In a surprise turn of events, Zell allowed Thomas to interview Lionel. Thomas wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth so he just nodded and headed into the interview room.
Lionel, looking polished and relaxed, though a bit bored, glanced up when Thomas entered the room.
“Can we move this along? I have appointments scheduled in the coming hour,” he said, adjusting his cuff with sharp agitated movements. “This is ridiculous. I’ve already told Director Zell where the investigation should be heading and it’s not with me. This is a waste of time.”
Thomas dropped the case file to the desk and took a seat opposite Lionel. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Vissher,” he said without a scrap of sincerity. It was like reading from a teleprompter, that part. He had to say it. Looked good on the tape for later. “As you well know, some interesting information has come to light regarding your late wife, Olivia Nolan. Cause of death has been changed from natural to poisoning by arsenic. You say you knew this?”
Lionel sighed. “Yes. Unfortunately, I was trying to protect my stepdaughter, Cassandra. She’s a misguided girl, who always had a hatred for her mother. I figured there’d been enough tragedy—why compound matters with an investigation? It would’ve mortified my beloved Olivia.”
Thomas smirked at the false concern. “Well, that’s not your call to make, Mr. Vissher. If you believed your stepdaughter was responsible for your wife’s death, it was your civic duty to report her.”
“Of course. I am guilty of caring too much, I suppose.”
“Yes. Well, let’s leave that for the time being and move on to your life before you made Ms. Nolan’s acquaintance. Such as…when you were married to Penelope Hogue.”
At the mention of his first wife, Lionel actually stiffened and a flash of grief passed over his expression that Thomas believed to be genuine. That was unexpected. Lionel drew a deep breath before answering. “She died of cancer. What of her?”
He pulled a separate file. “You received a decent life insurance payout, didn’t you?”
“Which was used to pay her enormous medical bills. What is your point?”
Thomas waved away his question. “Give me a minute…I’ll come back to that. Let’s go to your next wife…”
“Olivia…”
“No,” Thomas shook his head, then met his stare head-on. “I’m talking about Sylvia Williams in Raleigh, North Carolina.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“No?” He pulled a photo that Cassi had stuffed in her date book of Lionel, his face in profile, clearly avoiding the camera but caught nonetheless, standing with a stately brunette at some ritzy function. “This isn’t you? Sure looks like you. It’s odd because she died of the same kind of unexplained ailment as Olivia.”
Lionel smiled. “I assure you I don’t know this poor woman.”
“No? Hmm, how about Lydia Proctor from Virginia Beach? Does that name ring a bell? Surely this one is more recent so it should jog your memory a bit. No? How about a picture?” He produced a photo of Lydia and Lionel smiling, though as usual Lionel was turning his face away from the camera’s lens.
Lionel swallowed and paled a bit but admitted to nothing.
Thomas leaned back in the chair. “Here’s what I know—all three ladies were slowly poisoned by arsenic. You want to know what else was similar? All three were wealthy ladies with very little family. They were lonely, rich and vulnerable to predators looking for an easy mark. And with each death, the payouts were larger and more substantial.”
“Fascinating.”
“Yes, isn’t it? But there’s more. You see, whoever killed these women also killed another using contaminated fruit bars sent as a gift for doing ‘the right thing’ to help put away a dangerous woman. Except one of the women didn’t die. She’s alive and cooperating quite nicely. You see, she feels terrible about her part in all this and she’s singing like a bird. And isn’t it interesting that when we pulled your financials you had two sizable withdrawals in the exact amounts that were given to the women who filed false reports on Cassandra Nolan? But loose ends are messy, hence the poisoned fruit bars. Not very smart, but it’d worked in the past and who would care about two little old ladies living in a trailer park on a fixed income, right?”
Lionel looked ill but he remained silent.
“Here’s what I think—when you lost your first wife it was to natural causes and the insurance payout was nice. Although, like you said, a lot of it went to pay for the medical bills, but it sparked an idea and a hunger for more. You’re a good-looking guy, probably never had a problem catching the ladies’ eye, so how about finding a sugar mama to help fund your expensive tastes? Except sugar mamas get demanding and you don’t like to be tied down. Bye-bye, Sugar Mama. Hello, unencumbered cash flow.”
“Interesting theory. Prove it.” Lionel stood and Thomas followed.
“I believe I just did,” he said, leaning toward Lionel. “You’re going to prison, you sonofabitch.”
“Let’s pretend for a moment that you may be right, which you’re not, but even if you were, the evidence you have is circumstantial. I hardly think that’s enough to go to court with.”
Thomas smiled, ceding the point. “Perhaps. But it’s enough to file charges and due to the unique nature of the case, it’s enough to go to trial. And these facts are pretty damning, particularly when we bring the families of your former wives to testify. Seems they found it pretty odd that you just dropped off the face of the planet as soon as the ink dried on the check.”
“We all grieve in different ways,” he said stiffly.
“True. I bet it’s a lot easier to lament the loss of a wife when you’re on the prowl for the next one.”
“You’re rude and offensive,” Lionel stated, his lips thinning. “I’m through with this harassment. I expect to take this up with your superior.”
“Be my guest. In the meantime, we’re taking you into custody on formal murder charges.”
“I want to call my lawyer,” Lionel said, his mouth trembling, with rage or fear, Thomas wasn’t sure. “It’s a travesty that I did what I could to protect Cassandra and instead I’m being vilified with circumstantial evidence.”
“Save it for the judge,” Thomas said, motioning to the agents observing the interview. “Get him out of my sight.”
Two agents entered the room and gathered Lionel, who had begun to struggle but they had no problem subduing him.
“This is preposterous,” he thundered as they dragged him from the room. “I’ll have your job for this, Agent Bristol. Mark my words, I’ll have your head! You can’t do this to me!”
“I can and I did.” And it felt good.
“Listen, I wanted to give you a heads-up…Vissher managed to get his lawyer to convince the judge to let him walk on his own recog until the arraignment.”
Thomas swore. “He’s going to run,” he said.
“He might. We’ve got the airports and his passport flagged. If he tries, it’ll only seal the deal in the case against him.”
Thomas wasn’t worried about the case. He was worried about Cassi. She wasn’t going to take this news lightly.
“Bristol, one more thing,” Zell said, his voice roughening. “I’m going to let your allegations slide because you’re a good investigator and you were going where you thought the leads took you, but if you ever make an allegation against me like that again…I’ll fire your ass. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.” He should’ve left it at that, but he couldn’t. He’d never seen Zell act so cagey. “So, mind sharing what was going on with you?”
Zell hesitated, clearly not in the mood, but after a heavy pause he said, “I was getting pressure from higher up to close this case. Resources are needed elsewhere and Ms. Nolan looked good for the suspect at first glance. Not to mention, until you brought different evidence to light…we had no reason to believe Vissher was anything but what he appeared. I don’t like that you questioned my behavior but in hindsight I’m glad you didn’t let it go. You’re a good agent. But don’t let it go to your head. I mean it, Bristol. You go berserk on me again and I’ll—”
“I get it,” he assured Zell. He didn’t think he’d need to go this route again. At least he hoped not.
The line went dead and he figured that went as well as it could’ve, given all that he’d said. But he didn’t regret it. He was doing what he felt was right and he’d never apologize for that.
He got to the house and Cassi was there, waiting anxiously. He started with the good news first, saying, “We got him, Cassi. He’s been formally charged,” he said, taking a moment to enjoy her relieved smile because he knew it wouldn’t last. “But Lionel has already managed to convince the judge to let him walk until the arraignment.”
Cassi stepped away from him, hurt in her eyes. “Why? He’s clearly guilty. There’s a mountain of evidence against him! If he were a regular person without any money do you think he’d get this kind of special treatment?”
“Of course not. Money talks. I’m not going to pretend that that doesn’t happen, but the good thing that we have to remember is that he’s caught. His passport has been flagged and there’s a
Be on the lookout
for him at every law enforcement agency, should he try and bail.”
Cassi turned away. “You don’t understand how easy it is to disappear with the right resources. I did it with barely two pennies to rub together. Imagine how far Lionel could get with the money at his disposal.”
“Well, he doesn’t have much to rub together at the moment,” Thomas said.
“What do you mean?”
“We froze his assets. It’s routine when we believe there’s been some kind of fraud. The insurance companies are going to want to go over his financials with a fine-tooth comb. Trust me, his standard of living is going to change dramatically, and if he runs he’s going to learn quickly how hard life is without a penny to your name.”
“Yeah, but knowing Lionel, he has cash stashed away, too. Trust me, he’s got resources.” Cassi said with a hard light in her eyes that made him nervous.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. You’re thinking that he’s getting away with killing your mother. That once again he’s escaped justice. That’s not what has happened.”
“Feels like it.”
“There’s a process and
it will work.
But you’ve gotta give it a chance and don’t screw it up by doing something rash. You can’t bring your mom back no matter what you do.”
She stepped away from him. “I know that. But I can avenge her.”
He followed her quickly, grasping her arms. “Yes, you can…by living and doing your part to see him put away for his crimes. Your mom would’ve wanted you to be happy, not sitting in prison because you were consumed with revenge. Take a chance on life. Take it with me.”
She startled and drew a sharp breath at his plea. What was he asking? “I don’t understand…we don’t have a future, Tommy. I have a record. Even if none of the other charges stick…I don’t fit in with your life now. We’d be fools to think that I could.”
“I don’t care about that other stuff. All I want is you. No matter how you come to me.”
Tears blinded her. He was asking her to turn away from her need for vengeance in return for a life with him. It was an illusion, the two of them riding off into the sunset. No matter how she might want it, it was futile to chase after a dream that was bound to die.
“I can’t.”
“You can’t…or you won’t?”
“Tommy,” she cried. “It’s not as simple as you make it sound. I’m not the person I used to be. I’m not the person you want me to be. I’m not the person you want to be tied down to. Trust me on this before we both hurt each other irrevocably with our failure. I’d rather preserve what we had than try to patch together something new and fail.”
“I know who you are,” Tommy insisted, refusing to back down. “I knew the minute I opened that file what I was getting into, and I couldn’t fathom letting anyone else handle this case. I know what you’ve done and I don’t care. It’s not who you are. Circumstances change us, you’re right, but they don’t define us unless we let them. I want you—flaws and all—because you’ve always been the one. And nothing has changed that. Nothing.” He pulled her to him and she went, tears streaming down her face. “Nothing will change that,” he murmured against her lips. “I love you.”
What she heard was Tommy asking her to pick him. To love him more than she hated Lionel. And she did. She loved him so much it hurt to breathe at the thought of walking away from him again.
She was afraid of failing him, of failing herself. “I’m so scared,” she murmured.
“Me, too,” he admitted, pressing his forehead to hers, holding her gently. “But we can do this. Together.”
Together.
A great shudder traveled through her body at the word.
The love of her life.
Even if it meant letting her hatred for Lionel go.
She wanted to—she just didn’t know if she was capable. The anger inside her demanded action. She knew, deep in her heart, she would only be able to ignore it for so long before she got restless and did something reckless, like disappear to chase after him and that would crush Tommy. She couldn’t do that to him. She pulled away, her eyes brimming. “I can’t make that promise. Not yet. I’m sorry.”
“Cassi.” His voice was colored with exasperation and perhaps, fear. “Don’t do this. You have a choice. You can choose to walk away from all that crap in your past and start over. Not many people are given that chance. Don’t blow it over your need for revenge.”
“Don’t lecture me on what the right thing to do is. You don’t know what kind of hell I’ve been through.”
“No, but I know what it’s like to go through hell and come out the other side feeling like a chewed-up piece of meat. Mama Jo gave me the chance to start over and I’m giving you that opportunity. Don’t you want to start over?” he asked, his voice plaintive.
“Of course I do, but let’s get real. What kind of life am I looking at? It’s not like I can just slide back into my old life like slipping on an old shoe. I’m different! And, there are things about myself that I don’t want to change! I’m strong, much stronger than I ever was when I lived here,” she said, but her lip trembled. “I’m restless from being on the run. I get antsy when I’m in one place too long and I—”
“Stop, Cassi,” he demanded. “You’re throwing everything but the kitchen sink in with your reasons why you can’t do this with me, but I’m not stupid. It has everything to do with your damn need for vengeance, so stop trying to bolster it with anything other than the ugly truth.”
“Fine,” she shot back, tears leaking from her eyes. “It’s about vengeance. I want to see him burn for what he did. I want to know that he’s getting reamed every day of his life for taking so much from me. My mother died thinking I hated her! She died thinking I was…
bad.
” She choked on the word. “She died alone and I couldn’t do a thing to help her. You don’t understand what that feels like and you can’t tell me that I shouldn’t demand his head on a stick because it’s not
the socially acceptable thing to do.
”
His features darkened and every muscle in his body tensed as he seemed to tower over her. Control was evident in the rigid posture of his shoulders but there was fury in his eyes. “You are not the only one who has ever lost a loved one, Cassi. You did not corner the market on grief,” he snarled, causing her to falter but she held her ground. “Everyone has a sob story somewhere in their life. Maybe their uncle touched them in a bad way, maybe their mother was an alcoholic and used to beat them, or maybe—” his voice rose to a roar “—just maybe their father went on a bender and blew his whole damn family to hell one night because he imagined that his wife was cheating on him! So don’t whine to me that you’re the only one who’s ever been given a bad hand, because it’s bullshit and I’m not going to listen.”
She opened her mouth but nothing came out except a strangled sob. Her chest hurt. It felt as if someone had heaved their foot through her rib cage and it was stuck on one of her internal organs.
Tommy turned and jerked his hand in a gesture that said “do what you want” and growled as he walked away, “Whatever, Cassi…I put myself out there but you’re not interested. You’re going to do what you want anyway, but just remember this…if you break the law, I will come for you and this time…I
won’t
have your back.”