Stolen in the Night by MacDonald Patricia

Author:MacDonald, Patricia [MacDonald, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: USA
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2007-04-22T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

While Tess’s mother dusted the sitting room the next day, Tess was cleaning out the ashes in the sitting-room fireplace just to have something to do other than wait for the DNA results on Nelson Abbott. Shortly after noon, both turned and looked toward the front door where Julie came squeaking in on her rubber-soled shoes, dressed in her nurse’s scrubs and her coat, and carrying an XMen action figure, still in its plastic packaging.

“Hey,” said Tess.

“It’s my lunch hour. I figured I’d come see how my nephew is doing. Jake told me about his fall.”

“He’s doing okay,” said Tess. “I let him take Leo out for a short walk.”

Julie handed Tess the packaged action figure. “Well, I picked this up for him. I guess I’ll leave it with you.”

Tess smiled at the gift and then gave her sister-in-law a hug. “Thanks. That was sweet of you.”

“Least I could do,” said Julie, raising an eyebrow. “Maybe if my husband had been watching him like he was supposed to…he told me you were plenty mad at him.”

Tess shrugged and avoided Julie’s gaze. “I’m sure he also told you I was being an overbearing worrywart.”

“He didn’t use those exact words,” said Julie.

All of a sudden the phone on the table by the door rang. Tess jumped. “I’m sorry. I have to get that,” she said.

“Go ahead,” said Julie.

Tess rushed over to the table and picked up the phone with a trembling hand. “Hello.”

“Tess?”

Instantly she recognized Aldous Fuller’s thready voice. Tess’s heart thudded and she felt light-headed. Calm down. He’s probably just calling to say he won’t know anything until tomorrow, she told herself. “Chief Fuller,” she said.

“I have the results,” he said.

Tess felt as if someone was grabbing her throat. Squeezing it. “And?” she managed to squeak.

“Looks like a match,” he said.

Tess’s knees buckled and, for a moment, she actually saw spots in front of her eyes. She took a deep breath. “A match?”

“It’s not perfect, Tess,” said the chief. “The sample from the original crime is so deteriorated. But they do these things by points. Apparently…”

Tess was hearing his voice, but not actually listening as he detailed the test results. She kept picturing Nelson Abbott’s face, his cruel little eyes, as he confronted her at his house. Demanding to know what she was doing there. Menacing her. Gloating over his lawsuit and piously proclaiming his desire to have justice for Lazarus. And all the while, he was the one who had killed Phoebe. Defiled her. Tess’s stomach twisted and she stifled the urge to gag.

“So…a pretty good hunch on your part,” said the chief.

Tess tried to speak calmly. “What happens now?”

“I called Rusty and explained the results to him. He was steamed. Said it wouldn’t stand up in court, but I threatened to take the results to Chan Morris and the rest of the news vultures if he didn’t do something about it. So he did agree to send two of his men to pick up Nelson and bring him in for questioning down at the station.

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