Page 15

Thirteen years ago

Two days after Derrick Bell’s murder

Last night Alice and Oscar had been unable to contact Noelle’s ex-husband, Brendon Simon, after hearing Catherine Bell complain about his relationship with Noelle.

Records showed that Brendon was a radiology tech at a small hospital outside of town, but a pop-in visit to radiology that morning had revealed that he’d not worked there in three months. The receptionist didn’t know if he had a job somewhere else.

“Noelle probably knows,” said Oscar. “If she was really in contact with him the way the Bells believe her to be.”

“Part of me thinks that idea takes up more space than it should in Catherine Bell’s brain. She’s highly protective of her son and clearly feels the need to blame Noelle for something .” Alice checked her phone as Oscar drove.

“As most mothers are,” said Oscar.

“Since the mother didn’t ask, I wonder if anyone asked Noelle about her luncheon with her ex. Or even knew about it—assuming it actually happened. Catherine did hear it from a friend.”

“Sounds like Derrick was aware of their friendship.”

Is that all it was between Noelle and her ex? A friendship?

“Let’s talk to Noelle again,” said Alice. “Maybe she can help us find Brendon this afternoon.”

A half hour later, Alice and Oscar walked into her hospital room and discovered Noelle already had visitors. A tall white-haired man with crazy eyebrows stood up and glared as they entered the room.

That’s got to be her grandfather.

Behind him a young woman leaned forward in her chair, peering around the man to see the two agents.

She had the same deep-blue eyes as Noelle, and her straight, blonde hair was slicked back into a ponytail.

She was thin and delicate looking, and she grasped one of Noelle’s hands as the woman lay in bed.

One of the sisters.

Alice showed her identification to the grandfather. He scowled and took reading glasses out of his shirt pocket to examine it.

“They’re okay, Poppa,” Noelle said. “They’re the FBI agents I told you about.”

“Then why haven’t they found who killed your husband?” He met Alice’s gaze, and she felt as if she were looking into the eyes of a very protective Doberman.

Tact was needed.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Swanson,” Alice said, ignoring his comment. “How are you feeling today, Noelle?” The bruising around the woman’s eyes had bloomed into full color. It looked as if she had been punched in the face several times instead of receiving a single blow to the back of the head.

“Better. They said I can go home this afternoon.”

“You’re coming home with us,” her grandfather said firmly.

“That’s not necessary,” Noelle stated.

The sister gripping her hand frowned and shook her head at Noelle.

“Agents Patmore and Wilson.” Alice looked at the young woman as she gestured to herself and Oscar. No one had bothered to introduce her.

“This is my sister Lucia,” said Noelle.

The youngest. She looks fourteen, not eighteen.

“How is the security at your home, Mr. Swanson?” asked Oscar in his usual pessimistic tone.

The bushy eyebrows came together. “Security? Do two handguns and three rifles count?”

“Not really,” said Alice. She looked at Noelle, whose mouth had opened slightly at Oscar’s question. “Until your husband’s killer is caught, you should be very careful.”

Lucia had paled. “You mean they might come after her? Do you think they meant to kill her too? And now will want to finish the job?”

“Exactly,” said Oscar at the same time that Alice said, “We don’t know what they want.”

Noelle’s sister went even whiter, and she added her other hand to the grip on Noelle’s. “You shouldn’t leave the hospital,” she told Noelle urgently.

The grandfather straightened. “No one’s getting near my granddaughter. Any of my granddaughters.”

“I’ll be fine, Poppa,” stated Noelle.

“How do you know that?” asked Alice.

Noelle blinked. She didn’t appear to have an answer.

“We’d like to talk to you for a few minutes alone, Mr. Swanson,” Alice said. “Would you step into the hall with us?”

Oscar opened the door.

The grandfather looked as if he wanted to argue but wisely said nothing. “I’ll be right outside,” he told his granddaughters, and then followed the agents.

The hall was deserted, the nurses’ station out of listening range. Alice smiled at the grandfather. She had to look up to meet his eyes. He was taller than she’d realized, and he stood firmly with his arms crossed.

He must have been very intimidating when he was younger.

She corrected that thought; William Swanson was still intimidating. A good watchdog for his granddaughters.

“What are your leads on the person who nearly killed Noelle?” he asked.

Alice tilted her head a degree. “You mean the person who did kill her husband and assaulted Noelle.”

“They left her for dead. Lucia had a good point that they might want to finish the job. So what are you doing to protect her?”

His concern is valid.

“We can ask for a local patrol to regularly pass by your home,” said Oscar.

“ That’s it? ” Thunder raged in his eyes. “Looks like the responsibility for her safety falls on me.”

“Mr. Swanson,” said Alice. “Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt her and her husband?”

“No.”

He said nothing else into the silence that followed, his gaze hard and accusing.

“Has Noelle mentioned any trouble that her husband was having? Anger from constituents?” Oscar added after the long moment. “Or possibly anyone who would have targeted her?”

“No.” Her grandfather paused. “She’d mentioned Derrick received some hate mail, but that seems par for the course in politics.

Wimps hiding behind their keyboards.” His scowl deepened.

“Noelle has no enemies. Everyone loves her. Clearly this was about her husband.” He met Alice’s gaze.

“You never answered my question about your leads.”

“And we won’t. The leads are our business,” said Alice. “If we need clarification about something, we’ll ask you.”

He studied her a long moment. “You’ve got shit for leads. I can tell.” He turned away, running a hand through his hair. “Dammit! How hard can it be to figure out who beat the hell out of the assemblyman in his own home?”

Alice fumed at his implication. “Can you tell me where you were Friday morning, Mr. Swanson?”

His eyes narrowed on her. “That’s the most investigative thing you’ve said, Agent Patmore. I was home with my sister, Daisy.”

“All day?” asked Oscar.

“Until I heard that there’d been an attack at Noelle’s home, and she was in the hospital. Then I got Daisy and Lucia in the car and picked up Eve at her apartment and came here that evening. Noelle said the two of you had questioned her and just left.”

“What did Noelle tell you about the attack?” asked Alice.

“She said she didn’t remember what happened. She recalls the ambulance. Nothing about even being in the house that day.”

“She’d had lunch with her sister earlier.”

“Eve. Yes, she did. Eve said her account of their lunch was accurate.”

“Noelle seems sharper today,” said Alice.

“Definitely,” agreed her grandfather. “But she’s told me nothing that she hadn’t already said Friday night. Still has memory loss. Her doctor told me it might return or it might not.” He frowned in frustration.

“We’d like to talk to her alone again. Could you take her sister to get some coffee or something?” asked Alice.

Her grandfather hesitated, indecision on his face. “Yeah, I’ll get her.” He headed to the hospital room door. With his hand on the handle, he turned back to the two agents. “Noelle had nothing to do with this,” he said firmly. “This is all on her husband.”

He’s so positive about his statement.

“What did you think of Derrick Bell?” asked Oscar.

William Swanson hesitated. “He was okay. She could have done better. Of course, no one is good enough for my girls.”

“She could have done better than a wealthy politician?” Alice prodded.

“Wealth has nothing to do with it. Character is the key.” He gave a short, affirming nod.

“Derrick Bell lacked in character?” Alice wasn’t ready to let the conversation end. “Why do you say that?”

William looked down the hall. “No one’s good enough for my girls,” he repeated. He looked back at the agents. “Every father will say that. And people today don’t have the same values that we did fifty years ago.”

Another mention of values. First from Derrick’s mother about Noelle and now he’s saying it about Derrick.

Alice took a step closer and lowered her voice. “Your opinion of their marriage?”

He pressed his lips together but finally said, “My opinion doesn’t matter. I only saw it from an outsider’s point of view. Noelle never said a word against her husband.”

But she should have?

“What did your outsider’s point of view notice?”

He let go of the door handle and turned fully toward Alice and Oscar. “I saw my independent girl slowly change into a quiet one over the last few years. Her smiles were still there, but the wattage had dimmed down, you know?”

“She was unhappy?” asked Alice.

“I asked her that several times. She brushed me off, stating she and Derrick were adjusting to being a couple and that compromises had to be made on both sides.” William glared.

“Don’t know what Derrick compromised on.

Noelle’s the one who gave up her job and had to learn to fit into a different world. ”

“Different world?” Alice suspected she knew what he meant, but she wanted to hear him say it.

He thought for a moment. “I’ve never had a lot of money and always figured the only difference between me and rich people was that they just spent more.

But it’s more than that. It’s like they’re in competition with each other.

You have to look and act a certain way or you’re ignored.

Sort of reminds me of when Lucia was in middle school and trying to fit in with the popular kids.

Noelle changed to fit in Derrick’s world.

I’m not sure I can forgive him for that. ”

“Noelle is an adult capable of making her own decisions,” Alice pointed out.

“Yeah. Which is why I’ve never said my opinion out loud until this second.” He looked from one to the other. “Say anything to her about this, and I’ll deny every word.” He turned away and opened the door.

Alice looked at Oscar and raised a brow.

He shrugged.

Is her grandfather simply overprotective?