Page 52 of Memory of Murder
Anne wanted to resent this woman for her failure. She wanted to be angry with her for letting Mary and her down. But Judith was only human, and she’d gotten through that time period the only way she could. What happened was not her fault.
“Judith.” Jack drew her attention to him. “I fully understand your reasons, as I’m sure Anne does.” He looked to her, and she nodded. “But if you recall anything at all that might help us find the truth about who murdered Neil, you could help Anne now. She needs this to be settled. She deserves that, as does her mother. Help us.”
Anne battled the tears stinging her eyes. She held her breath, dared to hope.
Judith placed both palms against the table as if she might push herself up out of her chair and walk away. She stared at that space where her hands rested, not meeting either of their gazes.
Finally, she looked up, this time at Jack. “There was serious trouble brewing.” Her voice was low. “Neil and Kevin came to blows at dinner is the way I heard it. They were at the new houseKevin was planning to buy. They’d done one of thosetrying it out for a nightdeals. He and Eve were getting married in October, and they wanted to get settled before the wedding and honeymoon.”
“Do you know what the fight was about?” Jack asked.
“It was…” She looked to Anne. “About the baby—you. Bear in mind that I heard all this thirdhand. Eve had told Carin and Carin told me.”
“Kevin took advantage of my mother.” Fury built inside Anne.
Judith nodded. “He claimed it was a one-time moment of weakness that Mary instigated, but I didn’t believe it. Frankly, anyone who really knew him wouldn’t have believed it. But Eve had her reasons for taking his word. She wanted to marry the man who would be a senator one day. A man who had taken a position from theSteve Jobsof research laboratory developers. Eve knew Kevin was moving up, and she intended to rise with him.”
Anne struggled to keep her anger at bay. “Carin knew too. That’s why she left.”
“I can’t say for sure,” Judith confessed, “but she knew it was all going to hit the fan, and she wanted no part of it.”
“Do you,” Jack asked, “believe Kevin Langston killed Neil?”
Judith held his gaze for a long, heart pounding moment. “No.”
No? Before Anne could demand an explanation, the woman went on.
“I believe Eve did it for him. Kevin would never have dared do anything that might damage his reputation. No way.” She shrugged. “Although he had trouble keeping his trousers fastened, he, evidently, believed that particular sin was forgivable given the number of powerful men who’ve gotten away with it. But he was far too self-absorbed to consider risking it all by committing murder.”
“Why,” Anne demanded, “did you never tell anyone?”
Again, the older woman hesitated before answering. “I was afraid.”
Anne shook her head, swung her gaze to the window to prevent the other woman from seeing the accusation there. How could a woman who operated her own successful business be afraid?
“I did try.”
“How so, Judith?” Jack asked.
Anne turned back to the conversation. She certainly wanted to hear this one.
“I went to the detective—Detective Jones. Not at his office. I was too afraid. I went to his house. He and his wife had two kids, and they were living in a dump. I think he was embarrassed that I showed up there, but his financial status was irrelevant to me.”
“You told him,” Jack pressed, “about your suspicions.”
Judith moved her head up and down with a solemness that finished the story before she said another word. “We sat on his back porch. I remember the house badly needed painting, and it was hot that evening. Just unusually miserable. But he heard me out and wrote everything down. He said he would let me know if he had any more questions.”
Anne knew exactly what happened. “He never had any more questions.”
“No. I, on the other hand, was suddenly in the battle of my life with my husband and with the state licensing board. It took me nearly a year to get all the local government offices related to running a business like mine off my back. I suppose I was lucky I wasn’t murdered.”
“You were lucky,” Jack confirmed.
Anne thought of the house they had visited where Harlan Jones lived. It was certainly not the same one Judith spoke about. The high-end SUV and fishing boat weren’t exactly cheap either.
“I noticed,” Judith went on, “later, maybe around Christmas, that the detective had moved up in the world. He bought a reallynice house, moved his family there.” She laughed, a soft, bitter sound. “I suspect he quickly recognized which side his bread was buttered on.”
“Did Carin or Eve or her husband ever approach you about what you told the detective?” Jack asked.
