Short Line to Death, page 7
“It looks as though the party is over,” Tom said.
“Yes. But it was entertaining while it lasted. I think Roberta must have drunk quite a bit of wine. She seemed unsteady on her feet,” Madeline observed.
“Yes. It looks like she passed out.”
“Well, if that is the case, we should offer her endless alcohol and food every afternoon,” Madeline suggested.
CHAPTER 12
Moira rose from her seat as the bus waited for the Cross Keys Light to change in order to make a right turn down Franklin. The afternoon stop was not in front of the library, since that would block the afternoon rush-hour traffic, but three blocks farther west in front of the Pit Stop Gas ’n Go, the local gas station and convenience store. Joey picked her up at the bus stop, and she liked to get off promptly so everybody could witness Joey’s attentiveness. Her bangled arm jingled as she gathered her bag from the overhead storage. “Well, guys, it’s been real. This party was the most festive in quite some time. Have a nice evening,” she said to all the regulars in general. Then she began to walk carefully toward the front of the bus holding onto the overhead handrail for support. She stopped short as she almost tripped over Roberta’s feet, which were now sticking out into the aisle.
“Sweet Jesus! Excuse me, Roberta. I need to get by,” Moira said with an annoyed tone.
Roberta didn’t move or respond.
“Please move. You know my Joey’s waiting.” But Roberta didn’t wake up. “What the hell is wrong with you?” she said in a raised voice and leaned over and attempted to shake her awake.
“Roberta! Roberta!” she screeched at the top of her lungs.
Martha stepped on the brake. “What the hell is going on back there?” she yelled.
“It’s Roberta. Something’s wrong.” Moira stood staring down at her with an expression of shock on her face. “I think she’s dead!”
All the regulars plus Tom and Madeline moved to converge on the seat in question. Martha had to push through the crowd to get a good look. Roberta was indeed dead. There was no doubt about it. She lay awkwardly across the seat, unnaturally still, with her chin resting on her chest, one arm above her head and leaning on the armrest, the other hanging straight down toward the floor and her eyes wide open behind her large glasses. There was a slightly bluish tinge to her lips. There was complete silence for a few seconds, and then everybody started to talk at once.
Fern pushed to the front of the crowd. As soon as she saw the body, her hands went to her face and she burst into tears. “No! Oh, no. Robbie! Oh, Robbie! She can’t be dead. She just can’t be. How? Why?”
“I’ll move the bus to the Pit and call the police,” Martha stated firmly.
Tom followed Martha to the front of the bus. “I think you better announce that nobody should touch anything around Roberta, and nobody can leave until the police get here.” She nodded and did so once she had parked.
The driver stepped off the bus to call the police and the bus dispatcher, closing the door firmly behind her.
Fern continued to wail, almost drowning out Alice’s continuing hiccups.
Tony hid his face in his hands. “I can’t stand the noise. Please make it all stop,” he moaned.
Jake attempted to calm Fern, but she disintegrated into a body-shaking burst of tears, punctuated with howls of despair. Moira gave Fern a lace handkerchief from her knockoff Gucci bag. “There, there now, dear. I know that this is very distressing, but please shut the hell up.”
“This is indeed shocking, but we must all be as calm and patient as possible. It will all be over soon enough, I am sure,” said Stephen.
Tom looked uncharacteristically grim as his brown eyes narrowed. He walked back and asked Madeline for her blanket, which he used to cover the body, and then returned to stand near the door, facing the remaining passengers.
Martha reappeared. “Okay, folks. You all have to stay and wait until the Cross Keys police get here. So just get comfortable. We will be here a while.”
There was a general hum of discontent from all of the passengers. Some in the front wanted to know why they had to stay since they were not sitting near the dead woman and had not interacted with her at all.
“What do you mean I have to wait on this bus? This is my stop, and my Joey is waiting for me,” Moira whined and pointed out the window to a puzzled-looking husband.
Madeline couldn’t sit still any longer and went to join Tom at the front. They heard a knock and turned to see a young police officer holding a bicycle. “Although he looks like a teenager, he must be older,” said Madeline.
“Yeah. Assuming some sort of age requirement, the police kid must be in his twenties at least. You’d think they would send a more experienced officer,” said Martha as she opened the door.
Tom pulled out his phone. “I’ll give Billy a call.”
The policeman parked his bike and got on the bus. “Good evening, folks. I’m Officer John Smithfield.” He smiled brightly at the passengers, who stared back at him with unhappy faces. Martha explained the situation to him. He nodded, and his expression became more serious. “Please stay calm. The chief is on the way.”
“Can’t we at least get off the bus? I don’t want to sit on this bus with a dead body,” one of the passengers said.
“I understand, and I know you folks are stressed by the unpleasant event, but a sudden death is a serious matter, and we have to examine the situation. It shouldn’t take too long.” Officer Smithfield looked hopefully at the door to see if help was indeed arriving.
“Oh, I feel sick,” moaned Fern, and she began to whimper. Brian had moved to sit next to her and attempted to calm her, but she once again disintegrated into a burst of tears and body-wracking sobs. Black mascara ran in streaks down her cheeks.
Hic…hic…hic. Alice could still not control her hiccups.
Tony was getting restless and stood up in the aisle by his seat to stretch his legs. “Please hurry up and check out the situation. We all want to go home,” he said impatiently.
Officer Smithfield slowly walked toward the back. “So, where is the deceased?”
“Right there with the blanket over her head.” Matt stood up and pointed at Roberta.
Smithfield moved to the indicated seat. He gingerly pulled back the blanket to confirm the situation. He quickly dropped the blanket back in place and turned to Tom who had followed him. “Do you know her name?”
“Roberta Carlson.”
He took out his notebook and wrote it down.
There was not generally much excitement in Cross Keys, and after the town’s two police cars arrived with sirens blaring and lights flashing followed by an ambulance, it did not take long for a crowd of curious citizens to form next to the bus.
“What happened?” Billy said after he pushed his way through the crowd to the door where the driver and the young officer were standing.
“Chief, there’s a dead woman on the bus,” Smithfield said quickly. “Her name is Roberta Carlson.”
Billy looked shocked. “You must be kidding me!”
“Come and see,” Martha said pushing the door open. Some of the curious bystanders tried to climb aboard also, but she glared at them and pushed them back. “Seriously, you think you are going to get on my bus?” she said as she closed the door firmly.
Billy walked to the back of the bus and picked up the blanket to look at the body. He examined it for obvious wounds. “So, what exactly happened?”
“A group of daily commuters had a party,” Martha said. “There was food and wine. It started around five and ended about forty-five minutes to an hour later. Nothing else happened. When we got to the Cross Keys stop around six thirty, Roberta was discovered dead in her seat.”
“Did she appear sick? Complain about pain?”
“Not that I noticed,” Stephen said. “She just took a nap after the party. I myself napped and did not hear or see anything.” He looked around at the group as he spoke.
“Yeah, I was napping too,” Tony added, and Jake nodded.
“So, were all of you asleep after the party?” The group nodded.
“Does anybody feel sick? There’s an ambulance here if you need help.” He addressed this to the group, all of whom said they felt fine.
“Okay. I need everybody’s name and contact information, what kind of food or drink you brought to the party, what you ate and, more importantly, what you did not eat, and then you can all go home.”
An hour later, Tom and Madeline stood in front of the Pit.
“What do you think happened?” Madeline asked.
Tom shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure... I feel something isn’t right—” He stopped himself. “She probably had a heart attack or stroke while she napped. These things do happen,” he said finally.
“It’s shocking. She was not that old.”
“True. But at least she died in her sleep.”
“That’s something, anyway. It just seems so...odd.”
Tom nodded. “Sudden death is always disturbing. I better get to the bar.”
“Okay. Have a good weekend.”
“You too.”
CHAPTER 13
Soon after, Billy had performed the difficult task of informing her sister of Roberta’s sudden death. Samantha greeted him pleasantly and showed him into the kitchen, where they sat down at the table. She was devastated by the news. “Robbie hated doctors. She was never sick. But something must have been wrong. If only she—” She broke down. Then she stood up and began to busy herself, making coffee and unwrapping cookies as tears ran down her face.
She finally composed herself and sat down again at the table. Billy reached over and put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
“I realize it must be quite a shock. It is difficult enough to lose a loved one, but sudden death is especially hard. Had she been ill recently?” Samantha shook her head. “Did she have any chronic health issues, such a heart problem or high blood pressure?”
“No. Like I said, she was never sick. That’s what makes it so hard to believe. She didn’t have a single prescription medication. She hated drugs and doctors. She never even took an aspirin. I take a handful of pills each day, but not her.”
Billy nodded in understanding and they discussed various aspects of Roberta and her doctor and drug phobias.
“Was she under any new stress? At work or personally?”
“Not that I was aware of. Actually, she seemed happier than normal. For her that meant she was less offensive in her dealings with people in general.”
“Okay. Thank you for your time.” Billy stood. “We would like to perform an autopsy to determine the cause of her passing, if that is all right with you.”
“Thank you, Billy. I would appreciate it.”
“And I may have additional questions later. But as of now, I don’t think there is anything to investigate.”
Samantha nodded. “I understand. You have been very kind and efficient.”
“That would have shocked Roberta, huh?” He smiled at her as she nodded her head in agreement. “I’ll stop by with the results as soon as I have them.”
***
News of Roberta’s sudden death sped through the Cross Keys grapevine. Harry and Jeff were eager to hear all the details from Madeline during their weekend dinner. She explained that it was really extremely dull; she died quietly while sleeping in her seat. There was nothing to tell.
“There are only a few people in town who are sad to hear about Roberta’s death. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Harry said.
“Are people going to avoid sitting in that seat?” Jeff asked.
“Yes, the seat of death! Haunted by the unmourned victim,” Harry added.
“Don’t scare Maddie. She has to ride on that bus every day!” Jeff scolded. He turned to her. “Thinking about Roberta haunting you is dreadful. Just dreadful.”
“You’re right. She wouldn’t be Casper, she would be a poltergeist,” Harry said laughing and made a spooky sound.
Madeline laughed too. “Well, the seat didn’t kill her, so I don’t think the bus is going to be haunted. As far as we know, she died of natural causes. At least, that’s what Tom thinks. Probably massive indigestion based on what she ate. It was strange, though. She certainly seemed strong and healthy in addition to mean.”
“How did the other passengers take it?” Jeff asked.
Madeline shrugged her shoulders. “They were shocked, and Fern was upset. There really is nothing to tell.”
“This is so disappointing. I was hoping for more drama,” he added.
“Actually, there will probably be less drama now without Roberta’s constant stream of insults.”
“So, what’s happening with you and Tom?” Harry asked.
“Nothing is happening. We are just bus buddies,” Madeline said firmly, avoiding eye contact.
Harry and Jeff exchanged a conspiratorial look. “I always find the rugged, handsome type attractive,” Harry said.
“How do you think I attracted this one?” Jeff said.
Madeline blushed in embarrassment. “Well, don’t hold your breath. He’s a pretty complicated guy, and I don’t think he is interested in a romantic relationship. At least not with me.”
CHAPTER 14
Billy walked into The Opossum midafternoon on Saturday a week after Roberta’s death. Since it was between lunch and happy hour, the bar was empty except for the perpetual barflies clustered at a table near the fireplace.
“Hey, Billy,” Adam greeted him. “Can I get you something?”
“I will take a cup of coffee. Tom around?” Billy asked as he stood at the bar.
“He’s down in the cellar changing kegs. I’ll get him.”
When Tom appeared, he poured himself a cup of coffee and stood next to Billy and gave him an appraising glance. “You look like there is something on your mind.”
Billy looked sheepish. “Can we go up to your office? I don’t want to run the risk of being overheard.”
Once in the office, Billy flopped down on the love seat with a sigh. “I have a bit of news on Roberta’s death.”
“The autopsy report came in?”
Billy nodded and sighed. “Turns out she did not die of natural causes. She died from a drug overdose.”
“Really?” Tom looked shocked as he sat down in his desk chair. “What specifically?”
“A combination of oxycodone and benzodiazepines, like Xanax. Unfortunately, it’s a common deadly combination.”
“Oh, I see. But from the expression on your face, I assume she wasn’t prescribed any of these drugs?”
“Not according to her sister, Samantha. She says Roberta never took any pills. Not even an aspirin. She told me that when I told her about Roberta’s death. I asked about Roberta’s general health and medications. She said Roberta was phobic about medication, thought the side effects did more harm than the drug did good, and she also had a phobia about swallowing pills. Thought she was going to choke.”
“How did Samantha take the news?”
“She was shocked. She said there was no way Roberta knowingly took that stuff. She said point-blank that somebody killed her sister, that they poisoned her with the drugs.”
Tom studied his coffee for a minute. “How quickly would the drugs work?”
“Naturally, depends on the individual. But based on the amount in her system, about twenty minutes to half an hour. The drug combo in addition to the wine, especially in somebody who doesn’t take the drugs so has no resistance built up, and is as small as Roberta, well, it was deadly. She slowly stopped breathing, and her heart stopped.”
“So, it had to have happened during the party.”
“Yes, it had to have been in the party food. Are you sure you didn’t see anything odd? Tom, this means one of the commuters killed her. Or somebody who supplied the food.
“Now I need you to tell me exactly and precisely what you saw on the day of the murder. You’re my best witness. You just sat and observed. Did you see anything that might indicate who poisoned her? Anything unusual?”
“Everything was perfectly normal. Normal for the bus, I mean. I was running late that day. When I got there, most of the regulars were already on the bus, and they were set up for the party with plates and napkins. I wasn’t aware there was a party planned. Apparently, they do this now and then. Makes the ride seem faster, at least to them, I guess. The last person to get on was Matt. He usually stands next to the bus and smokes until the last minute. After we got out of the tunnel, they started their party.
“I am not sure who brought what food. Some of it was homemade. I saw it passed around in Tupperware-type containers, and some was obviously purchased since it was still in the packaging.” He shrugged. “I don’t know for sure if everybody tasted some of everything. But I think everything was eaten. I really wasn’t paying close attention to who ate what food.”
“What was the conversation like?”
Tom took a sip of coffee as he thought. “The usual joking and give-and-take. Nothing comes to mind as being very significant. Other than the discussion about the spiciness of the salsa.”
“What was that about?”
“Apparently the salsa dip was extremely spicy. Most people thought it was too spicy, but Roberta thought it was not spicy enough, and she added hot peppers to it—at least it looked like jalapeño peppers she had brought from home. She took the container from her tote. Fern also added something. Garlic, I think she said. I don’t remember if anybody other than Fern and Roberta ate any after that.”
“That may be significant. Fern tasted it after the additional ingredients were added?”
Tom looked thoughtful. “I think so. But I’m not sure. I don’t think anybody but Roberta ate it after that, but I really am not sure. I know she made a big deal about finishing it. About everybody being too wimpy to eat it. Oh, and she dropped the pepper container on the floor when the bus stopped or swerved suddenly. So, I guess it is long gone. No chance of testing it for the drugs.”
