Mayhem in May

by Camilla Chafer

  Redirecting my route slightly, I walked over to Ethan's office, collecting sandwiches along the way.

  "I thought I was supposed to be looking after you," grinned Ethan when he buzzed me in. I held aloft the paper sack from The Grill.

  "I needed some fresh air and thought I would surprise you."

  "Let's eat these outside. We have a small courtyard in the back," he said, motioning for me to follow him through the empty office. "I'd introduce you to my colleagues but as you can see, I'm on my own today. How are things at the museum?"

  "They advised me to take a few days off," I said, and within a few minutes, I filled him in on the meeting.

  "That's a lot to take in," he whistled. We settled into the garden chairs on the patio and Ethan pushed up the sunshade. "What are you going to do?"

  "Keep my head down and avoid everyone," I replied.

  "I meant the job offer. Are you going to take it?"

  "I don't know. I want to. I know I can do it and it would make Artie happy too, but after all this..." I waved my hand around, "I really don't know."

  "Are you going back there this afternoon?"

  "I said I was going to take the day off but I want to straighten up my office after Detective Logan takes another look around. I want to talk to Artie about the job offer too, but being there makes me nervous. Plus, I can't help feeling that I should know the answers to everything." I finished the sandwich and wiped my hands on the napkin while Ethan jogged inside, returning with two tall glasses of water.

  "You've had a head injury. You need to take it easy."

  "I might take another walk. Clear my head."

  "Do you want company? I can extend my lunch break."

  "Maybe another time." I checked my watch. "I should go now. Hey, you didn't tell me what you wanted to show me?"

  "Later! It's not quite finished. If you do go back to the museum, why don't I pick you up and show you then? I can bring dinner so you don't have to cook for Leah and Brooke later."

  "You don't have to do that. I've already taken up so much of your time."

  Ethan leaned towards me, his brown eyes sincere. "I wouldn't offer if I didn't want to."

  I smiled. "That would be great," I told him. "And thank you. You've been wonderful."

  I left a few minutes later, feeling happier and lighter and looking forward to the evening, although I promised, again, to call if I needed anything.

  As I continued my walk, my thoughts quickly turned back to Lance. Although he was an unpleasant person to know, I couldn't think of any other reason than the thefts for his murder. I couldn't imagine someone killing him just because he was rude and obnoxious, or because he so glibly threatened the termination of his colleagues. More than that, I knew Artie and Karen and all the others. Occasionally, there was an argument or hurt feelings but no one ever resorted to violence until now.

  No, it had to be because his accomplice flipped out over something; but what? Were the proceeds not divided equally? Did Lance demand a bigger share as the one taking the most risk in stealing and fencing the plunder? Or did he double-cross his partner? Perhaps he could have threatened to let him or her take the fall. Knowing Lance's unpleasant nature, all those possibilities seemed likely.

  I discounted and then included the volunteers again but what about the board members? I’d known most of them for years. Lance's uncle was the only one with familial ties. Although he could have been instrumental in lobbying for Lance's promotion over mine, I failed to see why he would then want to kill his nephew. Unless of course, he was the accomplice? That was a definite possibility. As family members with an existing trust, perhaps Declan lured Lance into committing the crimes? Over the past two years Declan Sommersby had been a board member, I had enjoyed talking about history with him but never found him especially knowledgeable. Somehow, I couldn't see Lance's weedy Uncle Declan as the mastermind.

  George Phelps was an accountant who knew how to move money around but he seemed to have plenty of his own funds. Living in a large Victorian house in the historic district, driving a fancy new car and enjoying plenty of luxuries. I couldn't imagine him suddenly stealing; he was the staunch stickler for preservation of the museum. Caroline Marsh was also keen to preserve the town's history. She was an active member of the historical society as well as other boards. She lived a quiet life with her husband and their two boys. She also donated large sums to the museum over the years. Would she really resort to stealing it all back? And Enid Lane or Joe Moore? They didn’t have a duplicitous bone in their bodies!

  When my purse banged against my leg for the umpteenth time, I shifted it to my other side, slinging the long handle over my head to rest on the opposite shoulder. Then I remembered! I had the extra copies of the ledger inside it, the copies I didn't give to Detective Logan. Seeing I was only a block away from the park, I walked there and found the nearest bench to sit on so I could pull them out and look at them again.

  As I studied the few pages, I took out my pencil, doodling ideas. Karen suggested a simple cipher. For that, I had to pull out my phone, access a browser and search what a cipher was. I'd heard about them but never had to make one of my own or attempt to crack one. Now that I began to read about it, I realized how interesting it was and how much fun it would be to have an exhibition dedicated to ciphers and codes. The kids would love putting together their own secret messages!

  As I glanced over the pages, something occurred to me. Some eight-digit numbers were written like dates. If I assumed the last four numbers were a year, then I could work out what the other dates were. Under the numbers I wrote this year’s date and frowned at it. If I took the real numbers and wrote them under the others, I could figure out all the numbers. Quickly, I began to move the pencil across the page, filling in the dates; and from there, I could work out the other numbers. All of them were moved five places with a one becoming a six and a two becoming a seven. It was as simple as we thought it might be! I had to smile when I realized some of the numbers weren't dates but obviously payment amounts to what could possibly be a bank account.

  Yet when I tried to move the letters in the same pattern, all I got was nonsense. Lance used one simple cipher for the numbers and another for the letters. I continued doodling and erasing but I couldn't crack it. I was sure I would eventually, after my one small triumph, but could I do it in time to save Karen from further attempts to incriminate her?

  With that depressing thought, I decided to take a photo with my phone and email the pages to Detective Logan. Perhaps his tech person could take up where I left off? At least I'd be doing something useful rather than waiting for them to make a breakthrough.

  Once I emailed the photos and added a small note telling Detective Logan what I discovered, I realized I'd spent more time than I intended. It would take me half an hour to walk to the museum and Ethan was expected to arrive not long after. I was looking forward to sharing my discovery with him as much as I wanted to see whatever he had to show me. I sent him a text message telling him I was on the way back to the museum and I would meet him there.

  By the time I arrived at the museum, I felt better. The long walk refreshed me and cleared my head as intended. Even my anger at Karen's treatment diminished a little. Before I could step inside, Caroline Marsh stepped out. Seeing me, she waved and smiled.

  "Tess, I'm so glad I bumped into you, although I hope you're not here to pick up some work. You should be at home resting! I was going to call you tomorrow. How're you feeling?" she asked.

  "I'm okay. Much better after taking a walk," I told her.

  "I probably shouldn't ask but I hope you put some thought into the promotion?"

  It never even crossed my mind in the last hour but instead of admitting that, I nodded. "I'm still thinking about it."

  "Good. I hope you'll take it. You deserve it and we all know it. You should have been offered it in the first place. Some of us almost resigned after George and Declan refused to stop lobbying for Lance to get the job. They were
so insistent that Lance was the right one and they overruled us!"

  "George wanted Lance to have the job?" I frowned, not sure I heard her correctly.

  "Oh, yes. Of course, Declan was thrilled. He was the first to suggest Lance try for it despite his lack of qualifications. Really, he’s the one that got Lance an interview for the position we hired him for. We knew there weren't any other internal applicants for the manager post so it seemed fair to hear Lance's ideas as well as yours. We just thought it would reinforce your superiority, since you were, and are, an excellent candidate. Then George insisted that you couldn't devote your time to the museum with all of your family issues."

  I frowned harder. "What family issues?"

  "One of your daughters is sick. Isn't that right? I wanted to say something to you before but it never seemed the right time," said Caroline. She laid a hand on my arm, giving me a sympathetic look that I couldn't quite understand. "We wanted to offer you the job anyway but, of course, we'll understand if it's too much for you at this time."

  "Brooke sprained her ankle a month ago but she fully recovered. She didn't take more than a day off school and I came into work that day," I said, puzzled as to why George thought it would affect my work.

  "Oh!" Caroline frowned. "I was under the impression it was something serious and you didn't need the distraction of a promotion. How strange. Perhaps I heard it wrong. George was very insistent and I didn't like to ask you in case it stressed you further."

  "I can confirm that neither of my girls is sick. George must have confused me with someone else."

  "I'm glad to hear it's nothing serious. I'll have to tell George he was wrong and you are up to the job. That’s a big relief to me and I'm sure it will be to the others too although, between you and me, I wouldn't count Declan on your team. I'm sure he'll step down now that Lance is gone, what with the investigation and all. I doubt he’ll be a problem to you. So you'll take the job? Oh, excuse me, of course, you're still thinking about it. Quite right too."

  "Does the rest of the board feel the same way as you?" I asked, more confused now than before.

  "Oh, yes! We all expect great things to happen with the museum under your leadership. With Artie unsure about staying on for longer than a month, it was easy to push your promotion through despite George's reservations. I'm sure he'll change his mind completely once you fill the post." Caroline paused as a car pulled up to the sidewalk. She bent down and waved to the driver. When she straightened, she reached to squeeze my shoulder. "You'll be great," she reiterated. "For what it's worth, I'm sure Karen had nothing to do with this nasty business. She's one of the nicest people I know and I'll make sure Detective Logan knows it too."

  "I'm sure she'll appreciate that."

  "Now, you better go home," instructed Caroline. "I hope you'll tell us your decision on Monday. Bye, Tess!"

  "Bye, Caroline," I called after her, before turning away, more lost at sea now than before. Why did George say one of my kids was sick? Why did he actively lobby against me in favor of Lance? As far as I knew, they were barely acquainted. The whole thing was so strange and perplexing.

  I stepped into the museum just as the volunteer taking care of the reception desk showed the last people out. Oliver hadn't been a volunteer with us long but I knew he enjoyed the break from his retired life.

  "Tess, I didn't expect to see you!" he said, smiling. "I thought you went home for the day. Did you forget something in your office?"

  "No, I'm here for a quick meeting, then I'll leave."

  "Can I give you the keys to lock up? I have to hurry and take my mom to a physio appointment. It's her hip again. Or I could call Artie?"

  I couldn't refuse. Oliver's mother had a terrible accident a month ago and I knew she was still struggling. "Of course. Thanks for coming in today. I know you weren't scheduled to."

  "It's no problem. We’re all so worried about Karen, we’re happy to help out. The last few visitors are still in the exhibits and there's just a couple board members left in the boardroom but you can lock the doors. Ellie and Samantha are with the visitors finishing a tour," he said, waving at the two visitors leaving. "I'm the last volunteer asides them so I'm going to head out unless you want me to wait?" He took a worried glance at his watch.

  I checked my watch too. Ethan was a few minutes late and would arrive any moment. Having a couple of board members as well as the last remaining visitors and volunteers still in the building, I wasn't alone. Plus, I didn't plan to go upstairs to my office. That could wait for another day and Artie would be downstairs any moment. I would be perfectly safe sitting in the lobby. "You go ahead and give your mom my best wishes," I told him.

  Oliver thanked me again and hurried out, turning the closed sign on the door before he went. I sat on the bench in the lobby and pulled out the ledger prints again. When Caroline and I spoke outside, something occurred to me. It seemed silly but I had to check.

  Before I could, Ellie and Samantha appeared with the last visitors. I let them out while the ladies collected their purses and after a few minutes of insisting I was fine, and thanking them for their kind concern, they left and I was alone. Quickly, I returned to the bench and pulled the pages out again.

  At the end of each page, there were numbers and against each one was a two-letter annotation and on the next line a longer one. Each had a number next to it. What if these were Lance's notes on how to split the proceeds? Under the two letters I wrote "me." When I counted the number of letters on the next line, I could fit George's name as an exact match. I wrote his name. Using the letters I now had, I started to write the correct letter under each code letter. After a while, I realized I could make small words and discover other letters. Gradually, I realized the pattern. Instead of moving the letters forward in the alphabet, I was moving them ten letters behind. I cracked the code!

  Not only that but, with a sickening realization, I knew the identity of Lance's accomplice.

  Two board members emerged and I waved to them as they left. When my cell phone chimed, I fumbled in my pockets for it. Sorry I'm running late. Car wouldn't start, came Ethan's text. Nearly there!

  I'm in the lobby, I texted back. I hit send when a shadow fell across me.

  "Tess, what are you doing here?" asked George.

  I quickly folded the pages and dropped them into my purse, forcing a smile on my face. "Hi, George."

  "What's that you're working on?"

  "Oh, just some notes," I said. "Nothing important."

  "Why don't I give you a lift home?" he asked. He was still smiling but something in his eyes seemed cold, and the smile looked false.

  "Oh, no, that's okay. I’m waiting for Artie. Plus, I'll walk. It's such a nice day out and I so enjoyed my walk earlier," I babbled as I started to rise. George stepped closer, invading my space. I couldn't step back without the bench cutting into the backs of my knees and I tried to sidestep, but he moved too. I moved the other way, pretending to laugh it off, and so did he, cutting off my escape. He reached for my arm, apparently steadying me but his grasp on my wrist was much too strong.

  "Artie left already. I think we need to talk," he said. "Let's go up to your office."

  "I don't think so," I said, pulling my arm back. George didn't let go. "Let go of me!"

  "Give me those papers," he said, his voice low and dripping with menace.

  "I don't know what you're talking about!" I lied.

  "I know why you came back here. You think you've got it all figured out."

  "I don't know what..."

  George let go of my wrist and snatched my purse, shoving his hand inside and grabbing the papers. He dropped my purse and unfolded the papers. His face darkened. "You and I are going upstairs to have a talk and..."

  "I'm not going anywhere with you," I said, grabbing my purse and ducking as George lunged at me. He braced his hands on the bench and pushed off, grabbing for me. He straightened when he realized my predicament. He stood between me and the door, my only escape. All
I had to do was wait it out for a minute or two before Ethan would arrive.

  I prepared to stand my ground as George reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife.

  "You killed Lance," I spat, knowing for sure now that he wasn't just Lance's accomplice but his killer too. The code in the ledger revealed it and the knife confirmed it.

  "We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he said. "We're all alone now, Tess. Everyone's gone home. Don't make this hard."

  I swung my purse at his head, knocking him off balance. For once, I was glad I neglected to clear the contents as he yelped and ducked. "The hard way!" I yelled, then I took off in a sprint towards the library.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Racing into the library, I leapt over the velvet rope and ran upstairs to the mezzanine, not bothering to even try and disguise the heavy cadence of my footsteps. I could hear George behind me but I didn't dare stop or look over my shoulder. I could only be seconds ahead of him and I couldn't afford to lose any of them.

  "You can't hide from me, Tess!" he yelled as I ran across the mezzanine, my heart pounding. I slammed my way through the door into the museum's upstairs hallway and looked for something to block his progress. Grabbing one of the antique chairs, I stuffed it under the handle, hoping it would stop George from turning it.

  I reached into my pocket for my cell phone but my hands grasped nothing and I winced, realizing my mistake. I dropped my cell phone into my purse, which was downstairs in the lobby. There were no other phones in the museum. The only ones were in the office suites and the lobby. I couldn't go downstairs. With George's access to the upper floor from the mezzanine blocked, he would have to return that way, and he said we were alone.

  "Tess!" A thump against the mezzanine door made me jump. George was so close. "You can't hide from me, Tess!"

  I clasped a hand to my mouth so I didn't cry out and alert him I was still nearby.

  "I will find you!" he yelled.