talk to her,” Josie said.
“It’s useless, Josie,” Ted said. “She won’t listen.”
“I can at least try,” Josie said.
“Then I won’t leave until you’re back in your car.”
Josie kissed Ted’s cheek, then turned toward Molly. The stalker ignored her. Molly
kept staring straight ahead. Josie was prepared to pound on Molly’s window, but it
was rolled down. No surprise on a warm October night.
“Molly Ann Deaver,” Josie said. “You can fool that horny old judge, but you can’t
fool me. You aren’t engaged to Ted and you know it. He’s marrying me.”
Silence. Molly didn’t move.
“I said, do you understand Ted’s marrying me? Are you going to leave him alone?”
More silence. Josie could hear her car’s engine pinging as it cooled.
“ANSWER ME!” Josie shouted.
The silence grew louder. Now even Josie’s car was quiet.
A furious Josie bent down to get a better look inside the car. Molly still ignored
Josie. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead. In the dim light, Josie saw Molly wore
her seat belt and a dress splashed with pink roses. She had a dark flower behind her
ear.
“Molly?” Josie said.
Her car smelled funny—like iron and something worse.
“Molly!” Josie screamed, and shook her. Molly slumped forward. That wasn’t a red flower
in her hair. She had a bloody wound blooming by her ear.
Molly Deaver had a bullet in her head.
Chapter 12
Wednesday, October 24
Molly Ann Deaver was murdered.
The bullet wound was a deadly bloom of dark red that spattered down her pink dress.
Josie made a thin mewing sound that morphed into a straight-out scream. Ted leaped
out of his car and said, “Josie, what did she do to you?”
“Nothing,” Josie said, her voice flat. She felt as if she were watching herself from
a long distance. The bronze glow of the mercury-vapor lights added to the effect,
as if Josie were looking at a sepia-tinted photo taken long ago. “She’s dead. Someone
shot her in the head.”
Ted gathered Josie into his arms. Something shattered inside when she leaned her head
on his shoulder. She caught his work smell—coffee, disinfectant, and dog hair—and
cried. “I wanted her gone for good and now she is, but not this way.”
“Me, either,” Ted said.
“What’s going to happen to you?” Josie wept. “First that terrible TV show. Then that
stupid judge. They’re going to blame you.”
“Sh!” Ted said, holding her. “I’ll be fine. I didn’t kill her. I was inside when it
happened. Are you sure she’s dead? Maybe I should check.”
“She’s definitely dead,” Josie said. “Don’t touch her! You don’t need to get your
fingerprints on her car.”
“Her eyelids look bruised,” Ted said. “I wonder if she was beaten first? She must
have been shot at fairly close range. I can see the black gunpowder marks on her skin.
The blood has clogged and the top stuff is dry, but the thicker stuff is still wet.”
“Stop!” Josie said. “It’s horrible standing out here discussing her dead body. We
need to call the police.”
With fear-numbed fingers, Josie punched in 911 and blurted that she’d found a dead
woman in the clinic lot. The 911 operator tried to keep her on the line, but Josie
hung up and called her mother.
“Mom, I only have a few moments before the police get here,” she said. “I’m with Ted.
Molly Deaver’s been shot in her car and the police are on their way. Will you make
sure Amelia gets to bed on time? Yes, Ted and I are fine. No, we weren’t hurt. The
only—”
Josie’s sentence was interrupted by the sirens. “The police are here,” she said. “I’ve
gotta go, Mom. Love you.”
Josie thought she was frightened when she found the body.
But her fear grew when two Rock Road Village police arrived on the scene. She and
Ted didn’t recognize the officers.
She thought the officer who interviewed her was somewhere in his forties, but later
she couldn’t
“It’s useless, Josie,” Ted said. “She won’t listen.”
“I can at least try,” Josie said.
“Then I won’t leave until you’re back in your car.”
Josie kissed Ted’s cheek, then turned toward Molly. The stalker ignored her. Molly
kept staring straight ahead. Josie was prepared to pound on Molly’s window, but it
was rolled down. No surprise on a warm October night.
“Molly Ann Deaver,” Josie said. “You can fool that horny old judge, but you can’t
fool me. You aren’t engaged to Ted and you know it. He’s marrying me.”
Silence. Molly didn’t move.
“I said, do you understand Ted’s marrying me? Are you going to leave him alone?”
More silence. Josie could hear her car’s engine pinging as it cooled.
“ANSWER ME!” Josie shouted.
The silence grew louder. Now even Josie’s car was quiet.
A furious Josie bent down to get a better look inside the car. Molly still ignored
Josie. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead. In the dim light, Josie saw Molly wore
her seat belt and a dress splashed with pink roses. She had a dark flower behind her
ear.
“Molly?” Josie said.
Her car smelled funny—like iron and something worse.
“Molly!” Josie screamed, and shook her. Molly slumped forward. That wasn’t a red flower
in her hair. She had a bloody wound blooming by her ear.
Molly Deaver had a bullet in her head.
Chapter 12
Wednesday, October 24
Molly Ann Deaver was murdered.
The bullet wound was a deadly bloom of dark red that spattered down her pink dress.
Josie made a thin mewing sound that morphed into a straight-out scream. Ted leaped
out of his car and said, “Josie, what did she do to you?”
“Nothing,” Josie said, her voice flat. She felt as if she were watching herself from
a long distance. The bronze glow of the mercury-vapor lights added to the effect,
as if Josie were looking at a sepia-tinted photo taken long ago. “She’s dead. Someone
shot her in the head.”
Ted gathered Josie into his arms. Something shattered inside when she leaned her head
on his shoulder. She caught his work smell—coffee, disinfectant, and dog hair—and
cried. “I wanted her gone for good and now she is, but not this way.”
“Me, either,” Ted said.
“What’s going to happen to you?” Josie wept. “First that terrible TV show. Then that
stupid judge. They’re going to blame you.”
“Sh!” Ted said, holding her. “I’ll be fine. I didn’t kill her. I was inside when it
happened. Are you sure she’s dead? Maybe I should check.”
“She’s definitely dead,” Josie said. “Don’t touch her! You don’t need to get your
fingerprints on her car.”
“Her eyelids look bruised,” Ted said. “I wonder if she was beaten first? She must
have been shot at fairly close range. I can see the black gunpowder marks on her skin.
The blood has clogged and the top stuff is dry, but the thicker stuff is still wet.”
“Stop!” Josie said. “It’s horrible standing out here discussing her dead body. We
need to call the police.”
With fear-numbed fingers, Josie punched in 911 and blurted that she’d found a dead
woman in the clinic lot. The 911 operator tried to keep her on the line, but Josie
hung up and called her mother.
“Mom, I only have a few moments before the police get here,” she said. “I’m with Ted.
Molly Deaver’s been shot in her car and the police are on their way. Will you make
sure Amelia gets to bed on time? Yes, Ted and I are fine. No, we weren’t hurt. The
only—”
Josie’s sentence was interrupted by the sirens. “The police are here,” she said. “I’ve
gotta go, Mom. Love you.”
Josie thought she was frightened when she found the body.
But her fear grew when two Rock Road Village police arrived on the scene. She and
Ted didn’t recognize the officers.
She thought the officer who interviewed her was somewhere in his forties, but later
she couldn’t
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