Walk the Wire (Amos Decker #6)(111)

Decker said, “We had several people who were familiar with your dad’s handwriting say the same thing, but that’s not really a confirmation. We’re having the handwriting analyzed by an expert. I think they will find that it’s a clever forgery.”

“But why would someone go to all that trouble?”

“It may tie into Stuart McClellan’s murder. And even though I think the suicide note claiming responsibility for McClellan’s death is fake, there is some evidence of your father being involved in Stuart’s death. And he could have been, only I don’t think he killed himself over it. Those are two separate issues.”

“What sort of evidence?”

“I can’t say right now.”

Dawson handed the phone back. “But why would my father want to kill Stuart?”

“Can you think of any reason?” asked Decker.

Dawson composed herself and sat back on the bed. “No. I mean they were business rivals, but not really. They needed each other. And Stuart just paid a lot of cash to my dad.”

Decker looked disappointed but then Southern stirred. “Look, I have no proof of any of this, but . . .” she began.

“Anything you tell us will be more than what we have now,” said Decker.

She looked nervously at Dawson. “Your mother’s death?”

“What about it?” said Dawson.

Southern glanced at Decker before turning back to Dawson. “Everybody said it was an accident. But your mother was born and raised here. She’d been out in blizzards before. Why didn’t she get out of the car to check around it when it went off the road? She would have seen the tailpipe was full of snow. I told Walt the same thing when it happened. He agreed with me, though he could find nothing suspicious in the postmortem.”

“There was an indication she might have been knocked unconscious by the impact,” noted Jamison.

Southern shook her head stubbornly. “I don’t believe that, I really don’t. And I don’t think you do either, Caroline. Everyone who grew up around here is used to driving in bad conditions.” She gazed directly at Caroline. “And the Jeep she was in was tried and true, wasn’t it?”

Dawson nodded. “She’d had it for years.”

“Are you suggesting that Stuart McClellan had reason to kill Caroline’s mother?” said Decker. “Why?”

“This is all speculation on my part.”

“Let’s hear it.”

She looked at Dawson. “You all were planning to leave the country and move to France.”

“Right, so? What did that have to do with Stuart?” asked Dawson.

“I think that Stuart McClellan was in love with your mother.”

Jamison and Decker exchanged glances. She said, “We never heard about that before.”

“Neither have I,” said Dawson, looking bewildered.

Southern looked nervous, but she plunged ahead. “Katherine McClellan and your mom were friends, despite their husbands not being on good terms. In that way, Stuart and your mom spent time together. Now, I knew both women, but I was especially close to Katherine. I can tell you that before she died Katherine believed her husband was infatuated with Maddie.”

“My God,” said a stunned Dawson.

“I know this is hard for you,” said Southern, her eyes growing misty.

“Why didn’t you ever mention this before, Liz?”

“I didn’t want to upset you. And I couldn’t prove anything. But now with everything that’s happened . . .” She paused and looked at Decker in distress. “But maybe I should just shut up now.”

“I don’t think you can now,” said Decker.

Southern put a hand on Dawson’s shoulder. “Caroline? What do you want me to do?”

“I . . . I need you to finish telling us, Liz.”

Southern nodded and took a few moments to compose her thoughts. “Some people’s love can be wonderful, but when it’s not reciprocated, it can turn to something else. Something that is hateful and destructive.”

“So are you saying that Maddie Dawson knew of Stuart’s infatuation and, what, cut him off at the knees?” said Decker.

“I think that’s exactly what happened. And a man like Stuart would not take rejection well.”

“I can see that,” said Jamison.

A moment of silence passed before Decker said, “So that would be his motive to kill her? In retaliation for being spurned?”

“Kill her rather than lose her,” amended Southern.

“And Hugh Dawson?” asked Jamison.

“If Katherine noticed Stuart’s attraction to Maddie, I can’t help but believe he did, too. And if he thought Stuart had anything to do with her death . . . ?”

“But why kill him now?” said Jamison.

Southern shrugged. “He had sold out to him. I doubt he was going to be staying here. This might have been his last chance.”

Jamison said, “He did mention moving away to France. He told us he hoped Caroline would come with him.”

Dawson glanced uncertainly at Southern and then at Decker. “I feel like my entire world has turned upside down.”

“I can understand that,” said Decker.

“What are you going to do now?” asked Southern.