Page 34 of If She Stayed
Kate made her way back through the house, her mind processing the implications of this discovery.The killer had to have access to information about what each book club member was reading at any given time.That suggested knowledge that may even reach beyond the book group.It suggested something potentially more personal.
As she reached the kitchen, Kate could see Paige sitting at Eleanor's small breakfast table.She was clutching a box of tissues while Officer Collins patiently waited for her to compose herself enough to answer basic questions.The woman was probably in her early forties, with dark hair and Eleanor's intelligent green eyes, though those eyes were now red and swollen from crying.
Eleanor’s eyes caught her for a moment, tough.Through a tear-choked voice, she asked: “Are you with the FBI?”
“I am,” Kate said, entering the kitchen.“Agent Kate Wise.”
Paige looked up at Kate with an expression of desperate hope mixed with overwhelming grief."Agent Wise?Mom mentioned you.She said you came to warn her about staying safe.”
Kate felt a stab of guilt about Eleanor's death.She had specifically warned the woman to take precautions, to stay with family, to be careful about unexpected visitors.But Eleanor had died in her own backyard, in what should have been the safety of her enclosed garden, while her daughter was driving over to provide the very companionship Kate had recommended.
"Mrs..." Kate began, realizing she didn't know Paige's last name.
"Hendricks.Paige Hendricks."She wiped her eyes with a fresh tissue."Mom was so careful after you talked to her this morning.She called me right after you left, asked me to come over and stay with her this evening.She seemed genuinely frightened, which wasn't like her at all."
"When did you arrive at the house?"Kate asked, settling into the chair across from Paige.
"About three-thirty.Mom's car was in the driveway, but she didn't answer when I knocked on the front door.I used my key to let myself in, called for her, but there was no answer."Paige's voice broke slightly."I found her back door standing open, which was strange because Mom never left doors open.That's when I went out to the garden and found her."
Kate noted the timeline.Eleanor had been working in her garden when she was attacked, probably sometime between Kate's departure that morning and Paige's arrival in the afternoon.The killer had either been watching the house, waiting for an opportunity, or had known Eleanor's schedule well enough to predict when she would be alone and vulnerable.
"Did your mother mention any concerns about specific people?Any book club members who had been bothering her or making her uncomfortable?"
Paige shook her head emphatically."Mom loved everyone in that book club.She talked about them like they were family.”
"Mrs.Hendricks, I know this is difficult, but we need you to think carefully about anyone who might have had detailed knowledge of your mother's daily routine.People who knew she would be alone in the garden this afternoon and might even know what books she’d been reading."
Paige considered the question while dabbing at her eyes."Mom was pretty predictable.She worked in the garden most afternoons when the weather was nice.Dad is at work right now and… oh, Jesus.I have to tell him.I…shit!”She screamed the expletive and it echoed the house like thunder.
"What about people who…” Kate started.
But before she finished the question, Paige seemed to collapse in on herself at the heavy prospect of telling her father.She wailed and screamed, and Officer Collins did his best to console her.He gave Kate a small nod of dismissal.Kate left the kitchen, thinking about the accelerating timeline of the murders.Margaret on Tuesday evening, Jennifer Thursday night, and now Eleanor Thursday afternoon.The killer was moving faster, taking greater risks, becoming bolder with each attack.
That suggested either growing confidence or increasing desperation.It suggested someone who felt the investigation was closing in and needed to complete their work before being caught.She knew killers in a hurry tended to make mistakes, and that played to her and DeMarco’s favor.But how many others would be hurt along the way?
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Kate stepped out onto Eleanor's back porch, glancing to the sky.The afternoon was growing late, shadows lengthening across the well-maintained yard.She could feel the weight of time pressing against her as she walked back out to the body, where DeMarco was still taking notes on the scene.
"We need to move fast," Kate said without preamble.
“You found a link?”
“Yeah.This is like a scene right out of the book she’s been reading.A murder mystery by Louise Penny.
“Okay, so what are you thinking?”
“I think we should coordinate protection for the remaining book club members immediately.We need to get patrol units to Carol Stevens, Patricia Dunham, Diana Clark, and Mary Richardson.Tell them not to open their doors for anyone, not even people they know."
"What about Sandra Morrison?"
"I'll handle Sandra myself.I have a hunch about something, and it's going to take me right back to her house."Kate was already walking toward her car, keys in hand.
“What’s the hunch?”
"The killer targeted Eleanor right after Margaret and Jennifer.Eleanor was one of the founding members of the book club.If I'm right about the pattern, Sandra could be next, since she's been with the group almost from the beginning."
"That makes sense.How long do you need?"
