I was hoping you could answer.”
“What’s that, ma’am?” Detective Lambert asked.
“Why on earth would Julie Parish want to give Gary Willis seven hundred thousand dollars of her husband’s lottery winnings?”
Detective Lambert choked a little on his coffee. Allie saw his eyes swing briefly to his sergeant’s. “I’m sorry,” he said. “What?”
Allie could tell he was surprised and maybe even a little impressed that Bitty had unearthed the information.
“Now how did you find out about that when we just found out ourselves not an hour ago?” he asked.
Bitty smiled. She sat a little straighter in her chair. “I know people.”
“People, huh?” He narrowed his eyes, but his lips turned up in a smile.
Sergeant Davis was scribbling in his notebook again.
“I hear the manager at Southside Bank in Riverside was pretty shocked when Gary Willis wanted to open a new account with that kind of money,” Bitty continued. “And that branch is, what, about fifty miles from town. Doesn’t seem like the most convenient place to bank, now does it?”
“Pretty impressive,” Sergeant Davis said with a smile, leaning back in his chair.
Bitty shrugged. “It’s a small town. Murder is exciting. People are just about busting at the seams, wanting to share what they know about the Parishes. About Gary Willis. To share their theories about these murders,” she said. “And I’m not the law, so I don’t pose a threat. I’m just a nosy little old lady.”
Detective Lambert nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Not saying you’re not good at what you do, because I know you are. But an extra pair of ears couldn’t hurt, could it?”
“It sure couldn’t.” Detective Lambert traded another look with Sergeant Davis. “Looks like we have another CI on our team. And a damn good one, I’d say.”
“Can’t beat a good CI,” Sergeant Davis said, a glimmer in his eyes.
“I just want the girls to get justice as soon as possible. To stop having to look over their shoulders and get some closure,” Bitty said.
Detective Lambert nodded. “I want that, too.”
“So do you know why she gave that money to Gary Willis, Detective?” Bitty asked.
Allie knew the question had been bugging Bitty. It had been bugging her, too.
“We have a few theories,” said Detective Lambert.
CHAPTER 15
LATER THAT NIGHT, Allie felt the air move. Someone had just walked into the bedroom. A chill crept up her back and crawled across the tops of her arms.
She reached to make sure Sammy was in the bed.
He was.
Her pulse spiking, she quietly rolled over to the side of the bed and ran her hand between the mattress and box spring, her fingers searching for the knife she kept for emergencies.
“Allie?” a soft voice called.
Allie exhaled sharply and sat up. It was just Zoe.
“Yeah?” Allie said, her heart still pounding.
“I’m scared. Can I sleep with you?”
Allie remembered the girl’s episode after the funeral. The anguish in her eyes. How she had refused to talk about it or come out of her room for the rest of the day. “Uh, yeah. Sure. C’mon.”
She scooted a sleeping Sammy to the side, then slid next to him, leaving Zoe almost half of the bed. Johnny’s half when he slept over.
Correction: when he used to sleep over.
Zoe crawled into bed and turned on her side, her back facing Allie. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Can I get you anything?” Allie asked.
“No. Thank you,” Zoe said, and Allie could hear tears in her voice.
Allie stayed awake awhile, listening to the branches outside tap at the bedroom window, and thought about the girls. She wondered about the circumstances around their little brother’s death. And if his death had driven a massive stake through their hearts like her brother’s had. She let her mind wander for a little while, then yanked her thoughts to the present, back to the gloomy darkness of her bedroom.
Finally she closed her eyes and drifted away.
Carrie wondered where her
“What’s that, ma’am?” Detective Lambert asked.
“Why on earth would Julie Parish want to give Gary Willis seven hundred thousand dollars of her husband’s lottery winnings?”
Detective Lambert choked a little on his coffee. Allie saw his eyes swing briefly to his sergeant’s. “I’m sorry,” he said. “What?”
Allie could tell he was surprised and maybe even a little impressed that Bitty had unearthed the information.
“Now how did you find out about that when we just found out ourselves not an hour ago?” he asked.
Bitty smiled. She sat a little straighter in her chair. “I know people.”
“People, huh?” He narrowed his eyes, but his lips turned up in a smile.
Sergeant Davis was scribbling in his notebook again.
“I hear the manager at Southside Bank in Riverside was pretty shocked when Gary Willis wanted to open a new account with that kind of money,” Bitty continued. “And that branch is, what, about fifty miles from town. Doesn’t seem like the most convenient place to bank, now does it?”
“Pretty impressive,” Sergeant Davis said with a smile, leaning back in his chair.
Bitty shrugged. “It’s a small town. Murder is exciting. People are just about busting at the seams, wanting to share what they know about the Parishes. About Gary Willis. To share their theories about these murders,” she said. “And I’m not the law, so I don’t pose a threat. I’m just a nosy little old lady.”
Detective Lambert nodded. “Makes sense.”
“Not saying you’re not good at what you do, because I know you are. But an extra pair of ears couldn’t hurt, could it?”
“It sure couldn’t.” Detective Lambert traded another look with Sergeant Davis. “Looks like we have another CI on our team. And a damn good one, I’d say.”
“Can’t beat a good CI,” Sergeant Davis said, a glimmer in his eyes.
“I just want the girls to get justice as soon as possible. To stop having to look over their shoulders and get some closure,” Bitty said.
Detective Lambert nodded. “I want that, too.”
“So do you know why she gave that money to Gary Willis, Detective?” Bitty asked.
Allie knew the question had been bugging Bitty. It had been bugging her, too.
“We have a few theories,” said Detective Lambert.
CHAPTER 15
LATER THAT NIGHT, Allie felt the air move. Someone had just walked into the bedroom. A chill crept up her back and crawled across the tops of her arms.
She reached to make sure Sammy was in the bed.
He was.
Her pulse spiking, she quietly rolled over to the side of the bed and ran her hand between the mattress and box spring, her fingers searching for the knife she kept for emergencies.
“Allie?” a soft voice called.
Allie exhaled sharply and sat up. It was just Zoe.
“Yeah?” Allie said, her heart still pounding.
“I’m scared. Can I sleep with you?”
Allie remembered the girl’s episode after the funeral. The anguish in her eyes. How she had refused to talk about it or come out of her room for the rest of the day. “Uh, yeah. Sure. C’mon.”
She scooted a sleeping Sammy to the side, then slid next to him, leaving Zoe almost half of the bed. Johnny’s half when he slept over.
Correction: when he used to sleep over.
Zoe crawled into bed and turned on her side, her back facing Allie. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Can I get you anything?” Allie asked.
“No. Thank you,” Zoe said, and Allie could hear tears in her voice.
Allie stayed awake awhile, listening to the branches outside tap at the bedroom window, and thought about the girls. She wondered about the circumstances around their little brother’s death. And if his death had driven a massive stake through their hearts like her brother’s had. She let her mind wander for a little while, then yanked her thoughts to the present, back to the gloomy darkness of her bedroom.
Finally she closed her eyes and drifted away.
Carrie wondered where her
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