tell the truth. Norris was upstairs right now, telling
his version of the story and she couldn’t allow him to be caught in a lie. She
owed him too much. “Yes. I had a horrible headache, so I took a sleeping
pill. I knew nothing else until Norris woke me up an hour ago. He said he had
spent the night at the club and had just gotten home and found the…deceased.”
“Your fiancé was
in bed with Mr. Thornton’s wife. Did that shock you?’
“Of course it
did,” she asked, her voice trembling. “I…I told Frederick that I wanted to
wait until our marriage to be intimate. I guess he was seeking companionship
elsewhere.”
“Did Mr. MacGregor
stay with you when he brought you home?”
“No, he didn’t
even come in,” she said honestly.
“About what time
was that?”
“Uh…around midnight,
I think,” she said vaguely.
He closed the book
and stared at her for long, thoughtful moments. “Well, your story corroborates
with Mr. Thornton’s statement.”
Rachel heaved a
silent sigh of relief. “What do you think could have happened?”
“On the surface,
it looks like a murder-suicide but we’ll have our detectives come in and
investigate the scene. We’ll need statements from everyone who was at the
wedding, but we’ll start with the family and the staff here at the house.”
“There was no
staff,” Rachel informed him. “Norris gave all of them a holiday. They all
left yesterday afternoon and don’t have to return until tomorrow morning.”
The officer’s
eyebrows came together a little. “Is that a normal occurrence?”
“No. I think he
wanted to reward them for all of the extra work they’ve been putting in for the
wedding.”
“No staff at all?”
“No. When I got home,
the house was empty.” She cringed inwardly at the lie.
“All right.” He
opened up his notebook and made another note. “We need to contact the family
first. Could you assist me with that?”
She nodded and led
him to the phone. They called Peter at his apartment first.
“Hello?” he
answered crisply and she wondered if he ever slept.
“Peter, it’s
Rachel.”
“What’s wrong?” he
asked immediately.
“There’s been an
accident. You’ve got to come home right away.”
“What is it?”
“The police are
here and asked that we tell you when you get here.”
“God damn it, Rachel!”
he bellowed. “What’s happened?”
She knew the
officer could hear Peter’s reaction and she looked at him helplessly. The
officer nodded, giving her the go-ahead. “It’s your mother, Peter, and Frederick.
We found them in bed…they’re dead.”
His silence spoke
volumes. She clutched the receiver and waited. Finally he said in a muted
voice, “Are you all right?”
“I’m all right,”
she answered. “Could you go to the hotel and tell Bert and Maryanne, then go
to their house and get the boys? The police need to speak with everyone as
soon as possible.”
“I’ll be there as
soon as I can.” He disconnected the call and her heart ached for him. Despite
his difficulties with his mother, he was still her son. He had loved Helen in
his own way.
Twenty minutes
later, Norris entered the room, accompanied by the second police officer. He
no longer looked dazed but more like himself, in control and confident. His
eyes immediately sought Rachel. “Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she
said for what seemed the millionth time. She was not fine. She felt like her
insides were being shredded by knives. One lie was piling on top of more and
she feared that she wouldn’t be able to remember them all. “I just called Peter.
He’s going to get everyone and they will all be here soon.”
“Would it be all
right if Rachel and I go to the chapel while we wait for the family?” Norris
asked the police officer.
“Of course, Mr.
Thornton,” the man said respectfully. “We’ll send your
his version of the story and she couldn’t allow him to be caught in a lie. She
owed him too much. “Yes. I had a horrible headache, so I took a sleeping
pill. I knew nothing else until Norris woke me up an hour ago. He said he had
spent the night at the club and had just gotten home and found the…deceased.”
“Your fiancé was
in bed with Mr. Thornton’s wife. Did that shock you?’
“Of course it
did,” she asked, her voice trembling. “I…I told Frederick that I wanted to
wait until our marriage to be intimate. I guess he was seeking companionship
elsewhere.”
“Did Mr. MacGregor
stay with you when he brought you home?”
“No, he didn’t
even come in,” she said honestly.
“About what time
was that?”
“Uh…around midnight,
I think,” she said vaguely.
He closed the book
and stared at her for long, thoughtful moments. “Well, your story corroborates
with Mr. Thornton’s statement.”
Rachel heaved a
silent sigh of relief. “What do you think could have happened?”
“On the surface,
it looks like a murder-suicide but we’ll have our detectives come in and
investigate the scene. We’ll need statements from everyone who was at the
wedding, but we’ll start with the family and the staff here at the house.”
“There was no
staff,” Rachel informed him. “Norris gave all of them a holiday. They all
left yesterday afternoon and don’t have to return until tomorrow morning.”
The officer’s
eyebrows came together a little. “Is that a normal occurrence?”
“No. I think he
wanted to reward them for all of the extra work they’ve been putting in for the
wedding.”
“No staff at all?”
“No. When I got home,
the house was empty.” She cringed inwardly at the lie.
“All right.” He
opened up his notebook and made another note. “We need to contact the family
first. Could you assist me with that?”
She nodded and led
him to the phone. They called Peter at his apartment first.
“Hello?” he
answered crisply and she wondered if he ever slept.
“Peter, it’s
Rachel.”
“What’s wrong?” he
asked immediately.
“There’s been an
accident. You’ve got to come home right away.”
“What is it?”
“The police are
here and asked that we tell you when you get here.”
“God damn it, Rachel!”
he bellowed. “What’s happened?”
She knew the
officer could hear Peter’s reaction and she looked at him helplessly. The
officer nodded, giving her the go-ahead. “It’s your mother, Peter, and Frederick.
We found them in bed…they’re dead.”
His silence spoke
volumes. She clutched the receiver and waited. Finally he said in a muted
voice, “Are you all right?”
“I’m all right,”
she answered. “Could you go to the hotel and tell Bert and Maryanne, then go
to their house and get the boys? The police need to speak with everyone as
soon as possible.”
“I’ll be there as
soon as I can.” He disconnected the call and her heart ached for him. Despite
his difficulties with his mother, he was still her son. He had loved Helen in
his own way.
Twenty minutes
later, Norris entered the room, accompanied by the second police officer. He
no longer looked dazed but more like himself, in control and confident. His
eyes immediately sought Rachel. “Are you all right, sweetheart?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she
said for what seemed the millionth time. She was not fine. She felt like her
insides were being shredded by knives. One lie was piling on top of more and
she feared that she wouldn’t be able to remember them all. “I just called Peter.
He’s going to get everyone and they will all be here soon.”
“Would it be all
right if Rachel and I go to the chapel while we wait for the family?” Norris
asked the police officer.
“Of course, Mr.
Thornton,” the man said respectfully. “We’ll send your
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