Blogging is Murder: A Jade Blackwell Mystery

by Gilian Baker

She had the grace to laugh a little before she said, “No, it has nothing to do with my fee. I have other clients to attend to, so I’m going to need help taking care of some of the details, interviews and the like.”

  “Oh , I’m sure we can find someone to help, Gabby. Let’s not let that stand in the way of Liz’s freedom ! ”

  “Oh, I think I’ve already found the perfect person…you.” She smiled at me like the Cheshire Cat.

  “Oh, no. What can I do? I don’t know anything about the law or whatever . And don’t you have to get a private investigator to handle that kind of stuff? I’m simply not qualified, even though I want to help. Surely there’s something else I could do that is more my bailiwick.” I was frantically trying to think of ways to get out of this, other than the fact I was already busy running a business. I’d already done more damage than I thought imaginable when I was only trying to help. Wouldn’t having me around, that involved in the case put it all in jeopardy? Obviously, I wasn’t to be trusted.

  “I thought of that, so I double checked before you got here. In this state, you don’t have to have a P.I. license to investigate. “

  “Well, that’s a bit scary, don’t you think? Do we really want just anyone to be on the loose gathering sensitive information?”

  “That may be true, but the fact stands that that’s the way it is in Wyoming. Most states have strict laws and policies in place for who can be licensed. There’s a lot of courses and procedures to go through, including logging in a bunch of hours with a seasoned P.I. We are one of the few states that has no such statues.”

  I swear she looked smug as she stared me down and recited this information to yours truly . “ B ut I have a business to run. I can’t just take off whenever I want and poke around. I wouldn’t even know where to start . ”

  “It seems to me you’ve had no trouble so far. And I wouldn’t just turn you lose. I would come with you when I could, and we’d have a strategy laid out, including interview questions.” I was running out of, “but’s.” She went on before I could object further, “And need I remind you that I too have a business to run? My dad can’t handle all the cases himself. And I know one of the reasons you started your own business was to have more control over your schedule. I know you have a team of people who help you. After all, I am your attorney. I know your business inside and out.”

  “But, I…”

  “Nope, Jade. That’s the deal. I can’t do it all on my own and there’s no one else I’d trust more. I can’t think of any better training for an investigator than someone who’s spent years in the trenches of academia, vibeing out who was lying. You understand the way people think, and you have a great B.S. meter. You can read people, you are analytical, you thrive on digging into the details and finding patterns. All of the things that made you such an outstanding scholar and professor are the same ones that make you the ideal candidate to be my P.I.” She smiled satisfactorily at me, knowing I couldn’t turn her down after talking her into this job and claiming I would do anything to help Liz. Well, shoot!

  “Okay, you have me over a barrel. Which I guess serves me right since I did the same to you.”

  “You betcha!”

  “But you have to promise that we are going to be a team. I was serious when I said I don’t know how any of this works, and that I’m concerned I will screw something else up.”

  “We will be a full-fledged team: Langdon and Blackwell, defenders of the innocent!”

  “Sounds like a disaster to me . ”

  “Nope,” Gabby said with a light in her eyes I’d never seen before. “It sounds just about perfect to me.”

  Chapter Ten

  After both of us had given in, we’d both surrendered to the cause, we discussed our next steps . we went on to discuss our next steps. Gabby made a phone call to the offices of the victim’s psychiatrist, Dr. Richard Lynch, and set up an appointment for eleven a.m. 11:00 the next morning day . She agreed to lead the first interview, so I could learn and observe. After that, I‘d do most of the other interviews myself, starting with Connie’s former coworkers. My stomach quaked at the thought. I had to keep reminding myself why I was doing this.

  My stomach rolled with each curve I took on the drove home. I wondered what Christian would think of this new development. I worried about fitting all the extra work into my schedule, too. It could drag on, couldn’t it?

  I got home about one o’clock 1:00 p.m. , later than I’d planned , . I hadn’t planned on being gone so long, so the first task I tackled was to get supper started. I I put the thawed chicken breast and chicken stock in the crockpot slow cooker . I’d made sure we’d add the homemade noodles later . Tommy and Tuppence wound around my legs begging in their most pathetic voices for a taste . Giving in, I poured a little warmed chicken stock into each of their bowls before heading upstairs to the office . and potatoes before I had left the house. I sure was glad now that I hadn’t had to make a run to the grocery store after all that . I definitely felt better about it after Gabby and I had strategized, but I was far from comfortable with the situation. I was being shanghaied every which way I turned I gave in and poured a little warmed chicken stock in Tommy and Tuppence’s bowls after they begged me into submission. Clearly, today . I was able to be talked into anything. I was giving into pressure wherever I turned…sigh.

  I went upstairs to the office and Once in the office I reviewed looked at my plans for the next couple of months. My schedule was full of client work I’d already committed to, so I would need to keep my team busy to keep up with to get it all completed in time . Although I expected some of the bloggers Geena was contacting to snatch up the offer to guest blog for A Writerz Block, I still would need more content. I buckled down and finished several posts I’d saved as drafts before I called it a day . Geena . would take care of scheduling and creating the images and stuff before they each needed to be put up later as needed. With that done, I could relax this evening and get to bed early. I was going to need my wits about me tomorrow when I began my new career as a gumshoe.

  ***

  Since Dr. Lynch’s office was in Chesterton The next morning rose bright and sunny, though blustery. , Gabby and I had decided to ride over together. She picked me up around ten am picked me up and on the ride to Chesterton to meet with Dr. Lynch, we so we would have plenty of time to make our appointment with him. Along the way, we chatted about our mutual obsession—Liz’s case. Gabby about Liz’s situation. Gabby had gone to see her earlier that morning to fill her in on the new developments. I hadn’t worked up the courage to see her yet, but that needed to be a priority. I added it to my mental to-do list.

  Gabb y asked for the details of how I’d ended up in Connie’s house and how I’d found the ledgers and journal. Outlining the events for her, I told her about Phyllis. Poor Phyllis— I ’d I had honestly forgotten about her after promising to keep her informed. Another task added to my mental list.

  “What do you think of this Phyllis? I mean, do you think she’s a possible suspect? ” I need to find out if Ross has talked to her.”

  I snickered. “Oh, Gabby, this lady is as old as dirt. She’s sweet and benign. She wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  “But you said she’s the one who had the a key to Connie’s place , and it doesn’t take strength to kill someone with hemlock… just cunning.”

  I considered her proposition for a few moments, but I couldn’t see it. Although I could underst ood and her questioning Phyllis’ possible motives, my intuition was telling me she wasn’t a wicked woman. I guess it was possible that she’d snuck into Connie’s house to gone and add ed the chopped poison plants to Connie’s her prepped meal. She had the opportunity. Did she have the means? It seemed everyone did since it hemlock grew wild everywhere. But I couldn’t imagine what Connie could have done to Phyllis that would cause that sweet old lady to kill her. And wouldn’t her having a key and living right next door be too obvious door to her be a red flag pointing right at her ? They say that most victims kno
w their murderers. Maybe she was hoping to play the innocent old lady. Nope, that did n ’t feel right , either . A a nyway I looked at it, it didn’t add up. It simply didn’t feel right. jive .

  As we neared the building where the good doctor practiced, I asked Gabby what she planned to ask. “I have a few basic questions in mind, but I want you to observe and get a feel for him. See what vibes you pick up. Any clues he’s not being forthcoming or whatever .”

  I took a deep breath and blew it out. “Okay.” I sounded sounded as unsure as I felt . We pulled into the parking lot of the building and got out of the car. Gabby looked professional in her tailored gray suit. I ’d had pulled out the only profession-looking outfit I’d kept from my days at the university. Gabby was sleek and elegant while I was . I felt like an imposter—a little girl playing dress up in my mom’s clothes. I hoped I could pull this off.

  Squaring my shoulders and putting on my confident, professorial mask, I followed Gabby to the frosted door announcing Dr. Richard Lynch in gold lettering. , I thought grudgingly to myself. Faint classical music played in the background in the reception area. Two chairs in matching seafoam brocade stood on either side of a beige leather couch. The requisite copies of Psychology Today, U.S. News and Esquire sat fanned out on the glass coffee table.

  Before I could discover if the couch was as comfortable as it looked, the inner office door slid open and a tall, robust man in a rich navy Armani suit walked out. As he reached over and held out his hand to Gabby, I caught a whiff of his cologne. “Hello. You must be Ms. Langdon. I’m Dr. Richard Lynch.”

  “Thanks for taking the time to meet with us today, Dr. Lynch. I know you must be busy, and we appreciate it.”

  Gabby motioned to me and said . , “This is my associate, Jade Blackwell. She’ll be assisting me with the interview and will follow up with you if we have any further questions.”

  He strolled over with a warm smile on his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Blackwell.” He took my hand in his. “Please, both of you, won’t you come into my office?”

  His inner sanctum was decorated in differing shades of burgundy, accented with a wide variety of plants, each in a matching brass flowerpot. It was a large, open space, but not so comfortable that one could misconstrue that serious work got accomplished here. The room gave the impression you had entered into the presence of someone with whom you could trust with your secrets.

  “Would you like coffee? Or perhaps tea?” He set about preparing our orders after we both agreed coffee would be nice.

  “I, more than anyone, can appreciate how disturbed Ms. Payne was, but I was appalled to hear of her horrible death. I can’t imagine how someone could kill another living being in such a horrendous way.” He added a dash of cream to our coffee and then stirred.

  Letting the pause linger, he gave his total concentration to preparing our coffee as though he were a well-paid barista. Once satisfied they were perfect, he carried the beautiful china cups to us on matching saucers. We each murmured a thank you, and he smiled at each of us in turn, gazing into our eyes for just a moment, before gliding back to his desk chair.

  Dr. Lynch had the perfect demeanor for a shrink. His movements were Zen-like. Even though I was here to observe, to be on-guard, watching for inconsistencies, I found myself sinking into the plush chair, relaxing as though I were having coffee with a trusted confidante.

  Dr. Lynch settled into his desk chair, placed his elbows on his desk and tented his hands. “So, how can I assist you in bringing this heinous murderer to justice?”

  “Dr. Lynch, can you explain Ms. Payne’s diagnosis to us? I understand from Sheriff Lawson you are now comfortable talking about your former patient’s mental health history, since the required legal documents are in place.”

  “Yes, within reason, I am. I do hope both you and the Sheriff understand that I was not trying to impede the investigation, but merely serving the patient in my care to the best of my ability. I have, of course, spoken with her brother, who I understand to be her next-of-kin, and have received his permission to speak frankly, within reason, with both you and law enforcement so that Connie… Ms. Payne, may now rest in peace.”

  This guy was a smooth talker. He spoke intelligently, without being condescending; two personality traits which, in my experience, don’t usually go together.

  Gabby sat perched on the front of her chair, her long, elegant legs crossed. Poised, she held her dainty china coffee cup in one hand and gold-plated pen in the other. She was somehow managing to balance a bright yellow legal pad on her lap, ready to jot down any important utterance.

  I realized I wasn’t prepared to take notes. I glancedaround for somewhere to place my coffee cup so I could dig through my briefcase to gather pad and pen. Dr. Lynch noticed my struggle and gestured to the front of his desk. He graced me with a warm smile as I sat up and leaned forward to put down my cup. All eyes were on me as I burrowed through my bag, as inconspicuously as possible, to locate my note-taking materials. If my previous behavior hadn’t announced my nervousness, my fumbling now had.

  After finally getting situated, I offered a bashful smile to my companions. Dr. Lynch cleared his throat and continued. “Ms. Payne had been a long-time sufferer of Narcissistic Personality Disorder Anti-Social Personality Disorder , or NPD ASPD . She had been in my care for approximately two and a half years before she met her demise.”

  Gabby shifted in her seat after jotting something on her pad. “Can you explain to us the symptoms of NPD ASPD ? For example, what types of actions or behaviors might this have signified in the victim’s life?”

  He leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs before moving into a practiced spiel about the issues with the illness. “Those suffering from NPD ASPD are extremely deceptive, able to project a different persona for each different area of their lives. Connected with this is a pattern of what is best explained to the layperson as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde syndrome. They ingratiate themselves so deeply into their personas that they take on those characteristics and tell the people around them whatever it is they want to hear.”

  Gabby cut in, “Very interesting, doctor. And did Ms. Payne suffer from those symptoms?”

  “Oh, most definitely. She was a master manipulator. She was sixty-one when she first entered my care, so she’d had a lifetime to perfect personas.”

  “Do you know when she was diagnosed? Know anything about her previous therapy?”

  “Yes… some. But first, let me further enlighten you about the symptoms.”

  “Yes, of course, thank you.”

  “ NPD ASPD sufferers also have little to no empathy for others. They hide this well, using their personas to offer a sympathetic face to those who need it, but it’s not genuine, and they only act on those pretend feelings if it will forward their own agenda. As you can imagine, that can lead to misdeeds on their part—they always have an agenda. They don’t interact willingly with others unless it’s necessary, such as in the case of needing to maintain a façade at work or with family. They have no true friends, and only develop ‘friendships’,” he used air quotes to show that the friendships were false, “to play the role which will get them what they want.”

  He showed signs of taking to his topic. He sat up on the edge of his chair and took a sip of coffee before moving on. “You see, they have this belief that they are entitled to whatever they want. And once they move in to take it, if need be, they rationalize their behavior with this belief that they are above others. They feel no remorse for what they do.”

  He was in the process of taking a deep breath to go on with his lecture when Gabby interrupted again. “So, doctor, you surely weren’t too surprised when you learned that your patient was cyber-stalking Liz Conner?”

  “No, of course not. She’s done similar things in the past, though I’m unaware of anything going quite so far as to go to a child’s school. The sheriff, you see, informed me of her indiscretions as they might relate to information I could give him into her psych
e.”

  “Indiscretions?” Is that what you call hacking into someone’s online source of income, doctor? I knew I should remain cool and silent, but this was ridiculous! He made it sound like Crazy Connie was the innocent here, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

  Gabby glared at me while the good doctor looked in my direction with a slight smile on his handsome face.

  “Yes, for lack of a better word. You see, she was suffering from a mental illness that had her under its control. She was simply behaving in the way she was wired to respond to stimulus in her environment. She, for whatever reason, had become fixated on Mrs. Collins, and in her mind, was doing what was necessary to get what she wanted.”

  “Yet she could’ve just built her own blog to accomplish her goal. Then she would’ve been able to say whatever she wanted without hurting anyone else in the process.”

  “Yes, but to her it seemed unnecessary, I’m sure. She could see exactly what she wanted, and it was already created for her. So, she took the necessary steps to acquire it.”

  Gabby jumped in before I could go any further. As she spoke, she shot me a warning glance. “Did she ever speak of her ‘fixation’ as you call it, with Liz Collins?”

  “Yes, she did. She didn’t phrase it that way, of course, but it was a prime focus of our current psychotherapy treatment.”

  “Then why didn’t you put a stop to what she was doing, doctor? Don’t you have any responsibility to the people at large with whom your patients interact? She was ruining Liz’s business. She could have harmed her young children. Isn’t that something you should ‘ve prevented?”

  Gabby was sending me another heated look, but I chose to keep my gaze trained on the doctor’s face, ignoring her.

  “I understand your frustration, Ms. Blackwell… Jade.” Now I was picking up a bit of condescension. “I often experience that frustration myself. But ultimately, I’m responsible only to my patients, unless, of course, they pose imminent danger to others.”