The Sleeping Beauty Killer Read online

Once she was alone, Laurie called Alex. Listening to his outgoing message, she realized how much she missed hearing his voice.

  “Alex, it’s Laurie. Can we please talk? You can tell Mark Templeton we won’t be bothering him anymore. I’m sorry things got so out of control yesterday.” She tried to find the right words. “Let’s talk. Please call when you have a chance.”

  For the rest of the afternoon, she watched her screen, waiting for the phone to ring.

  55

  Paula Carter was on her hotel bed, flipping channels on the remote control to pass the time. At the desk next to her, her niece, Angela, typed furiously on her laptop.

  “It was unnecessary of you to get us a hotel room, Angela. But very thoughtful.”

  “It’s nothing. I couldn’t imagine Casey wanting to get right back on the train after filming. Besides, Ladyform has a corporate rate here.”

  “I was so relieved when Laurie called last night to say she didn’t need the two of us after all. And I understand why Casey decided to go alone, but why hasn’t she called us? She should be done by now. How can you even concentrate?”

  “I don’t have a choice,” Angela said, continuing to type. “We have our fall show this weekend. I’m doing what I can remotely, but Charlotte and I need to go to the warehouse to check on the design work on the sets.”

  Paula turned off the television. “Angela, I don’t think I’ve ever told you how proud I am of you. How proud Robin would have been—to see how much you’ve accomplished as a professional woman. To go from being just a model to having such a successful career.”

  “Just a model?” Angela said, glancing from her computer screen. “I worked harder as a model than I’ve ever worked at Ladyform.”

  “That’s not what I meant, Angela. You were always so beautiful—and, of course, are still stunning. But that was never your only value. Looks fade. Talent doesn’t. I’ll be honest. When you girls were little, I’d find myself comparing the two of you. Robin was always talking about how pretty you were. And, I’m sorry to say this, I would think, My Casey will come out ahead in the long run. I know how horrible that sounds now, but sisters are competitive, even about the next generation. I never would have thought that you’d be the corporate executive, and Casey would be the one who was—”

  She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

  Angela closed her laptop, sat next to Paula on the bed, and pulled her into a hug. “Thank you, Aunt Paula. It means a lot to know you’re proud of me. I’m sure somehow Casey will find a future for herself.” Angela’s eyes began to water. She wiped away a tear and laughed to lighten the mood. “Okay, now I’m the one fretting. We should have heard from Casey by now.”

  Paula was reaching for her cell phone when they heard the beep of a hotel key card in the door. Casey’s eyes were red, and her face was smeared with makeup.

  “Oh no, what’s wrong?” Angela asked.

  “Everything,” Casey yelled. “Everything is wrong! They ambushed me. Charlotte’s friend Laurie pretended to believe me, but then she sicced her attack-dog lawyer on me. He skewed all the facts. If they had at least given me notice, I would have had better answers. I could have explained everything.”

  Paula immediately regretted not fighting Casey harder about her decision to pursue this show. “Maybe it’s not that bad,” she offered meekly.

  “Mom, it was awful. I’ll end up looking awful. The whole point was to clear my name, and instead I look even guiltier than I did before. I could tell they weren’t going to believe me. Yes, Hunter and I argued, but that’s normal for a couple. We always worked it out. I shouldn’t have tried to cover anything up, but I wanted to make sure she took my case.”

  Paula looked to Angela for guidance, but she seemed just as confused as Paula. “Honey, I’m not sure we’re following you.”

  “When I gave my file to Laurie, I left something out. I left a lot of things out. So stupid. I should have known they’d find out.”

  “What exactly did you omit?” Angela asked nervously.

  “I made the defense lawyer look worse than she really was. But the main problem was a page from the police inventory, showing shards of broken glass in the garbage.”

  “How could that possibly matter?” Paula scoffed.

  “Because they think it’s the crystal picture frame that was missing from the nightstand. They think I was the one who broke it during an argument with Hunter, and that’s why I left the page out of the files I gave them.”

  “Well, are they right?” The words left Paula’s mouth before she could stop them.

  Her daughter’s eyes were filled with pain. “Of course not. It was just a broken vase. I took that sheet out because I didn’t want Laurie to assume it was the picture frame.”

  “So they’re just speculating,” Angela said. “I honestly don’t see the problem.”

  Paula couldn’t help but notice that Angela sounded less patient than usual. She chalked it up to Angela needing to leave for work soon.

  “The problem is that I’m the one who broke the vase. A few days before the gala when I saw that photograph of Hunter and Gabrielle I was so mad that I slammed the newspaper down. It knocked the vase off the table and it shattered to smithereens.”

  Paula felt a pit growing in her stomach. “And you told them this today, on camera? That was the prosecution’s theory of your motive.” She put her hands to her face. “Oh Casey—”

  “I know, Mom. Please don’t start. That missing frame was the one thing I had on my side to prove that someone else was in the house that night. And now my attempt to hide that broken glass from them backfired. Not to mention, they made it sound like I was trying to manipulate them by suggesting we hold back the one detail about the picture frame. I didn’t even make that connection. And now I’m going to look horrible.”

  Paula wondered whether her daughter was ever going to be honest with her—or herself—about what she’d done on that horrible night. Regardless, Paula was going to do what she always did—love her daughter and do what she could to protect her. Casey always said Hunter loved her unconditionally, but she never seemed to notice that her parents always had as well.

  And because Paula always did what she could to protect her daughter, she told Casey to go into the bathroom to wash the makeup from her face. Once Casey was gone, she began pulling on her jacket.

  “Where are you going?” Angela asked.

  “To talk to Laurie Moran, mother to mother. There has to be some way to stop this show and let Casey live her life in peace.”

  56

  Laurie must have looked pleased when she emerged from Brett Young’s office. “The boss is happy?” his secretary, Dana, asked as she passed.

  “Is he ever? But, yes, compared to his usual state, he’s downright sunny.”

  Their highest hope during production was to rattle loose new facts they might piece together to shed light on an unsolved case. The idea that someone would actually confess on camera was beyond their wildest dreams. Casey didn’t directly admit to killing Hunter, but she did concede that she’d been jealous of Gabrielle Lawson and that she’d lied to the show so they’d believe her claims of innocence. Her final sobs of “I’m sorry” were filled with regret. Just a short video snippet of that single moment would convince viewers she was guilty. No wonder her defense lawyer had advised her not to take the stand.

  Brett predictably was pushing Laurie for an airdate already. She told Brett that she wanted to track down one or two people who knew Casey from the past, but thought they’d be done with production soon.

  She was thinking of potential subjects to interview when she heard the sound of a raised voice coming from the direction of her office. She turned the corner to see Grace standing in four-inch heels, trying to calm down a very strident Paula Carter. She heard Paula say, “If I need to spend every penny I have, I’ll hire a team of
lawyers to tie this studio up in court for years. You’re destroying our lives!”

  “Mrs. Carter, why don’t we talk inside my office?” Laurie asked.

  • • •

  Laurie let Mrs. Carter vent uninterrupted for several minutes. When she finally paused for air, Laurie handed her a copy of the release her daughter had signed. “That’s a photocopy in case you’re thinking of ripping it up. The language is clear. Casey agreed to a no-holds-barred interview and gave us the absolute right to air it. She has no editing power or any other authority to stop us. And please remember that your daughter was the one who approached me to help her. I did not insert myself into your family.”

  Paula was looking at the release. Laurie could tell that all the fight was falling out of her.

  “Are you a mother?” she asked quietly.

  “I am,” Laurie said more brightly. “I have a nine-year-old son.”

  “Pray God that he never breaks your heart. I can’t think of anything more painful other than losing her entirely.”

  Finally, confirmation that even Casey’s mother believed she was guilty. That’s what she meant when she said Casey had broken her heart. She’d broken it by committing an unspeakable crime.

  “How long have you known?” Laurie asked.

  Paula shook her head, lips pursed.

  “You’re not on camera, Paula. I’m not going to repeat whatever you say to me here.”

  “We tried to believe. Frank and I even prayed not to lose faith in our daughter. But the evidence was impossible to ignore. Gunshot residue on her hands. The drugs in her bag. And we of all people knew how fiery she could be. When Hunter started teaching her to shoot, Frank even joked that Casey might not be the best person to trust with a weapon. She wanted nothing more than to be Mrs. Hunter Raleigh III. If she thought she was going to lose that . . .” She let the thought trail off. “That’s why Frank wanted her to plead guilty. He thought prison might even help her. But fifteen years? He never got to see her outside the prison walls again. Laurie, my daughter is seriously troubled. Is there any way I can convince you—mother to mother—to move on to another story?”

  Laurie shook her head. The least she could do was level with the woman.

  “I knew it was a mistake to do this show,” Paula said softly. “After you first came to the house, even Angela asked me if there was any way I could talk Casey out of it. She had a feeling that Casey would slip up and come out looking even worse than at trial.”

  “Are you saying that Angela thinks Casey’s guilty? She gave me the opposite impression.”

  “She gives everyone the opposite impression. I try not to resent Angela for being the one Casey credits with undying loyalty, but the truth is that Angela has her doubts, too. She always says, ‘If Casey says she didn’t do it, then she didn’t do it,’ but that doesn’t mean she really believes it. But I made my peace a long time ago. I worried Casey wouldn’t be able to get through her prison sentence if she didn’t believe she had at least one person truly on her side. I continue to let Angela play that role.”

  “Paula, it’s none of my business, but what are you going to do when our show airs? Are you going to continue to stand by silently while Casey blames everyone for Hunter’s death but herself? She’s already served her sentence. Maybe the way for her to find peace is to admit the truth about what she did—at least to her own family.”

  “I said before that I hope your son never breaks your heart. Mine was truly broken once I realized my daughter would never trust me with the truth. And if you ever repeat what I told you today, I’ll deny it, just like my daughter.”

  57

  Laurie had just put Paula on an elevator when the doors to the next one opened. Charlotte stepped out, wearing blue jeans and a black Ladyform-logo hoodie. Laurie was used to seeing her in elegant pantsuits on workdays.

  “This is a surprise,” Laurie said. “Are we planning a heist?”

  “That would be much more fun. I’m on my way to Brooklyn.” She said it as if it were a foreign country. “We need to get the warehouse in shape for the fashion show. The set builders started yesterday, but there’s a lot of work to do. Angela and I need to go over the final plans.”

  Laurie had been so wrapped up in the show that she’d completely forgotten that her friend was under her own pressures.

  “Can I help somehow? Not that I know anything about fashion shows.”

  “Unfortunately, I’m here for a different kind of favor. It’s about Angela’s cousin. Can we talk?”

  Charlotte was clearly surprised when Laurie told her that Casey’s mother had already beaten her to the punch. “She just left. I explained that Casey’s signed agreement is straightforward. She can’t revoke her consent now.”

  “I told Angela I didn’t think there was anything I could do. But she sounded desperate when she called, and she’s my friend, so—”

  “I get it. But if my show is successful, there’s always going to be at least one family torn apart by the truth. Everyone has a family. It sounds cold,” Laurie said, “but I can’t concern myself with that.”

  “What if you had found out something terrible about my sister? Would you have run with the story, even after my mother put so much trust in you?”

  It was the first time Laurie had ever contemplated the question, but she answered without hesitation. “Honestly, yes. But, Charlotte, your sister was a victim. Casey’s not. I know she’s your friend’s cousin, but she’s a killer. Think of what she has put her family through. If I feel sorry for anyone, it’s the Raleigh family.” James Raleigh lost his son, and Andrew lost his brother. If the show was going to explore every aspect of the re-investigation, Laurie was going to have to ­expose their wrongdoing, too.

  “General Raleigh isn’t a perfect man,” she continued. “I don’t approve of his tactics. He had Jason Gardner write the book that convinced everyone Casey was crazy. He, in concert with his sidekick Mary Jane, was probably the source of the RIP_Hunter posts.”

  At that she stopped. The General had silenced and even threatened Mark Templeton to cover up the fact that Andrew used the family foundation as his personal ATM. But his concern was always for his sons. He wanted to make sure that Hunter’s killer was punished, and he was desperate to protect his sole surviving son.

  “I’ll talk to Angela directly if you want. You shouldn’t be dragged into the middle.”

  “I wasn’t dragged. She’s my friend, so I said I’d talk to you. But you’re my friend, too, so I understand you need to do your job. Down the road, Angela will understand, too. Right now, she’s in shock about Casey. She was so certain of her innocence, and now she’s beginning to wonder.”

  Laurie’s face must have revealed her apprehension. Charlotte asked if something was wrong. Laurie wasn’t going to repeat what Casey’s mother had told her, but she did want Charlotte to know that Angela might not be as shocked as she was letting on.

  “I think Angela may have already had suspicions about her cousin’s guilt. If she asked you to get involved, it might be because she feels guilty for not telling Casey earlier the real reason she thought she shouldn’t do the show.”

  Charlotte furrowed her brow in disagreement. “I wouldn’t read that much into it,” she said. “She’s just a really loyal friend and is worried about Casey.”

  “I’m sure she is,” Laurie said, “but it’s my understanding she was worried it would come to this. Neither one of us would be in this situation if she’d told us from the beginning she had her doubts about Casey’s innocence.”

  Charlotte looked away, and Laurie realized she’d spoken out of turn. Laurie was bothered that Angela had let Charlotte go to bat for her cousin with Laurie, when apparently she had told her aunt she thought Casey was guilty. But Charlotte had known Angela far longer than Laurie. It wasn’t Laurie’s place to question their friendship. “Anyway,” Laurie said, “th
ank you for understanding my decision.”

  “At least I can tell Angela I tried,” Charlotte said matter-of-factly. “Speaking of Angela, I better get a move on. She’s already down at the warehouse. And speaking of warehouses, you might need one to expand your office. It looks a bit like a serial killer’s lair in here.” She rose from the sofa and began browsing the various whiteboards Laurie was using to organize her thoughts. “What is all this stuff?”

  “It’s not as bad as it looks. Most of those printouts were a futile attempt to find out who’s been posting negative comments about Casey online. I had a theory it might be the real killer.”

  “Or it was yet another weirdo writing from his mother’s basement,” Charlotte said. “You should see the hateful things people post on Ladyform’s Instagram account. Everyone’s either too fat or too skinny or too old. It’s easy to be cruel when you can be anonymous. What’s the deal with ‘and also’?” Charlotte asked, pointing to the large red block letters that Laurie had circled.

  “A phrase our favorite troll tended to use. Anyway, it’s not important now. Good luck on your show. I’m sure it’ll be amazing.”

  “Do you want to come?” Charlotte asked.

  “Really? I’d love to.”

  “Cool. I’ll put you on the list for Saturday. And good luck on your show, too. I feel horrible for Angela, but I know this is going to be a big win for you.”

  • • •

  A big win, Laurie thought once she was alone. The words reminded her of something Alex had said when they were first arguing about Mark Templeton. “You win,” he had said. She picked up her cell phone from her desk, hoping he might have called, but she had no new messages.

  She was tired of waiting. She typed a text message. Do you have time to talk? Her finger hovered over the screen, then hit the send button.

  She waited, filled with anxiety, as she saw dots on the screen, indicating that he was composing a response. I got your message earlier. I just need some time to think. I’ll call when things have cooled down.