A Mother Would Know (62)

“Leslie was murdered right after she accused your son of killing Molly.”

Backpedaling, I yank on Bowie’s leash, swinging us both around. I can’t let him see me. Head down, I walk swiftly back toward my house. It’s not like he doesn’t know where I live, but at least there I have some control, rather than him catching me unaware out here in front of everyone. As if last night at the neighborhood watch meeting wasn’t embarrassing enough.

It isn’t until I round the corner, with the house where I saw Detective Daniels obscured by trees and bushes, that I allow myself to breathe out.

“Valerie!”

My breath catches in my throat, mid-exhale, and my shoulders tighten.

“Valerie.”

It’s a woman’s voice, not a man’s, and I vaguely recognize it.

Slowly, I turn.

“Hi.” Tessa jogs toward me.

“Hi?” It comes out like a question. I don’t correct it. Bowie’s pulling wildly on the other end of the leash, confused as to why we’re stopped. And honestly, so am I. Tessa has been my direct neighbor for years, but rarely speaks to me and almost never unprovoked. She and Leslie became fast friends shortly after Tessa moved in, and it was clear Leslie had poisoned her against me early on.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about Beth.” Her eyes are kind, and I find myself softening, but only a little bit. I’ve been stabbed in the back enough not to be too trusting. And Tessa has never given me any reason to trust her. “I was at the meeting last night, and I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with her.”

I look back toward the corner I just rounded, keeping my eye out for Detective Daniels.

“And...um... I just wanted to tell you that you were right.”

My gaze snaps back to Tessa. “Right about what?”

“The police were looking into someone besides your son.”

“Really?”

She blinks. “Or, well...maybe in addition to, is a better way of saying it.”

“What?”

“I just mean, I don’t know...” She glances around, chomps down on her lower lip. “I shouldn’t even be talking to you about this.”

I hold my breath, afraid to urge her on. Afraid that my desperation will scare her off.

She leans in closer. “Leslie’d been talking to James. She contacted him after Molly was murdered, because she was scared.” Of Hudson. She doesn’t have to finish the sentence. I already know. “She wasn’t supposed to tell us anything James told her, but you know Leslie.” Again, her eyes shift anxiously back and forth. “Anyway, he told her to calm down, that the police had found some prints in Molly’s house that don’t match any in the system.” I heave a sigh of relief at that. Then they’re probably not Hudson’s. I’m guessing that with the fights he was in and the restraining order, he’s most likely, unfortunately, in a database somewhere. “And they found out Molly had a boyfriend.”

“Do you know who he is?”

She shakes her head. “Leslie said she couldn’t tell us that. Said James would kill her.” Her eyes widen at her own poor choice of words. “You know what I mean.”

Of course that’s the one piece of information she withheld.

“But you think she knew?”

Tessa shrugs. “I kinda got the impression she did... I don’t know what else she knew. I don’t know if what she learned changed her mind...” About my son, she means.

At least now I know I was right about why James is back in the picture. Figures the only reason she’d reach out to him is because of her hatred toward Hudson. I can’t speak to all the reasons James and Leslie broke up after Heather died—but I know that one was how angry she was with him for not condemning Hudson the way she had. The day before he moved out, James came over to tell me that he was sorry for the way Leslie was treating our family. “It isn’t right,” he said, and the hurt in his voice told me it wasn’t just us that she’d unfairly attacked. He admitted that he was the one who’d had to break it to Leslie that all evidence pointed to Heather’s death being accidental. She’d hated him for it, for giving up on their daughter.

There would be no way Leslie would ever reach out to James, unless she had an ulterior motive. He may not work for Sac County anymore, but I’m sure he has plenty of connections here.

“Is that why James was at the neighborhood watch meeting?” I ask.

“He was there at Beth’s request. He helped us come up with an action plan for the neighborhood.”

My chest tightens, wondering if part of their action plan involves watching Hudson and me.

“Okay, well, thanks, Tessa,” I say, then turn around. Bowie, sensing that we’re resuming our walk, lunges in front of me and takes off running. I almost lose my arm trying to keep up.

“Be careful, Valerie,” she calls as I hurry away.

I need to find out who this boyfriend is. Right now it’s clear that the entire neighborhood still thinks Hudson did it—I think of Beth’s face, the certainty of her belief that Hudson was involved, her neighborhood watch homed in on our house. I have to come up with some information to prove he didn’t before it’s too late. If I can find out the boyfriend’s name, maybe I can help the police. Dig up dirt on him. At least something to finally get Hudson off of everyone’s radar.