by Casey Dorman
— — —
“Did you think he was lying?” Reynolds asked as he and Susan rode the elevator to the psychiatrist’s building’s lobby.
“I’d say he was confused. He seemed completely thrown off by finding out we knew he might have known Regina Bonaventure when they were younger. He seemed to genuinely not remember her.”
“I can find out if he’s lying,” Reynolds said.
“How?”
“Ben Murphy. He’s from Santa Barbara. Probably knew Farquhar’s uncle as well as old man Knowles. He can do some investigating in Santa Barbara and tell us how well Farquhar and Knowles’ daughter knew each other.”
“Good idea,” Susan answered. “Maybe I’ll talk to Bonaventure again and press him a little harder on what he really knows about how well his wife knew Doctor Farquhar. He could be leading us down the garden path on this one, just as the doctor said, trying to shift the suspicion off of himself.”
They’d reached the lobby. Reynolds held the glass doors of the building open as Susan stepped outside. “There’s something fishy about this case and about the doctor,” he said, as they headed across the parking lot. “Farquhar found Mrs. Bonaventure’s body on his own property. He also was the one to find Bonaventure’s secretary’s body. That’s too strange to be a coincidence. He’s involved in this in some way. Whether he’s the killer or not, I’m not sure.”
Susan nodded. He was right. George Farquhar wasn’t just an innocent bystander in these two murders. She remembered Ben Murphy’s advice to never trust a coincidence.
Chapter 46
“Why are you back?” Lucas Bonaventure stood in the doorway of his home, addressing Susan Lin, who was standing on his front porch.
“I’d like to talk to you about Doctor Farquhar and your wife.”
“What about them?”
“If they knew each other.”
“Come into the house.”
“I’d rather talk out here. I just need a couple of answers.” Susan remembered her discomfort last time she’d talked to Bonaventure. She wished she’d brought Abe Reynolds with her.
Lucas glanced up and down the street. “I don’t want my neighbors seeing you here. Every time a cop comes here I’m sure the neighbors talk. If you want me to talk to you, you’re going to have to come in.”
She hesitated. Maybe a couple of minutes wouldn’t hurt. “OK,” she said. “I only need to ask you a few questions.”
He stepped aside and allowed her to enter the house. “We can use the den again,” he said.
Susan sat in the same chair she’d sat in before. When Lucas followed, leaning heavily on his cane as he limped along the hallway, he closed the door.
“Is there someone else in the house?” Susan asked. “
No, why?” Lucas took a seat in the chair opposite her.
“You closed the door.”
“Habit,” Lucas answered. “Does it bother you?”
She didn’t want him to sense her anxiety. “No.”
“So what do you want to know?” Lucas asked. His eyes were directed at her legs.
Susan tugged her skirt down. His gaze was making her nervous. “You said that your wife told you she’d run into Doctor Farquhar a few months ago. What else did she say about that encounter?”
He looked up at her face. “Not much. She just said she saw him in a restaurant. She was confused because she said he saw her too, even smiled at her, but then he got up and left without ever speaking to her.”
“Where was this restaurant and when did this happen?”
“I don’t know where. For all I know it was a bar, not a restaurant. Regina went to bars, but then you know that because that’s where she went the night she was killed. It was maybe two or three months ago, I’m not sure.”
“And did she say anything more about him? You said she told you he was a psychiatrist; how did she know that?”
“She said they knew each other from Santa Barbara. She hadn’t known he was here in Orange County. She looked him up on the Internet and found out he was a shrink. She told me that they knew each other when they were young, as kids. He lived next door to her or something.”
“Did you ever bring this up to Doctor Farquhar?”
“Only the day I called to make an appointment. I told him my wife had told me she knew him. He said he knew her, too. He said he was sorry for what happened to her, that she was missing.”
“So you talked to him directly; not his secretary?” Either he was lying or George Farquhar was.
He shook his head. “I talked to him. He answered the phone when I called his office. I thought it was a little strange, but that was what happened.”
“Did he ever mention knowing your wife again, during any of your sessions?”
“Never. Even when we talked about her, he never acted as if he knew her.”
“Didn’t you think that was strange?”
He shrugged. “I just thought shrinks weren’t supposed to talk about themselves.”
“You’re right of course, but it seems strange to me.”
“So why don’t you ask him about it, instead of questioning me?”
“I’m talking to both of you about it.”
“Playing both of us, huh?”
“What do you mean?”
“I guess you’re trying to seduce both of us; to see which one of us breaks first.” There was an aggressive edge to Lucas’ voice.
“I’m not seducing anyone. What do you mean to see which one of you breaks first?” She was feeling more nervous.
“We’re both suspects in Regina’s murder; Sherry Bennett’s too. You’ve got to pick one of us.” He seemed to be leering at her.
“Do we? We haven’t ruled out Danny Rosberg yet.”
Lucas looked surprised. “Really? Even after the doc found both Regina’s and Sherry’s bodies? Sounds to me as if you’ve fallen for his line.”
She just looked at him, saying nothing.
“How does the doctor feel about you visiting me? He seemed pretty jealous when I told him about our last meeting.” Lucas was leaning toward her.
“Really?” She didn’t like the way the conversation was going. It was time to leave.
“Don’t try to tell me you don’t know the effect you have on men.”
“I’m interviewing you and Doctor Farquhar as part of a police investigation.”
“You’re still a woman. Don’t tell me you don’t keep that in mind during these interviews. You’re not that innocent.”
“I’m not sure why you’re saying these things, Mr. Bonaventure, but I think it’s time for me to leave.” She started to get up.
“Right. You’re sooo innocent. You know exactly what you’re doing and you’re gonna have to pay the price.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Lucas smiled. “I’m just warning you. I’m trying to be helpful.”
She was standing. “I’ll be going,” she said, glancing toward the closed door.
“So go.” He waved his arm as if to dismiss her. “The door’s not locked.”
Chapter 47
George Farquhar had been lying to Detective Reynolds and Doctor Lin; that much Ben Murphy knew for sure. Edmund Farquhar, George’s uncle, despite being in his late-eighties, had not only remembered George visiting the Knowles’ house next to his to play with Regina on several occasions, but he described Regina as George’s closest childhood friend during his nephew’s summer visits to Santa Barbara. Bert Knowles also remembered George as a friend of his daughter, both as a
child and then as a young man. In fact, Bert had several photographs of Regina and George together. The last one was taken when they were both in their early twenties when George had escorted Regina to a dance or party, Bert could not remember which. Bert was sure that they were never a real couple, just good friends. He had not heard his daughter mention George in recent years.
So why had Doctor Farquhar lied? Of course, it shed new light on Regina’s murder to find that the man who’d found her body had been an old friend and not someone who had never met her, but the situation was doubly suspicious because the psychiatrist had denied any connection to Regina when he’d talked to the police. Ben would have liked to interview Farquhar himself, but that would be overstepping his bounds and interfering with the police investigation. All he could do was report his findings to Abe Reynolds.
Before he called Reynolds, he was going to tell Susan Lin. Ben knew that Doctor Lin had an informal relationship with George Farquhar in addition to her investigative one. After all, the lunch at which Ben had been introduced to Doctor Farquhar was a casual meeting between the psychiatrist and Susan, ostensibly to discuss professional issues, since, at the time, Lucas had not waived his confidentiality rights with Farquhar. If Susan was planning on meeting with George again, knowing that he had lied to her could be crucial to using her meeting with him to learn more.
Susan Lin’s condominium complex was on a busy street in Irvine but set well back from the curb with a greenspace and trees between the street and the building. Ben parked his car in a visitor’s space in the small lot in front of the building. Residents’ cars were parked overnight in the underground garage. From the address, Susan’s apartment was on the second floor.
The stairs to the second floor were on the outside of the building, although they were covered. On the second floor they opened to an outside walkway along which was a string of apartments. Ben stepped from the stairway onto the landing, looking out at the parking lot, the grass and trees, and the street beyond. Susan’s apartment was to his right. He paused to look down the length of the balcony. He’d thought he’d seen someone entering the stairway, just as he was exiting his car, but no one was in sight. He turned to walk along the balcony to Susan’s apartment.
That was the last thing he remembered as a crushing blow landed on the back of his head. He cried out, then fell to the balcony floor, losing consciousness.
Chapter 48
“So you’re Terri,” Susan said, putting out her hand to Ben Murphy’s granddaughter. “How is he?” Terri had come from her grandfather’s side in the emergency room of the Irvine Medical Center to greet Susan in the hospital waiting room. Susan had found Murphy unconscious on the balcony outside her apartment and called 911. She’d told the medics to call his granddaughter. Later, she had gotten dressed and driven to the hospital herself.
“The doctor said he’ll be fine. He’s got a nasty gash on the back of his head and he’s still a little fuzzy, but he’s awake and talkative. He wanted to see you. They’re not going to discharge him for several more hours so they can make sure he doesn’t have any symptoms of brain injury.” She was leading Susan to the rooms where the emergency room patients were situated.
“How did you get here so soon?” Susan asked. “You couldn’t have been in Santa Barbara.”
“Gramps had been up there interviewing some people and he brought me back with him. I was at the hotel when they called my cell. It’s only five minutes from here.”
“What was he doing in Santa Barbara?” Susan asked, walking alongside her. “Was it about Regina Bonaventure’s case?”
“I’ll let him tell you,” Terri said, stopping and sliding open the curtain to one of the rooms.
Ben was sitting up in bed, an IV inserted into the back of his left hand. Susan had expected to see his head wrapped in bandages, given the amount of blood there had been on the landing when she’d found him, but she could just see the tape from a bandage on the back of his head as he looked at her with a half-smile.
“You found me I guess,” Ben said, his voice subdued and unsteady. “Thank you for calling the medics.”
“I heard someone cry out and then I heard a thud. My apartment is the first one after the landing. I came out and there you were. You were still unconscious when they put you in the ambulance. I told them to call Terri. I hadn’t realized she was here in Orange County.”
He shifted his gaze toward his granddaughter and gave her a weak smile. “I’m still a little groggy, but I wanted to talk to you. I think whoever did this was waiting for you… or coming to visit you.”
“Me?” Susan was shocked.
Ben sighed and closed his eyes for a minute, as though he were tired. “Whoever hit me was coming to your apartment. When I showed, up he was either afraid of being discovered or didn’t want me to talk to you.”
“Someone waiting outside my apartment? Who? Why?” Susan felt a cold chill.
Ben sighed. It looked as if it took a lot of effort for him to talk. “Doctor Farquhar and Lucas are the top two candidates. Farquhar wouldn’t have wanted me to tell you what I learned in Santa Barbara. But he wouldn’t have known I was coming to talk to you. He would have thought I’d go straight to Abe Reynolds. I don’t know why Lucas would have been stalking you, but it just seems to me that it could have been him.”
Susan had her suspicions as to why Lucas Bonaventure might stalk her. He seemed to be viewing her in the same category as his wife and his secretary: as a seducer who was courting trouble from men. “What did you find out about Doctor Farquhar and Mrs. Bonaventure?” she asked.
“I’ll give you a full report—you and Abe Reynolds—when my head is completely clear, but I talked to Farquhar’s uncle whose house is next to the Knowles’ place and to Bert Knowles. Both of them remembered Farquhar and Regina being close friends from childhood until they were in college. Farquhar has been lying to you.”
Susan was almost as shocked as she had been when Ben had told her that someone might be stalking her. She knew that she’d believed George when he’d said that he didn’t know Regina or at least didn’t remember her. She hadn’t believed Bonaventure’s story about his wife having met George at a bar a few months ago. Abe Reynolds had been more doubtful about Doctor Farquhar’s story and it was his idea to ask Murphy to look into it. Abe had been right and she’d been wrong. What else had she been wrong about with regard to the psychiatrist?
“You look tired, Gramps,” Terri said, interrupting Susan’s thoughts.
“You can tell me all this later,” Susan said, feeling guilty for making the aging detective talk so much when he was still recovering from the blow to his head.
Ben nodded. He closed his eyes, then opened them. “I’m supposed to stay awake if I can,” he said. “But maybe I won’t think so much for awhile.” He looked over at Susan. “I mostly wanted you to know that someone was there at your apartment—the person who did this to me—and you need to take precautions.”
Susan nodded. She felt a wave of gratitude toward the old man in the hospital bed. “I don’t carry a weapon, but I’ll let Abe know and he can tell me what to do. I’m sure that the Irvine Police are investigating the area. I’ll talk to Detective Jensen from the Irvine PD. He’s the one investigating Sherry Bennett’s murder. My apartment is in his jurisdiction and this may be connected to his case.”
Ben nodded again and closed his eyes, then reopened them. He smiled. “I’ll rest for a while, then when I’m out I’ll come and talk to you and Reynolds.”
Susan smiled back. “Thank you, Ben. And thank you for your concern. Get well.”
Chapter 49
“I need to talk to you,” Susan Lin told George over the phone.
“Shall we do lunch?” he offered, trying to sound che
erful, although the psychologist’s voice sounded ominous and, since he had lied both to her and to Detective Reynolds about knowing Regina Bonaventure, he had been waiting for a call from either of them. His uncle had called to tell him that the private detective, Ben Murphy, had been inquiring about George and Regina Knowles, and his uncle had told Murphy all about their friendship. No doubt Murphy had talked to the Newport Beach police.
“This is police business.” Her voice was flat, without emotion.
“So do you want me to come to you or do you want to come here?”
“I’ll come to your office.”
— — —
“You’re alone? No Detective Reynolds?” George felt relieved. Perhaps Susan’s visit was as much social as official.
“I wanted to give you a chance to explain yourself to me before I involved Detective Reynolds.”
“Explain myself?’
Susan stared at him from across his desk. “You told us that you didn’t know Regina Bonaventure.”
“Or that I didn’t remember knowing her.”
She frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He hesitated. There was no way he could explain the repression of his memory of Regina to Susan without sounding either mentally ill or as if he were lying. “It was a long time ago.”
“Ben Murphy talked to your uncle and to Regina’s father. Both of them remembered you and she as having a close relationship that lasted until you were in college.”
He nodded. “My uncle told me that Murphy had talked to him.” He glanced around the room, as if looking for something to help him explain himself. “All I can say is that I didn’t remember knowing her.”
She continued to frown at him. “You know that it makes you a suspect in Regina’s murder, both the fact of you knowing her and that you lied about it.”