Chapter Twenty-Nine
With a farewell tip of his briefcase, Harlan left Sarah sitting in the lobby. She shut her eyes and tried to focus on what he’d told her, rather than the sinking feeling in her stomach. None of this made sense. Emily was the good twin who won all the Girl Scout merit badges and shared everything with their mom—or at least she always had.
She took a deep breath and tried to think how Perry Mason might analyze what was happening. There was no question he’d have Paul Drake check the facts and then he’d pull back, think, and tie everything together. Maybe she could do the same thing.
When had things changed? Were there changes in Emily’s behavior that Sarah had ignored? Sarah opened her eyes. San Francisco. Since Emily came back from San Francisco, things had been different. Unlike during the period of Sarah’s divorce, she and Emily no longer finished each other’s sentences or, for that matter, knew instinctively what the other was thinking.
Even Emily’s eating habits had changed. In the past, the twins always narrowed restaurant menu choices to two they shared. Since San Francisco, Emily ordered her own dish, except for the few times Marcus was with them. Then, he and Emily shared. Sarah had thought Emily was playing up to her boss, but now she wondered if there was more to it than that. The problem with her hypothesis was his obvious chumminess and involvement with Jane. Was it real or not? If she couldn’t get Emily to talk to her, Sarah decided she would confront Marcus. Maybe he could shed some light on what had really happened in San Francisco.
In the meantime, Sarah was determined she wouldn’t leave the building without trying to see Emily. Every moment they delayed talking was a moment lost in finding the true murderer. It was unthinkable that the real killer was at large and no one cared. She shuddered at the thought of Emily being fingerprinted, photographed for a mug shot, and locked away in a cell.
Remembering how Harlan bluffed them into the interrogation room earlier in the week, Sarah decided old-fashioned bluster might be the answer again. The only thing was whether to start with the desk sergeant or go straight to Peter. She ran through different possible scenarios in her mind. Unfortunately, they all ended with the same conclusion Harlan had voiced: “Not now.”
The elevator across from where she sat chirped as its doors opened. Sarah didn’t pay attention to whether anyone she knew got on or off until she heard her name repeatedly called. It was Peter.
“Kismet. I was just thinking about you.”
“Oh?”
“I need to talk to Emily.”
He tilted his head away from her and ran his hand through his thick black hair. She waited. This was the body language she was beginning to associate with him just before he delivered bad news. Sarah wondered if he was conscious of it. She was certain of one thing, she had no plans to clue him in about his giveaway behavior.
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’m her sister.”
He fingered the stitching over his holstered gun. “Sarah, I know this is difficult for you, but Emily couldn’t have been any clearer.”
“Emily?” She craned her neck toward him and frowned. Harlan had told her it was Peter and the process preventing her from seeing Emily. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
He eased himself into the space on the bench vacated by Harlan. “I know how it must feel to you, but sometimes people who’ve done something bad can’t face their loved ones.”
Sarah slid a few inches away from him. She tried to focus on what he was saying, but none of it sounded logical. “Peter, I don’t care what Emily said. We’re sisters and I want to see her.”
“I’m sorry. She was emphatic that she doesn’t want to see or talk to you. Like I said, sometimes people feel guiltier for not living up to expectations than for the crime they’ve committed.”
Sarah rose. She faced him stiffly. “Peter, my sister isn’t guilty. I don’t know if she’s in shock or thinking she’s protecting me, but Emily didn’t kill anyone any more than I stole Mother Blair’s bracelet.”
Peter didn’t flinch from her gaze.
“You seem to take every accusation Jane makes as being truth. Maybe you should examine her veracity. What if, instead of being loyal to Bill, Jane moved on to Marcus? Perhaps they wanted Bill out of the way to have the restaurant and trust for themselves? Or, maybe Jane, for some unfathomable reason, is simply jealous of Emily and me?”
“That’s not what the evidence says.”
“Then it’s time you look for more evidence.” Sarah stalked out of the building.
He called after her, but she ignored him, hoping he hadn’t seen the tears obstructing her vision. She absolutely refused to give Peter the satisfaction of seeing her cry.
Sarah held herself erect until she reached the safety of her Honda’s front seat. As the windows fogged up, she rested her head on the steering wheel and let the tears flow until there were no more to cry. She pulled a tissue from a pack she kept in the console and wiped her eyes and nose. Although she turned on the ignition, she didn’t pull away.
Being shut out by Emily made no sense. True, lately they hadn’t been as close as in the past, but just as she knew Emily would always have her back, she firmly believed Emily instinctively shared the same knowledge. Emily’s excessive deference to Marcus and her failure to mention Bill’s involvement in the restaurant were totally out of character, but not so far as to make her a murderer. It reminded Sarah of when Emily tap-danced around the truth to keep their parents from finding out Sarah had done something bad. Perhaps that was the answer. For some misguided reason, maybe Emily thought she was protecting her.
But there was nothing Emily could be protecting her from this time. Her relationship or lack thereof with Bill since their divorce was out in the open. No, it couldn’t be her.
She ran through the cast of other characters. Obviously, it wasn’t Jane, but who could it be? Grace, Jacob, and Richard competed against Emily for the sous chef position but only Richard seemed angry when Emily was promoted. The other two hadn’t displayed any negative reaction to the announcement. In fact, both Grace and Jacob helped Emily with everything that came up after she was named sous chef and the two came to Sarah’s aid after Emily’s arrest. Could they be hiding so much anger and disappointment at Emily’s selection to have sabotaged her?
And what of Marcus? In the last few days, he’d run the gamut of emotions. Completely in despair, far more than a seasoned chef should have been, when the refrigerator cord was cut and the prepared food ruined and then ferocious when he thought Grace and Emily were poisoned.
Was Emily risking her own future to protect someone who not only had sabotaged Southwind but might be a murderer?
Maybe, once she got back to his office, Harlan and she could brainstorm something from all of this. She pulled out of the parking lot. Emily’s stuff was at their mother’s house, but that was the last place she was going to go. She didn’t have time. Sarah turned toward her own apartment. She had enough extra toiletries at home to easily make a care package for Emily. Besides, she could take a few minutes to check on RahRah before heading to Harlan’s office.
Unlocking her door, Sarah smiled. RahRah lay stretched out in his sunny patch on the linoleum near the kitchen sink. He made a noise when she walked in but didn’t move.
“Hey, RahRah. Are you having a good day?” She laughed at the series of sounds her cat made. No matter how bad a day she was having, RahRah could always make her smile. She plopped down on the small rug next to him and petted his head. “Talking to me, huh? Was it too quiet for you while I was gone?”
Her finger caught in his red collar. She hadn’t noticed it had a small split in the leather. “You must have caught this on something the other night during your attic escapade.” She thought about changing it but decided playing with him was more fun than standing up and getting one of the many decorative collars Mother Blair had bought him.
Sarah grabbed a pink rubber mouse lying nearby. She squeezed it until it emitted a squeak. Once she caught RahRah’s attention with the toy, she held it up so he could swat at it. Moving it around, she laughed at the intensity of his play. “That’s better, isn’t it?”
After a few minutes of good playtime, she sighed and let him have the toy while she picked up his empty food bowl. She opened the cabinet she used as a pantry. To save time, she reached for the dry food container while keeping up a running conversation with the chattering cat. RahRah jumped up and stomped around the kitchen. “Don’t want this, huh? Rather have your other kind of food?”
She put the dry food back in its place in the cupboard and showed him a can of his wet food. Sarah guessed he preferred it because she could swear RahRah’s purr sounded content as he curled himself into a ball and sat on her feet. He didn’t budge as she reached for the manual can opener lying on the counter.
The can opener had belonged to her mother. It hadn’t worked well when she and Emily were kids and it was even less effective now, but she couldn’t bring herself to buy a replacement. With effort, she manipulated the opener until its lip caught the can’s edge and circled the top. She put the wet food in his dish.
Extricating herself from RahRah, who was now interested in his meal, she searched her bathroom drawers for sample-size soap, deodorant, and toothpaste and a toothbrush to take to Emily. Or, she thought, at least for Harlan to deliver to Emily.
The bag for the jail zipped, she checked if RahRah was finished. His food was barely touched. He looked at her and meowed. “I’m sorry, guy. I’d like to stay and play, but duty calls. Even if she won’t help us, Harlan and I need to find a way to get Emily out of this fine mess she’s gotten herself into.”