“Uh, I, don’t—”
“Miss O’Reilly was supposed to meet me at my office at 11:00 AM on September thirtieth, but she never showed. Is it possible for you to determine if she was at work or absent that day?”
“I could, but I should talk to my boss first.”
“I’d rather they not be involved just yet, as this is a personal matter that could have a negative impact on my children and future dealings with your firm. All I’m asking for is a tiny piece of information.”
“Okay,” the perky voice answered. “Let me check.”
“Thank you.” Casey held her breath. If the girl talked to higher-ups, it’d be game over.
She looked around the parking lot until the receptionist came back on line a couple of minutes later.
“Gabrielle was away on September thirtieth. She took vacation days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that week.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Jasmine died on Tuesday, September twenty-eighth. Gabrielle could have killed her. It looked like a trip to Birch’s trailer was a really bad idea.
THIRTY
CASEY JOGGED UP TO HER car in the university’s parkade and checked her watch. Twelve-fifteen. Corporal Lundy would be expecting Hannah’s letters, but she needed to contact Gabrielle first. During class, she’d decided to trap her into seeing Lundy. One way or another, that nasty woman would talk.
Casey slid behind the wheel and retrieved her cell phone. Before class, she’d looked up and memorized Birch’s number. All she had to do was punch in the digits. By the twelfth ring, it was obvious Gabrielle either wasn’t there or wouldn’t answer. Casey called Lundy.
“Shouldn’t you be handing me some letters right now?” he asked.
“Yes, but I got an urgent message from Gabrielle O’Reilly this morning. She wants to see me at twelve-thirty to discuss Jasmine. She left the message with my supervisor and didn’t go into detail. I’m supposed to meet her at Elliott Birch’s trailer.”
“I thought I told you not to play detective.”
“The meeting wasn’t my idea; she called me because she won’t talk to the police. I really don’t want to play detective, as you put it, so could you meet me at the trailer and take over from there?”
“Did you try canceling the meeting?”
“I just called, but she’s not answering, and we’re supposed to meet in fifteen minutes. If you go in my place, she might not open the door at all, so I thought I’d go in a few seconds ahead of you.”
“We can manage to gain entry ourselves, Miss Holland.”
She ignored the sarcasm. “She’ll be watching for me. If she sees you, she’ll probably take off. The chase would be a waste of time and manpower because I doubt you’ll ever get anything out of her. Anyway, a friend’s already on his way there. See you in fifteen minutes.”
Casey disconnected the line. She’d called Roberto as soon as she finished this morning’s class and he’d promised to meet her outside the trailer park. She’d left a message on Lou’s cell, too, but hadn’t heard back from him.
Fifteen minutes later, Casey pulled onto the shoulder of Dewdney Trunk Road and parked across from Cedarbrook Estates’ entrance. She looked up and down the winding, narrow street. There was no sign of Roberto or Lundy, unless they’d parked inside the property and were already at the trailer. The absence of Roberto’s Corvette in the visitor’s stalls didn’t surprise her. Punctuality had never been his strong suit. But there weren’t any police cruisers or unmarked vehicles either. What to do? Wait for Roberto and Lundy, or face Gabrielle alone? It was twelve-thirty. Gabrielle would be expecting her, and Birch would be home from work soon. On the other hand, he might already be here.
Casey popped a stick of gum in her mouth and entered the trailer park. As she drew closer, she noticed streaks of grime on Birch’s trailer and the weeds that filled the tiny plot of dirt in front. Gabrielle’s silver Jetta was parked in the covered stall beside the trailer.
When Casey reached the trailer, she stopped and turned around. Where the hell were Roberto and Lundy? She studied the trailer a few moments, then tiptoed up four rickety wooden steps and listened for sounds inside. All was quiet. Across the lane and two trailers down, a man washed his car. A middle-aged lady walking her poodle looked at Casey. Someone had the TV on next door.
Feeling a little safer by all this activity, Casey knocked. Seconds later, she tried again and blew a huge pink bubble which splattered over her mouth and grazed the tip of her nose. She peeled the sticky gum from her face, and knocked a third time.
She zeroed in on the small window to the right of the door. The blinds were open, but no lights were on. She craned her neck toward the window, but it was too far away to get a good look inside. Damn it, what was Gabrielle playing at? Casey scanned the lane as someone headed out of the trailer park on a motorcycle.
Casey rattled the door handle to get Gabrielle’s attention, but the door started to open. Casey stepped back. Had Gabrielle purposely left it unlocked? It was probably a good idea to hightail it back to the car, but what about Jeremy? Was he inside? Was he okay? Casey recalled what Paval had said about Gabrielle scarcely giving the boy a second glance when he introduced her to the toddler.
She poked her head inside. “Hello? Gabrielle?”
The silence creeped her out. “Jeremy?”
More silence. Something was wrong, she could feel it. Taking a step inside, the smell of sweat and overripe bananas bombarded her. Dirty plates and mugs littered a table next to a love seat in the cramped living area. A tattered sock monkey and toy cars were scattered on the braided rug.
“Hello, anyone home?”
The mess in the adjacent kitchenette was worse. Casey stepped farther inside and stared down a short, narrow hallway with two doors on the left, one on the right, and a fourth at the end.
“Hello?”
More silence. Chomping her gum to curb the growing unease, she headed for the door on her left. There was a stronger smell at this end of the trailer, something she couldn’t identify. Casey turned the handle and found herself peering into a closet. The second door on her left was a cluttered little bathroom in need of a good scrubbing. She stepped across the hall.
“Hello? Anyone here?” She tapped on the third door. No response.
Casey peeked inside at an unmade toddler’s bed and three stuffed animals on the grungy carpet. The box of clothes Casey had seen Birch carry out of Jasmine’s place was wedged between the wall and Jeremy’s bed. Maybe Jeremy was at daycare, and Birch didn’t know Gabrielle would be here. Was Gabrielle planning to end a relationship whose main purpose might have been to destroy Jasmine? Did she want to cut Birch loose to keep her inheritance for herself?
The closer Casey came to the door at the end of the hall, the faster her heart beat. She wasn’t sure why she dreaded looking in that room. Wasn’t even sure she should, yet if Jeremy was in there . . . She gripped the doorknob and tried to ignore the warning signals crashing through her brain.
“Casey?”
She jumped back, bumping her elbow against the wall. “Roberto?”
“Yeah, sorry I’m late. Sweet jesus, this place reeks.”
She went back to the front door and found him standing there, his expression pensive. “Come in.”
“Where’s Gabrielle?”
“I don’t know, the door was unlocked. I’ve looked around, but no one’s here.” She glanced at the hallway. “There’s one more room to check.”
Roberto followed her down the hall.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” she murmured.
“Let me do it.” He stepped in front of her and reached for the handle. “If this is Birch’s room, it could be in worse shape than the rest of this dump.”