I’LL BE WATCHING YOU Read online

  ‘The only woman I’ve ever truly loved is Judy Conway,’ Webb said. ‘We dated when she was in high school, but I broke up with her because my parents didn’t approve of her. By the time I realized how much she meant to me, she was already married to Reed’s father.’

  Ella wondered why she wasn’t more shocked, why this revelation hadn’t been a total surprise. Perhaps it was because, on some instinctive level, she had known that something wasn’t right in her parents’ marriage, that, despite their shows of affection and devotion, there had been no passion between them. As their child, she had seen only what she wanted to see, believed only what she wanted to believe.

  ‘You still love Judy, don’t you? All these years, you’ve stayed with Mother because of her paralysis, because you weren’t the kind of man who would desert his crippled wife.’

  Webb hung his head. ‘I won’t ever leave Carolyn. She needs me too much. And if I hadn’t argued with her that afternoon about a divorce, she would never have ridden off in a huff the way she did and—’

  Ella grabbed her father, hugged him fiercely and spoke softly, emotion tightening her throat. ‘I love you, Daddy. And whatever happens, I’ll be right at your side.’

  Webb returned her hug, then released her and kissed her on the forehead. ‘You go on. I need to look in on Carolyn. I’ll call you if Frank phones me tonight.’

  Ella hesitated, then smiled, turned around and went out the back door. The night sky was alive with stars – diamond specks glittering in the black heavens. A slight breeze rustled through the treetops, but the wind was warm and saturated with moisture. She hurried along through their backyard into her aunt and uncle’s yard next door. Before she reached the back porch, she removed the key from her pocket. Once inside the kitchen, she heard voices. Two male voices. Uncle Jeff Henry and … and Frank Nelson!

  Following the voices, Ella rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall. She found the two men in the living room. Frank had the look of a funeral mourner, as if the news he bore was tragic. Uncle Jeff Henry’s face was red-splotched, the way it got when he was very angry. She paused in the doorway, listening, realizing that neither man was aware of her presence.

  ‘I don’t give a damn what Jim Pendleton thinks he saw. I’m telling you that Cybil wouldn’t have been anywhere near Conway’s Garage tonight.’ Jeff Henry stomped back and forth between the two sofas facing each other in the center of the room.

  ‘I’m not accusing Cybil of anything,’ Frank said. ‘But if she was there, she might have seen or heard something. All I want to do is see her for a few minutes and ask her a couple of questions.’

  Jeff Henry halted abruptly, narrowed his gaze and glowered at the police chief. ‘And I told you that she had a sick headache and went on to bed early. I absolutely refuse to bother her with this nonsense.’

  ‘If there hadn’t been a murder, I wouldn’t be so insistent. But damnation, Jeff Henry, this town’s going to be in a panic when word gets out. The shooting of a US senator was bad enough, but now we’ve got this mess – the murder of a sweet, harmless guy like Roy. Things like this don’t happen in Spring Creek. If Cybil was there, like Jim Pendleton says, then I’ve got to talk to her. Tonight.’

  ‘You might as well leave,’ Jeff Henry said. ‘Unless you have a warrant to arrest Cybil, then—’

  ‘Frank, what’s this all about?’ Ella entered the room. ‘You can’t honestly believe that my aunt was in any way involved in Roy’s death.’

  The moment he turned and saw Ella, Jeff Henry’s face lit up and a fragile smile played at the corners of his lips. ‘Oh, my dear, thank goodness. You must talk sense to our police chief. That idiot, Jim Pendleton, thinks he saw your aunt near Conway’s Garage tonight.’ Jeff Henry looked at her pleadingly. ‘I’ve assured Frank that it’s not possible. Cybil has been here with me tonight, and she’s upstairs asleep right this minute.’

  ‘Frank, is it absolutely necessary for you to speak to Aunt Cybil tonight?’ Ella asked. ‘Couldn’t she come down to the station and answer your questions in the morning?’

  ‘If this weren’t a murder case, then—’

  Ella heard the noise the moment Frank did. Jeff Henry tensed. Someone had just come in the front door. Footsteps – high-heeled footsteps – clicked across the foyer floor. Within a minute, a tipsy Cybil appeared in the doorway. She clutched the door frame as she glanced around the room.

  ‘What’s going on?’ she asked, her speech slightly slurred. ‘Are we having a party and nobody told me?’

  Frank looked point-blank at Jeff Henry. ‘I thought you said Cybil had been with you all evening and was upstairs asleep.’

  ‘What?’ Cybil laughed, a rather throaty, almost gurgling sound. ‘I don’t know why he’d tell you such a thing.’

  ‘Mrs Carlisle, would you mind telling me where you’ve been tonight?’ Frank asked.

  ‘Don’t answer that, Cybil!’ Jeff Henry rushed to his wife’s side.

  ‘I think perhaps we need to call Mark Leamon or one of your lawyers, Uncle Jeff Henry,’ Ella said.

  ‘Why do we need to call a lawyer?’ Cybil asked, puzzlement in her voice. ‘And Frank, why so formal? You don’t have to call me Mrs Carlisle.’

  ‘Aunt Cybil, Roy Moses was murdered tonight at Conway’s Garage,’ Ella said. ‘Someone thinks they saw you at the garage about half an hour before Briley Joe found Roy’s body.’

  ‘Oh!’ Cybil moaned, then stuck her fist up to her mouth. ‘Poor Roy,’ she mumbled. ‘Poor, dear man.’

  ‘See,’ Ella told Frank. ‘She doesn’t know anything about Roy’s murder. She had no idea he was dead.’

  ‘Is that true?’ Frank asked. ‘You weren’t at Conway’s Garage tonight?’

  Cybil lifted her head. Her eyes seemed incapable of focusing as she glanced around the room; then suddenly she looked right at Jeff Henry. ‘I … I stopped by the garage earlier tonight, looking for Briley Joe.’

  Ella’s heart sank. Jeff Henry released his inebriated wife, squared his shoulders and turned his back on her.

  ‘Cybil, do you remember what time you stopped by?’ Frank asked.

  She held up her slender wrist. ‘Never wear a watch.’

  ‘Jim Pendleton told us he saw you about thirty minutes before the time Briley Joe says he returned to the garage. That would have been around eight-thirty.’

  ‘I thought it was earlier,’ Cybil said. ‘I don’t think it was dark. I saw Roy and he told me Briley Joe wasn’t there, so I left and drove over to Smithville and …’ She glanced at Jeff Henry, who stood facing the windows, his back to her. ‘I met up with some friends and had a few drinks.’

  ‘All right,’ Frank said. ‘While you were at Conway’s Garage, did you see anybody else around – anybody who looked the least bit suspicious?’

  ‘There wasn’t anyone else there. Just Roy.’

  Frank nodded. ‘Thanks. That’s all the information I need for now. Sorry to have bothered you folks. I hope you understand that I was just doing my job.’

  ‘We understand,’ Ella said.

  ‘I’ll show myself out.’ Frank nodded to Ella, then left the room.

  ‘Poor old Roy,’ Cybil said. ‘Who would kill a sweet guy like that?’

  27

  Now was the time to move forward, to rush into action, but only after careful planning. The weapon with Reed’s fingerprints had been easy enough to obtain. The plan had been to steal a tool that could be used as a weapon from one of the toolboxes at the garage, but, as luck would have it, Reed had left his lunch box there – and what had been discovered inside was an even better choice. A fork, a spoon and a knife – a sharp paring knife, something suitable for peeling apples, halving sandwiches and slitting throats. Careless of him to leave such an appropriate weapon so handy. The man had been convicted once before of killing with a knife. How interesting that he would choose the same type of weapon for another murder.

  With the town in an uproar over that idiot Roy Moses’s death, people were distrac
ted, even members of the Carlisle and Porter families. It was unbelievable that not only had Webb and Ella attended Roy’s funeral, but that Webb had actually paid for it. Of course, Webb was known for his generosity. One of his more noble attributes.

  Tonight would be the night. Regrettable choice of a victim, but necessary. Once a second murder had been blamed on Reed Conway, no one would even consider reopening the Blalock case. And once Reed was in prison again – this time for the rest of his life – things could return to normal. There would be a proper time of bereavement, of course, but eventually everyone would move on. And no one would ever know the truth. Only the two of them. And they would take the secret to their graves.

  ‘I won’t go if you need me to stay here.’ Ella patted her aunt’s unsteady hand. ‘I know Uncle Jeff Henry is terribly upset about your admitting to Frank that you had stopped by Conway’s Garage looking for Briley Joe.’

  ‘I was too drunk to think straight that night,’ Cybil admitted. ‘But even if I’d been completely sober, I would have had no choice but to tell Frank the truth. My heavens, he was actually considering me a suspect in Roy’s murder.’

  ‘I don’t think he actually believed you’d killed Roy.’

  ‘Maybe not.’ Cybil squeezed Ella’s hand. ‘Don’t you worry about me. Unfortunately, your uncle and I have been through this sort of thing before and survived.’

  ‘You do know that Daddy told Frank about your affair with Junior Blalock.’

  Cybil caressed Ella’s cheek. ‘Yes, I know. I understand he also confessed a few of his own sins.’

  Ella nodded.

  ‘He told me that you didn’t judge him too harshly.’ Cybil leaned forward and kissed Ella’s cheek. ‘You have such a generous and forgiving heart. And so understanding. How much would you be willing to forgive, darling girl? Would you forgive Webb and me for almost anything?’

  ‘I love you, Aunt Cybil. Almost as much as I love Daddy. Of course I could forgive you for anything.’

  ‘Remember that promise.’ Cybil rose from where she’d been sitting on the edge of Ella’s bed, then tapped the top of Ella’s closed suitcase. ‘You and Reed need a weekend away after the hellacious week we’ve all had. A couple of days and nights down at the river cabin will be good for you.’

  ‘I hate leaving with things in such a turmoil.’ Ella stood, then lifted her small suitcase and set it on the floor. ‘With Roy’s murder unsolved, Frank won’t have any time to reopen the Blalock murder case for a while. And as long as Reed is a convicted murderer, Mother will never accept him.’

  Cybil laughed, the sound a mockery of real humor. ‘Don’t kid yourself. Carolyn will never accept Reed Conway as your significant other. His mother is not only a housekeeper, but she gave birth to one of Webb’s daughters. Once Carolyn knows about Regina, she’ll despise the entire Conway family.’

  ‘Mother accepting Reed is only a minor consideration at this point,’ Ella said. ‘Reed deserves to be exonerated. He didn’t kill Junior.’

  ‘You love him very much, don’t you?’

  Ella sighed. ‘It’s quite obvious, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes. To those of us who know you well and love you dearly.’

  ‘I don’t understand why it happened or how it could have happened so quickly. At first I tried to convince myself that it was only sex, but … I have never felt anything like this in my entire life. I ache with wanting him. He’s my first thought every morning and my last thought every night. No matter how much I’m with him, it’s never enough.’

  ‘I know.’ Cybil glanced past Ella at the wall, a faraway look in her eyes. ‘I was in love like that once.’

  ‘Were you?’

  ‘Mmm …’

  ‘With whom?’ Ella asked.

  ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.’

  ‘Try me.’

  ‘With Jeff Henry Carlisle. That silly fool.’ Tears misted Cybil’s eyes. ‘But he was in love with Carolyn. When he couldn’t have her, he settled for me. I was a substitute for my sister. At the time, I thought I could make him love me. Oh, how wrong I was.’

  ‘Aunt Cybil …’

  When Ella reached out to embrace Cybil, she grasped Ella’s shoulders. ‘Don’t you feel sorry for me. I made my own bed and I’ve been lying quite uncomfortably in it for years. But you don’t have to settle for anything less than the love and passion of the man you want. Everybody may think Reed is all wrong for you, but if y’all love each other and he makes you happy, then don’t let anyone come between you.’

  Ella hugged Cybil. ‘I’ll be back Sunday night. And I suppose I’ll continue to impose on you and Uncle Jeff Henry for a while longer. If Mother doesn’t come around soon, I’ll probably have to find a place of my own.’

  ‘You know you’re welcome here for as long as you want to stay.’

  Ella released her aunt, turned and lifted her suitcase. ‘If Reed should call for any reason, tell him … well, just tell him to hurry.’

  ‘Why aren’t y’all going to the cabin together?’ Cybil asked.

  ‘It’s his Friday night to close up at the garage. He’s promised to be at the cabin by nine,’ Ella said. ‘Briley Joe had already made plans that he couldn’t or wouldn’t change. He left yesterday for a long weekend in Tunica. Reed says his cousin loves to go to the casinos and try to strike it rich. And I think he needed to get away. Finding Roy’s body shook him up badly.’

  ‘I imagine he’s taking some woman with him.’ Cybil grinned. ‘Don’t think that I care. What I had with Briley Joe was just sex and that I can find with a dozen other men.’

  ‘Aunt Cybil?’

  ‘Don’t ask. You would have had to live my life to even begin to understand why I do the things I do.’

  Ella nodded, then opened the bedroom door and walked out into the hall. For the next forty-eight hours, she and Reed would be alone together at the family’s riverfront cabin. They could, if only for a short time, escape from reality and lose themselves in each other’s arms.

  Reed had been watching the clock for two hours, wishing time would pass faster. Only one more hour and he could close up the garage, hop in Briley Joe’s old pickup, and head for the river. The only other time in his life he’d been this eager for something was the day he was released from prison. The thought of spending forty-eight hours of uninterrupted time with Ella was enough to give him a permanent hard-on. When she’d first suggested they spend the weekend at her family’s cabin on the river, he’d been surprised. But then, Ella was a surprise – a very pleasant surprise. She seemed totally at ease with him around other people now, and all the stares directed at them whenever they were in public together didn’t seem to bother her at all. He didn’t know what the hell he’d done to deserve a woman like Eleanor Porter, but he thanked God for her.

  That’s just it, he told himself. The reality of the situation is that you don’t deserve Ella and you know it. And she damn well deserves better than the likes of you.

  The customer at the self-serve pump entered the garage and handed Reed a twenty, the exact amount of his fill-up.

  ‘Thanks,’ Reed said.

  Grinning, the guy nodded before he headed for the door. Just as he left, the telephone rang. Reed lifted the receiver. ‘Conway’s Garage.’

  ‘Reed?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Oh, I’m so glad I caught you before you left for the cabin. This is Cybil Carlisle,’ the woman said. ‘Ella asked me to call you and tell you that she can’t meet you at the cabin until late, around eleven. She’s terribly sorry, but something came up at the last minute. It has to do with a court case. She said she’d explain everything when she sees you tonight.’

  ‘All right. Thanks. Does she want me to just go on up to the cabin and wait on her?’ Reed asked.

  ‘No, she has the key, doesn’t she? You don’t have one, so she said to meet her at eleven. She’s sure she’ll be able to be there by then.’

  ‘Okay. Thanks, Mrs Carlisle.’

  Ree
d glanced at the clock again. No need counting the minutes until closing time. Briley Joe had told him to close up at eight instead of staying open until nine, but now there was no reason to close early. No big deal. A few more hours wouldn’t make that much difference. He and Ella would still have the whole weekend alone together.

  Ella pulled her Jag into the gravel drive at the back of the cabin. After locking her car, she undid the trunk and lifted two bags of groceries into her arms. She’d bought steaks to grill tomorrow, baking potatoes, red and white wine, and a carton of Tennessee tea. Also ice cream, which needed to be refrigerated immediately. She had stopped at a roadside stand on the drive from Spring Creek and bought fresh strawberries, peaches and a cantaloupe.

  Moonlight washed the cabin and the nearby river with gold. Soft, creamy, translucent gold. Here and there, scattered about in the black sky, several stars winked at her. Ella sighed happily. She’d never looked forward to anything as much as she did this weekend with Reed. Only three things were lacking in order for her life to be just about perfect: one, Reed being exonerated in Junior Blalock’s murder; two, her mother’s acceptance of Reed in her life; three, for Reed to tell her that he loved her.

  When Ella reached the front door, she placed both brown sacks on the porch and inserted the key in the lock. Once she got inside, she would open the windows, turn on the ceiling fans, and cool the place off before Reed arrived. After opening the door, she reached inside and felt along the wall until her hand encountered a switch plate. She flipped on the light, lifted the groceries and walked into the cabin. As she headed toward the kitchen area to the back of the huge combination living room and dining room, she checked her wristwatch. It was already nine. She’d taken more time at the grocery store than she’d intended, and the stop at the roadside stand had taken another fifteen minutes. She had planned to be here at least thirty minutes before Reed arrived, but he was sure to get here any minute now. After all, it took less than half an hour to drive here from town.