Part 24 (1/2)
”We understand, Henry,” said Rebecca. ”It's not your fault.”
Gabby was about to back out of the gate and leave when Henry said, ”I shouldn't tell you this, but Ms. Thagery usually makes a fast food run at about this time. She'll probably be driving out of here at any minute.”
Rebecca said, ”Oh, that's great. Maybe we'll grab a bite with her. Thanks so much, Henry.”
Gabby backed up the car and drove away.
”Let's park somewhere in the dark. We don't want to spook her. If we're lucky, Henry will forget to tell her about us,” said Rebecca. ”Oh, and did you notice Henry's uniform?”
”Yeah. It was like the one Phillipa's friend was wearing.”
”Right. He's not military. He works here as a guard.”
They sat in the car waiting for twenty minutes.
Gabby said, ”Maybe she's not going tonight.”
”There she is.”
They saw Phillipa walking to her car. She got in and drove out the gate. Henry could not have told her anything, since she didn't even slow down.
Gabby followed her car at a distance. He and Rebecca bet on where she would go. Gabby chose McDonald's. Rebecca went with Wendy's.
But they were both wrong. Phillipa drove into a ritzy neighborhood.
She pulled into a gated driveway, rolled down her window, and swiped a key card. The gate opened and she drove in.
”Well, isn't this interesting?” said Rebecca.
The name on the gate: Smotherburn.
CHAPTER 40 - Wednesday, 12:36 a.m.
”Are you sure you want to climb this fence?” said Gabby.
”Yes. We've got to see what's going on in there.”
”Here comes a car.”
They snuggled up to the metal fence, hiding in the shadow of a brick column.
It was a taxi. A man wearing a hooded sweats.h.i.+rt got out, and the cab drove away. The man took out a key card and swiped it. He walked through the gate and up the driveway toward the front door.
”Now's our chance,” whispered Rebecca.
She and Gabby slipped in just before the gate closed. They stayed back a few yards, hiding behind a tree.
The man rang the doorbell and waited.
He rang it again.
Finally the door opened. It was Kimberly. ”What the h.e.l.l?”
”You thought I was dead, didn't you? You hoped I was dead.”
”No. Of course not. I was worried about you.”
”Then why didn't you come over to check on me. Or call the police.”
”Well, I...”
The man walked into the foyer, and the door closed.
Rebecca turned to Gabby. ”That sounded like Wiley.”
He nodded.
They ran up to the door and listened, but couldn't hear anything. Rebecca tried the door. It was unlocked. She opened it a couple of inches.
The distance of their voices convinced Rebecca that Kimberly and Wiley had walked out of the foyer into another room. She pushed the door open further and peeked in. Looking back to Gabby, she whispered, ”They won't see us. Come on.”
They slipped inside and closed the door.
Kimberly and Wiley were in the living room.
”You keep saying you want me,” said Wiley, ”but you won't ever let me come over here.”
”What are talking about, Wiley? You were here last night.”
”I was here for five minutes. Once you got the stuff you wanted from me, you pushed me out the door.”
”I had a headache.”
”You know what I think, Kimberly? I think you've got another boyfriend.”
”No, I don't, Honey. I promise you I don't.”
”And now you're afraid, aren't you? Afraid I'll go to the police and tell them how you planned my dad's murder.”
Rebecca shot Gabby a raised eyebrow.
Kimberly said, ”Why would you go to the cops? You're the one who killed him.”
A more distant-sounding female voice said, ”Baby, what's taking you so long?” Phillipa stepped into the rear archway, and flinched when she saw Wiley.
”Phillipa!” said Wiley. ”Now I get it. So, you were telling the truth, Kimberly. You don't have another boyfriend. You've got a girlfriend. You s.l.u.t.”