The Jane Does all sat in my parents’ family room. The timing had worked out because Mother and Gran were at their monthly Magnolia Ladies Society meeting. I had laid out a few reheated tapas. No one was particularly hungry, and most of the food went untouched except for the white-chocolate cookies Mel brought.
When she’d showed up, I’d squeezed her until she gave a squeak of protest. I knew she wasn’t being detained; I’d pestered the front desk hourly until I received word Mel had concluded her interview. But I worried she wouldn’t feel like attending our meeting after her ordeal. Not that I blamed her. The others began arriving before she could get into what had transpired at the police department.
Patsy, now on her third cookie, wiped the crumbs from her mouth. “I’m going to stop wearing gloss. Everything I eat sticks to my lips.” She glanced around. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt you, Melanie. I’m a stress eater. Please, continue.”
“It’s okay.” Mel finished giving everyone the lowdown on what the papers had left out. Everyone wanted to hear from her, since she’d just been taken in for questioning. Mel was handling it like a champ.
“Let me get this straight.” Val resituated herself on the sofa to my left. “Someone murdered our Carol and stuffed her in a suitcase, then left her on Lyla’s front stoop?”
Melanie and I both nodded.
Val’s deep-blue eyes were wide. “And you thought it wasn’t yours, Mel, but it is.”
“Yes.” Melanie chewed on her bottom lip. “Someone put a sticker over the luggage tag and wrote Carol’s name. And the bag had been pretty beat up, so I didn’t recognize it.”
“Okay.” Patsy said slowly. “How is that possible if your luggage was lost.”
Melanie lifted her shoulders. “I have no idea. The police said it was delivered the day before Lyla found it. But my alibi and security footage prove I wasn’t there when it was delivered.”
All eyes turned to me. “I have no idea how to explain the delivery discrepancy because I can positively say that it was not delivered to me until the day I found it.”
“It’s completely unfathomable.” Amelia kept shaking her head.
“We know.” Mel and I said in unison.
“Airlines make mistakes all the time,” I added.
“They do. But what about the delivery scan from the airline? Was there a note? A plane ticket? Any evidence to either where she was going or where she’d been? Or whom she’d been with?” Val shot rapid-fire questions in my direction.
“The scan is wrong. It has to be. And as to the note, not that I found.” I folded my legs underneath me.
“That makes no sense at all.” Val kept shaking her head as if trying to make her brain find a pattern. “None.” She focused on Mel. “And the police took you in for additional questioning because of the bag?”
“Surely they can’t truly believe you were responsible.” Amelia sounded deeply concerned.
“That and…” Mel rubbed her forehead. “Listen, y’all. I made a colossal mistake. I … I actually got in the day before I showed up to pick up my keys from Lyla. The day the say the suitcase was delivered.”
I held my breath as Melanie stared me straight in the face. “I feel like a total fool. I ran into Tim.”
“Tim as in—”
She nodded and blew out a breath. “As in the SOB who cheated on me. The man I divorced for ruining my life.” Mel hung her head. “He was coming down the terminal when I was beside myself in tears. I could blame it on lack of sleep, but I won’t. I went back to his place. I snuck out the next morning, reeking of alcohol. I couldn’t tell you.” She covered her flushed face with her hands. “I’m so embarrassed.”
I raced across the room and went to my knees in front of my friend, hugging her tight. “We all make mistakes.”
“I … I didn’t think. And then Carol was there and—”
I rubbed her back. “It’s okay. I’m sure now that the police know where you were, it’ll be fine.”
She nodded, sat up, and wiped her face. “They said they’d talk to Tim to corroborate my account.”
Amelia handed her a tissue from the box on the end table beside her. “Sure, honey. What you did wasn’t a crime.”
Nods went around in unison.
“Thanks, y’all.”
A thought occurred to me as I retook my seat. “Val, did Carol mention anything to you about an inheritance?”
Val stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed as she faced me. “Yes. It slipped my mind with everything. Um, a distant grandparent, I think, passed away. I think it was quite a lot.”
“She had bought a car without her husband’s knowledge. I mean, surely she knew he’d find out.”
Val nodded. “Maybe the money was how she planned on starting over somewhere, and she just didn’t care.”
“That’s what I was thinking too. It explains why her car was found at the airport parking lot.” I let out a long sigh. “The rest of it doesn’t make any sense, though.”
“When has any murder made logical sense?” Amelia crossed her legs and shifted in her seat.
“I suppose that’s the cruel genius of such a crime. Until the police figure out the subtle clues, we’ll never have answers.” Val rubbed her forehead.
“Someone must’ve left clues,” Melanie said from Dad’s favorite leather Crate and Barrel armchair by the fireplace; she wrapped her arms around herself. “Ergo, they wanted recognition. The suitcase could be a clue.”
Patsy took a sip of coffee. “It’s too awful to be real. Never in a million years would I believe this could happen here. Sweet Mountain has the lowest crime rate in the state! It’s why I never moved away and wanted to raise my family here.”
Amelia’s dark gaze grew fierce, and she dropped the cookie she held into her napkin. “The police better be doing their jobs. I have every intention to force their hand, if necessary. My brother said they should have a profiler on staff. It’s standard in weird cases like these. This case isn’t a hit-and-run or another form of manslaughter. Time is precious. Heaven help us if we have a serial killer among us.” She turned toward me. “I know it’s terrifying, but we need to know why they chose your house. Out of all the places they could have left her, why your place?”
I held my hands out. “I wish I knew. The only thing I can presume is they believe I’m the only witness—” Chills ran up my spine. “What if the killer was watching me when I brought the suitcase inside?”
Mel and I shared a frightful glance as Mel said, “At least we know the police are being thorough. I hate the humiliation I endured today, but for Carol, I’d do it again.”
“Can we please just stop! Please.” Patsy’s bottom lip quivered.
We all settled into silence for a few long moments. The crackles in the fireplace seemed to increase in volume over Patsy’s sniffles. The flicker of the firelight danced on the sandstone-colored Persian rug. The warmth coming from the fire did nothing to break the chill in the room. Losing our fellow Jane Doe member the way we had left not only Melanie and me but also the others with a sense of instability. My guests starred at the flames—the spirit of foreboding palpable in the room. You never realize how fragile life is until your perfect little safety bubble is pierced.
“I can’t believe she’s gone. I kept picking up the phone today to call her, and had to stop myself.” Val looked at her hands clasped in her lap. “She’s always been there. Always. From the day I started middle school here. I could always count on Carol. Why her?” She swiped a hand across her cheek.
I reached out and took her hand. “I know you loved her.” My throat felt thick as I swallowed.
“The police are still investigating. It’s early.” Patsy’s voice quivered. “I’m not skeptical about the prowess of our police department like Amelia is. No offense, Amelia, but you haven’t been here long enough to understand that although our law enforcement may move at a different pace or operate differently from what you’re accustomed to, they’ve kept our town safe all these years. They’ll restore order. I’m sure of it.”
“I didn’t mean to offend. I just care,” Amelia said softly.
“We all know where your heart is. And you have every right to voice both your opinions and concerns and expect to be heard. That’s the reason we’re all here.” I smiled at my friend.
“I didn’t mean to be hateful, Amelia. Lyla’s right. It’s why we’re here. I never dreamed of such a thing or believed we’d be discussing this. I knew Carol died, but not about the suitcase. God.” Patsy’s brown eyes were full of water as she pulled her blue cardigan tighter around herself. Her tight black curls bounced around her head as she shook it.
Amelia wrapped her arm around Patsy’s shoulders. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m angry because I spent maybe ten minutes with the officer when he came to my house. He didn’t seem all that interested in what I had to say once I couldn’t give him dates, times, and whereabouts. I debated heavily about telling him how the judge treated her at dinner.”
“Did you?” Melanie leaned forward.
Amelia nodded. “I felt I had to in the interest of full disclosure. I wouldn’t want anything to hinder the investigation. What about the man you saw her with, Lyla? Do the police know who he is or if he had anything to do with any of this?” She sounded pleased to get back on topic. Amelia was like me in that she despised unsolved cases.
“Not that they told me.”
“What about Quinn? Has he spoken with you?” Val crossed her legs as I shook my head. “That surprises me. I can’t believe he hasn’t sat down with you. If for nothing but to check on how you’re dealing with all of this.”
“Well, he hasn’t.”
“Hmm. Lyla and our chief of police go way back.” Val explained to Amelia.
“It sounds like everyone in this town goes way back.” Amelia folded her arms.
“He has more important things he’s working on, Val. He’s an excellent chief of police. Our town is lucky he replaced that old windbag Marshall when he did. We can trust him to do his job.” Patsy pulled a pillow into her lap and hugged it.
“I’m sure Patsy is right. Calvin believes the police can handle this case.” I folded my arms.
Amelia looked skeptical but didn’t comment.
“Well, I’ll have a word with Quinn tomorrow. I’m going down to the station in the morning,” Val announced. “Since I was in the vicinity, I’m required to make a statement. Y’all can’t even begin to understand how horrible I feel. I could’ve talked some sense into Carol or done something to prevent this if I’d gotten to her earlier. Carol needed me, and I just went about my life. If only I’d been in touch with her a few days ago, who knows how differently this could have turned out?”
I reached out and squeezed her hand.
“Kevin’s torn up too,” Val whispered huskily.
“Why is Kevin so torn up?” Amelia wanted to know.
“He’s Carol’s stepbrother—or was when his dad was married to her mom. They grew up together.” Explaining the connection to Amelia gave me a horrible sinking feeling in my stomach, and I felt bad I hadn’t offered my condolences to him.
“Ellen’s a wreck about it too, and not just for Kev.” Val shifted on the sofa.
“Sure she is,” Melanie grumbled.
Val dropped my hand, and her tone grew stronger. “I’ve known Ellen as long as I have the rest of you. Except for Amelia, that is. And just because you and Lyla don’t get along with her doesn’t mean she and I can’t be friends, Melanie.”
I waved my hand. “Of course not. It’s fine. At this point, I couldn’t care less about Ellen and Kevin.”
“Under the circumstances, it would be puerile if you did.”
I agreed with Val.
“Ellen told me this morning she and Kevin are going to the police department around the same time as me.”
The silence stretched out another long minute.
Amelia leaned forward. “Has anyone else wondered if this has something to do with the dumping grounds?”
“Let’s be careful.” Val sat up straighter. “If we’re wrong, and what happened to Carol hasn’t anything to do with that, it might stall the investigation by forcing the limited resources this tiny town has down a wild goose chase.”
Melanie sat forward. “We won’t make a fuss until we have something solid. Carol began digging into the deaths of I-85, and now she’s gone. What if she found out something? What if they killed her for discovering the identity of the Jane she mentioned to Amelia? Lyla has access to resources. She’ll be able to help, right, Lyla?”
Amelia nodded eagerly. “That could be good.”
I sat forward and nodded. “Yeah. As long as I don’t interfere with the investigation, I could do some digging. That e-mail is the last any of us heard from her. Clearly, she was struggling with what she found, to the point she reached out for help.” My gaze panned the room. “This is personal,” I swallowed, “not just because she was our friend and some abhorrent creature took her from us but also because whoever is responsible had the audacity to deliver our precious friend to my front stoop.”
“And in my bag.”
“Right, and they somehow managed to get their hands on Mel’s suitcase. They must’ve known hers was missing and that Melanie was on vacation. I can’t explain how they got their hands on it or why’d they be attempting to frame her, but I plan on finding out. I propose we use our club meetings to discuss my findings and see what we can do to help with the investigation.”
Mel and Amelia both nodded eagerly.
Patsy appeared apprehensive. “I don’t know.”
Val sighed. “I understand the need to do something. I do. But do you honestly believe the two cases are linked? Carol’s murder and her Jane Doe?”
I lifted my shoulders. “It’s possible. We won’t know until we follow the trail and see where it leads us. I get Val’s concerns. On the surface, it just doesn’t jive. In the Jane Doe cases, all the victims were found dumped on backroads off I-85. And a lot of them have been there for several years, most a decade or more. Carol’s identity isn’t in question. No one dumped her up I-85, and she was found dead”—I motioned to myself—“in my house.”
“Right,” Val nodded. “It looks bad and will look even worse if you or Melanie are caught poking around.”
“What are you saying? That Lyla or I had something to do with Carol’s murder?” Melanie sounded aghast.
“She just said it looks bad, Mel.” I shook my head. “And it does.”
Val looked down and scratched her forehead. “I’m not accusing you or Lyla of anything. I’m simply stressing caution. And for us to stay out of the realm of fantasy. This isn’t a novel, and Carol isn’t just any victim.”
Amelia looked abashed. She kept shaking her head in small movements as she stared at the fireplace.
“I agree with Val.” Patsy rose and checked her watch as she shifted from foot to foot. “Let’s let the police handle it. Trust them to keep us safe like we have all these years.”
“They didn’t keep Carol safe …” Amelia mumbled under her breath.
Patsy seemed to ignore her. “We all have enough to deal with, mourning our dear friend. And maybe this little group isn’t the right fit for me anymore. Now that I have kids, it just seems too morbid.”
“Patsy, don’t say that. You’re one of us.” Melanie slid to her feet and hugged Patsy.
Emotions were running high. Everyone was scared and hurt.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head and leaned against Mel’s shoulder. “I just don’t know anymore.” She gave Mel a pat and pulled out of the hug. “I need to get out of here. I have to get home to the kids anyway.” She started down the hall. “I’ll let myself out.”
I rose. “Patsy, wait.”
Val reached out and touched my arm. “Just let her go. She’s upset like the rest of us.”
Before I could even acknowledge Val’s words, the front door closed. “Maybe we should all call it a night.”
Amelia stood. Her conflicted expression troubled me.
“I appreciate y’all coming out here. We’ve all suffered a terrible tragedy. Our friend had a good heart and didn’t deserve what happened to her.”
Melanie sidled up next to me. “And we didn’t deserve to find her the way we did. Like Lyla said, whoever was responsible had to know I was on vacation and that my luggage went missing.” That caused silence to stretch throughout the room. “In most cases, victims know and trust their killers. I wonder if it’s someone we know.”
Val stared at Mel, squinting her eyes. “Are you saying one of us is guilty?” Val sounded appalled. “Please. Melanie, you posted a status about the airline losing your luggage on Facebook. Even if you’re right, who knows how many people saw it? There’s no way of tracking something like that.” Val sounded as exhausted as I felt.
“I wasn’t pointing the finger at anyone here.” Mel’s cheeks reddened. “I’ve had a long day and spent several hours at the police station. I was just talking through it like we do with our other cases.”
“For the second time, this isn’t one of our cases.” Val’s eyes welled up with tears. “This is Carol.”
Melanie tucked one of her curls behind her ear as if attempting to hide the blush in her cheeks. I squeezed her hand. We were all out of sorts.
Val sniffed. “I’m the one who lost my best friend here.”
Melanie stuttered over an apology.
I rushed to her aid. “Listen, let’s all step back and take some time. We’ll reconvene when we have more information. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” everyone said in unison.
“I’ll walk y’all out.”