Murder And Mistletoe. Barb Han

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      She turned to her sister. “I’m sorry you have to find out like this. But I know for a fact that Clara wouldn’t have done this to herself, and if we aren’t honest with the sheriff, none of us will ever know the truth about what happened.”

      “What good would that do now?” Bethany shot back with the most fire Leanne had ever seen in her sister’s eyes. At least there was some spark there when all too often her sister looked dead since marrying Gary. “It won’t bring her back.” Her voice rose to a near-hysterical pitch. “Who cares why she’s gone. She’s gone.”

      Bethany slumped forward in her seat and Leanne reached over to comfort her. Her sister drew away from her as though she was a rattlesnake ready to strike.

      The sheriff’s gaze narrowed in on her. He didn’t seem to like the fact that Leanne had been withholding information. She’d been on the other side of that desk and could appreciate his position. She couldn’t, however, allow this farce to go on. Clara had been murdered.

      “What really happened, Detective West?” The sheriff’s dark tone said he wasn’t impressed.

      “She and Gary, her stepfather, had had a huge argument and Clara couldn’t take living with them anymore.” It dawned on Leanne that Bethany might not want that information getting out because it wouldn’t cast Gary in the best light. Leanne further knew that he’d just topped the suspect list. So be it. If that man was involved in any way, she’d...

      Bethany bristled and Leanne shot her half sister an apologetic look.

      “She said you needed help with Mila,” Bethany countered, talking about Leanne’s six-month-old daughter.

      Leanne hated the deception, but her back had been against the wall and Clara had sounded desperate. Leanne had planned to sit Clara down and explain all the reasons the two of them needed to tell Bethany the truth.

      “I know she did.” Leanne turned to her half sister and her shoulders softened. “I’m sorry we lied to you, but Clara insisted you’d never let her come otherwise and she was desperate to get out of the house.”

      “So that made it okay to deceive me?” More hurt spilled out of Bethany.

      “I’m sorry for that. But I also know that my niece wouldn’t end her own life. She has a boyfriend she cares about and only one year left at home. Something happened, and if we don’t impress the sheriff with that knowledge, her killer will go free,” Leanne implored.

      “What’s her boyfriend’s name?” Sawmill asked.

      “Christian Woods.” Leanne turned to her sister.

      Deep grooves lined Bethany’s forehead and dark circles cradled her eyes. Leanne could see that she was getting through, and she prayed the woman would do the right thing by her daughter in death even if she hadn’t in life.

      Then it seemed to dawn on her that Gary could be investigated when her pupils dilated and her lips thinned.

      “How do you know she didn’t feel guilty for lying to her mother? Or maybe she and her boyfriend had a fight? Kids do all kinds of crazy things in the name of love,” Bethany countered. She perched on the edge of her chair as she focused on Sawmill. “My daughter was mentally unstable. She said that kids were bullying her at the new school. She didn’t fit in. I can’t remember how many times she threatened to harm herself. I didn’t take any of it seriously at the time, figuring she was just blowing off steam. Now, I’m not so sure.”

      “Can you provide a list of names?” Sawmill took notes. Leanne saw that as the first positive sign. “How long ago did you move to Cattle Barge?”

      “We’ve been here around seven months. Gary thought it would be best to move the family before the end of the last school year, so Clara could make friends before summer.” The fear in Bethany’s voice gave Leanne pause.

      Was she afraid of Gary being investigated? Afraid of the possibility of bringing up another child alone? Or, looking closer, just plain afraid of Gary?

      Leanne scanned her half sister’s arms for bruises. She had on sweatpants and a sweater with the sleeves rolled up. Bethany had had problems with substance abuse when she was younger. Leanne learned after locating her half sister that Bethany had been in and out of rehab twice during high school. Then she’d had Clara instead of her senior year and, by all accounts, turned her life around. Without a high school diploma or job skills to fall back on, it had been a tough life. She’d worked hourly wage jobs. Bethany had struggled to make ends meet until she’d met Gary five years ago. An almost immediate pregnancy was quickly followed by marriage performed at city hall. Gary had driven a wedge between Bethany and Leanne.

      According to Clara, the man was an iceberg when it came to emotion. Leanne wondered how well her sister really knew her husband.

      “I apologize for the questions,” Sawmill said. “Can you tell me more about your husband and daughter’s recent fight?”

      “Yes, it happened the other day, but Gary was only reacting to Clara’s moodiness,” Bethany admitted. It galled Leanne that her half sister would defend his actions. She neglected to mention the times Gary had forced Clara to get up off the couch for no good reason, saying that she had to ask permission before she sat down. Or when he’d made her kneel for hours on end because she’d worn what he considered too short of a skirt. Gary’s father had been an evangelist. Gary used the same punishments he’d received as a child on Clara.

      Clara was a normal teenage girl who wanted a little freedom.

      “What about alcohol or drugs?” the sheriff asked and it was Leanne’s turn to bristle. She already knew the answer to that question.

      “I found an empty bottle of beer in her room last weekend,” Bethany answered truthfully.

      “What did Mr. Schmidt think about that?” Sawmill asked, and Leanne could tell by his line of questioning that he wasn’t taking her murder claim seriously.

      “He never knew. I hid it because Clara begged me to,” Bethany said.

      “What would’ve happened if he’d known?” Sawmill continued.

      Bethany blew out a breath. “Another fight.”

      “He’d been threatening to send Clara to a super strict all-girls school,” Leanne interjected. “And that beer belonged to Renee, not Clara.”

      Renee was the daughter of one of Gary’s friends. Clara didn’t care for the girl but couldn’t turn her back on her because Gary would shame her.

      Bethany turned sideways to look at Leanne. The woman shot a look that could’ve melted ice during an Alaskan winter.

      “And you believed her?” Bethany asked.

       Chapter Three

      “Of course, I did. Clara never lied to me,” Leanne responded with a little more heat than she’d intended. So much for keeping things cool in front of the sheriff.

      Bethany made a harrumph sound and pushed to her feet. “I’d like to speak with the sheriff alone.”

      Leanne СКАЧАТЬ