Page 101 of Trace of Doubt
I shifted to ease the agony in my leg. “He and Aria planned to talk on the way back to Sharp’s Creek. Don’t you think from the way he took time to heal your relationship that he suspects at least part of it?”
She covered her mouth and stared over my head into the kitchen. “When I saw Mom for the last time, she asked if Marissa had shot Travis. I stood by my original confession. Mom might have mentioned her doubts to Dad. I’ll call him.”
I didn’t think Clay could handle derogatory info about Marissa. “Not a good idea. Clay Pearce deserves to hear this face-to-face from his daughter. His phone or Aria’s might be bugged, putting them in line for a death order.”
She leaned back against the sofa, trembling. “If not for Aria’s visit and where my thinking led, I’d have continued the ruse. I believed Marissa was perfect.” She buried her face in her hands. “I see now how she fostered my rebellion and how she used me to accomplish her own agenda. I’m incredibly hurt... and angry.” She stared at me. “I have no proof of my innocence.”
“You served your sentence. You’ve been victimized. And now Marissa has abandoned her daughter. The FBI needs your official statement.”
“All right.”
Sheriff Wendall summoned our attention. “Makes sense Marissa took the $500K and claimed it had been embezzled. Would you recognize your sister’s handwritin’? I have the sympathy card, although the FBI didn’t find a match.”
“I could identify it,” Shelby said, “and if it’s a match, then the FBI has reason to bring her in for questioning. She’s supposed to be in Phoenix as recommended by her RA doctor. Is her medical condition even legit? Aria doesn’t think so.”
“Maybe not. I’ve learned more about her actions.” I told them about the photos of her and Eli Chandler in Miami, the restaurant’s reputation, and the use of an alias in her travel. “I requested medical records for her earlier today, and I’ll contact Clay about the dates she claimed to be resting. Doubtful she left anything incriminating behind at your dad’s, but the FBI has cause to issue a search warrant and sweep her room.”
The sheriff cleared his throat. “Denton, if big sister’s on to what you’ve uncovered, we’re low on time. My guess is she’s on her way out of the country. Has the FBI red flagged her alias?”
“If she’s made flight arrangements using that name, she’ll be arrested at the airport.”
“No, she won’t,” Shelby said. “Our games included numerous cover-ups of all kinds. We often made up aliases.”
The idea of Marissa manipulating a child fueled my anger. “How many years did you play these games?”
“Years, from the time I was four until I turned sixteen when she married.”
“A lot of indoctrination.” I wanted to say a lot more, but she might grow hostile.
“It took lots of careful planning on her part, to say the least,” she said. “Marissa has my burner phone number, and she’s textedme with it. Before Mom passed, she wanted to meet with me about a threat on her life and planned to drive here for us to talk. She asked me to keep the trip a secret.”
“When was this scheduled?”
“The Thursday before Mom’s funeral. But given what happened, she canceled with the intention of rescheduling. I haven’t heard from her since. How noble of my sister to push suicide so she’d not dirty her hands.” Shelby lifted her chin.
“We must be careful until we find Marissa or Eli Chandler,” I said.
“I know how to end this madness.”
“How, Shelby? By doing something crazy?”
“Yes.” Her voice held a wild tone.
I tightened my hands into fists. “I don’t like the daredevil look in your eyes.”
She smiled. “Forget the fake suicide, especially if Marissa can’t be found. I can infiltrate her organization.”
“Impossible. You know nothing about money laundering, organized crime, or what your sister is capable of doing.”
“I agree,” Sheriff Wendall said. “It assigns a bullet to you.”
“And you think hiding from her hired guns is safer?” Shelby raised a finger. “How easily you forget what’s already happened.”
Fear gripped me. “Trained agents spend months, sometimes years learning the habits and personalities of a specific money-laundering organization before they’re able to work undercover. You have no idea the size of the operation or who else is involved.”
“I have an advantage. I understand her conniving thought process.” She paused. “I’ll contact her, tell her life has gotten too hard, and I want in on whatever she’s doing.”
My blood pressure shot up. “Pastor, tell her not to take on this investigation.”
