The Edge

Chapter 63

She directed him to a little hole-in-the-wall Greek restaurant that was as far removed from the organic bulk of Only Real Food as it was possible to be. The interior was comprised of four tables and one waitress. She greeted Alex with a warm smile and a lingering hug and cast Devine an intrigued glance.

“Travis Devine, this is Chloe Samaras,” said Alex.

The three other tables were occupied, and Samaras directed them to the fourth and most private table, well away from the others and along the back wall. She deposited the menus in front of them, took their drink orders — Mythos beer for Devine and a glass of Prosecco for Alex — and left.

“I didn’t think you came into town much,” he said.

“When I do, I usually come here to eat.”

“Why’s that?”

“Chloe and I went to high school together. She’s really nice. Her uncle Tony is the chef. He taught me how to cook some really cool Greek dishes.”

Their drinks came. After Alex took a sip of her Prosecco she said, “So why dinner? Do you have more questions?”

“Yes, but I also wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay.”

She fingered the stem of her glass and sank back in her chair. It started to rain, the drops pattering against the restaurant’s plate glass window.

“When I was little my dad and I would go up to the widow’s walk and watch the storms roll in and out. Not if it was lightning, of course. And we would talk about stuff. It was really nice. Like when I would sit in his office and watch him write while I drew things in my sketchpad.”

“Did you ever draw him?”

She smiled. “All the time, with varying degrees of success.”

“Ever think you finally captured the true essence of the man?”

Alex’s smile faded. “No,” she said. “Your questions?”

“Why don’t we eat first? Might go better.”

Devine ordered kotosoupa and pastitsada with beef, while Alex had gigantes beans to start and grilled vegetables with warm pita for her dinner.

Devine took one spoonful of his soup and looked at her. “Wow.”

“I know, right?”

The main meals were just as savory.

“Okay,” said Devine. “I’m definitely coming back here. Thanks for the introduction to Putnam’s finest Greek food.”

“You’re welcome. Now, your questions?”

He set his knife and fork down, took the last sip of his beer, and said, “You ever have any interactions with Benjamin Bing?”

Her eyes narrowed. “What a strange question. Why do you ask?”

“He was the police chief back when you were attacked. I was just wondering what you thought of him, how he handled things.”

“I don’t remember dealing with him directly. Chief Harper was a sergeant then, I believe, and they had other officers, too, but my family mostly dealt with Harper.”

“How about before you were attacked? Anything with Bing?”

“I’d see him in the little Christmas parade we have every year. My father knew him quite well. It was a political friendship, I gathered. I do recall that one of the boys I went to high school with stole a car for a joyride and wrecked it while Bing was chasing him. The story was Bing pulled the boy out of the car and...”

“And what?” prompted Devine.

“Well, beat him up.”

“How did his parents take that?”

“They sided with the chief. They thought Tim deserved to be taught a lesson. It was so unfair. He only stole that car to take a girl for a ride. And if Bing hadn’t been chasing him, none of that would have happened.”

“How do you know Tim wanted to take a girl for a ride?”

Alex blushed and rubbed the condensation off her glass. “We were sort of seeing each other then. Nothing serious. We were only fifteen. Well, he was sixteen. I was always the youngest in the class.”

“Because of your late birthday and the fact that you skipped a grade.” She looked at him in surprise. “Your mother told me, with a lot of pride in her voice. She said something like ‘not even Jenny managed to do that.’”

Alex looked down and didn’t comment.

“Did Bing know you and Tim were... dating?”

“It’s a small town, Travis. Everyone knows your business. But why is this important?”

“Benjamin Bing hasn’t been seen in Florida in about two weeks.”

“So?” she said.

“So that means he could be up here.”

“Why would he be in Maine as opposed to Florida? In the winter?”

“He could have been up here when Jenny was killed, when I was shot at, and when Earl was killed.”

“Wait, you think Bing did those things?”

“It’s possible.”

“But what would be his motive? Why would he want to kill Jenny?”

“Jenny was up here on unfinished business.”

“But that was about what happened to me, so...” She paused, her eyes becoming rigid, her gaze fixed.

For one awful moment Devine thought she was going to have another episode. And part of me hopes she does and names Benjamin Bing as her rapist.

“You actually think Benjamin Bing attacked me?” said Alex incredulously.

Devine looked around at the other patrons and said, “Let’s keep it between us, okay? No need to let others in on this.”

“I’m... I’m sorry. I just can’t comprehend what you’re saying.”

“Look, it wouldn’t be the first time a cop went bad. And he chases down and beats up your boyfriend? What are the odds? And then your rape kit goes missing? He would have had unfettered access to that. And then the Palmers? What if they saw him fleeing a minute before they found you?”

“There’s no proof of that.”

“Actually, there is. Or at least the Palmers seeing someone that night.” He went on to explain to Alex about Jenny having pulled the satellite footage showing the car, and Steve and Valerie Palmer crossing paths with another car right around the time of the attack on her.

“But then why didn’t they report it?” she said, looking distraught.

“They were having money problems. Maybe they were putting the squeeze on him. Frederic Bing Sr. was an early disciple of Warren Buffett. They could afford to pay so their good name would not be dragged through the mud. And Benjamin was the police chief. The Palmers might have been afraid to go up against him. And they had no real proof. But then Jenny comes up here looking for the truth and he gets wind of it? He has to nip that in the bud.”

“That sounds very far-fetched. And what about Earl? You said someone killed him. What possible reason would Benjamin Bing have to kill Earl?”

“Because he got Earl to pretend to find your sister’s body, and was probably afraid he would have a change of heart.”

She looked gobsmacked. “How would he get Earl to lie about finding Jenny’s body?”

“That one I haven’t figured out yet,” Devine conceded. “But you remember nothing else with Bing? Nothing that would show he might have been infatuated with you?”

“No, that’s gross. He’s my father’s age.”

“He was only forty-five when you were attacked.”

“I wasn’t even sixteen!” she said heatedly, drawing stares from some of the customers.

“I don’t want to believe he was interested in you that way.” He gripped her hand. “But if he was, Alex, it was his issue, not yours.”

“But I’m the one suffering.”

“Yes, you are,” said Devine. “But I will help you in any way I can, to get through this.”