-- Started
(and now finished) by Kathy Schroeder
"Well Doc…It, looked
like a gunshot to the body when the coroner first looked at the body… there are
no exit wounds, and, no signs of the bullets. Nothing that he knew of could
make those injuries, unless she was stabbed in the back. We only have the marks
in the snow at the bridge to show what happened. Jessica wears a distinctive
boot, and Selka was in sneakers. It did show she was dragged over the edge, and
she didn't get behind to strike any blows. But we are stumped as to the whys.
Now, the reason why, they think she was dead before the fall is that her
trachea is clean. No sign that she swallowed any of the blood from the head
injury. No vomiting from the impact, no stomach acids ether."
"So you’re saying its
possible that Jess did, kill her by landing on her." Mort hung his head.
"I don't know what to
think Seth; I do know that even the thought of Jessica knowing she was
responsible would devastate her. I do have to ask, how far would you go to
protect her? I know you love her."
Seth nodded. "That’s
not a reason why I would want this covered up Mort. You said you knew who the
culprit was? You know who embezzled the money?"
"It wasn't hard;
really, something that the school overlooked, Selka didn't have access to any
of the ordering of the food. Yes, her signature appeared on the invoices, but,
any one of the people could have signed for the food. It was in the phone
orders, and only the manager and the principal had the account numbers. They
were both in on it. The clue was what was happening to the food? And the answer
was, they had a catering business out of the hill house hotel. No one bothered
to find out where his supplier or kitchens were. The principal would make the
contacts with in the school board, and arrange the meetings, the food service
manager would make the delivery prior to the event, and the hill house staff
would provide the service." We don't know much else... Seth I have to
know, how to end this. What do I put as a cause of death?"
They heard Jessica's quiet
hoarse voice say from the door-frame.
"The truth Mort."
Both looked at Jessica. She stood leaning against the frame of the door,
wrapped in one of Frank's old plaid flannel robes. Her fleecy nightdress peaked
out of the folds. She wore old worn slippers that covered her feet in a
familiar softness against the chilled pine flooring.
Seth pulled up a chair for
her to sit in, then helped her ease herself into the chair.
"I didn't hear any
gunshots. It was a nightmarish experience, but I do remember that. It was me
falling on her that killed her, wasn't it?"
Mort shook his head. He crouched
beside her chair and took her hand as he supported himself on one knee.
"Jessica, she was dead
before she hit the ground. We just don't know how that happened. We haven't
found any evidence that any one else was there though. The snow has made the investigation
difficult."
"Then take me back, and
I will show you what I know…" she insisted.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" thundered
Seth. He regretted his tone when he saw Jessica flinch. His voice softened.
"Dearest, you are still
suffering from hypothermia. You need to stay warm and rest. Mort is quite
capable of following up on what needs to be done."
Seth saw her eyes blaze with
determination. "I have to know. Do you think I could, just accept not
knowing all the rest of my days? Or wonder if there was something that I could
have done to discover what had happened? How do I know that you will tell me
the truth?"
Seth shook his head,
"No, you do have the right to know. Jess, will you follow your doctor’s
orders at least? Rest for now, and later we will go out. You're not even strong
enough to dress, let alone hike through the park!"
"I have to be Seth. You
can't stop me. I have to know, I Have to." Both Seth and Mort saw that
Jessica was nearing tears. Mort squeezes her hand in his.
"Jessica, you will be
told the truth, when we know it. Right now I have to agree with Doc, you are to
stay here. The weather station has called for a traveler's advisory with the
wind chill factor. Even my deputies will have to wait with this one."
Jess closed her eyes and
wilted in the chair. Every ounce of energy had left her body. She was
emotionally drained. Her tone was still edgy "We can't wait on this - the
evidence will be destroyed. Don't say things to humor me Mort! Don’t do that. I
have to go and see…"
Mort tilted his head. His
voice was hard and cold. "I have to wonder why you're insistent to go out
in this. Your Dr. and the investigating officer have informed you that you're
to stay here. You're insisting that you have to go there. My only conclusion is
that you would rather die, than let the girls at Loretta's beauty shop know
that The Great Jessica Fletcher is human. That an error of her superior
detective skills failed to uncover an embezzlement right under her nose. AND
her actions directly caused the death of a woman who asked for her help…"
Jessica's hand rose and
pointed to the door. "OUT! Get OUT!" She demanded with all the
strength that remained. Angry tears came to her eyes spilling over her cheeks.
"Or didn't you help her
because you knew your husband once loved her more than he loved you? Was it
because they were once lovers?"
Jessica recoiled in the
chair as if he had slapped her face. Her hand went to her mouth, her eyes
widened with shock. Her other hand went to her chest. Her face drained of all
color. Seth could see that that news was a horrible shock to Jessica, one that
could be detrimental to her condition.
Mort found himself being
lifted up by the scruff of his neck. He saw a dark brooding anger on Seth's
face.
"Leave. Now." Mort
looked at both of them.
"I will be back, with
the truth." He said gathering his coat. He strode to the door and went out
without a backward glance.
Seth locked the door, then
returned to Jessica. "Back to bed for you." He began.
Jessica shook her head. The
color was just beginning to return to her face. "No Seth… I think its best
that you go as well."
"You are not well
enough to be left by yourself… and I know if I go two seconds out the door you
would try to make it to the park…"
"Seth, Right now, I
really, need to be alone. I'm angry, and I just don't want to say things to you
that would hurt you if you would stay... Just - go."
"I would be remiss in
my duties if I left you, not only as your Dr. but as your friend." He said
gently. "No matter what you feel you need to say, or do, my love for you
will not diminish… Now young lady, lets get you upstairs before you fall asleep
and I have to carry you up to bed in a very undignified position."
He helped her up out of the
chair and up the steps. She asked him softly. "Did you know about Selka,
and Frank?"
He didn't answer until they
had reached her bedroom. "You and Frank were married before Ruth and I
arrived here. He only spoke of you, and his love for you… Were they,
friends?"
She shook her head. "I
don't know, he never mentioned her…no one did. She was all ways the wallflower.
We just became used to seeing her about… I'm not an invalid Seth, I don't have
to be in bed…"
Seth tilted his head.
"Humor me? Jessie, you have had a rough time of this. You scared me with
how you looked downstairs. I love you Jessica. I don't want to lose you."
*
Mort trudged through the
snow to the park at the opposite side that Floyd had discovered them. Photos of
the footprints had been taken. He went across the bridge, and looked across the
small valley to the line of trees. He took his flashlight, turned it on, and
held it up to the level of his shoulder, facing towards the bank. Its powerful
beam caught a disturbance in the snow. He held his breath almost as he walked
to that section on the bank. He and the deputies had gone through Selka's
personal effects that had been left at the woman's shelter. Selka’s old diary
had spoken of the romantic weekends with the young Frank Fletcher in intimate
detail. Briefly it spoke of the anger that she felt when Jessica caught Frank
in marriage. Bitter anger, as Selka was left to marry a man she cared little
for, to save her honor. He hadn't told Jessica that. Maybe he had brought it
out, because he needed to see how she would react to it. He remembered her last
words written in the book the day of her death.
"Deaths icy fingers
shall pierce the heart of the destroyer. Revenge shall be mine. All that was
lost will now be mine again. Sweet dagger, there is thy sheath."
Mort saw something dangle
from a tree, and had to use the flashlight to illuminate it. A shake of the
tree branches brought it down. Stepping forward, he saw the remains of a twine,
and a gutted candle.
Mort felt ill. He had to
lean against the tree, and get his breath. Carefully he gathered the crossbows,
and the burnt twine, and the candle. He slid it into an evidence bag, then took
a slow walk to his car. He sat in silence before he made a call.
*
The Sheriffs office was
quiet when Mort walked in to place the crossbows in the evidence locker. The
door opened, Seth stepped in with a folder in his hand and a grim frown on his
face.
"They found evidence of
chlorine and fluoride, and nebutal. Is that what you expected?- and couldn't
you have found that with out putting Jessica through what you did?"
"This job doesn't play
favorites. I can't look the other way if there is any chance that someone who
could do this would walk free. I had to know. It makes me sick, though to know
the truth."
"About the affair? No
one in town remembers Frank and Selka together in high school. True he didn't
meet Jessica until college. He was too involved with studying and work to have
time to date. It was a relief to his parents when he started to date
Jessica."
"I'm beginning to
believe that the affair was just a fantasy in Selka's mind…But there are more
things going on here…Think Mrs. F. will ever forgive me?"
"Maybe not today. I
have her sedated, and have my nurse watching over her… Is she in any danger,
and do you know who murdered Selka?"
Mort nodded. "Tomorrow
I will have the answers…"
*
Jessica sat propped up in
her bed looking out at the swirling snow. Thick quilts now lay folded at the
foot of the bed. She just wanted to hide under the covers at the thought of the
entire town knowing that her beloved Frank had been intimate with another woman
prior to their marriage. She heard a knock on her door. She pulled up the
covers to her shoulders. "Yes?"
Seth opened the door.
"Feel like some company?"
Jess shook her head.
"No. Not really." She saw him step aside into the room. Mort was
behind him looking a bit like a whipped puppy.
"Go away."
"I can't. Not till you
know the truth." Jessica clenched her fist. She felt a flush on her face.
"You had you say about
what the truth is, and so will the entire town. Get out."
Mort shook his head.
"No, you need to know this. The manager of the cafeteria, and the
principal to cover the embezzlements killed the auditor. They confessed to it,
and the state police have them in custody. They didn't kill Selka. Losing her
job and home was just enough to set things in motion. I've spoken with the
coroner, and had a judge write a warrant to see her medical records. She never
had a lover, though her diary is filled with her fantasies of her relations
with your husband. A murder was to happen that night, but it wasn't meant for
Selka, it was meant for you… She arranged twin cross bows to fire shafts of ice
at a certain time. She didn't grab you to prevent from falling, she had heard
the trigger snap, and was trying to get you in the line of fire so the ice
would drive into your heart. Her body heat melted the evidence, something that
she knew would happen, leaving no clue as to what the murder weapon was. She
planed to be long gone with the candle and the crossbows before help arrived.
Even if it failed. With the way the evidence was stacked against you, she had
hope that you would be arrested for her death, completing her revenge. I almost
fell into that. I am truly sorry Jessica. I had to know if, what she had
written was true. Can you forgive me?"
Jessica's voice was soft as
she said to him.
"There were far better
ways to ask a lady…And some things should never be asked of a lady. Until you
discover what they are, I think it best that you do not come into my
home."
Mort hung his head and went
out of the room. Seth stepped out briefly. "Give her some time."
He looked at Seth and said
very softly, "A nut almost took Jessie’s life, Would have except for Gods
hand, or something diverting the pat of the arrows … Seth, Time is to precious
to waste. Any time an idiot could snatch her away. Marry her while there is
still time."
Seth looked back at Jessica,
then to Mort. "Marriage, is not an option anymore."
"…there are all ways
options. Jessica taught me that"
"I wish that were true
Mort…"
(the end…)