“See.” Luna beamed a smile at her. “I told you.”
“You sure did.” Vera hugged her hard. She had never felt so relieved in her life. Even her knees felt weak. Thank God! Now they could all relax. “You hang on to that letter. Put that old receipt with it. Now.” Vera gave her a firm look. “Go home and relax. Focus on yourself and your husband. I will take care of the other. You weren’t even in the house when Jackie died. This was not your fault.”
Luna hugged her tight, or as tight as she dared with that enormous baby bump in the way. “Love you, Vee.”
“Love you too.”
Once Luna had driven away, Vera loaded herself into her SUV. She was so ready for this day to be over.
Her phone vibrated on the console. Bent’s handsome face flashed on the screen. “Hey. Your meeting over already?” If so, that was a record.
“It’s ongoing, but I thought you’d want to know. I got those cell phone records for Luna and the others. Luna’s phone was at her house all morning like she said because she forgot it when she went to the hardware store.”
Vera held her breath.
“Geneva Fanning’s was pinging off the same cell tower as Luna’s from 9:50 until 10:55. At 11:20 it pinged off the same tower as Leonard Andrews’s phone. Leonard’s was at home all morning. Jerome’s was pinging off the tower near his workplace.”
“Oh. My. God.” Vera’s mouth gaped. “So Geneva was at Luna’s at the time of Jackie’s death, and she rushed to Leonard’s house after that. It had to be Geneva, Bent.”
“We can place her at the scene, for sure,” Bent reminded her, “but we can’t prove she pushed her sister down those stairs.”
They needed evidence ... or a confession.
“You’re right,” Vera admitted reluctantly. “Thanks for the news. See you later.”
Vera made a quick call to Luna to fill her in, then tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. Damn it! Then she smiled. Maybe dear old Geneva needed a little prompt. But first there was one thing Vera had to do.
Fanning Residence
Lincoln Avenue, 6:40 p.m.
Vera parked on the street in front of Geneva Fanning’s historic home. It wasn’t one of the grand ones like on Mulberry, but it was a lovely home nestled among numerous others on one of Fayetteville’s nicest streets.
At the front door Vera pressed the antique buzzer, but it really wasn’t necessary because Geneva had been watching her ever since she emerged from her SUV. But rather than come to the door, her husband, Trenton, opened it.
“Ms. Boyett.” Trenton studied her cautiously, as if she were there to pinch the family’s valuables. “What a surprise.”
A surprise for certain. Her sister was being considered for legal action by the man’s wife. Typically anyone involved or related to the potential defendant stayed clear of the plaintiff.
But there was nothing typical about the way Vera did things.
“I hope I’m not interrupting your dinner.” Vera smiled pleasantly.
“No.” He shook his head, seemingly confused by her statement. “We haven’t ... No, we were just catching the news.”
“Great.” Vera stepped forward, and he instinctively stepped back, which put her over the threshold. “I felt it was really important that I speak with you and Mrs. Fanning personally before this situation develops further.”
He backed up another step, and Vera closed the door. Geneva appeared from the room on the left, where she’d obviously been eavesdropping.
“What do you want?”
The woman’s demand echoed down the elegant entry hall.
Vera ignored it and continued her conversation with Mr. Trenton. “I thought you might want to know that the medical examiner has confirmed time of death for poor Jackie, and Luna has documentation that she was not at home during that time frame, just as she stated previously. Mr. Potter at the hardware store waited on her personally and has signed a statement as to the time she departed the store.”
“That’s a lie. She was right there in that new house her husband built her.” Geneva glared at Vera like a wild animal and stabbed a finger in her direction. “She pushed my sister down those stairs. Jackie told me how Luna had been badgering and threatening her that morning.”
“Whatever your sister told you,” Vera said so calmly that it shocked even her, “she lied. In case Jackie didn’t tell you, she pushed Luna down the stairs, and it was a flat-out miracle she caught herself, saving not only her life but that of her and Jerome’s baby. Jackie tried to kill my sister, and I will prove it if it’s the last thing I do.”
