Page 47 of June's First Murder
"She was innocent," Sara Lee breathed. "But she had been arrested. Handcuffed and taken to jail."
June felt something cold settle in her chest. Helena had been in jail. Even if only briefly, even if the charges were dropped. She'd been processed, photographed, and fingerprinted. She'd sat in a cell, scared and alone, accused of something she didn't do. And Raymond's company handled the bail bonds.
"We need to talk to Helena," June said quietly.
"Now?"
June checked her watch. It was nearly three o'clock. "The church is just a few blocks away. Pastor Pete was leaving their home, which means Helena might be alone."
Sara Lee closed her laptop with a decisive click. "Let's go."
They gathered their things quickly, deciding to leave the pets at home. The walk to the parsonage took only five minutes, the small white house with its neat garden sitting right next to the Methodist church.
Helena was in the garden when they arrived, kneeling among the newly planted flowers with dirt-stained gloves and a wide-brimmed hat. She looked up when she heard their footsteps on the walk, and her face broke into a genuine smile.
"Ms. June! Sara Lee! What a lovely surprise." She stood, brushing dirt from her knees, pulling off her gloves. "Come in, come in. I made lemonade earlier."
The warmth of her welcome made June's chest tighten. They were here for a reason, and that reason was finding the truth. Even if the truth was uncomfortable.
Helena led them through the back door into a tidy kitchen that smelled of lemons and fresh mint. She poured three glasses of lemonade made from real lemons, and gestured for them to sit at the small kitchen table.
"Pete's out visiting the McNallys," Helena said, settling into her chair with her own glass. "Mrs. McNally has been having a hard time with her hip surgery. He likes to bring communion to the shut-ins." Her voice held affection and pride for her husband's dedication.
They made pleasant conversation for a few minutes about the garden, about the church's upcoming summer program, about how the festival cleanup had gone. Helena was easy to talk to, her manner gentle and unassuming. It was hard to imagine this woman in handcuffs.
But then June took a breath and decided to dive in. Sometimes the only way through was straight ahead.
"Helena," she said, her voice gentle but direct, "Iknow that Raymond’s death was a surprise to everyone. Pastor Pete did a lovely service."
The change in Helena's countenance was immediate and striking. Her pleasant expression bounced from nervous, to a flash of anger, then finally settling into something that looked like resignation bordering on relief.
The lemonade glass trembled slightly in her hand as she set it down on the table. “Yes. My husband always seems to know what to say in difficult times.”
"Did you know him?" June asked, keeping her voice soft. "Raymond?"
Helena’s mouth opened, but the words died before they could emerge. Her hands flitted around nervously, first to her hair, then to her glass, then to her lap where they twisted together.
Finally, she held June's gaze, then Sara Lee's. "You know, don't you?" she asked them, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We know you were arrested in Richmond," June said carefully. "For fraud. But the charges were dropped."
Helena's eyes filled with tears. She blinked them back, her jaw tight.
"I'm sorry," June said. "I know this is distressing, but we wanted to hear it from you. I have a feeling you've held things in for a long time."
Helena looked down at her hands for a long moment, then swallowed deeply and looked up. "I was employed with a finance company out of college," Helena said, the words tumbling out now like she'dbeen holding them back for years. "I had worked there for about two years when money suddenly went missing from one of their client’s accounts. I had no idea what happened, but one day the police showed up. They came directly to my office, and I was escorted out of the building in handcuffs. And was taken to the city jail where I was processed."
Her voice cracked slightly on the last word. She paused, gathering herself, then continued. "It was the most horrible fifteen days of my life. My parents had no money or influence, so I couldn’t post bail. My attorney said they were working diligently to make sure I was released since the evidence was circumstantial.”
June reached over and patted her hand. “I can’t imagine that for you. I am so sorry.”
"Thank goodness, there were a few nice women in there who helped me feel less alone." A sad smile crossed her face, remembering. "One suggested a bail bondsman company, and I contacted them, but then I was released. There wasn't enough evidence and the DA dropped the charges. It was later found to be one of the vice presidents who had taken the money.” Her voice broke. “All that horror, and it was someone else who’d done it and said nothing while I sat in jail.”
"What happened then?" Sara Lee asked gently.
"I never went back to my job. I couldn’t face the people who had seen me marched out in handcuffs. I was so traumatized. I had a hard time getting another job because I was scared all the time." Helena's hands were still twisted together in her lap, her knuckles white. "I had a friend who knew Lucy. She suggested Imove here to Meadowlark Creek. It was the best decision," she said through a teary gaze.
June smiled. “Is that when you met Pastor Pete?”
