by Diane Weiner
“We’re working on it,” said Detective Wooster. “You know we can’t discuss an ongoing case.”
Susan continued, “You know that Morgan blamed Emily for her husband losing his job. Her husband acts strangely. Maybe he killed Martha and Morgan covered for him.”
“We have witnesses who can place Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds at the ceremony during the time of the murder. Let us handle it. We know what we’re doing around here.”
“Detective, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you didn’t. My daughter gets on me all the time for my enthusiasm. She’s a detective too.”
“Excuse me, I have work to do.” He walked over to Martha’s sister.
Susan said, “I wonder what he’s asking her? Did you know Martha had a boyfriend? And why isn’t he here?”
“Martha never mentioned a boyfriend. She never even went on a date as far as I know.”
Henry said, “Leave the detective work up to the detectives. There’s Coralee. Let’s say hello.”
Coralee was wearing a black skirt and matching jacket. Noah, in dark jeans and a black coat, accompanied her.
“Coralee, what a nice turnout,” said Emily.
“She sure had friends.”
“Did you know her well?”
“Yes, she often came to the inn with her boyfriend for dinner.”
“Her boyfriend?” Emily and Susan spoke in unison.
“Yes, nice gentleman. Graying hair, nice build. Sometimes they even stayed the weekend. I got the idea he was from out of town. Certainly I’d never seen him around Sugarbury Falls before.”
“Why wouldn’t he have come to the service if they were that close?” said Emily.
Noah spoke up. “Close? Last time they were at the inn for dinner, they argued very loudly. I even saw him slap Martha’s hand. Then Martha stormed out.”
“Noah, when was that?” said Emily.
“It was the night before the inauguration.”
Susan said, “You mean the night before Martha’s murder.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but yeah.”
Flurries fell from the sky. Gray clouds had rolled in, and many of the attendees headed toward their cars.
Joe, Emily’s colleague, came over to them. “Lovely service. Martha will be missed. She always had a cheerful smile. Brought me coffee from the general store whenever she stopped there on her way to work.”
Emily wiped a tear. “I still don’t believe someone wanted to kill her. I’m convinced it was me they were after.”
Joe put his arm around her. “I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill you either. Hey, how’s your book coming along?”
“I’ve had a small setback. Someone stole my audiotapes of the witnesses I’ve been interviewing.”
“Really? From your house?”
“No, school. Took them right out of my office.”
“What a shame. Did you have them locked up?”
“No, never thought I needed to.”
“I’ve been saying for years those filing cabinets ought to have locks on them.”
The wind was picking up, and the sky turned grayer. Morgan and Gerald Reynolds, heads down, walked right past them on the way to the parking lot.
Henry said, “Aren’t they the friendliest couple you’ve ever met?”
“Strange ones,” said Joe. “I was sitting by them at the inauguration. They had seats reserved with their programs and coats but didn’t walk in until twenty minutes after it started.”
“I think Gerald is sick,” said Emily. “Maybe Alzheimer’s. He never goes anywhere without his wife. It’s like she’s there to keep him out of trouble.”
“You could be right.”
A woman wearing a fur coat screamed, “My bracelet. It’s gone!”
The man with her yelled, “Police! Aren’t there any police here? Call 911.”
Detective Wooster stepped forward. “What happened, ma’am?”
“My husband and I came for the service. Our daughter was in Miss Peterson’s class a few years ago, and we became friends. We were standing outside here, and I noticed it was gone. My diamond bracelet is gone.”
“Calm down. Let’s go back inside and look for it. It may have fallen off.”
“No, it had a safety clasp. Someone took it.”
The detective led the woman and her husband back into the auditorium. Several minutes later they returned empty-handed.
“Ma’am, we’ll check the lost and found. If it’s not there, come down to the station with me and we’ll file a report.”
Susan pulled her coat tighter around herself. A murder? Stolen jewelry? What kind of town did Emily and Henry move into?
Henry suggested heading back to the house. By the time they left, most of the crowd had already gone home. When they passed the cabin where Kiki and Buzz lived, Henry said, “What’s he doing there? Look, Peewee’s van is in their driveway.”
“Plotting to get us to sell, no doubt,” said Emily.
“That man has a peewee-sized brain if he hasn’t yet gotten the message that we’re here to stay. Let him waste his time all he wants.”
Chapter 10
The next morning, Emily once again prepared a breakfast feast. Susan smelled bacon the moment her eyes opened. She and Mike went into the dining room.
“Grab a muffin. The eggs will be ready in a minute,” said Emily.
Henry was reading the newspaper and sipping coffee. Chester the cat hung out at Emily’s feet hoping for a bite of bacon.
“So, Emily, maybe the killer was after Martha after all? Noah heard her arguing with her boyfriend the night before the murder. He even slapped her.”
“It is strange that she never mentioned a boyfriend. I heard Coralee say Martha’s sister is staying at the inn. Maybe we can drop by this morning and have a chat.”
“Emily, you stay clear. I’ve already come close to losing my wife once this week. I’m sure Detectives Wooster and O’Leary will be following that lead.”
Susan remembered Gerald’s strange behavior.
“Henry, you’re a doctor. Let me ask you something about Gerald Reynolds. He got up right in the middle of the ceremony, remember? And he pulled out his wallet before he and Morgan even ordered their food at the inn the other night. Emily mentioned dementia.”
“I’d say he’s showing the signs, but without an actual exam and workup, I can’t say.”
“I’ve heard people with Alzheimer’s can get violent,” said Susan.
“They lose their inhibitions, might say things unfiltered, but actual violence? I don’t think so. If you’re thinking Gerald planned to kill Emily and you’re thinking dementia, I will say I doubt he’d have had the capacity to plan it out. The police say the killer brought the weapon to the crime scene. The killer also planned to attack when he knew everyone would be at the inauguration. Someone with dementia would’ve had a hard time pulling it off.”
“Joe told us Morgan and Gerald saved seats at the inauguration but then showed up late to the ceremony.”
“Emily, he could have tried to wander off and Morgan had to get him back. That’s pretty common with Alzheimer’s patients. Who knows?”
Henry continued reading the paper while Mike helped himself to another muffin. Emily brought eggs to the table.
“Well, what do you know,” said Henry. “Here’s an article about Peter Taglieri of Peewee Miniatures. Says he’s being investigated for misappropriating funds back in his last endeavor.”
“I knew there was something criminal about him.” Emily dished out the eggs.
“It’s probably just the tip of the iceberg,” said Susan. “Can I borrow your laptop, Emily?”
“Of course.”
After they finished breakfast, Susan googled Peter Taglieri.
“Emily, look at all these articles.” She scrolled through. “He was arrested for his involvement in a Ponzi scheme back in Arizona. Went on trial. He was convicted, but…”
“But what?” asked Mike.
“An unscrupulous businessman like him wouldn’t let anything or anyone get in his way. If he couldn’t convince us to sell, maybe he thought he’d kill me and then you’d move. Or maybe he planned to kill you too.”
Susan nodded her head. “We did see his van heading toward Emily’s office on the news report about the inauguration.”
“Girls, that’s a big leap. Besides, weren’t we just discussing Martha’s boyfriend as the killer? Weren’t we saying he might have actually meant to kill her and not Emily?” said Mike.
“That’s also a leap,” said Henry. “And so is the idea that Gerald Reynolds did it. I doubt he’d be capable of planning a murder, like I said.”
“But Morgan’s earring was found under the office door.”
“Susan, we haven’t had that confirmed. The police were looking into it, remember?”
Right on cue, there was a knock at the door. Henry answered it. “Detective Wooster. We were just talking about you.”
“I have a few questions for Susan Wiles if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not. Come in. Let me take your coat. Want some coffee?”
“No, thanks.”
Susan said, “Nice to see you again, Detective.”
“Mrs. Wiles, you said you found the earring stuck under Mrs. Fox’s office door, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“And that was the first day we released the crime scene?”
“That’s right. I’m surprised the police didn’t find it earlier. Or the cleaning crew.”
“It was wedged under the door. Must have gotten stuck the day of the murder; otherwise, it would have been found by the custodian. Did you happen to see Morgan Reynolds in the building the day you went over there?”
“Morgan Reynolds. It’s her earring. I was right, wasn’t I? Feathers and beads—just her style. Emily said she always wears…”
“Susan, just answer his question,” said Mike.
“No, we didn’t see her that day.” Both she and Emily shook their heads.
After the detective left, Susan said, “I knew it was hers. Now don’t you agree Morgan was in the building?”
Chapter 11
Susan and Emily drove to the inn, while Henry took Mike on another snowshoeing adventure. When the women arrived, the breakfast rush was over, and they found Coralee collapsed on the lobby sofa, feet perched on a floral hassock.
“Emily and Susan, can I get you some breakfast?”
“No, we already ate. Besides, you look exhausted. Busy morning?”
“No, Emily. The breakfast rush was rather light. It’s just that I didn’t sleep well. I waited up half the night for Noah. He never said he was going out. I didn’t hear him climb the stairs until after two a.m.”
“Did you ask him where he was?” said Emily.
“He said he was in his room all night long. Why did he lie to me? I hope it’s not starting again.”
“What’s starting again?” said Emily.
“When Noah was a teenager, he was in and out of trouble with the law. Shoplifting, drunk driving, for a time he was even a suspect in the Ashley Young disappearance.”
Susan’s ears perked up. “Really? He knew Ashley?”
“Yes. As a teen, he worked at the university doing lawn maintenance in the summer, shoveling and plowing during the winter. Ashley was a student there, older than him, of course.”
“Why was he a suspect?” asked Susan.
“They were friends. They hung out together when she was between classes. She even helped him pass high school Algebra, smart girl that she was. The day she disappeared, someone saw him talking to Ashley. They said it looked as though they were arguing out in the parking lot by her car.”
“That doesn’t prove anything, right, Susan?” said Emily.
“How reliable was the witness? Did they see Noah abduct her? Drive away with her?”
“No, of course not. The police dropped it after a while. They had no evidence tying him into her disappearance. Besides, they were leaning towards her running away voluntarily.”
Noah came down the stairs wearing sweats. His hair was uncombed as if he’d just rolled out of bed.
“Hey, Mom. Any hot breakfast left?”
“No, you missed your chance. There’s cereal in the kitchen. Don’t you have class this morning?”
“Yeah. Guess I’m going to be late.”
Susan asked, “Noah, did you go to the inauguration ceremony the other day? I heard it was quite an event.”
“Yeah, I was there for most of it. The speeches got long, so I slipped out before the traffic started. Almost no cars on the road except for Dr. Sommers. I passed him as I was leaving the parking lot, though I couldn’t figure out why he’d be showing up right at the end.”
Noah headed to the kitchen. Susan heard the beep of the microwave and assumed he’d heated up something better than cereal.
Emily said, “Coralee, is Martha’s sister still here?”
“Ellen Peterson? Yes, she’s out on the porch, bundled up with a blanket and a book. I brought coffee out to her a little bit ago. Do you need her for something?”
“We just wanted to chat, tell her how much Martha meant to me.”
Susan and Emily went outside and found Ellen Peterson in a rocking chair on the porch, book in hand, just as Coralee had said.
“Ellen Peterson? I’m Emily Fox. Martha was my coworker and good friend.”
Ellen stood up and shook her hand. “Yes, Martha spoke of you often. You’re the one who found her, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes. I can’t get the image out of my mind. I’m missing her so much already. It won’t be the same at school without her.”
Ellen pulled out a handkerchief and blew her nose. She was older than Martha but had the same auburn hair and fair skin. Susan didn’t have a sister although these days relatives had been popping up out of the woodwork, but she imagined how hard it must be to lose one.
Susan said, “I hope the police find her killer soon. It seems like everyone loved Martha. Do you have any idea who may have wanted to kill her?”
“She had a new boyfriend. She was rather elusive in giving me details, but I got the feeling things were going south. She mentioned finding out something disturbing about him. She was afraid to tell him she wanted to break things off.”
“Did she tell him? Do you think he came after her?” said Susan.
“I don’t know. I told all of this to Detective Wooster and his pretty partner. They were going to look into it. It’s getting a bit too chilly out here. If you’ll excuse me…”
“Of course,” said Emily. “Again, my sincere condolences.”
Emily and Susan headed back to the Jeep. “Susan, do you mind if we stop by my office? I have to teach my class tomorrow, and with all that’s happened, I don’t know which way is up. I want to get a few things together.”
“Of course. You know, you said Ashley Young’s parents still live in the area. Do you think it may be worth paying them a visit?”
“They are still here, but what would I hope to accomplish?”
“It’s coming up on the tenth anniversary of their daughter’s death, and you are writing a book suggesting it wasn’t a simple case of a runaway. If the killer was in fact after you, rather than Martha, what reason would he have? Preventing the truth from coming out?”
“Well, there’s the whole Peewee Miniatures drama. You found those articles proving Peter Taglieri broke the law and got off on a technicality. And Kiki and Buzz want us to sell. Sarah Kimberly, the adjunct instructor in Martha’s basic course, was none too happy with her. And don’t forget about Morgan Reynolds. You fo
und her earring at the crime scene. Then there’s her crazy husband.”
“The crazy husband could be so hard to deal with that Morgan snapped and tried to kill you. But what about your book? Someone broke into your office and stole the audiotapes from the interviews. With the anniversary of Ashley’s disappearance coming up, maybe someone who is still in the area abducted her and wants to remain in the shadows.”
“Okay. Let’s drive out to the Youngs’ after we’re done. I’ve spoken to them on the phone several times. Even had a taped interview, but, of course, that’s gone. I’ll let them know we’re coming.”
Emily called Ashley’s parents from the car before going to her office. As soon as they opened the door to the building, a terrible noise flooded the hall.
“What’s that? Oh, no! It’s Gerald Reynolds. He’s hacking my door with an ax! Call the police!”
Joe Sommers was in the hallway. He grabbed Gerald’s arm and struggled to pull the ax away.
“Joe, what’s going on?” Susan and Emily also grabbed Gerald’s arm. Between the three of them, they wrestled the ax away. Joe pinned Gerald to the wall.
Morgan ran into the hallway. “What are you doing to my husband? Let him go.”
“Do you see the ax on the floor? You’re asking what we’re doing to him? He was hacking up my office door. It took three of us to stop him,” said Emily.
“Please, he can’t help it. He’s ill and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“Ill, how?” asked Emily.
“He has a specific form of dementia. It’s like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s rolled into one. He can’t help himself.”
“Then why is he out in public, Morgan? He belongs in a place where he can get help.”
“He lost his job, remember? No insurance will cover him now, and I can’t afford to put him in a facility. If they had just kept him on here a while longer, he could have made it to Medicare. As it is, he’s too young.”
“Emily said, “I’m so sorry, Morgan. I had no idea things were so bad.”
Two police officers ran through the door. “What’s going on? Are you all okay?”