of Jackson. I want him to stay with you. Keep him busy and away from the news.”
The knock came again, louder, more urgently, followed by the doorbell ringing.
They couldn’t wait any longer. She put her hand on the doorknob and looked back at him. “Ready?”
He nodded and she opened the door. Two uniformed officers stood there, and behind them, out by the street, cameras rolled. “Mr. Jay Cramer?” one of the officers asked.
“Yes.” His voice was flat, resigned. “Come in.”
They stepped in, and Juliet closed the door, blocking out the onlookers.
“Mr. Cramer, we have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Annalee Cramer.”
He nodded. “Okay. If we could just talk quietly so my son won’t hear …”
“Daddy!”
Juliet’s stomach flipped as Jackson ran up the hall.
“Daddy, come watch
How to Train Your Dragon
with me.”
Jay looked as though he might pass out. He turned from the police and squatted down, getting eye level with Jackson. “Son, I can’t come right now. I have to go help these policemen.”
Jackson stared up at them. “Is it about Mommy?”
Jay worked his mouth to keep the emotion from showing. “Yes, it’s about Mommy,” he said. “I need for you to stay with Aunt Juliet and be a good boy, okay?”
Jackson looked uncomfortably up at the cops, then turned back to his dad. “When will you be back?”
Jay frowned. “I’m not sure right now. But you’re gonna have some more sleepovers with Aunt Juliet. And I’ll call you and let you know, okay?”
Jackson didn’t answer. How much more could he take? Jay got back to his feet and turned to the police. He lowered his voice. “For him … could we just not do the cuffs?”
The younger cop looked down at Jackson and gave him that small mercy. “Yeah, okay.”
Jay forced a smile. “‘Bye, buddy. Maybe Aunt Juliet will watch that movie with you.”
“Of course I will,” Juliet said, tears welling. “You go help them. We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Jackson?”
Jackson nodded as Jay gave him a kiss and hurried out the front door with the cops.
The reporters’ cameras were flashing and rolling, and they yelled questions at Jay as soon as they saw him.
Juliet quickly closed the door.
“Who are those people out there?” Jackson asked.
“They’re people who want to talk to Daddy about your mom my.”
“Oh.” Jackson seemed to consider that. Juliet hoped he wouldn’t consider it too long.
“Come on, sweetie,” she said, forcing enthusiasm into her tone. “Let’s go watch
Dragon
.”
C HAPTER 19
C athy stopped her car at her mailbox before pulling into her driveway and pulled out the mail. She hadn’t checked it at all yesterday, so a stack of it awaited her.
She quickly flipped through it. Bills, bills, junk mail, and some handwritten envelopes that looked like fan mail. She glanced at the return address of each one.
Seattle … Tulsa … and one that said only, “Your New Friend.”
Her throat closed and her heart began racing. Fingerprints, she thought. She shouldn’t touch it. She set the stack of mail on the passenger seat and drove up the driveway. She ran into the house and got some latex gloves from under her kitchen sink. Then she went back to the car and carefully opened the envelope.
Suddenly her phone rang. She jumped as if she’d been caught at something. The caller ID said
Juliet
.
She clicked the phone on and held it between her shoulder and ear. “Hey.”
“Cathy, they arrested him!” Juliet’s voice was muffled, low, as if she didn’t want to be overheard.
Cathy grabbed the phone. “Oh no. When?”
“Just now. I can’t talk. I have to distract Jackson.”
“Did Jackson see it?”
“Yes, but Jay told him he was going to help the police. They didn’t use handcuffs.”
Cathy closed her eyes. “All right. I’m headed to the police station.”
Before she started the car, she pulled the note out of the envelope.
It was handwritten.
Dear Curious Cat
,
So
The knock came again, louder, more urgently, followed by the doorbell ringing.
They couldn’t wait any longer. She put her hand on the doorknob and looked back at him. “Ready?”
He nodded and she opened the door. Two uniformed officers stood there, and behind them, out by the street, cameras rolled. “Mr. Jay Cramer?” one of the officers asked.
“Yes.” His voice was flat, resigned. “Come in.”
They stepped in, and Juliet closed the door, blocking out the onlookers.
“Mr. Cramer, we have a warrant for your arrest for the murder of Annalee Cramer.”
He nodded. “Okay. If we could just talk quietly so my son won’t hear …”
“Daddy!”
Juliet’s stomach flipped as Jackson ran up the hall.
“Daddy, come watch
How to Train Your Dragon
with me.”
Jay looked as though he might pass out. He turned from the police and squatted down, getting eye level with Jackson. “Son, I can’t come right now. I have to go help these policemen.”
Jackson stared up at them. “Is it about Mommy?”
Jay worked his mouth to keep the emotion from showing. “Yes, it’s about Mommy,” he said. “I need for you to stay with Aunt Juliet and be a good boy, okay?”
Jackson looked uncomfortably up at the cops, then turned back to his dad. “When will you be back?”
Jay frowned. “I’m not sure right now. But you’re gonna have some more sleepovers with Aunt Juliet. And I’ll call you and let you know, okay?”
Jackson didn’t answer. How much more could he take? Jay got back to his feet and turned to the police. He lowered his voice. “For him … could we just not do the cuffs?”
The younger cop looked down at Jackson and gave him that small mercy. “Yeah, okay.”
Jay forced a smile. “‘Bye, buddy. Maybe Aunt Juliet will watch that movie with you.”
“Of course I will,” Juliet said, tears welling. “You go help them. We’ll be just fine, won’t we, Jackson?”
Jackson nodded as Jay gave him a kiss and hurried out the front door with the cops.
The reporters’ cameras were flashing and rolling, and they yelled questions at Jay as soon as they saw him.
Juliet quickly closed the door.
“Who are those people out there?” Jackson asked.
“They’re people who want to talk to Daddy about your mom my.”
“Oh.” Jackson seemed to consider that. Juliet hoped he wouldn’t consider it too long.
“Come on, sweetie,” she said, forcing enthusiasm into her tone. “Let’s go watch
Dragon
.”
C HAPTER 19
C athy stopped her car at her mailbox before pulling into her driveway and pulled out the mail. She hadn’t checked it at all yesterday, so a stack of it awaited her.
She quickly flipped through it. Bills, bills, junk mail, and some handwritten envelopes that looked like fan mail. She glanced at the return address of each one.
Seattle … Tulsa … and one that said only, “Your New Friend.”
Her throat closed and her heart began racing. Fingerprints, she thought. She shouldn’t touch it. She set the stack of mail on the passenger seat and drove up the driveway. She ran into the house and got some latex gloves from under her kitchen sink. Then she went back to the car and carefully opened the envelope.
Suddenly her phone rang. She jumped as if she’d been caught at something. The caller ID said
Juliet
.
She clicked the phone on and held it between her shoulder and ear. “Hey.”
“Cathy, they arrested him!” Juliet’s voice was muffled, low, as if she didn’t want to be overheard.
Cathy grabbed the phone. “Oh no. When?”
“Just now. I can’t talk. I have to distract Jackson.”
“Did Jackson see it?”
“Yes, but Jay told him he was going to help the police. They didn’t use handcuffs.”
Cathy closed her eyes. “All right. I’m headed to the police station.”
Before she started the car, she pulled the note out of the envelope.
It was handwritten.
Dear Curious Cat
,
So
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