“I’m as strong as a lot of men.” Marianna paused for emphasis. “Like you.”
“Did you know she wasn’t dead yet? She died of drowning in the chocolate.”
“I didn’t know, but thanks for telling me. That’s poetic justice for you.”
“Once I disallowed everything you said about yourself, I was left with the fact that you needed to live next door to Howie, what with him working at the chocolate factory. He was your number one patsy. You must have been planning this for what, a year?”
“Longer. Ever since Sister Mary Margaret told me who my real mother was.” Marianna reflected. “It’s too bad about Howie. I really liked him, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I had to have a fall guy.” She stopped speaking and smiled. Percy picked up the conversation.
“And by inventing a husband who was on the road all the time, one you could join occasionally, it gave you a lot of freedom. You could come and go as you pleased to assume the other identities. Like Helena Wilson, girlfriend of patsy number two, Ronald Bogdanovitch.”
“Oh, yes. Ronald. Such a randy guy. He was easy.” Marianna stroked the dog’s head and neck, almost out of habit. “How did you tie me in with him? I’m curious.”
Percy reached in her pocket and pulled out an envelope from the Hudson Hotel. She opened the flap and took out several long blonde hairs.
“Let’s start with the hair taken from the bathroom in the apartment Bogdanovitch set up for you. I found another one in the factory’s office. If you look under a microscope – which I did - you can see not only are they the same, but at the tip of each strand is a small growth of blue-black hair. I’m betting it’s the same color hair as Carlotta’s. It’s an unusual color as you, yourself, said about my son’s hair.”
“I’m beginning to realize I have to be careful what I say and do around you.”
“You’re not the first to think so.”
“What else?”
“Next you left a bowl of water in the hotel room, something someone might put down for a pet. And all three women were the same age, same build. Last and most importantly, Lola Mae and Helena had no past. They showed up out of nowhere and vanished into nowhere.”
“True. Such is a vagabond life.” She lifted up the long haired dark wig next to her. “How’d you know this was a wig?”
“The only way one woman could continually have different color hair is to use wigs. Thanks to the Goldbergs, it’s not a foreign concept to me. When an Orthodox Jewish woman gets married, she shaves her head and wears a wig.”
“We use them a lot in show business, too. But I’m glad I don’t have to do this anymore.” She grabbed a hank of her over-bleached hair. “It’s time consuming and peroxide is hard on the hair.”
“I guess in order to be Helena, you had to use your own hair.”
“Had to; sleeping with someone can be messy. And Ronald liked blondes. A Betty Grable fetish.”
“So you bleached your own hair and got a job as a cigarette girl at his favorite bar. It wasn’t hard for you to use him to get into Carlotta’s business, I’m assuming when she wasn’t around.”
Marianna gave a soft laugh, while stroking the dog’s fur. “He was such a dope and he loved flaunting me after the fact. He even had his way with me on her desk. He’d fallen asleep afterward, but then I’d put sleeping pills in his whiskey.”
“That’s when you got into her safe.”
“There were many worthwhile things I learned in my six-years in the carnival. Opening safes was one of them. It can be a lucrative sideline for a traveling carnival.”
“And when you opened the safe, you found your birth certificate, and her papers, including her will and financial earnings. You ever wonder why she kept your birth certificate? Maybe she cared more than you think.”
Now a throaty, self-deprecating laugh emerged from Marianna. Hard eyes focused on Percy from across the table.
“Not bloody likely. When I told her who I was, do you know what she did?“
Percy shook her head slowly.
“She spit on me. Spit on me!”
“That must have been rough.”
“She said she kept the birth certificate as penance, a reminder of the most terrible, sinful thing she’d done in her life. That’s what I was to her.”
“So your plan was what? Pay her back for the miserable life she forced on you?”
Marianna looked away then brushed her cheek against her pet’s fur. The features of her face softened, but her voice kept the same hard, matter-of-fact edge.
“She threw me out like so much garbage. So yes, I wanted to pay her back. She was a cold-hearted woman and insanely jealous of Ronald. I decided to use him to get to her.”
“Did he know who you really were?”
“No. Like most men, he only saw what he wanted to see. But as Helena I used him to access her business, see what was there for me. When I got into the safe, I found out that dear mama was much richer than I had suspected. And the will was phrased right, leaving everything she had to her next of kin. I didn’t have to change it.”
“So the wording of the will worked as long as it looked like somebody else did her in. Like Howie.”
“Exactly. According to the law, I can inherit from my mother, even though she gave me up for adoption. Once the cops found my birth certificate and read the will, I knew it would only be a matter of time before they located me. I’ve been waiting.”
“It might have been a long wait. One of the employees broke into the safe after you did and stole the certificate, hoping to use it to blackmail whoever was Carlotta’s kid. Don’t look so alarmed. I’ve got it right here.” She patted a pocket of her coat with the hand still holding the scarf.
Marianna gave Percy a fleeting smile. “Well, you just can’t trust anybody these days, can you?”
“True enough. Why the rope? Why did you tie the rope around her neck only to throw her into the chocolate?”
“I’d been down in her cellar before and saw a coiled rope tucked away in a corner. That night I knew she’d be downstairs in the cellar, as she usually was, mixing the concoction. She was so busy concentrating; she didn’t even hear me come up behind her. I threw the rope around her neck, and threatened to hang her from one of the beams in the ceiling. I wanted to see her sweat.”
“And did she?”
“No. She thought I only wanted her money, which she had no intention of giving me, I might add. That’s when she spit on me. So I strangled her. Pulled the rope so tight, my hands actually got rope burns.”
“Then what?”
“Then I thought, why not bury her in what she loved the most? So I dragged her body upstairs and threw it into the empty vat. I went back down and grabbed all the chocolate I could find. I surrounded her body with it, that chocolate that meant more to her than anything or anybody in the world. Before I left, I turned the flame up as high as it would go. Burn, witch, burn.”
“You have a flair for the dramatic.”
“Thank you. Then I went back to Lola Mae’s apartment and became her again, waiting for the police or someone like you to show up. I needed to be on the spot, to make sure Howie hung for this. Did you like the story about the young ‘gentile’ woman pounding on Howie’s door the week before? I threw that in as a distraction.”
Percy chose not to answer that question, but said, “It must have been hard, keeping up three separate lives.”
“Not really. When I was Lola Mae, I got to be in a bright, lovely apartment. Howie was fun and taught me a lot about cooking.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him the next time I see him.”
“And when I was Helena, well, you could say I was off my feet a lot. Say what you will about Ronald, he knew how to please a girl. I was sorry to have locked him in the freezer like that, but he was getting in my way. Now that Carlotta was gone, he wanted for us to come out into the open. I couldn’t have that. Lola Mae and Helena had to disappear.”
“So you could go
back to being just Marianna Christensen. At least for awhile.”
“That’s right. Then take the money and run. Off to somewhere for an extemporaneous existence. Have you ever been to Brazil?”
“Nope. And don’t get too attached to the idea, yourself.” Percy waved the gun at her. “I have to hand it to you. Interesting characters, Marianna, Lola Mae, Helena, a teenage boy. The smaller, standoffish one, right?”
“Attitude is everything, Percy Cole. You should know that.”
“You are one talented girl. And you speak so well. Words like extemporaneous just roll right off your tongue.”
“You’re not the only woman who can read a book and learn. Of course, you finished high school. I left in the eighth grade. Now don’t you look so alarmed. I had to do a little research on you, see what I was up against, ask a few questions. I may have gone to the School of Hard Knocks, but I graduated summa cum laude.”
She leaned forward, worrying the dog’s collar.
“You and I have a lot in common, Percy Cole.”
“Not really.”
“Sure, we do. We’re both smarter than anyone suspects. We know what’s what. I’m now worth over a quarter of a million dollars. Keep your mouth shut and we can split it. Think of what you could do for your son with that kind of money. We could be partners.”
“Forget it. Your partners tend to freeze up on you.”
“That’s a shame. That means I’ll have to kill you instead.”
In one quick move, Marianna removed her hand from the dog’s furry neck holding a small derringer. It was pointed directly at Percy’s heart.
“We’re at a standoff, Percy Cole.”
“So I see.” Percy gestured to the small gun with a nod. “Very clever.“
“Oh, this?” Marianna gave a self-deprecating scoff. “A trick I picked up along the way. I always keep it attached to Poopsie’s collar, with the safety on, of course. Hand over the birth certificate.” She reached out a hand. “I’ll have to plant it somewhere the cops will find it then we can all go about our business.”
Percy shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so.”
Percy stared at her, the Mauser never wavering. Marianna returned her stare with an amused smile, an almost amused glint in her eye.
“Why Percy, don’t you trust me?”
“Not as far as I can throw the Empire State Building.”
“In that case, it’s a Mexican stand-off. Who’s going to shoot who first, Percy Cole? It would be a shame to make Oliver an orphan, but this is kind of fun. After all, I have nothing to lose. You, on the other hand, have everything. Should we both fire at the same time and see what happens? On the count of three. One – two -”
“Hold on, Marianna. Let’s not get carried away. Maybe we can work something out.”
Percy set the Mauser on the table and shoved the gun toward Marianna. It stopped dead center. Marianna looked confused, but Percy assumed a relaxed position, as relaxed as Marianna’s had been moments before. The detective gave her a smile.
“See? I can be reasoned with.”
Marianna looked doubtful. “Just like that? I don’t believe it.”
Percy shrugged and in doing so, accidentally dropped the scarf from her hand. It fell to the floor. While bending over to pick it up, Percy reached inside the sleeve of her right boot.
She pulled out a Jim Bowie knife and threw it at Marianna’s hand holding the gun. The sharp blade flashed as it pierced the soft part of the woman’s hand between her thumb and forefinger. Marianna’s wounded hand released its hold and the gun clattered to the floor. The knife landed next to it.
Marianna uttered a sharp cry of pain and clutched at her bleeding hand. The frightened dog jumped off its owner’s lap and backed into a corner of the room whimpering. Leaping up, Percy ran to the other side of the table. She retrieved the derringer and knife from the floor then stood over the woman who moaned.
“That’s a trick I picked up along the way.” Percy looked down at the woman rocking back and forth cradling her hand.
“Wrap this around your hand to stop the bleeding,” Percy said. She dropped her scarf in Marianna’s lap, while snatching up the Mauser from the center of the table. “Then stand up, Marianna. We’re going to go into the other room and find that phone to call the cops.”
Chapter Forty
Percy pulled Ophelia into the space at the curb in front of her lower east side apartment building. This was a close-knit neighborhood. Car owners who lived here tried to leave designated parking spaces. This was the Cole spot.
Percy turned off the motor and sat, thinking. The past few days had been busy and she was exhausted.
A rap on the window on her side of the car startled her. She looked over and saw the smiling face of her friend, and sometime suitor, Detective Ken Hutchers. He took a long drag on his cigarette then threw the butt into one of the many puddles of melted snow.
Percy opened the car door and alighted, reveling in the warmer temperature that had released the tri-state area from the recent grip of frigid, arctic air.
“Hey, Hutchers.”
“I see you got your car back.”
“Yeah, Rendell organized to have it dug out yesterday. Then the big overnight thaw happened. If they waited a day, they could have saved themselves the trouble.”
“Ain’t that always the way?”
“Yeah. Pop drove it back last night, since I’ve been spending my time at police stations filling out reports. Man, you cops do more writing than policing, as far as I can see.”
“You’re telling me. Nice weather we’re having,” he said looking around.
“Sure is. Must be at least forty-five degrees. Maybe I’ll go swimming.”
They both laughed and leaned against the side of the car next to each other. Percy relaxed for the first time in three or four days. She looked at the man who had that effect on her.
“What’s up?”
“First off, the lab results for the strawberry jam tested just like you said. Loaded with arsenic.”
Hutchers turned and grinned at Percy. She smiled back at him.
“I figured if ‘Lola Mae Lawton’ dropped biscuits and jam off to Howie in jail, there would be more to it than an act of kindness.”
“Good thing your father confiscated the basket first and Howie didn’t have any of that jam he professes to love.”
“Yeah, he can be a pig.”
“Anyway, the D.A. thought about getting her for the attempted murder of Howie, but --”
“But why bother?” Percy interrupted. “I mean, you could get Marianna Christensen for the attempted murder of me, if you wanted. Pushing somebody off a moving train is not good for their health.”
“Other than the few bruises on your cheek, Perce, you seem to be okay.”
“You should see the bruise across my shoulder blades from landing on that railroad tie.”
He moved closer. “Is that an invitation? Because I’d love to.”
“Cool it, buster. Somebody could walk by at any time.”
Her voice was stern, but she nonetheless smiled. As if on cue, a man and woman with three kids hurried down the street, caught sight of Percy, and waved. Percy waved back. They then went up the stoop and into her apartment building. She turned back to Hutchers, gesturing to the young family disappearing into the building.
“Some of our invited guests. The Coles and Goldbergs are throwing a party for Howie, early, so kids can be a part of it.” She changed the subject. “The scuttlebutt is Marianna confessed to doing in Carlotta, Bogdanovitch, and her adopted father when she was eleven.”
“That man was no loss to the world.” Hutchers gave Percy a knowing look.
“But you have to admit, it isn’t a normal reaction for a kid, even one that gets beat up regularly.”
“But she might not have turned out the way she did, if she’s had some decent upbringing.”
“Spoken like a true father.”
“I try. Even though I o
nly see my kids on weekends, I try.”
A sadness swept over The New York detective and settled down on him. Percy reached out and touched his arm lightly.
“Come on upstairs, Hutchers. I can promise it will be lively.”
“Thanks, but I got to get going soon.”
He took out a packet of cigarettes from his coat pocket, flipped one out, and offered it to Percy. She shook her head.
“Given it up. Bad for your health.”
“Says who?”
“Nobody yet, but they will.”
Hutchers shrugged, took out the cigarette, and lit it with a match. There was an awkward silence. Percy studied the man by her side.
“Okay, so why the big stall?”
After a long pull on the cigarette, he spoke.
“We got back the dental comparatives today. I wanted to tell you in person.”
She took a deep breath, drew her body away from the car, and stood tall. “So how did it play out?”
“The dental x-rays taken of the corpse right after the accident and the ones taken from Leonard Donovan’s dentist, they match. The body in the car is now officially listed as Leonard Donovan’s.”
Percy turned away from him, lost in her memories and feelings.
“So Leo is really dead. No scam.”
“No scam. You were probably right about his wallet being thrown from the scene and somebody finding it. I’m sorry, Perce.”
“Thanks.” She shrugged then tensed up. “I’ll have to tell Oliver. I don’t know how he’ll take it.”
“Tell him what he needs to know and answer any questions. Then be there for him. That’s my advice.”
“That’s pretty much what Pop said. I think mothers try to solve all the problems of the world for their children. Fathers can be more realistic.”
“Until their girls are old enough to start dating. All bets are off then.”
The Chocolate Kiss-Off Page 18