"Why did he try to make it look like an accident? That was what he intended, right?"
"It was Marshall's idea, to give us more time. I think Mr. Parsons would have been okay with the accident idea, if it had stuck. But when it didn't, well, he had to put the blame on someone. He didn't much care if it was Marshall or you. He'd have ruined Marshall either way."
"Do you mean to tell me," Delores said, her voice cracking with fury, "Frederick intended to let Greg kill us all?"
Joey swallowed. "Yes, ma'am – but I don't think he knew there'd be so many of you. He was going to shoot Greg after he killed Miss Campbell." He nodded toward me and my legs shook. Delores put her good arm protectively around my shoulders. "He planned to tell the sheriff it was self defense – that Greg killed Miss Campbell and planned to kill him, too."
The first Snohomish County Sheriff's car rolled silently around the house and came to a stop. We all watched as the deputy, calm and business-like, exited the car with his gun drawn.
Joey continued. "I came into the house when I didn't hear a gunshot." His gaze held mine. "I'm glad you're all alive." Then he turned away, still on his knees.
"Glad" couldn't begin to describe my feelings. "Why did he kill his daughter?" I asked.
Joey took a shuddering breath then looked over his shoulder at me. Light reflected off the tears tracing paths down his face. "It was an accident. They argued about Greg and the investment scheme he dragged her into. Mr. Parsons lost his temper and hit her." He swallowed. More tears washed down his face. Another sheriff's cruiser pulled up. "He broke her neck." Joes faced front as two more sheriff's cars arrived and an ambulance.
"Everyone all right here?" Detective Thurman called, getting out of an unmarked car. His gun was drawn, too.
I cleared my throat. "They've arrived," I said into the phone. "Were you able to hear all that?"
"Yes, and thank you," the 9-1-1 operator said.
This time I actually did press the disconnect button. Then I addressed Thurman. "Yes. Mostly. I think Delores's arm is broken, though."
He nodded and motioned to the paramedics. Delores scowled.
"No backtalk, Delores," he said, then gave Joey a long look. "What am I arresting you for?"
"Murder."
"Whose?"
"Frederick Parsons."
Thurman's eyebrows shot up. He motioned to a deputy. "Cuff him and read him his rights." He turned his attention to me. "What am I going to find inside?"
"Two bodies. Frederick Parsons and Lee – sorry, I don't know his last name. And Greg Marshall." Sarah sniffled loudly. I took a deep breath. "He's injured, maybe still unconscious, but we, um, secured him."
Thurman raised one eyebrow, then nodded at my hand. "You hurt?"
"No. It's Greg's blood."
His gaze shifted to my shirt. "Did he -"
"No." I yanked my shirt back together. "No. He was just trying to intimidate me."
"You want to talk to a woman officer?"
"No, thanks. I'm okay."
Another nod and a questioning look at my sister.
"You're doing all right?"
Juliet blushed. She blushed. "Yes, sir. I'm fine."
"Got things straightened out with your young man?"
"Yes, sir."
"No more weeping?"
Weeping?
"No, sir. I'm sorry about that."
"That's okay." He smiled and patted her arm.
Oh, did I have questions for my sister.
"And you, Miss Fuller…" Thurman shook his head as Sarah blubbered, then he looked around. "Hausman!" The deputy I'd seen at the sheriff's office trotted over. "Take Miss Fuller to the office and get her statement. Hold her as a material witness, possible accessory."
Hausman led a wailing Sarah to a patrol car as another ambulance pulled in.
"You two," Thurman addressed Juliet and me. "Give your statements to the officers over there. Then go home. I'll talk to you both later."
I started to follow Juliet then stopped. "Detective?" Thurman looked a question at me. "Frederick Parsons killed his daughter. He was going to shoot all of us. Joey saved us."
Thurman shook his head and smiled. "Thea, you saved yourself and everyone else when you left the connection to the 9-1-1 operator opened. That was quick thinking. And pretty damn brave. You let us know just how and when to approach the situation." He winked and waved me off. "Go on. I expect you'd like to go home. We'll take it from here. I'll be in touch when we get this sorted out."
I smiled as I headed to the deputy who would take my statement. The backyard was now full of vehicles of all description, their strobe and flood lights illuminating the area that had been so empty and terrifying to me a short while ago. I took a deep breath and caught the definite scent of spring, mixed in with diesel and other exhaust. It was not raining. In fact, the sky was bright with a nearly full moon.
A deputy approached and pulled a pen out of his pocket.
"You'll need more than one clipboard for this statement," I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When I was done dictating the evening's events I grabbed Juliet. She wasn't going to avoid talking to me again.
"Tell me about the weeping with Detective Thurman. And do not blow me off this time."
"Oh, I, uh -"
"Spill it," I said, through gritted teeth.
Juliet's flaming complexion was evident even in the poor light. She stuttered a bit more, then her shoulders dropped. "Oh, all right. When I went in to Detective Thurman's office to be interviewed I thought he was building a case against Eric."
I narrowed my eyes at her. I knew there was more.
"Okay, okay, I even thought Eric may have – you know, by accident. Anyway, I had a story planned about how we spent the afternoon and evening together, but when I walked into that awful conference room I burst into tears. God, Thea, it was worse than you can ever imagine. I couldn't stop crying. Then I found out Eric thought I had done something stupid and was prepared to take the blame himself… I must have gone through a box and a half of tissue." She cringed when she looked at me.
I skinny-eyed her. "Juliet, I can't believe -"
I stopped as a familiar gray Honda roared into view. I nudged Juliet and she followed my gaze. Both the driver's and passenger's doors flew opened almost before the car stopped rolling. Paul and Eric jumped out and ran in our general direction, but before they had gotten far Paul stopped Eric, taking hold of his arm. He immediately jerked out of Paul's grip. They exchanged a few words before scanning the crowd.
"'Bout time the cavalry got her," she said, and laughed. "Oh, no wait! We're the cavalry! She laughed again.
Despite the hubbub of radio noise and people talking, Eric picked up the sound of Juliet's laughter. He slapped Paul's arm, pointed at us, and took off. Juliet grinned as she watched Eric run toward her. There were tears in her eyes. He swooped in and grabbed her in a crushing hug. Rapid Spanish spewed forth when he wasn't covering her face with kisses. I caught a few "Dios mios" and "queridas" but that was all.
Paul cleared his throat, drawing my attention. The truth is, I was afraid to look at him. My heart thudded as if Greg still held his gun to my head. All I could think of were our parting shots on Tuesday.
"You're okay?" he asked, eyebrows tilting up.
"Yes, fine." My smile wobbled.
We were saved from further conversation by the paramedics rolling a gurney past with a body bag. When the second gurney transporting the second body rolled past both Eric and Paul were visibly paler and identically slack-jawed. The third gurney, with a barely conscious Greg strapped to it, caused Eric to cross himself. Paul cleared his throat several times.