Your Eight O'clock is Dead

by Kat Jorgensen

  “I need that smoke. Maybe I’ll just go outside until Marcy shows up.”

  “No!” I couldn’t let her do that. How would I justify following her and hanging around? I had to keep her here. “I’m sure in light of the circumstances we could break the rules just this once. Especially since there are no other clients around.”

  She didn’t wait for me to offer a second time. She grabbed the cigarette and lighter out of her purse and lit up. Inhaling deeply and holding the smoke in her lungs for what seemed to me way too long, she finally exhaled and relaxed somewhat.

  “Ahhh, that’s better. Thank you, Becca, for understanding. I’ll square this with Miss Priss.” I could only guess she referred to Marcy.

  “Are you and Dr. P. having problems?” I ventured.

  She drew in another long puff from the cigarette. “Let’s just say, we’re not seeing eye-to-eye.” She resumed her frantic movements around the office, and I watched in horror as the ashes dropped from her lit cigarette to the new ivory carpet.

  I trailed her and used the toe of my shoe to grind out any sparks. I’d worry about getting the carpet cleaned later. Right now, I didn’t want us going up in flames.

  “I hope they try St. Edna and throw away the key. Better yet, we do have the death penalty in Virginia. Maybe she’ll get that.” She threw her head back and laughed.

  “That’s not very nice.”

  She stopped and regarded me in open curiosity. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for the old bat. She has everything. Or rather, did. She took Robert away from me and I’d be happy to see her fry for her crime. You know, I saw her come out of the office that morning. At first, I thought she had finally convinced Robert to do couples therapy. But then I knew he’d never agree to that. It was over between them. Over. She’d cut him off without a cent. That was all he hung around for anyway. Did you know that? He wanted the money, not her. She thought she was making him more dependent on her by tightening the purse strings. But she had no idea what that would do to a man like Robert. It sealed her fate. And I sealed hers when I told the police I’d seen her here that day.”

  My jaw dropped. What was Daley & Palmer, Grand Central Station? It certainly had been busy before I got to work that day. At least now I knew who had told the police about Edna’s visit to the office.

  “What were you doing here?”

  She waved her hand dismissively at me. “I was meeting Craig Ancarrow, but it doesn’t matter. All that matters was that I saw her. And you and I both know she killed my Robert.” The maliciousness of her tone caused me to step back.

  Let the ashes fall where they may. I’d play Smoky the Bear later. This woman was pure evil and a fruitcake to boot. Did she really see Edna that day or had she made it up to get revenge?

  “You don’t believe me, do you? I don’t care. Nothing matters to me now. I have nothing to live for. And no reason to protect anyone.” She pulled another cigarette out of her case and lit up. I searched around to see if I could find out where she’d put the other one. But she still had it dangling haphazardly from her left hand. Oh, great. Now I’d have to watch both of her hands. And both cigarettes.

  “What about Tony?” I thought maybe thinking about the man who still loved her might bring her to her senses, or at least slow her mania down.

  “Tony? Tony is an idiot. A boy. With a foolish boy’s dreams. If Robert hadn’t come along, Tony and I would have been history anyway.” She puffed on the new cigarette and seemed distracted to see that she still held the old one. She marched over to my desk and put the first one out in my paper clip holder.

  Okay, rude.

  “The only person I know more idiotic than Tony is that stupid attorney representing St. Edna.”

  Granted Jack wasn’t trained in criminal law, but I hoped he’d get the best help he could for Edna’s defense.

  Then it struck me. “You know Jack?”

  Anna swept her hand through the air, leaving an arc of smoldering ash in her wake. “Of course, I know Jack. I could tell you stories about him that would curl your hair.”

  Actually, I could have told her stories, but hey. Better I forget about swapping Jerk stories and find out how my rotten ex figured into this unholy mess.

  “It’s better for me if the bitch is represented by him,” she continued. “She’ll fry that much faster.”

  “Anna!” Marcy’s voice came from behind us.

  I turned, never so relieved to see anyone in my life. The psychiatrist strode into the room, shot one horrified look in Anna’s direction and swiftly ushered her 9:00 through the waiting area and out the suite door.

  Then she took the cigarette from Anna Blake’s hand and threw it into my mug of water. Gee, thanks, Marcy. And here I’d thought it was bad protocol to defile the paper clip holder. I was throwing the mug out, too. No amount of Dawn detergent could make me drink from that cup again.

  “Anna, into my office this instant. Becca, I’ll speak with you later.”

  And in a puff of smoke, so to speak, they both disappeared into Dr. P.’s private office.

  Not even 10:30 in the morning and my nerves were shot to hell. If I made it past my probationary period, I was strongly thinking of asking for combat pay.

  Chapter 17

  Marcy left shortly after her therapy session with Anna Blake since her calendar was empty until later in the day. Dr. Dick remained in session with a patient and had two more lined up back-to-back who insisted on seeing him today. Other than that, it had been a quiet afternoon. After the crazy morning, I appreciated the peace and quiet.

  All day, I’d fixated on Ryder.

  I wanted to believe that the mystery woman was only his client. But I had a suspicious nature. Besides, what could be so clandestine about seeing an accountant? Unless the accountant wasn’t really an accountant.

  And if not, then who was R. J. Ryder and what did he really do for a living?

  The jangling telephone snapped me out of my thoughts and back to the present. “Daley & Palmer. This is Becca. How may I help you?”

  “Becca. It’s Edna O’Malley. Is Dick there?” Her voice sounded almost giddy.

  “He’s with a patient. I mean, a client.” Damn, I had to work harder to get the whole client/patient thing right.

  “Oh, I see.” I could hear the disappointment in her voice.

  “Is there something I can do?”

  “I’ve been released from jail, and I hoped Dick could scoot over here and drive me home. I told my attorney to leave before I realized I’d need transportation.”

  “Jack left you alone?”

  “No, dear. Not Jack. One of his friends. A criminal defense attorney. A brilliant man. He was able to convince the authorities to drop all charges. Don’t ask me the particulars. All I know is that I’m free.” Her voice practically sang the last word. “But I need a ride home.”

  I checked the time. I could go get her, drop her at her place and still be back here before the next patient, damn, the next client, arrived. “Dr. Daley is going to be busy for several hours, but I can come get you,” I volunteered.

  “Oh, Becca, that would be marvelous. I’ll watch for your vehicle.”

  I gulped. Damn, my Honda was still in the shop. “About that…” Before I could tell her that I didn’t have transportation, she rushed on.

  “I don’t think I can stand to stay here another minute. Forget waiting inside. I’m going to go sit outside in the sunlight. Hurry, dear.”

  The phone went dead in my ear before I could explain about my car.

  I could have called Granddad to come and take me to the jail, but too much time would have elapsed by then.

  I could ask to borrow Ryder’s car. No, that wasn’t a good idea either. For many reasons. And that left one choice.

  I rapped on the door with more force than I’d intended. The sound reverberated through the empty reception area of the suite.

  The door opened a crack.

  “What is it, Miss Reynolds?”
I swear he hissed the words at me.

  “Dr. D., I wouldn’t bother you unless it was an emergency.”

  His face paled, and he said something to his client I couldn’t make out. Then he opened the door and slipped out to where I stood. He was careful to shut the door quietly behind him.

  “What is it?” He looked around the waiting room like he half-expected to see another client, casters up.

  “Oh no, it’s nothing like that,” I hurried to allay his unspoken fears.

  “Didn’t I tell you not to interrupt me in session unless something urgent cropped up? This better be good,” he whispered.

  “You did, and I think this qualifies. Edna O’Malley just called for you.”

  His face displayed a range of emotions in quick succession and his face drained of what little color it had left. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. The police have dropped all charges, and she’s free to go.” I found myself whispering right along with him, although I’m not sure why we were keeping our voices so low.

  “That’s wonderful news. But you shouldn’t have brought me out of session for that.” He started to retreat into his office.

  I put my hand on his arm and felt it stiffen. Sensing I’d do better without personal contact, I whipped my hand back and said, “Here’s the thing. She’s stuck at the jail and not too happy about it. I kind of promised her that I’d go get her when she found out you were unavailable.” His expression softened when he realized that she had called for him to pick her up.

  “You could have just left me a note, Miss Reynolds. And listed it on your timesheet. Something like this is a reasonable excuse for leaving the office. Even though it isn’t Daley & Palmer's business in the strictest sense, Mrs. O’Malley is a friend of the firm. Carry on.”

  “I’d love to, Dr. D.” He winced at the nickname, but I suspected he’d given up correcting me. Smart man, since I’m not sure I’d ever remember to call him Dr. Daley. “There’s only one tiny problem though. My car is in the shop.”

  He stood there for several seconds doing that rapid eye-blinking thing that drove me crazy.

  “So, you offered to pick Edna up but have no method of doing so.”

  I nodded yes.

  He rubbed his hand over his face. And reached into his pocket and held out his car keys to me. “Please be careful. No speeding. No reckless driving. And bring it back in one piece. I’ve seen the dents in your car.”

  I didn’t wait for further orders. Instead, I snagged his keys, grabbed my purse from the drawer and hightailed it out of there.

  After a quick and uneventful drive to the jail, Edna and I were on the way to her house.

  “I can’t believe Dick loaned you his car. He’s always had a thing for his vehicles. I remember back in college, he had this beautiful metallic blue Mustang. One weekend we drove up to the mountains. It was a beautiful day. On the way home, Dickie looked so sleepy, I offered to drive.” She giggled like a schoolgirl at the memory. “The next thing I know he pulls over at a roadside diner. Dickie got out and came back with a huge Styrofoam cup of black coffee. Even then he’d rather have been wired on caffeine than let me behind the wheel. He must think the world of you, Becca, to let you drive his ‘baby.’”

  No, I thought, he must really love you. Because if I’d needed the car for a rush kidney transplant, Dr. Dick would have told me to call a cab. My boss loved Edna O’Malley so much that he’d violate his rules for her. I wondered if that extended to eliminating Robert O’Malley, the man who had neither loved her nor treated her the way a husband should.

  We pulled up to Edna’s home and I carefully parked at the curb. I heard sounds coming from behind the house. Voices. An argument.

  “That’s my Granddad’s voice!” I yanked open the car door and raced across the lawn with Edna not far behind.

  As I rounded the back of the house, there was my not-as-spry-as-he-thought-he-was grandfather dangling from a two-story ladder that leaned against the house.

  Dear God!

  “Granddad! What are you doing?”

  He stopped thrashing long enough to glower down at me. “What does it look like I’m doing?” His voice held a trace of agitation and yes, anger.

  Then I noticed Louisa Mae Alcott Smith, Edna’s mother, at the window just above Granddad’s ladder. She had a dust mop in her hands. Strange.

  “Mother, what are you doing?” Edna asked as she shielded her eyes against the late afternoon sunlight. “Marty, are you all right?”

  Both spoke at once, and Edna and I exchanged glances, neither of us catching what they’d said.

  “One at a time, please. Marty, you first.” Edna had taken control of the senior citizen situation.

  “I came over here to clean your gutters and this dingbat woman ups this window and starts beating me with a mop and yelling ‘pervert’ and ‘Peeping Tom.’” Granddad managed to regain a foothold on a ladder rung much to my relief.

  “Dingbat? You silly old man. You scared the life out of me with all of that racket. Richmond has had its fair share of murders and rapes. I read the papers. I thought you were breaking in. Either that or you were getting an eyeful while I reclined for my afternoon nap.”

  Edna and I exchanged glances.

  “Granddad, get down here this minute,” I ordered.

  “I’d love to. But someone has to call off the mop brigade.” He glared at Louisa Mae and blew dust bunnies off his shirt.

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Smith. My granddad won’t hurt you. I’m sorry he frightened you. Please don’t hit him again. If he falls from there, he’ll break every bone in his body,” I pleaded.

  Much to my relief, Mrs. Smith withdrew the mop.

  “C’mon down Granddad.”

  “I can’t,” he protested.

  “Yes, you can. Now.” I definitely used my outside voice this time.

  “I’ve got a case of vertigo going here, Bec. It isn’t safe for me to move.”

  I struggled against an overwhelming terror. From time to time Granddad got benign positional vertigo and spent the day reeling around the house like a drunk on a bender. It was more than a little scary to think of him on a ladder in that condition.

  I had to stay calm and focused.

  Even more, I had to keep him calm and focused. Not my strong suit. Fortunately, I had an unexpected stroke of brilliance. Hey, it happens. “Just put one foot behind the other and hold on tight. Mrs. O. and I will steady the ladder for you. It’s either that or I call the Fire Department and have them come help you down.” I used the threat deliberately, knowing that was the last thing my proud grandfather would want. Somehow my words spurred him into movement. I’d never been so grateful for anything in my life.

  Tentatively, he clung to the sides of the aluminum ladder and lowered one foot after the other making baby step progress, but progress nonetheless.

  I held my breath the entire time he made his way down to the ground, scared spit-less that he’d fall.

  As he got close enough for me to touch him, I reached out to steady his body and give him support, even if it wasn’t much more than moral support.

  “Becca, for goodness sake! I’m having a hard enough time with this without you goosing me,” he shouted, his reaction indicating he’d been every bit as scared as me.

  “I did not goose you.” I looked at Edna and she smiled in complete understanding. I guess she knew all about grandparents and the strange things that came out of their mouths.

  When Granddad finally put both feet on the thick lawn, I could see his body visibly relax. Even though he tried to conceal it, I caught the slight tremble of his hands. It was hard for me to think of my grandfather scared of anything. He had been my hero my whole life, a man who had served his country with distinction, a man who lived his life without fear, at least as far as I knew. This ladder episode proved that he was as human as the rest of us.

  Edna and I gave him a big hug.

  To be honest, I didn’t want to let go. />
  It took him a few moments of being back on terra firma to realize that Edna was here and not in the county jail. The instant he did, he set me aside, no doubt embarrassed by my fussing.

  “Edna, you’re out.” His brows drew together. “Becca, did you have something to do with this? Are you in trouble with the authorities? You know, a jailbreak is not a good idea. They’ll catch you. Both of you.” Worry lines creased his forehead.

  “We didn’t break Edna out. Her lawyer got her released.”

  “Well, as much as I dislike Jack, I’m happy to see that he finally did something right.” Granddad gave Mrs. O. a fatherly pat on the shoulder.

  “Not Jack, Granddad. Mrs. O’s new attorney got her released.” I clarified.

  “That explains it. I knew that idiot couldn’t do anything right. You probably spent more time than you should have inside that place, Edna, thanks to Jack’s incompetence.”

  “No, Marty, Jack did all that he could. There was a lot going on behind the scenes. I’m grateful for all his help. I am. I just want to put this whole sorry incident behind me. Way behind me. It’s good to be home.” Edna stared at her house with a mixture of longing and peace. At least, that’s how I interpreted her expression.

  “Edna, my baby.” Mrs. Smith had changed out of her lounging outfit and dressed to kill, so to speak, in a pale blue linen dress and navy pumps. She ran to her daughter. “I’m so glad you’re out of that horrible, horrible place. I would have come back to see you, but those corrections people were so tacky, darling. And I just couldn’t bear to see you in that hideous shade of gray.” As Edna’s mother fussed over her daughter, I pulled granddad off to the side.

  “I leave you alone and the next thing I know you’re the west end Peeping Tom.” I tried to lighten the mood.

  “Not funny, Becca. That woman swings a mean mop. I swear I’ll be coughing up dust bunnies the way Higgins coughs up fur balls.” To prove his point, he stuck his tongue out and used his handkerchief to wipe out his mouth. He jerked his head in Louisa’s direction. “Remind me to steer clear of Baby Ruth over there.”