A Witness in Disguise (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 10)

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  When I jumped in the car, he grinned at me. “You seem chipper. I guess a good night’s sleep is what you needed.”

  “Yup, nature’s cure to most things evil in the world, like getting drunk from tequila.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’ve recovered. While you were snoozing away like a baby last night, I stopped at Lizzy Walker’s house. I know for a fact she was home but she refused to answer the door. I think it is official; Meagan’s best friend is trying very hard to blow us off.”

  “Hm. I wonder why.”

  We arrived at Holbrook Medical Facility half an hour later. I quickly made my way to George Hart’s room while Carter stayed behind to make more calls.

  When I got to the third floor, I saw Sue-Ann lingering near a nurse’s station eating a muffin and flipping through a magazine. I waved to get her attention and she looked up.

  “Is Maria still with George?” I asked her, practically out of breath from my power walk from the parking lot.

  “No,” she said, pointing to the elevators from where I had just come. “She just left a few minutes ago. You probably passed her downstairs in the lobby.”

  “Oh shit, thanks,” I waved as I ran back to the elevators.

  Back in the lobby, I looked around frantically. I saw a woman heading toward the exit. I moved my legs as fast as I could without drawing too much attention to myself. I called out, “Maria Lopez?”

  The woman with dark hair turned around and saw me coming towards her. She seemed rather curious at the stranger charging in her direction. She wore a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses, which made it more difficult to tell her age but I guessed she was in her early thirties. Her clothing suggested she didn’t like to flaunt the slim figure she had underneath the baggy jeans and shirt.

  By the time I caught up to her, I was catching my breath. “Maria, I’m sorry to bother you. My name is Sarah Woods and I’m a private detective. May I talk to you about George?”

  “What’s this all about?”

  I gestured to a sitting area to the left. “If you have a moment, shall we sit?”

  She didn’t respond right away but she finally nodded. “Okay.”

  We sat at one of the couches and I explained to her that I was hired to look into Meagan’s case. “First of all,” I said. “What is your relationship to George? Were you his girlfriend?”

  Her deadpan expression didn’t change. “No. I used to clean his house.”

  She spoke with a slight accent that I couldn’t quite place. Spanish, perhaps? “Why do you still go to his house to clean when nobody is living there? The neighbor said that you go there about once a week. So, why would you do that unless you and George had been very close?”

  She paused, and turned away. “Because George is a good man. I pray that one day he will return home.”

  I knew there was more to the story but she didn’t seem to trust me. “Ms. Lopez, is there anything you can tell me about Meagan’s disappearance?”

  She pursed her lips in quiet contemplation, until finally she shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t know Meagan that well.”

  I wanted to ask her to remove the sunglasses, as it was unnerving having to stare at my own reflection in the mirrored lenses. “So, back to George, why do you feel compelled to visit him every week?”

  “Because he has no family. Now that his daughter is gone, who will take care of his things? I am the only one.”

  “I think it’s wonderful, don’t get me wrong, I’m just trying to understand.”

  She lifted her chin slightly. “George helped me out a few times, when I was having money problems. He is a generous man and now I feel like it’s my turn to stand by him.”

  “You are very kind,” I said, “I’m sorry if I sound a little dubious.” I handed her my card. “I’d really appreciate if you could call me if you think of anything.”

  “Sure, I can do that.”

  When I got back into the Buick, Carter had just spoken to the fourth friend of Heather Madison’s. “She also confirms that Heather was with them all night. I have no idea if she was lying or not but it doesn’t matter. Heather has her alibi.”

  “Maria Lopez wasn’t much help either. Apparently, she was George’s housekeeper, or at least until he injured himself. I wonder if Meagan let her go once she moved in and took over the bills.”

  “Then why is she still going to his house to keep things tidy?” he asked.

  “She alluded to the fact that George had helped her out financially in the past. She feels like she owes him some kind of debt. She seems to think his condition will improve and he’ll be able to go home, even though I think there’s little chance of that happening.”

  Carter wiped some sweat from his neck and let out a sigh. “Damn, it’s hot out. I need to go somewhere and cool off.”

  “How about we stop and get some coffee frappes for lunch? My treat.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter 11

  It was almost noon by the time we finished slurping down our coffee frappes as we sat inside the air-conditioned ice-cream shop.

  “By the way,” Carter said. “I forgot to tell you. I called Meagan’s insurance company to find out about the accident. They told me no one called in a claim. Not even Meagan.”

  “Maybe she decided to fix the car without going through insurance.”

  “Okay,” He said. “But why hasn’t the other driver? Meagan wouldn’t have given that person the insurance card unless there was damage done.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

  “After three months? I don’t think they’d wait that long.”

  I finished every last drop of the coffee frappe and I was experiencing a full on brain freeze. “So, where are we off to now?”

  “Back to Elizabeth Walker’s home but, this time, why don’t you go knock on her door. She’ll recognize me from last night if I try again.”

  “What do we even know about this woman, other than the fact that she’s supposedly Meagan’s best friend.”

  Carter retrieved his notebook and thumbed through the pages. “She’s twenty-five; married to a plastic surgeon. No kids. She and Meagan went to Bridgeport high school together. Elizabeth went to UNH for marketing but never graduated. She got married in 2012 to Dr. Neal Walker who will be turning forty on his next birthday.”

  “So they’ve only been married a few years.” I said.

  “Yep.”

  I chuckled. “I wonder if the honeymoon stage is over yet.”

  “Let’s head over there and see if she’ll open up to you. Work your magic, Sarah.”

  When we arrived at Elizabeth Walker’s house, Carter parked across the street and cut the engine.

  I looked around the neighborhood and made a low whistle. “Maplewood Court is considered one of the wealthiest areas of Bridgeport. Lizzy and her husband must have some serious moola.”

  “Plastic surgeons make big bucks. His clients are probably mostly rich old women who expect him to make them look twenty again. ”

  “A sucker born every minute,” I said. “But hey, I’m starting to understand the lure of facelifts. The promise of youth is quite the motivator.”

  He made a hand gesture for me to leave already. “Stop talking like that. Now go see if she’s home.”

  As I approached the Walker’s front door, it opened before I had a chance to knock.

  The woman standing there was in her late twenties with honey blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in yoga attire and I could tell she was very fit. She would have been attractive if it wasn’t for the obvious lip injections - must have been a present from her husband - another Angelina Jolie wannabe.

  “Can I help you?” she asked in a clipped tone, as if I’d interrupted something important.

  “Are you Elizabeth Walker?” I asked.

  Her eyes clouded over and a menacing expression emerged. “What’s this about?”

  “My name is Sar
ah Woods. My partner and I have been hired to look into the disappearance of your friend, Meagan Hart. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  “Who hired you?”

  “Mark Gillespie,” I replied. “I assume you know him.”

  “Of course,” Lizzy said. “Meagan lived with him for months before they broke up.”

  I nodded, still waiting for her to invite me in but Lizzy’s gaze became unfocused, as if she’d suddenly lost herself in thought. Finally, she snapped out of it and joined me outside on the porch, closing the door behind her. For whatever reason, she had no intention of inviting me into her home.

  “How much do you know about what happened on the night of April 3rd?” I asked her.

  She tilted her head solemnly. “I know all the details. Or, at least, what the police have told me.”

  “So then you know that Meagan had been dating a guy named Cliff Collins?”

  Lizzy hesitated. “No, she hadn’t mentioned him to me.”

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Lizzy said, resolutely.

  “When was the last time you spoke to Meagan?”

  After a long pause, she continued to stare at her feet. “It was a few days before she was abducted.” When her eyes met mine, there was panic in them. “Look, it’s been three months. I know the statistics. If Meagan hasn’t been found, then it can only mean …” She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes, like it was something she’d learned from yoga to calm herself. When she opened her eyes and looked at me, she had regained her focus. “I’m sorry; I wish I could help, but …”

  “Look, Ms. Walker, is there anyone you can think of who might have wanted to hurt Meagan? That’s all I wanted to ask you.”

  “Of course not. Meagan had no enemies, if that’s what you’re asking and, as far as I know, she had no stalkers.”

  “What about Meagan’s boss, Dr. Amos? Was she having problems with him? Sexual harassment type of stuff?”

  Lizzy’s eyes grew wide. “The dentist? Not a chance.”

  “Well, had Meagan told you anything about getting a restraining order for someone she felt threatened by?”

  Lizzy only shook her head, as if her tongue had stopped working. I waited for her to say something, but she remained silent.

  Why did she seem so defensive and paranoid? I folded my arms across my chest and gave her a serious look. “What’s going on, Lizzy?”

  She snapped her head up. “Meagan’s the only one who can call me that.”

  I put my hands up in defense. I sighed, trying to temper my frustration. “Okay, Ms. Walker, I’ll get out of your hair but one last thing if I may? Do you know someone by the name of Graham Taylor?”

  Lizzy stared at me with what I perceived as genuine curiosity, her anger dissipating just a bit. “No, who is he?”

  “He was reported missing the day after Meagan was kidnapped.”

  “So?”

  “So, two people went missing within twenty four hours of each other. It’s not a common occurrence in this town so it might be significant.”

  “Well, I’m sorry but, like I said, I don’t know anything.”

  “May I ask where you were on the night of April 3rd?”

  The muscles in her neck tensed as her eyes narrowed. “I was here, at home all night, with my husband. We had dinner, watched a movie and went to bed around ten o’clock. Now, if that’s all, I really need to get back inside. I just remembered I have something in the oven.”

  “Sure. Thanks for your help, Ms. Walker.” I held out my hand. At first, I thought she wasn’t going to shake it, but then she did so with reluctance.

  After Lizzy retreated into the house, I jogged across the street and got in the car.

  “I have a question for you,” I said to Carter. “Why would Lizzy’s hand be cold and clammy when it’s almost ninety degrees outside?”

  “What did she say?”

  “Nothing, and that’s the point. She wasn’t even trying to be helpful - and she certainly doesn’t trust me. What’s her problem?”

  Carter shook his head slowly. “Doesn’t make sense unless she’s trying to protect someone, like her husband, perhaps?”

  “You think her husband is involved?”

  “Who else would Lizzy want to protect?”

  My heart began beating in my chest at the weird prospect. “Do we know where her husband’s office is?”

  Carter smiled. “I’m one step ahead of you. I already got it plugged into the GPS.”

  “But Lizzy is probably on the phone with him right now, warning him not to talk to me in the likely event I show up at his work looking for him.”

  “I agree,” he said with a mischievous smile, “which is why I made an appointment.”

  * * *

  An hour and a half later we were sitting in a waiting room of Dr. Neal Walker’s office. Apparently, I was here to inquire about getting a liquid face-lift, a process that involves the injection of fat or liquid into the subcutaneous layers. This is supposed to plump the features and reduce wrinkles, with the hope of taking years off your face.

  Cosmetic surgery wasn’t something I’d ever considered until recently. In my mid-forties, I’d begun to see the inevitable changes and wasn’t particularly fond of them. I’d never considered myself a vain person but the changes were beginning to bug me. Easy solution: wear lots of makeup or simply don’t look in the mirror more than is necessary. My mother had always told me that beauty lies within, which is an easy thing to say to a teenaged daughter with frizzy hair and braces. Of course, her words hadn’t helped me when the boy I liked in school refused to even look in my direction. How could he possibly discover my beautiful personality when he didn’t even know I existed?

  I was a late bloomer, which actually turned out to be the best scenario. Being an ugly child forces you to focus your talents on other things, rather than wasting precious time in front of the mirror.

  “Sarah?” Carter whispered to me. “Are you ready?”

  I snapped out of my reverie. “Yeah. What’s up?” I asked.

  “The nurse just called your name,” he said. “Time to go see the doctor.”

  The nurse escorted us to an examination room. She handed me a clipboard and a pen. “Please fill this out and Dr. Walker will be in to see you shortly.”

  When the nurse left us alone, I tossed the clipboard on the counter and said to Carter, “The fact that we got an appointment today tells me Dr. Walker’s business isn’t going gangbusters. Usually it takes weeks to get an appointment with any doctor in this town.”

  “Not surprising,” he said, showing me his cell phone. “I did a little research while we were waiting and found out that Dr. Neal has a less than sterling reputation. Several of his patients have complained about procedures they’ve had done here.”

  I glanced around the room, noticing the pictures of clients on the walls - before and after photos. Tummy tucks, nose jobs, boob jobs, the works.

  Carter looked at me with an odd expression. “You seem enthralled with these pictures. You’re not considering having something done to yourself, are you?”

  “Of course not,” I said, without much conviction. “I mean, at least not right now.”

  There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. Dr. Neal was wearing a white buttoned down shirt with no tie. His navy blue slacks were wrinkled and his loafers needed a shine. He was handsome in a way but his face needed a shave. His hair looked like it had been groomed with salad tongs.

  “Afternoon, I’m Dr. Walker,” he said, barely making eye contact. He flipped through the pages on the clipboard and blinked in confusion. “You forgot to fill this out.”

  “I didn’t forget,” I said. “We’re not actually here for a consultation.”

  Dr. Neal Walker blinked at me and I noticed his eyes were a bit bloodshot. It didn’t take an overly observant person to realize that something wasn’t right with this guy. In fact, I detected a whiff of alcohol on his breath.
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  “I don’t understand,” he said, scratching his stubbly chin. “You’re not with the Board of Health, are you? I haven’t had any complaints in the last few weeks.”

  “No,” Carter said, gesturing for him to have a seat. “We’re here to ask you some questions about Meagan Hart.”

  At the mention of her name, Dr. Walker almost tripped over his stool as he stepped back. “Who are you guys?”

  “We’ve been hired by Meagan’s ex-boyfriend, Mark Gillespie. This will only take a few minutes and I’ll be happy to pay for your time.”

  Dr. Walker sighed heavily as he lowered himself onto a stool. “Fine, but I don’t know anything.”

  “Were you and Meagan having an affair?” Carter asked, cutting to the chase.

  “Wh .. what?” he stammered. “Who told you that?”

  Carter made a half-hearted hand gesture. “So, it’s true?”

  “Look,” he said, wiping his eyes with his fists. “I was fond of Meagan but, let me make it very clear, I never touched her.”

  Carter crossed his arms over his chest as if he wasn’t buying the act. “Then why is your wife acting like she could not care less about what happened to her best friend? There’s only one thing I can think of.”

  Neal stood up abruptly. “I think we’re done here. I have patients waiting.”

  “What patients are you referring to?” Carter asked. “We were the only ones in the waiting room. Your business is hanging on by a thread because you’ve botched several procedures. Oddly enough, they’ve all happened in the past three months. I find it interesting that before last November, you didn’t have one complaint in the eight years you’ve been a doctor. How do you explain that?”

  Neal refused to look Carter in the eye. “I want you both out of my office right now or I’m calling security.”

  “C’mon, doctor” Carter said, flatly. “We both know you don’t have security.”

  “Well, I’ll call the cops, then. Either way, I’ll have you thrown out of here.”