The Last Word

Chapter 15

He wishes that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage.

—STEPHEN CRANE

As if to make up for its sluggish pace at Harris’s house, time rocketed forward, giving Olivia only a dizzying impression of hospital hallways and the scent of ammonia and an animalistic blend of sickness and fear. She ended up in a waiting room with blue chairs and beige walls. The area was so bland that the enormous vase of Matisse-bold daylilies on the counter of the nurses’ station seemed jarringly bright.

At some point, Harris’s parents arrived—a nice-looking, tidy couple in cotton shirts and khaki pants. They gripped each other as Rawlings explained what had happened.

Estelle showed up soon after, crying theatrically and cornering everyone in scrubs to demand an update on her boyfriend’s condition. Millay paced outside the swinging doors of the OR like a caged leopard. Laurel pushed cups of vending machine coffee into people’s hands. They all waited, glass-eyed, as the television relayed the day’s news and hospital personnel passed by with carts of food, medicine, or clean linen.

No one said a word to Olivia about Haviland’s presence. Perhaps because she sat so upright and so still, her gaze fixed on the too-bold arrangement of lilies, they believed she was visually impaired.

To escape the madness of waiting, of not knowing, Olivia had been thinking deeply about art. Influenced by the flowers, she visualized all the Matisse paintings she could call to mind. She repeated the exercise with Georgia O’Keefe. Then, trying to imagine what kinds of paintings would fit best on the waiting room’s walls, she sifted through a mental gallery of Rembrandt and Dürer and Caravaggio, thinking that their use of chiaroscuro was more suitable for the oppressive atmosphere than the lackluster botanicals lined up above Estelle’s head.

A doctor in Carolina blue scrubs pushed open the doors to the OR, and the images of art vanished from Olivia’s mind like a snuffed candle flame. The physician scanned the room with quick, intelligent eyes and picked out Mr. and Mrs. Williams. He pushed his paper mask below his chin, and the smile of assurance he bestowed on the frightened parents caught everyone’s attention.

Estelle sprang to her feet, peppering the man with questions until he put a hand on her shoulder and waited for her to calm down. Keeping his focus on Harris’s parents, he spoke in a deep, confident tone, and though Olivia couldn’t hear the specifics, she caught enough phrases such as “avoided major organs,” and “bullet intact,” and “in stable condition,” to know that Harris was out of danger.

When Estelle demanded to see him, the doctor told her that the patient had had significant blood loss and he’d need to rest for now. The result of his gentle refusal was that Estelle burst into a fresh bout of tears. Looking pained, the doctor removed the paper cap from his head and scrunched it into a ball between his hands. “The moment he woke up, Harris asked to see Millay. Are you Millay?”

Estelle’s pretty mouth curled into an angry sneer. “No. I’m his girlfriend. You must have misunderstood. Harris mumbles all the time. I’m always telling him to speak clearly, like I do on the phone. That’s an important part of my job, you know.” She sniffed and then dabbed at her eyes. “People notice you if you enunciate.”

The surgeon sent Harris’s parents a glance of befuddlement, but they were staring at Estelle with distaste. Olivia wondered if Estelle was even aware that it was unwise to insult their only child, especially when Harris had come so close to losing his life.

Millay, who had stopped pacing during this exchange, touched the surgeon lightly on the arm. “I’m the one he’s asking for,” she said softly, joy shining from her face like a lighthouse beacon. She then looked directly at Estelle, and Olivia was surprised to see sympathy in her friend’s dark eyes. “Harris doesn’t mumble. And unlike most people, he only talks when he’s got something to say. You should have listened more closely. I bet you missed out on some good stuff.” She paused. “I know I have.”

The surgeon promised to return for Harris’s parents as soon as it was clear he was up to having more visitors and led Millay away, cautioning her that she’d only have a few minutes with the patient.

“Don’t worry, Doc. I’ll make them count,” they heard her say before they rounded a corner and were gone.

Olivia only hung around long enough to see Millay reemerge from the recovery area ten minutes later. Her skin, which had previously appeared jaundiced with shock and worry beneath the waiting room’s harsh flu-orescents, now glowed with relief and something else Olivia couldn’t identify. Gratitude? Devotion?

Her friend shot her a brief, encouraging smile before heading straight for Harris’s parents. Millay put her hand on his mother’s arm and began to talk quickly and calmly. As Olivia watched, air seemed to rush from Mrs. Williams’ lungs and the tight cords of fear that had pushed her shoulders together relaxed. Murmuring her thanks, she and her husband went off to the nurses’ station to beg for a few moments with their son.

Estelle had fallen mercifully silent, clutching her can of diet soda and watching Millay with venomous eyes.

Having no wish to be around when the girl’s dramatics began again, Olivia touched Haviland on the collar and crossed the room to where Laurel sat. “We probably won’t be able to visit Harris until tomorrow, so why don’t I call us a cab?”

Rawlings, who had left the waiting area to phone into the station, returned. His purposeful gait told her that his subordinates had given him good news and that he was impatient to join them. Once Millay informed him of Harris’s condition, it was clear that the chief wouldn’t hang around any longer.

“I’d like to get statements from everyone tonight. An officer will drop you ladies at home afterward.”

Millay shook her head. “I’m not leaving.”

Estelle slowly rose from her seat, chin held high like a queen, and said, “You don’t have to stay. I’ll make sure they treat Harris right. I’m his girlfriend, remember?”

Olivia expected Millay to snap at her rival, but she didn’t. “Okay,” she agreed placidly. “You hold down the fort and I’ll be back as soon as I’m done helping the cops tie Cora up in a supertight bow.” Her lips thinned in anger and her voice grew cold as she turned to Rawlings. “I don’t want anything to get in the way of her being shipped to the roughest, dirtiest women’s prison in the state. I hope her cell mate has some major anger-management issues.”

Rawlings slipped an arm around the girl’s tiny waist and gave her a fatherly squeeze. “Rest assured, Millay. Mr. and Mrs. Vickers won’t look back on their early days of marriage very fondly.”

“And since those are the best ones, they don’t have much to look forward to,” Laurel mumbled but then hastily brightened. “But Harris is going to be all right and Oyster Bay is safe again. That’s what really matters.”

Olivia was momentarily stunned by Laurel’s behavior but grinned and gave her a friendly nudge, buoyant with relief that she and her friends and her town could sleep soundly tonight. Not one of the Bayside Book Writers believed Cora’s claim that she hadn’t killed Nick. The woman had already been caught lying, but Rawlings would gently ease the truth from her. Olivia was certain of it. “Once again, you’re going to have the lead article in the paper,” she told Laurel. “Maybe you should consider writing a true-crime novel.”

Laurel shook her head. “No way. I’m half done with my women’s fiction novel, and I need to see how The Wife ends up.”

“Me too,” Olivia said quietly, looking her friend in the eye. “But wherever that is, she won’t be alone. She’s got us.”

Late the next morning, Olivia stopped by the station with bagels and coffee only to be informed by Officer Cook that Rawlings was on his way to Beaufort.

“Gathering evidence?” she asked conversationally, but the look on Cook’s face was troubled.

She handed him the box of bagels along with a bag containing pints of flavored cream cheeses. “Is something wrong?”

He gave the hint of a shrug and set the food offerings on a desk. Prying open the cardboard carrier filled with bagels, he gave them an appreciative sniff. “There’s been a little complication, but the chief’ll sort it out.”

Olivia knew the men and women of the Oyster Bay Police Department had complete faith in Rawlings, but there was a pause in Cook’s voice that told her the case against the Vickers was not quite open and shut.

“That witch shot my friend,” she said in a taut voice. “Please tell me she won’t get off on some technicality.”

Cook blinked in surprise. “No, ma’am, we’ve got the both of them on multiple charges, just not the one the media’s gonna care about.”

“Nick Plumley’s murder?”

Having already confided more than he’d intended, Cook murmured something about bringing the bagels to the kitchen and hustled off.

After calling Kim and receiving a lengthy update on both Caitlyn and Anders, Olivia took Haviland to the park and then tried to work on her novel, but even the comfortable din of Grumpy’s lunchtime crowd couldn’t encourage her muse. Finally, she snapped her laptop closed and decided to whittle down the mound of paperwork awaiting her at The Boot Top.

At two o’clock, the restaurant was quiet. One of the sous-chefs was taking inventory, and he greeted her with a distracted wave of the hand before disappearing into the walk-in refrigerator. Olivia fixed herself a coffee, gave Haviland a bone, and settled down at her desk. She read e-mails, placed orders, and reviewed next week’s menu until the kitchen began to fill with the sounds of preparation.

“Is it safe to enter your lair?” Michel asked after knocking lightly on the open door.

Olivia turned down the volume of her computer speakers, and Beethoven’s Piano Trio in C minor faded to a whisper. “That depends. What’s going on between you and Laurel?”

“Nothing shady,” he answered with a note of disappointment. “She’s an honorable woman. That bastard she married has no idea what a gem he had.”

Olivia raised her brows. “Had? Laurel’s going to leave Steve?”

Michel fidgeted with his watchband. “I don’t know. All she’ll tell me for certain is that he began treating her like dirt when she went back to work. Laurel thinks he’s having an affair. I know that a woman’s instincts are only truly understood by other females and the Almighty.” He glanced heavenward, shaking his head in awe. “But I have learned to respect them.”

Scowling, Olivia put down her pen. “But she hasn’t confronted him, has she? Whenever things get unpleasant at home, she runs into your open arms instead. This Shakespearean crap is what you thrive on, Michel. Laurel isn’t like you. She has two little boys and, I hate to tell you this, but she’s still in love with her husband. You’re going to get hurt, Michel. You always do.” She reached for his hand. “The difference is that this time, the woman whose heart you’re playing with is my friend.” Olivia exhaled wearily. “This has to stop before Laurel does something she regrets.”

“Mon Dieu, how I wish she would!” Michel exclaimed and flounced from the office.

“Is it cocktail time yet?” Olivia wondered aloud and then dialed the chief’s cell phone number. “You’re probably exhausted,” she said when he picked up. “But would you like to meet me for a drink?”

Rawlings hesitated. “Do you want my company or are you just fishing for updates on the case?”

“Both,” Olivia replied honestly. “Though I’d be glad to see you even if you refused to talk about anything but the weather.”

“Liar.” Rawlings laughed. “But I accept. Your bar or mine?”

“Gabe will pour more liberally than any other bartender in town,” was her answer. “Will you be off the clock or should he stock the bar with chocolate syrup?”

“I’ll have what you’re having,” the chief said and told her to expect him in an hour or so.

After making two more calls, one to Harris and the second to Hudson, Olivia took the cosmetic bag she kept in her desk drawer into the ladies’ room. As she combed through her white blond hair until it gleamed in the soft light of the wall sconces flanking the mirror and refreshed her lipstick, she thought of what a relief it was to know that Anders would be coming home in a week’s time to a more peaceful town. Tomorrow afternoon Laurel would take Olivia shopping for the best baby gear money could buy.

How she wished Rawlings would tell her that the case was closed, leaving Olivia to concentrate on her family members and her new business. More importantly, she could finally prove to Rawlings that she was ready to have a relationship with him. She dabbed fragrant droplets of Shalimar onto the nape of her neck and the inside of both wrists, suddenly struck by the realization that whether the murderer was apprehended or not had little to do with her desire to be with Rawlings. She needn’t conceal her feelings for him because the case was still open.

Seeing the glimmer of expectation in her eyes, Olivia gave her reflection a self-conscious grin and then headed to the bar.

Gabe began making her drink immediately. When Rawlings walked in, the barkeep welcomed the chief and gestured at the rows of shining bottles lined up behind the bar. “What’s your pleasure, Chief?”

“Same as the lady, please.” Rawlings ran the fingers of his right hand through his hair and sighed. “You’d better give me three fingers instead of two, Gabe. It’s been that kind of day.”

Olivia and Rawlings took their drinks and withdrew to one of the bar’s intimate tables and clinked glasses.

“I feel better already,” Rawlings said before taking a sip. “Just seeing you.”

“That shows just how tired you are,” she teased. “Harris is doing well, by the way. Millay’s been texting me with regular reports, and I talked to him about an hour ago. He sounds almost happy to have been shot.”

With a wry grin, Rawlings said, “Hey, if it gets you the girl . . .”

Their eyes met and they both smiled over the rims of their glasses. A waitress materialized and put down a plate of bruschetta with fresh basil and diced tomatoes as well as a small platter containing a round of baked Brie encircled by olives. Rawlings stared at the food but didn’t reach for any of it.

“The Vickers did not kill Nick Plumley,” he said solemnly. “The woman who owns their rental cottage inadvertently provided them with an alibi for the morning in question. Their credit card was declined the day before and she’d spoken to them about an alternate means of payment. They promised to have cash for her by the end of their wedding day on Wednesday but failed to give her any. By Thursday, she was concerned that the couple would try to skip out without taking care of their bill.” He sliced through the soft Brie with a cheese knife. “We’re not talking about small change here either. The landlady had taken care of all the arrangements for their marriage ceremony. Between the food, the photographer, and the rental house, they owe her a few thousand.”

Olivia whistled. “So she went knocking on the door of their honeymoon suite the morning after they got married. Whoa.”

Rawlings colored. “She stopped by several times but no one ever answered. Finally, she just let herself in and found Mr. and Mrs. Vickers in a rather, ah, compromising position. Mr. Vickers yelled at her to get lost and she was flustered enough to do just that.” He took a bite of bruschetta and rolled his eyes in delight. “Delicious.”

“The poor woman,” Olivia said with a laugh. “Not only is she out a few grand but she got an eyeful too.”

Nodding, the chief’s good humor quickly evaporated. “She was hoping that by telling me about the incident I could help recover her losses, but she ended up aiding the Vickers. They now have a solid alibi for the morning of Mr. Plumley’s murder.”

“But they are guilty of shooting Harris and of breaking and entering into more than one home. They stole the painting from my kitchen, right?”

“The Vickers have confessed to those crimes, yes. Thankfully, the painting was unharmed. I’ve got it in my office.”

Olivia hadn’t realized she was holding her breath until she let it go. “I was so worried about Harris that I forgot all about the watercolor.”

“As you should, considering all that’s happened.” Rawlings fell silent for a moment. He placed food on a small plate and handed it to Olivia and then fixed one for himself. They ate quietly for a little while, enjoying the creamy cheese, the crisp bread seasoned with garlic and olive oil, and each other’s company. “Mrs. Vickers told me something else,” the chief said sotto voce. “Something I’m only going to share with you because I trust you.”

Olivia could hear the unspoken directive. Rawlings was ordering her not to tell anyone else. She nodded in understanding.

“Mrs. Vickers confessed to having blackmailed her ex-husband for years. According to her, Mr. Plumley once told her that he was responsible for the death of an old woman. Other than his father, this woman was his primary source for The Barbed Wire Flower.”

Leaning forward in her chair, Olivia opened her mouth to ask a question but Rawlings held up a finger. “I know what you want to ask, but listen to the whole story first. Mrs. Vickers alleges that Mr. Plumley made this confession after drinking a great deal of vodka. It was the same night they conceived their son, in fact. The two parted ways and then Mrs. Vickers had her own secret to carry.”

He paused and Olivia wondered if he too was picturing Cora touching her swollen belly, her face slack with shock as her obstetrician gave her the hard news that her son had Down’s syndrome.

“So they lived separate lives until Mr. Plumley’s novel was released and immediately hit the bestseller list,” Rawlings continued. “At that point, his ex-wife paid him a visit and demanded money. They struck a deal. She would remain silent about what happened to his source in return for quarterly payments in cash.”

Olivia couldn’t contain herself. “Was the woman Evelyn White? Did Plumley kill her?”

“Mrs. Vickers claims that Mr. Plumley let Ms. White read an early draft of A Barbed Wire Flower. This was years before the book was actually published. Ms. White never knew that Plumley’s real name was Ziegler, and she told him over and over that it was Nicklaus Ziegler who murdered James Hatcher, the Camp New Bern guard, not Heinrich Kamler.”

Groaning, Olivia picked up her glass. “But Plumley ignored her and portrayed Kamler as the killer, just like the papers did in 1945.”

“Yes, and Ms. White became very upset. She’d only agreed to tell him her story on the condition that he’d rewrite that event the way she believed it to have happened.” Rawlings noted Olivia’s empty tumbler and gently took it from her hand. “Even though Mr. Plumley’s book was a work of fiction, Ms. White had hoped that it would help right the wrong done to Kamler’s reputation.” He sighed. “I’d better get you a refill before I continue. Be right back.”

Rawlings headed for the bar, but Olivia sat frozen in her chair. Once again, she was overwhelmed by the losses Evelyn and Heinrich had experienced. Plumley had had the chance to assuage a small bit of Evelyn’s pain, but he couldn’t do it.

After listening to Evelyn White’s stories, Plumley must have suspected that he was the son of the real murderer. Evelyn didn’t know this, of course, because he wasn’t going by the name of Ziegler. This left Nick the freedom to continue burying the truth, filling his novel with the same lie the newspapers had printed, and profiting from the deceit.

Worst of all, the bastard had betrayed Evelyn. She’d given up her child, lived a lifetime apart from the man she loved, and then, in what was probably her last chance to seek a measure of redemption for her Henry, had been denied that small opportunity.

“So were both the Zieglers murderers? Father and son?” Olivia demanded angrily when Rawlings returned with their drinks. “And cowards? Stabbing a man in the back and killing an old lady!”

Rawlings squatted at her side, his eyes softening. “I knew this would upset you. You felt a connection to Ms. White.”

It wasn’t a question. Olivia said, “Tell me how she died.”

“I will, but remember that this is all hearsay,” the chief reminded her gently.

“Tell me,” she insisted.

He took a swallow of Chivas Regal. “When Ms. White read the escape scene in the draft of The Barbed Wire Flower, she grew hysterical. Mr. Plumley panicked, fearing that Ms. White’s nurse would come running and would find out that he’d broken his promise. He was afraid that Evelyn would tell her story to others, to the nurse perhaps. According to his ex-wife, Mr. Plumley silenced Evelyn White by smothering her with a pillow.”

Olivia closed her eyes, trying to keep her features under control. It was too easy for her to visualize Nick Plumley grabbing the pillow from under Evelyn’s head and pressing it against the old woman’s face. She could see Evelyn’s limbs jerking below the bedsheets, her thin nails clasping at the arms that were robbing her of breath, of life.

“Why would he give her a copy?” Olivia managed to ask after several long moments of silence.

Rawlings threw out his arms in a helpless gesture. “Mrs. Vickers claims that Nick had come to view Ms. White as a sort of mother figure. He desperately wanted her approval and had convinced himself that she’d be so dazzled by his skill as a writer that she’d overlook the details of the escape scene. Perhaps he was convinced by his own fiction.”

Disgusted, Olivia pushed the ice around in her glass with the tip of her finger. Suddenly, she was struck by a thought. “Did Cora talk about this to anyone else?”

“She said that only her new husband knew what Mr. Plumley had done. She promised Boyd that he’d be able to open his own gym one day with the payments they received from Mr. Plumley. When they stole the painting from your house, they planned to sell it and use the funds to pay off their credit cards and secure a loan. Between the painting and the life insurance payout, they could finally climb out of debt.” Getting up slowly, Rawlings went back to his seat.

“Cora knew that Nick had come to Oyster Bay in search of that painting. Evelyn must have told him about it, but why did he want it so desperately? Was he afraid that Kamler had written something about his father on the back instead of a love letter to Evelyn?”

Rawlings rubbed his chin. “Perhaps he simply wanted to possess one of her treasures. They must have spent a great deal of time together and she obviously told him things she’d never told anyone else.”

“That’s it!” Olivia’s eyes flashed. “Evelyn told him that her greatest treasures were in Oyster Bay. Treasure s. Plural. The painting was one of them, but the second was not made of canvas and paint, but of flesh and blood. I think Evelyn knew exactly who adopted the child fathered by Heinrich Kamler. That child’s been right here the whole time.”

“Her son. The living reminder of the man she loved.” The glimmer in Olivia’s deep-sea eyes was reflected in the chief’s excited hazel gaze. “He’d be in his midsixties, just like our suspect, Mr. Hatcher.”

“Exactly,” Olivia said, barely above a whisper. “Raymond Hatcher was raised by Agnes Hatcher. Dave was his adopted brother. Ray was brought into the Hatcher home from an orphanage months after James Hatcher was killed. Ray claimed to have never known the identity of his biological parents. So if Raymond Hatcher is Evelyn’s son, then he has two motives: money and revenge. Nick Plumley tarnished his father’s name and benefited financially from his mother’s story. Hatcher is big and strong. He could have easily strangled Plumley.”

The chief’s face grew stony. “Could have, Olivia. Don’t form a lynch mob just yet.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. “This long day is about to become a long night. I’ve got to order some coffee.”

Olivia waved for him to stay put. “You have some time before your men bring him in. Please, let me order you something for dinner. If you’re going to be up for hours, you’ll need food.”

Rawlings smiled at her, and she felt the warmth of it spread through her body. “Actually, if you could make me two dinners to-go, I’ll share a meal with Mr. Hatcher. It’s amazing what folks will say over a piece of steak and a bottle of beer.”

“That’s quite an unusual interview technique,” Olivia quipped with a raised brow. “But then again, you never fail to surprise me.”

The smile grew wider and warmer still. “Is that why you find me so irresistible?”

Olivia was fully aware that the chief was teasing her, but she walked to his side and looked at him, hoping the intensity of her desire would leap from her eyes into his like a jumping spark.

“That’s one of the reasons.” Her voice was deep and low, filled with the caress she longed to bestow upon him here, in front of everyone, if only she had the courage. “When this is all over, I’d like to discover more.”