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  "Okay, I'm in. I'll meet you there at 6:00."

  Lauren pulled into the church parking lot a few minutes before six and saw that Amy's car was already there. She walked into the parish hall and as soon as Amy spotted her, she waved her over to where she and several other women were just starting to peel apples.

  "Mindy and Sue, you know my friend Lauren?" Amy introduced them.

  "I think I've seen you at the services before. Welcome." Mindy said and Sue added, "Great to see you here. Pull up a chair and dive in. There should be another peeler around."

  Lauren spotted one a few chairs down, grabbed it and settled in next to Amy to start peeling. As other women joined them, Amy introduced Lauren to each person and all were friendly and welcoming. There wasn't a single hesitation or awkward moment. The evening flew by and Lauren found herself thoroughly enjoying it.

  She thought more than once about the difference between these women and those in the girl's group. She didn't know those women well, but she knew them more than the women in the church group. Many of these women recognized her face from attending services, but they didn't know her. Still, they didn't judge her the way the women in the group did. It was enough that she was here with them, and she appreciated their warmth and kindness.

  Lauren felt tears threaten as a rush of emotion overwhelmed her and she realized how tense and stressed she'd been these past few weeks. There was really nothing worse than being accused of something you didn't do and feeling defenseless to prove it. She hoped that Jack was having some luck surfacing other suspects. She was due in Court in two days to set a trial date and the thought of that terrified her.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Jack had a meeting set with Chuck for 1:00 p.m. He was going to duck out of the office during lunch to meet Chuck for a cup of coffee at Lola's diner. Jack had suggested that, as he knew it would be awkward for him to come to Chuck and David's office or, with Waverly being such a small town, for him to come to the police station. People were bound to talk and there was nothing really to talk about—yet.

  Jack arrived a little before one and settled into a booth with a view of the front door. He ordered a cup of black coffee while he waited and kept an eye out for Chuck. It was his habit to always sit facing the entrance, so he'd be fully aware of his surroundings and see everyone that entered the restaurant. Not that it was so important in sleepy Waverly, but it had been in Boston and was ingrained in him now. He couldn't relax if he sat with his back to a door.

  At one o'clock on the dot, Chuck walked in and Jack waved him over to their table. They'd both already had lunch and since this wasn't exactly a social call, Jack got down to business as soon as Chuck's tea arrived.

  "Appreciate you coming down here," he began, and Chuck nodded. "As I mentioned, it's nothing to be alarmed about, really just a formality. We're making sure all our i’s are dotted and our t's are crossed. When I was going through the thick stack of paperwork on Eric Armstrong, I noticed that you were listed as the boy's godfather and I just wanted to follow up on that, find out more about your relationship to the family and to Eric. Your name hadn't been mentioned previously, and as you may know we don't have much to go on."

  "I thought you had a murder weapon with finger prints belonging to Lauren Stanhope?" Chuck seemed surprised to discover that Jack was still investigating other leads.

  "I'm not convinced that Lauren did this, and her prints aren't the only ones on the golf club. She lost that club and anyone could have picked it up, maybe even intentionally, to throw blame her way."

  "That seems a little far-fetched." Jack noted with interest that Chuck's jaw clenched and he seemed uncomfortable. Though to be fair, most people did seem uncomfortable when they were being questioned by the police.

  "You'd be amazed how unbelievable the truth often is." Jack said, then added "You were at Lauren's wedding, right? Do you think she's capable of something like this?"

  Chuck shrugged. "David is my business partner. I don't know Lauren well at all. Like you said, you never know what people are capable of."

  "Right, well let's get back to your connection to Eric then. How did you come to be his godfather?"

  "Ed and I were tight in college. He was two years ahead of me at MIT and we were in a few of the same classes and worked on some outside projects together. We were both into algorithmic research. We spent hours together working on different computer formulas and programs. We became best friends and when Eric was born, he asked me to be his godfather. He didn't have any brothers."

  "So what happened? You two had a falling out? Judy said you haven't spoken in years."

  "Yeah, we had a disagreement over a computer program I wrote. We both worked on it, but Ted wanted to continue our research together in grad school and I joined Billy at the investment firm instead and kept refining the program on the side. I told Ted I wanted to continue my research on my own and see if I could apply it to the stock market. He was furious; said I was selling out. I disagreed, and like they said, we haven't spoken since. It's kind of stupid I know, but it is what it is."

  "But you still stayed close to Eric? Saw him often?"

  "Not as often as I would have liked. He was a great kid. He loved to fish like I did. That was our thing. I'd take him down to the lake and we'd hang out for an afternoon. We never caught much, but we enjoyed our time together, catching up."

  "When did you last see Eric?"

  "It was right around his birthday. Maybe three weeks before he disappeared."

  "What was his mood then, was he upset about anything?"

  "He was quieter than usual, seemed a little down, kind of tense. I asked him what was going on and he said it was just the usual drama in the house. They fight a lot, Judy and Ted, and they'd go through stretches where it would get really bad and that would stress Eric out. He didn't like to be around them when they fought. Can't say that I blamed him."

  "Did he mention having a girlfriend or a crush on anyone?"

  "Not really. No one in particular. He said there were a few hot girls in his classes, but he wasn't dating any of them—not that I was aware of."

  "Did he ever mention anything about Lauren, his teacher?"

  "Yeah, he did, he liked her. He said she'd suggested meeting after class to talk about what was going on with him. He seemed flattered, said his friends thought she was hot too. He was a little confused about why she was being so nice to him."

  "Really? Do you think he thought she was showing more than a normal teacher interest? That she was attracted to him or something?

  "I don't know. He was a good looking kid, big for his age and he said that he'd been hit on by older women before."

  "Did he say Lauren hit on him?" Jack couldn't get a real read on what Chuck thought about this.

  "No, I think he might have fantasized about it though. Lauren is a pretty girl. He wouldn't be normal if the thought hadn't crossed his mind."

  "I suppose."

  "I think Eric was just flattered that someone was showing him attention; that someone cared about him. He wasn't getting enough of that at home. His parents were too distracted being miserable with each other."

  "Okay, did Eric mention anything else that was going on his life? Anyone or anything that might have been bothering him?"

  "Well, there was one person he'd had a run-in with." Chuck told him pretty much verbatim what he'd already heard about Randy.

  "Randy's a client of your firm. Do you think he could have had anything to do with this?"

  "He's David's client. I've only met him in passing, played a game of golf with him once. He's not the most likable guy, but do I think he killed Eric? Damned if I know. I just hope if he did, you find him and put him away. Or whoever did this if it wasn't him. It just doesn't make sense to me. I miss him."

  His voice broke and Jack sensed the emotion was genuine. Jack was feeling even more frustrated than before. Chuck not only had an alibi, he was at a dinner party with his wife and several others who could verify his
whereabouts, but he also clearly loved the kid. He told Chuck he'd be in touch if they had any further questions and they both went their separate ways.

  When he got back to the office there was an urgent message waiting for him from Dennis in the Boston DNA lab asking him to call ASAP. He tried him back and got his voicemail and then an email from his blackberry came through around 4:00 saying he was tied up at a crime scene and would call Jack on his cell as soon as he was finished. Jack tried not to get his hopes up, but Dennis sounded excited. Maybe...finally...they'd gotten a break.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  David pulled into his grandfather's driveway a few minutes past 5:30 p.m. Gramps was filling a second thermos full of hot chocolate and added a few nips of peppermint schnapps to his foam cooler. He also had a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

  "Ruth sent these over earlier today, made 'em just the way I like them, extra chocolate and no nuts. You ready to go?"

  Gramps insisted on driving, so David hopped into the passenger side of his giant Cadillac, not exactly the most incognito car. He felt a bit foolish, but also a little excited to be going on a stakeout with his grandfather. It made him think of when he was a toddler, a young boy, and then a teen, and Gramps would let him ride around every now and then as he did his rounds. They'd never gone on a stakeout, though. This was a first.

  "Randy's out of town, so we're on Chuck tonight. He usually leaves the office after you, right?"

  "Right. He tends to come in later and stays 'til around six most nights." Gramps drove back toward the office and they parked a few blocks down, far enough away that they wouldn't be noticed and close enough that they could see who was coming out the front door. The area was quiet. It was dark and not much foot traffic, so Gramps didn't hesitate to crack open a thermos and pour a bit of peppermint schnapps into it. "Here you go," he handed the doctored thermos to David and then fixed his own. "Cheers!" He held his drink up and tapped it against David's.

  "This is fun, huh? Cookie?" He held the bag out and David reached in, grabbed one and took a bite. They were still soft in the middle and delicious. A few cookies later and a little past six, Gramps spotted Chuck coming out the door.

  "Time to rock and roll." He capped his hot chocolate, put it carefully into the tote bag and then started the motor. As soon as Chuck pulled out of his parking spot and started down the street, Gramps began to follow him, staying several cars back so he wouldn't be noticed. He fell back further once the traffic thinned out and they realized where Chuck was headed.

  "He's going out to the Armstrong's. I thought they didn't speak," David said.

  "Looks like he has something to say now." Gramps stopped a block away from the house, then once Chuck was inside, he pulled closer to see if they could get a glimpse inside. The house had large windows, was well lit and they could see three figures standing near the front hall window. A moment later Judy walked away and it was just the two men.

  The conversation looked intense, and Chuck was gesturing animatedly with his hands while Ted stood still, his hands in his pockets and his body tall and stiff. After about ten minutes, they shook hands and then Chuck came out, got into his car and drove off in a hurry.

  They followed him to the pub, and through the oversized bay window, they watched him make his way to the bar and order a drink. For the next hour, they sat and sipped their hot chocolate and waited. Chuck ordered a second drink and a cheeseburger. He ate half the burger and downed the beer. Then his phone rang and he took the call and a minute later hung up, paid his bill and left.

  As he left the building, they watched him pull out a pack of cigarettes and light one. He inhaled deeply and looked as if he was both loving and hating it at the same time. David couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Chuck smoke. He'd made a big deal out of quitting well over five years ago. He smoked half the cigarette then stubbed it out and tossed it in the trash. Ten minutes later, he pulled into his driveway and their stakeout was over.

  "So, what do you make of that?" David asked.

  "Not too hard to see he's damn upset about something. I'm thinking though, if it's a guilty conscience seems kind of strange to go visiting the victim's father, especially when he hasn't talked to the guy in years. Makes you wonder, what's up with that?"

  Chapter Forty-Four

  The call back from Dennis with the DNA results finally came in a few minutes past five.

  "Sorry I couldn't get back with you sooner. This day has been insane. So, the Armstrong case. We picked up something interesting. When Kelly was running the prints, she noticed a tiny spec of blood near the handle, and because of the location, got to wondering if it might be from the killer instead of the victim. The prints were Eric's, which makes sense, as he may have been the one who found the club, or grabbed it in self-defense. But,...the blood was similar to Eric's DNA but not identical, meaning it was someone related to him. Do you have DNA samples from his immediate family?"

  "No, but I will get them, ASAP. Thanks Dennis, this could be the missing link we've been waiting for." Jack breathed a sigh of relief. It had to be Ted, Eric's father. It made sense, sort of. Ted was known to be short-tempered, and tensions had been high at home recently. Plus, it really was true that the majority of crimes were committed by someone who was close to the victim. They could get a rush on the DNA results and have this wrapped up within a few days, hopefully.

  Two days later, the results came in. The first red flag that had gone up was when Jack had visited with Eric's parents and explained that they needed to take a DNA sample. There had been no hesitation or sign of nervousness whatsoever, not even from Ted. Jack was paying close attention, and in his experience over the years, he knew that people were not usually so cooperative unless they had nothing to fear.

  That was the case here. Neither parent was a match for the tiny blood sample. Jack wasn't prone to fits of temper, but had a sudden urge to smash something out of sheer frustration. He needed to blow off some steam and to vent. A beer or two might do the trick. He called David who agreed to meet him in a half-hour at the pub.

  There were plenty of seats at the bar when he arrived, and David was already there, about to take a sip of the draft beer that Patrick the bartender had just set down. Jack settled in the stool next to him and gratefully said yes when Patrick asked if he wanted one of the same.

  "So, no progress, I take it?" David asked. Jack hesitated for a minute, then filled him in on the failed DNA tests. David looked as disappointed as Jack felt. He really had thought the DNA results would wrap things up so that Lauren would be exonerated and they could go on with their lives.

  They talked about other things for a while, to get their minds off the case, and both ordered a second beer. Jack had just taken his first sip of the new beer when a new thought took hold. He'd been so frustrated by the bad DNA results and so sure that Ted was going to be the murderer, that he'd stopped looking beyond that conclusion. Now that he'd relaxed a bit, his mind wandered back and a missing piece fell into place. It was someone he'd considered earlier and discarded, but now it was a strong possibility.

  "It has to be Chuck," he said out loud.

  "Chuck? Where did that come from?" David set his beer down and looked confused.

  "Just thinking back to a few conversations that don't add up. Judy mentioned that the reason Chuck and Ted ended their friendship was Ted's jealousy over Chuck growing too close to Judy. Chuck said it was because of a difference over a software program. What if there was something with Chuck and Judy, and what if Eric wasn't really Ted's son, but Chuck's?"

  "What if he was?" David still wasn't following. "Even if he is his real father, it doesn't mean he's also the murderer."

  "No, but it's more likely. Especially if it's his blood on the golf club."

  "Well, that's simple enough then; we just get a DNA test from Chuck, right?"

  Jack was silent for a moment.

  "We still don't really have a motive yet, though. A spot of blood on a golf club might not be
enough to get a conviction."

  "So, what then?"

  "I have an idea, and a possible motive; just a theory, but if I'm right and we can get Chuck to confess, then the DNA will seal it. But, I need your help if you're up for it?"

  "Of course, anything. What do you want me to do?"

  Chapter Forty-Five

  The next day, David stayed later than usual. He left his office door open just far enough that he could see the main entrance and by a quarter past six, knew that he and Chuck were the only two people left in the building. He shut his door then, and placed a call to Jack.

  "Are you ready?" Jack asked him.

  "I think so. Are you sure this stuff is working?" Jack had given him a wire to wear under his shirt so that his conversation with Chuck would be recorded and also so Jack could hear it live. Jack and Toby, one of his officers were outside in a surveillance van, ready to come in at the first sign of trouble.

  "You're good to go." David hung up and replayed what he and Jack had discussed about how the conversation should go. He took a deep breath, opened his door again and walked down the hall to Chuck's office. His door was closed and the office was eerily silent. But Chuck's light was still on, and David knew he was still there because he was a stickler about electricity and would never leave his light on unless he was working.

  He knocked lightly on the door and after a long moment Chuck said to come in.

  David walked in. Chuck had two computer screens lit up and was running a program on one while looking at about a dozen stock charts on the other.

  "You're working late tonight," Chuck commented.

  "Yeah, I've gotten behind on a few things, needed to catch up." He sat in one of two chairs opposite Chuck's desk.

  "So, what's up?" Chuck never was one for idle chit chat.

  "Well, you know the business with Lauren, the Eric Armstrong case."

  "You'd think it was the only case the media has to focus on." Chuck laughed and David relaxed a bit. Chuck seemed to be in a good mood.