The Sleeping Beauty Killer

16

They were in Alex’s apartment waiting for the kickoff. The football game hadn’t started, but game snacks were in full force. An array of chips, dips, and crackers was spread across the top of a sideboard in Alex’s living room. “I assume Timmy is responsible for the nearly empty bowl of cheese popcorn,” Laurie said.

“I ate some, too,” Alex volunteered. He was sitting on the couch, his arm around her.

“Ramon, if it were up to Timmy, he’d eat nothing but macaroni and cheese, and cheese popcorn,” Laurie said.

Ramon’s official (and self-selected) title was butler, but he was also Alex’s assistant, chef, and trusted friend. And fortunately for Alex and anyone he invited into his home, he was a natural party planner, always able to pull together the perfect menu for an event.

“Don’t worry, it’s not all junk,” Ramon responded with a smile. “I made a healthy turkey chili for dinner. Can I pour you a glass of Chardonnay?”

Alex had greeted Laurie with a warm kiss. “I’d say Ramon knows you pretty well, Laurie,” he now said matter-of-factly. “I’m glad you made it. I know how heartbroken you’d have been if you missed a single play.”

Laurie enjoyed watching football, but she was not an avid fan. But she loved watching her son and father enjoy sports together, so she cheered for all their favorite teams. And when Alex had settled next to her on the sofa for the kickoff and placed his arm around her shoulder, she liked that, too.

At halftime, Timmy eagerly followed Ramon into the kitchen to make his own sundae for dessert. Laurie’s father immediately asked how things had gone in Connecticut. “At least Casey didn’t take another shopping trip,” he said disapprovingly. “Hitting the mall straight from the prison? Not the best PR move if she wants people to feel sorry for her.”

“It wasn’t like that, Dad. She literally didn’t have any clothes.”

Laurie started to bring Alex up to speed, but Alex cut her off. “Your father mentioned she had come to see you.” There was something odd in his voice.

“Based on that reaction, I’d say Dad also made it clear that he doesn’t want me touching the case with a ten-foot pole. And I suspect you don’t either.”

“Sorry,” Alex said, “I didn’t mean to sound so negative.”

“So now that you’ve had more time with her, what’s your opinion?” Leo asked. “Is she as crazy as they say?”

“Not at all.” She paused, searching for the right adjectives. “She’s straightforward. Very matter-of-fact. She spoke very clearly and openly about her own case, but without emotion. Almost as if she were a reporter or a lawyer.”

“That’s because she’s lying,” Leo said.

“I don’t know about that, Dad. Her description of her mental state that night seemed very credible. And there’s evidence that one of Hunter’s most treasured possessions was missing from the house. From what I can tell, the police never looked into it.”

“See? She’s got you blaming the police, just like she did during her trial.”

“That’s not what I meant. No one ever realized it was gone. She figured it out herself from old crime scene photos. I confirmed it with Hunter’s housekeeper. That’s where I was after work tonight. Alex, you’re being awfully quiet. Did you follow that case during the trial?”

“Sorry, I figured now that I’m no longer on the show…”

“Nothing official. I’m just curious about your take,” she urged.

Leo shook his head. “Please talk some sense into her.”

“Look, the evidence against her was very strong,” Alex noted. “I’m sure you know that. Some of the jurors said after the trial that the overwhelming majority wanted to convict her of murder. There were two holdouts who felt sorry for her and convinced everyone to go with manslaughter to avoid a hung jury.”

“Do you know anything about her lawyer, Janice Marwood? Casey and her mother made it sound like she was a disaster.”

“Not personally, but at the time, I thought she wasn’t very good. Her defense was all over the place. On the one hand, she tried to suggest that the police may have tampered with evidence to get a quick arrest in a high-profile case. But toward the end of the case, she suggested that even if Casey were guilty, she’d killed Hunter in a heat of passion. Meanwhile, Casey didn’t testify, and the jury had no clear narrative to guide them. Basically, I’d give it a C-minus.”

“Dad, for what it’s worth, if I do look into Casey’s claims, I wouldn’t be giving her a free pass. You know how our show works. We put everyone under a microscope. She could come out of this looking very, very bad.”

“But not going to prison,” he said. “She already served her time. And if it turns out that she killed him in cold blood, they can’t send her back for murder. She was acquitted. Double jeopardy, right, Alex?”

“That’s correct. Laurie, she would be the first person to appear on your show without fear of being charged and convicted if you found additional evidence against her.”

It was a good point, but Laurie wasn’t sure it should be a deal breaker. “I’ll need to decide soon. Brett is breathing down my neck.”

Alex looked troubled.

“You look as though you want to say something.”

He shook his head, but still seemed distant. “I just wouldn’t rush into something because Brett is pressuring you.”

“Not to mention the pain in the butt he hired as my host without consulting me.”

Leo immediately began protesting on her behalf, threatening to call Brett to lecture him about leadership.

“Dad, I’m a grown woman. I can’t have my father calling my boss.”

“Any chance I know this particular guy?” Alex asked.

“Maybe. His name’s Ryan Nichols.”

Alex let out a whistle. “Serious up-and-comer. I’ve got to say, you could do far worse.”

“I know. On paper, he’s perfect in every way. He’s got a big reputation, but with an ego to match. He strikes me as the kind of person who kisses the mirror every morning, and I’m just not sure he has the goods. Plus, he’s the nephew of Brett’s best friend, so there’s major nepotism at work. You should have seen the way Brett kept looking to Ryan for his opinion. It’s as though I’m losing my own show.” She noticed Alex’s gaze shift toward his view of the East River. Talking about Casey was one thing, but she shouldn’t have started complaining about Ryan.

Timmy arrived in the living room with a banana split. “Mom, Ramon bought five different flavors of ice cream. Isn’t that great?”

For the rest of the night, she didn’t mention work because she didn’t want Alex to feel responsible for the problems she was having. But she realized how much she was missing him already.