Short Line to Death, page 8
Billy shook his head. “Yeah. In fact, all the food containers are long gone or cleaned. Roberta’s wasn’t in her tote, which I turned over to Samantha. She said she couldn’t face looking in it, you know, seeing all Roberta’s things, so she just put it in her room. Fern mentioned she added spice but said she threw away the container.”
“Odd. Or convenient.” Tom paused in thought. “Now that I think about it, Roberta stumbled when she changed her seat, and her speech was slurred. Madeline and I thought she had had too much wine. So, Samantha had no idea about who on the bus would particularly want to kill her sister?”
“No. Apparently, they led separate lives in many ways. Roberta hung out with Fern, and Samantha has her own friends. They were roommates because they could afford a nicer and bigger house together.”
“Does Samantha gain from Roberta’s death?”
“Not that I know of at this point. I have to check on life insurance, the will and any other pertinent financial records. With the Grickly murder still open, I have two murders to solve at the same time. The mayor will be fit to be tied when she finds out. And the usual town busybodies will have plenty to say, like that blogger who thinks he’s an investigative reporter. I want to keep this quiet as long as possible while I investigate. Samantha has agreed to keep it secret. Maybe the killer will get comfortable, think we don’t know and make a mistake.”
“Just a matter of time, I guess, before somebody gets wind of it and spreads it all over town.”
They sat in silence for a few seconds. Finally, Billy said, “I’ll keep digging. Let me know if you think of anything else. But please keep this quiet.” He got up to leave. “Oh, any luck with Grickly’s ledger?”
Tom shook his head. “Afraid not. I don’t think I am going to be any help to you on that.”
Billy nodded. “Thanks anyway. Keep it in the back of your mind, and something might come to you.”
After the chief had left, Tom sat drinking more coffee and thinking. He was flabbergasted that Roberta was poisoned. He ran over the events of the party in his mind, but nothing jumped out at him. Yet he had a strong feeling that something had happened that seemed out of place, but he could not put his finger on it. But he did know he wanted to solve this murder. It had happened right in front of him. He and Ralph had always reasoned through complex cases together, bouncing ideas around. He decided to share this news with Madeline; after all, she was a witness too and had seen as much as he had. There was a chance she had noticed something he had not. And she was an outsider with no ties to Roberta or any of the other potential suspects. He really liked her and believed he could trust her to keep it quiet.
***
Tom hoped Madeline would show up for dinner, and sure enough she walked through the door at her usual time. Now he didn’t have to wait until Monday to talk to her.
“Hi. I’m glad you stopped by tonight,” he said to her with a serious tone that disconcerted her.
“Uh, me too,” she said, giving him a bemused look. “It’s been a while, and I need a good burger.”
“And you still came here!” Tom smiled.
“Not everybody uses real opossum in their burgers, you know.”
“I need to speak with you privately for a minute.” He sounded serious again.
“Sure,” she said a bit taken aback. “What’s up?”
“We better sit in the back.”
He led her to a corner table, and Adam followed with drinks. Tom looked at her with a stern expression. “Can I trust you to keep a secret?”
“Certainly.”
“This is very secret. You can’t tell anyone. That includes Harry and Jeff.” Madeline nodded in agreement. “Billy came by this afternoon and told me that Roberta was poisoned.”
Her eyes widened in astonishment. “What!” She sat in silence staring blankly at Tom. “Oh my God! How?” she finally blurted out.
“A lethal combination of opioids and Xanax.”
“But I didn’t see Roberta take any pills. So, that means—”
“She never took pills of any kind, according to her sister. She had a phobia about them. The drugs that killed her were crushed up and added to the food. One of the commuters could be a murderer. I was thinking we could figure out how it was done and who did it,” Tom said as he looked at her intently.
“We?” Madeline looked surprised. She was flattered he had asked for her help. “Okay, I guess. But that doesn’t sound like it will be easy to do, and anyway aren’t the police working on it?”
“Of course. But we were the only ones who were there, didn’t eat the party food and know all the players. Maybe we can quietly help Billy along.”
“So, I guess you really haven’t given up being a PI?”
Tom smiled. “Old habits die hard.”
“I don’t know, Tom. It makes me nervous. It’ll be bad enough to ride the bus now, with a possible murderer so close.” Madeline was being truthful, but she was torn for other reasons. She really wanted to work with him, thinking this could bring them closer, but she was not sure she would be helpful, which might cause him to think less of her.
“I understand.” Tom looked and sounded disappointed. He began to stand.
Madeline put her hand gently on his arm. “But wait. If we can help swiftly solve the case and make everyone safer, I guess we should try. So, I’ll help. But we need to keep it strictly between us. I don’t want to become a target.”
“Absolutely,” he said and smiled as he settled back into his chair. “I don’t want you, or me for that matter, to get hurt. Samantha and I are the only people Billy shared the information with. And it would be best for now if he doesn’t know I told you. Billy asked Samantha to keep it quiet while he searches for the killer. He knows it won’t stay secret for long, and he’s trying to get as far as he can while he still has the element of surprise.”
Madeline nodded in agreement. “When do you want to start?”
“How about tomorrow morning? We can meet here in my office, away from all the gossips and prying eyes. You bring donuts, and I’ll make the coffee.”
“Like real police, huh? Now, can I get my burger? I am really hungry.”
“Certainly. The opossum is fresh tonight!”
“Sounds scrumptious!”
CHAPTER 15
Madeline knocked on the locked bar door late Sunday morning. She looked up and down the alley, but nobody was in sight. The only sound was the squeak of the swaying sign over her head. She felt like a spy but figured they probably didn’t show up to clandestine meetings with egg sandwiches and donuts from the diner. Tom answered her knock almost immediately and took her up to his office, where he had set up an old reversible blackboard on wheels, on which he had drawn the bus-seating arrangement.
Eliz & Matt
Ro & Gun
Fern & Roberta
Alice & Brian
Tony & Jake
Moira & Stephen
Mad & Tom
Lavatory
Madeline looked around the office for photos or any other personal items that might give her more insight into Tom. But there was nothing. He obviously used the space just for bar business; it wasn’t a refuge or favorite spot.
“Aren’t you old school with your nifty blackboard,” Madeline quipped.
Tom gave her a questioning look. “You were expecting a PowerPoint presentation, I presume?”
“A least a modern whiteboard with colorful markers.”
“I guess I could get colored chalk.”
They sat side by side on the love seat staring at the blackboard and eating donuts and drinking coffee.
“This seems impossible. They all ate the same food, and it was passed around to everybody,” Madeline finally said.
“I know.”
“Did they test any of the food containers for the drugs?”
Tom shook his head. “Good question. No. The fact it was a murder was discovered too late. All the physical evidence is gone. We have to narrow the suspect pool down to the most likely people. Then maybe we can figure out how it was done and close in on the killer.”
Madeline looked dubious. “Okay…I guess. Sounds straightforward but difficult. Using the diagram, I think we can eliminate Gunter, Rosemary, Elizabeth, Moira, Stephen and Brian. And, of course, Fern.”
“Why do you pick them for elimination?”
“Gunter, Rosemary, Elizabeth and Brian are not solid clique members. I think of them as a satellite group. She didn’t pick on them as often as she did the others. Fern because she was Roberta’s so-called best friend. Basically, that leaves the people I think of as the core group. I don’t think Alice is really a core member. But sitting right across the aisle gave her both a good view of what Roberta was doing and access to her. So, we are down to the people she picked on the most or who sat near her.”
Tom looked impressed. “You’re good at this.”
“Well, I did take forensic accounting for two semesters. That is kind of like solving a mystery.”
“That leaves us with Matt, Alice, Tony and Jake. However, I would add Fern as a potential suspect. Sometimes best friends can become best enemies, and she was Roberta’s seatmate. So that is our suspect pool. Now we need to establish each person’s possible motive.”
Madeline looked unsure. “I don’t know. Fern was very upset on the bus that night. Do you think that could have been an act? If so, she should be an actor. I was convinced.”
Tom shrugged. “I really don’t know Fern all that well. There may be depths to her shallow personality that I don’t know about. Roberta ordered her around all the time and obviously knew a lot of personal details about her life. Maybe she just got sick of it.”
“Hm. Maybe.” Madeline sat with her chin on her hand, lost in thought for a moment. “So, what food would the poison be in? Not the yogurt dip and crudités, nor the cheese and crackers. It had to be the bean dip, nachos, guacamole or salsa. Or maybe the wine. Roberta drank enough of that, right?”
“Yes, it had to have a strong flavor to mask the crushed-up drugs. So, I think the wine is out.”
Madeline looked at him closely. “Hmm. I think you may have a plausible theory about the food.”
“I think it was the spicy salsa.”
“Oh, yes! I forgot! Fern and Roberta both added spicy seasonings they’d brought with them. And nobody wanted to eat it after that,” Madeline said excitedly and sat back on the love seat. “Actually, nobody wanted to eat it before, either. But Roberta wouldn’t poison herself, and Fern, most likely, wouldn’t poison her best friend.”
“Not knowingly,” Tom said.
“What are you thinking?”
“Someone may have doctored the ingredients without Roberta or Fern knowing. In any case, the murderer was willing to run the risk of killing somebody other than the intended victim. They had no control over who was going to eat the salsa or how much would be eaten at a time. They must have an extremely strong motive.”
“Well, if two people died, then not knowing who the intended victim was would just confuse the issue and maybe even make it easier to get away with the murder.”
“But two deaths would have definitely triggered an investigation,” Tom noted.
“Hey! Are we even sure Roberta was the intended victim?”
“Oh, I think that is a safe assumption, knowing her as we did.”
“But who would have access to the additional items?” Madeline asked. “Could it be someone other than one of the regulars? That really muddies the water.”
Tom shrugged. “Maybe. We need to keep our minds open to the possibility. Right now, we need to find out who from our group wanted Roberta dead and why.”
“How are we going to find out who wanted her dead? We can’t just ask the regulars. Who’ll talk to us? I wouldn’t.”
Tom looked at her in surprise. “My, you’re getting a bit cynical, aren’t you?”
“Having a cheating husband does that to a girl.”
“We have to ask the right questions when we can and listen all the time.”
They sat silently on the love seat and stared at the blackboard, thinking.
“Roberta’s viewing is tomorrow evening at the funeral home,” Tom said.
“I didn’t really know her. I would feel awkward going to her viewing. Why did it take so long to have the viewing and funeral?”
“It took time to get the body back from the autopsy. We need to attend the viewing. I think we might have a good chance of finding out something there.”
“Is that an old PI trick?”
“The oldest in the book. People let their guard down at wakes and funerals.”
“Do I have to cry?” she asked as she bit into a donut.
“No more than anybody else.”
CHAPTER 16
The Perkins-Perry Funeral Home was located at the western edge of town on Franklin Street. As with many buildings in Cross Keys, it had been repurposed from its previous grandeur. In this case, it had been a small, elite hotel featuring suites with a receiving room and separate bedrooms; in addition, it had servants’ quarters, so the wealthy could bring along domestic help. It was an imposing dark Gothic structure, which was perfectly suited for its current use.
Madeline had no idea what to expect and was surprised to find that, once inside, it was welcoming, with subtle lighting, comfortable chairs and sofas, and side tables with boxes of tissues. The walls had pale pink and ivory floral wallpaper, while the floor was covered with a thick neutral carpet, which dampened sound. She felt awkward showing up to Roberta’s viewing, since she was not a relative or close friend, so she was pleased to see that Tom was already there. He had abandoned his usual jeans for gray slacks and a white button-down shirt and a sports jacket.
The casket was open and surrounded by vases full of white roses. There was a large open-wreath standing spray of all-white flowers, including lilies, mums and snapdragons.
White roses and white flowers in general must have been Roberta’s favorites, Madeline gathered.
She was surprised at the number of people filling the sizable visitation room. “Wow,” she whispered to Tom, “I thought there would not be many people here. I mean, since she was so hateful and nasty to everybody in general.”
“Perhaps they want to be sure she is dead.”
“Very funny.”
They stood side by side at the wall by the entrance so they could see everything. “Lots of flowers. That’s a surprise,” Madeline observed.
Tom shrugged. “In my experience, people tend to be generous for the benefit of the family. Not necessarily because they loved the deceased,” he said.
“Hm, I see. So, we are just going to stand here and eavesdrop and watch?”
“Yes.”
Fern was sitting in a corner crying, with a box of tissues on her lap. Jake was sitting next to her and would occasionally pat her softly on the arm or shoulder. Moira arrived dressed all in black and pulling Joey behind her as she walked up to view the body. She dabbed her eyes with a lacy white handkerchief. Stephen, Ro and Elizabeth stood in a group near Fern and Jake looking uncomfortable.
Matt came in, took a quick look around the room and walked promptly up to a pretty, tall, slender woman with long light brown hair. She turned with a smile, but when she saw it was Matt, she looked annoyed, and after a short conversation, he left her and sat down on the other side of Fern.
“Is that Matt’s wife?” Madeline asked Tom.
“Yes, that’s Kate. And the woman who just stood up in the front row is Roberta’s sister, Samantha.” The woman Tom indicated with a tilt of his head looked very much like Roberta, but a little plumper, with a pleasant expression on her face, a more flattering hairstyle and trendy glasses. When she smiled, she showed perfect white teeth and dimples in her full cheeks. She greeted people with real warmth.
“Do you think Roberta once had dimples? Before she forgot how to smile, that is. Her sister doesn’t seem too upset,” Madeline said.
“Well, can you blame her? It must have been hell actually living with Roberta.”
“Maybe she takes medication? Could it be oxy or benzos?” Madeline suggested.
“Hmm. That’s a thought.”
When they turned their attention back to the bus group, Tony had arrived with a beautiful dark-haired woman wearing an expensive navy blue designer dress. She was impeccably groomed from head to toe, her deep brown eyes were ringed with long lashes, and her full lips were bright red, setting off her flawless pale complexion. She never spoke to anyone but smiled condescendingly at the group and generally seemed annoyed to be there.
“I assume that is Tony’s wife?”
“Yes, that is Olivia. I am surprised she showed up.”
Moira stopped to speak to various people on her way back to the rear of the room. She noticed Madeline and Tom and walked up to them. “It was nice of you two to come, considering you haven’t been on the bus for long.”
“It seemed like the right thing to do. It must be sad for you. I mean, it is sad to lose someone you’ve known for so long,” Madeline said.
“Oh yes, dear, you are so right. Roberta and I knew each other for ages. Of course, she was not everybody’s cup of tea. She, unlike myself, was a big gossip and a troublemaker.” Moira nodded thoughtfully. “Take Matt, for instance. He blames Roberta for his pending divorce. Now, isn’t that just like a man? Refusing to take any responsibility for his own misdeeds.”
“How was Roberta involved in Matt’s separation?”
Moira moved closer and lowered her voice. “Matt lost all their money. It was some get-rich-quick scheme that failed miserably. They were going to lose their home and were about to declare bankruptcy. So, Roberta lent them money to keep them afloat and in the house. Matt’s wife is Roberta’s cousin—she’s over there.” Moira pointed at Kate.
“Kate and Roberta were very close. According to Matt, Roberta charged a high interest rate and expected her payment on the first of the month without fail. She really had them over a barrel. So, that pressure together with Matt’s foolishness was more than Kate could take, and she threw him to the curb. But really, things had not been honeymoon-happy for quite some time. It seems that she would cry on Roberta’s shoulder about her marital problems, and Roberta encouraged her to stand on her own two feet.”
