Page 42 of Three Girls Gone (Detective Amanda Steele #14)
THIRTY-SIX
Watching the videos was like a car crash, and Katherine couldn’t turn away. She watched the one of the man carrying Eloise in the dead of the night. Why she was torturing herself God only knew. Her poor daughter would have known those arms. Only she stopped being my daughter when I gave her away…
What burned now was despite spending the better part of the last twelve years searching for this man, he got to Katherine first. But if he assumed she was the timid sort to back off from a challenge, he had no clue who he was dealing with.
He’d made a mistake by taunting her, and soon he’d realize that.
She also didn’t stand on her own. She had a team to support her, to back her up.
Because of their work, he was on her screen.
But why was he familiar? And something had been said about a scar through his top lip…
She’d spiral into insanity if she tried to force it.
She had reached out to the Gilberts. Evan by phone and Dawn by email, which was how she preferred to be contacted.
This suited Katherine, who feared if she called the woman, her voice would give her away.
Dawn would detect Julie’s killer had claimed other victims. As the woman who took Julie in as a baby, she didn’t deserve to feel any more grief or guilt.
Katherine knew that she had struggled with what had happened to Julie, how it had scared her sober and that she hadn’t touched a drop of liquor since.
“If I hadn’t been so drunk…”
Dawn’s statement had regurgitated through Katherine’s mind many times over the years to the point of obsession. While one mother battled with guilt, so did another. Only Katherine had done so in secret.
The conversation she’d had with Evan about the party wasn’t helpful. She turned to her email hoping her luck would change. She found a reply from Dawn and clicked on it.
Hi Katherine,
It is always good to hear from you. At least I know my daughter is still remembered after all these years and that someone else cares.
I miss her every day with an ache in my chest that won’t go away.
I’m learning to live with it, while I’m also adjusting to being single.
Evan and I separated a couple of years ago, as you know.
The divorce finalized last week. I know people are holding divorce parties these days, but it didn’t seem appropriate.
I grieve the death of our relationship too.
But losing a child in such a horrific way… Nothing can prepare you.
As much as I want justice for Julie, and the man responsible behind bars, at some point I need to release this part of my life and move forward.
Katherine stopped reading there, finding her heart was pounding.
She wished to reach through the ether and shake the woman.
How could she ever expect to move forward?
As healthy as it sounded, was it feasible?
Katherine hadn’t even changed one of Julie’s diapers, and she was in love enough to sacrifice every moment to getting the man responsible.
Though, could she claim that when she’d slacked off the last few months?
Katherine returned to Dawn’s email.
You might not understand my need to do this, but I’ve been working with a new therapist. Peace of mind is of the utmost importance and living in the past is no way to find it.
Again, thank you for your dedication over the years, to searching for the man who did this and holding them responsible, but I kindly ask that you leave me out of this loop in the future. That is unless you find this man. Then I want to know, and I will be there in court.
You asked about the people at that party… I still only remember glimpses of it. None of them are clear. A lot of strangers were there, people I didn’t know. People from the pageant circuit and the NYC venue. I was so busy bragging to anyone that would listen that I had the most amazing daughter.
Now I must go. Take care of yourself and don’t lose yourself in the past either.
Katherine’s cheeks were wet, and she swiped them, not realizing tears had fallen as she read.
The email was a lot to digest, and she didn’t know why but the tidbit about people being there from the NYC venue stuck.
Was it plural to cover those from the circuit or did more than one person from the actual venue go to the party?
Katherine knew of one person from there who had attended.
She brought up the number for Leslie Gallagher from the venue. Leslie had worked there for fifteen years, making a career out of overseeing the place. Katherine had talked to her about the party years ago, but now there was one fresh point worth bringing up.
Leslie answered on the second ring. “Katherine? Two calls in one week.” Leslie’s tone was brisk, but she must have seen her name and answered anyhow.
“I won’t take long, as I sense you’re busy.”
“I’m always busy, but I’m not sure what else I can do for you. I’ve given you everything you asked for.”
“You were at the party that night, the one when Julie Gilbert was killed,” Katherine said, cutting right to the point. “Was anyone else from the venue there?”
“I don’t remem— No, wait, now that I think about it, Marshall popped by.”
“And who is Marshall?” Katherine brought up the venue’s employee list. “There isn’t one on the list you gave me in the fall.”
“Then Marshall screwed up.”
“Marshall compiled the list?”
“I don’t have time for something so trivial. I can’t believe he was so incompetent as to forget his name. That’s a new level. I don’t know how I put up with him for as long as I did.”
The skin tightened on the back of Katherine’s neck. No one could be so sloppy as to exclude their own name by accident. “ Did? So you’ve fired him?”
“Yes, back around Thanksgiving. Near the time you asked for the list again, actually. I’d had enough of his screwups.”
Nice. “And you never reviewed the list before sending it over?”
“As I said, I don’t have the time. My assistant’s to take care of the tedious stuff.”
“How long was he with you?”
“Fourteen years.”
“Did he gather the names twelve years ago too?”
“He would have.”
His name never made the list the first time around either. “What’s his last name?”
“Wilcox. But you can’t seriously consider Marshall is involved. Trust me, he isn’t who you’re looking for here.”
Katherine wasn’t so sure about that. She’d never heard his name before.
He must have left his name off the employee list on purpose.
Twice. Was Marshall the man they were after?
When she contacted the venue in the fall, it must have spooked him.
“Does he have a scar through his upper lip?” She went with the one distinguishing attribute.
After all, hair color could change and a lot of people had dimples.
“Ah, yeah.”
Katherine’s entire body was shaking. “And you’re sure Marshall was at the Gilbert party that night?”
“Well for a minute or two. Someone bumped into me and got red wine all over my white dress. I had him bring me over a change of clothes.”
“That party went late into the night.”
“Oh, Marshall would drop everything and do anything I asked. No life outside of work. In fact, that’s why I put up with him for so long. He was my lap dog from the moment he walked into the interview room and saw me.”
This guy was ticking off the boxes on the profile. No social life, an entry-level job for more than a decade… “Is he timid? Awkward?”
“Both. He was rather quiet around me from the start. I remember hearing him talking loudly in the hall with the intern that showed him to the interview room. When he saw me, he zipped right up.”
His behavior could be nerves at seeing his potential new boss, or there might be more to it. “Was he reserved with everyone, or just those in management positions like yourself?”
“I couldn’t say.”
Without a solid answer, anything Katherine reasoned would be conjecture.
But did Marshall battle with low self-esteem and fear those in authority?
Did he funnel his frustration from feeling insignificant into targeting little girls?
To feel some self-worth and assume control over one aspect of his life?
“How long did he stick around at the party?”
“I don’t know.”
Katherine wondered if she even would have noticed. Her comments so far made it clear she considered Marshall beneath her. But Katherine had heard enough. Marshall Wilcox was the killer they needed to stop.