THREE
Jess pulled up in front of Maria's house five minutes early. Though she’d never been there before, she had no trouble finding the two story Craftsman cottage. Eyeing the charming, well-kept house, Jess noted that it was freshly painted in a tasteful cream color and the lawn was perfectly trimmed. It would go for really big bucks if it were only situated in a different part of town, a few miles to the west.
She went to the door and rang the bell—the sounds of the TV coming through the open windows as she waited. A curly haired little girl of about 6 opened the door.
"Ola?" she said breathlessly to Jess.
"Ola. Hi, is Maria home?" Jess was unsure if the girl could understand her. She’d barely gotten the words out when Maria appeared, sweater and purse in hand.
"My sister's daughter," she explained to Jess as she stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. "Let's walk to the bench across the street. We can talk there."
Jess nodded and followed Maria to the curb. They waited without speaking, for a break in the traffic then quickly jay-walked across. As they sat down on the bench next to each other, Jess looked at Maria. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of time today. You said this was about my father?”
Maria stared at her, blinking slowly. "I saw you, Miss Jessica. I know what you did," Maria finally said.
"What?" Jess said, stunned.
"I saw you," Maria repeated. "That night. Outside your father's house.”
"Maria,what night? What are you talking about?”
Maria looked down at her lap, then looked at Jessica in the eyes, speaking slowly. "I know you killed your father."
Jess jumped to her feet. "Is this some kind of a joke?"
"No, Miss Jessica. I saw you. When I left the house that night, I saw your car parked across the street. I know it was you."
"That's crazy. How could you think that? It was probably a car that looked like mine or…”
“ No. I saw you . There was someone else in the passenger seat, I couldn't see who. But you got out of the car to look in the trunk and the tie from your coat fell off. I saw it and picked it up after. I knew what it meant, the next day when I heard your papa was killed."
"Maria, you ’re wrong."
“ I worked for your father for 30 years. He was a cheap old man. And mean. I deserve something..."
“ What are you saying?”
"You're going to be a very rich woman, Miss Jessica. I didn't tell the policeman about the belt tie. But I can."
Jess was speechless. She shook her head and turned away. Then she turned back. "You have it all wrong! I never... I wasn't there. It wasn't me. You have to believe me."
"You think about it, Miss Jessica. Or I give the tie to the police.”
"Maria please..."
Maria stood up. "I have to go in. I'll call you in one week. You think about it.”
Jess drove back to her house in a daze, so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t remember making the trip back. Was it possible that Maria had murdered her father and was trying to pin it on her? It was, though there was another explanation that seemed much more likely.
She tried to push the thought away but couldn ’t.
There was one way to know for sure.
Rushing into the house, she hurried into her bedroom and rummaged around in the closet, knowing, even before she even looked, exactly what she would find. Or wouldn’t find.
The trench coat. The one she ’d worn to Ally’s. The belt that went with it was missing.
She searched among the clothes but knew in her heart it was h opeless. She wouldn’t find it there. Nor would she find it on the floor.
It was gone.
Jess sat trembling on the bed. It was Ally. It had to have been Ally. There was no other possible explanation.
Ally had killed their father.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
"I just don ’t understand it,” Maddy said as she put the two teacups down on the kitchen table.
Jess had called her friend over as soon as the initial shock wore off and
Jess pulled up in front of Maria's house five minutes early. Though she’d never been there before, she had no trouble finding the two story Craftsman cottage. Eyeing the charming, well-kept house, Jess noted that it was freshly painted in a tasteful cream color and the lawn was perfectly trimmed. It would go for really big bucks if it were only situated in a different part of town, a few miles to the west.
She went to the door and rang the bell—the sounds of the TV coming through the open windows as she waited. A curly haired little girl of about 6 opened the door.
"Ola?" she said breathlessly to Jess.
"Ola. Hi, is Maria home?" Jess was unsure if the girl could understand her. She’d barely gotten the words out when Maria appeared, sweater and purse in hand.
"My sister's daughter," she explained to Jess as she stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. "Let's walk to the bench across the street. We can talk there."
Jess nodded and followed Maria to the curb. They waited without speaking, for a break in the traffic then quickly jay-walked across. As they sat down on the bench next to each other, Jess looked at Maria. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of time today. You said this was about my father?”
Maria stared at her, blinking slowly. "I saw you, Miss Jessica. I know what you did," Maria finally said.
"What?" Jess said, stunned.
"I saw you," Maria repeated. "That night. Outside your father's house.”
"Maria,what night? What are you talking about?”
Maria looked down at her lap, then looked at Jessica in the eyes, speaking slowly. "I know you killed your father."
Jess jumped to her feet. "Is this some kind of a joke?"
"No, Miss Jessica. I saw you. When I left the house that night, I saw your car parked across the street. I know it was you."
"That's crazy. How could you think that? It was probably a car that looked like mine or…”
“ No. I saw you . There was someone else in the passenger seat, I couldn't see who. But you got out of the car to look in the trunk and the tie from your coat fell off. I saw it and picked it up after. I knew what it meant, the next day when I heard your papa was killed."
"Maria, you ’re wrong."
“ I worked for your father for 30 years. He was a cheap old man. And mean. I deserve something..."
“ What are you saying?”
"You're going to be a very rich woman, Miss Jessica. I didn't tell the policeman about the belt tie. But I can."
Jess was speechless. She shook her head and turned away. Then she turned back. "You have it all wrong! I never... I wasn't there. It wasn't me. You have to believe me."
"You think about it, Miss Jessica. Or I give the tie to the police.”
"Maria please..."
Maria stood up. "I have to go in. I'll call you in one week. You think about it.”
Jess drove back to her house in a daze, so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t remember making the trip back. Was it possible that Maria had murdered her father and was trying to pin it on her? It was, though there was another explanation that seemed much more likely.
She tried to push the thought away but couldn ’t.
There was one way to know for sure.
Rushing into the house, she hurried into her bedroom and rummaged around in the closet, knowing, even before she even looked, exactly what she would find. Or wouldn’t find.
The trench coat. The one she ’d worn to Ally’s. The belt that went with it was missing.
She searched among the clothes but knew in her heart it was h opeless. She wouldn’t find it there. Nor would she find it on the floor.
It was gone.
Jess sat trembling on the bed. It was Ally. It had to have been Ally. There was no other possible explanation.
Ally had killed their father.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
"I just don ’t understand it,” Maddy said as she put the two teacups down on the kitchen table.
Jess had called her friend over as soon as the initial shock wore off and
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