by Pat Doyle
I thought it was time to talk to Tammy again. Last time hadn't gone too well. I was scared off by the missing steak knife in her kitchen. But now, with a few interviews under my belt, I saw how stupid that was. Maybe the knife was just dirty, laying in her sink. I couldn't let a little thing like that stop me.
I drove by her house again and rang her doorbell.
“Hi, Tammy, sorry I had to leave so quickly yesterday. Would you like to go to the Fig Tree for dinner with me? I do have a few more questions for you, and I'll treat you to dinner to make up for running out on you.”
“Oh, sure, Ginger, that sounds great! I'm kind of at loose ends now that I'm not working anymore. It will be good to get out of the house.”
I drove us downtown to the Fig Tree, an upscale gourmet-type place that had just opened recently. It seemed that Daffodil was finally attracting some more exciting places to eat. I was dying to try it out, and Tammy gave me the perfect excuse.
It was a little early for dinner, so we didn't have to wait long before we were seated. I decided to try the asparagus and goat cheese quesadillas. Tammy ordered the Mediterranean lemon chicken. This was fun. It was beginning to feel like a girls' night out.
“Tammy, you know, I'm investigating your ex-husband's murder,” I began.
“Well, bless you, Ginger. I'm sure the police can use your help. They don't get to work on too many murder cases around here.”
I was pleased that Tammy wasn't upset. “See, I'm working on becoming a mystery writer,” I explained. “I figure this will give me some experience and some ideas to write about.”
“That's wonderful! How can I help you?”
“Do you have any ideas on who might hate your ex?” I asked.
“Um...no... Everyone liked David. They didn't see how he acted at home. He was pretty hard to live with. But at work, he was super nice to everyone.”
“What about Dr. Wright?”
“That's true. Tim Wright and David were having some problems. Tim wanted to dissolve the partnership. I didn't like him. He was always after more money. He didn't really care about his patients like David did.”
“I didn't like him either. I tried to talk to him, and he was pretty scary.”
“He certainly is ornery enough to kill someone. I wouldn't put it past him. I'm sorry that I can't help you more,” Tammy said.
“That's okay. Tell me something else. I found out Frankie Delano was with your ex at the theater. He left before it happened, or so he says. Do you know anything about him?”
Tammy fell silent for a minute. Then she said, “Frankie is a strange one. I never could figure him out. He was David's friend, but they were so different. And I can't believe he makes a living from that little custard stand. I bet he has another source of income.”
“Really,” I said. “Like what?”
“Maybe something illegal? Why else would he have the custard stand? I bet it's a front.”
I was starting to wonder. Was Tammy trying to throw suspicion onto Frankie to direct it away from herself? Or was she telling the truth? She was not very complimentary about Dr. Wright either, saying he was capable of murder.
It was too bad. I was having fun with Tammy. It seemed like we were becoming friends. I had to be careful not to fall for that. After all, she was still a suspect in the murder.
“Tammy, did the police ask you where you were at the time of the murder? You know they have to ask everyone.”
“Oh yes, they did. I was out back, weeding my garden. But no one saw me, so that's useless as an alibi. But I'm sure they don't really think I'm a suspect. I couldn't kill anyone. It's not in me.”
Weeding the garden? I couldn't picture Tammy getting her hands dirty like that. And wasn't it starting to get dark by then? But it is cooler in the evening, so maybe she was telling the truth.
We talked some more about this and that, and then all of a sudden, I saw a light go on in Tammy's eyes.
“Wait a minute, Ginger. I just remembered someone else who hates David. And boy, she hates him with a passion.”
“Who is that?”
“It's Jane Winters, his old girlfriend from college and med school. They moved in together right after college, and she actually supported him all through medical school. But then, shortly after he graduated from med school and started his residency, he and I met. It felt like love at first sight to both of us. He dumped Jane and started going out with me. She was furious. Here she had just gotten done supporting him and being there for him while he finished his medical degree, and then as soon as he gets done with school, he says good-bye. I can see why she hated him.”
“But that must have been long ago. Why would that matter now?”
“Jane didn't stay alone long after David dumped her. She soon met Toby, this cute guy who was also really rich. He was an inventor and a good marketer too. His inventions were bringing in lots of money. They got married, and Jane had no more money worries. She forgot all about Dave.”
I could tell there was more. “Then what happened?” I asked.
“The trouble was, Toby was a gambler. He started gambling away all of the money he was making. They were getting further and further in debt from his gambling. He just couldn't stop. Jane finally realized she had to divorce Toby before he dragged her completely down with her. Luckily they didn't have any kids.
“I just remembered because I ran into her in town last week. She moved to Daffodil after her divorce. I heard that she thought she would go after David again. She knew he and I were divorced. I guess she thought marrying a doctor could be the answer to her money problems.”
“But then, wouldn't she want to date David, not kill him?” I asked.
“Sure, but she tried that as soon as she got to town. David had no interest in her whatsoever. She was pretty controlling when they were together before. And she reacted so badly when he dumped her. He thought she was crazy, almost like a stalker. There was no way he would date her again. Maybe she snapped and killed him? I could see that happening.”
“Wow, thanks, Tammy. That's a possibility. I'll definitely check into that.”
We chatted a little more, but it was getting late. We decided to call it a night, and I drove Tammy home. As I drove to my place from Tammy's, I was still dissatisfied. Was Tammy my ally or was she the killer? It was funny how she could see multiple people killing her ex-husband. Was that just her personality, or was she trying to bring in as many other suspects as she could?
At least, after dinner with Tammy, I felt that I had to interview Dr. Wright and Frankie Delano again. Either one of them could be the murderer. I decided to see both of them the next day. And of course I was going to try to meet up with Jane and see if she was as terrible as Tammy said she was. By this time, I was getting pretty tired, so I headed home for a nice bath and an evening of TV.
The TV didn't happen, though. I was just getting out of the bath when I heard a big crash. It sounded like it came from the living room. I threw on my robe and went to see. To my horror, someone had thrown a brick through my window. I peeked out carefully, but I didn't see anyone.
I went to pick up the brick and saw that it had a note tied to it with string. “MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS,” the note said in big block letters. Someone had drawn a crude skull and crossbones underneath the words.
Why would someone do this? Daffodil is such a peaceful little town. I couldn't believe someone was threatening me. Was it the murderer? Or was it someone else that didn't like me asking questions of people?
I called the police, and they sent over Officer Davis, a youngish man with blue eyes and dark hair. He wasn't very friendly at all. He asked me what I had been up to lately, and I had to confess that I had been asking people about the murder. He seemed to think it was MY fault that the brick was thrown through my window.
“That's why we don't have civilians involved in our murder cases,” he stated. “It's dangerous. Please leave the questioning to us. We know what we're doing, and we're trained to handle
the repercussions. You are not. Please just drop the whole thing.
“I'll take the brick and the note in for evidence, but I doubt that the person was stupid enough to leave any fingerprints. I'll let you know if we find out anything.”
As he left, he warned me again. “Stay out of police business. Next time you could be in worse trouble.”
After that, I couldn't relax. I didn't sleep well that night either. I was questioning everything I had been doing.
I didn't think I had done anything particularly dangerous. I was just asking a few questions of people. I knew some of them were not too happy to be questioned, but would any of them actually have thrown a brick through my window? Was it the killer who threw the brick? Or one of the others I had questioned, unhappy about the invasion of privacy?
I started to question the whole premise of me trying to solve a murder. I thought I might be in over my head. Then I started to question whether I was cut out to be a mystery writer. I was really getting down on myself.
Finally, just as it was starting to get light outside, I managed to fall asleep.
CHAPTER SIX
I was woken up by my phone about 9 am. It was Michael. He wanted to meet for breakfast. I was still shaken up from the night before, so I agreed to meet him at the Cozy Coffee Shop. Maybe it would take my mind off of things.
Michael was already seated when I got there. I ordered scrambled eggs, sausage and hash browns, and some iced tea. I hoped that would make me feel better. Michael ordered the same, but with coffee.
It turned out that Michael's contact at the police had told him about the brick being thrown through my window last night.
“Why are you going around asking people questions?” Michael asked me.
“I thought it would help me to be a better mystery writer if I could help solve this case,” I answered meekly.
He grinned. “You go, girl.” I nearly fell out of my chair. Michael was the last person I would have thought would support me in my efforts at detecting. “Don't let the police intimidate you,” he continued. “What's a little brick through your window? Someone has to solve this case, and it doesn't look like the police are getting anywhere.”
“But what if the murderer decides to kill me next?”
“I don't think it was the killer who threw the brick,” Michael said. “If it was the killer, they would've killed you instead of just breaking your window. You probably just hit a nerve with someone else that you were questioning.”
“You really think so? I was starting to wonder if I'm doing the right thing.”
“You only live once,” he said with a wink.
“Yes, and I want it to be a long life. But I'll think about what you said.”
After breakfast, Michael had to get to the theater to work. I pondered my next move. Michael was probably right that it was not the killer who had thrown the brick. Someone desperate enough to kill Dr. Parnell wasn't going to be satisfied with just scaring me.
I thought about the people I had talked to so far. I wondered if I had even talked to the killer yet. The people I had talked to were just ordinary people from our small town. It was hard to believe any of them were killer material, even grouchy, mean Dr. Wright. I think I was still having a hard time comprehending that a killer can look like an ordinary person most of the time. Oh, how naive I was.
I finally decided to keep on with my quest. Maybe it was the sunny day out, but I didn't feel like I was in any danger. While I was feeling fairly confident, I decided to tackle the scariest person on my list, Dr. Wright. I headed over to his office.
This time, the receptionist was there, and she wasn't going to let me see Dr. Wright for no reason.
“Do you have a medical complaint? Dr. Wright doesn't have time to see people who aren't patients of his,” she said.
I decided to fudge the truth a little. “I'm feeling sick. I think I have the flu,” I said. “Dr. Parnell was my doctor, but he's dead, so I have to see someone else. Please...”
“Okay, have a seat. I'll try to fit you in when I can.” She motioned me to the empty chairs. Luckily no one else was waiting at the moment.
Great, I thought. I'm going to have to fake having the flu now. What are my symptoms?
“Ginger, the doctor will see you now,” called out the nurse from the doorway leading out of the waiting room.
“Great, thanks,” I told her. “I feel so awful... My head hurts, and I think I have a fever. I haven't been able to keep any food down either.”
“I'll send the doctor right in,” she told me, showing me into an examination room.
“Hello, I'm Dr. Wright,” he said, entering the room. “Wait... weren't you in here yesterday? You said you felt fine, then.”
“I know.” I tried to look really sick. “It just started last night. I was throwing up all night. I haven't been able to eat anything, and I have a terrible headache. I think I have the flu.”
“Let's take your temperature.” I couldn't ask any questions with the thermometer in my mouth. This wasn't going well so far.
“No fever,” he said. “I doubt if it's the flu. You probably just have an upset stomach. Did anything upsetting happen to you yesterday?” He had a glint in his eye as he said that.
“Oh no, doctor,” I said innocently. Did he know about the brick through my window?
“But I was shocked about Dr. Parnell's death,” I continued. “Why wasn't he at work that afternoon anyway? Why was he at the movies?” I couldn't believe I was being so impertinent.
Dr. Wright couldn't believe it either, it seemed. He glowered at me. “I don't know why he took off in the middle of the day,” he practically yelled. “He had no business leaving me with a waiting room full of people. Just because he didn't like what we were discussing, that was no reason to leave in a huff. He just told me he was going to the movies and that was that.”
“So he was mad at you?” I asked.
“What's it to you, young lady?” He scribbled something on his pad. “Here, take this for your upset stomach. If you don't feel better in two days, then come see me again. Until then, please take it easy. I don't know why you're so obsessed with Dr. Parnell. His death was unfortunate, but I'm still here.”
“Okay, Dr. Wright, thank you.” I didn't see any point in antagonizing him further. At least now I knew why Dr. Parnell had been at the movies and not at work. It seems that he and Dr. Wright had gotten into an argument, and Dr. Parnell had stormed off. Were they discussing the partnership, maybe?
Also, I just realized, Dr. Wright knew that Dr. Parnell was at the movies. So he could find him if he wanted to kill him...
Something else didn't make sense, though. If Dr. Parnell went to the movies on the spur of the moment, how did it happen that Frankie Delano was with him? It seemed like every time I got one question answered, another question popped up.
I was about to visit Frankie anyway. I had some questions for him already. Now I had one more. I headed over to his custard stand. On the way I wondered if what Tammy suggested was true. Was the custard stand really a front for something illegal? Or was Tammy just trying to divert suspicion away from herself?
Frankie's Custard was open when I got there, and Frankie was behind the counter. I decided to try catching some more flies with honey this time.
“Hi, Frankie,” I greeted him. “Look, no one else is in here right now. How about if you come to a table with me and join me in a custard cone. My treat. I'll have a chocolate one.”
He smiled. “Sure, sounds good. Have a seat, and I'll bring the cones right over.”
“Here we are,” he said as he took a seat across from me. “So what did you want to talk to me about?”
“Frankie, to tell you the truth, I'm asking people questions to see if I can find out who murdered your friend, Dr. Parnell. Won't you please help me by answering some questions? It would really help. Wouldn't it be great if I could find out who did it?”
“Yes... okay... go ahead and ask. I'll help if I can,�
� he said.
“Okay, first of all, how did you know Dr. Parnell was going to the movies? I was just talking to Dr. Wright, and he said Dr. Parnell decided to go at the last minute. Is that true?”
“Yes, it's true. My doctor is actually in the same building as their office. I was just getting off the elevator coming from my doctor's office, when I saw David storming down the hall. He looked really mad. I called to him, hoping I could find out what was wrong and calm him down.
“David told me he and his partner had gotten into a bad argument,” Frankie continued. “It was about their partnership. Dr. Wright wanted to get out of the partnership, but he didn't want to give David a fair price to buy him out. What he was offering was a ridiculously low price. He wanted to keep the office they had, and all the patients. But he didn't want to give him much money at all.
“Of course David was furious. He was on his way to see a movie to help him calm down. I had a date coming up soon, but I offered to go with him for a while, anyway. I couldn't just let him go by himself and blow a gasket.”
“Oh, well, that explains it,” I said. “Do you think maybe Dr. Wright showed up at the theater and killed Dr. Parnell after you left?”
“I don't know...” Frankie thought that over. “I guess I'm no good at picturing people being cold-blooded killers. I just can't picture it. But I guess anything is possible.”
“I sure hope you do find the killer,” he added. “I'm really going to miss David. He was a good friend.”
“Can I ask you something else, Frankie?” I just had to ask. I hoped he didn't get mad. “People have been saying this custard stand is just a front, that you are really living off something else. Is that true? Don't get mad. I just have to ask, since it was brought up.”
Frankie chuckled. “I don't mind your asking. I heard that people have been gossiping about me. The truth is, I made my money in investment banking in Chicago. I retired from that a few years ago, and I came up here and opened up my custard stand just to keep busy. I want a simple life. I was tired of the rat race in Chicago. Please don't tell anyone that I have a lot of money. I don't want to be hit up for money by every schmuck that is hard up. I just want to be left alone to enjoy life.”