Broken Heart Attack

by James J Cudney

  “I understand. You're worrying too much, Kellan.” Her voice was gentle and caring, but I knew Maggie well enough to guess she'd been disappointed by my no-show. “Connor filled in. I figured there was no reason to waste the table, so he popped over. I've thought about us a lot this morning.”

  I felt a twinge of jealousy when she indicated Connor had taken my place. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I also knew I'd had an exhausting and emotional day already and needed to be careful in what I shared. “Me, too. I was excited to have some time alone with you. I've only been back a few weeks, but it feels like we hardly had a chance to connect.”

  “I feel the same way. I realized this morning that we've tried to have dinner several times, yet something always gets in the way. Maybe it's Eleanor rubbing off on me, but could the universe be trying to tell us something?” Maggie laughed at the end just enough to reveal her discomfort. I could picture her playing with her earlobes, guessing how nervous the conversation made her.

  My heart was feeling stabs of pain as she spoke and I prepared my response. I knew what I had to do. “I'm inclined to agree. You're still figuring out how you feel about Connor. You only just moved back to Braxton, too.”

  “Same for you. And Francesca's death is much fresher than my husband's death. I know what you're going through. Reaching out in the middle of the night just to feel if the other side of the bed is warm. Buying things she used to love, then not having the strength to return them. It gets easier, Kellan.” Maggie always put other people first. She was trying to comfort me despite the fact that I'd been the one to cancel on her.

  “You're an amazing woman. I've loved you for so long, but maybe we're both not ready to jump into anything,” I said burying my face into my free hand hoping it could stop the inevitable.

  “And you're a terrific guy. You need time to figure out how to raise your daughter in a new town. Even though you've been back a few times, Braxton's different than it was a decade ago.” Maggie sniffled through the phone. I imagined her dabbing her cheeks with a tissue but smiling as though we were right next to each other.

  She was right. I was still married in the eyes of the church and in my heart. The law might think Francesca was dead and allow me to move on, but it was only a fantasy or a façade the Castiglianos had created for the world to believe. “Let's agree to focus on rebuilding our friendship, Maggie. And maybe in a few months or a year, we'll be ready to talk about something else.”

  “I think that's perfect, Kellan.” As she hung up, I reminded myself of Nana D's advice about things coming back once they'd been set free. I still wasn't certain whether it applied to Francesca or Maggie. I also had little time to indulge myself in anymore grief or loss in my personal life.

  Officer Flatman arrived with the pizza. “I believe you ordered this? The guy said it was paid for, but I gave him a couple bucks tip.”

  “We needed something to eat. We could have a long afternoon ahead of us,” I replied. He declined reimbursement for tipping the delivery guy. We walked to the Paddington office and scarfed down a few slices. While we ate, we talked about the case.

  “Sheriff Montague met with the Paddington accountants again. That's where she learned the details about the transactions with the Castigliano family. Someone at Paddington Enterprises was using their services to import goods into the country. She's trying to find out exactly who was involved and what exactly it was,” he explained. “Apparently, it has something to do with hiding drugs.”

  I was about to respond when Brad's number appeared on my cell phone. I picked up, and he told me he was in the main lobby. Officer Flatman shut off the lights and hid in the closet in the corner of the room. I placed the will on the desk, then went to find Brad.

  As I led him back to the room, I said, “I appreciate you coming by. I had a few things to discuss with you, but I needed to stick around the theater this afternoon as the family's representative while the show is in production.”

  “I understand, and it's kinda funny. Something came up that I should talk to you about, too,” Brad replied as we entered the Paddington office. I saw him look at the desk and assumed he'd noticed the will.

  “Listen, I need to get rid of this pizza box and bring something to the Box Office,” I said to Brad as I walked back toward the hall. “Can you hang around for a few minutes? I'll be right back.” Officer Flatman watched through a small crack in the closet door. If Brad tried to leave with it, he'd stop him.

  I left and tossed the pizza box in the garbage. I wandered the main reception area watching a few guests head into the theatre as the show started. After five minutes passed, I walked back to the Paddington Office. “Sorry about that. All clear, we've got some time to talk alone.” The will hadn't been moved. He'd either looked through it and put it back in the same place I'd left it, or he hadn't even bothered to touch it.

  “No sweat. So, you first?” Brad said.

  “Sure, I wanted to ask you a couple of things. I'm not gonna beat around the bush, so pardon if I'm being a bit blunt,” I explained hoping to catch a reaction from him.

  “That's the best way to be. My mother taught me never to keep secrets nor to waste people's time. Money was precious to her, she worked hard to support me and had little freedoms.” Brad leaned against the desk with his hands buried in his pockets.

  “Great. So… first, it's come to my attention that you were the second witness when Gwendolyn changed her will the day before she died. I'm not sure why you didn't share that piece of information with me at any point.”

  “Oh, well, I…” Brad began but I held my hand up.

  “Let me talk first, then you'll have a chance, Brad,” I said. When he nodded, I continued. “Then, I learned you do not have your official nursing license or certification. You were denied after something happened at a previous hospital or nursing home with a mix-up on several patients' medications. Ironic given that's exactly what led to Gwendolyn's death.” I watched him carefully, but he only opened his mouth to interrupt again.

  “That's not how it happened. If you'd let me…”

  “Please let me finish, this will be a lot easier,” I said knowing I came across like a tyrant. Desperate times called for desperate measures. “I'm also aware that your mother, Hannah Shope, used to work at the Paddington mansion twenty-five years ago. In fact, she probably conceived you while she was employed there as a maid. It seems Gwendolyn had run a DNA test to determine if you are related to her family.”

  Brad turned white, but he didn't speak. He tapped his foot and swallowed with heavy force.

  “When I add all these things together, you must realize, it makes you look guilty of something. Whether it's murder or conspiracy to commit murder with someone else, I don't know. But I don't get that vibe from you. You're hiding something, that's for sure.” I stepped toward him to grab the will in case he tried to do anything hasty. “Before I update the sheriff with all this news, is there anything you want to share with me?”

  Brad nodded, then pulled his hand out of his pocket. He unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to me. “That's the DNA test. Gwendolyn helped me find someone to conduct it. If you'll give me a minute, I'll tell you everything I know. But right up front, I assure you, I had nothing to do with her death. There was no reason for me to hurt the woman.”

  I looked at the DNA results but couldn't understand any of the medical jargon. I didn't know which sample belonged to which person. “Okay, go ahead.” I knew Officer Flatman was listening to the whole conversation, so I didn't worry about missing anything important related to the murder. I wanted to figure out how Brad fit into the Paddington family.

  “I previously worked for someone who kept pressuring me to go on a date with her. After I said no and threatened to report her to the hospital and the medical board, she finally backed away. I was weeks away from obtaining my nursing degree when one of my patients got sick. A few days later, another patient passed away. Something didn't feel right, but I didn't want to jeop
ardize my chances of finally reaching my dreams to become a nurse. I knew the woman wanted to get revenge against me, but I couldn't prove anything. She essentially caused my license to be detained.” Brad shook his head with contempt and frustration. He shared that the other girl had been the one playing games not him.

  “That's awful you were taken advantage of like that, I'm sorry. How did you end up in Braxton?” I said.

  “When my mom was near the end, she talked a lot about growing up in Braxton. With no job or family left, I moved here and got a new job as a nurse. I just need to get my formal certification.”

  “Okay, but that doesn't explain how you met Gwendolyn,” I said.

  “I'd been working at the rehabilitation facility where she was recuperating. I didn't work in her wing, but she was friendly with one of my patients. I'd told my patient that my mom had worked at the Paddington household years ago. Next thing I know, Gwendolyn called and asked if I would be interested in becoming her private nurse. My former patient had told the story to Gwendolyn. I was upset at first, but it turned out to be a big help.”

  If Gwendolyn had been aware of the baby, she might have realized Brad could be related to her. That's probably why she hired him, so she had access to get a sample of his DNA and find out more for herself. “Did you tell Gwendolyn about your mother?”

  “I didn't have to. A few weeks after I began working for her, she brought it up. I wasn't interested in finding out who my father was, but she kept pressuring me. She told me that a mistake had been made years ago, and if my father was who she thought it was, I would want to know him.” Brad looked deeply upset. His face began to shrink and wrinkle as though he had little control over his feelings in that moment.

  “Did she take this DNA test with your consent? Or behind your back?” I asked.

  “I eventually agreed to. I was never interested in the money, just knowing more about my father and his family. Gwendolyn and I became friends the last few weeks. She didn't need a nurse anymore. Just someone to talk to. Someone to keep her from being lonely and bored in the house. You've seen how awful that family is.”

  By the way he said that family, I began to believe he wasn't one of them. “I've seen them behave like animals. What do these results prove?”

  “I'm not a Paddington. She thought Millard was my father, but he can't be. I don't share any DNA with Millard or Ophelia. Gwendolyn wasn't a Paddington by blood, so they couldn't try to match hers.”

  I was shocked at the response. He didn't appear to be lying. “Did she figure out who your father is?”

  Brad shook his head. “If she did, Gwendolyn didn't tell me. We got the results from that first DNA test the day before she died. She told me she had ordered a second one based on a hunch, but then she died the next day.”

  “How did you come to be the witness to sign her new will?”

  “After she got home from your grandmother's house, she called Bertha and me into her room and asked us to sign the will. She filled in the new names, but I didn't see who she left the money, too. And then I left.”

  “So, you have no idea who your father is?” If it wasn't a Paddington, who else had been in the house that might have been Hannah's lover twenty-five years ago?

  “Nope. For a while, I tried to get to know everyone in the family. I hoped maybe I would be related to them, not because I liked them but because I have no other family. Ever since my mother died, I'm on my own. My mother had no siblings, and her parents passed away before I was born.”

  Brad had no reason to kill Gwendolyn. “Thanks for sharing the DNA results with me. Is that what you meant when you said you had something to talk to me about?”

  “Yes, I've been keeping it a secret from everyone because I didn't want the family to think I was trying to insert myself once Gwendolyn had passed away. Then Eustacia hired me to be her part-time nurse, and I started feeling guilty. I thought I'd talk to you first to help decide what to tell them.”

  I informed Brad that the DNA facility had told me they would be in contact with him soon with the results of the second test. I knew Brad's parentage wouldn't matter to the Paddingtons, but it was more important to figure out what this meant in relation to Gwendolyn being murdered over the change in her will. When he left, Brad pulled the door closed, and it automatically locked. I checked with Officer Flatman who confirmed that Brad never touched the will while he was alone in the office.

  We sat pondering the entire situation. After an hour, we both heard someone trying to open the door handle. Officer Flatman looked at me with large, excited eyes, and whispered, “Maybe that's the killer trying to get the will?”

  I agreed and gently tossed the will back on the desk. I quickly shut out the lights, then quietly rushed into the closet and pulled the door shut. As we stood in the darkness, I worried the person trying to enter the room was just an employee but remembered this was a private office the Paddingtons kept locked at all times. Besides the cleaning crew, Myriam, and Arthur, no one else had a key.

  A few seconds later, we heard the door unlock. Someone turned on the lights and walked toward the desk. I couldn't determine who it was initially because he or she had been quick to get to the desk before there was enough light in the room. When the person turned around, I let out a quiet gasp. Everything made complete sense once I saw who'd shown up to steal the will. How could I have been such a fool not to realize who'd killed Gwendolyn?

  Chapter 23

  Richard Taft went directly to the desk and inspected the envelope. He didn't know that it was a fake copy I'd made that morning before leaving my parents' house. I didn't want to risk the real will being stolen, so I'd opened the envelope addressed to Finnigan and replaced the contents with a letter that read 'Surprise, this isn't the will you've been searching for!'

  As Richard opened the envelope and read the note, he muttered out loud, “What kinda trick is that Ayrwick dimwit up to?” He rifled through the rest of the papers on the desk but found nothing else. The real will was sitting in Finnigan's hands, as I'd given it to the sheriff before I left the Paddington estate. She'd promised to give it back to Finnigan on her way out. Richard paced through the office grumbling and slamming his fist on the desk. “That woman tried to chase me out of town for the last twenty-five years, but I got rid of her first. I'll find that will if it's the last thing I do!”

  And that was my cue. I hadn't expected him to confess to the crime, and maybe it wouldn't hold up in court, but Officer Flatman and I both heard him say he'd done something to Gwendolyn. Flatman told me to step out of the closet first, and he'd stay behind to keep listening from his hidden vantage point. I heard a round of thunderous applause coming from inside the main theater which meant the intermission was just beginning. I had a few minutes left to get a full confession out of Richard.

  I stepped into the office while his back was to me, then closed the door almost all the way. “Did you find what you were looking for, Richard?”

  He turned around with a snarl on his face and practically spit at me. “What's going on here? Where's the will? This isn't any of your business.”

  “Isn't that the will in your hands? Surely, it's what you came here looking for,” I said calmly. “I must admit, you weren't on my radar for the last week. You've done a fantastic job coming and going so often that you were pretty much background noise. Until now.” I stared him down like I was preparing for a kill shot.

  “You don't have any clue what you're talking about. I just thought I'd help out since I was at the show. What kind of games are you playing here telling us you left the will in the office and went out of town. You're right here, and this is a stupid note from an even stupider woman!” He stepped toward me with a panicked yet dangerous look spreading across his face.

  “I'd say Gwendolyn was pretty smart to change her will when she did. You might want to look in the mirror before you throw stones, Richard. Did you kill her so Ophelia would inherit all the money? Is your wife in on this with you?” I sized him
up as I stood there realizing he was several pounds heavier than me. I didn't see any sort of weapon, but I couldn't be certain.

  “I guess I can tell you the whole story. It's not like you'll be around to share it with anyone else,” he replied in a menacing tone while his gaze narrowed. “How much do you know already?”

  As long as I stayed adjacent to the closet door, Officer Flatman could jump out at any moment to stop Richard from hurting me. I dug deep to play a role and get the answers in case he got away from us. I remembered Eustacia telling me Ophelia had just gotten married and she and Richard were living in the Paddington estate when the new maid had started working there. I'd forgotten it until now. “Were you friendly with a woman named Hannah Shope right around the time you got married? Perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six years ago sounds familiar?”

  “It seems you've found out a lot of personal information in the last few days. Too bad it's not gonna help save you.” He clenched his hands into giant fists.

  “Let me see if I understand what happened,” I said imploring him with my mind to give me a chance before he attacked me. “You and Hannah were having an affair even though you'd just married Ophelia. When Hannah told Gwendolyn she was pregnant, Gwendolyn thought it was Millard's baby. But it wasn't. It was yours. Only you didn't know until recently.”

  “I had no clue Hannah was pregnant. The Paddingtons sent her away without telling anyone. I came home one night, and she was gone. Gwendolyn said Hannah had quit and left no forwarding contact information. I tried to find her those first few weeks, but I couldn't. That's when I realized I was stuck with Ophelia.” Although I could empathize with his pain, I'd never commit murder because of it.

  “Here's where I'm a little confused about what happened. You stayed married to Ophelia and had several kids but kept taking assignments out of town because you couldn't stand to be around her. Why did you suddenly feel the need to kill Gwendolyn now?” I knew it had something to do with the DNA test and Brad mysteriously showing up, but I couldn't pinpoint exactly what had changed.