Chapter Twenty-Two
Laura
Quinn had been up and fussy a lot the night before.
But at least his mood seemed to match Laura’s.
She was up and fussy too. She rocked and rocked him and put him on the breast so many times her nipples were sore.
It was the evening following the vigil and she thought Quinn would be exhausted from the event she had to drag him to, but instead he was wired, arching his back and crying when she put him back in the crib.
At one point she literally begged him to sleep, and finally resorted to lying on the floor of Quinn’s room on the rug decorated in rocket ships under the crib, curled in a fetal position, trying to will herself even an hour of slumber.
While she dealt with Quinn, Elliott slumbered in the other room soundly.
He had arrived home from his guys’ camping weekend later than he said he would.
He never took a phone with him on these weekends and she had been waiting all day to tell him about Faith’s death, and as soon as she heard his car in the garage, she ran out to share this horrific series of events he missed while gone.
Breathlessly, she recounted the details, from Friday night when she went to the weather office and Faith wasn’t there to how they had to call Matthew in to do the show, to the call from Perry Saturday morning that Faith was dead, to the vigil and having to bring Quinn and speak at it. Her words tumbled over themselves.
Elliott stood stock-still next to the car listening, the tent he had taken from the trunk in his hand. When she finished he said, “Wow, that was definitely not what I expected to hear. Are you doing OK?”
She nodded, but it was a lie. She was not OK and was hoping Elliott would drop the tent, rush to her, and envelop her in his arms, smothering her with affection, but that did not seem to be his plan. He put the tent up in its spot on a rack in the garage before turning her way again.
“I hate to say this, honey, but Faith being gone does solve one problem for us. No one will be waking us up in the middle of the night anymore. Well, except for Quinn.” He chuckled a bit. Then he came over for a hug and a kiss.
“Missed you, babe,” he said. “What’s for dinner tonight?”
Laura had a hard time reconciling Elliott’s words. They were, in fact, true on some level. Faith wouldn’t be calling anymore but also she was dead and that was a horrible thing. Laura wasn’t sure how to respond, so she focused on just the last part of his question.
“I was pretty beat from the vigil so I just ordered Chinese. There’s plenty for you.”
After dinner, Laura asked Elliott to help with the baby’s bath.
“Honey, there’s a game on I really wanted to watch, I’ve been thinking about it all weekend. Can’t he go without a bath for one night?” Elliott asked.
“No, he can’t go without a bath.” Anger surged in Laura. “It’s an important part of his bedtime routine and helps to calm him down. That’s what all of the baby books say. Also, you haven’t seen him in days. Don’t you want to spend time with your son?”
“Of course I do but I’m just beat from being off the grid all weekend. It takes a lot out of you. I really just wanted to unwind with this game.”
Laura sighed heavily, hoping he’d catch her tone. “Fine, I’ll give him his bath.”
She got Quinn’s little plastic tub out and warmed the water to just the right temperature, then strapped him in and squirted water on his legs and arms with the little plastic animals they had.
He giggled and kicked and stuck his fist into his mouth, looking adorable, but she couldn’t even enjoy it. She was resentful thinking of Elliott.
Now it was Monday and she had to be at work and see Perry.
Another person she was angry at. Perry had told her at the vigil that Faith was six weeks pregnant but that it was a secret and that the station had asked the medical examiner to redact the info.
Apparently, it wasn’t a secret anymore. She had gotten the push alert from Channel 9 on her phone along with the rest of humanity that morning.
Why would managers change their minds and tell everyone now?
She had a pretty good guess: ratings. It would drive up viewership for the prime-time special Perry had planned.
Sighing, Laura grabbed her purse and a mug of extra-strong tea she had prepared at home. She made her way to the newsroom. Perry was talking with some other managers by the assignment desk, and he waved her over as soon as she walked in.
“Laura, perfect timing. I was just going to explain our push alert and tell you all a few other things. Come with us to the conference room.”
He led the way and they all sat down around the table, looking at him expectantly. Laura wondered if others were as flummoxed by the pregnancy push alert as she was.
“So I told a few of you yesterday that Faith was pregnant. The ME had given us that info on Saturday but we asked him to redact it before the report went out to the public. We wanted to protect Faith’s privacy.
However, I got a call from Faith’s sister today.
She had also seen the ME’s report and knew about the pregnancy and she asked me to go public.
She said it was important that everyone know.
She also said that Faith’s body has already been cremated. ”
Laura grimaced, as did several other people around the table.
“So,” Perry went on, “I want you to know we only did this with the blessing of Faith’s next of kin.
It does change our prime-time special, however.
I’m thinking of calling it The Faith Richards Tragedy: Two Lives Lost. We’ll need to reinterview some viewers so they can speak about the baby in addition to Faith.
I have several crews working on that. And we started a scholarship in Faith’s name.
In just a few short hours we’ve raised almost ten thousand dollars.
That’s incredible! I’ve never seen anything like it.
I was contacted by the president of the Fair-Weather Friends Fan Club too, Chloe something, and they’re planning to contribute in a big way, so this is all looking great right now. ”
Looking great? Those words were hard for Laura to digest when it came to a murder. She stared at the floor.
“One more thing. You may be wondering about the investigation. I have been in touch with our police chief and they have crews working round the clock. I can’t divulge too much but they already have talked to some suspects and will be looking to get to some more. Any questions?”
Laura glanced up. Everyone else at the table looked as sullen as she felt, and they all shook their heads.
“OK then, back to work,” Perry said. “But Laura, can you stay a moment, please?”
Laura felt the eyes of others on her, wondering why she was being chosen to stay. She was as baffled as they were. Maybe Perry wanted her to supervise the prime-time special.
The others filed out and Perry shut the door. He turned to Laura with that piercing gaze of his.
“Laura, I have something very serious to talk to you about.”
Based on his tone, she gulped, her mind suddenly pole-vaulting backward to figure out what she had done wrong. Did she get a fact wrong in a script?
“Yes, sir, what is it?”
“Laura, this must stay between us. I mean that—this is a police matter and confidentiality can’t be broken.”
“Of course, whatever you say stays just with me.” Good gracious, what could it be?
“Faith apparently wrote some kind of note with a list of names on it the night she died. The police want to talk to all of these people, as the note seems fishy. Laura, I don’t know how to say this so I just will—your name was on it along with your husband’s, and one other person in this station and their significant other who shall go unnamed. ”
Laura wanted to form words but they wouldn’t come. Her mouth fell open and all she could do was stare at Perry.
“I can see that you’re shocked by this, as was I.
I told them I had complete confidence in you and my other employee but they won’t be deterred.
They need to speak with you today. I am trying my best to keep this confidential so I told them I would send you to the police station as soon as you came in for work rather than them coming here.
You and your husband both need to go there now.
I will cover for you in the newsroom. I’ll tell everyone I sent you on an errand. ”
“I … uh … I’m sorry, what? My name? Elliott? The police station?” Her mind could not compute this information, and the pinball machine in her head added about ten silver balls.
“Yes, District 3. Head there now please.” He gave her a further icy stare, and she could feel a bit of suspicion seeping off him despite his proclamation that he had complete confidence in her.
She stood up in a trancelike state, left the conference room, and moved through the newsroom to the back door, trying to keep her face from looking like a complete mess. A few people glanced up, but no one said anything. People were coming and going in a busy newsroom all the time.
When she got to the safety of the car and shut the door, she had a moment of panic that she might faint right there and someone would find her passed out in her car.
Calm, Laura, calm, she told herself, and pressed her right thumb into the webbing of her left hand in an acupressure stress relief point she had learned about. After a few minutes she was at least OK to drive. She was about to pick up the phone and call Elliott when he beat her to it.
“Laura—my boss just pulled me aside and said I had to meet you at the District 3 police station. What is going on? Is Quinn OK?”
“He’s fine, he’s at day care. Elliott, this is crazy. We’re going to be asked about Faith’s death.”
“What?”
“I guess she had some note with names on it. No one knows why or what it means but they could be asking people on the list for alibis and such. I don’t know. I was only told they want to talk to us. Both of our names were on it.”
“That fucking bitch,” he muttered. “That little conniving bitch. I can’t believe she would stoop to this.”
“I wonder how many people she had on the list,” Laura mused. “I mean, we had our problems, she and I, but I can’t believe she would do this either. At least you and I both have alibis. I was working and you were with your friends camping.”
He was very silent and Laura thought the connection might be lost.
“Elliott? Are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you hear what I said? We both have airtight alibis. We would never hurt Faith. We couldn’t have. We were both in a place with other people.”
Elliott let out a long low sigh before speaking again.
“Laura?” His tone was odd and Laura felt a prickle at the back of her neck.
“Elliott? What? You were camping and I was at work.”
“Honey, I … I … I’ll have to be honest with the police so I better start with you.”
Laura’s hand gripped the phone tightly and her insides turned into a tiny, mushy swamp. Her next words came out in a whisper.
“You were camping, right, Elliott?”
“Of course I was, but … the truth is, I went alone Friday. The guys weren’t going until Saturday.
I just needed an extra night away. I’m sorry.
Being a parent is a shit-ton of work, especially with you working nights.
I just needed a break, that’s all. So I wasn’t actually around anyone Friday but don’t worry, I still have an alibi.
They can check the campsite registry if they want, I was there.
I went fishing alone before dark and made a campfire, had a few beers, hung out, listened to the Tigers game on the radio, and went to sleep. The next day the guys joined me.”
“You … lied to me?” Her voice got stronger. “You actually lied to me about camping?”
“I didn’t think you’d want me out there alone but I needed that night, Laura, I needed it. I’m falling apart here trying to juggle everything. I don’t want to hate being a parent. I want to love it but some days I hate it and I don’t know what to do.”
“And you think I’m not falling apart?” Laura could feel her voice seething with resentment.
“I’m the one nursing Quinn all night and giving him baths and tummy time and taking care of him every morning and getting him to day care and still working full-time at my crazy job. We’re supposed to be partners in this.”
Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. They were both quiet, and a long moment passed.
“I fucked up, OK, Laura? I fucked up. So sue me.”
“I don’t want to sue you, Elliott. I just want you to be a better dad … and husband.”
The tears started coming now and she couldn’t stop a couple of sobs. He said nothing.
She was just about to tell him to meet her at the police station and they would talk more later when her phone pinged with a text. Looking down, she saw it was from Perry.
When you get back from the police station, come to my office right away. Something else is happening that I need you to know about.