Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(65)

“I believe you. When you were a teenager, you were very determined even then to become a reporter . . . until you became ill.”

That was a time Andi didn’t like to remember. “Stephanie was a rock for me back then.”

A gentle smile curved the DA’s lips. “Stephanie was a jewel, and she was very concerned about the operation. She worried that you might not have it because of insurance issues.”

Nice way to say money problems. “I don’t know why she thought that. Le Bonheur takes what the family can pay, and the doctor donated his services.” But she had known that Steph worried about the money situation her family was in. And it was Steph’s life insurance policy that eventually paid the medical bills. A fact that made Andi determined to live up to Stephanie’s expectations of her.

Laura worried a tiny Band-Aid on her hand. “Your sister was very proud of you. Whatever happened to those movies you made when you interviewed the four of us about our overseas flights?”

“You remember the movies?”

An indulgent smile followed. “It was kind of hard to forget when you were always there with your camera.”

Her trusty 8 mm Kodak. She’d pestered the other flight attendants living with Stephanie until each of them allowed her to video them and answer her questions. She wondered where those films were.

“I really wanted to be a flight attendant,” Andi said. “But Steph wanted me to get my journalism degree and become a reporter. Wouldn’t hear of me following in her footsteps.”

Laura nodded in agreement. “She wasn’t happy flying. I think she would have liked being an artist, you know, with the clay, but there wasn’t a lot of money in that back then.”

Stephanie had loved creating her figurines. If only she’d had more time . . . “Money isn’t always the most important thing in life.”

“I don’t know about that,” Spencer said. “I think it ranks right up there at the top.”

Both women laughed, and Andi tilted her head toward Laura. “I didn’t know my sister the way you did. You know, as an adult. Can you tell me what she was like?”

“She was beautiful, inside and out.”

At times Andi couldn’t remember what her sister looked like, but today a clear picture of Stephanie surfaced with her long dark hair framing nearly perfect features. She had their dad’s hazel eyes that were more green than brown. But it was her vibrancy that brought it all together.

Laura returned to her desk and sat on the corner. “Stephanie was one of those rare people who could fit into any situation, and with her looks, she should have been in Hollywood.”

“I don’t believe that Jimmy killed her.” What possessed her to say that?

“Are you kidding?” Spencer said. “He was insanely jealous. Jimmy Shelton had motive, means, and opportunity.”

Laura agreed, nodding her head. “You never saw the bad side of their relationship, especially after she broke up with him. With him living next door, he could still walk into the studio anytime he wanted to. I remember one time in particular. We were working the same flight later in the day, and I had gone to see what time she was leaving for the airport.

“When I stepped inside the studio, Jimmy lay sprawled on the sofa, drunk as usual, and Stephanie was crying. The wet cloth Stephanie pressed against her cheek didn’t hide the bruise.”

“Jimmy hit my sister?” She didn’t remember any of this.

Laura bit her bottom lip and stared at a point on the wall over Andi’s head. “Stephanie said he didn’t mean to, and she even defended him. I tried to get her to call the police, but she was afraid he would go to jail because of the barroom fight he’d gotten into. I told her then he was going to kill her if she didn’t do something, but she didn’t believe Jimmy would seriously hurt her.”

She shifted her gaze to Andi. “Your sister was trying to help him, but she wasn’t qualified to deal with his problems.”

Andi had no idea of any of this. Was she wrong about Jimmy? Was it possible he really had killed Stephanie?

“Since yesterday when Sergeant Kincade questioned me about Stephanie’s . . . her death, I’ve thought a lot about that night.” Laura stared at a spot on the floor. “I remembered how I kept after her to get a restraining order against him until finally she did. The night he killed her, I was home studying, and I called her. I begged her to call the police when I learned he was with her in the studio. But she assured me she would be all right, that he’d passed out on the sofa.”

Spencer jingled the change in his pocket. “And then Jillian and I made you go with us to get something to eat,” he said and turned to Andi. “We were at a barbecue place when we found out what happened.”

Laura raised her head. “I just regret that I didn’t call them myself after I hung up from talking with her. I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but Madeline Starr is trying to get a reprieve for Jimmy, but she’ll never get my help.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” Judging by the hard tone in her voice, there’d be no changing Laura Delaney’s mind about Jimmy’s innocence. Andi had felt the same way until Wednesday, and after hearing Laura’s story, it was hard to remember why she’d changed her opinion. The letter from Lacey.

She turned to Spencer. “You mentioned motive a few minutes ago. Did anyone else have a grudge against my sister?”