Murder by Prescription

by Breakell Richard

  “Mr. Chiles… this is Pam. Sorry to bother you, but I am in the office and we have been broken into.”

  “What do you mean ‘broken into?’” asked Tom.

  Pam continued, “I came in about fifteen minutes ago, your door was open and I noticed the cabinet door to the safe was open. When I started to walk over to it, someone came up behind me and hit me on the head with the glass globe… Yes, I’m OK, just a cut, but he got away. Kelly arrived just as he left through the hall exit.”

  “Have you done anything or called anyone.”

  “No, sir… just you. Kelly is cleaning up the glass.”

  “Good. I am going to have Rob Schafers come over and talk to you and we’ll see where we go from here. You did good in calling me first, Pam.” Tom disconnected and then hit speed dial.

  “Schafe… it’s Tom. It looks like we are in business again. Are you free right now? Good! I have had an attempted break-in at my office. …Just now. Pam is there right now and she will fill you in. When you know the details, call me and we’ll see where we go from here.”

  “I’ll go over right now. I am on the tollway and can be there is a couple of minutes,” responded Rob.

  “Thanks!”

  After leaving the Force Recon Marines, Rob Schafers, like many Vietnam vets, had a hard time finding his niche. Becoming intimately acquainted with the electronics field in his military career, he quickly perceived the potential and attached to the rising star of computers. Over the years, he continued to maintain his physical condition while becoming an electronics and security expert.

  Tom and Rob had gone through all their training together and developed a deep bond which was further cemented when Tom anonymously funded Rob’s startup security firm – 306 Security. Only Tom and Rob knew the meaning of the name and never revealed it to anyone.

  Their motto was: ‘We Will Do It / Find it / Protect it – Anywhere / Anytime,’ and their track record proved it.

  The security officer at Chiles, Arken, and Associates greeted Rob with a big grin.

  “Hey, boss, what’re you doing here?”

  “Just visiting,” said Rob, “…Harry, have you been here all morning?”

  “Sure have. I punched in at 5:57. Everything OK?” he inquired.

  Rob clapped him on the back. “Everything’s great. I’m going upstairs for a while.”

  The doors opened on 16 and Rob stopped just inside the lobby.

  Kelly peeked around the corner from Tom’s office.

  “Hello, Mr. Schafers. We’re so glad you are here.”

  Rob smiled, “Hi Kelly… you can come out now.” They both laughed. He walked into the office and stopped to survey the situation. Some of the glass was still on the carpet. Then he saw Pam sitting in the living room area holding her head.

  “Pam, are you alright?” he quizzed.

  “Yes… I think so. Just a cut and a bump.”

  Rob walked over and knelt. “Let me have a look” He pulled her hair back and saw the inch-long cut atop the knob. “Whew…you are one lucky girl.”

  “…uh… I guess so.”

  “Do you feel up to telling me what happened?”

  Pam sighed “Sure… I guess. There isn’t all that much to tell. I had just come in and I was downstairs at Kelly’s desk when I heard a noise at the top of the stairs. I thought, Ohh… Kelly’s up there, so I went up the stairs and saw Mr. Chiles office door open. I thought that’s weird, so I walked into the office and just as I noticed the cabinet door to the safe was open, I heard a sound behind me. I started to turn just as something hit me on the head… that’s all until Kelly came in to help me.”

  Kelly jumped in, “I had just come in and was downstairs when I heard some glass shatter. I went up the stairs and saw Pam on her hands and knees with blood dripping from her head, and as I was going into the office, I heard the door at the end of the hall close.”

  “Did either of you see the person at all.”

  They both shook their heads. There was silence for a moment, then Pam said, “I do remember seeing a shoe as I turned.”

  “Can you describe the shoe?” Pam frowned in thought, “I think it was a blue-and-white, tennis type shoe.”

  “All right. Nothing else?” asked Rob. They both shook their heads.

  “Well, you both reacted in the right way by calling Tom. I think, with the sensitivity of everything around here, it is best if we just keep this to ourselves. The authorities would just cause us a lot of unnecessary problems,” Rob continued, “…by the way, what were you both doing here this morning?”

  “I am going on the industry cruise, starting tomorrow,” responded Pam, “and Kelly is going to fill in for me. We were here to bring her up to speed.”

  Kelly looked at Pam, “…but I think you should get your head examined.” They all stopped and then started laughing. “…Well, you know what I mean.”

  “No. I’m fine,” said Pam and then turned to Rob, “should I still plan on leaving in the morning?”

  Rob smiled, “I don’t see any reason why not, but let’s check with Tom.” He pulled out his cell and as he walked out into the lobby, Tom answered, “Hey, Schafe.”

  “Tom, someone broke into your office, but everything is fine. That’s the main thing. He hit Pam with the globe on the desk, but she’s OK. She would like to go home, but wonders if she should still plan on leaving tomorrow. I have talked her and Kelly through and I see no reason why not. Whoever was here, tried unsuccessfully to get into the safe. We can brainstorm later today about what we should do.”

  “Do you think you’re getting the whole story from the girls?”

  “Yes. They are both pretty shook. They didn’t see who it was, but Pam did see a blue-and-white tennis shoe. She got quite a knock on the head, but she’s fine. They have talked to no one.”

  Tom hesitated for a moment as he mentally scrolled through the information, “OK. Tell her to go ahead with the trip.”

  “Good. I’ve already got some preliminary thoughts, so do you want to get together this afternoon?”

  “Yeah. I’m just about to tee off, so I should be done around 4. Why don’t you come out to the club?”

  “Great.”

  Both girls were just walking out of the office. “Go ahead and go on the trip, Pam, but be sure and stay in touch.”

  Kelly looked at Pam, “Pam, I’m OK, why don’t you go home and rest and get ready for your flight.”

  Pam looked relieved, “Thanks, Kelly. I think I will. Are we done here, Mr. Schafers?”

  “Just one more thing,” he said with a steely voice, “this is all between us and no one needs to know.”

  Both girls nodded in agreement.

  ***

  Derek couldn’t stop shaking. He had never attempted anything like he had just done. Playing business hardball was one thing, but performing a criminal act was another. What in the hell had gotten into him? The other day when Tom had pulled the file for Derek to read, he had watched Tom carelessly enter his safe combination and automatically committed it to memory. Tom had left the other files on his desk for a moment and the top one had a label… ‘Derek Maurrel.’ It had tormented him ever since.

  Working with Tom as long as he had taught Derek there was always a motive in everything Tom did and he needed to know what the motive was for Tom to have a file on him.

  After stewing for the past couple of days, the solution had finally bubbled up. Saturday was Tom’s regular golf date; Pam would be home, packing for her cruise. There would be nobody at the office. He would slip past the security guard, enter his code and be upstairs alone. The key to Tom’s door was in Pam’s desk. He would read the file, go to the security room and erase his keyed entry, and be home in an hour. Simple!

  What the hell had Pam been doing there anyway? The fear of getting caught in Tom’s safe had been so overwhelming he had just acted out of sheer panic. He had heard her coming and just had time to pick up the globe and slip behind the door. Even now, the reality
of clobbering her with the crystal globe sent loathing through his system. When he had heard someone starting up the stairs, he only knew flight.

  He still wondered if anyone had seen him exit the hallway and… how was Pam? Had he killed her? Another shudder racked his body. A murderer!

  But the real problem lay ahead. He had not had time to erase his entry code. The only solution he could come up with was hope that when everything had settled down, he would go back, enter the normal way, pick up a file, erase the code and then leave.

  ***

  Rob pulled up to the club, gave the keys to the valet kid and went around the back, taking the short way to the locker room. A couple of guys waved hello as he weaved his way through the tables to where Tom was playing Gin Rummy.

  Rob looked at the score card, shook his head, and said, “…and the slaughter continues.” He looked across the table at Barry, Tom’s opponent, and said, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, taking money from the handicapped?” Everyone roared.

  Tom finished and totaled up his losses. “Can I make monthly payments,” he joked, “thanks, guys… Sorry… I have to leave.”

  He and Rob ordered a drink and then went over to a quiet corner. “So,” opened Tom, “what’s the scoop?”

  “Well, at first blush, it’s a pretty amateur job. He was going for your safe when he was interrupted by Pam. The perp was able to get behind the door and then hit her from behind with the crystal globe that was on the coffee table. It shattered when it fell against your desk. The perp then must have heard Kelly coming up and was able to get out and down the hall to the door just as Kelly arrived at the hallway. She said she heard the hall door close. Nobody saw him except Pam, who saw a blue-and-white tennis shoe before he hit her.”

  “So,” started Tom, “…there was no material or information loss that we know of?”

  “Correct.”

  Tom sipped on his drink staring into space. “I don’t get it,” he said to Rob, “how would someone get into the building and into my office without security seeing them?”

  “My question exactly. When we finish here, I am heading over there to do some checking. My first guess is someone in the company.”

  “Yes… my thought exactly. But it’s stupid. Everyone knows we have videos, keypads, onsite people… what were they after? You don’t just bust into somewhere without knowing what you are after and no one knows what is in my safe, except me.” …Tom paused and then a wry smile crossed his face.

  “What?” asked Rob.

  “Damn!… It had to be Derek. The other day, we were talking and I got a file out of my safe and he was standing by the desk. I must admit, I was careless when I opened the safe and he very well could have seen the combination.”

  “But why would he be going into the safe. Just to rummage around? It’s not worth that risk.”

  “…hmmm …good point,” mumbled Tom. They both fell silent, pondering the next move. Finally, Tom spoke, “I was just running through my mind the contents and I realized there is a file in there with the title ‘Derek Maurrel.’ He may have seen that file.”

  “That makes sense, Tom. I think you have commented before that Derek always was a little paranoid. He could have decided he needed to see that file and his paranoia overcame his good judgment.”

  “If that’s the case, then there would be an entry in the entry log,” opined Rob, “would he know enough to erase the entry?”

  Tom thought for a moment… “I think he might.”

  They both looked at each other. Rob picked up his cellphone. “Harry, its Rob Shafers. Are you on duty right now…? Has Derek Maurrel come in this afternoon? When?”

  He looked at Tom. “He came in about ten minutes ago, and is still there.” They both jumped up and started for the door when Tom stopped dead.

  “Rob… Are we assuming there can be no other suspect?”

  Rob turned back, “I would say that’s a 90-10.”

  Sitting back down, Tom said, “OK, that’s good enough odds for me. Now let’s think this through. One question first. If the entry code were removed, would you be able to tell?”

  “With some work… yes.”

  “OK… OK. This may be a situation we can take advantage of.”

  “How?”

  “I don’t know… yet, but we have an advantage. We can let him think he got away with it. We lose nothing,” Tom continued, “can you go by tonight and check if the entry has been erased?”

  “Sure… as long as you buy me another drink.”

  ***

  Pam laid down when she arrived home and woke up with a startle. It was 6:30pm and her flight was at 11:09 in the morning. She had done some basics but needed to complete her packing. She rose and the world started spinning. She had almost forgotten. She sat back down till the dizziness subsided. She had not even had time to consider the earlier events. She would sort that out later. Right now, she needed to finish.

  Through it all, she was excited. She had never been to Europe and a luxury cruise; all-expenses paid was certainly the way to start. Then she thought of the unstated price. She was expected to do some ‘schmoozing.’ There was an unfamiliar element of anxiety, being a corporate event and not just a chance encounter, but she was confident she could fend off unwelcome advances.

  ***

  Derek had successfully performed the entry code erasure and ‘hung around,’ waiting for fallout. It was to no avail and he finally left around 5:30 with a deep sense of foreboding. He was plagued with questions. Who cleaned up? How was Pam? Were the police called? If so, then at who’s direction?

  Later, sitting in his bachelor pad watching the sunset, the enormity of what he had done seeped in and fear, the internal cannibal, devoured his confidence.

  Pam must not have gone to the hospital, or he, as president, would have been called. Either Pam, or whoever came up the stairs, must have called Tom. If so… why hadn’t Tom called him. Unquestionably, something was amiss.

  He lurched and spilled his drink when the cellphone buzzed. He looked at the number while trying to dab up the spilled liquor… It was Tom!

  Having been in tough emotional and physical spots in the past, nothing approached the terror that fragmented Derek’s entire system. He gawked at the obscene cellphone as it insistently buzzed. His eyes could only stare at the blinking name… Tom… Tom…Tom.

  At last, the dragon was silent and the ‘beep’ for a message sounded. The phone weighed 20 pounds as he picked it up.

  ‘Derek, I don’t know if you heard, but we had an incident at the office this afternoon. Call me back.’

  Derek gazed out the window. He didn’t detect anger or agitation, which gave him some solace. Maybe he had a chance to escape this nightmare. Taking deep breaths, he dialed Tom.

  “Derek… How are you?” The relief almost took Derek to his knees. His body was ‘all prickly’ as he tried to form words.

  “Hey, Tom. I was on the other line. What’s this ‘incident?’”

  “Someone tried to break into my safe at the office. Pam was in the room and she got hit from behind. She’s OK. Kelly was there as well. We decided not to call the authorities because we don’t need the trouble.”

  The relief continued to flood his body, “When was this and why didn’t Kelly call me?”

  “I asked her not to. Pam called me first and once I determined she was fine, I decided to seal this up and have Rob handle it.”

  “Rob Schafers?” squawked Derek.

  “The same,” said Tom.

  Derek frowned, realizing that this wasn’t over. “Well… I wish someone would have called me.”

  “I made the decision. I didn’t want to bother you on a Saturday.”

  “OK. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Tom smiled as he closed the call. It’s good to have insurance, he thought.

  The precariousness of Derek’s situation was further rattled by the upcoming Monday meeting. The angst only intensified Derek’s feelings of vulnerability, and if
there was one thing you did not want to be around Tom Chiles, it was vulnerable. He was like a shark and could smell fear ‘in the water.’

  All Saturday night, he had not been able to calm his foreboding. Did Tom know I had seen the file? If so, then the jig was up. But why wouldn’t he have brought it up?

  The only option on Monday was to plead total ignorance. He hoped that Rob Schafers would not be there. Derek was never comfortable around him, particularly when he and Tom were together.

  Chapter 8

  Sunday morning dawned… the typical Dallas winter day. Forecast for grey and more grey, but at least there was no ‘norther’ blowing in from Canada.

  Marty and Myra had finished their obligatory visit with Dorothy through a flurry of negative comments about the flight time, the airline, the time change, ad infinitum, and were having some alone time with Cara. She was happy to be with ‘Nanny’ and content with the promises of gifts when they returned.

  The limo arrived at 9:30am which, being Sunday morning, quickly whisked them to DFW airport in record time. They checked their luggage through and took the escalator to the departure level and entered the surprisingly short security line.

  This portion of travel was always stressful for Marty. He viewed the security personnel and the entire system as ludicrous. Strip searching a seventy-five-year-old woman based on a head count was beyond his reasoning powers.

  However, they checked in at the American Airlines Presidents Club lounge with no incidents and settled into a quiet corner.

  “Marty, will we see anyone else you know?” asked Myra.

  “Probably Mr. Chiles’ assistant, Pam,” answered Marty, “I heard she was coming. I don’t think you have met her. She’s kind of aloof, so don’t get ‘bent’ if she seems cold.”

  Myra looked puzzled, “Why would she be on this trip.”

  “I don’t exactly know, but you can bet she has been assigned some mission by Mr. Chiles.”

  Pam arrived at the parking area just before 9:30 and reached the terminal at 9:50. She had been pleasantly surprised when her ticket showed a first-class flight, which meant she could relax in the American lounge for a while.