Fortune's Wheel, page 3
part #4 of Claire Rollins Mystery Series
Yet.
4
“That girl had everything, didn’t she?” Nicole asked as she and Claire walked through the square on their way to pick up the subway. “She was attractive, intelligent, was getting her doctorate from a prestigious university, was headed for a wonderful career.” Nicole gave her head a shake. “I guess she had everything except good luck. Life sure can be cruel.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” Claire thought about losing her husband and about the victims of the crimes that she and Nicole had recently been drawn into.
“We’re going to get involved with this one, aren’t we?” Nicole glanced at her friend. “I can feel your hesitation, but I know how things will go. We’ll get pulled into it even though we prefer not to be.” Giving a shrug of her shoulder, Nicole said, “We have to do it. We both believe in using our skills for good.”
“Tessa warned me about this.” Claire rubbed at her temple.
“Did she?” Nicole sounded alarmed. “When?”
Claire shared Tessa’s concerns with Nicole. “She said we have to be careful.”
“Oh, no. I thought we’d be safe because the case is so old. Everyone involved with it is middle-aged or older.” Nicole groaned. “We need to think about this rationally. Does it really matter if this case gets solved? Is there anyone around who cares anymore? Leslie’s parents are dead. She had no siblings. There’s no one left.”
“What about Marty Wyatt?” Claire asked.
“Maybe he should let it go. He’s in ill health. Maybe he should spend his days doing things he enjoys. Does Leslie Baker really need justice done? She’s gone. Her friends are either dead or old.”
“People in their fifties aren’t old. I was married to someone in their seventies,” Claire reminded Nicole.
“Oh, you know what I mean. Leslie’s friends have lived for a long time without the murderer being caught. Is it worth all the time and effort this will take, especially if it will put us in danger?”
“What if the killer is still alive?” Claire eyed her friend.
Nicole stopped walking and looked at Claire with a frown. “I didn’t think about that.”
“Would that make a difference?”
“I guess it would,” Nicole muttered. “The killer should go to prison. He lived for thirty-three years after robbing Leslie of her future. He’s had his whole life.” Nicole straightened. “If the killer is alive, then yes, it would make a difference. I’d want him to go to jail.”
“We won’t know if the killer is alive until we help Ian and Marty with the case.”
“You’re right.” Nicole didn’t look happy about it.
“Ian can’t do a whole lot,” Claire said. “He’s a full-time detective and his department doesn’t want him actively working this case, but he can act as a consultant. I think that’s why he asked us to read through the notes and give our impressions. So we can help his friend. Ian will set up a meeting so we can get together with Marty and see what needs looking into. I feel obliged to help for a bunch of reasons. First, because Ian asked. Second, it’s important to Marty. And third, because someone stole years from Leslie’s life and shouldn’t get away with it.”
Nicole asked, “Where do you think we should start?”
Claire said, “If people are still living in the area, I’d like to talk to the boyfriend, Peter Safer, and the people who lived in Leslie’s building.”
“Peter Safer may have returned to England after he completed his degree.”
“Let’s hope not.” Claire held up her hand and crossed her middle and index fingers for good luck.
“What about that professor Leslie was rumored to be having an affair with? What was his name?”
“Malden Ambrose. He was working at a different university than the one Leslie attended,” Claire recalled.
When they walked by a coffee shop, Nicole suggested they get a drink and sit outside in the warm, September sunshine.
Sipping their lattes, Nicole did a search of Professor Ambrose on her phone and after a minute, she lifted her eyes with a triumphant grin on her face. “Guess who still works at a university in Boston?”
Claire smiled. “Really? Then after we meet with Marty, let’s plan on paying Professor Ambrose a visit.”
“The woman who lived in Leslie’s building and was murdered a few years before … what was her name? Denise?”
“It was Denise Pullman. She was studying for a master’s degree. I don’t remember in what field.”
Nicole tapped at her phone and after a few minutes, she said, “Denise Pullman was an elementary school teacher. She was studying for her master’s degree in education. The article reports that she was stabbed four times. It mentions the shabby condition of the building and that the door’s locks were basically useless.”
“I guess the owner of the buildings didn’t care to improve safety for the residents since the locks were still awful five years later when Leslie lived in the complex.”
“That person should have been jailed for negligence.” Nicole put her phone on the table and when she raised her drink to her lips, she nearly dropped the cup, but saved it by catching it with the palm of her other hand.
Her eyes were wide and she was staring down the block. “The bakery owners who co-won the food festival grand prize with us, Jim and Jessie Matthews, just walked across the street. I’ve seen them twice before and when they notice me, they give me such mean looks. I think they hate me.”
“It doesn’t matter. They can’t stand the fact that they didn’t win the prize alone.” Claire smiled. “They must not like to share.”
“They give me the creeps. When they glare at me, I feel sort of, I don’t know … unsafe.”
“If you run into them again, just ignore them,” Claire suggested. “Before work tomorrow, I’m going to stop in at Tony’s Market. I want to talk to Augustus about Leslie Baker’s murder. He must know or have heard plenty about the crime since he was already a judge in the lower courts by that time.”
Ninety-one-year-old Augustus Gunther lived in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston and had served as a lawyer and a judge all of his working life. The judge knew a good deal of the city’s history and was acquainted with many people in and out of both the court system and law enforcement. His knowledge and experience had come in handy over the past months and Claire hoped to pick his brain over this murder case.
“That’s a great idea,” Nicole said. “I bet he’ll know some details and may have heard some rumors that might be helpful. What does your intuition tell you about whether or not Leslie was killed by the same person who murdered the teacher, Denise Pullman, five years prior?”
“I don’t think they’re related.” Claire gave a shrug. “I don’t know why, but it’s the feeling I get. If we try to connect the two deaths, I think we’ll be wasting time and nothing will come of it.”
Nicole raised her eyes to Claire. “Did you pick up on anything when we were in the apartment?”
Claire put her elbows on the table, leaned forward, and lowered her voice. “I have to admit I was uncomfortable in there thinking about what happened years ago. My mind felt unfocused like it was jumping from thing to thing. I was nervous, agitated. I wanted to get out of there.” Claire’s face was dead serious. “But things are still floating on the air from long ago. I could feel them nudging at me. Answers are out there. It’s not too late. We just have to find them.”
“You don’t look happy about it.”
“We need to be careful, Nic. This could be a bad one. Things about this case have been hidden for a very long time. I get the feeling that someone wants the information to stay buried and would do just about anything to keep it that way.”
“You’re scaring me.” Nicole grasped her hands together.
“We need to pay attention to everything. We need to be aware. We can’t take any chances.”
“You sound like Ian when he lectures us.” Nicole tried to lighten the mood.
Claire gave a half-smile. “This time, I’m taking the lectures and warnings to heart.”
“Okay.” Nicole took in a deep breath. “We’ll be on guard.”
Claire voiced her worries. “I think we need to be careful about who we trust and what we believe. People are going to try and push us down the wrong path. We’ll be lied to. After reading the notes, I have a million questions for Marty. What stymied this case? Was it police mishandling of the evidence and suspects? It seems students and friends weren’t interviewed in a timely way and after the body was discovered, the neighbors had access to Leslie’s apartment and bedroom … they went in and out … the police didn’t secure the place for hours.”
Nicole asked, “And why did that professor who discussed the ochre at the crime scene and suggested that the killer may have been recreating ancient burial practices stop talking to reporters? He wouldn’t say any more about it. Did someone tell him to stay quiet? If someone did, why would they do that?”
“This is how we’ll get some answers, by asking all the right questions.” Claire forced a smile. She needed to stay positive even when panic pounded through her veins. Feeling like she and Nicole were about to step off solid ground into quicksand, Claire wondered which way Fortune’s wheel would turn for them … would it be success … or would it be disaster?
5
Claire was carrying a brown pastry box as she opened the door for the Corgis to enter Tony’s Market and Deli. In his early seventies, tall and burly with a full head of white hair, Tony Martinetti had owned the Adamsburg market at the edge of Beacon Hill for over fifty years. He’d taken a shine to Claire and her dogs when they moved to Boston and now considered her a part of his family.
“Morning, Blondie,” Tony called from behind the counter before stepping out to greet his favorite dogs.
Bear and Lady rushed over to dance around the man and each one received pats on the head and a dog treat before they clicked over the floor to the rear of the shop to find Judge Augustus Gunther sitting at one of the small café tables reading the newspaper and sipping his cup of coffee.
Claire gave the big man a hug.
“What do we have here?” Tony indicated the box.
“I brought some lemon cream muffins and a chocolate-banana bread.” Claire opened the box and Tony removed a muffin, lifted it to his face to sniff, and closed his eyes. “Ahhh, lemon.”
Claire chuckled and, as was her usual early morning habit, she headed to the back of the shop to sit with Augustus and have a cup of tea. The Corgis had already greeted the judge and scooted through the back store room to the small, wall-enclosed garden where they spent the day until Claire returned from working at the chocolate shop.
“Ian talked to me about a cold case a friend of his is investigating.” Claire opened the bakery box and placed the sweets on a paper plate she took from the coffee and tea counter next to the café tables.
Augustus’s light blue eyes shifted from the newspaper propped on the table to Claire. “Did he?”
“His friend was a public policy consultant for many years and recently retired.”
“Marty Wyatt.” Augustus folded the newspaper and set it to the side. “I heard the man has received some bad news regarding his health.”
“You know Marty?” Claire asked.
“We’re acquainted with one another.” Augustus adjusted his navy tie. The former judge wore a suit and tie every day no matter what the weather. “He seems like a good man.”
“You know the case he wants to have reopened?” Many times, Claire had been impressed with the judge’s sharp mind and she hoped he would recall this case.
“I know it.” Augustus gave a slight nod. “A most unfortunate incident.”
“There must have been a lot of chatter and speculation around the time it happened,” Claire said.
“Quite a bit, yes.” The judge raised his cup to his lips. “Is Ian planning to work on the case?”
Claire explained that the department didn’t want Ian spending time on the old case. “He’ll go over things with Marty and act as a consultant.”
“And what would Ian like you to do?” Augustus’s face was serious.
“Nicole and I are going to meet with Marty. Maybe we’ll talk to some people who knew Leslie Baker, if they’re still in the area.” Claire put a slice of the banana bread on a small paper plate and handed it to Augustus before removing a slice for herself. “Are you able to share some things you know or remember about the case?”
“Some things.” Augustus bit into the bread and complimented Claire on her baking skills. “Why don’t you ask me questions and I’ll see if I can provide an answer.”
“Was there a prime suspect?” Claire asked. “Was there someone law enforcement suspected, but didn’t have enough evidence to make an arrest?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Did the police mess up the evidence?”
“Possibly. My understanding is that the scene was not contained quickly enough, that people, neighbors and friends, came and went for a couple of hours before police locked down the apartment.”
“Was that how things were done back then or was it negligence?” Claire asked.
“They should have kept people out of the apartment. Evidence may have been contaminated, things were moved around, something was even taken from the bedroom.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed. “By the police, you mean?”
“Not by the police. By a neighbor. It was a hammer that Miss Baker took with her on expeditions. She’d been to Spain and to Iraq to work on archeological excavations. She may have worked on other digs, but those are the two I recall.”
“Why would the police allow someone to remove an object from the crime scene?” Claire couldn’t believe how lax the initial investigation had been run.
“It shouldn’t have happened,” Augustus said. “In fact, a year later, the object was retrieved from the person who took it.”
“A year later? A lot of good that did.” Claire couldn’t believe her ears. “What if that hammer had been used as the murder weapon? It would have been well-cleaned by the time it was retrieved, fingerprints would have been wiped off and other fingerprints would be on it. That’s ridiculous.”
“I agree.”
“Was it done deliberately?” Claire sat up straight. “Did the police allow the hammer to be taken in order to protect someone?”
“The first police officers who arrived on the scene didn’t think anything was wrong with allowing the neighbors into the rooms. They were Leslie’s friends, they said, so their prints would have been all over the rooms anyway. The police also allowed people in because they wanted to know if anything was missing from Leslie’s place.”
“It’s outrageous.” Claire’s blue eyes flashed. “What if one of the neighbors or one of the friends killed her? Any of them could have lied about things being stolen or not, any of them could have moved things around or taken things from the room.”
“Yes, but that’s how it was,” Augustus said. “It did not help the investigation.”
“Did suspicion fall on the boyfriend?” Claire asked.
Augustus said, “He was certainly a suspect. In cases such as this, my first thoughts go to a husband or a boyfriend. The police also take first looks at the murdered person’s partner. I remember that this young man was a citizen of another country, was it England?”
“That’s right. His name was Peter Safer.”
“The young man claimed to have walked Miss Baker to her building and shortly after, he went home. I believe Miss Baker had an exam the next day. Mr. Safer told police he didn’t want to keep his girlfriend out late because of the exam. There was something about the young man’s claims that didn’t sit right with me. It was something subtle, but I can’t recall what it was, although I do remember being suspicious about what Safer said.”
“Did you think he didn’t go home right away? Did you think he stayed at the apartment?”
“I’m not sure. I’d have to read over the notes and news article from the time to jog my memory.”
Claire said, “I read in the notes Ian gave me that Safer told police he went home and watched a movie, but no one saw him go into his building. He had no one to corroborate what he said he did that night.”
“What did Miss Baker do after arriving home?” Augustus asked.
Claire told him that Leslie had visited her neighbors and then went to her apartment.
“Yes, that’s right. I recall reading that the bedroom windows were unlocked. There was a fire escape right outside the windows. No one heard screams or a scuffle or shouting. What does that tell us?”
“Either people are lying or Leslie was asleep when she was attacked.”
“Or she knew her attacker, perhaps invited him in, chatted with him, and suddenly the person made his move and struck her. It would have been fast, so fast that Miss Baker did not have time to cry out.”
“Could someone have made it up the fire escape without being detected?” Claire asked. “The person would have had to pass by the first and second floor apartment windows. The person would be in sight of anyone walking past the rear of the building.”
“It was late though,” Augustus said. “Hardly anyone would be behind the building at that hour.”
Claire said, “But it’s taking a chance to climb up the fire escape. You never know when someone might walk by. I don’t think the attacker came up that way. The doors on the building were always unlocked. Leslie’s apartment door was unlocked. Just walk in and go up the stairs.”
“It seems the sensible thing to do, and the easiest.”
“What about the murder weapon?” Claire said. “The killer must have planned the killing in advance, don’t you think? He must have had a weapon with him when he arrived.”
