Insidious (36 page)

“Veronica, I’ve known for a long time you’re gay—the little things you’d say, how your face would light up sometimes when you were speaking to a woman on your cell phone. Of course I knew about
your affairs over the years, discreet ones, but I knew. It was up to you to raise the issue with me if you wished. It made no difference to me. But it must have been lonely for you.

“And then you found Marsia, or she found you and she made all the loneliness fall away when she got her hooks into you.” Venus turned to Marsia. “Such a pity for you that I didn’t die, that I’m here facing you, the picture of eighty-six-year-old health. I heard Dillon say you were unlucky. Your bad luck was that he and Sherlock are dear friends of mine, and they walked through that door the very afternoon you had me scheduled for murder. Your relation Vincent Willig was a psychopath. It obviously runs in the family.”

Marsia looked Venus up and down. “You miserable old biddy. Why am I not surprised you made a grand entrance? It seemed too coincidental to me that you would be at death’s door so conveniently when you’d hung on to life like a leech for eighty-six years.” Marsia laughed. “I see, there isn’t a new will. How rich. That ridiculous lawyer, he was in on it, obviously. Where is he, hiding in a closet?”

“No,” Venus said. “Isabel took Mr. Sullivan down the back stairs. He’s having cake and tea with Mr. Paul and Isabel in the kitchen.” She smiled at each of her family. “I do apologize to all of you for upsetting you. Dillon thought a bit of playacting would help all of us get to the truth.”

Savich said to Marsia, “We had to turn to you sooner or later once all that evidence against Alexander was handed to us, clumsily planted at best and far too obvious. We followed through with questioning Alexander as we were meant to. I’ll bet that was Veronica’s idea, wasn’t it? You wouldn’t have overplayed your hand in such a manner.”

Marsia flicked a contemptuous look toward Alexander. “Oh, that ridiculous fool over there? Who’s to say he wasn’t stupid enough to leave the arsenic there? Perhaps both he and Veronica are behind all of this? I want a lawyer.”

Savich said, “I
have agents outside to escort you and Veronica to the Daly Center. You can call your lawyers from there.” He punched his cell and called them in.

Venus waited until the two women were marched out, waited until she heard the front door close. She smiled at Savich and nodded, moved to stand behind a chair and faced her family. “Alexander, I never accepted that you were the one who was trying to kill me. Dillon didn’t, either. I hope you now accept that I love you. I’ve always loved you. You will remain my right hand at Rasmussen. When I die, you will have controlling interest.”

Venus turned to her youngest grandson. “And you, Rob, my dear boy, I am so happy you are back in my life. I have missed you, prayed for you, always wished you would return home. I am so pleased you have become a fine man, the man you were meant to be.”

Rob roared to his feet. “You believe me a fine man? It was because of me you could have died! I believed I loved her, Grandmother, or loved the person I believed she was. And look at what I did—I brought her into your life.”

Venus waved a weary hand. “Enough drama, Rob. Please, I am so tired of all the drama that’s swirled around this house for the past week. You’re back to stay, Rob. I will not let you out of my life again. If you wish to join Rasmussen Industries, you will be welcomed. If you prefer to continue on your own path, that is your choice as well. It’s your life to live as you wish, with no meddling from me.” She gave him a crooked smile. “Dillon speaks well of this Delsey Freestone girl. Would you like me to put in a good word for you with her?”

Rob gave her a huge smile. “I thought, Grandmother, you just promised me no meddling.”

“All right, but if you need me—” She smiled at each of her family in turn. “All of you, I am so relieved and happy we’re together again,
with no more suspicions, with no more lingering doubts. The Rasmussens have won. I love you all. I hope at least some of you can stay for dinner.”

Isabel lingered outside the doorway for a few moments and then hurried back to the kitchen, smiling hugely. “Mr. Paul, it’s over. The family is safe, and together. This is your cue.”

Mr. Paul rose from his chair and clapped his hands. “I do not think I will begin with my roast duck, but with espresso and my excellent éclairs. I think the family can use the sugar.”

62

MALIBU

FRIDAY EVENING

It was after nine o’clock when Cam, followed by Daniel, drove back toward Malibu to Missy’s cottage. She was looking forward to finally getting some sleep. She turned her Toyota onto Colony Road and saw a shadow, looked hard, and realized it was Blinker. He saw her car coming and slipped behind some bushes four houses from Missy’s cottage.

She was tired, she was frustrated, and the dam burst. She wanted to grab him, hold him upside down and shake him by his feet, do whatever it took to let him know he was messing with Missy for the very last time. She slammed to a stop, flew out of the car—with Daniel close behind her—and chased him down. She tackled him and flattened him facedown with all her weight, straddled his back, and slapped the back of his head.

“You moron! I can’t believe you’re back here again. I’m going to announce what you’ve been doing on
Good Morning America
, with your color photo. I’m going to tell your mother. Where does she live?”

“You think I’d tell you that?”

Cam smacked his head again.

Daniel came down on his haunches beside them. “Not a problem, Cam. I’ve
got a file on him now. His mom is Carrie Bayley, and she owns a bakery in Cleveland. We can call her in the morning, tell her all about what her precious son has been doing. Maybe she’ll haul you back home, Blinker. Hey, maybe better yet, we can save her the trouble. We can motor you a mile out in the ocean and toss your sorry self overboard.” Daniel rose, lifted Cam off his back. She was red in the face, still breathing hard. He grabbed Blinker’s arm and flipped him onto his back. He stood over him, arms crossed, staring down at him. “My boat’s at my house up the road, not far at all.”

“I hate boats, I get seasick! Listen, I’m more than one hundred yards from Missy’s house! I’m not doing anything wrong, just out walking around, minding my own.”

Daniel looked up the street, mentally calculated, and realized he was right. Barely. “Stop lying, you were planning on sneaking to Missy’s house again, hoping Agent Wittier wasn’t there to pound you. Again. What is it going to take to get you out of Missy’s life once and for all?”

Blinker looked at Daniel’s face in the dim moonlight, saw something that scared him. He licked his dry lips. “I couldn’t sleep, no, really, I couldn’t. I wasn’t going to get any closer, I swear it. I just wanted to be near where she lives. Maybe see her if I was lucky, you know?”

Cam’s rage evaporated. He was obsessed, fixated for some reason on Missy. He was only a sad little man, but still, an idiot. She said very clearly, “If I ever see you in Malibu again, Blinker, I will personally shoot you and bury your body in Topanga Canyon.”

Blinker looked at her moon-pale face, at the fierce anger in her eyes, and whispered. “No, you won’t. You’d go to jail if you killed me.”

Cam said, “Nah, I’d haul your carcass to the canyon on a really dark night when no one’s around. I’d bury you so deep no one would ever find you. And then Missy and I would drink a bottle of champagne to celebrate.”

“I
think it would be a beer for me,” Daniel added.

Blinker looked seriously alarmed. He sat up, waved his hands at them. “Listen, you shouldn’t treat me like I’m that guy killing all the actresses. I’m not into hurting anybody. I’m not even the only guy hanging around Missy. Look, Agent Wittier, I admire Missy, seeing her smile makes me happy. I’d never hurt her, well, or anybody.”

Daniel’s face was a study in frustration. He jerked Blinker to his feet, grabbed his shirt and shook him. “Let me put it this way, Blinker. Missy doesn’t want to make you happy. She does not want to see you again, ever in this lifetime. You know why? Because she’s dating me. I want you the hell out of our lives.” He shook him again. “Do you understand me?”

“Missy is really dating you?”

“Yes.” Another shake. “Answer me. Do you understand?”

“Well, yes, I supposed I have to.”

Blinker looked like he’d burst into tears.

“Good.” Daniel smoothed down Blinker’s shirt, brushed him down. “Go back to Cleveland, bake cookies with your mom, sell her some bonds. Go, Blinker.” They stood watching as Blinker, his head down, kicked pebbles out of his path on his way back to his car.

When they heard his car engine rev, Cam said, “Well, that perked me right up. Maybe he really will stay gone.”

When Cam and Daniel pulled into the driveway of Missy’s cottage, they saw Missy standing backlit in the doorway, wearing sleep boxers and a baggy shirt, her glorious hair tousled about her face. She looked relieved to see them.

Daniel started telling her about Blinker as Missy herded them into the kitchen. “Sit down, sit down. You both look wrung out. I’m going to make some tea. Too late for coffee. So tell me more about Blinker.” They both sat down and Cam found herself looking at the bright red-and-white-checked tablecloth, thinking it would look good
on her kitchen table back in Alexandria. She put that thought away and started doing a mental sort of the day, something she always did before bed at night. That’s when it hit her square between the eyes. She jumped to her feet. “Daniel! What Blinker said—” She grabbed her cell out of her jacket pocket, dialed. Blinker picked up after three rings, wide-awake.

“Blinker, it’s Agent Wittier. Are you home yet?”

“Yeah, like I’m Superman and can fly. I’m still driving. Look, Agent Wittier, when I get home I’ll start packing, I swear. I’m calling my boss, taking a leave of absence. You good with that?”

“Yes. It’s for the best, you’ll see. Now, listen up, Blinker. You said you’re not the only guy hanging around Missy. You saw someone else? Was he on her street? Another stalker?”

“He was a turkey, not discreet at all. I spotted him right away.”

“Okay, I understand. When did you see him?”

“The first time I saw him around her house was a couple of weeks ago, then again the day before she took off for Las Vegas. I haven’t seen him since she got back. Not to say he couldn’t still be around because I spend my mornings working, usually.”

“Describe him to me.”

“Older, thirties for sure. He was tall, thin, and he always wore jeans and a hoodie with the top up to cover his head. I’m surprised Missy never noticed him, looking like he did.”

“Blinker, Detective Montoya and I are coming to your place. I’ve got some photos to show you.” She punched off, jumped to her feet. “Daniel, we have to go.”

Missy grabbed her arm. “Let me throw on some clothes, I’ll go with you.”

“No, absolutely not,” Daniel said. He gave her a long look, turned to Cam. “Let’s go.”

63

BLINKER’S APARTMENT, ON HIGH STREET

SANTA MONICA

FRIDAY NIGHT

Blinker lived in an upscale apartment complex, complete with palm trees, bougainvillea and manicured lawns. It was quiet and calm. As they climbed out of Daniel’s Crown Vic, Cam said, “He’s in 3C, there in the corner unit with all the windows. We’ve struck gold, Daniel, I know it.”

Cam felt a moment of sheer envy when he showed them in. “Hey, nice digs, Blinker. How do you afford this?”

“He’s a bond trader,” Daniel said.

Blinker eyed them. “Well, you might as well come into the living room. So you come here late at night to show me some photos and the first thing you do is bust my chops some more? I wasn’t lying, I’m leaving. You can look in my bedroom, suitcase open on the bed, my shorts already packed.”

Cam said, “We’re not here to pack for you, Blinker.” She called up photos and handed her cell to Blinker. “Here, look at these photos. Have you seen this man?”

Blinker took her cell and put it under a living room reading lamp. When he shook his head, Cam swiped to another photo. Another head shake. When he looked at the third photo, he stared at it a
moment, then nodded. “Yeah, I recognize him. But he looks different here, he looks dead. Is that a DMV photo? Like I told you, when I saw him, he was wearing a hoodie, both times. But that’s him.”

Daniel said, “This is important, Blinker. Are you completely certain this is the man you saw looking around Missy’s cottage?”

Blinker nodded. “I almost told him to go away that first time, but there was something about him that was scary, and I chickened out. Then I was glad I didn’t try to warn him off because I didn’t see him again for a while. I thought he’d found someone else.”

Daniel said, “How do you know he wasn’t just out for a walk and happened to be going Missy’s way? Did you actually see him following Missy home?”

“Yeah, that first time he did follow her home, sort of looked around before he left. The second time, Missy wasn’t around and I saw him looking in the windows. I spotted him right away because he wasn’t very polished about it, not like I am.”

“Missy caught you and so did we, so you can’t be all that polished, either,” Cam said.

Blinker waved that away. “Bad luck, that’s all it was. Who knew you’d be out so late tonight? And that first time, I didn’t know Missy had an FBI agent sleeping in her second bedroom.”

Daniel said, “You’ve already forgotten Missy chased you down in Las Vegas?”

Blinker puffed up like a proud papa. “Yes, she did. She’s amazing. I let her catch me.”

Cam said, “Let’s focus. Tell us everything about this guy you can remember, Blinker, every detail.”

“Okay, I remember I was getting a bag of Cheetos from that 24/7 market on PCH when I first saw him. Missy was in the store buying some stuff and I was hanging around, seeing what she’d do. When she left, I noticed him on the street. I saw he was looking at her. Even
though he was keeping his distance, I knew he was following her, so, yeah, I tucked in behind him, watched him. He trailed her nearly all the way back to her cottage, then he waited a couple of minutes, you know, looking around, and left.