Chapter Thirty-two
Kate was true to her word. She made dinner at home with a couple of cocktails and was curled up on the couch when Megan came home. Megan had been out at a basketball game and had eaten at the concession stand. Kate’s microwave pasta meal didn’t appeal to Megan much anyway.
When Megan came home she walked over to Kate and asked, “What has been going on, I am dying to know what is happening with the blackmail threat?”
Kate was obviously tipsy but she answered with a slurred voice. Kate asked, “You really want to know what is going on now, honey, you can’t believe everything that has happened since we found those blackmail photos.”
Megan replied, “Yes, I am dying to hear this soap opera.”
Kate said, “We brought in three other women we found in the Halloween post, who were at that party. They confirmed Vicky wore the blonde wig and she also dressed in clothes that Linda normally wore. I asked about any men hanging around her and the women said the only male who was following her around was her husband Mark. I asked them if the man in the photo could be Mark.”
Kate had to pause and take a drink and Megan asked, “Okay, what did they say?”
Kate replied, “They said it wasn’t very likely, for two reasons. The build wasn’t like him and he is gay.”
Megan was shocked and her mouth fell open. She repeated what Kate said, “He’s gay?”
Kate said, “It seems that Vicky and her husband have an arrangement. She is the trophy wife to display at social events and they pretend affection and the rest of the time she can see whoever she wants. Mark will support her and there is no jealousy, so there isn’t any blackmail as far as her husband is concerned.”
Megan said, “Holy crap! I never expected that, but that does leave a lot of unanswered questions. I can’t figure anybody’s angle in the blackmail scheme. My gut tells me those aren’t random photos. I think they were posed and Vicky deliberately tried to look like Linda.”
Kate replied, “I think you are right, but I don’t understand the motive to any of this. I don’t know what she was trying to do but I am pretty sure, whatever it was, it got her sister killed.”
Kate sat and sipped her cocktail, kicking around the information she knew she had in her head. Kate was pretty certain the blackmail photos were not taken at the Halloween party. From the background in the photo she knew it was taken in Vicky’s bedroom. It looked too posed to be a random photo that some guy snapped when he came to play. Since Vicky had an understanding with her husband, it could have been some one night stand or it could have been one of several guys Vicky saw regularly. The objects in the bedroom were certainly Vicky’s bedroom and there were clothes and shoes thrown around the room.
The cocktails had their desired effects and the next thing Kate knew Megan was shaking her saying, “Mom, you need to go to bed.”
Kate replied as she woke, “Yes I need to go to bed. I am exhausted. Good night, I will see you in the morning.”
Kate had barely touched her pillow when she was out. The day had been long and challenging. The stress built to an impossible level when everything hit at once. The drinks helped her to relax and put her mind to sleep and then the body followed.
Kate woke refreshed and ready for the day. She wanted to get her run in because it did make her feel better afterward. She thought she had to run off the drinks she had the night before. She jumped out of bed, put on a jogging suit and shoes and hit the trail running.
Megan was up when Kate returned to the house and was making breakfast. She made pancakes and sausage. Megan said, “You looked worn out from yesterday so I decided to make some breakfast.”
Kate sat down and said, “It looks good.” Kate grabbed the cup of coffee sitting by her plate before eating anything. She needed the caffeine to start working before she could fire on all cylinders. Megan had taken the initiative and Kate wasn’t going to let that pass without some praise.
Kate said, “Honey, this looks good, I appreciate you doing this.”
Megan replied, “You looked so fried yesterday I thought you might kill yourself trying to make something this morning.”
Kate responded, “It was a day full of surprises, I am hopeful we can get some answers to our questions.”
Kate knew they had to get Vicky back in for another interview. The new information from other witnesses poke some holes in her story and they needed to figure out what was truth and what was fiction. Kate had plans to call Vicky as soon as she got to the station. Cindy was waiting for Kate when she arrived at the station.
Cindy asked, “Are you ready for another round with Vicky.”
All Kate could get out was, “Coffee first.”
With coffee in hand, Kate and Cindy sat at their desks and Kate dialed the number to Vicky’s house. When she heard a voice there Kate asked to talk to Vicky. The housekeeper on the other end said, “I am sorry, Miss Vicky is out of the country for ten days. She went with a tour group to the Bahamas.”
Kate slammed the phone down and said, “Damn it, she is in the Bahamas for ten days.”
Cindy said, “Isn’t that convenient, ten bucks says that was a deliberate attempt to avoid our questions.”
Kate responded, “I am thinking there is better than even odds that you are correct.”
Cindy asked, “What do we do now? Do you think the captain will spring for a Bahamas trip?”
Kate answered, “That answer would not just be ‘no’, it would be ‘hell no’.”
Kate said, “Maybe it is time to talk to Vicky’s husband, and maybe even Linda’s husband. I would like to know if they have seen the photo and if they have any information about who that is with her.”
Kate picked up her phone and called Vicky’s husband Mark and told him they had some loose end questions she needed to clear up. He agreed to come to the station and talk to them.
When he arrived, Kate and Cindy met him at the front door and escorted him back to the interrogation room. Kate and Cindy sat him across the table from them as per their usual operation.
Kate made sure Mark remembered who she was and introduced him to Cindy.
Mark asked, “Wasn’t there a guy who was your partner when you started this case?”
Kate replied, “Yes, that was Sean. He was hit in a shootout recently and is not able to work at the moment.”
Mark replied, “Oh my, I am so sorry that happened.”
Kate didn’t buy his phony attempt at sympathy. She had a suspicion that he already knew about the shooting. It was hard to miss, the media covered it pretty heavily.”
Kate asked, “Mark, do you recall a Halloween party at your house a short time before Halloween?”
Mark replied, “Yes It was a party for a few friends whom we are close to. A few business associates.”
Kate asked, “Your wife was in attendance at that party, isn’t that correct?”
Mark replied, “Yes she was there and she had handled most of the party details. I usually leave that sort of thing to her.”
Kate asked, “Do you think she worked so hard that she may have needed a break?”
Mark replied, “She put in a lot of effort, I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t need some recoup time.”
Kate threw the blackmail photo down on the table and asked, “Do you think that was what was happening there, she was getting some much needed rest?”
Mark replied, “I think we both know what was transpiring there. I am sure some of the other guests you have talked to have told you about our arrangement. I take no interest in Vicky’s social life.”
Kate said, “So you are going on record as saying you have no idea who the man is in this photo.”
Mark replied, “That is correct, I have no clue who the man is in that photo.”
Kate realized she wasn’t going to get any major confessions so she told Mark he was free to go but not to make any unexpected trips to the Bahamas anytime soon.