Murder in High Heels

She hugged him and said, "I'm not in it. I'll never push you into anything. It's all up to you. I flat out told her that I would not put you two together."

He nodded, pulled her in tight, and unpaused the show.

**********

"I just don't have anything that puts her at the scene, Boss. There is no evidence that anyone was at either scene, actually. No forced entry, no finger or footprints, and no inconsistencies in the splatter pattern. If it wasn't for the identical notes, I'd close them both as suicide." Det. Jordan told his Commander.

"The ex is airtight?" The Commander asked.

"As a nuclear reactor."

"Fuck. Have you considered Schindler's ex as sort of a revenge thing?"

"Yep. She was at a club, on security cameras, with her new boyfriend and her kids are away at school."

"Fuck."

**********

2 years later, Angela broke her pattern and started dating Lance Forrest. She had promised herself that she wouldn't risk anyone's life by dating them more than once after the suicides. She hadn't been celibate though, she'd relegated herself to one night stands with bar pickups. An STD changed her mind on that, so she needed to take a chance and settle down.

After a month of dating Lance, she got comfortable. Some would say sloppy. She stopped trying to hide the relationship and was dating him in public.

Lance was watching a ball game at home when the gun was put to his temple and the trigger pulled. The gun was put in his hand and the same note was left once again.

"The price is paid in full."

**********

"This is Jordan." He said answering the call on his cell.

"Hi Detective, it's Detective Stan Anson with Schaumburg."

"What can I do for you, man?"

"You have a cold case that I may have a tie in to?"

"Which one?"

"The paid in full suicides. I've got one."

"No shit? Any ties to Angela Johnson?"

"Yes. She was his girlfriend."

"No fucking way! The ex-husband's alibi is airtight?" Jordan asked.

"Yep. Driving through Madison." Anson answered.

"Where was she?"

"At home alone."

"The security system provided an alibi for her last time and we couldn't break it, is it the same thing this time?"

"Chinese food delivery, this time. She ordered from her home phone and the food arrived 30 minutes later. The shot happened in that window per the neighbor who called 911. It's a 23-minute drive each way from her house to the deceased's apartment, and it's a 3 flight walk upstairs. It's close but we don't see how she could've done it in that window."

"Agreed, fuck. Let's get together tomorrow and compare files."

"Okay"

Again, all alibis were unbreakable and there were no new suspects. The cases went unsolved.

***********

Steve and Maryanne were sitting in the large auditorium watching Jenny as she walked across the stage to receive her Bachelor's degree.

Steve beamed with pride and had to wipe a tear as it threatened to roll down his cheek. Maryanne squeezed his hand tightly and kissed him.

After the ceremony, they walked out to their car and Maryanne asked him, "Honey, you love her so much, please call her?"

"No, she made her choice when she sided with her mother over me. She only came to regret it when she felt bad about what her mother did to me.

I needed her on my side, I was in the right, but she didn't believe me and opened the door for her mother to take my life out from under me. Do you know that there are old friends of mine that still believe I molested Jenny and got away with it?"

Maryanne nodded.

"No, she made her choice and we all have to live with it," he finished.

Maryanne frowned at his stubbornness, grabbed his hand, and said, "Were you this hard-headed before your divorce?"

"No, not even close."

***********

5 years later Angela and Jenny were sitting in the front row of the funeral home's viewing room. It was a large turnout for Steve Johnson's wake and funeral procession.

Steve succumbed to Pancreatic Cancer, four weeks after walking Jenny down the aisle at her wedding.

He had a few new friends and coworkers that showed and his small family went, but he didn't rebuild a large network of friends after the divorce. Most of his old friends, neighbors, and coworkers came to pay respect to the good man they used to know and lost touch with over the years.

His girlfriend Maryanne was there, they never married. She tried very hard to not spit on Angela for the pain she caused her man.

His best friend, Lou DeMarco, regaled Jenny with stories of her dad's last few years. He filled her heart with stories she would never have known.

It was Maryanne that finally convinced him to hear Jenny out and makeup with her when he was diagnosed as terminal. He'd spent years throwing away letters, deleting emails, and ignoring calls. Their reunion was perfectly timed as he and Maryanne knew they were his last months.

Jenny actually moved her wedding day up, costing her a fortune in fees and rush jobs, but she got her greatest wish: her daddy gave her away.

Their tearful reunion and walk down the aisle gave Steve a final peace of mind before he lost his last battle. The last words he spoke were thanking Maryanne for giving him Jenny back and apologizing for never marrying her. She understood and never pushed him for marriage. They were happy as they were.

At the viewing, Maryanne told Jenny how he'd always missed her and regretted his not getting in touch with her years before.

Her mother asked about it, so Jenny told her about some of their reconciliation.

She said, "He told me that he was at my graduations, in the back, away from anyone who would recognize him."

"That's true," Maryanne confirmed. "I was with him."

"He said that he followed my career as I moved up the ranks and made Detective for Streamwood."

"He was so proud of you. He saved the clippings from the Herald. You were the youngest ever to make detective there.

He loved it when they said you had a knack for criminology and later when the paper called you a savant of crime scenes he almost cried," Maryanne said. "He said it was because of all of the Columbo and CSI you guys watched together when you were little. He hoped you'd make it to Chicago, or some other big city and have bigger cases."

Jenny smiled for most of the wake listening to stories of her dad's life after the divorce. She was happy to finally meet Maryanne, who she still had been speaking with on occasion. His new life seemed as good for him as it could've been. He died a happy man.

She said a final prayer after the funeral and thanked God he finally found peace.

**********

Angela had been trying to reconnect with Jenny throughout the wake and funeral. She blew it at the luncheon after the service when she made the wrong comment at the worst possible time.

They were sitting alone after everyone had left when Angela said, "Jenny, I have finally found peace."

"What are you talking about, Mother?"

"I haven't been able to have a relationship for these last few years in fear that your father would kill them."

Jenny couldn't believe her ears. "He was cleared but the police you worthless bitch. But now you're happy he's gone so you can get laid? You're as big a piece of crap as you ever were. I had hoped you changed, but now I hope you rot in hell."

Angela winced. "You don't understand.."

Jenny cut her off and said, "The next time I see you, Mother, will be when we are lowering your fat ass into the ground."

"No, Jenny. Please understand..."

She cut her off again saying, "Goodbye, Mother. Good luck with your sex life."

That was the last time she ever spoke to her mother.

************

Ten months later, Angela was having dinner with her boyfriend Charlie Harlan at an expensive steakhouse, when Charlie got serious.

"Angela, these last eight months have been so wonderful for me."

Squeezing his hand she said, "Me too, Charlie. I wasn't sure I would ever love again, but we found each other."

"Angela, I love you, will you marry me?"

"Angela took a deep breath and said, "Yes. Yes I'll marry you."

There was a pang I'd fear in the pit of her stomach. She softened and thought, "He's dead. I have nothing to worry about."

One week later, Charlie was sitting on his back deck thinking about the upcoming wedding and moving Angela in with him. He took a deep puff of his Cuban Montecristo #2 and exhaled the smoke. As he sighed in contentment, the gun was placed to his temple and the trigger was pulled.

The gun was put into his hand, the cigar put into the ashtray, and a note was left tucked under the heavy ash bin on the table.

"The price is paid in full"

***********

Angela hung up the phone after talking with Detective Jordan. Her face wet with tears after the emotional conversation.

She went up to her bathroom and grabbed a bottle of sleeping pills. She hadn't needed one for a while, but always had them on hand.

She walked out to her mailbox, placed an envelope in, and lifted the flag to let the mailman know there was outgoing mail.

She laid on her bed and thought of her wedding to Steve and what a perfect day it was. She thought of Jenny and how proud she was of her career. She thought of family vacations and trips to the park. She regretted ever meeting Martin Schindler and ruining her own life.

Finally, she said a prayer that she would see Steve soon. She placed the note on her chest as she fell asleep for the last time.

Her note read: "My price is paid in full."

***********

Jenny walked in with the mail and a bag of groceries. She set everything down, put her keys in the hook, and kicked her shoes off. Her husband Blake wouldn't be home until almost midnight since he worked second shift as a police officer, so she had the pleasure of a silent house to enjoy.

She opened a bottle of California Roots Cabernet and poured a healthy glassful. Taking a drink she walked over to the pile of mail and saw a letter.

"Holy shit!" She cried out when she read the sender's name: Angela Johnson.

She tore it open and read her mother's last communication to her. Falling into her chair, tears fell from her eyes as she read what her mother's suicide truly meant.

"Wow, Mother, wow." She said to the empty house.

She picked up her cellphone and made a call.

"Jordan."

"Detective Jordan, this is Jenny Stanger, Steve and Angela Johnson's daughter."

"Hello young lady. Sorry to hear about your mother's suicide."

"Thank you. At least hers saved you some investigating."

"Yes, Harlan no, but hers yes. What can I do for you, Jenny?"

"I received a letter in the mail from my mother, it's a confession."

"What?" He screamed into the phone.

"It's a confession for all of the suicides. Apparently, she was insane. I can't believe it."

"Jesus Christ! Okay, come and meet me at my station as soon as you can."

"On my way." She took the first page and lit it on fire, put in her fireplace, and made sure it burned completely.

The letter read:

My dearest Jenny,

I'm giving you this last gift of my penance. Whether you believe it or not, I love you with all of my heart and I'm sorry for all of the pain that I've caused you. It was not intentional and hurting you and your father was the worst thing I've ever done.

I knew it had to be you when Charlie was killed and I accept my punishment. I'm sorry I caused you to punish me in this way and I hope you can now live the rest of your life without the pain of my betrayal of you and your father.

Destroy this page and give page 2 to the police. Page 2 is my confession for them.

I take full responsibility and give you the gift of your freedom. It's all my fault and I can't ever repair your lost years with your dad or your hurt. I've caused so much death and it has to stop. Maybe this will make it up to you and you can finally forgive me and be at peace.

Please tell my future grandchildren stories of the good times and not of how I destroyed our lives. I pray that you and Blake have a long and happy marriage. Don't ever fall for it when someone tries to take you from him.

I love you with all of my heart.

-Mom

P.S. Please see someone and get yourself the help that you desperately need.

****page 2****

Dearest Jenny,

By the time you get this, I will already be dead by my own hand. I can't take the guilt any longer. I killed all of those men, my lovers. They all had to pay the price of taking me from your father. I was always his. Maybe now I can join him again.

May God forgive me.

I will always love you, and I'm sorry I ruined our lives. Until Martin, we truly had a perfect family.

Mom

**********

Jenny was escorted to Detective Jordan's desk and sat down after exchanging greetings.

After he read the letter he said, "Jesus Jenny, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I just can't believe it. She must have really lost it years ago when I stopped talking to her after what she did to my dad. I can't believe she kept dating, just to kill them. God, I just don't get it."

"It kinda makes sense that it was her. For a couple of the murders her alibi wasn't great. We just couldn't place her at the scene, and frankly we didn't have a good enough case. I always felt it was your father or Schindler's ex-wife, but we couldn't break their alibis either."

"Well I'm glad it's all over. The murders, her pain, everything. Take care Detective."

"You too."

**********

Jenny walked out of the police station with a mile-wide smile and shook her head. She stopped as she opened her car door, looked up to the sky, and said, "Thanks Mom. I hope you do find Daddy wherever you are."