Redemption

Chapter 48

“Okay, this is harassment, damn it.”

Decker and Lancaster were standing on the front porch of Mitzi Gardiner’s home, while the woman stared angrily across at them over the width of the doorway.

“I can understand your feeling that way, Ms. Gardiner. But the fact is, we’re doing our best to solve multiple homicides connected to your father, and, like it or not, you’re one of the best resources we have. We just have some questions for you, and we’ll make them as painless as possible. I promise.”

Lancaster looked incredulously at Decker, having obviously never seen him talk this way to any suspect or person of interest.

Gardiner eyed Lancaster. “I remember you. You two worked the case together.”

“We did, yes. And I have to say I doubt I would have recognized you.” Lancaster ran her eye over Gardiner’s long, healthy frame, her elegant clothes, her perfectly coiffed hair, and her blemish-free complexion.

“I know that I’ve changed quite a bit from when you last saw me.”

“You look great.”

“Thank you.”

“And I have to say I never thought we’d end up revisiting this case. But then your father came back to town proclaiming his innocence.”

Gardiner pointed at Decker. “I already told him that was crap. My father just wanted to mess with you. Make you doubt his guilt.”

“We still haven’t found out who killed him,” said Decker.

“You said you were checking with the two widows.”

“Right. Well, one of them was murdered.”

Gardiner gaped and Decker saw her fingers on the door tremble. “Murdered? Which one?”

“Susan Richards. We believe she was abducted from her home and then killed.”

When Gardiner didn’t respond, Decker added, “Can we come in?”

She led them down the hall to the conservatory. She motioned for them to sit while she stood there clasping and unclasping her hands.

“You look pretty surprised,” said Decker.

“Of course I’m surprised. First my father and now Susan Richards.” She abruptly sat down across from them and stared at her lap.

Lancaster looked around the graceful lines of the room. “You have a lovely home.”

Gardiner nodded absently, but still wouldn’t meet their eyes.

Decker took something from his pocket and held it out to her. “I thought you might want to have this.”

Gardiner looked up but did not reach for the photo.

“It’s you as a little girl. We found it in your dad’s wallet. There wasn’t much else in there. I know you said you never visited him in prison, but he evidently kept this photo all these years.”

Gardiner shook her head. “I... I don’t want it.”

Decker put the photo down on the table, face up.

“What are your questions?” said Gardiner, glancing at the photo and then quickly looking away.

“Well, and don’t be offended by this, because we’re asking everyone connected to this case. We need to know where you were when Susan Richards was last seen.”

“You can’t possibly believe I had anything to do with her death?”

“Look, I don’t want to believe that anyone is capable of murder. However, some people clearly are. But I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m just eliminating suspects right now, and we can do that with you if you can tell us where you were.”

“What time are we talking about?”

Decker told her the day and the time in the evening.

Gardiner sat back and closed her eyes. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She brought up her calendar and ran through some screens. Then she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “I was at a dinner with my husband. A business dinner. There were six other people with us. It’s here in Trammel. At a restaurant. From seven o’clock until well after midnight.”

“And your husband can verify that?” said Lancaster.

“Do you have to talk to him?” Gardiner said worriedly. “He knows nothing about any of this... of my past life.”

“Well, if you give us the names of some of the other people there?”

“That’s as good as telling him,” she snapped. “He’s built up a great reputation in this area and people trust him. Something like this could ruin him.”

“Well, can you think of someone else who can corroborate your whereabouts?” asked Lancaster.

Gardiner suddenly looked animated. “Wait, I know the owner of the restaurant. She could verify it. We had a private room and we paid with a credit card. You can check the receipt.”

“That works.”

Lancaster pulled out a notebook and took this information down.

“Is that all?” asked Gardiner, still clearly distracted.

“You need to tell us where you were when your father was killed.”

“My father? Now you’re accusing me of murdering my own father?”

“Again, I’m not accusing you of anything. I’m eliminating suspects, like we did for you just now with Susan Richards’s death.”

She looked at her calendar after Decker told her the time parameters. “I was home with my family. In fact, I was probably asleep at that hour. Like most people,” she added.

“And your husband can corroborate that?”

“If necessary,” she said between clenched teeth. “Is that all?”

“There’s another discrepancy,” said Decker. “But I’m sure you can clear it up.”

Gardiner looked wearily at him. “I remember that you never seemed to stop asking questions all those years ago.”

“And I’m afraid I haven’t changed. It just comes with the territory.”

“What discrepancy?”

“You said you’d never been in your father’s closet.”

Gardiner seemed instantly on the defensive. “Who told you that?”

“Actually, you did. The first time I was here to question you.”

“Oh, okay. But I don’t understand the discrepancy.”

“The police report indicates that you were the one to show the forensic techs the panel in the closet.”

Gardiner frowned. “I don’t remember doing that.”

“It was in the report.”

“Then the report is wrong. It can be, can’t it?”

Decker said, “So you’re saying you didn’t show them the panel?”

“I’m telling you I don’t remember doing that.”

“Okay. So they might have been searching and found it on their own.”

“I guess.”

“But why would they say that you told them about it?” asked Lancaster.

Gardiner was very pale now. “I... I don’t know. Maybe I did. I might have been helping them look or something. It’s possible. It was a long time ago. And I was not in a good frame of mind. I didn’t remember things very well.”

Decker said, “Understood. Well, thanks for your time.”

He stood. Lancaster quickly did as well, looking surprised that Decker was already done.

“That’s... that’s it?” said Gardiner, looking as surprised as Lancaster.

“For now, yes.” Decker slid the photo of her as a child toward her.

“I told you I didn’t want it.”

“I know. But sometimes people change their minds, don’t they?”

Gardiner made no move to pick up the photo.

Decker said, “We’ll find our own way out.”

As they got into their car Lancaster said, “Okay, I approve of your new ‘subtle’ nature, Decker. But you really closed out the interview fast. I thought it was just getting good.”

“It was just getting good. But you can also push someone too far.”

“She’s scared.”

“She is scared. Because she knows more than she’s telling us. And she’s very concerned that someone else will realize that too.”

“Are you saying she might be in danger?”

“Everyone connected with this case might be in danger, including you and me.”

“We’re cops, we signed up for that. Mitzi Gardiner didn’t.”

“Didn’t she?” said Decker as he put the car in drive.