by Liz Turner
Lewis was breathing heavily. “You—”
Hallie held up her hand. “No, Mr. Lewis, you. You messed this up for yourself. If only you hadn’t let your greed blind you, you might have gotten away with extortion. It was your two acts of violence that did you in. That untimely storage fire, for one, and then, the horrific murder of Alan Smith. All to obtain copies of those x-rays that you didn’t need in the first place!” Hallie was angry now; the mention of Smith’s death sent a pang of sorrow through her. Such an unnecessary loss of life. “I’ll have the police arrest you for murder and arson as soon as we leave this office,” she added quietly.
Lewis’ eyes grew round at those words. He gulped audibly. Then, in an attempt to snag his coat and hat from the coat rack, he fell to the floor. He lay there moaning and clutching his hip. Hallie rushed to help him up. “It looks like you do actually have a fractured hip this time, huh?” she said wryly.
Once back on his feet, haphazardly swaying on his cane and taking jagged breaths through immense pain, Lewis managed to spit out, “I—didn’t—kill—Smith. Or—set any fires. I just—wanted—the money.”
Hallie looked at him wearily. “Oh? Then who did?”
Smith darkened. “It—”
The door to the office swung open. “You coward! You’re trying to pin this all on me!” a woman screamed. Her uniform was gone, and instead she was wearing a neat suit, the sort one wears for train travel. She had dyed her hair a bright red, but it was, unmistakably, Laura Thompson, Hallie’s nurse. She charged toward Lewis. He whimpered and dropped into the chair, covering his face with his hands.
Ignoring the scene inside, Hallie calmly walked into the hallway and said, “Officers, now you may come in. I believe that’s enough for an arrest?” Detectives Jackson and Jones walked in, followed by two other policemen.
Laura, incredulous, turned to employer, fuming. “You have nothing!” she insisted. She ran her fingers through her bright hair. “There were no fingerprints at the scene! How are you going to charge me with murder without any evidence?” she demanded frantically.
Hallie turned, so that she was facing the whole room. “Laura, I’m disappointed in you. You were a good nurse. But I’m not surprised. Perhaps if you had been as good a criminal as a nurse you would have gotten away with it.”
Shaking with anger, Laura let out an unsteady cackle. “Please!” At that, two of the officers strode over and gripped her by both arms. Incredulously, she rolled her eyes.
Hallie continued deliberately. “From the beginning, I suspected that Lewis had something to do with the storage fire—it was too convenient for his to be among the few that had been burned, not to mention the fire occurring in spring, far past when anyone would have been using a space heater, the alleged cause of the fire. But it got me thinking how he might have had access to our storage room. That was my first clue he had an accomplice.” Hallie paused. Laura was being held tightly by the two police officers, but now she was squirming with rage. “And then, when the second copy of that x-ray turned up missing, with the unfortunate result of Alan Smith being murdered, the connection was too great to ignore.”
Lewis was still slumped in the chair, flanked by the detectives. His bravado and anger had dissipated, and he was anxiously wringing his hands and darting fearful glances at Laura. Hallie turned to him.
“But when you, Mr. Lewis, appeared unfazed by a murder, just as eager as before to meet with me and demand the settlement, I was thrown. I had you pegged as a run-of-the-mill con man, looking to bully money out of doctors afraid of losing their reputations. I was shocked that you’d murder for a measly five thousand dollars. Then, I considered the possibility that you hadn’t committed the murder at all, that you perhaps didn’t even know it had occurred at the time you agreed to meet me. When I found that note at the hotel you were staying at, my suspicions of an accomplice were confirmed. And perhaps, for the accomplice there was something more at stake, something much greater than five thousand dollars, something worth killing for.”
Hallie turned to Laura. “Like a whole new life, paid for by periodic blackmailing of the many high-profile clients of Alan Smith.”
“I—You’ll never prove anything!” Laura seethed. Lewis looked at her, his eyes filled with hurt.
“You see, Laura, I had a hunch after Smith was killed that Lewis may not be the one pulling the strings—his accomplice probably was. The accomplice was the smart one, never revealed, never showing his or her face, setting Lewis up to take the fall if anything went wrong. But how was I going to prove it, let alone uncover who his clever accomplice was? Then, when Gladys told me about Smith’s new young lover, it suddenly clicked. What a plan!”
Hallie addressed Lewis, “At first, after you two met, you decided to use Laura’s new access to the doctors in the hospital to set up an extortion scheme, like you were used to doing all across the country. But then, when I hired Smith to back up my files and set up my personal affairs, it suddenly dawned on Laura that she could gain access to Smith and have dozens of people to blackmail all at once. So, she cozies up to the old man and learned where he kept all his files.”
Lewis looked confused. “Laura, is that true? I trusted you.” His pained expression revealed his struggle to accept the betrayal.
“But why continue with blackmailing you, Hallie, if there were far more wealthy clients of Smith to be bamboozled?” Detective Jones asked. His eyes were glistening, enthralled by Hallie’s deductions.
“Because, Detective, Laura was going to double cross Lewis. She needed him to carry out the scheme against me, knowing I would never pay him and most likely expose him. While he was busy trying, in vain, to fool me, she was going to steal the rest of Smith’s files and take off, set for life with a dossier of the secrets of the wealthiest people in Warrenton. I doubt Lewis even knew that part of the plan—”
“What! You rat! I thought you were ‘getting into the good graces’ as you said, of Smith in order to get rid of that second copy of the x-ray!” Lewis exclaimed.
Laura grinned widely. “You fool. You really think it would take me months to get one measly little file? No, I wanted his trust. I wanted access to everything. You always thought too small; that’s how I knew immediately that you were disposable.” She chuckled. Hallie was reminded of a cat licking its paws after a meal. Laura had been quite the actress, Hallie had to admit. When Lewis had first come in yesterday evening, Laura had been the picture of innocence and even appeared afraid of Lewis. Who would have then that Laura had been the one in charge all along?
Hallie nodded. “So Laura snuck into Smith’s house that night to steal the files she would need for her grand getaway the following morning. But something went wrong.”
“I would have been long gone by now if Smith had hidden his files where he said he had!” Laura said, balling her fists. “That no good liar!”
Hallie smiled sadly. “Yes, Laura, that was the thing about Smith—he was discreet above all else, and even a pretty young nurse couldn’t get him to reveal his trade secrets. While you were there banging around in your frustration at not being to find what you needed, Smith woke up and came downstairs, discovering his study in disarray. While he was peering at the desk drawers flung open, you acted rashly and killed him to prevent him from seeing you there. Then you stayed for a few more hours as you continued your search for the files, to no avail. You left just in time to make it to your shift at the hospital.
Hallie paced back and forth in front of the small party. “It occurred to me later on at the police station that Smith had told me when I hired him that he kept each file in a separate place, and that only he and the client would know where it was. And that’s when I realized why I hadn’t known where the x-ray I needed was. Smith had never made a copy! He came by that day but was eager to leave, said he had plans with a lovely girl he had just met—of course, that must have been Laura, my nurse. But it also meant that whoever had killed Smith hadn’t been a client; they wouldn’t have needed
the extra hours to search for their file. They would have known exactly where it was.”
“You still have no hard evidence. These are all just hunches,” Laura sneered. “I want a lawyer.” Crossing her arms, she angled her head at the ceiling and sighed loudly.
“You were right about there being no fingerprints at the scene of the crime, but your fingerprints were all over that house, placing you there definitively. That, combined with the circumstantial evidence, should be enough for a jury to convict,” Jackson said. Hallie lifted the sealed envelope on her desk and handed it to Laura. She opened it and gaped at the fingerprint test results.
Hallie added, “When I guessed it might you who was Lewis’ accomplice and Smith’s lover, I had the detectives sweep the house for fingerprints other than Smith’s, and then we crosschecked them with the fingerprints lifted from your desk telephone.”
Quietly, Laura said, “Well, Dr. Malone, I get how you pieced this all together, but how did you know it was me who was Lewis’ accomplice? How did you know to look for my fingerprints?”
“I didn’t know for sure,” Hallie replied. “But the clues certainly pointed in your direction. You would have known where we stored our files in the hospital, and you would have had access to it to start a fire. And after I saw the same blue car that tried to run me down this morning picking up Lewis outside the Warrenton Hotel, I checked the staff parking lot. I knew I had seen that car somewhere, I just wasn’t looking for it at the time so I didn’t notice. There it was, right in the view of my office window—and I knew that the culprit had to be a colleague of mine. I have no doubt, too, that your fingerprints will be on the steering wheel.” Hallie opened her drapes and pointed to the northeastern corner of the lot where the blue Pontiac was parked. The detectives leaned to see out the window. Laura kept her head rigid, pointed like a dagger at Hallie.
“Then there was the matter of little Poppy, Smith’s dog, recognizing you when I brought him in. I knew you had started seeing someone new right around the time Gladys said Smith jilted her…. I decided to corner Lewis with what I knew and threaten him with prison, hoping he would cave and you would be nearby, ready to step in and defend yourself,” Hallie continued.
Laura’s shoulders dropped, and she brought her hands to her face, which was now a glistening red. “I just wanted to leave this place once and for all—see the world! I never meant to hurt anybody!” Laura said, stricken with the realization that she had been caught. “You have to believe me! I just never had enough money. I resented all these fancy doctors and businessmen around here who had all this money sitting around. I thought I could use the one advantage I had, my youth and beauty, to take some of it myself. But even that wasn’t enough. Stingy old Smith…” she trailed off, and her face crumpled. Angry tears began streaming down her face. At that, the officers handcuffed her and Lewis and led them out of the room.
Detective Jones grabbed Hallie’s hand and pumped it. “Dr. Malone, that was amazing. Have you ever considered giving up your stethoscope for a badge?” he asked.
“Yes, Dr. Malone, that was quite impressive. You are turning out to be as much as a legend and boon to the town as your father was,” Jackson added as he firmly shook her hand.
“Thank you, detectives. You’d be surprised how your perception skills are sharpened as a doctor. I think I’ll be sticking with medicine for now, though!” Hallie replied, giggling.
Chapter 8
A Chance to
Celebrate
A few weeks later, Gladys’ house in the country was more full than it had been in a while. The sun had moments ago vanished beyond the horizon, staining the sky with myriad hues of orange and deep purple. The windows of the strong wooden house glowed from the yellow ceiling lights and joyful shadows passing within. Finally, the season had begun to show its first signs of turning; the last snowfall devolved into sleet, and the ice on the ground had melted by the afternoon. Tonight, the ground was slushy and muddy from the heavy snowbank runoff, but short, light green stalks of grass were beginning to pop up in places, promising a return of those lush fields of grass and vibrant wildflowers Hallie missed. Spring was just around the corner.
“Gladys, this is divine!” James Livingstone said, shoveling another bite of stew into his mouth. Hallie shot him a faux disapproving look and mouthed “manners,” poking him with the end of salad fork.
Slapping him heartily on the shoulder, Gladys replied, “Oh, stop it, Dr. Livingstone! You’re going to make me blush.” She grinned widely, clearly no stranger to compliments on her skills as a cook.
Seated around Gladys’ huge oak table were Hallie and James, Detectives Jackson and Jones with their wives, and of course, Gladys herself. She had insisted that Hallie reinstate her weekly Sunday dinners and that she bring James along the next time she came—Hallie had done one better, surprising Gladys with her group of hungry friends, eager to try some of Gladys’ famous cooking. Detective Jones had been rather enthralled by Gladys’ sprightliness and charm and jumped at the change to spend some time with the older woman. His young wife, Victoria, was a bright addition. A schoolteacher, she was fun-loving and always had a kind thing to say about everything.
Jackson had needed a bit more persuading. After initially protesting that he didn’t socialize with former suspects in a murder, or the townspeople for that matter—“Got to keep my perspective unbiased,” he had claimed—he finally gave in, per the request of his wife, Dolores. Now, Hallie could see how they were a perfect pair, with Dolores’ spontaneous nature to balance Jackson’s persistent pragmatism.
“It truly is all so delicious, Mrs. Dean,” Victoria said. Her tight brown curls bounced girlishly as she bobbed her head in enjoyment.
“Yes, I think we’ll be back shortly!” Dolores agreed with a wink and nudge to her husband.
Hallie took a bite and sighed contentedly. “Now, did you hear that Detective Jackson here was awarded a promotion last week?” She nodded at Jackson encouragingly to share his good news.
His face a shade of pink, Jackson confirmed, saying, “I did… and it’s Sergeant Jackson from now on, Hallie!” He smiled good naturedly. He pulled his new badge from his suit jacket and sheepishly brandished it to the room.
Dolores beamed and planted kiss on his cheek. “Now perhaps he’ll finally agree to take a vacation with me. I’ve just been trying to get him for years to see the rest of this country. I’ve always wanted to take a long road trip, disappear into every little American town we see,” she said.
“Ah, well, I’ve heard Baton Rouge is just the loveliest place you ever did see!” Gladys replied, putting on an exaggerated southern accent and pretending to fan herself with her dinner napkin. She winked at Hallie.
Hallie let out a laugh. “Gladys, stop it, I mean it.”
“Well, I think I would like to head south. Get out of this cold weather next winter…. We’ll have to see,” Jackson begrudgingly admitted, to the delight of Dolores.
Hallie was pleased to see him lightening up. Congratulations spattered enthusiastically for his promotion from the rest of the dinner party, and Jones piped up especially loudly, saying, “I’ll have to find a new partner now, but it’s a small price to pay to see this talented man be given the recognition he deserves!” Pausing, he added, “Speaking of…. Dr. Malone… any thoughts of a change of career—I hear the new best detective in town is need of a new partner!” He roared with laughter, and the others shortly joined in.
“No, thank you,” Hallie said between laughs. “Although I do appreciate the offer! I couldn’t have done it without the help of the Warrenton police, most especially, these two dedicated detectives here, as well as Gladys with her astute perceptions and James, for his depths of medical knowledge. But, I think my talents are best left to the mysteries of the human body.” At this, she leaned into James. “Besides—I don’t know what Dr. Livingstone here would do with me off fighting crime! He can’t handle those…more challenging medical cases like I can.”
James chuckled. “She’s right, fellas. I think I’ll have to speak for the whole medical community when I say, Dr. Hallie Malone is right where she belongs.” He pulled her into a casual embrace.
“And to think, that Ms. Thompson was going to get away with murder, arson, and who knows how many counts of blackmail if it weren’t for you, Dr. Malone,” Dolores said. “I shudder at the thought of someone so sinister living among us for so long. Peter told me that she had cashed out her bank accounts and was planning to make her escape with the five thousand dollars. She had a train ticket to New York City—and from there, she could have ended up anywhere!”
“Now, if I were her, I would have taken that money and gone straight to the Caribbean. Nothing beats the perpetually warm weather and sun and sand and have I mentioned the complete lack of snow?” Victoria piped up with a cheeky grin. “Thankfully, the snow seems to be melting a bit now. I didn’t think I could handle a single more week of winter.”
Hallie nodded her hearty agreement. “To…spring!” she said, raising her wine glass.
“To spring!” the group repeated and toasted.
“You know, we should do this every Sunday,” Jackson said. His statement was met with a stunned silence.
“Why, Sergeant, are you softening to the idea of being friends with all of us, how do you say, potential perpetrators of the law?” James said with a grin. The table erupted into laughter.
“No, no, he’s right! We should make this a weekly engagement. I’m always happy to come eat some wonderful cooking,” Victoria said.