Daughters of the Lake(64)

The piece included two photographs, the same one of Addie that had appeared in the earlier story and another of her husband. Kate had seen that face before in a dream. She knew this man. She had touched him, felt the love that Addie felt for him. She remembered his sweet words, the scent of the lilacs he had brought her. There was no way he killed her. At the sight of his photograph, Kate felt a gnawing in the pit of her stomach. Again, tears welled up in her eyes. She felt sick at the thought of it. Not him. Not Jess. But she remembered Nick’s words: If a wife and baby are murdered, look to the husband first.

Kate stared at the story on the screen before her, at once marveling at the differences in the reporting style of the day—so biased, so many questions left unanswered—and wondering how this turn of events could possibly have taken place. She printed out a copy of the story and continued on her search, threading the next roll of film and turning the handle slowly, watching the days and weeks unfold before her in an instant. It didn’t take long for Kate to find the next installment of the story. It was splashed across the front page, the headline in bold, uppercase type.





STEWART TRIAL BEGINS TODAY


The trial of Mr. Jess Stewart, formerly the vice president of Canby Lines, begins today at the courthouse in Wharton. Crowds began gathering on the courthouse steps early in the day, awaiting a chance to see the accused murderer arrive on the scene.

Mr. Stewart is accused of killing his wife. The crime is made all the more heinous by the fact that Mrs. Stewart was expecting their first child. Her body has not been found.

“I want to see him hang,” said Wharton police chief Arnold Becker on the courthouse steps. “We’ve got a solid case against him. There’s no doubt in my mind this man killed his wife.”

Despite the police chief’s statements, Mr. Harrison Connor, owner and president of Canby Lines, Wharton’s largest employer, steadfastly maintains his belief in the innocence of his former vice president.

“I know Jess Stewart personally, and I do not believe he had anything to do with his wife’s disappearance,” Mr. Connor told this reporter this morning as he arrived at the courthouse. “This entire trial is a travesty. There is no proof the woman is dead. She may have simply run off. Her husband is devastated by this loss, as are we all. I am here today to support my friend and feel confident he will be exonerated at trial.”

Kate threaded yet another roll of film into the machine and began to turn the handle. The trial was in full swing. Not a day went by without sensational headlines.

EYEWITNESS PUTS STEWART IN WHARTON ON SATURDAY!

During the first day of testimony in the trial of Mr. Jess Stewart, his assertion that he returned to Wharton on Sunday, April 24, to find his wife missing has been called into question.

The crowd was standing room only for the beginning of what is already being called the Trial of the Century. Mr. Stewart is accused of murdering his wife, née Adelaide Cassatt, and it seems that the whole town of Wharton has come to see for themselves whether or not this man is a cold-hearted killer. Along with the townsfolk, Mr. Stewart’s mother, Mrs. Jennie Stewart, has been in attendance, as have the parents of the murdered woman, Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Cassatt, of Great Bay. Mrs. Stewart and the Cassatts were sitting together, no animosity apparent between them.

“My son is innocent,” Mrs. Stewart declared before the trial began.

“We believe Jess had nothing to do with Addie’s disappearance,” said Mr. Cassatt, his wife too distraught to comment on the proceedings.

Mr. Johann Lange, a dockworker at Olsen’s Fish Market, was the first witness called in the trial. He testified that he saw Mr. Stewart passing by the fish market on Saturday, April 23.

“He was angry, anybody could see that,” testified Mr. Lange. “I know it was Saturday because the boats came in. Usually, the fishermen fill their nets and come back into port on Saturday, what with Sunday being the Sabbath.”

Under questioning, Mr. Lange divulged that he saw Mr. Stewart angrily walking down Market Avenue past the fish market toward Front Street, where his home is located.

Mr. Stewart jumped from his chair upon hearing this testimony, shouting, “It’s a lie! It’s a lie!”

With that, the courtroom erupted into pandemonium, people shouting and tempers flaring. Finally, Mr. Lange exited the courtroom, yelling, “I hope you hang, wife killer!”

Judge Arvid Anderson quieted the crowd with threats of expelling the lot of them.

Tomorrow, the trial resumes.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Kate’s heart was beating hard in her chest. She printed out the story, but before she could thread the next roll, she noticed the librarian slouching over to her.

“We’re closing for the day, ma’am,” he said. “We close early in the off-season. You’ve got to finish up and go.”

Was it so late already? “I’m sorry, I guess I lost track of time,” she mumbled, gathering her papers and eyeing the enormous pile of rolls on her desk. “I’ll put these away before I leave.”

Kate pushed her way out of the library’s heavy door and was taken aback by the twilight she encountered outside.

She dug her phone out of her purse and dialed.

“You won’t believe it!” she said to Nick, nearly breathless. “You won’t believe it! I can hardly believe it myself.”