All Dressed in White Read online

  “Mom asked me to find you. The police said they found a body that they believe is Amanda’s.”

  49

  The detective’s name was Marlene Henson. Laurie remembered Sandra mentioning her when she first came to Laurie’s office. She was short—barely five feet tall—with long red hair and round, full cheeks. She stood with her feet hips’ distance apart, sturdy like a tank.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to keep this strictly within the family, Sandra?” the detective asked. Laurie detected a hint of a southern accent in her voice.

  The entire Pierce family was gathered in the living room of Walter’s suite. Laurie suddenly felt all eyes on her and Alex, standing next to each other near the door. They were the interlopers.

  “I want Laurie and Alex here,” Sandra affirmed. “Their show is the reason we may have finally found Amanda. I know they’re committed to helping us.”

  “But they’re also reporters, Sandra. There are things we can’t divulge to the public without jeopardizing the investigation.”

  “We’re not typical reporters,” Laurie said. “Anything you say in this room will remain between us for now. You have my word.”

  “And unlike the police,” Alex said, “we have agreements with everyone in the wedding party to speak to us voluntarily. No arrests, no Miranda warnings. That could come in handy.”

  Detective Henson looked one more time at Sandra and appeared satisfied. Sandra’s eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from crying, but she seemed ready to hear the details. Walter put his hand around her shoulder.

  Her voice remarkably calm, Sandra asked, “Do you believe you have found my daughter’s body?”

  “Allow me to explain the events that brought us here today. A phone call came into the station house last night, a few minutes before midnight. The caller’s voice was muffled. At this point we’re not even certain if it was a man or a woman. The caller provided specific information about the location of your daughter’s body. Of course we tried to trace the call but it came back to a phone you can buy and throw away.”

  Walter pursed his lips. “That was over twelve hours ago. No one thought to tell us?”

  “The department wanted to investigate first. I didn’t want to distress you if it was a crank call, but we acted on it immediately. The address the caller provided was for a parking lot across the street from St. Edward’s Church, which is two miles from here. We checked the records. That parking lot was being resurfaced at the time your daughter disappeared. The instructions were very specific regarding where the body would be found.

  “We had GPR—that’s ground-penetrating radar—out there in the middle of the night. Based on what we saw on radar, we began excavation of the parking lot at sunrise and unfortunately did locate remains at that location. We’ll do further testing to confirm if they belong to your daughter, but we found these on the left ring finger.”

  Detective Henson handed Sandra a photograph of two platinum rings: a classic Tiffany-style diamond engagement ring and a matching wedding band. The setting was caked in dirt.

  “I think these are hers,” Sandra said. “The engagement ring was engraved. A and J—”

  Detective Henson finished the phrase with her. “Semper amemus.”

  “It means ‘Let us always love’ in Latin,” Sandra explained, choking back a sob. “It’s definitely our daughter. It’s my baby. It’s Amanda.”

  Walter wrapped both arms around her, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

  “I’m so sorry to have to tell you this,” the detective said softly. “I’ll give your family some time alone. I’ve always hoped there might be a different ending.”

  50

  On the way to the hotel elevator, Laurie asked Detective Henson if they could have a moment. “Detective, there’s something you need to know about the wedding band that you found with Amanda’s body. Jeff told us that when he got back to New York, he couldn’t find the rings in his luggage. He said that with all of the distress over Amanda’s disappearance, he hadn’t realized they were missing.”

  “I was wondering why she would have been wearing the band before she was actually married.”

  “She wouldn’t have been,” Alex said. “And here’s the thing: both the bride and the groom’s rings were supposedly being kept in Jeff’s room safe prior to the ceremony. And one of Amanda’s friends just told us that Amanda seemed to be having second thoughts about the wedding. She said there was something she needed to find out before she made a final decision about whether to go through with the ceremony.”

  Detective Henson raised her eyebrows. “Well, that certainly is interesting. Sandra already told me about the will. Now that we’ve found her body, Jeff will finally get his money without having to call attention to himself by asking a court to declare her legally dead.”

  Laurie saw the pieces of the puzzle falling together. “If Amanda went up to Jeff’s room that night after their separate parties, she might have wanted to try on her ring—maybe as a test to see how she felt about it. If she changed her mind and decided to call things off, a fight might have ensued. Jeff could have killed her and buried the body without remembering to remove the ring.”

  As usual, Alex was following her logic step by step. “When he realized his mistake, filing an insurance claim for the stolen rings after he got back to New York could have been a way to cover for the fact that her wedding band was missing. But he never filed a claim.”

  The detective smiled. “I appreciate the information, but you should leave the police work to us.”

  “Are you sure about that, Detective?” Alex asked swiftly. “Because we’re supposed to question your number one suspect in half an hour, and for now he has no idea you found Amanda with that ring on her finger. And rest assured, I’m going to ask him about that.”

  51

  Jeff looked handsome in a tan summer suit and plaid bow tie. They had asked him to wear something similar to what he had planned to wear for the wedding ceremony. He was showing Alex the beachside pergola where they were supposed to exchange vows in front of their family and closest friends.

  “It’s a truly beautiful setting,” Alex observed. “I can’t resist asking about your somewhat unusual choice of footwear.”

  One of the videographers moved forward with a handheld camera to get a shot of Jeff’s sandals.

  “Amanda loved the idea of being on the beach for an afternoon wedding,” he said, reminiscing, “but was worried about wearing heels in the sand. She was thrilled when I suggested that we both wear flip-flops for the occasion and encourage our guests to do the same. Then she could change into her white satin Jimmy Choos for the reception.”

  Laurie smiled conspiratorially to the woman who handed her the bottle of water she’d requested. Detective Henson had looked like the result of a casting call for a police detective when she was delivering the bad news to the Pierce family. But clad in blue jeans and an Under Suspicion T-shirt, she now blended right in with the rest of the crew. Alex had been the one to convince her that it was in the police department’s interest not to disrupt the production schedule. So far, the police had been able to prevent the news about the discovery of a body beneath the concrete of a parking lot from leaking to the media.

  If Jeff was the one who called in the anonymous tip, he might know they had already conducted an excavation. But he would have no way of knowing for certain that they had located either Amanda’s body or the wedding ring. They still had the upper hand.

  Jeff seemed comfortable in front of the cameras, telling Alex once again how much he admired his skills as a lawyer.

  “We’ll see if you still like me when we’re finished here,” Alex said wryly. “Let’s start by getting something clarified upfront. You married Amanda’s best friend, Meghan, just fifteen months after you were supposed to marry Amanda. You must have known that was going to raise some eyebrows.”

  “Of course we did, Alex. That’s why we didn’t have a big wedding and kept the new
s relatively private. But we were deeply in love. Getting married to each other was a way to remind ourselves that life needed to move on. We wanted to move on together.”

  “You don’t think that sounds cold?”

  “Maybe it does, but it didn’t feel cold to either of us. We both loved Amanda. It was losing her that brought us together as a couple. We helped each other through the grief.”

  “So you’re officially going on the record to say there was nothing going on between you and Meghan prior to Amanda’s disappearance.”

  “I swear on my very life,” he said, holding up one hand as an oath.

  “Your wife told us that Amanda changed after she survived her illness. That she developed a harder edge. Was less patient. I think she even used the word selfish. Amanda’s own sister echoed the sentiment. That must have placed some strain on your relationship.”

  “I doubt Meghan meant to use that particular word, but yes, it’s fair to say that Amanda was a different person once she was past the treatment. Who wouldn’t be affected by having a brush with death at such a young age? If anything, it made me admire her even more. She was determined to live her life to its fullest.”

  “We’ve heard from one of your friends that the two of you would sometimes argue.”

  “I mean, sure, like any couple. But nothing unusual. Look, it’s true that our relationship wasn’t perfect, and that was related to her getting past the illness. We really fell in love while she was sick. Once she was better, she was less dependent on me, and sometimes it was unclear how our lives fit together. In a crazy way, it was almost like there was a void without the illness.”

  “Amanda even spoke to Kate about the possibility of calling off the wedding.”

  Jeff appeared surprised by the assertion. “I can’t imagine why. We were both so excited to be husband and wife.”

  “Amanda told her that something had come up and that she needed to find out more. Are you certain that you did not see Amanda the night after you separated for your bachelor and bachelorette parties?”

  “Of course I’m certain.”

  “I want to shift gears and talk to you about your wedding bands. You were holding on to them until the ceremony?”

  Jeff seemed completely unfazed by the question. “Yes, they were in the safe in my hotel room, but were stolen at some point during our stay.”

  “When was the last time you recall seeing them?”

  “Let’s see—I guess it was the same day Amanda disappeared. The photographer was taking some early pictures of the bridal party and snapped a couple of stills of the rings up in my room.”

  “And you returned them to the safe afterward?”

  “Yes, I’m sure of it.”

  “And Amanda wasn’t in your room at any time after that?”

  “No. You’re asking so many questions about those rings. They weren’t particularly valuable. I couldn’t have afforded expensive ones. Is there a reason you’re so interested?”

  A chill ran down Laurie’s spine. Was Jeff testing them? As Laurie watched Alex’s face, she made a mental note never to challenge him to a poker match. He was absolutely unreadable. “Meghan suggested that Amanda may have taken them as a memento.”

  Jeff nodded, apparently satisfied by the explanation. “She’s mentioned the possibility to me, too. I think she truly wants to believe that Amanda’s out there somewhere, churning butter on a farm in Montana. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

  “Amanda’s not the only woman you’ve known who disappeared, is she?”

  “What kind of question is that? Of course she is.”

  “We’ve been looking into the murder of a woman named Carly Romano. She was a sophomore at Colby, one year behind you. She was missing for two weeks before her body was found. The medical examiner determined she was strangled. Isn’t this a photograph of you with Carly taken three months before her death?”

  Jeff’s face flushed with anger. “You can’t possibly be suggesting—”

  “All I did was ask a question, Jeff.”

  “This is crazy. Colby’s tiny, eighteen hundred students total. Everyone basically knew everyone.”

  “But your arm is around Carly in this picture. You look quite enamored with her.”

  “You’re blowing it way out of proportion. I would guess that was at Bob-In, a nearby stomping ground. I think Nick was trying to endear himself to one of her friends. I wasn’t dating her or anything.”

  “There were other pictures of the two of you together.”

  “Those were probably the only times we ever hung out. Carly was one of the great beauties on campus. Everyone would flirt with her at parties, but in my case, it was nothing serious, just simple college fun. This is ridiculous. I’ve gone all these years with people wondering whether I hurt the woman I loved, but are you seriously suggesting I’m some kind of serial killer?”

  Alex let the pause linger. By the time he spoke, Jeff was pale. “There’s something I need to tell you, Jeff. The police found a woman’s body this morning, buried beneath a parking lot that was under construction at the time Amanda disappeared.”

  Jeff’s mouth opened and closed like a marionette’s. “Is it Amanda?”

  “There’s no final identification yet, but they did find what appeared to be her engagement ring.”

  “Semper amemus?” he muttered. “That was the engraving.”

  “Yes,” Alex said, “that’s the same ring. And that wasn’t the only piece of jewelry. The police also found a matching wedding band, the one you said was last seen in your hotel room.”

  Jeff rose from his chair, ripped off his mic, and walked quickly off the set.

  52

  An hour later, Laurie was pacing yet again in the living room of Alex’s suite.

  “Laurie,” Alex said, obviously concerned, “I’ve never seen you so nervous. You’re going to wear a hole in the hotel carpet at this rate.”

  The only other people in the room were her father and Detective Henson. Jerry was out with the camera crew gathering footage of local scenery to use during the narration between interviews. Laurie had asked Grace to watch Timmy so her father could be here while they met with Detective Henson.

  “You’re right,” Laurie said. “I am a bundle of nerves. Shouldn’t we tell Sandra and Walter about this latest development?”

  So far, only her production team—and Jeff—knew about both the significance of the wedding band found with Amanda’s body and Jeff’s connection to Carly Romano.

  Leo grabbed Laurie’s hand abruptly as she passed his wing chair. “Stop pacing. The detective here knows what’s she’s doing, and for what it’s worth, I’d make the same call. When you’re working a case, you can’t always tell the family everything in real time.”

  Alex had been able to extract some helpful information from Jeff. He had admitted knowing Carly, and he had locked himself into a very specific story about the wedding bands. But Detective Henson couldn’t make an arrest until the Medical Examiner’s Office completed the autopsy that might produce physical evidence connecting him to her death.

  Detective Henson had changed back into her black pantsuit. “I’ve got police officers in plain clothes all over the property, and I have Jeff Hunter’s name flagged with all the airlines, rental car companies, and Amtrak. If he tries to flee before his scheduled flight back to New York, we’ll know.”

  “And what about when he’s back in New York?” Alex asked.

  “We’ll deal with that when the time comes, but trust me, we’re not going to lose sight of him.”

  “Good,” Leo said. “If we’re right, Jeff’s gotten away with too much for too long.”

  “There’s one thing I still don’t understand,” Laurie said, her pacing commencing once again. “Was Jeff really the one to call the police? But why would he tip us off to the location of the body? He had to have known that the wedding band would only call attention to him.”

  “I thought of that, too,” Alex said. “But I’ve had cli
ents who are extremely calculating about the costs and benefits of the choices they make. Jeff may have been confident that the ring wouldn’t be enough proof for a conviction—because it’s not. But now that Amanda’s body has been found, he can finally inherit her trust fund without having to sue to declare her dead, which would have made him look like a real heel in the public eye.”

  “The account was worth two million dollars more than five years ago,” Henson said.

  Leo let out a whistle. “It’s probably considerably more by now.”

  Laurie said, “Is there any way to analyze the voice on the tape to see if it’s Jeff’s?”

  Henson shook her head. “You can buy a voice distorter in any spy shop. As I told you earlier, the caller could be a woman for all we know. We traced the call, and it came from a burner—a throwaway phone, no name attached to it. According to the cell site information, the call originated through a cell tower two blocks from here. So any of the people you are interviewing could have made the phone call. So, nothing helpful.” Henson continued. “Can I trust the three of you to keep all this to yourselves? Don’t make me regret this.”

  Laurie assured her that they would not let on that the police were closing in on Jeff, but as she shut the door behind the detective, she just couldn’t picture Jeff making that phone call. They had to be missing something.

  As she and her father left Alex’s room, she asked if he could join her for a ride in the car after taking Timmy to the water park.

  “No need to wait,” Leo reported. “I just saw Jerry, who was quite proud to have finished scouting locations with the camera crew early. Much to my surprise, Jerry announced he’d been looking forward the entire trip to checking out the four-story slide Timmy keeps carrying on about.”

  “I’ll see if Jerry is joking or if he minds staying with Timmy so you can keep me company.”