Vanessa buried her head in her hands and sobbed.
“Here,” Maggie dug a tissue out of her purse and handed it to Vanessa. “Tell me about the fraud.”
Vanessa blew her nose. “It started as an accident. There was a mix-up and my husband accidentally charged Medicaid for a test we didn’t perform. When they reimbursed us, we knew we had to return the money. It was the right thing to do. But we didn’t. We told ourselves that we’d send it back tomorrow, but tomorrow never came. We kept the money and all the money that followed. We knew it was wrong, but you can convince yourself of anything. You can convince yourself that there is such a thing as a victimless crime and that you deserve that money. After all, you worked hard in med school. You’re a good doctor who cares about her patients. You’re making sacrifices to help people without access to care. If you don’t deserve a little extra, then who does?”
“How did Hazel find out about the fraud?”
“One of Hazel’s best attributes as a nurse was her memory. Another was her attention to detail. When she saw a patient’s name on our schedule, she knew if that patient had submitted to blood work or had an X-ray three months earlier. And if they hadn’t. I told my husband she would figure it out, but he underestimated her and convinced me I was worrying unnecessarily. But I wasn’t. Of course, she didn’t say anything. Then, she retired and we thought we were safe. We didn’t have to worry about her hovering over us and, frankly, we didn’t have to listen to her talk about the good old days when she ran the clinic. I was so happy the day she retired. It was easily one of the five best days of my life.”
“When did she share her suspicions with you?”
“A few days before she died. It was when she stopped by the clinic. She marched into my office, sat down, and said she was giving me a heads-up due to her respect and admiration for my parents. I didn’t admit to anything, but I pleaded with her to think of my mother and the clinic. A baseless accusation would destroy what my father had built. She countered that my husband and I had destroyed his legacy. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know she had the files.”
“So, you followed her to the lake and killed her while your daughter slept in the car.”
“No.” Vanessa spoke so forcefully that two kids riding bikes in the park turned to look at her. When they rode away, she said, “I did not kill her.”
Oh, no, Maggie thought, not this again. “Vanessa, I think you’ve been truthful up to this point, please don’t start lying to me now.”
“It’s not like that. I did confront Hazel or at least I tried to. She paid more attention to opening those stupid boxes of bleach. I slapped the top of a box and told her to listen to me. I didn’t realize at the time that I had caught my hand on the necklace when I hit the box. I didn’t know it had fallen to the ground.” Vanessa closed both hands in fists. “The noise startled her, she backed up a little, and slipped and fell into the lake.”
“Do you really expect me – and the police – to believe you?”
“Yes. I swear on my father’s grave and on my children’s lives that I did not push Hazel into the lake.”
“But you didn’t make an effort to pull her out of the lake, either, did you?”
Vanessa relaxed one hand and put it up to her mouth. When she pulled her hand away, she said, “No. She hit the back of her head and rolled into the water. I moved toward the water, but suddenly stopped. I thought about my children. I wondered how we would provide for them if we went to jail or if I lost my license. I saw my mother’s disappointed face when she learned what I had done and I also thought of all those patients who depend on the clinic. There’s no other doctor or healthcare facility for miles and Sassafras is not a wealthy community. If I just did nothing, if I just turned around and walked to my car, everyone would be better off.”
“Everyone but Hazel. You’re a doctor. How could you allow her to die?”
Vanessa caught her breath. “I was protecting my family and my patients.”
“And yourself,” Maggie said.
Chapter Thirty
Stella reached over the table and clutched Maggie’s hand. “Thank you doesn’t even begin to express my gratitude to you,” she said. “When no one else believed me, when no one else believed the truth, you did.”
Maggie fidgeted in the booth she occupied with Luke. When Maggie had refused Stella’s offer of a cash reward for solving the mystery of Hazel’s death, Stella had insisted that Maggie and Luke join her at the Dinner Bucket for lunch. Although Maggie appreciated Stella’s generosity, her praise made her feel self-conscious. “It was nothing. Really. I asked a few questions.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Luke said. “You recognized that necklace as a clue. You solved a crime. You’re two-for-two.”
“I don’t know about that,” Maggie said. “The police had it right from the beginning. Well, more or less.”
“No, they did not have it right,” Stella said. “Hazel’s death was not an accident. She was murdered and we, you and I, had it right from the beginning.”
“I don’t know if I would describe her death as a murder.”
“That’s because you believe Vanessa’s version of events,” Stella said. “I do not. I believe she hit Hazel on the back of the head, which made her fall into that water. Then, she watched her die. And I have not forgotten that Earl David Osborne allowed my sister to remain in that water for hours. I told him he had disappointed me terribly. He put his head down and refused to look me in the eyes. I guess his guilt will have to console me because it doesn’t appear as if charges will be brought against him.”
“I thought you might be disappointed in the resolution,” Maggie said.
“Why’s that?”
“Because Earnest is innocent. You were so sure of his guilt.”
Stella sighed. “From what you’ve told me about your conversations with him and Brandi, he seems miserable and that does give me some comfort.”
Maggie heard Luke cough, which she read as an attempt on his behalf to suppress laughter. “It doesn’t seem like he has much joy in his life,” she said.
Stella smiled and tilted her head slightly. “I think that’s what they call karma.”
“So, how’s Dennis?”
Stella’s smile faded. “Not well. I’m afraid he’s unhappy with me. He had hoped I would change my mind and ask my daughter to allow Fallon to stay in the house. I will not do that, especially after learning how she got the money to pay her rent and buy that furniture and her car and who knows what else.”
“Well, it takes two,” Maggie said.
“She took advantage of him and preyed on his vulnerabilities and his good nature. It’s my hope that time will heal his heart and open his eyes regarding that woman. You know, she and Brandi are two peas in a pod. Both used their children as excuses for their bad behavior. Wanting to provide a better life for your children does not justify immoral actions.”
Maggie didn’t want to debate the actions of Fallon and Brandi with Stella, so she asked, “What are your plans for the houses?”
“Brother is going to move back into our family home, rent-free, of course, but my daughter is not signing it over to him. At least not yet. We’re selling Hazel’s house. My daughter hasn’t told Dennis yet, but she’s going to split the money with him. That will help replenish his savings. She said she might even throw a couple bucks my way, but I don’t need the money.” Stella produced an envelope from her purse and said, “Speaking of money, you’ve made it clear that you will not accept cash. So, in addition to this delicious lunch, I hope you will agree to accept these gas cards. They will help fund your vacation.”
“That is so kind of you, Mrs. Martin.”
Stella held her hand to her chest. “Friends do not refer to one another by their titles, Luke. Please, call me Stella.”
“Stella,” Luke said with a smile, “Maggie and I will think of you as we drive toward the Grand Canyon.”
“Yes, thank you, Stella,” Magg
ie said.
“No, thank you. Now that I know what really happened to my sister, maybe I can begin to let her go.”
Maggie and Luke bid their farewell to Stella outside the restaurant. As they walked down the street, Luke said, “I had to make sure I thanked her for the gas cards before you could refuse them.”
“I knew what you were doing.” Maggie smiled. “I also saw you trying not to laugh when she celebrated Earnest’s misery.”
Maggie turned the corner and ran into Seth.
“Whoa,” he said. “I’m going to give you a ticket for speed walking.”
Luke greeted Seth with a slight nod. Maggie said, “Hey, Seth. Are you headed to the Dinner Bucket?”
“Yeah. There’s a club sandwich there with my name on it.”
“We just came from there. We had lunch with Stella Martin.”
“How is she taking the news?”
“She’s handling it well. She feels vindicated. Of course, she’s not buying Vanessa Griffith’s story. She thinks it was murder. It’s not, is it?”
Seth scratched his head. “Probably not and even if it is, her lawyer can bring in as evidence the initial report that ruled it an accident.”
“But she let a woman die,” Luke said.
“I didn’t say a crime wasn’t committed,” Seth said. “But proving murder involves, well, it’s complicated.”
“What will happen to her?” Maggie asked.
“If she’s smart, she’ll accept a deal on this charge as well as on the fraud charges that are bound to be filed. She’ll probably serve some time for the death, but they might get by with only paying a fine on the fraud. I don’t know, though. Anything could happen.”
“I would hate for those kids to lose both their parents.”
Seth grinned. “That’s because you’re a good person, Maggie Morgan. So, are you ready for your trip? You leave tomorrow, right?”
“How did you know about that?” Luke asked Seth.
“I told him,” Maggie said.
“When?”
“I think I told him the other night when I called him for advice.”
“And I bet you were all too happy to help,” Luke said to Seth.
“Luke, you’re out of line,” Maggie said. “I’m the one you’re mad at. Don’t blame Seth.”
“No, he’s the one who’s out of line and, don’t worry, I can be mad at both of you,” Luke said. “He’s been encouraging you to investigate these murders and put yourself in jeopardy just so you’ll run to him for help.”
“Can we please have this conversation later?” Maggie asked.
Luke nodded, began walking away, and said, “Oh, yeah, we’ll talk about this later. You can count on that.”
Maggie closed her eyes. When she opened them, she saw that Seth remained on the sidewalk. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Don’t be. You can’t apologize for another person’s behavior.” Seth shrugged. “Besides, maybe he’s right. Maybe I am looking for any reason to spend time with you.”
Murder at Catfish Corner: A Maggie Morgan Mystery Page 16