Page 12

Thirteen years ago

The day after Derrick Bell’s murder

“Split up the interviews between us?” Oscar asked.

“No,” said Alice, stopping outside the door of the interview room. “I want both our eyes and ears in each one. Let’s start with the parents and then talk to the siblings next.”

“They’ll be waiting awhile.”

“Not my problem,” said Alice. Her job wasn’t to coddle.

She wanted to find Derrick Bell’s killer, and while she felt horrible for what his family was going through, acting fast was the best way to find a lead.

She was frustrated that she couldn’t eliminate Derrick’s wife as a suspect.

Yes, Noelle being involved was unlikely, considering the woman had suffered a debilitating head injury, but it wasn’t out of the question.

Without a lead, the next people to cross off her list were Derrick’s family members.

“Okay,” said Oscar. “His brother, Jason, is in the room next door, and sister Lora is across the hall.” He opened the parents’ interview room door.

Alice adjusted her expression into one of sympathy and stepped inside.

Both parents had red, wet eyes. Neither looked as if they’d slept.

Catherine Bell held a ragged tissue in one hand, and Alice spotted several more in the garbage near her chair.

Stan Bell heavily leaned his arms on the table; he looked defeated.

Both looked up as the agents entered, a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Alice said as she set her notepad on the table and took a seat. Oscar echoed her words and sat beside her, facing the Bells.

“Thank you,” said Catherine. Her husband nodded.

It was a delicate dance Alice and Oscar were about to perform. They had to glean as much useful information as possible while staying sympathetic and not pushing the parents to a point where they shut down.

Alice had found the best way to avoid that was to address it immediately. “I know this is a horrible time, but it’s vital that we quickly collect as much information as possible so we can find your son’s killer.”

Catherine winced at the word killer .

“We understand,” said Stan. His voice was flat. “We will do whatever you need.” Catherine swallowed heavily and nodded, her gaze on the tissue she’d started to shred.

“Some of our questions might feel intrusive. Or pointless,” Alice warned. “Please answer as honestly as possible.”

“We won’t lie,” snapped Catherine. “Our son is dead. We want justice.” She’d gone rigid in her chair, her chin rising.

“Good,” said Oscar. “So do we. Just remember we all have the same goal.”

Stan looked bewildered. “Just what are you going to ask? I can’t imagine why we’d hesitate to answer anything.”

Alice took that challenge. “Was your son involved in anything illegal? Drugs, theft, tax evasion, or possibly having an affair?”

Stan went speechless while Catherine blinked several times.

“Jesus Christ.” Stan finally spoke, fury growing in his gaze. “Derrick was an upstanding member of—”

“Do you see our point now?” asked Oscar, holding up one hand. “Tuck away your emotions for a moment. We wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t delve into these things.”

“You’re acting as if Derrick caused someone to murder him,” Catherine spit out. “He was the victim here. You’re blaming the victim instead of focusing on who did this.”

Alice silently sighed. “We’re not victim blaming. We’re crossing things off a list that we use with every murder.”

“Starting with his family members,” said Catherine. “I know you’re supposed to clear immediate family first. Have you talked to Noelle? She was there.”

Alice’s gaze sharpened at the way she said Noelle’s name. Something simmered there. “We’ve spoken to Derrick’s wife. You know she was left unconscious with a serious head wound, correct?”

“We know,” said Stan. Catherine said nothing.

“Have you visited her in the hospital?” Alice wanted to hear more of the mother’s tone as she spoke about Noelle.

Stan shifted in his seat. “We were told she’s not thinking clearly and we probably should give her some time before we saw her.”

Alice didn’t disagree with the description of Noelle’s mindset, but she suspected no one had told them to wait.

They used her confusion as an excuse to not go.

Why?

“She’d benefit from family support,” said Oscar, clearly thinking the same thing.

“I’m sure her family has seen her,” said Catherine.

They don’t consider Noelle part of their family.

“How long was she married to Derrick?” asked Alice, knowing the answer.

Catherine looked at Stan. “Two years?”

“Three,” said Stan.

Stan wins the prize.

“They loved each other very much,” Stan added hastily. “Everyone saw it.”

Catherine said nothing.

Alice had no problem being blunt. “Ms. Bell, your posture, silence, and facial expressions tell me you don’t care for Noelle.”

The mother’s mouth opened the slightest bit, her eyes widening.

I bet people never speak to you like that.

Alice knew her words were harsh, but something about Catherine’s attitude had rubbed her the wrong way.

“I don’t want to speak badly about her,” Catherine finally said.

“This is a murder investigation,” said Alice. “I want to hear all the bad.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with your investigation.”

“Why don’t you let us decide that?” said Oscar.

Stan looked from his wife to the investigators and back again, confusion in his eyes.

“She just has different values than us,” Catherine said with a shrug. “It’s not relevant.”

Alice had a moment of sympathy for Noelle. No doubt Catherine Bell was impossible to please as a mother-in-law.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing on people who might be angry at Derrick?” asked Stan.

“Did Derrick tell you about some?” asked Alice.

“Well ... no. Just the usual. I mean, he gets hate mail, of course. Everyone in politics does, and he mentions it sometimes, but nothing specific. I don’t think nasty emails automatically mean violence, though.”

“What about business dealings?” asked Oscar. “I know he left your company after being elected, but were there some issues with his old coworkers or clients?”

“No.” Stan was adamant.

Alice watched Catherine’s face. It was blank.

Too blank.

“How about bad encounters with people at the gym? Maybe a road rage incident or argument with a neighbor? Did Derrick ever mention something like that?” asked Oscar.

“No,” said Stan.

“Catherine, I feel like there’s something you want to add,” said Alice. “Maybe you weren’t done talking about Noelle. Could something be linked to your daughter-in-law that led to this?”

“Not that I know of.”

“How about I phrase it as ‘Is there something you wonder about?’”

Catherine paused.

Here we go.

“Well, one of my friends saw her eating lunch with her ex-husband about a month ago.”

Alice waited, letting the silence hang, hoping Catherine would want to fill it.

She did.

“Can you imagine if the media had seen that?” Catherine asked, looking from Alice to Stan and back. “They would have hinted at the worst, creating all sorts of problems for Derrick.”

“Are you implying that Noelle was having an affair with her ex-husband?” asked Alice. “Did you ask her about it?” She didn’t think the Sacramento media would care about a lunch. And the personal life of an assemblyman wasn’t that big a deal.

“Well, no.” Catherine wouldn’t make eye contact. “But it could have been bad optics and blown up in the press. I didn’t ask her about it because it’s none of my business.”

“Did you tell your son?” asked Oscar.

Catherine paused. “I did and he brushed it off. Said he was aware they were still friendly.”

“For being none of your business, it appears to still bother you.” Alice mentally moved Noelle’s ex-husband further up her interview list.

“I’m just a mother being protective of her son.” Sorrow flashed in her eyes and tears welled. Her husband grasped her hand.

“Was Noelle and Derrick’s marriage okay?” asked Alice.

“Of course,” said Stan. “It was solid, and they were very happy.”

Catherine said nothing.

Interview with Derrick’s brother, Jason

“Was Noelle and Derrick’s marriage okay?” asked Alice.

Jason shrugged. “They were good at putting on a happy front, but I know Derrick was pissed that she continued to communicate with her ex-husband. He told me that since Noelle wasn’t going to cut off all contact, he was going to talk to the guy.

” Jason shook his head. “I had my doubts about her from day one.”

“Did Derrick speak to her ex?”

“Dunno.”

“Have you visited Noelle?” asked Alice.

“Mom said she couldn’t have visitors yet.”

Interview with Derrick’s sister, Lora

“Was Noelle and Derrick’s marriage okay?” asked Alice.

Lora looked at her hands. She’d been rubbing her fingers the entire interview. “I don’t think Noelle had an accurate understanding of Derrick when they married. I love him, but he’s very self-centered. I think he hid that from her at first, but I know she started to see it.”

Either she saw a different side of her brother than the rest of the family or she’s more willing to speak up.

“Do you know anything about Noelle’s first husband?”

Lora looked to one side, thinking. “I think his name was Brandon. No, it was Brendon.” She grimaced. “Derrick recently said he was going to run a background check on him.”

“Why?” asked Alice.

“That’s what I asked him.” She lifted one shoulder. “All he could say was that he didn’t like the guy. It didn’t make sense to me. Why care about her ex-husband? That’d been over for a long time.”

“Have you visited Noelle?” asked Alice.

“Mom said she couldn’t have visitors yet.”

The same thing her brother said.

Alice pushed the button on the vending machine and then grabbed the Diet Coke. “I’m exhausted,” she told Oscar, who was sipping his bottled water. “We’ve talked to too many Bells today. And all of them are cagey. I feel like we’re not getting the whole story.”

“Who do you think told the truth about the marriage?”

Alice had already pondered the question. “I’d say they all told the truth. I suspect they only saw what they wanted to see between Noelle and Derrick. Or what Derrick allowed them to see.”

“Noelle seemed pretty broken up in the hospital.”

Alice eyed him. “Still think she was acting?”

Oscar took a drink as he considered her question.

“I don’t know what to think. Trying to keep an open mind about her so that I don’t miss anything.

But my opinion on the family today was that the mother and brother aren’t Noelle fans.

The father saw everything through rose-colored glasses, and Lora .

.. well, she was the only one who acknowledged that Derrick wasn’t perfect. ”

“Agreed,” said Alice. “I felt as if the others wanted to shine the best light possible on Derrick Bell.”

“Understandable. But not helpful if it keeps us from leads.”

“I found it odd that not one of them has tried to visit Noelle. I don’t buy the bullshit story that they were advised to let her heal a bit more.

Her doctor didn’t say that to us. I think the mom made that up and told the others—including her husband.

I think Lora would have gone if Mom hadn’t gotten to her first.”

Oscar solemnly nodded.

“The only lead from today is Noelle’s ex, Brendon Simon. And we would have got around to him eventually.” She unscrewed the soda’s cap and took a long drink. She wiped her mouth and met Oscar’s gaze. “I don’t care that it’s late. I want to talk to the ex tonight.”

“You’re reading my mind.”