Page 99 of Bad Seed

DePlaine had the checklist. “There’s not a lot else to identify. Her watch and the earrings are the ones she was wearing. If you are satisfied these are hers, I’ll need you to sign here.”

Justine took the offered pen and signed the itemized list. “I don’t know what to do next or how to do it.”

“Well, the coroner has ruled anaphylactic shock as the cause for your mother’s death, related to the peanut contamination,” DePlaine said. Justine frowned. “What peanut contamination? We didn’t have nuts in anything.”

“The salad croutons…apparently, they were deep-fried in peanut oil before being roasted. It was listed in the ingredients on the packaging,” Freeman said.

Justine gasped. “Oh my God. I didn’t think to look. I guess I assumed that if she bought it, she had deemed it safe.”

Neither of them commented or commiserated with her as Freeman shifted the subject. “As soon as the investigation is complete, the body will be released. They’ll call you and ask what mortuary you plan to use so they can have them pick it up.”

“I don’t have any money yet,” she said.

“Yet? Are you coming into some? Your father gave us to understand that your mother came to him for moneyto pay the damages you caused at Trapper’s Bar and Grill in Jubilee, Kentucky, so she could get you out of jail.”

All of a sudden, she was in defense mode. “Why did you call my father? I told you not to.”

“We needed confirmation on some things that popped up in your background check and—”

Her voice rose a whole octave. “You ran a background check on me? I did nothing wrong!”

“It’s procedure when a person dies at home, unattended by a physician. You were with her. It’s how we clear a case,” DePlaine said.

Freeman could tell Justine was rattled, and pushed. “You have a history of instability. A DUI, two stints in rehab for alcoholism, and then the most recent incident in Kentucky. There’s even a stalking report that was made on you there.”

Her eyes narrowed, and her fingers curled into fists. “Stalking. That’s ridiculous. I never—”

“They have a threatening note taken from the man’s property that has your fingerprints on it, and a list of witnesses who saw your continued harassment for the time you were at the hotel where your father worked, and a statement from the person who filed the report that you’d pulled a knife on him and cut his neck. The complaint is still on file and pending.”

All of a sudden, she was lightheaded and seeing flashes of light before her eyes. “I left town. All that’s over,” she mumbled. “When do I get my mother’s death certificate? I’ll be needing some copies.”

“The Department of State Health Services files the death record, and eventually the mortuary issues copies to the families,” Freeman said. “You have the freedom to ask for as many copies as you need, but extra ones aren’t free. You should be asking your father for help in all this.”

“I don’t talk to him! He doesn’t want me. Nobody wanted me!” she screamed, and then stopped, realizing what she’d just said, and recomposed herself. “Actually, it was Mother’s current boyfriend back then who didn’t want me. It’s why I went to live with Dad. But that boyfriend is gone, and Mom is the one who came to get me when I needed help.”

Neither detective was talking, which made Justine nervous, and she started rambling to fill in the silence for fear of what they’d ask next. “I know I’ll need one copy for Mom’s life insurance policy. I’ll need that money to pay for her funeral and pay for probating her will.”

Freeman frowned. “What life insurance policy? We were given to understand she didn’t have any.”

“No, no, she does! I can show you. It says a copy of a death certificate is required.” Then she leaped up from the sofa and bolted out of the room.

DePlaine arched an eyebrow at Freeman but said nothing, and moments later, Justine was back. “This is her policy,” she said, and handed the file to Freeman and sat down.

Freeman glanced at it. “Oh! This policy! When wehave a suspicious death, we always run checks to see if there are existing life insurance policies and which heirs benefit most from the death. I know it sounds terrible, but it’s just procedure. We feel we owe it to the deceased to check off all the boxes. We know for certain that your mother let this policy lapse a few months back. It’s no longer valid.”

Justine froze and then began mumbling and leafing through the policy as if a different answer would fly off the page. “Can’t be. Why would she…stupid bitch…all for nothing…”

Detective Freeman stood as he and DePlaine pulled Justine to her feet. “Justine Beaumont, I’m arresting you for the murder of your mother, Karen Beaumont. You have the right to…”

Justine heard his voice, but the words meant nothing. She was laughing maniacally, and then screaming and spitting rapid-fire invectives at both parents, and blasting threats at both detectives as they walked her out of the house.

***

That same morning, six federal agents walked into the Serenity Inn and asked to speak with Liz Devon.

The moment Liz got the call from the front desk, she bolted for the lobby. It was finally going down. Within moments of her arrival, they asked if Larry Beaumont was on-site. She called Larry’s cell to get his location.

***

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