Mock Apple Alibi, page 26
“Hold that thought. Sit down. Everybody sit down.” When Vic sat down in the small living room area, he tossed a tissue box onto her lap. He disappeared into the bedroom and came out a minute later, buttoning up a clean shirt.
“I had help. We staged an assassination. Filmed it. Started it circulating. It didn’t take any time at all to go viral to the entire clan. Nelson will take over. Once he’s been in for a few days or a couple of weeks, they’ll get used to the idea, and they won’t want me back when they figure out it was all a scam.”
“But you were this long-hoped-for leader of the clan that is supposed to make everything right,” Erin protested, “You’re Hannah’s promised heir and all of that. You kept saying how hard it was to get out of it once you had accepted the leadership because you were the only one who could actually take the position, and there was no one else if you wanted out.”
“So I had to create an heir,” Willie explained. He gave Vic an apologetic look, holding up his hand to forestall any protest. “Not a blood heir,” he told her. “Not another descendant in Hannah’s bloodline. I don’t want to subject anyone else to that. A legal heir.” He looked around at them. “I wrote a will.”
“You wrote a will?” Vic looked at him. “That’s all it took? You just wrote a will, and everything is hunky-dory?”
“Finer than a frog’s hair,” Willie teased. “It is very important to get all of your affairs in order. But I didn’t just have to write a will. I had to write a will and die.”
“So they would look at your will to see who your heir is and appoint him?” Erin asked. “And that was Nelson?”
“Bingo,” Willie agreed. “And now we just wait until he is well-entrenched. Then I can exist again, and no one will want me back.”
“Mona never did like you,” Erin observed.
Willie shook his head, blowing his breath out noisily. “No, she did not,” he agreed. “That woman did not like me and did not like anything I did. She and Nelson get along much better. She’ll be happy with the succession.” He sat down on the arm of the couch beside Vic. “The matriarchal line will like it because I was Hannah’s heir, and Nelson is my heir, so the line goes on. Those who approved of Dwight as the figurehead will be happy because Nelson is Dwight’s son. And Nelson’s network will be happy because that is who they have wanted for years. All three factions will be united, instead of splintered and working against each other.”
“Which is great for the clan,” Terry said dourly, “not so great for law enforcement.”
“Despite what certain officers in the police force think about it being a good idea to break apart the leadership of the clan, Officer Piper,” Willie said, glaring at Terry, “a stable clan leadership and balance between the Dysons and Jacksons is better for law enforcement. There will be less violent crime, and things will run much more smoothly without unnecessary civilian casualties.”
“Don’t think that any of us approve of what Rod Stayner did,” Terry warned.
Willie nodded. “I don’t,” he agreed. “I trust my law enforcement officers to uphold the law.”
Beaver chuckled. “Well. At any rate, I’m glad to have you home to look after this one,” she told Willie with a nod at Vic. “She is not particularly cooperative about matters relating to her own safety and security.”
Willie looked at Vic affectionately. “Have you been causing Agent Beaven trouble?”
“Talk about hassle!” Beaver exclaimed. “Doesn’t want anyone looking in on her. She’s fine all by herself. Doesn’t care what threats there might be on her personal safety. She’s fully capable of looking after herself.”
Vic leaned against Willie, her eyes closed. “Okay, maybe I wasn’t as capable as I thought,” she admitted. “A cop pulling a gun on me was not something I anticipated. And don’t expect me to camp in any mines in the near future. Let’s go somewhere else on vacation. Florida or Hawaii.”
“You think he’s actually going to be able to keep quiet and stay under the radar?” Erin asked. “I’ve seen Willie try to ‘rest’ before, and… it’s not even restful to watch him.”
Willie sighed. “I’m ready for a break. You have no idea what running an organization like that—or trying to run one—entails. I plan on lots of sleeping in and cultivating an interest in afternoon soaps.”
“You’ll never do it,” Erin predicted.
“Maybe not, but I’m going to have fun trying.”
Chapter 54
Erin looked back toward her house, remembering Mary Lou.
“So, can Mary Lou go back to her family now?” she asked Beaver. “It’s safe?”
Beaver nodded. “That’s why I brought her back. I think… she’s a little anxious about how she will be received. Having to leave her family that way, with no explanation about what was going on… that was hard for her.”
“I would think so!” Erin agreed. “At least she knew that Cam was there to help Josh with Roger, but—” Erin stopped suddenly and looked at Beaver. “Was that the plan, then, that you would leave Cam there to help and take Mary Lou? That was all planned out?”
Beaver shrugged. “I’ll leave you to draw what conclusions you will.”
“But you knew you were going to take Mary Lou. And Cam didn’t.”
“I couldn’t tell Cam anything. He would not have reacted naturally.”
“You let him think that his mother had just walked off or was kidnapped.”
“I couldn’t tell him where she was. No one could know. It wouldn’t have been safe for her.”
“That’s harsh. I can’t believe you could do that to him.”
“I wasn’t doing it to Cam. I was doing it for him. And for the rest of his family. How would they have felt if she was kidnapped by violent criminals who tortured her to get Willie to do what they wanted him to?”
“Still. That’s really… mean.”
Beaver shrugged. “My goal wasn’t to keep everyone happy. It was to keep them safe.”
“Let’s take her home.”
“You’re coming?” Beaver smiled and cracked her gum.
“Yeah, of course I am. You said she was nervous about going back. But I know how her family is going to react. I saw Cam just a couple of hours ago and his face when his mom wasn’t in that mine with the others. They need her, and she needs them. Let’s take her home.”
Beaver gave a nod. She looked at Terry. “You mind me taking them? I’ll see that Erin gets home safely.”
“With things being resolved with the clans, I’m not nearly as worried about it,” Terry admitted. “I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
Erin and Beaver returned to the house, where Mary Lou was standing in the kitchen drinking her tea and watching out the window to the back yard. Making sure that everything was okay but not comfortable being part of whatever was going on.
“Is he back?” she asked flatly. “He’s not really dead?”
“It was a fake,” Erin agreed. “We can’t tell anyone yet. The clan needs to establish their new leadership before they can find out Willie isn’t really dead.”
Mary Lou nodded, expressionless. “I won’t have anything to say about it.”
“Let’s get you home,” Beaver invited. “Your family needs you.”
“Do they?” Mary Lou asked faintly. “Maybe they would be better off without me. What if instead of me trying to control everything and make sure that everyone was doing what they were supposed to, they could just do what they want to?”
“They love you,” Erin protested. “Without you… I don’t think Roger would be able to be home. And the boys couldn’t afford the house.”
“But maybe I am holding them back. Maybe it would be better for them if Roger was in a home and they didn’t have to worry about the house. Cam has already found a way to live without us. It wouldn’t take Joshua long. He has friends who would help him. He would probably flourish, given the opportunity.”
“No,” Erin told her firmly. “Joshua needs you. If he doesn’t have someone to help him and keep him in school, he won’t get that job he wants as a reporter. He won’t have any safety net and won’t have the money to live on to get started. Because he won’t earn a steady income to start with, you know.”
“No,” Mary Lou agreed. “He won’t.”
“Joshua needs you. And Roger needs you. You might think that Campbell doesn’t need you. Cam might think that he doesn’t. But he does. I’ve watched him while you’ve been away. He needs you, Mary Lou. Even if he doesn’t live with you and only makes contact or comes around occasionally, he still needs that stability. He needs somewhere to come home to. And to have a mom and dad and brother there. That’s what he lives for, you know.”
“Does he?”
Erin nodded. “Come on. You’re not going to believe it until you see it for yourself. Let’s take my car.”
“Are you okay to drive?” Beaver asked. “You were pretty shaky earlier.”
“I’m good,” Erin told her. “I want to take her. Let’s do it.”
Erin’s heart beat hard in anticipation. She knew that despite Mary Lou’s misgivings, her family was desperately hoping for her safe return, and they would not be better off without her guiding hand. Those boys had been without her for long enough. They needed her back.
She pulled to the curb in front of the house and waited for Mary Lou to climb out of her seat and prepare herself to approach the house. Beaver, as smooth and silent as a shadow, slipped out of her seat and waited.
“It’s going to be okay,” Erin assured Mary Lou. She wanted to take the older woman by the hand or arm and lead her up to the house, but knew that Mary Lou would not want to be touched, so she followed close behind, letting Mary Lou take the lead.
She was wondering what they would do when they got to the door. Would Mary Lou go straight in? Would she ring the doorbell or knock on the door, uncertain about how she would be received. Would she open the door and “yoo-hoo” like she was a neighbor? Or would she just stand there, frozen, unsure what to do?
As it turned out, there was no need to worry about such things. They did not reach the door before it opened, and Cam stood framed in the open doorway, looking out at them.
He stared for a moment, then moved forward.
“Mom!” He hurried to her and grabbed her in a bear hug. “I can’t believe it, Mom!” He lifted her off her feet and whirled her around until, laughing, Mary Lou begged to be put down.
Cam set her gently back down. He had a huge grin, but tears ran down his cheeks. He wiped at tears on Mary Lou’s face, laughing.
“Come on, come on,” he encouraged, pulling her to the door and into the house.
Erin stood outside on the sidewalk for a moment, both she and Beaver holding back, wondering whether they should intrude on the little family reunion, but Cam looked back over his shoulder almost immediately.
“Come on, Miss Erin, Beaver, I want to see everyone.”
They followed eagerly. Erin, at least, wanted to see everything and take part in the joy of Mary Lou’s reunion. They entered on Mary Lou’s heels. In a moment, Joshua looked down from the top of the stairs. His face lit up. Eyes wide, he thundered down the stairs so quickly Erin was afraid he would trip and go flying.
Joshua immediately enveloped Mary Lou in his arms. He hugged her tightly and kissed the top of her head. “Mom! Oh, Mom! I was so scared!”
Mary Lou hugged him back, though she couldn’t seem to find the right words to respond to him. He patted her on the back and didn’t seem inclined to let her go anytime soon.
“What is it? What’s going on?” Erin heard Roger’s voice from upstairs. In a moment, he, too, came to the top of the stairs and looked down at them.
He stood with both hands braced on the railing, looking down. Erin suddenly feared that he would either faint or vault over it, unwilling to wait the time it would take to walk down the stairs. But he stood there, staring down.
“Mary Lou? Where have you been?” His voice was choked with emotion. He might be limited by his brain injury and the medications he was on to control his behavior, but he knew his wife, and he knew that she had been gone from his life for the past week.
Mary Lou wriggled from Joshua’s grasp to go up to Roger, but he turned and started to descend the stairs to come to her. He kept one hand on the rail to steady himself and did not rush down, so Erin’s fears that he would injure himself reaching her were allayed.
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Roger looked at his wife and took her face gently in both hands, staring down into it. The room was nearly silent, a clock on the mantle ticking away the seconds as Mary Lou and Roger gazed into each other’s eyes. All of the years and challenges fell away, and they drank in each other’s faces like two young lovers, shy and eager and full of promise.
“There’s casserole in the fridge,” Roger said finally.
Everyone laughed.
“And those onion rolls you like. You should eat,” Roger insisted, “You’re too thin.”
Mary Lou had, Erin thought, lost weight during her time away. Beaver might not have imprisoned Mary Lou in a mine, and in fact, had probably given her everything she could possibly want or need, but worry and being away from her family had worn on her. Features that had been round and soft were now spare, her eyes hollowed out.
“We should all eat,” Josh announced, moving into the kitchen and opening the fridge.
Throughout the ordeal, none of them had felt much like eating despite all the food brought in by friends and neighbors. Now that Mary Lou was back, they could let loose and celebrate. There was no need to order pizza or other dishes from the restaurants. They had everything they needed close at hand.
Mary Lou’s head swiveled between Josh and Cam. She looked guilt stricken. She held one hand out to Cam, the other toward Josh as if to stop him.
“Boys, I have to…”
“No,” Campbell told her, taking her hand and drawing her in for a hug. “It’s okay. We’re just glad you’re safe. You can’t imagine everything we were worried might have happened.” He looked over her to Beaver. “Thank you for keeping her safe.”
He had apparently understood more than Erin had expected. Maybe it had fallen into place when he saw Beaver bringing Mary Lou back. Maybe he had suspected something before then. Maybe he had started to wonder why Beaver had brought him back to Bald Eagle Falls for a visit the day before his mother disappeared.
Mary Lou looked like she wanted to say more, but he squeezed her again and led her to the table.
“There’s so much here. What can you eat? We need to fatten you up.”
“I certainly don’t need to put on any weight,” Mary Lou insisted, smoothing her pantsuit over her hips.
“You must have lost ten pounds,” Cam insisted. “Come on. There’s no diet tonight.”
Erin watched them welcome and nurture Mary Lou, pulling her back into her place in the family. She swallowed a lump in her throat. But this time, it was a good feeling. Not grief and loss, but love and homecoming.
“Come on,” Beaver told Erin, chewing her gum and stepping toward the others, “let’s get in on this.”
Chapter 55
“Taste test time!” Bella sang out. She sank the knife into the tender golden crust of the mock apple pie and neatly sliced it into narrow wedges. The warm, welcoming scent of cinnamon mingled with hints of buttery crust.
“Does it really taste like apples?” Harold questioned doubtfully. He took the plate Charley handed him and used his fork to tease away the lattice top and examine the filling. “It looks like apples. You didn’t use crackers for this, did you?”
Erin shook her head. “Not for this one, no. Like you said, gluten-free crackers just aren’t the same as Ritz crackers, and I didn’t want to make crackers from scratch just to soak them and cook them in a pie! So I went with another method of making mock apple pie that I found in an old recipe book.”
“That’s got to be apples,” Harold said, examining the filling closely. “Did you just do something like using pears, because they’re so close? But they’re more expensive than apples, so there’s no real advantage to using them in a mock apple pie…”
“No,” Erin agreed. “The essence of the mock apple pie lies in using more affordable ingredients that are readily available, either because they are local or shelf-stable. Not everyone has access to apples unless they’ve been shipped across the country.”
She looked around at her taste testers.
“Try it!”
Everyone obediently dug their forks into the pie and took a bite. They chewed thoughtfully and looked at each other. Erin swallowed her bite. She had made the pie and still had difficulty believing it wasn’t real apples.
Everyone exchanged glances and nodded. “You’re sure that ain’t apples?” Harold asked, shaking his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Not apples,” Erin confirmed.
“And not pears?”
“Not pears.” Erin took another bite. “Sometimes, things are not what they seem!”
“Okay.” Bella leaned forward. “What is it, then? You have to tell us now! What’s in the filling?”
Erin grinned. “It’s zucchini.”
Everyone’s mouths dropped open.
“Zucchini?” Charley demanded.
* * *
Erin nodded, taking another bite. “The most delicious zucchini you ever ate,” she said with satisfaction. “Just don’t tell anyone the secret!”
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