Page 26 of Memory of Murder
“I’m so sorry. If Mary didn’t tell you this, then I’m guessing she found a way and determined that all was as it should be.” She stared into her cup a moment. “I probably shouldn’t have told you.” Her gaze lifted to Anne’s once more. “But Mary was beside herself about it for reasons she never explained. Of course, it was easy enough to assume the reason. I suppose Eve didn’t agree with some aspect of the situation. Whatever the case, the two were out of sorts.”
Jack watched Anne carefully to ensure she was going to hold it together after that revelation. There certainly hadn’t been anything in the diary about another love interest.
Anne moistened her lips. “You’re right. I didn’t know, but now it’s important that I know everything possible if I’m going to find the truth.”
“Do you know if she spoke to Eve or to her other friend, Carin about this?” Jack chimed in, hoping to usher things forward. He felt bad at the sorrow clouding Anne’s eyes.
“I don’t know.” Farrell picked up her tea once more. “I actually found out by accident. It was Mary’s planning period, and her class was in the gym. It was mine as well. My class was in art, but I went to the gym for a personal reason. The PE instructorat the time was my husband’s first cousin. We were planning a cookout that weekend, so I popped into the gym to run the date and time by him.”
“Was Mary in the gym?” Anne asked.
“No. No. She was in her classroom.” A frown furrowed across the older woman’s brow. “As I walked into the gym one of Mary’s third graders stopped playing and started crying. She said she didn’t feel well and wanted to go home.” Her gaze grew distant as if the memory was playing like a movie reel in her mind. “Suddenly the little girl fell to the floor and had a seizure. While Winston, our cousin, saw to her, I ran to the nurse’s office. I sent her to the gym, then I rushed to Mary and told her what had happened. She hurriedout of the room, and I collapsed into her chair to catch my breath.”
“Was the little girl okay?”
Farrell nodded at Anne. “Oh, yes. A fever caused the seizure. She had a thorough checkup and spent a few days at home, and then she was fine.”
Farrell hesitated a moment. “When I stood to go from Mary’s room I noticed a brochure open on her desk. I didn’t mean to be nosy, but it was right there. Later, I asked her if everything was all right, and she broke down into tears and said she had to be sure about who the father was before she and Neil could move ahead with their wedding plans.”
Her face pale, Anne tackled the next realistic question. “Was she planning an abortion if things didn’t turn out the way she hoped?”
The hollow sound of her voice tore at Jack.
“Oh, no,” Farrell insisted. “She’d already picked out names and nursery furniture. She said she just had to know so she could tell Neil. She was adamant that he should know the truth.”
When Anne said nothing more, Jack asked, “Mrs. Farrell, did Mary mention who the father might be if not Neil Reed?”
Another fervent shake of her head. “No. She wouldn’t talk about it. When I asked she grew very upset…angry, even.” She looked Jack directly in the eyes. “But I can tell you one thing for certain—Mary Morton was a good woman. Kind and loyal to a fault. Whatever happened, she didn’t mean for it to happen. As good a person as she was, she was only human.” Beatrice shook her head again. “Still, I cannot imagine how the situation came about. The next thing I knew, Neil was dead and Mary had been charged with his murder. I tried to see her, but they wouldn’t let me. They said she didn’t want to see me, but I didn’t believe them.”
“Did you tell the police about the paternity test?”
Farrell looked away. When she turned back to Anne, tears sat on her lashes. “No, I didn’t. Because I believed with all my heart that Mary would never have hurt Neil or anyone else. I wasn’t about to give them any more ammunition to use against her.”
“I’m sure she appreciated that,” Anne said softly. “Do you recall the name of the lab?”
“Well, you would think so. I stared at the brochure for several seconds. I guess I was a bit stunned. But I don’t recall the name. It’s been a long time.”
Anne nodded.
When the silence lingered, Jack pulled a business card from his pocket and passed it to the former teacher. “I hope you’ll call if you think of anything at all that might help us.”
She stared at the card a moment and nodded, then she placed it on the table. Her hand went to Anne’s. “I am so sorry if this news hurt you, but please don’t hold it against your mother. However the question of paternity came about, she suffered enough when Neil was murdered.”
“I guess I don’t understand. If Mary was such a good person, why did no one stand up for her at trial?” Anne held up a hand. “I recognize that you did by not telling the police about thepaternity test, but why no one else? No other teacher? None of her other friends? No one?”
The pain in her voice and on her face twisted a knot in Jack’s gut. He had known this would be hard. But that didn’t make watching it happen any easier.
“Perhaps you don’t realize how powerful Preston Reed was at the time,” Beatrice said quietly. “Throughout his life he has stayed behind the scenes. Never put himself out there for political office. But make no mistake—he ran things. Three days after his son was murdered, his wife had a heart attack and died. He was devastated. The rumor was that he blamed Mary for his wife’s death as well as his son’s. No one would have dared to step on Preston’s toes. Your mother was doomed from the moment she was charged.”
Anne thanked Mrs. Farrell, but she didn’t say another word until they were in the car driving away.
“Is there a way to find out what lab she used?” She turned to face Jack.
“We can try.” He slowed for the upcoming turn. “The one she used may have gone out of business or been gobbled up by another one, so I wouldn’t count on finding the exact place.”
Anne sat back in her seat and chewed on her lips. “She mentioned in the journal about an issue, but she also said that it turned out okay.” She shook her head. “That was also the point when she mentioned her friends had basically abandoned her. It has to mean something. The trouble—the new job—all of it was somehow connected.”
“I agree, and my money is on Langston. After all, he was one of the best friends. The chances of an encounter occurring were far more likely and would certainly have created the rift between Mary and Eve.”
