A Justified Murder Read online

  Charlene had her back to Kate. “I guess you mean Randal.”

  “You did know him?”

  When Charlene turned around, she was smiling. “He was a lovely man.”

  “Really? I got the idea he was a bit of a...scoundrel.”

  “He was. But that made him exciting. He was so good-looking...” She stirred the lemonade. “You know how some men have all the confidence in the world? They just seem to know that they’re going to be wanted. Accepted.”

  “Not really,” Kate said, “but I can imagine it.”

  “That’s how Randal was. He believed people were going to like him so they did.” She smiled in memory. “Every teenage girl in Lachlan had a crush on him.”

  “He wasn’t in school with you, was he?” Kate wondered if Charlene was older than she looked.

  “Heavens no! When I was in high school, Randal was...” She thought for a moment. “Thirty-eight, thirty-nine. Somewhere in there. But charisma doesn’t age, does it?”

  “Tom Selleck.”

  Charlene laughed. “You and me both. My husband is twelve years older than I am. I tend to like a man with some experience in the world. What about you?”

  “Haven’t decided yet. I do like a man who can do things.” Charlene was opening packages of cookies and arranging them on a tray. “Can you tell me more about my father? Every time I ask Aunt Sara, she clams up. And speaking of that, do you know why our aunts hate each other?”

  “I’ve asked about that but I got no answer.” Charlene lowered her voice in secrecy. “However, I did hear Aunt Tayla in one of her many arguments with Walter. I think that back in high school he did something awful to Sara and Tayla took his side.”

  “What was it?”

  “No idea.” She sighed. “Walter was a crass and rude man. The exact opposite of Randal.”

  “Tell me,” Kate said eagerly.

  “Randal wore a tuxedo like he’d been born in it. Champagne was his favorite drink.”

  “But I heard that he and Jack’s father were friends. Roy wasn’t exactly the tux and champagne type.”

  “Yes and no. Jack’s dad wore leather and rode a giant Harley, while Randal was invited to the poshest parties in town. They were kings in their own societies. I think they respected each other.”

  “I heard—” Kate started to say that Aunt Sara had hinted that he stole diamonds but she stopped. “What made them friends?”

  “Well...” Charlene hesitated. “Neither of them...uh, paid much attention to rules, and that included the law. Randal was the brains and Roy was the muscle.”

  Kate’s eyes were wide as she listened, but then the noise of two little boys, running in after having been imprisoned in school all day, cut them off. She watched Charlene envelop them in hugs. Then they ran outside yelling, “Jack is here.” Kate helped Charlene carry the lemonade and cookies outside.

  She was glad she’d heard some about her father but she wanted more. And more and more.

  * * *

  Sara was in the little barn taking stills of the tackle. She was underexposing and opening the aperture to get as much light as possible. She bracketed to get black and white as well as soft and vivid color. When she heard a sound to her left, she swung around, never taking the camera from her eye. The wide double doors were open to bright Florida sunshine and coming in was a tall woman leading a horse. The backlighting made her a dark silhouette, more a cutout than a portrait. Perfect! Sara snapped half a dozen shots before she lowered the camera.

  When she saw who it was, she turned and headed out.

  “Would you stop it!” Tayla said.

  Sara halted but she didn’t turn around.

  “It all happened so long ago. And you were right. Walter was a jerk. Sorry I didn’t believe you about him at the time.”

  Sara turned around to face the woman she hadn’t spoken to in many years. Kate had told them that lately her boss had been agitated, upset about something. And they’d told Sara of the overheard conversation. It went through her mind that it was time to put old feuds into the past.

  Tayla tied the horse to the stall. “But then, Randal was worse.”

  In a single second, Sara went from feeling forgiveness to rage. “My brother didn’t drug high school girls. He didn’t tear their clothes off. He didn’t—”

  “No,” Tayla said calmly. “Randal was merely a seducer of fifteen-year-old girls. Namely, my niece, Charlene. You didn’t know that, did you?” She pulled the saddle off the horse. “I’ve kept this knowledge to myself for many years but I think it’s time you knew. She and your brother had an affair. It didn’t last long. A week or so, but she was oh so willing for it to go on. She was heartbroken when he didn’t show up at their meeting place. Torn apart. No one knew what was wrong with her because your brother was so very good at keeping secrets, wasn’t he?”

  Tayla dropped the saddle onto a hay bale. “But then, you’re not bad at holding in secrets either, are you? What happened to your beautiful, spoiled, no-conscience little brother? He just disappeared. Vanished. No explanation was ever given.”

  “I don’t have to listen to this.” Sara turned and left the barn.

  Ten

  TAYLA WATCHED HER former friend leave and felt bad at what she’d said, and especially at the way she’d said it. Their first meeting after all these years should have been sweet and gentle. But right now there was nothing inside Tayla but anger. No, that wasn’t right. It was fear—and it was building up inside her until she was about to implode. How long was it going to take before the secret she’d been hiding for so long would come out? She’d blurted only a tiny bit of it to Sara.

  There were rumors around town of a reporter who was asking everyone questions. And of course there was Sara and her little entourage of would-be detectives. They were snooping into everything. It was being said that Sheriff Flynn was helping them.

  Tayla left the barn and walked toward the house. The boys were home from school and they were begging Jack to turn them upside down and toss them into the air. Nothing was too rough for them. But then, their lawyer father was more likely to read to them. Leland was older, groomed to the point of obsession, and Charlene was mad about him. To Tayla, he reminded her too much of Sara’s little brother.

  Sara was taking photos, and standing to the side was Kate, her auburn hair glinting in the sunlight. It was a perfect gathering of people who cared about one another. People who had a reason to laugh. How long will it last? Tayla thought.

  She went back to the barn, picked up the brush, and started combing down the sweaty horse. Riding miles in the heat hadn’t helped her mood. She could not take away all that Charlene had now. Whatever she had to do, she wouldn’t let it end.

  As she brushed, she thought back to that summer so long ago.

  JULY 1994

  ATLANTA, GEORGIA

  What’s more complicated than family? Tayla thought as she pulled into the driveway of her sister Diane’s mega mansion. Tayla rolled her eyes at the sight of the house. It was a fake Tudor. Next door was a reproduction French chateau. Next to it was... The whole suburb was full of huge houses that were modernized copies of some time period that had nothing to do with Atlanta.

  She got out of the rental car to get her suitcase from the back.

  Yet again, she wondered why she’d allowed herself to be bullied into doing this. But her mother and Diane had piled masses of guilt on her. Diane and her rich husband, Garett, had to go to Brussels. Had to attend some conference. “He’s the keynote speaker,” her mother had nearly shouted. “You must do this.”

  “All right,” Tayla snapped back. “I’ll see if I can get away.”

  “No,” her mother said. “Not see, but do.” She’d slammed down the phone.

  Family obligations, Tayla thought in disgust.

  Her mother wanted Tayla to fly to Atlanta and