Yes.
That was good of her. And my sister told you about this whole murder idea in the first place, didnt she?
Lucas looked at Sloan, then nodded. Glass opened his mouth to say something, then shut it.
And did my sister tell you that all those years when I was supposedly killing these people, her sole support came from us? From Wilson and me? That we gave her cash to keep her head above water? That if Wilson didnt do well, if he lost his job or lost a promotion, shed be hurt as much as we would? Did she tell you about our father feeling her up, about finding a box of rat poison in the machine shed and pouring it into Dads whiskey? Did my sister tell you all of that? Did she tell you about fighting with Mom about screwing boys out by the cornfield in Lakeville? And more than that, screwing them for money? Did you look at everything you have, and ask, What if her sister did it? And did you ask, if you send little Audrey McDonald off to prison, if she could tolerate it? Ill answer that for you: Im claustrophobic. I wouldnt last a year in a prison. Id find some way to hang myself. And then who gets my share of the money? My sister? Thats what she thinks…
Lucas was astonished: at that moment, he believed that Audrey believed. She was utterly convincing, a beetle-hard, scuttling young-old woman. Jesus, he said.
We gotta stop, Glass said convulsively. We gotta stop this.
He put an arm around Audrey to stop her: and for a moment, the womans dead cobra eyes gave something away, a spark, something almost like humor. Then the moment passed, and she was as sullen as ever.
Lucas looked after her as she left: What was this all about?
LUCAS AND SLOAN STOPPED AT A GREASY SPOON ON the way home, Lucas following Sloan out in separate cars. As they walked inside, Sloan said, What if the sister did it?
Lucas shook his head: No way.
Why not?
She was too young to kill her old man; I dont care if he was groping her. But the big thing is, why would she ever risk calling attention to that whole string of killings?
Even if she blamed them on McDonald, there was always the possibility that McDonald would be able to prove that he didnt do it. .. and if he could prove he couldnt do any one of them, then all of them would be in question. Nope. Whoever killed these peopleAudreyis too smart to have called attention to them.
But what… what if she saw Wilson McDonald going down, and shot Kresge specifically to pull McDonald down, so that Audrey would get his money? And then, when you get on top of Audrey, she decides to sacrifice Audrey? I mean, what if shes three layers back, waiting for Audrey to die in prison? Or even planning to poison her if shes acquitted?
No fuckin way, Lucas said. You gotta know the people.
They found a booth, ordered beer and fries: She scared the shit out of me, man. And Ill tell you what, Glass was looking at that tape machine like it was solid gold, Sloan said. Anybody who listens to that tape is gonna believe her too. Like a jury.
Lucas shook his head again: Not if they listen to Helen at the same time. Helen is just… an innocent. She picked up on McDonald because the pattern became so clear to her over the years. She talked to them often enough that she knew when a promotion was up, and then shed read about some guy from the bank being killed, and then itd turn out to be a guy in McDonalds department. Nope. She even waited longer than she should have. And why in Gods name would she offer her mothers hair? If she knew her mother had been poisoned…
They ran over it for another hour, building the case against Audrey. In the end, Sloan said, Youll have to admit, most of it could be built the other way.
Naw: juryd never go for it. And remember, she killed her old man.
Sloan shook his head. Just wish there was some way to pry the sisters apart. Put one of them in Kansas while somebodys getting killed in Minnesota.
As Lucas put the beer bottle to his mouth, the light went off in his head: Oh, shit, he said, the bottle frozen in front of his face.
What?
In the Arris killing. We never looked at that tape for women.
Huh. Wheres the tape?
My place. St. Paul gave me a copy of it, and I left it at my place.
Can I come along?
THEY STUCK THE TAPE IN LUCASS VCR, AND THE BAD picture came up on the screen. They watched Arris go by, followed by several women, and then, a minute later, another woman, walking rigidly down the hill. There she is, Lucas said.
Thats fuckin Helen, Sloan said.
No, no, thats fuckin Audrey, said Lucas. He ran the tape back. Look at the way she walks.
Looks like fuckin Helen to me.
Remember, this is eight years ago. Audreyd be thirty. Helen would only be in her mid-twenties… They look alike, but that woman is not twenty-six.
Sloan was on his hands and knees, peering at the screen. Goddamn. Could be Audrey.
Is Audrey, Lucas said.
Selling it to a juryll be hard, Sloan said. Youll get one dumb shit on there wholl believe nothing but his own eyes, and his eyesll say its Helen.
I wonder if we can get this enhanced somehow, Lucas said. Maybe the Feebs?
I dont know… Tell you the truth, if there was a way to ditch the tape, Id do it. It confuses things. But now that I keep looking at it, I think youre right. She moves like Audrey does. Shescuttles.
THE PHONE RANG AS THEY RAN THROUGH THE TAPE one last time. Sherrill. Did you get her?
Yeah, I thinkbut its gonna be a close call, Lucas said.
You want me to come over and comfort you?
He didnt, especially, but he said, Come on over.
Nah. You dont sound like you mean it, she said. Tomorrow night, though.
And she was gone.
Fuckin cop-women, Lucas said.
Thats what youre doing, Sloan agreed.
Fuckin was an adjective, not a verb, Lucas said.
Couldve been a verb, Sloan said.
SLOAN LEFT, AND LUCAS SAT IN HIS STUDY FOR awhile, doodling, running through the case in his mind, looking for loose ends. He didnt find many, except to note that theyd have to reinterview half the people who worked at the bank. Theyd have to find witnesses who saw Audrey McDonald firing the Contender pistol; theyd have to find witnesses who would testify about promotions, and who was competitive for them…
He finally trundled off to bed, lay restlessly for a while, finally fell asleep.
IN THE MORNING, HE MOVED SLUGGISHLY AROUND, looked at the clock: already nine. He dressed, stopped at a fast-food place for French toast, then headed downtown. He called the county attorneys office and got Kirk.
Had the bail hearing yet?
Yeah. The judge was a wee bit skeptical about the arsenic. J. B. did a pretty nice job. We got the bail up to a million, but she was ready for it.
Shes out?
Twenty minutes ago, Kirk said.
How about the arrest warrant on her mother? Were slowing down on that. J. B. brought up this stuff about the old house they used to live in, and we heard about this business with her sister, so were gonna have the housechecked and depose the sister. I mean, weve got her on a million, I dont think shell run.
SHERRILL DROPPED BY AT MIDMORNING, CARRYING A doughnut and two cups of coffee. Shes out, I hear.
Yeah, Lucas said in disgust. Ill tell you what: if she was a black guy with a record, shed be washing dishes in Stillwater by now.
Sloan told me about that whole rap about her sister: thats pretty weird.
Yeah, I dont understand that, Lucas said. Its a fucked-up defense. You put Helen on the stand, the truth is gonna come out.
You dont think theres any chance that Audreys telling the truth? That its Helen?
No, I dont.
The one thing thats hard for me to get over is her appearance, Sherrill said. Shes only five years older than me…