9 Jude
When Jude got home from work, he found Wolf, Everly, and Aurora helping to set the table, while Cope and Ten finished making dinner. Their kind of hard work deserved spaghetti and meatballs, Jude and Wolf’s favorite meal.
Fitzgibbon had convened a meeting to go over what everyone had learned about Alistair Hooke. Jude knew the information he and Greeley unearthed was going to be a bombshell. The bigger question was if Ronan and Fitz had found anything equally explosive on their side of the investigation.
When everyone had their fill and dinner was finished, the kids went into the living room to watch a movie, with the exception of Everly, who looked proud to be included in the conversation.
“Fitz, what did you and Ronan learn today?” It was weird for Jude not to have worked with his partners on this case like they always did.
“We drove to Manchester, New Hampshire to get a copy of Endora’s autopsy report, but spoiler alert, there wasn’t one. Our next stop was to the Nashua police station, who provided us with a copy of Endora’s death investigation. It was a single page long.” Fitz rolled his eyes.
“You’re kidding me?” Cope said, looking worried.
“Nope,” Ronan answered for Fitz. “According to Alistair, he came home that evening, saw his lifeless aunt on the floor and called 911, who talked him through CPR. He was still doing chest compressions when the paramedics and cops arrived minutes later. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Alistair told the police his aunt had a heart condition and hated taking her meds. The house was in pristine condition, with the exception of Endora’s body lying on the kitchen floor.
The paramedics checked her over and there were no bruises, or signs of violence. ”
Cope’s mouth hung open. “Was she brought to the morgue for a more thorough examination?”
Fitz shook his head. “No, Alistair was allowed to call the funeral home. The cops stayed with him until the hearse arrived and took Endora away and that was that. Please tell me you and Ten have better evidence than Ronan and I found.”
“We do,” Cope said, with his eyes on Ten.
“We weren’t able to speak with Amity Wellington, but Endora showed up and what a story she had to tell.”
Everly’s eyes widened. “What did she tell you, Dad?”
Ten sighed, looking as if the last thing he wanted to do was tell the story in front of his daughter. “Endora talked a lot about what Alistair was like as a kid. He stayed in the back of her carnival tent while she read for her clients. He wore her clothes and mimicked her personality.”
“He was learning how to look like he had psychic gifts.” Jude shook his head. This image of Alistair fit in perfectly with what he and Greeley unearthed.
“Exactly,” Cope agreed. “His parents died in a car accident, which I’m beginning to think might not have been an accident.
When Alistair came to live with Endora, he was constantly in trouble with the law and was sentenced to juvenile detention until he was eighteen years old.
He was allowed to live with Endora and seemed to be a changed man. ”
“According to his aunt, he learned to become a better criminal in prison,” Ten added.
“Which is not surprising,” Greeley said.
“Things had gone pretty smoothly after Alistair came to live with Endora, but one night about a year or so after he got out of juvie, Endora caught him going through her private papers; her will, estate plan, insurance policies, and banking information.” Cope turned to Everly, looking as if he wanted her permission to continue.
“I know how the story ends, Uncle Cope. Aunt Endora came to visit me this afternoon.” Everly smiled at Ten. “Dad said she could. I’ll tell you all about it when it’s my turn to talk.”
Jude leaned over and hugged his niece. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Two days after Endora caught Alistair in her papers, he made her a home cooked meal. Said he’d been watching the Food Network and wanted to try making spaghetti and blackberry cobbler.
Twenty minutes later, when Endora was doing the dishes, she collapsed to the floor.
Alistair refused to call 911 and watched her die.
Just before she took her last breath, he told her that he’d used belladonna, which grew in their neighbor’s yard. ”
“Jesus,” Fitz said under his breath.
“Let me get this straight,” Ronan said, a grin playing on his lips. “The two of you found out that Alistair poisoned his aunt with spaghetti and meatballs and you thought it was a good idea to make that same meal for dinner?”
“That thought never crossed my mind,” Cope said with a shrug. “Anyway, that’s the end of our interview with Endora about Alistair. She mentioned being one of Bertha Craig’s friends. I’m going to mention this to Carson and Cole in the morning.”
“She seemed like the kind of lady Bertha would have loved,” Ten agreed, turning his attention to Everly. “So, what did you learn today?”
“Aunt Endora had such happy energy. Her chat with you and Uncle Cope did wonders for her. She’s going to come see me tonight when Mimi Bertha comes so they can reconnect, which is really great, but what I was interested in was Alistair.
She talked about how he liked to make people pay who’d hurt him and that his revenge was always greater than the harm, which worries me about tomorrow night. ”
“Do you see him hurting people?” Ronan asked.
“I can’t read him, Daddy. The night at the theater, I thought it was those loud air horns that kept me from reading him, but he’s got some kind of protection spell surrounding him or something and it’s strong.”
“The kind of spell a three-hundred-thirty-four year old spirit witch could invoke?” Jude asked, looking worried.
“Shit,” Cope muttered under his breath. “I didn’t pick up on Amity’s spirit that night at the theater, but if she’s capable of the spell she put on Alistair, then she’s more than capable of keeping herself hidden.
” His gaze turned to Everly. “If I had just kept my stupid mouth shut, you wouldn’t be in danger. None of you would be.”
“You need to hit the spell books, Uncle Cope. Find out what you can about the Wellington coven, so we’ll be better armed to face what’s coming. I’ll call Madam Aurora and see if she can help me try to break through the protection spell on Alistair.” Everly looked proud of herself.
Ronan snorted. “My apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Listen to you giving orders and setting up your own investigation.” He shook his head. “I only wish it didn’t have to do with a vengeful fake psychic and his powerful colonial sidekick.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Daddy.” Everly patted his hand. “What about you, Greeley? What did you and Uncle Jude find out today?”
Jude cracked his knuckles. “You’re not going to believe what we found.” He paused for a second, reveling in the anticipation.
“Alistair is a serial killer!” Greeley blurted out.
“What the actual fuck?” Ronan asked. “Who the hell has he been killing?”
“His wives,” Jude returned, grinning from ear to ear.
“I don’t want to ask but how many wives were there?” Fitz wore a worried look.
“Seven,-” Greeley began.
“Just like Elizabeth Taylor!” Cope and Ten said at the same time.
“Right, only she didn’t kill her husbands. Alistair did.” Jude reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Ronan. It was a list of all seven wives, plus the fiancé and their causes of death.
“Are you kidding me?” Ronan asked, looking from the list to Jude and Greeley.
“Not kidding.” Greeley shook his head. “We found death certificates. I printed them out and have them in the file for you to take a look at tomorrow.”
“Read it, Daddy!” Everly prodded Ronan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I already know, but have questions.”
Ronan rolled his eyes and started to read. “Tinsley, fell at home. Marilyn, accidental drowning. Jeannie, heart attack. Kelly-Ann, liver disease.”
“We think she was an actual love match and died from natural causes,” Greeley interjected.
Ronan’s eyes widened, but he kept reading. “Molly, fell into a gorge. Cynthia, acute ethylene glycol poisoning, suicide. Michelle, auto accident, brakes failed. Last but not least is a fiancé named Jessica who was bitten by a rattlesnake.”
“On purpose?” Fitz asked.
“I suppose the bite could have been accidental.” Jude shrugged. What did it matter if the snake meant to bite Jessica, she was still dead.
“No, dumbass,” Fitz rolled his eyes. “Was the snake introduced to Jessica or did they meet up in nature?”
Jude barked a laugh. “Fitz, I hate to break this to you but snakes don’t have fingers or smartphones. They’re hardly likely to have a Tinder profile.”
Everly burst out laughing. “It wouldn’t be Tinder, Uncle Jude, it would Sssssslither!”
“She’s one of us!” Jude crowed.
“I think what Fitz is trying to ask, Jude, is if Alistair put the snake in Jessica’s bed or handbag or car, which caused her to get bitten. Was it murder or a terrible accident?” Ronan asked.
“It was ruled accidental. Jessica was the only one of the unlucky eight, nine if you count Endora, who had an autopsy, because her mother was her next of kin. I read the report and there was nothing to suggest the bite was a deliberate act. My guess is that he was just getting warmed up with Jessica.” Jude shook his head.
He loved Cope with his entire heart and soul.
He couldn’t imagine causing his husband’s death the way Alistair had so carelessly done.
“With Alistair’s seven wives, he was the next of kin and had the women cremated as soon as the ink was dry on their death certificates.
There was no one to raise a red flag or to ask for an autopsy on their behalf. ”
“He picked women who were lonely and vulnerable,” Greeley said. “Then he took everything they had.”
“Well,” Everly began, “that’s what we have to do to Alistair. Take it all back.”
Jude couldn’t have said it better himself. It wasn’t going to be easy with all nine deaths associated with Alistair being ruled accidental or due to natural causes. What Jude did know, was that if there was a will, then there was a way to bring Alistair Hooke to his knees.