“This is Gabrielle O’Reilly,” Casey said to Lou. “Jasmine’s half sister.”
From the recognition and wariness on Lou’s face, he remembered her from Birch’s trailer. He put down his backpack.
“Jasmine wasn’t family, she was trash,” Gabrielle stated. “All she wanted was Mother’s money.”
“Is that what you plan on telling the cops when they ask for your alibi?” Casey asked.
“I have an alibi.” Her cobra eyes glowered.
“Good,” Casey said, crossing her arms, “because they know about your affair with Elliott Birch.”
Gabrielle recoiled. “You’re full of it.”
Lou squeezed Casey’s arm, a warning not to pursue this, but she didn’t want to stop. If the woman had a weapon, she would have revealed it by now, and Casey had no intention of letting her leave without obtaining information.
“We saw you in his trailer eight days ago,” she said.
Gabrielle’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “You were spying on me?”
“Of course not, I didn’t even know who you were until this afternoon.”
“What the hell were you doing there?”
“Walking my dog.”
Gabrielle bit her lower lip. “Have you told my mother?”
“Ask her.”
“Don’t play games with me!”
“I’m not the one who’s been playing.” Casey raised the phone still in her hand. “You have three seconds to leave before I call the cops.”
Gabrielle didn’t move. “What will it take to keep you from telling anyone? I have money.”
“All I want is the truth about you and Birch.” She felt Lou’s arm slip around her.
“We fell in love,” Gabrielle said, “but Mom would have disowned me if she found out.”
Given the way Gabrielle kept fidgeting, Casey figured she was lying. “How and when did you and Birch meet?”
“When I saw Jasmine for the first time, she and Elliott were standing at the front door, arguing about their kid. Jasmine didn’t know who I was.”
“When was that?” Casey asked.
“A month and a half ago.”
Not true. Marie had said she’d been with Jasmine when Gabrielle approached and introduced herself two days before the shooting. Birch hadn’t been anywhere around at that time.
“After Jasmine took off, Elliott and I started talking.” Gabrielle shoved her hands in her pockets. “He was devastated that he couldn’t see his son more often.”
“A custody battle would have been tough to win,” Casey replied, “what with Birch’s drinking and domestic violence history.”
Lou squeezed her arm a little harder.
“What are you talking about? He’s a great dad, and he’s never hit me.”
Give it time, Casey thought. “Word is he’s still a suspect in Jasmine’s murder, that he had someone else shoot her.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Gabrielle stepped back. “Don’t contact my mother again!”
Casey shut the door and turned the deadbolt. “Think we struck a nerve?”
“Just a tad.” Lou plunked onto the bed. “You took a huge chance.”
“I know, but that woman clearly has plenty to hide.” She sat next to Lou. “If Jasmine had found out that Gabrielle was involved with Birch and had threatened to tell Hannah, it’d be a strong motive for murder.”
“You need to tell Corporal Lundy.”
“I already have.” She put her arms around Lou. “I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, and notice how cheerful I sound, but what are you doing here? Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, and I was already on my way.” He smiled tentatively. “I got a couple of guys to take my shifts.” He squeezed her hard. “What was Hannah like?”
“Kind of creepy.” After she highlighted their conversation and told him about Hannah’s transformation after Gabrielle arrived, she described the contents of Jasmine’s letters, including the part about Marie.
“In Marie’s world, my feelings don’t count,” Casey said. “She told Jasmine I was a driven, career-minded prima donna who wasn’t interested in marriage or family.”
“Since you and I don’t live together,” Lou replied, “I guess it only added to her fantasy.”
As his gaze met hers, guilt blanketed Casey. After her divorce, but before they became a couple, she’d told him she wasn’t any good at marriage. Had he wondered if she’d changed her mind? Had she?
“Marie doesn’t understand that I can’t imagine living without you.” Casey placed her hands on each side of his face. “How much I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you too. Always will.”
A lump formed in her throat. “We’ve had some bad moments lately, but it’ll be better.”
“Totally.”
She kissed him until her whole body tingled. When they finally pulled apart, she said, “Who’s looking after the critters?”
“I put a ton of food in their cages.” Lou rubbed her back. “They’ll be fine, and we’ll be back before noon tomorrow if we catch an early ferry.”
She stroked his cheek. “I really was trying to help Hannah, but the person who most needs help is Jeremy. The little guy’s surrounded by manipulative adults who probably don’t deserve him.”
“You can’t help everyone, especially when you have Summer to think about.”
“I guess.” Casey hesitated. “You know I only want to do what’s right for her, don’t you?”
“Yep.”
“I helped Marie and Noel because she practically begged me. I didn’t plan to launch my own murder investigation.”
“I know that too.”
“If you know so much,” she said, smirking, “then what am I thinking now?”
He looked at her bare feet. “That you want to soak in a hot tub?”
She laughed. “I bought a bath bomb in a gift shop down the street.”
“Cool. Do those things really explode?”
“Your question will be answered once you’re naked.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Lou kissed her again.
TWENTY-FIVE
“OH!” CASEY SWIVELED IN THE passenger seat of her Tercel and waved a photocopy of Jasmine’s final letter at Lou. “Listen to this. ‘Last week, I caught my landlord’s wife in my apartment when I came home from work early. Ursula said neigbhors had heard Muffin (my cat) screaming and thought he was in trouble. But Muffin was asleep on my bed—I checked!!! I think Ursula stole my amethyst pendant and earrings. They were a present from Noel.’”
“It doesn’t look good for Ursula.” With his eyes half closed and his hand on Casey’s thigh, Lou slouched farther down the driver’s seat of the parked car.
“True, and what with Birch stalking Jasmine and Jeremy, no wonder she wanted to move away.” Casey scanned the letter. “She doesn’t say whether she phoned the cops.”
“I doubt she did. Jasmine didn’t trust cops because they didn’t do much about Birch harassing her.”
“They might have had something to say about all the animals in her apartment too.”
As the blue and white Queen of Coquitlam ferry glided into the harbor, Casey scanned the dozen lanes of cars, trucks, RVs, and buses waiting to board. Half of them were empty as travelers stretched their legs. As much as she wanted to see Summer, part of her regretted having to end this romantic interlude. She stroked Lou’s arm.
“I had a great time last night, and this morning.”
He gave her a sleepy smile. “Me too, but the real world calls.”
“And whines and demands and bullies.” Casey flipped through copies of letters she hadn’t had time to read.
On their way to the terminal, she’d returned the originals and a full set of copies to Hannah. With Hannah’s permission, she’d made an extra copy of the letters she hadn’t had time to read. She’d also told Hannah about Gabrielle’s visit last night.