Grace drove past Mac’s empty car near the back of the lot at the funeral home and parked a few spaces away. She pulled her sun visor down and studied her face.
So much for not making things awkward between us. We’re back to square one. Travelling separately. Doing things apart.
She ran her fingers through her long, dark hair in a combing motion before flipping the visor up and getting out. She zipped her jacket up and strode to the funeral home entrance as the strong wind sent her hair flying behind her.
So much for trying to look polished.
An employee held the door open for her. “Boyd?” she asked.
“Down the hall to your left, Ma’am,” the man said, and she nodded.
Her heels made no sound along the carpeted floor, and she fought to smooth her hair back to normal as Mac came into view, standing just inside the entrance of the visitation room in a suit with his hands folded in front of him and his eyes scanning the room.
He looks good. I guess he always looks good…but he cleans up even better.
“Hello,” she said, nodding to him as she stepped beside him. Under his eyes, slight shadows had formed.
Could you sleep last night, or did you lie awake thinking about our time in the dark room like I did? Running the scenario over in my head, trying to find a way I could have made it less awkward.
Small groups speaking in hushed tones were scattered all over the room, with both Mrs. Boyds on the floral sofa along the wall.
They must all have the same furniture.
Light beige carpets, wooden chairs and floral antique sofas. The last funeral she’d been to was for her own parents. Her biological parents. Although she didn’t remember much about them, the sight of the furniture sent the memories flooding back.
Distant family from her father’s side had flown in from Dublin, Ireland, and she remembered it was the first time hearing their funny accents. They were charming. They seemed kind.
But no one would have her as their own.
When she turned eighteen, she contacted her cousin—still in Ireland—and asked about her parents. Her father had moved to Canada for business, losing touch with most of his family, to whom he had never been close anyway. Her mother had lived on a native reserve, according to the cousin, and once she left to be with her father, her family disowned her. None of her mother’s family showed up to her funeral, and she wondered if they even knew she had died.
That they had a little granddaughter who was placed in foster care because there was no family to claim her.
I sat on a sofa like that while grown-ups knelt beside me telling me what a good little girl I was. Hugging me. But I couldn’t have been good enough, because none of them wanted me.
If they could see me now, would they change their minds?
“So,” Mac said. “Did you find anything in the financial reports?”
“All transactions were made in Tall Pines, Amherst, or for one weekend, Las Vegas. Nothing unusual purchased. Nowhere out of the ordinary visited.”
“The warrant went through early this morning for the Vegas casino tapes. I had them sent over, and I watched them. Cory was on the tape, but only once was he on an elevator with a woman. They gave each other a friendly smile, but they didn’t touch. They got off at different floors.”
“So Todd lied?”
Or it didn’t happen the way he remembered…
“I think we should get clarification from him now that we have the facts. Catch him in a lie. If we do, we can bring him in for obstructing justice. Really question him.”
You’d love to have some time to get a confession from him.
“Did you not go home last night?”
Mac cleared his throat and gestured toward the other entryway. Todd walked shoulder to shoulder with Jack Holden, followed by Kurt and Doreen. They walked straight toward the couch, and Marie stood, reaching out for Doreen.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, her voice carrying through the room as it broke into a cry.
Everyone turned, and a few hushed whispers followed, but Grace kept her eyes on Todd. At his turn to hug Marie, he wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head against his chest as he pulled her in tightly. He whispered something to her before handing her a tissue. She took it, smiling up at him through the tears, and dabbed at her eyes.
Mac began to walk in their direction, and Grace followed.
Is he going to question Todd now?
“Hold on,” she whispered. “Now?”
Mac didn’t stop or turn back. As Todd stepped to the side and Jack took his turn hugging Marie, Mac leaned in toward Todd. “May we have a word outside before the service?” he asked.
Todd glanced at Mac before turning to Grace. “This is hardly the place or time,” he said.
“We can escort you outside,” Mac muttered, just loud enough for her to hear, “if you prefer a scene.”
Todd looked around the room before turning around, walking out the door. They followed until he stopped just before the rear exit.
“You have no right—“
“I’ll let you know what your rights are,” Mac said, an edge to his voice that echoed through the hallway. “It’s not your right to lie to the police about an investigation.”
He frowned and shook his head.
“Cory and the elevator?” Mac said. “I saw the tapes. Didn’t happen.”
Whoa. So much for questioning him and giving him enough rope to hang himself with.
“Yes, it did,” Todd said. “I saw it with my own eyes. They were flirting. Started making out. Got in the elevator and then—well—I don’t need to tell you the rest.”
“I saw with my own two eyes. They weren’t even close to each other on that elevator, and they got out on different floors.”
“Well, I think they stopped before getting on the elevator—“
Not what he said before.
“Stop bullshitting me, Todd,” Mac sneered. “I’m not buying it.”
This won’t get us anywhere.
She stepped forward, turning toward Todd. “You made it seem like they were showing physical affection on the elevator. Could you have remembered it wrong? Might you have been drinking at the time?”
“Well, I was drinking, but I know they made out.”
“You have proof?” Mac asked.
Todd shook his head. “I wasn’t going to whip out my phone and take a picture, although in hindsight, I should have. If I had, I would have shown it to you, and Marie, and everyone else. I don’t regret telling her. Even if they got off on separate floors. Even if they didn’t sleep together—he cheated on her.”
His face is turning red. He’s angry, either that he’s been cornered, or that Marie was betrayed. Maybe both.
“So you say,” Mac said, shaking his head.
“I’m going back in there,” Todd said, “and don’t—“
Mac held out his arm against the wall, blocking his way.
“Cory might have seemed like a good guy to some people, but I always saw through him,” Todd said, turning to Grace. “Marie deserved better. Even if it could never be me, she deserved to know, and I wasn’t going to lie to her like everyone else…”
His voice trailed off.
“What do you mean?” Grace asked.
“Everyone saw how much Cory was spending, when the only thing Marie wanted was a child. He spent money on booze, cars, a business of his dreams. Sure, he bought them a house, but what else does she have to show for it? Nobody questioned him. Nobody told her about the expensive nights out. She was home, alone. Waiting for her husband. Waiting for a child…” his voice trailed off again.
“You seem awfully invested in their business,” Mac said. “What would you do to be with Marie, Todd? Did you kill him to be with her, and now that your plan isn’t working—what? What now, Todd?”
“Mac—“ Grace said, but Todd interrupted her.
“Now,” Todd said, readjusting his tie, “I go in there and be a support to her in her time of need.” He moved to walk past Mac, and Mac held his hands up, letting him go.
Todd cocked his head—seemingly unable to believe Mac would let him go. He walked past them and turned over his shoulder before entering the visitation room.
“Okay, whatever’s going on between us, you should have asked me before talking to him. We could have discussed it—“
“Back to this again?” Mac asked. “You just hate not having control.” He started walking back down the hallway, and she joined him.
“Let’s leave the personal stuff out of this and work this case together, alright?”
He rubbed his hand back and forth across the back of his neck and turned to her.
“Fine,” he muttered. “I don’t regret that, though. His motive is the strongest. It’s all pointing to him, Grace. He was outside alone when it happened. He wants Marie to himself and is willing to lie to make it happen. He’s being uncooperative with us.”
Grace shot Mac a look, and he rubbed his hand over his stubbly chin.
I agree with it all, but he’s not keeping an open mind about this. He reminds me of Madigan, following more of a gut instinct than just the facts.
“Those are the facts, yes, but you’re not exactly being the kind of person someone would open up to,” she said.
He pursed his lips and nodded. “You’re right. Once we gather some more evidence, you should be the one to question him.”
She sighed and leaned against the wall. “We can’t just zero in on Todd. We have other suspects.”
“I intend on moving forward with an open mind.” He strode back into the room, leaving her in the hallway.