After O’Conner left her house, Jenny debated her next steps. She knew that the ex-cop carried ties to the people running Stull Junction. The woman also knew enough not to get on the wrong side of those people.

Leaning back in her chair, Penske enjoyed the idea of Lane Dagger meeting his downfall. After all, he treated her and Adele like pond scum. Jenny certainly didn’t believe in the sudden reformation of the bastard. However, O’Conner’s warning left her with a quandary.

Adele wouldn’t believe her. She told Penske as much the last time they met a few days ago. While Adele was Jenny’s only staunch friend, the woman recognized her continued insistence to divorce had pushed her friend into a corner.

How can she still love him?

Falling in love with a man is absurd and Jenny understood this from the start. Her brief time in college, where she met Adele, brought Jenny a handsome college guy from a wealthy family. A year later, she had her annulment and fifty thousand to walk away. After that, her next husbands became steppingstones toward a life of ease and decadence.

When she was younger, Jenny saw independence in making her own path as the goal. Later, her time in the large cities developed into a relentless monotony of false smiles amid people exactly like herself.

After a while, boredom brought the need to fulfill fantasies with other lonely people, which included wealthy deviants who did not care about the age or sex of their partners. While the lifestyle left her isolated from proper society, the woman told herself such things didn’t matter since it gave her happiness. Still, she was never sure if such happiness really existed inside of her.

However, the one thing the woman found she learned to rely upon was Adele. Her friend recognized Penske’s pettiness and shallowness. Still, she patiently listened to her, offering comfort and advice. Jenny valued such a friendship to the point she wanted more. The woman believed she understood Adele’s deepest feelings as only a woman could. Jenny knew Adele wanted to fulfill her fantasies; she just didn’t realize it was Jenny who held the key. Adele certainly didn’t need a man to make that happen. Only a friend and lover would help her reach the pinnacle of happiness.

She can fool herself, but she can’t fool me.

The woman went to the phone and called Adele’s apartment. She let it ring through, then hung up and dialed again. After the second time, Jenny slammed the handset down on the cradle.

Hurrying into the bedroom, she dressed while debating what she would tell her friend. As she headed to the door, Penske decided to use the rumor that O’Conner had left her when he mentioned seeing Adele’s husband and Sally Vaugh together.

I can always bring jealousy into the mix, she decided.

~~~

As Lane and Adele took the steps into the Royal Building, they heard someone call out to them. Turning back, the couple saw Judge Seabury getting out of a cab, while handing the driver his money.

“I’m glad that I caught you,” he said, waving them over. “I was on my way up to see you.”

The couple met the judge in the middle of the sidewalk, and he smiled.

“I don’t believe that I’ve been introduced,” he looked at my wife.

After I introduced them, he winked at me.

“You’re a lucky man, Mr. Dagger. By the way, I have good news. I made several phone calls and Mr. Lees graciously asked that you join him at the Elder mansion this evening.” The old man guided them back to the steps as he talked.

“It took a bit of persuading, but he found your idea about Cora interesting.”

I glanced over at Adele, who was already brimming with excitement.

“What pitfalls should we expect?” I tried to keep emotions in check after Adele’s roadblock before.

“Oh, nothing like that. You see, Mr. Lees is a hermit by nature and seldom allows visitors. In a way, he reminds me of Cora Elder.” The judge held the door open for Adele.

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“Judge, did you know Cora Elder well?” Adele asked as we took the stairs to my office.

“Oh, only in passing. She was an exotic creature from what I witnessed,” he said.

Exotic is one way to describe her!

“Whatever happened to the police investigation into her disappearance?” I wondered out loud. “I guess we should look into that.”

“Well, I don’t think you’ll find much,” the judge stated with conviction. “I watched her leave the viewing stands we set up for the parade. It was unusual since she seldom showed up for events.”

“Was there anything else you remember?” I found myself asking questions like a TV detective.

The judge glanced at me with a bemused smile.

“Only that she didn’t seem to enjoy the parade. Perhaps she was worried about something.”

“Oh, why’s that?” Adele asked, while I opened the door to my outer office.

“I can’t say I would know,” Seabury shrugged. “Maybe she noticed Mr. Lees was in the stands. I know she didn’t like him.”

I felt Adele glance at me. His story didn’t match what the research that Adele found about Lees.

“So, she left, and no one saw Cora Elder again, is that it?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s an excellent summary. According to what I know, no one saw her after she entered the park on the way back to her home,” he explained. “The police combed the area over several days and didn’t find anything. Shane told me that their best theory was she deliberately left town. I suppose she got bored with the rumors about her and the men.”

Adele thought about the idea as I introduced Seabury to my secretary. I hesitated at one point when I caught sight of Alice’s eyes for the first time.

Why the hell is she slowly appearing to me?

After the old man sat on the couch in my office, I asked for details about the man we met that evening.

“I certainly don’t want to ask him something personal that might upset him,” I explained. In truth, I didn’t trust the sudden change to Lees’ meeting us after Adele’s chilly reception from her call.

“Oh, he’s a small man with an almost divine presence,” the judge said as I leaned against my desk. “I remember thinking appeared somewhat timid when we first met. Quickly, I discovered how much I misjudged him. When he joined our club, I quickly understood my mistake in thinking he’s just another outsider.”

“What do you mean by an outsider?” Adele interrupted. “I’ve heard the term a lot recently, but I’ve never quite understood what it meant.”

Judge Seabury gazed at her quietly for a moment as he appeared to gather his answer.

“That’s because you’re from Stull Junction. You see, I came to Stull Junction not long after Cora Elders which I’m sure she had something to do with. The natives look at those of us who came in after our birth as outsiders, almost intruders, if you will. Your husband is the ultimate outsider, if my guess is correct.”

Yeah, the old man’s glint as he told Adele that bit of news made me sweat. I forced myself to remain nonchalant, but I’ll bet he noticed my expression changed.

“Oh, I know Lane’s not from here, but I’m not from this city,” she glanced over at me. “My parents told me I was born in Ohio.”

“Oh, so you think that you’re an outsider?” Seabury appeared amused by the statement.

“Getting back to your meeting tonight,” he continued. “No doubt you already know that Mr. Lees is a spiritualist, but he’s also quite scholarly. I’m sure you’ll find him very interesting. You should really ask about his thoughts about our town and Miss Elders. Have you found out much about him from your research?”

Adele told him what she knew, and she mentioned a couple of other items she determined from her morning at the library. The judge confirmed her suspicions that he came to Stull Junction to meet with Cora Elder. According to Seabury, Lees arrived after the woman went missing.

“I’m curious how a woman goes missing, yet her mansion is now under the ownership of Robert Lees?”

I wondered aloud after going to the window and looking down at the street. The judge grunted uncomfortably at my thought.

“I’m not sure I can tell you. Perhaps Mr. Lees will give you more details. Unfortunately, I need to take my leave. I wish you the best at your dinner tonight.”

“Oh, that’s right, I need to get going as well,” Adele exclaimed after glancing at her watch, then turned to me as she followed the judge from the room.

“I’m heading to the apartment. You come home early,” she looked back at me.

I knew that look by now. It meant I had no choice. I smiled with a nod.

When Adele arrived at the apartment building, she found Jenny waiting for her in the lobby. Her friend appeared subdued as she stood up from the lobby couch.

“You’re hard to get ahold of,” Penske told her.

“Come on up. I have to get ready while we talk. Lane and I are having dinner tonight with Robert Lees.”

Adele headed for the stairs, missing the expression on the woman’s face in her excitement. Penske remained quiet while Adele gave her a rundown of her day.

“Wait a minute, are you saying that Judge Seabury put this together?” Her friend stopped suddenly halfway up the stairway.

“Yes, why is there a problem?” Adele looked back.

Shaking her head, Jenny continued upward. When they got to the next floor, she finally asked about something bothering her.

“Why this interest in the Elder Mansion?”

Caught by the sudden question, Adele hurriedly gave her explanation.

“Well, Lane’s leaving his work and moving into a new career. I’ve been helping him with the research. We’re working on a radio script about the Elder’s.”

Her friend held back on the surprised expression, but she still let her sarcasm get through.

“He’s never struck me as that type.”

While visibly irritated, Adele let the remark go. She unlocked the door to the apartment.

“Jenny, why are you here? You always call me away to show me your lifestyle or you’re putting on that cynical badmouth routine about the latest gossip.”

Adele walked toward the bedroom, but Jenny Penske’s words stopped her.

“I’m here for you. I know that your husband’s been sleeping with Sally Vaugh.”