Belinda entered a full minute behind Ryan and wasted a dagger stare on Steve. Heather concluded that the soothing waters of the pool’s fountain had done nothing to decrease the vitriol within the self-appointed matriarch of family, city and county.
“This is nothing less than kidnapping. If it takes every penny I own, I’ll make sure you two pay for what you’ve done.” She turned to face the sheriff. “I demand you arrest these two.”
“Belinda.” He let her name hang in the air. “For once in your life, sit down and shut up.”
Her mouth gaped open, but it wasn’t long before words spewed forth. “Include yourself in the lawsuit.”
Steve spoke before she could continue. “The interesting thing about motive is that it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but the person committing the crime. This crime wasn’t particularly difficult to solve once we focused on motive.”
Heather covered a smile with her hand. It was Steve Smiley at his best. He took a volatile person and hit her with what appeared to be something out of left field. Next, he’d bend it back with facts until he glued together the entire case.
Steve went on. “Let’s consider Clovis Mattherson. He killed his wife and the man he thought was her lover. There’s no historical evidence they were anything but neighbors. Then there’s the murder of Rodney Wells. We have a good idea of the why and who murdered him. A special word of thanks goes out to Barbara, who provided information about her mother and father.”
Barbara sat straight and spoke in a clear voice. “My father was another entitled Mattherson man. He wanted a woman already spoken for and the family paid someone to shed innocent blood to get her.”
Steve nodded in agreement. “Skip ahead a few generations, and we have the same family and another seemingly senseless murder. If you haven’t figured out the common thread to each of these murders, let me help you. Every third or fourth generation, there’s a Mattherson who believes this town and county are their personal possession. The problem today is we have four people named Mattherson, and they’re all pointing at each other.”
“Who’s the fourth?” asked Barbara, the true matriarch of the family.
“That would be Brian,” said Steve. “He was the first to be blamed, and with good reason. We allowed you to believe they released him from jail because he’s innocent. That remains to be seen.”
“I don’t understand,” said Barbara.
Heather spoke up. “I posted bond for him so there wouldn’t be anyone from the Mattherson family missing tonight.”
Steve faced Belinda. “I believe you left Brian in jail because you’re willing to sacrifice him.”
“I don’t care what you think.”
Brian spoke up. “That’s the same conclusion I came to. She could have posted bond for my release, but she didn’t. The chosen child is Ryan. I’m expendable.”
“Speaking of Ryan,” said Steve as he faced Belinda. “You’ll be interested in learning what he and your husband had to say while you were by the pool. I’ll start with Ryan. His intentions after college are to move to a major metropolitan area, work for a big law firm and live the high life. How does that fit into your well-constructed plans?”
Belinda responded with a snort. “You’re lying. Ryan knows his place and what’s expected of him.”
Barbara pointed an arthritic finger. “Open your eyes, daughter. There’s not enough action in this town to satisfy Ryan. He’ll be sowing wild oats until he burns out or comes to his senses, and it won’t be here. The only question is, which will come first?”
Belinda used her most mocking tone. “So says the crazy cat lady.”
Heather spoke up. “I’d be glad to furnish you the video recording of Ryan when I interviewed him for a summer intern position. Steve’s telling the truth. Ryan has no intention of moving back to Mattherson.”
Ryan shrugged. “Sorry Mom. I can’t think of anything worse than living here again.”
Instead of getting upset, Belinda dismissed her son’s words. “You’re the next true Mattherson. You’ll come around by the time you’re ready to practice law.”
Steve’s next question caused Belinda to blink before she answered. “What did you think about Amanda Palmer?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s common knowledge that Amanda was the smartest person Mattherson ever produced.”
“That’s not true.”
Undeterred, Steve continued on. “What I find interesting is that Amanda played the stock market with her father when most girls her age couldn’t spell Wall Street. You saw the Palmer’s wealth rise at an alarming rate.” Steve turned his head. “Isn’t that right, Craig?”
“She processed information with a speed that left my head spinning. It was like living with a super-computer. She’d tell me what to buy and when to sell. It was nothing more than a child’s game to her.”
Steve verbally hammered Belinda again. “You still own a significant amount of land, but your grip on the city and county is slipping. You couldn’t allow this county to grow and prosper. That’s why you blocked Heather’s attempt to buy land for a new high-speed rail line. It meant change.
“Motive and history,” said Steve with emphasis, as he took a step toward Belinda. “If you remember, I said this case was stronger on motive than most cases. It also has a lot to do with history and control. You read the tea leaves. It wouldn’t be long before Amanda Palmer helped her father make so much money he could transform this county into something new and exciting. Something that didn’t have the Mattherson brand on it.”
“The lake project is only the beginning,” said Craig.
Steve modulated his voice down to a more conversational level. “Belinda, there’s something that came up in our talk with your husband. He said he traded vehicles with you on the day he went to Houston to play golf and meet with your two sons. Is that correct?”
“That’s a lie. Leon failed to follow my instructions and didn’t wash my vehicle. We went in Johnny’s because it was clean and had a full tank of gas.”
“So you and Johnny went to Houston in his SUV. Did he bring his golf clubs?”
“He goes nowhere without them, but he didn’t play.”
“What time did you leave town?”
“It was early afternoon.”
Steve ran his hand through his hair. “I’ve only seen Johnny wearing clothes suitable for a day on the links. Didn’t he look a little dressed down with Ryan in a nice suit?”
Belinda issued another of her haughty snorts. “I told him to make himself presentable with a coat and tie.”
“What did you do while he met with your two sons?”
“I went shopping and then had dinner.”
“Alone?”
“Johnny said he wanted to spend time with the boys. You know. It was that male bonding thing.”
“Did you call Amanda and make arrangements to meet her?”
“Absolutely not.”
Heather stepped forward and cast her gaze over the gathering. “Let’s vote again. Was that last statement the truth or a lie?”
The word lie rang out with no dissension.
Belinda recoiled. “What kind of trick are you trying to pull?”
“No trick,” said Steve. “These citizens of Mattherson voted and found you to be a liar.” He pointed to her eldest son, but Steve meant it for her. “We didn’t single you out as a liar. They thought the same thing about Ryan.”
Steve took a step to his left. “Let’s see if you can be more truthful from here on out. Johnny tried to cover for you by not mentioning you went to Houston with him. By your own admission, you were with your husband on the night Amanda died. Who drove?”
“He always drives when we go someplace together. That’s the way my parents raised me.”
Heather issued a mostly inaudible, “Gotcha.”
Steve made no outward sign that Belinda had all but sealed her fate and kept talking. “Johnny had a hard time explaining the fact that we know his SUV was on the campus of Rice University that night. Were you with him?”
She hesitated a second too long. “Of course not. Why would I be on that campus?”
“She’s lying again,” said Johnny.
“I told you to stay quiet.” Belinda’s words came out like a rifle shot. “I can handle this blind nobody and ten more like him.”
Steve ignored the insult and shifted his attention to Johnny. “Are you sure Belinda was with you in the north parking lot at Rice University?”
“Don’t you dare say another word,” said Belinda. She rocked back and forth.
As Johnny stood and put distance between him and his wife, he said, “It’s too late. He knows everything. They have video of my Caddy on campus. Your DNA is in the back seat. They didn’t know I wore a coat and tie before you told them. You made sure the tie I put on was one of Brian’s. That means you tried to set up both me and Brian.”
Steve interrupted. “The tie. That was the one clue too many that I mentioned earlier.”
Belinda blinked even more and continued rocking.
Johnny shifted his gaze to Steve. “She said we were going to the campus to talk to Amanda. That’s all, talk. She had me text her to meet on the street outside her housing unit. She didn’t want us to double park, so we agreed to meet her in the north parking lot. Belinda told me the tie made me look old and stuffy, so I took off the jacket and tie and put them in the back seat. When Amanda came to the car, Belinda got in the back seat and Amanda sat in front. Belinda tried to bully her into not seeing Brian. She laughed at Belinda and called her a pitiful old woman. Belinda couldn’t take it when Amanda laughed at her.”
Belinda’s hands covered her ears. She shut her eyes and continued to rock.
Craig Palmer sprung to his feet. “Why didn’t you stop her? You had to know she’s the crazy one in the family?”
Johnny had no answer.
The sheriff put a hand up to stop Craig from advancing any further. “Go home, but come see me tomorrow. I’ll need a formal statement. Write it tonight. It will help if you get it out and onto paper.”
The sound of Craig slamming the front door echoed through the cavernous house as Heather brought Steve to stand before the sheriff.
The sheriff motioned to his three deputies to come forward. He pointed at Johnny. “Take Mr. Mattherson to jail. Call an ambulance for Mrs. Mattherson.”
Sara Jane came over and draped an arm around her neighbor. “Let’s take her to the poolroom. There’s a nice couch she can lay on.”
Belinda rocked back and forth as she allowed Sara Jane to lead her.
When Johnny and Belinda were out of sight, Steve spoke again. “Sheriff, I have a favor to ask.”
“Ask away.”
“I’d like to have a few minutes with several of these people with no law enforcement. There’s one bit of unfinished business we need to address.”
“Are we talking about more people going to jail?”
Heather answered. “It should be a civil matter if we play our cards right.”
Heather took care of asking the three members of the Wells family to stay. They exchanged furtive glances, but each nodded. Next, she went to the opposite couch and made the same request. Ryan objected until his grandmother told him his final year of law school depended on him sitting and listening a while longer. Otherwise, the room cleared as Leo and Captain Price went to their rooms after Steve promised them the meeting wouldn’t last long and he and Heather would meet them at the Dairy Queen for a late supper.
With the door shut, Steve began. “I hate to leave a case with a loose end dangling in the air. I have one question for Traci. Depending on her answer, I may ask one more and then Heather will take over.”
Traci righted herself on the couch as Steve took in a deep breath. “Is the child you’re carrying the result of a consensual relationship?”
Her head dipped. “No.”
“I didn’t think so. Is it your intention to file criminal charges on the man?”
“No.”
Steve took a seat as Heather assumed his spot in front of the fireplace and looked at Traci. “You have multiple options. The first is to do nothing. This may sound like a good course to take, but there’s no guarantee the child’s father won’t come back at a later date and claim paternity. That usually results in custody and child support issues.”
Traci set her jaw. “Can’t I get him to sign away his rights?”
Heather nodded. “That’s possible, but in situations like this, most men want to be relieved of the burden of supporting the child in trade for making no claim to the child.”
Barbara tried to speak, but had to clear her throat. “I believe I have a solution. What if the man, or a relative, or even a friend of the man established a trust for the child that was acceptable to the woman? That way, the financial burden of raising the child would be eased and the cad who’s responsible could live the life he thinks he wants.”
Traci said, “Two conditions. The amount would need to be generous, but not extravagant. Next, I don’t want my child to have anything to do with him. Ever.”
Heather gave a word of caution. “He’d have to agree in writing.”
Everyone but Steve focused on Ryan. Barbara spoke in a stern voice as she glared at her eldest grandson. “This is when you say, ‘I’ll agree to whatever is reasonable.’”
Ryan nodded. “I agree… and I apologize.”
Barbara stared at her grandson. “Don’t think this is a free ride. You’ll budget for repayment into the trust with your first paycheck after you pass the bar and get a job.”
“One more thing,” said Steve. “The telescope in Ryan’s room has to go.”