Part 11 (1/2)
All eyes turned to Jordan.
”It's true. My source said she saw another woman go up the staircase right after Kate.”
”And I don't suppose your source mentioned who this other woman was?” The tips of his lips curled in a smile, as if he was certain he had just caught her in a lie.
It felt like she was about to throw Emilio's daughter under the proverbial bus, but there was no other option. She looked up at Alex for rea.s.surance. When he encouraged her with a half smile, she said, ”Tina Calabrese.”
”What?” Jeff Hamilton turned to her ”Why didn't you tell me this earlier?”
Jordan didn't like his tone. ”Because I only found out myself yesterday. I was waiting to tell Alex tonight at dinner. I figured he'd know what to do with the information.”
”So does your source have a name?” Darnell asked.
”I'd rather not say right now,” Jordan said, hoping she didn't have to admit that Ginny Bruno had actually confessed to Victor and not to her.
Darnell took a step in her direction. ”Look, Ms. McAllister, I know you write a culinary column over in Ranchero. It isn't like you have to protect your sources here. I just need the name of the woman who made that statement so I can investigate your claim.”
Jordan looked at Hamilton, who was staring at her as if she had just confessed to the murder herself. ”Her name is Ginny Bruno, and she's one of the festival planners. She was at the party and was sitting directly across from the staircase. She saw everyone who went up there that night. When I was interviewing her for my column yesterday, she blurted out that she'd seen Tina head that way right after Kate did with another man she thought was Petrone.”
Darnell glanced down at his watch before turning to the desk sergeant. ”Get c.u.mmings and Jaworski to pick up this Ginny Bruno in the morning and bring her in for questioning.” He twirled around to face Jordan. ”Where did you say she lived?”
”I have no idea,” Jordan replied, shaking her head. ”If I had to guess, though, I'd say she and her sister were staying at a local hotel in Plainville.”
”Have c.u.mmings check that out. If necessary, call the head of the festival's planning committee to find out where we can reach her. I want this woman at the station first thing tomorrow.” He paused as if contemplating his next move. ”And send a couple of uniforms to pick up Tina Calabrese in the morning as well.”
Alex turned to his mother who, up to this point, hadn't said a word. ”Mom, Jordan is going to drive you home now. There's no sense in you hanging around here all night. I'll stay in case Kate needs anything.”
”I won't go home,” she protested. ”Every time I look at her empty bed, I'll think about her.” She grabbed her son's arm. ”Let me stay. Please, Alex?”
Alex shook his head. ”I need you to do this for Kate, Mom.”
Jordan stepped up and reached for Natalie's hand. ”How about if you spend the night at my apartment? You can sleep in my bed, and I'll take the couch.”
Natalie looked up at her son, probably hoping he would give in and let her stay. When he didn't, she slumped her shoulders in a gesture of defeat. ”Okay, but I expect you to call me the minute you know something-anything at all, no matter what time of the night. Promise me.”
”You have my word. Now go with Jordan so Jeff and I can work on getting Kate out of here.”
Natalie handed Jordan the keys to Kate's car and followed her out of the building.
The fifteen minute ride to Jordan's apartment seemed like forever with little conversation between the two. Jordan wanted to believe everything was going to be okay for Kate, but she had a niggling feeling that it wasn't going to happen that way. So much could go wrong.
What if Ginny was still furious with Victor over his mustache remark and denied seeing Tina go upstairs that night? If, in fact, the valet really had seen a woman on the balcony, was it possible that Tina herself was actually the killer? She had certainly been mad enough at Marco earlier that evening, but was that anger enough for her to flip out and kill her fiance? If that were true, what if Tina decided to save her own b.u.t.t and verified the valet's statement? She might even say she actually saw Kate push Marco over the ledge. Then there was the mysterious man Ginny saw going up the stairs with her. A man who could or could not have been Marco Petrone.
Jordan's mind was still reeling with scenarios when they pulled into the parking lot at Empire Apartments. They got out of the car and walked through the back door and down the hallway to her apartment. For some reason it was eerily quiet, making Jordan wonder where all her neighbors were. A quick glance at her watch answered that question. It was already after midnight, and the next day was a workday for everyone.
She opened the door and allowed Natalie to enter first. She could only imagine what the older woman was thinking after getting her first look at the tiny apartment. Probably that it was a dump compared to the quaint little house Alex had rented. But if Natalie's thoughts ran along those lines, she kept them to herself.
”I appreciate everything you've done for me. Discovering that Tina had followed Kate up the steps should help, don't you think?” Her eyes pleaded with Jordan to agree.
”I hope so.” Jordan saw a ray of hope cross the woman's face and decided to tell her the story of how Victor had gotten that information out of Ginny Bruno. At the very least, it would take her mind off her daughter's predicament, and it might even make her laugh a little.
”Victor was really the one who dug up that little tidbit, but not before he had to endure the woman's outrageous flirting. He-”
Startled by a knock at the door, she jumped. Any other time and she would have thought nothing of someone at the door at this hour, but under the current circ.u.mstances, her nerves were on high alert. It wasn't until she felt Natalie's fingers gripping her upper arm that the realization hit her. Someone was outside her door, and she and Alex's mother were alone and defenseless if that someone was looking to hurt them.
Grabbing a butcher knife from the kitchen counter, she s.h.i.+elded Natalie with her body as they inched their way to the door. She took several quick breaths for courage before standing on her tip toes and peering through the peephole.
Hoping to see one of her neighbors checking up on her, she was surprised to see who it actually was. But the surprise quickly turned to fear when she realized the man was not there for a social visit.
She took another quick peek and swallowed hard.
With a scowl on his face, Emilio Calabrese looked mad enough to kill.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
Slowly, Jordan opened the door.
An enraged Emilio Calabrese stormed into her apartment.
”What the h.e.l.l did you think you were doing at the police station, Jordan?”
Jordan half expected smoke to shoot from his nose.
Natalie stepped from behind her and narrowed her eyes at her former lover. ”She was doing what any other person would do if they were questioned by the police. She told them what she'd heard.” She huffed. ”And if I were you, I'd lose the att.i.tude, or you can show yourself out right now.”
His face registered the shock at seeing Natalie before he turned his gaze back on Jordan. ”I apologize if I came on too strong, but you can imagine how I felt when I heard you had implicated my daughter in her fiance's murder.”
”I did no such thing,” Jordan said, feeling a little braver with Natalie next to her. If Alex's mother wasn't afraid of Emilio Calabrese, why should she be? ”I merely relayed a conversation I had with one of the vendors who said she'd seen Tina go up the staircase shortly after Kate.”
”That's a bold-faced lie,” Emilio shouted before lowering his voice a notch. ”Tina was with me when all that commotion was going on.”
Natalie moved toward him, and Jordan could have sworn she saw Emilio take a step back. ”That would have been hard to do, since you and I were standing at the bar and sharing a drink at the time. I was sitting on a barstool and you were beside me with your back to the staircase.” She shook her finger at him. ”Shame on you, Emilio. I want to help my daughter, too, but I won't resort to lying.”
He stared at her for a moment before placing his hands on his hips defiantly. ”Tina didn't kill Marco. I know it,” he finally said softly.
”No woman likes to be made a fool of in front of all her friends,” Jordan blurted before her brain had time to close her mouth. Once she started, she couldn't stop herself. ”We all saw how upset your daughter was. If she walked in on Marco while Kate was still in his bathroom and imagined what had just happened in his bed, it could have sent her over the edge.” She took a step backwards, sure Emilio would lash out.
Instead, he shook his head. ”I know my Tina. She wouldn't even hurt a spider.”
”And you think my Kate could kill someone?” Natalie fired back.
”Probably not,” he agreed. ”But trying to put the blame on my daughter isn't the way to go about proving she didn't.” He stumbled and almost fell before he grabbed onto the side of the couch. ”Mind if I sit down? I've had a long day.”
Jordan motioned with her hand for him to sit. As soon as she was settled, she started in on him. ”Let's get this straight, Mr. Calabrese. I only told the police the facts. At the very least, it casts reasonable doubt that Kate Moreland committed murder that night. Likewise, having Kate there does the exact same thing for your daughter. No one's out to get Tina. I can a.s.sure you. Best case scenario, they'll decide that Marco accidentally fell over the railing.”