The Crazy One Page 14

  "So, as I said in my email, I’m calling you about Lucy Bonneville. You know who that is, right?"

  "Of course. Who doesn’t?"

  "Obviously." He could think of plenty of people off the top of his head who didn’t know who she was. It’s not like she’d been stalking the Pope. Still, if he had his way, true crime readers all over the country would get to know her well.

  "You run the fan club Joel on the Brain?"

  "Yes." Pride. He could see it in her eyes. She smiled, then, like she was more than happy to share what she knew. Perhaps there wasn’t much else going on in her small town in Iowa. Maybe this interview made her feel useful.

  "Was Lucy a member of the club?"

  "No." She drew the word out. It needed to be emphasized. The fan club had no ties with that crazy woman. "We met her at the Hometown Star taping in Omaha. She was alone, so we kind of took her under our wing. We do that. It’s what Joel would want us to do. Shepherd the lost."

  Elijah nodded. Shepherd the lost? Were they a fan club or a cult?

  "She was friends on Facebook with one of your members, Tammy. So, she didn’t know Tammy before the Hometown Star show?"

  "No. Like I said, she was there alone and Tammy took it upon herself to invite her into the group. I didn’t approve it, but it kind of happened. She joined us for lunch and then at my hotel later for a little party we were having."

  "What did you know about her at that point?"

  "She said she had just met Joel that day. Other than that she didn’t say much. She kind of kept to herself. I was upset to find out later she was using us."

  Well, wasn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?

  "What do you mean?"

  "I told her Joel and I have been friends for years. I had no idea she was trying to get closer to him by getting close to me. If I had known what she was capable of I never would have let her in the group."

  He tried not to let his skepticism show on his face. What was she talking about? She was a middle-aged factory worker from some town in Iowa nobody had ever heard of. Joel Ruskin was a native New Yorker with a career that was presently on the rise. He let the comment slide. She wasn’t the subject of his inquiry, after all.

  "Did you have any interaction with her after that day?"

  The woman scowled. Had he said something stupid?

  "I assumed you wanted to talk about the video."

  "Video?" Elijah racked his brain. Then he sifted through his notes.

  "The video she sent me from the house." She clicked her tongue and sighed. Her tone was like that of a teacher scolding a child who couldn’t comprehend a math problem. "It was all over the Internet right after it happened. But nobody credited me, so I guess you wouldn’t know it was me she sent it to."

  He vaguely remembered something from the evidence files that had been sent to his email. No, he hadn’t put the pieces together. Now he was going to have to find it again and study it more closely.

  "I’m sorry," he said sincerely. "I didn’t realize that video was sent to you. Did you two talk regularly?"

  "Never. I’d forgotten about her until Tammy told me she moved to Spring Fork. She read that on her Facebook profile. I messaged her to find out why."

  Good. The story was finally starting to unfold. He rubbed his hands together excitedly under the desk.

  "And what did she tell you?"

  "She said she and Joel had gotten to know each other and she was helping him remodel his house. She said things to try to get me to believe they were hanging out on a regular basis."

  What? There was no way that was true.

  "This was before she sent you the video?"

  "Obviously." She rolled her eyes. If only there were a way to reach through the screen and strangle this woman.

  "Did you believe her?"

  She laughed. "Of course not. She’d only met him once. I’ve known Joel for many years. If he was going to ask for help, he would have asked me. He knows I’d do anything for him. Plus, sometimes she would say he was with her in Colorado when I knew for a fact he was somewhere else completely."

  "What do you think was her purpose in Spring Fork, then? Why did she go there?"

  "I’m sure she planned on seducing him. Some women think they can use sex to get what they want. But Joel isn’t that type of person. He would have seen right through her."

  Elijah shuddered. Seduce him how? He couldn’t fathom how she’d come to that conclusion. Anyway, it wasn’t helpful.

  "Do you have any idea why she did what she did?"

  Belinda rolled her eyes and then closed them.

  "Because she’s crazy?" She opened her eyes and leaned closer to the monitor. "She does not represent the typical Joel Ruskin fan. Joel’s fans are respectful and would never do anything to hurt him. He knows that. It’s why he’s so open with us. Well, he used to be. Until this happened. Now he’s not even on Twitter anymore. I sent him cards and flowers when he was in the hospital, but he didn’t respond to anything. I hope he can recover from this. He needs time."

  It was clear the woman had nothing more to tell. He was anxious to move on to his next lead.

  "Well, I appreciate your input. You’ve been very helpful."

  "Do you think you’ll talk about Joel on the Brain in your book?" Her face was hopeful, like a child’s almost.

  "Maybe," he lied. "I’ll keep in touch if I need more info on that."

  When the call ended he sat back and breathed a heavy sigh. He was tired and dreamed of getting into the hotel bed and watching trash TV for the rest of the evening. First he needed to get to the mall before it closed.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

  Omaha - 2016

  When Lucy walked into Gobo's her attention was on her smartphone. Joel had tweeted a picture from his New York apartment. A stocking hat and scarf were draped over the back of his leather sofa. Headed for the mountains #inovermyhead

  "Heads up!" Joni threw a stuffed bear in her direction. Lucy dodged it, but glanced at it on the floor. Its belly said "Happy New Year" in red letters. Joni had spent New Year's Eve bar hopping with not one, but two dates. One of them must have tried to get a leg up on the other by bringing her the kind of little gift girls are supposed to like, the kind men buy at Walgreens on their way to pick up the girl. Clearly Joni thought enough of it to throw it across the store and leave it in the dusty corner.

  "What'd you do for New Year's?" Joni asked.

  "Party." Her nose was still buried in her phone. She'd somehow missed a picture Joel had posted overnight. It was a selfie from his bathroom. His hair was wet and his chin was covered in at least two days of growth. Her thighs tensed. The thought of him out of the shower sparked her dirty imagination. She didn't even pretend to listen to Joni's recap of her night out. Instead she stared at the photo and pictured the towel that must have been around his waist and imagined pulling it off of him.

  "Can your party top that?" Joni was staring at her with her hand on her hip. She'd already taken her coat out of the back room and was putting it on.

  "What?" She looked up from her phone. "I wasn't listening." Since Joel had professed his love and had promised his life to her, she was much less amused with Joni's life and her ramblings. Where she'd once been desperate for Joni's friendship, it was no longer necessary.

  "Seriously, Lucy." Joni's tone was disgust. It was the tone she used when she wanted to convey to her that she was miles beneath her and she only let her hang around her and Leron out of pity. "Sometimes you get on my last nerve."

  "I'm leaving," Lucy said matter-of-factly. "I'm moving out of town."

  "Are you kidding? Where?"

  "Colorado. Joel bought a house. He wants me to move in." She dared not mention their engagement. She'd promised Joel she would keep it under wraps. Joni would have spilled it, no doubt.

  "Who's going to work at the store?"

  "Gordon will have to find someone."

  Joni scowled at the framed reprint on the wall next to her. She
was thinking. Stunned.

  "Luce, how long have you known this guy?"

  "Like four months, I think."

  "And you're going to move in with him? Do you think that's a good idea? You guys were broken up the other day. What if you get there and he leaves you high and dry?"

  Really? In all the time she had known her, Lucy had been trying to become the kind of person interesting enough to get Joni’s attention. She’d never cared about her personal life at all. Now suddenly she was judging her for this? She had no right to have an opinion on her choices.

  "We're in love, Joni. We don't need years to figure that out." She wanted badly to tell her it wasn't just love, that they were getting married, committing forever. But maybe that would make things worse.

  Joni sighed and looked at her phone.

  "I have to go," she said. "Let's talk about this later, okay?"

  She smiled to herself when Joni was gone. This was the exact reaction she'd imagined anyone would have if she'd suddenly up and married a man she'd only dated for a few months. It was the reaction People magazine would have when they got ahold of the news that Joel Ruskin had married an unknown store clerk from Nebraska who he'd only met the summer before. And when they found out he'd practically stolen the girlfriend of Beau Castle, that she hadn't even moved out of his apartment, the story might even warrant the cover.

  When it was time for her dinner break, she pulled the store’s gate and put up a hand-written sign declaring she would return in thirty minutes. Before going to the food court, she stopped at Helzberg Diamonds on the corner and had the ladies take out some engagement rings for her to look at.

  For the rest of her shift, she searched Pinterest on her phone for the perfect diamond ring. Finally she found it; a two-carat solitaire surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds set on top of a filigree, white-gold band. It was $40,000; much fancier than anything a mall store could offer. She pinned the photo to a board she titled Joel along with a few ideas for the garden reception she and Joel were planning for the spring.

  The next step was to find a job in Spring Fork. Infiltrating the tiny mountain village proved to be difficult. Every potential employer she emailed wanted to know her reason for moving there. One even suggested she try the ski resort nearby. That wasn't an option for her. The resort was an hour away from Spring Fork. She needed to be close.

  Within days she had found the perfect job. It was a gift shop on the main street called Starshine's Boutique. It appeared to be a small hippie shop that sold everything from crystals to clothing. The owner, who went by Moon but whose real name was Melanie, was excited to talk to her on the phone. Lucy had told her she was moving to Spring Fork for a change of scenery. Moon said she loved her free spirit, and she thought she would be perfect for the shop. She seemed to be the only person in town receptive of outsiders.

  Her new bohemian gig lead her to the solution to her lodging problem. Moon hooked her up with the only boarding house in town. It was apparently another of Spring Fork's hidden amenities. She didn't even know boarding houses existed anymore, but apparently in a sheltered community, they were a necessity.

  Uncle Gordon took Lucy's news surprisingly well. She had thought she was indispensable at the store. It turned out Uncle Gordon agreed it was time for her to move on.

  "You've always been my favorite employee," he told her. How ridiculous. She had always been one of two employees and a relative. "I'll be sad to see you go, but you can't work in the mall forever. You're old enough to get out and see the world. Colorado is much more interesting than Nebraska. Although, I don't know if January is the best time to move there."

  Her parents, however, weren't as accepting of her decision.

  "You're going to pack up and move to some mountain town because you feel like it?"

  "Mom, I'm twenty-six. Don't you think I should have an adventure for once in my life?"

  "Lucy, you can barely take care of yourself. Now you want to move thirteen hours away where you don't know anybody?"

  "Dad, I can take care of myself. I've been living on my own for two years."

  "We pay your rent! We're not going to pay for this silly excursion of yours."

  Fire sprung into Lucy’s cheeks. Yes, they gave her money, but that didn’t mean they owned her. They couldn’t stop her from going.

  "I have a job in Spring Fork. I can pay my own board."

  "And your cell phone bill?"

  "Sure." She focused on her feet. She was a grown adult and her parents were making her feel like an irresponsible child.

  "You're going to drive to Colorado by yourself?" her dad demanded. "Well, I'm not coming to get you again in the middle of the night like I did that time you supposedly got on the wrong party bus and went halfway to Missouri."

  Her mom sighed and said, "What are you going to do with all your stuff?" Nitpicking. Whenever Lucy got a lofty idea, her mom would pick apart the logistics until she didn’t even dare to bother. She wouldn’t let her talk her out of it this time. And she had no doubt her parents would continue to pay her rent, despite what her dad said.

  Joni and Leron, however, seemed prepared to wish her well. Joni had obviously made peace with the idea of Lucy running off with a guy she barely knew. Of course, she wanted to know all the details. That turned out to be the longest conversation she had ever had with Joni in which she herself was the main subject.

  "Joel bought an old farmhouse and we're going to renovate it," she explained.

  "That sounds terrible," Joni said as she leaned against the counter inspecting her new manicure. "Why would you want to do all that manual labor? Tell him to buy a new house you don't have to break your back on."

  Lucy shrugged. She tried not to appear offended.

  "So that's all you're going to do out there? Free labor for some guy?"

  "No. I got a job in a little tourist shop."

  "Ooo," Joni teased. "Big step up from selling fake art to soccer moms."

  Lucy rolled her eyes. She wished she had a better lie. Then Joni got that serious look again.

  "You haven't known this guy that long," she said. "Are you sure you're ready to move in with him?

  Joni was the type of person who would do things on a whim, which is why Lucy was surprised again by her concern. Maybe she did care. Maybe she’d cared all along, and just kept it hidden well. It touched her heart and made her regret her decision a little bit.

  Still, Joni admitted she was happy for her. She and Leron even took her out for farewell drinks. By the third drink Lucy was truly beginning to rethink leaving her friends. Joel was worth it. He had to be.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  Omaha - Present

  After almost three years of her absence, it was hard to find a person in the mall who remembered Lucy. A couple of people knew about her from the news. Nobody admitted to knowing her personally. Most of the employees he encountered hadn’t worked in the mall back then.

  Finally, Elijah’s luck changed. A forty-ish woman with an asymmetrical haircut and bright red glasses approached him in the food court. She’d heard he was asking about that lady that stalked a famous guy.

  The nametag on her black suit said "Robin," but she introduced herself anyway. It also said "Helzberg Diamonds," but she clarified that as well.

  "I’m the manager," she said. "I’ve been there for five years. Manager for one."

  Elijah chose the quietest booth possible and motioned for her to sit. She hoisted her Louis Vuitton handbag onto the table and slid into the seat.

  "So," he began. "You actually remember her?"

  "Oh, yeah. She came in one day and wanted to look at rings. I recognized her from that art store down the hall. Sometimes I’d see her in the food court. She said she was engaged or getting engaged." She waved her hand in the air and rolled her eyes. "I don’t remember. But she wanted to look at the biggest diamond we had. That was a two carat, I1, round diamond. It was $15,000."

  "You have a good memory."

  "I lov
e diamonds." She smiled. Elijah nodded. The rocks on her hand had made that point already.

  "So, you showed it to her?"

  "An associate and I took her into the diamond room to show it to her. We don’t like to show merchandise that big on the main sales floor."

  "Is it normal for women to come in looking for engagement rings alone?"

  "Women will come in and try pieces on or browse through the glass. Usually they’re with somebody else. Even if they’re just thinking about getting engaged they at least bring a friend with them. I guessed because she worked in the mall it was convenient to hop over."

  "Were you suspicious she had other motives?’

  "Like that she wanted to steal something? That’s why we have two associates in the diamond room when we show those high-end pieces. She really seemed like she wanted to just look at it, though, not steal it. Plus, she had to know we knew her from the mall and we have cameras everywhere. A grab and run wouldn’t be smart."

  Robin appeared to get even more excited when talking about their safety measures than she had when describing the diamond. He wondered why she didn’t have a job in security.

  "Did you think she was lying about getting engaged?"

  She nodded and chuckled. He imagined she and her coworkers might have had a good laugh after Lucy left.

  "We kind of thought she might be. Or at least that she was exaggerating how much he would be able to spend. She actually said he would probably want something bigger and asked if we could special order something."

  "Did you special order something?"

  "No. She said he would take care of that."

  Of course she’d said that. The delusional behavior Robin was describing was consistent with what he’d already uncovered. The picture of her was becoming clearer; a lonely woman making a fictional life for herself, trying to make it real. Her delusions had begun to insert themselves into her everyday life. She was just the type of character who could captivate his readers and fling him into the literary spotlight.

  He excused himself calmly, fighting the urge to run straight out of the building and back to his hotel so he could get started on writing Lucy’s story. But there were still holes to be filled.