Jake is stewing all morning Thursday after
Carson’s murder. He learned of the murder from Mary Jane Bloom’s article in
Tuesday’s Weekly Journal. He didn’t follow through with Jolene’s demand he kill
Carson, but Carson’s dead. He thinks Jolene must have decided he wasn’t going
to do it so she did it. What will this mean for their relationship? Will she
drop him now that she doesn't need him? Did she need him for the sex as she
claimed? Or was she grooming him to kill Carson? What if she’s caught? What if
the sheriff questions her and she points to him to throw suspicion off her? No
one can back up his being at the cabin most of the weekend. Without an alibi
Jolene holds the cards to blame him if she needs to. Maybe he should leave for
a fishing trip to the UP for a couple of weeks. Would leaving make him look
suspicious? What does he say when Jolene arrives? Will she come today? Will she
stay home today as the grieving widow? He goes for a long walk in the woods but
gets no answers to the questions filling his mind. He heats a can of chili for
lunch and tries to nap before Jolene comes. He can’t sleep.
Jolene arrives at 2:30 and parks behind the
cabin as usual. She has a big smile on her face when she comes to the open door
and looks at Jake. She says excitedly, “You did it, Jake. Let’s celebrate.”
Jake doesn’t know how to respond. If she thinks
he did it then she must be innocent. Someone else must have killed Carson.
Before he can think of anything to say Jolene’s kissing him passionately and
leading him toward the bed. After the sex Jolene turns over and falls asleep.
While she sleeps Jake thinks about his options. There are only two choices. He
tells her the truth that he didn’t kill Carson or he doesn't say anything
leaving her to believe he did what she wanted. By the time she wakes he decides
to tell her the truth.
When she wakes and turns over to face him he
says, “Jolene, I didn’t kill Carson. I couldn’t do it.”
He sees her blue eyes widen and a puzzled look on
her face. Finally she says, “That means someone else killed him for us. That’s
wonderful, Jake. Now we get everything and no one can take it from us.”
“Won’t the sheriff suspect you, Jolene? Don’t
they always suspect the wife? Do you have an alibi for when Carson was killed?”
“I suppose the sheriff will suspect me if he
doesn’t find the killer soon. He has a lot of suspects. There were serious
threats made against Carson at last Saturday’s meeting. Peter Brown and others
were screaming threats and Violet’s activists were in full voice with serious
threats. It must have been one of those making threats that killed Carson.
Hopefully the sheriff will find out who and won’t question me.”
“Yeah, but if he does question you, do you have
a solid alibi?”
“Not really, I went straight home alone after
the meeting and stayed there until I went to church Sunday morning.”
“That’s not good. I don’t have any confidence in
the sheriff. If he can’t find the killer quickly he may try to pin it on you.”
“I guess you are right, Jake. Maybe we should only
see each other here on Thursday afternoons as usual until the sheriff
finds the killer or gives up.”
“I agree, Jolene. Do you want to have sex
again?”
“Yes, but I have to pee first. Do you still have
your grandmother’s chamber pot? I don’t want to get dressed and go to the old
outhouse.”
“Sure, it’s under the front of the bed.”
After she gets back in bed she snuggles close to
Jake and says in her most seductive voice, “I don’t have to be home by 5:00
anymore I‘m going to make this an afternoon you won’t forget.”
That Thursday afternoon Paul Waters gets a call
from Glen Lund. Glen says, “Paul, I thought you would call me by now. Have you
come up with our next move?”
“There is no rush, Glen. Everything is going
better than we could have hoped. With Carson dead Jolene inherits everything.
David Wellborne may think he’ll get the land back but that’s not happening.
Carson was smart enough to include conditions in their contract that negates
any claim by Wellborne if Carson died before completing the development. We
have to be patient. Soon it will be time for the probate court to decide on
Carson’s estate. He didn’t have a will and everything he had is in his name
only. I’ll make sure probate lasts long enough for Jolene to be desperate for
money. Then we’ll offer to buy the Wellborne property for half what it’s worth.
She’ll have no choice but to sell to us. If we time it right she won’t have
time to find another buyer. We’ve got her right where we want her, Glen. Sit
tight, be patient and don’t say anything. Don’t call me at my office again. I
can’t be sure Maryland isn’t listening.”
“Okay, Cousin. That’s good news. I’ll be patient
and wait for you to act. I guess I’d better get some free cash together.”
“That’s a wise move, Glen. We need to be able to
act quickly when the time is right.”
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