Page 43 of The Couple's Secret
Poor Jackson. His start in life was almost as tragic as Tobias’s relationship history. A mother who’d abandoned him. A biological father who had been incarcerated and from what Jackson told them, only too happy to give up any claim on his son. Tobias had been the only stable adult he’d ever known, and he was dead now, too. Josie’s heart ached for the happy little boy in the photos she’d seen at his and Riley’s home. “That’s awful.”
“Sure was,” Fanning agreed. “Folks took pity on Tobias. Bringing him meals and babysitting Jackson until he got on his feet. In fact, that’s how he met Zane’s mom. Gabrielle was a teacher’s aide at the preschool Jackson went to and she’d babysit him after hours whenever Tobias needed. They started dating. Got married. She was a good mom to Jackson. Then Zane came along. They were happy. When Gabrielle passed, Tobias was even more devastated. People rallied around him just the same as when Rachel left. A lot of those people are here today.”
As if on cue, more people appeared on the crest of the hill. Some stopped to talk with the press before trying to find a place in the crowd nearest the tent.
Josie mentally reviewed what she could remember from the massive case file. This level of Tobias’s personal history wasn’t detailed in Fanning’s notes. “How do you know all this?”
Fanning shot her a grim smile. “I was friends with Tobias’s dad before he passed away. He was a volunteer firefighter. We crossed paths often. Him and his crew hung out in the same bar as me and a bunch of other officers.”
“Is that why you took the case?”
He turned back toward the caskets, smoothing his tie. “It’s why I wanted the case but no, it was just my turn.”
No wonder it had become an obsession for him.
Gretchen watched the people milling around the hillside, many of them craning their necks over the shoulders of those in front of them, trying to get a glimpse of one of the kids, no doubt. “Tobias was one unlucky guy.”
“Cora was quite unlucky herself,” Josie said.
Tobias had experienced more tragedy than anyone should and then he’d met a horrific end. Now, his children would bear the weight of his loss their entire lives. Cora hadn’t fared much better, escaping an abusive marriage only to die beside her new fiancé.
So much loss. Josie saw it on the job on a daily basis. If she didn’t maintain a strong professional armor around her heart, it would be too much to take. She now had a teenage girl at home who was living through it. Wren was hurting badly and all Josie wanted to do was be a positive force in her life, try to put some light back in her eyes. Gain her trust and squash the ever-present fear that her place in Josie and Noah’s home wasn’t secure.
She resisted the urge to quickly text Wren to see how her day was going. Phones were supposed to be used sparingly at school, even in the last two weeks before summer break. Besides, the only response would be the word “fine” or worse, “okay.” Josie and Noah had been surprised that Wren had been so willing to leave her old school in the middle of the year to start at a new one in Denton. They’d offered to make arrangements to get her back and forth from Fairfield so she could finish the school year before transferring. The transition from her father’s loving home to that of strangers was difficult enough. Their intention was to do everything in their power to make it as smooth as possible. Although Wren kept in touch with two friends from her old school, she had insisted on leaving mid-year and as far as they could tell, she’d adjusted.
The crowd stilled as Tobias and Cora’s children appeared on the top of the hill. Jackson and Zane flanked Riley, each of them holding one of her hands. Both brothers were dressed in dark suits that matched Riley’s plain black dress. Her strawberry-blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, bouncing softly with her steps. She kept her head down. Zane and Jackson pressed in closer to her, shielding her from the crowd. Whatever beef they had with one another, they were united in their feelings for Riley.
People murmured condolences as they passed. Hollis shuffled behind, wearing charcoal-gray slacks and a white button-down shirt that was only half tucked in. Red suffused his face. The early summer air still had a cool bite in the morning hours, but a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. He was the one to respond to the condolences, pausing to shake hands with people or give quick hugs.
Josie felt Fanning tense beside her. Once the children and Hollis were seated, he whispered, “Did I mention that Hollis had a thing for all of Tobias’s women?”
“No,” Gretchen replied just as quietly. “But Hollis mentioned he dated Jackson’s mom, Rachel.”
“And the way he spoke about Cora, it was clear he felt something for her,” Josie added.
“I think he had his eye on her for a long time before Tobias came into the picture,” Fanning said. “He was also sweet on Gabrielle. Sometimes he’d pick up Jackson from the preschool when Tobias was working late. Before she started dating Tobias, he asked her out, but she said no.”
Riley, Jackson and Zane took their seats, Riley nestled firmly between the brothers. Hollis sat next to Zane, mopping his brow with his sleeve.
Josie looked over at Fanning. “You know all this from your association with Tobias?”
“Most of it,” he said, laser-focused on Hollis. “But I also worked this case for six years. That’s a long time. Long enough to find out every possible thing about every person ever associated with Tobias and Cora.”
The pastor urged the crowd to move closer to the tent. Reporters and camera crews began to descend the hill, edging their way around people to get as close as they dared.
“Hollis told us he’s been divorced three times,” Gretchen said. “It seems he’s a known womanizer and a flirt. Hell, he tried to flirt with me while we were questioning him about a double murder.”
It definitely gave credence to the theory that Hollis had either committed the killings or orchestrated them, given that he’d shown interest in every woman with whom Tobias had had a serious relationship.
Fanning opened his mouth to respond but the pastor cleared his throat, quieting the crowd. Josie watched the faces of the people gathered as he began the service. They were solemn. Some people wept silently. Others couldn’t hold back their whimpers. One woman plucked a packet of tissues from her purse and began handing them out to those around her. Many of the men remained stoic, the only evidence of their grief the pain in their eyes and the clenching of their jaws.
Only one man looked out of place, and given the smirk on his face, Josie knew it was Dalton Stevens. He stood alone on the other side of the tent. Short and stocky, with the build of a wrestler, his frame bulged under his navy suit. Shocks of dirty-blond hair threaded with gray fell across his forehead. His hands were tucked into his pockets. Despite the way he was dressed and the palpable grief in the air, his posture was relaxed and casual. The barely concealed satisfaction on his stubbled face made Josie’s skin crawl.
Twenty-Four
Riley wept as the pastor read several bible passages. She leaned into her husband and Jackson slipped an arm around her protectively. Pain was etched across his face, but he kept his emotions tightly controlled. Zane held one of Riley’s hands and stared straight ahead. Tears rolled down his cheeks, but he was as still as a statue. The pastor asked if the family wanted to say a few words. Riley shook her head and sobbed into Jackson’s chest. An awkward silence stretched on, filled only with the happy chirping of birds. The sound was perverse given the circumstances. Finally, Hollis raised a hand. “I’ll say a few words.”
“Thanks, man,” Jackson said huskily, eyes glassy with unshed tears.
