After Lily returned home, Walt and Danielle decided to go shopping for cribs, as they had originally planned to do. Brian returned to the police station, and Heather returned to her house with Marie and Eva. Heather still did not feel comfortable staying at her home alone, not with a killer on the loose and Olivia Davis living next door.
“I never thought I would miss Pearl as a neighbor,” Heather told Eva and Marie. The three sat together in Heather’s living room, with Bella curled up on the sofa next to Heather and the two spirits sitting on nearby chairs. “Pearl could be a pain, but at least I never worried about her murdering me. Heck, I’d even take Kelly as a neighbor over this Davis woman.”
“I’m curious, Heather,” Eva began. “You say you saw Olivia an hour before you and Chris found the body. But she denies being in Frederickport at that time.”
“She’s obviously lying,” Heather said. “She claimed to be on a flight and showed the police some bogus flight information.”
“But what does she say about it?” Eva asked.
Heather frowned. “I told you, she claimed to be on a flight at the time of the murder.”
“Yes, I understand that. But what did she say about the fact you saw her with the murder victim an hour before you found the body? Didn’t you say you two looked each other in the face?”
“Yes. We stared at each other for a few moments, and then I got a phone call from Chris, and when I looked back over there, they were already walking up the street. That’s why I don’t want to be here alone. She knows I saw her and that she’s lying. If she killed Betty, she’d also have a motive to kill me. I’m the only witness who can place her here before the murder.”
Eva let out a sigh. “Yes, I understand that. But what did she say when you confronted her about it? When you reminded her of your encounter yesterday morning?”
“Confronted her? I don’t want to give her a reason to knock me off. Why would I confront her?”
“I understand what Eva is saying.” Marie spoke up. “In fact, I wondered about that myself. Aren’t you curious how she might respond?”
“You really think it would have been a smart idea for me to confront her about it when she showed up in my front courtyard this morning? Just the two of us? I didn’t know how she was going to react. And if I’d had Brian with me, all she would do is deny it. It would be her word against mine. Sure, the chief and Brian believe me, but what she showed them about being on that flight, there is no way for the chief to hold her. It’s her word against mine, and she has the paperwork to back up her claim. Perhaps she had nothing to do with the murder, but she was here. She is hiding something. And when the police get that security footage back, proving she was not on that flight, then my testimony will be useful.”
“Let’s find out what she’s hiding to help solve this murder,” Marie suggested.
Eva smiled. “You want Heather to go over and confront her?”
“We should all go over to her house,” Marie clarified. “You, me, and Heather.”
Heather frowned. “I don’t want to go over there. Why would I do that?”
“She won’t know you have… spiritual bodyguards. When we go over there, you ask her point-blank why she is lying about when she arrived in Frederickport. Tell her to drop the act, that you both know she was here. Either she will break down and tell you why she lied, or if she was involved in the murder, she’ll probably try to kill you too.” Marie flashed Heather a smile.
“Gee, that sounds like fun,” Heather grumbled.
“It sounds like a good idea,” Eva said.
Heather considered the suggestion a few moments before standing. “Fine, let’s get this over with. Hopefully, this will speed things up, and if she doesn’t kill me, maybe she’ll tell me why she lied, and hopefully whatever she’s hiding will help the police solve this murder.”
Ten minutes later, Heather stood on Olivia’s front porch, Eva and Marie by her side. When Olivia opened the door a few minutes later, she didn’t invite Heather in. Instead, she stood behind the door, as if reluctant to open it wider.
“Yes?” Olivia greeted her, still shielding herself with the door.
“Hi. Remember me, your neighbor? I was wondering if we could talk a minute?” Heather asked.
Olivia studied her for a moment and reluctantly opened the door wider. “Umm, you can come in. I’m afraid my furniture hasn’t arrived yet, so all I can offer in the way of seating is a folding chair.”
“That’s fine. I’m not staying long.” Heather walked into the house, followed by the two spirits. Or, as Heather liked to think of them in that moment, her two guardian angels.
After Olivia shut the front door, she motioned Heather to the living room. Silently, Heather followed her neighbor, and a moment later she took a seat on one folding chair, with Olivia on the other.
“What did you need?” Olivia asked.
“Why did you tell the police you arrived in Frederickport after I found Betty Kelty’s body?”
Olivia frowned at Heather. “What?”
Heather let out a sigh. “Yesterday morning, remember? It was early in the morning, and you stepped out your front gate with another woman. You turned, and we looked at each other. You stared right in my face. And then you and that other woman walked up the street together. That other woman was Betty Kelty, and she’s the one who was murdered.”
Olivia stared at Heather but did not respond immediately. Finally, she said, “I have no idea what in the world you’re talking about. I was on a flight at that time. You’re confused.”
“I am not confused!” Heather blurted. “We looked right at each other!”
“It must be someone who looks like me.”
“No. It was you. You wore that quilt jacket you have.”
Olivia continued to stare at Heather. Finally, in a calm, low voice, she said, “I’m sorry. You are mistaken. I was on a flight at the time when you say you saw me.”
“I already told the police everything,” Heather blurted.
Olivia cocked her head slightly and absently licked her lips while her gaze never left Heather. “And I told the police I was on that early morning flight during that same time. I’m sure they understand it is a case of mistaken identity on your part. You seem quite sincere in your claim you saw me early yesterday morning. But I can assure you, I was up in a plane, not in Frederickport. I’ve already given the police my flight information to verify where I was early yesterday morning.”
“The police have requested the security video from that flight, and when they get it, they’ll find you weren’t on it. So why are you lying about it? Did you have something to do with Betty’s murder?”
“You’re getting brave,” Marie said with a chuckle. “A bit like poking at a wild animal while knowing someone is there to subdue the animal if it attacks.”
“I imagine they told you that after you claimed to have seen me yesterday morning. But I never met Betty Kelty. I am very sorry for her tragic death. And frankly, I’m not thrilled that someone murdered a woman only a few houses from my new home. I’m sure it’s worse for you, considering you found the poor woman.”
“If you really had nothing to do with her death, why don’t you admit you were here with her and explain to the police why you’re lying? I’m not sure why you keep insisting you weren’t here yesterday morning. We both looked at each other. Do you have poor eyesight? When you looked at me, is it possible you didn’t see me?”
“I have perfect eyesight.”
Heather glared at Olivia. “Once they get that security footage and realize you didn’t get on that plane, you’re going to have to explain to the police why you lied. Because I will swear you were with Betty before she was murdered.”
“When the police get that footage and it’s confirmed that I did, in fact, board the plane as I claim, I do not expect an apology from you. Because I can tell you sincerely believe what you’re saying. You are most passionate in your belief, and if I were in your position and sincerely believed I saw someone with a murdered woman right before her death, and that person denied it, I too would be upset, as you are now.”
“I saw you,” Heather insisted.
Olivia smiled at Heather. “I understand you sincerely believe that.”
Heather frowned at Olivia. “Is that all you have to say?”
Olivia shrugged. “There is nothing else I can say. But perhaps we should simply agree to wait for that security footage, and after the police view it, you’ll realize I was telling the truth.”
Heather stood up. “Okay. And when it shows you weren’t on that plane, I wonder what your story will be then.”
Olivia flashed Heather another smile and stood. “I take it you’re going now?”
“I have nothing else to say.”
Marie looked at Eva. “One of us should stay here and watch what she does when Heather leaves.”
“You go with Heather,” Eva told Marie. “I’ll stay and see what she does.”
“Of course, she might try attacking Heather before we get to the door,” Marie quipped.
“She’s trying to gaslight me,” Heather told Marie after Olivia walked her to the front door, let her leave without attacking her, and closed the door after they went outside. Heather and Marie walked together toward the sidewalk.
“And she is doing an excellent job of it,” Marie said.
“Hell, if it weren’t for that darn quilt jacket of hers, which is supposedly a one of a kind, I’d be wondering if we should look for someone who looks like Olivia, not who is Olivia,” Heather grumbled as she walked down the sidewalk toward her house.
Thirty minutes later, Heather sat in her living room on a recliner while Marie sat on the sofa, the two discussing what had been said at Olivia’s house. Snowflakes began falling from the living room ceiling, and the two women stopped talking, looked up, and waited for Eva’s arrival.
“What did she do?” Marie asked Eva when she appeared in Heather’s living room. All traces of snowflakes vanished.
“Her demeanor changed the moment Heather walked out the door.” Eva took a seat on the sofa next to Marie.
“How so?” Heather asked.
“She didn’t look as calm as she had been when talking to you.”
“Did her expression change to something maniacal? Is she preparing to come over here and slaughter me in my sleep?” Heather asked.
Eva chuckled. “She looked troubled—disturbed. But not homicidal.”
“Shouldn’t you stay over there and see what she does next?” Heather asked.
“As I said, she looked troubled. After she closed the front door on you, she walked to her window, pulled back the blind and watched as you walked away. She returned to the living room and got into her suitcase.”
“Why did she go into her suitcase? She took something out, didn’t she? I bet it was a gun!” Heather gasped. “She is coming over here to shoot me!”
Eva smiled at Heather. “I don’t think she’s going to shoot you with a book.”
Heather frowned. “A book?”
“Yes, she took a book out of her suitcase and then went to that blow-up bed she has set up in her living room. She lay down and started to read. After watching her for a while, I decided to come over here.”