First to Die

Chapter 108

SLOWLY, UNAVOIDABLY, I was starting to feel as if I were on the wrong airplane, heading to the wrong city. Against all logic, I was growing surer and surer that Nicholas Jenks might not be the killer. Oh, brother! I had to figure out what to do. Jenks in handcuffs was the lead picture in both Time and Newsweek. He was being arraigned in Napa for two additional murders the following day. Maybe I should just stay on the wrong plane, get out of town, never show my face in San Francisco again. I got the girls together. I took them through the mosaic that was starting to come clear: the acrimonious contest over the divorce, Joanna's sense of being discarded, her direct access to the victims through her contacts at Saks. "She was an assistant store manager," I told them. "Coincidence?" "Get me proof," Jill said. "Because as of now, I have proof against Nick Jenks. All the proof I need." I could hear the worry and frustration in her voice. The whole country was watching this case, watching her every move. We had worked so hard to sell Mercer and her boss, Sinclair, on the idea that it was Jenks. And now, after all that- to propose a new theory and suspect. "Authorize a search," I told Jill. "Joanna Wade's house. Something has to be there. The missing rings, a weapon, details on the victims. It's the only way we'll ever pin it down." "Authorize a search on what basis? Suspicion of new evidence? I can't do that without blowing this case wide open again. If we show we're not even sure, how can I convince a jury?" "We could check where she worked," proposed Cindy. "See if she had specific access to information on the brides." "That's circumstantial. It's crap," Jill cried. "One of my neighbors works at Saks. Maybe she's the murderer." "You can't go through with this," argued Cindy, "if we still have doubt." "You have doubt," said Jill. "What I have is everything in place for a slam-dunk conviction. To you, it's a story, you follow it where it leads. My whole career is on the line." Cindy looked stunned. "You think I'm here for just the story? You think I sat on every lead, agonized over not being able to go to copy, just so I could wind up with the book rights later on?" "C'mon girls," said Claire, her arm on Cindy's shoulder. "We have to be together on this." Slowly, Jill's intense blue eyes softened. She turned to Cindy. "I'm sorry," she said. "It's just that when this gets out, Leff will be able to plant huge doubts in that jury's mind." "But we can't back down now just because it's bad tactics," said Claire. "There could be a murderer out there, a multiple murderer." I said to Jill, "Authorize a search. C'mon, Jill." I had never seen Jill look so upset. Everything she had achieved in her career, everything she stood for, was being placed squarely on the line. She shook her head. "Let's try it Cindy's way. We'll start with Saks, check Joanna out there." "Thank you, Jill," I said. "You're the best." She exhaled resignedly. "Find out if she's had any contact with anyone who had access to those names. Connect Joanna with those names, and I'll get you what you want. But if you can't, be prepared to fry Jenks." From across the table, I took her hand. She gripped mine. We exchanged a nervous smile. Jill finally joked, "Personally, I hope all you come back with is the hot item to be featured in the next Christmas catalog." Claire laughed loudly. "Now that wouldn't be a total loss, would it?"