through the site’s database. He contacted her, without telling his parents. Sam and Jo met and started slowly to get to know each other. After a few meetings with Jo, Sam told his parents and they all got together and got along well for Sam’s sake.”
Uncle Bob chimed in. “I can provide the historical perspective about Jed Barnes, a.k.a. Todd Keaton, Jo’s stepson. John hired Jed ten years ago.”
I startled to attention. “I never knew it was my father who hired him.”
Uncle Bob turned to me. “Let me clarify that. It was our old nursery manager who hired Jed as a part-time nursery worker initially. Jed was a hard worker, came in early and stayed late. That got the attention of your father and why he then offered Jed a full-time job.”
I sat back feeling slightly less guilty, by association, for my father hiring Jed and bringing him into our company.
Uncle Bob had a little coughing jag and took a sip of water from the bottle in front of him. “Anyway, Jed moved through the ranks of the nursery division quickly. All went well for several years and then things changed. He started to make a practice of going to happy hour after work and end up drunk off his ass. I witnessed this myself, but some of our other employees started to comment about it as well. Around the same time, Jed started asking for a raise, but the grief he’d cause at company events due to his drinking was affecting our employee morale. I told him he’d have to clean up his act first if he wanted a raise because I was getting complaints about his unprofessional behavior from other employees and their wives. About this time, he told me his wife had left him and he was taking it hard and drowning his sorrows. He claimed she wanted to take all he’d worked hard for, plus alimony. I felt sorry for him and warned him not to show up drunk at work or any company function. From that time on, he still worked hard, but he became moodier and complained about other employees, it seemed like, out of spite.”
Adrian picked up the story again. “Sam told me that one day Jed saw Sam and Jo at a restaurant having lunch. Jed recognized Jo as his former stepmother. Jo told Sam that, after seeing them together, Jed had contacted her. Jed told her Sam was his long-lost brother, which, of course, is hogwash, since no relationship existed between them either through blood or marriage. Jo was divorced from Jed’s father way before she was in a relationship with Randy Tuttle, Sam’s late birth father.
“Jed’s father, Tom Keaton, hadn’t told Jed much about Jo’s family. But when Jed was in jail for assault, he met George Benning, the disowned Benning brother. George told Jed that the Bennings had disowned Jo, his former stepmother, too. George’s only claim to fame was being from a rich family, but he was embittered and held a grudge about being disowned. He went so far as to accuse his older siblings, John and Bob, of intentionally swindling him and Jo out of their fair share of the family business.”
Uncle Bob grumbled under his breath and started to cough again.
Adrian turned to Uncle Bob. “Again, this is hogwash since it was your father, Bob, who dictated that stipulation, correct?”
Uncle Bob responded to Adrian. “Yes, sir, you’re totally correct. John and I had nothing to do with that. That was my father’s doing, but, in his defense, he meant well. He was scared of, one, money ruining his two youngest children any further, and two, losing the hard-earned fortune he’d amassed over the years.”
Adrian shook his head. “Regardless, when Jed found out Sam was Jo’s son, he approached Sam and presented himself as his brother. Sam was young, impressionable, and an only child. Jed wooed Sam with his song and dance about being brothers. They hung out and did things like smoke weed and drink, and Sam was flattered by the attention, at first. But Jed was simply grooming Sam as his meal ticket, his bid for part of the Benning family fortune. He figured nurturing the adoration of a bona fide Benning would give him a leg up. Around this time, Jed’s father, Tom Keaton, got up to his old shenanigans of starting arson fires and enlisted Jed’s help. Jed brought Sam along, making Sam a witness to arson. But, despite not being directly involved, Jed told Sam he would tell the cops Sam started the fires if Sam told anyone and that Jed would hurt Sam’s parents. When that fear tactic worked, Jed had Sam under his spell.”
I interjected a thought. “I knew Todd Keaton and Tom Keaton sounded familiar. Their names triggered an association in my mind—Jed’s pocket watch with TK engraved on it. I should have figured that out way sooner.”
Ashley threw her arm over my shoulders. “You’re much too hard on yourself. He goes by a different name now, making the connection even more obscure. How could you have possibly thought of the Keatons when you saw the watch since Blanche had just mentioned their names to you? Let alone make the connection between Jed Barnes and Todd Keaton?”
“But I’d Googled them. I should have remembered the initials on his watch.” My voice sounded pathetically weak.
Ashley gave me a squeeze. “No time for thinking about that. Don’t beat yourself up.”
Adrian nodded. “Ashley’s right. Great advice. Don’t drive yourself crazy by second-guessing yourself now. You’re not responsible for Jed’s behavior.”
I smiled. “Thanks, guys.”
Adrian flashed me a grin. “Anyway, to continue, from what I can surmise, your father, John, discovered Jed had embezzled money. Jed had threatened Sam. If he didn’t hand over his mother’s password list, Jed would hurt his parents. Because of Sam’s coercion, your father wanted to handle the delicate situation carefully. Apparently, your father shared this with Milo and, I’m assuming, based on Sam’s comments, Milo offered to play a good big brother role to combat Jed’s bad big brother role for Sam. John had an earlier meeting with Sam, telling him he might need to testify against Jed at one point, and if he cooperated with authorities, Sam wouldn’t be in trouble. Jed followed Sam and overheard this. Milo was also going to meet John at the pier later that night. John confronted Jed about the embezzlement on the pier but still offered to settle it privately if Jed paid back the money he’d embezzled. Jed lost it when John added that he was firing him too. Jed punched John and John fell and hit his head. When Jed realized John had sustained a fatal injury, he panicked and dumped John’s body over the railing into the ocean. Sam witnessed this all from beneath the pier and told Jo. Milo showed up for his meeting with John. He must have thought something was shady when he didn’t see John but saw Jed leaving the pier.”
I shuddered. “So Sam saw my father murdered. How awful.”
Adrian grimaced. “It gets worse. Sam said Jed got drunk at your wedding and started to harass him, scaring Sam, who had kept your father’s phone with him as collateral in case Jed hurt his folks. Sam thinks Jed must have been watching him and saw him give Milo your father’s phone for safekeeping. Jed then lured Milo to the maze using Katie’s phone with a made-up problem about Iris. Milo had probably become suspicious when he got Katie’s text and hid your father’s phone in the maze on the way to the meeting. Anyway, when Jed demanded your father’s phone, Milo handed over his own phone. They argued and then Jed hit Milo with the rock he’d swiped from the Hidden Garden and then destroyed Milo’s phone with it too. Sam had followed Milo into the maze, saw everything, and ended up becoming a witness to a second murder.”
I was flabbergasted. “Oh my God, poor Sam!”
Ashley let out a whistle. “Holy cow! Poor Sam is right. But props for retrieving the phone.”
I nodded. “But how on earth did Jed get Katie to give him her phone?”
Adrian slapped the table. “Because Jed’s ex-wife was Katie’s sister, Julie. Katie called me earlier today and told me Jed told her he’d hurt her sister if Katie told the police about him borrowing her phone. That’s why she skipped town. She went to LA to talk to a lawyer and he advised her to contact us.”
“Wow. Looks like Jed had issues with all his former in-laws, not just us.”
Adrian nodded and turned to me. “Jed has also admitted that he made it seem like Milo took off and left you by planting Milo’s boutonniere back at his town house, knowing it would look like Milo might still be alive. He also knew he could divert any suspicion from himself by leaving that note on Katie’s door, implicating her as the author of both notes. Jed is just a bitter, bad seed and troublemaker, spreading his misery wherever he goes.”
Jake rearranged himself in his seat. “If I may, I have some other details from my own Sloan Mutual investigation that might be relevant, pieced together with some guesswork about what might have transpired. The altercation Tory heard in the maze the night of the firefighter fundraiser was Jed Barnes probably threatening his former stepmother, Jo, that he would report Sam as an arsonist if she dared to tell anyone about John’s and Milo’s murders, since he knew Sam had told Jo about them.
“When Tory went to Jo’s fortune-teller booth, Jo saw it as an opportunity to give Tory the clue about going to the Secret Maze, hoping Tory would find John’s phone there, not knowing Sam had already retrieved it.”
An idea flashed in my mind. “So I bet it was Jed who peeked through the booth curtains when she was reading my fortune.”
Jake nodded. “Probably. I’m sure he intimidated her by telling her he’d ruin her life and her son’s by telling the police that her precious biological son, Sam, whom Jed had coerced into being an accessory and witness to arson, was actually the mastermind responsible for starting all of the recent wildfires. Jo also knew John’s texts with Milo would let you know, Tory, that Milo was a good guy and was trying to help Sam, along with your father, out of the fix Jed had gotten him into with the arson, and exonerate Sam as being the main arsonist.”
“Wow!” My mind was officially blown. “That’s a lot to process. Do you really think that’s how it all went down?”
Adrian stood up. “I think it’s pretty close to accurate. I also have some more info on your uncle George. George saw his car in the breaking news stories on TV and hopped a bus out of town. We tracked him down. He’d rented his car to Jed. So, technically, he was telling the truth when he said it wasn’t him following you and Sam that day, but he omitted to tell you he knew who it was, Jed Barnes. George has been arrested as an accessory.”
I shook my head. “My own flesh and blood—once a weasel, always a weasel.”
• • •
Many hours later, Ashley and I snaked our way along the streets of Santa Sofia in my car to Mariposa Drive, a.k.a. home sweet home. Aptly, it was Halloween night, and the day had certainly been full of tricks and treats. Jake volunteered to make another pizza run, joined by Adrian. Iris and Otis greeted Ashley and me at the door exuberantly, whether it was because they were happy to see me or hungry, it didn’t matter, I was thrilled to cuddle with their warm little bodies again. I attended to their needs while Ashley uncorked a bottle of Fetzer Cabernet Sauvignon. She took out four of my favorite Crate and Barrel wineglasses and poured each of us a glass.
I took a long sip. “Ah. Do you think I should post an Instagram update about Milo? You know, like for closure?”
Adrian had told us Jed had confessed to all three murders, more or less. He claimed my father’s death had been an accident. Milo’s and Jo’s deaths he called “provoked” because he said both told him they were going to call the police about my father’s murder and, his words, “unfairly accuse him of murder.” He had told Adrian where he had buried Milo—not far from the Hotel Santa Sofia condo site. A team had driven out earlier this evening and confirmed what appeared to be human remains.
Ashley clinked her glass against mine. “Honey, if it makes you happy, do it.”
It only took me a few minutes to compose the short update. “How’s this?”
Instagram Post @ToryBenning: UPDATE: October 31. Milo Spinelli’s remains have been found. His murderer has been apprehended. At this time this is all the information that is being released. Please respect our family as we go through this grieving process. Thank you all for your posts, shares, and kind words.
A playful knock on the door roused Iris from her bed to bark a noisy welcome. Ashley opened the door for Jake and Adrian, who not only bore pizzas and salads but also carried freezer bags, a clue predicting ice cream for dessert was in my future.
I ran my Instagram update by Adrian and he said it sounded fine. As soon as I posted it, a weight was lifted, and I could breathe easy again, although my heart still ached. As a close relative of all the victims, closure didn’t bring back my loved ones, but knowing the motivations behind the actions that ended their lives and, more importantly, seeing justice prevail, offered me some solace.
We all encountered loss and change in our lives. They were part of life, but neither was ever easy. If we were lucky, we experienced love and hope in our lives too. Family and friends, new and old, helped us through painful times and transitions. I counted myself one of the fortunate ones. Despite profound loss, I had loving people who supported me as I navigated choppy waters. I had a wonderful job, whose mission was to promote nature and the therapeutic effects of exquisite flowers and plants. Benning Brothers would be saved from bankruptcy and a takeover, thanks to my father’s insurance policy payout. I had a condo project to landscape, along with other prospects. I had a feeling those plantings weren’t the only things that would grow and thrive in the future.
Tinkling sounds filled the air as Jake raised his wineglass to mine, Adrian pinged his glass with Ashley’s, and we all clinked our glasses together with poignant smiles, toasting the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.