Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(71)

Will slipped off her shoe. Her ankle didn’t seem swollen, but he massaged it anyway.

“That feels good,” she said.

If she only knew. “Can you put weight on it now?”

Gingerly she put her foot on the floor, then she smiled. “It doesn’t hurt. You must have magic fingers.”

“Yeah, right. How about that sandwich now? Maybe a glass of milk?” One way or another, she would eat.

“Sure.” She carried her shoe to the kitchen chair and sat down. “Peanut butter is in the pantry, bread is in the bread box, and milk is in the fridge.”

After he washed his hands, he made two sandwiches. “I haven’t eaten, either,” he said as he sat across from her. He curbed the impulse to ask about the pain meds again. She’d just get defensive and probably wouldn’t eat. But they weren’t done with the subject.

They ate in silence. Andi stopped at half a sandwich and pushed the plate away.

“You’re not finished.”

“Later. I’ll get the key for the studio.”

“I told you, you don’t have to do this. Brad should be here any minute.”

She clasped her hands together and worried a hangnail on her thumb. The kitchen clock ticked in the background. “You don’t understand. I need to do it.”

Maybe she did need to face whatever it was in the studio that held her in its grip. “Well, hurry. I’ll clean up the table while you get the key.”





22


ANDI ESCAPED TO THE WASHROOM before Will could question her about the pills again. Her head was beginning to clear, but it scared her to think how she’d felt just ten minutes ago. Almost like she was floating and everything was sparkly and bright. And Will . . . he’d looked good enough to kiss.

She sucked in a deep breath. Maybe Treece and Will were right to be concerned. What if she’d had a wreck on the drive over and hurt someone? She had to be more careful about taking the pills that close together. It definitely could never happen again.

In the washroom, she scanned the three rows of keys. Each tag was labeled with what they unlocked in alphabetical order, and she took the studio key from the hook on the third row.

Did she really want to do this? Maybe it’d be better to give the key to Will and stay out of the studio. No. Eighteen years was long enough to run away. She turned and marched back to the kitchen.

Andi stopped short when she saw her brother. “Where’s Will?”

“Went to his car.” He held up a paper. “Got the physical report back on the stationery from Lacey Wilson’s house. She wrote a letter to Jimmy, all right, but she also wrote one to you.” He nodded to the key in her hand. “Is that to the studio?”

“Can I read it?” Andi said, ignoring his question. She hated it when he only gave her partial information.

“That’s why I brought it. Figured you’d want to see it.” Her brother chuckled and handed her two sheets of paper. “Ran into Commander Kennedy. He’s singing your praises. How did you get in with him, anyway?”

She made a face at him. “My winning personality, I guess.” She scanned the photographs. It was amazing what technology could do. The indented impressions on the letter dated in March appeared in black. Other letters appeared in white.

“The letter in white was written the day Lacey died. It was to you. The other one is the letter Jimmy received,” Brad said.

While Will had told Andi what the report said, seeing it in black and white helped her grasp it better. She scanned the opening of the letter to Jimmy, then homed in on what was important . . .

First, I want to apologize for not coming forward sooner. I have no excuse except I was afraid to. Even after I became a Christian three months ago, I couldn’t make myself take responsibility for what I did, really for what I didn’t do. But I want you to know there hasn’t been a night that I haven’t thought about you and your circumstances.

I have decided to leave Memphis and go where no one can find me. That’s why I’m writing to ask if I can visit you before I leave. I’ll explain everything when I come, if you’ll allow it. Most of all, I need your forgiveness for not telling you sooner that I have proof you didn’t kill Stephanie.

“What proof do you think she had?”

“She doesn’t say in either of the letters. The last two pages have the letters she started to you.”

She shuffled the papers and pulled them out.

Dear Andi,

Jimmy Shelton didn’t kill Stephanie, and I can tell you who did. Actually, you have diamonds in your possession—

Lacey had marked through the words and started over.

Dear Andi,

I have information that will exonerate Jimmy Shelton in the death of your sister. I contacted him, but he never responded.

Once again she’d marked through the words. Andi read the next page.

Dear Andi,

I am so sorry I didn’t come forward earlier. Stephanie was my good friend, and I let fear and greed overcome what I knew was right.

That was all she’d written? Why hadn’t she finished the letters? Unless she’d decided to tell her in person. And what diamonds could she be talking about? And what did they have to do with Stephanie’s murder?

Andi raked her fingers through her hair. All this time there’d been evidence within reach about Steph’s murder? She took a shaky breath as Will opened the back door. “What evidence do you think she was talking about?”