“Now, where was this?” Rollins was again scribbling in his notebook.
“Charlottesville. Lovely country, some of the most beautiful estates. Have you ever been?”
“On my salary, I’m not really into estate shopping. What next?”
“He confronted the woman.”
“And?”
“And she cracked. Or almost did. Thomas said you can always tell by the eyes.”
“Uh-huh.” Rollins rolled his own eyes. “So what was Donovan’s angle?”
“Excuse me?”
“His angle. What story was he going to write that you thought put him in danger?”
“Oh, well, the woman was a murderer. She had killed once, she could kill again.”
Rollins smiled lightly. “I see.”
“I don’t think you’re taking this seriously.”
“I take my work very seriously. I just don’t see the connection. Are you suggesting that this LuAnn person killed Roberta Reynolds? Why would she do that? We don’t even know if they knew each other. Are you suggesting that she may have threatened Donovan?”
“I’m not suggesting that LuAnn Tyler threatened or murdered anyone. I mean I have no proof of that.”
“Then what?” Rollins was struggling to maintain his patience.
Alicia looked away. “I... I don’t know. I mean I’m not sure.”
Rollins stood up, closing his notebook. “Well, if I need any more information I’ll be in touch.”
Alicia just sat there, her face pale, her eyes shut. Rollins was almost at the door when she spoke. “The lottery was fixed.”
Rollins slowly turned and walked back into the living room. “Fixed?”
“He called two days ago and told me that. Thomas made me promise not to breathe a word to anyone.” She clutched at the hem of her skirt in her anxiety. “That LuAnn Tyler person practically admitted that the lottery was fixed. Thomas sounded, well, he sounded a little frightened. And now, I’m just so worried about him. He was supposed to call again, but never did.”
Rollins parked his bulk on the sofa once more. “What else did he tell you?”
“That he had contacted the other eleven winners, but that only one had called him back.” Her lips trembled. “Roberta Reynolds.”
“So Donovan did meet with her.” His tone was accusatory.
Alicia rubbed a tear from her eye. She didn’t speak but merely shook her head. Finally she said, “He had been working on this story for a long time, but he only recently confided in me. He was scared. I could tell in his voice.” She cleared her throat. “He had at least arranged to meet with Roberta Reynolds. The meeting was to take place yesterday morning. I haven’t heard from him since that time, and he’d promised to call me right after it was over. Oh, God, I know something terrible has happened.”
“Did he tell you who fixed the lottery?”
“No, but LuAnn Tyler told him to watch out for somebody. A man. That this person would kill him, that he was on Thomas’s trail and would find him. That he was very dangerous. I’m sure this person had something to do with that woman’s death.”
Rollins sat back and stared sadly at her and took a big gulp of the hot coffee.
Alicia didn’t look up. “I told Thomas to go to the police with what he knew.”
Rollins sat forward. “Did he?”
She shook her head fiercely. “Dammit no!” A huge breath escaped her lungs. “I pleaded with him to. If someone had fixed the lottery, all that money. I mean people would kill for that. You’re a policeman, aren’t I right about that?”
“I know people who’d cut your heart out for a couple of singles,” was Rollins’s chilling reply. He looked down at his empty coffee cup. “Got any more?”
Alicia started. “What? Oh, yes, I just made a fresh pot.”
Rollins took out his notepad again. “Okay, when you get back, we’ll have to go over every detail and then I’m calling in some reinforcements. I’m not afraid to admit that this one is looking like it’s way over my head. You up for a trip to police headquarters?”
Alicia nodded without much enthusiasm and left the room. She came back a couple of minutes later balancing the wooden tray, her eyes focused on the filled coffee cups, trying not to spill them. When she looked up her eyes widened in utter disbelief and she dropped the entire tray on the floor.
“Peter?”
The remnants of Detective Rollins — wig, mustache, facial mask, and malleable rubber padding — were neatly positioned on the wingback chair. Jackson, or Peter Crane, Alicia Crane’s elder brother, was looking back at her, his features infinitely troubled as his right cheek rested on his right palm.
Donovan’s observation that Bobbie Jo Reynolds had looked a lot like Alicia Crane was right on the mark. However, it had been Peter Crane’s alias, Jackson, disguised as Bobbie Jo Reynolds, who looked a lot like Alicia Crane. The family resemblance was remarkable.
“Hello, Alicia.”
She stared at the discarded disguise. “What are you doing? What is all this?”
“I think you should sit down. Would you like me to clean up that mess?”
“Don’t touch it.” She put one hand against the doorjamb to steady herself.
“I didn’t mean to upset you so,” said Jackson with sudden sincere remorse. “I... I guess when faced with confrontation, I’m just more comfortable not being myself.” He smiled weakly.
“I don’t appreciate this at all. I almost had a heart attack.”
He rose quickly, encircled her waist with one of his arms, and guided her over to the sofa. He patted her hand kindly. “I’m sorry, Alicia, I really am.”
Alicia again stared over at the remains of the beefy homicide detective. “What is this all about, Peter? Why were you asking me all those questions?”
“Well, I needed to know how much you knew about everything. I needed to know what Donovan had told you.”
She jerked her hand from under his. “Thomas? How do you know about Thomas? I haven’t seen or spoken to you in three years.”
“Has it been that long?” he said evasively. “You don’t need anything, do you? You just had to ask.”
“Your checks come like clockwork,” she said, a bit bitterly. “I don’t need any more money. It would have been nice to have seen you once in a while. I know you’re very busy, but we are family.”
“I know.” He looked down for a moment. “I always said I would take care of you. And I always will. Family is family.”
“Speaking of, I spoke with Roger the other day.”
“And how is our decadent, undeserving younger brother?”
“He needed money, like always.”
“I hope you didn’t send him any. I gave him enough to last a lifetime, even invested it for him. All he had to do was stay within a reasonable budget.”
“There’s nothing reasonable about Roger, you know that.” She looked at him a little nervously. “I sent him some money.” Jackson started to say something, but she hurried on. “I know what you said all those years ago, but I just couldn’t let him be thrown out on the street.”
“Why not? It might be the best thing that ever happened to him. He shouldn’t live in New York. It’s too expensive.”
“He wouldn’t survive. He’s not strong, not like Father.”
Jackson held his tongue at the mention of their father. The years had not cleared up his sister’s blindness in that regard. “Forget it, I’m not going to waste my time discussing Roger.”
“I want you to tell me what’s going on, Peter.”
“When did you meet Donovan?”
“Why?”
“Please just answer the question.”
“Almost a year ago. He did a lengthy piece on Father and his distinguished career in the senate. It was a wonderful, compelling testimonial.”
Jackson shook his head in disbelief. She would have viewed it that way: the exact opposite of the truth.