by Adam Zorzi
“I relieved myself in the sea grass above the dunes before I got to the car.”
“See anyone?”
“No. It was early April. A few people sat in beach chairs by the dunes, but not many. The water was still cold.”
“No one asked the time, no runners coming from the other direction, no kids digging in the sand?”
“No.”
“Hotels?”
“I passed the Windjammer if that's what it's still called around Fifty-Seventh Street. I don't know if it's open year-round.”
“People might have seen you if we looked for them?”
“It's possible. I was only in that three mile area.”
“What about your clothes?”
He looked blank.
“Sand, Lamb?”
“I brushed off my running shorts before I got in the car. Kicked my running shoes against the car until most of the sand was gone. I changed my tee shirt before getting in the car. When I got home, I washed my clothes.”
“Shoes?”
“I gave them another rinse in the kitchen sink and put them in the boot tray in the mud room. Jill's meticulous about tracking stuff through the house. I've been extra careful about little things since I moved into the guest room.”
“How soon did you wash your car?”
“The next day, Sunday. I went to a self-service car wash, cleaned it inside and out, and rinsed the tires carefully. I didn't see any sand.”
“Receipt for the car wash?”
He shook his head. “A couple of other guys were there. I didn't talk to them.”
“Maintenance on the car?”
“My mom had the windows tinted. I don't know where. I think she saw an ad to have it done in a half day. She didn't want anyone trying to see Katie in the car.”
“How does that work? Does someone have to get inside the car?”
“No,” said Rob. “A serviceman opens the car door and rolls the window up and down, but doesn't have to sit. The front windshield was already tinted as much as allowed by law.”
“Lamb, I haven't received your medical records.”
“I didn't request them. Besides, I went for a physical last week. Nothing's wrong. I've lost a few pounds since Jill.” He stopped himself. “Since the funeral.”
“Dan,” said Rob. “Tell her about the specialist.”
No. He wasn't going to humiliate himself any further. What possible reason would she have to know he saw a psychiatrist and a therapist?
“You see a therapist.” Indifferent. Matter-of-fact. She was a mind-reader. “Grief counseling, job loss, marriage counseling?”
“General counseling.”
“He has chronic depression,” said Rob. “It started when he was sixteen. He had a couple of episodes in college. He was fine until Bella broke up with him when he was in graduate school and he attempted suicide. After being hospitalized for ninety days, he lived with our parents for more than two years and tried a boatload of medications before he could live independently. He had two hospitalizations before he married Jill when he was almost forty. He still has mild episodes. He's been on anti-depressants since our father died, more when Jill found out about the affair, and even more when Jill was murdered. The psychiatrist sees him every two weeks and requires he see a therapist weekly.”
“Thanks.” She turned to Dan. “That wasn't so hard, was it?”
She stopped pacing.
“The bruising on your right thigh? Sticking with the fell out of bed story?”
“It's the truth. I thought you hadn't gotten my medical records.”
“Health club masseur told Winston and Elba.”
They'd talked to Orlo…Probably anybody at the club that Sunday. He'd never be able to go there again. Or Katie.
“Didn't Ms. Davis grow up at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront?”
“Yes.
“Go by the house? Take a peek for old time's sake?”
“Bella's parents moved to St. John after she graduated college.”
“Didn't answer my question.”
“No, I didn't go by Bella's old house. If anything, I'd avoid it. It's painful.”
“I'm done. Questions?”
Yeah, maybe if he had some coffee and sat outside for about an hour, he'd come up with dozens of questions. His mind wasn't working right this minute.
CHAPTER FIFTY
“Why is this a capital case?” asked Rob.
“Their theory includes kidnapping. Two felonies.”
“You said all the evidence is circumstantial. What's the evidence?”
“Repeating myself,” she glared at Rob. “Motive. He had an affair. Might be nice to have the wife out of the picture. Access to the murder weapon morphine, keys to the car, kid's out for the weekend, no alibi. Throw in missing gold and jewels, temper, and psychiatric history, and he's toast.”
“That's circumstantial. Can't you counter all those things? None of it is beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“At trial, yes. Doesn't stop the police from making an arrest of their most viable suspect.”
“What about Bella? His…”
“I know who she is. She's unavailable right now.”
“What does that mean?” asked Rob. Dan was suddenly alert.
Lombardi shrugged. “Out of town. Moved. Who knows? Cops can't find her. She may have sold great-grandmom's jewelry and is waiting for Dan to meet her in Monte Carlo. Dan admitted sending the jewelry to her.”
“A pair of earrings. Not all of it.”
“So he said.”
Dan felt like he was watching a black and white movie. Lombardi, in her black suit, talking to Rob in his white shirt. He heard what they said, but it made no sense. It was a foreign film. Taking place in Monte Carlo. He wanted the credits to roll.
“Anything else?”
“How much notice will he have if they decide to make an arrest?” asked Rob.
“I'll know the night before and arrange to take him in the next morning before ten or so. Anything else?” Silence. “Good.” She motioned for them to leave.
They stood. Before she walked away, Rob said “You know his last name is Ramsay, right?”
“Certainly.”
“Why do you call him Lamb?”
“He's a dear naïf creature who doesn't have a clue what's about to happen to him.”
CHAPTER
FIFTY-ONE
The drive home from Lombardi's that afternoon was tense. They rode in almost complete silence. Rob didn't ask any questions about revelations of drug use Dan had made and Dan didn't ask Rob why he felt it necessary to disclose his mental health history to Lombardi. Worse, the coins and jewelry were gone.
Late Friday afternoon, Elizabeth called. Grandparents' Day had been a tremendous success and she wanted to extend it a bit by taking Kaitlyn to the home of one of her classmates. Another classmate and her granddaughter would be joining them. The granddaughters were two years older than Kaitlyn and lovely girls, Taylor and Amy. Dan asked to speak to Katie.
“I know Grandmother Elizabeth is there listening to you, but do you want to go with her after school?”
“I think so.”
“Are Taylor and Amy Mean Girls?”
Katie laughed. “Yes.”
“Are you acting in front of your grandmother?”
“Of course, Dad. Don't be silly.”
“Don't let those Mean Girls get away with anything. “
“Yes, Grandmother Elizabeth will be right there.”
“Okay. Put her back on.”
“Yes, Elizabeth, but please have her home by nine. Be careful the older girls don't pry.”
“Of course, Dan, they're lovely girls.”
***
Katie seemed fine after Elizabeth's visit. She'd enjoyed having dinner and spending the night in a hotel with her grandmother. The activities at school were fun. She and Elizabeth had won a prize.
Katie seemed not to have been upset by the older girls. She was eager to take a bath, pu
t on her pajamas, and go to bed.
“I missed Mr. Rabbit,” she explained in her room.
“You didn't take him with you?”
“No, Grandmother Elizabeth would've thought I was being a baby.”
Dan sat on her bed and patted a spot next to him for her to sit. “Katie, you're a sensitive girl. Don't let anyone, Grandmother Elizabeth included, tell you how to feel. Your mom just died. That's about the worst thing that can happen. You feel whatever you want to feel as long as you want.”
She nodded. “I do, Dad. Grandmother Elizabeth is different. I don't feel like defending myself over things that aren't important. If I wouldn't have been able to sleep without Mr. Rabbit, I would have taken him no matter what she thought. I don't need him. I like him.” She paused as though she wanted to get the next words exactly right. “Dad, did Mom have a boyfriend who killed her?”
“Is that what Taylor and Amy said?”
She looked down at her lap. “Yes, when Grandmother Elizabeth was in the garden with the other grandmothers.”
He lifted her chin to look at her face. “The police don't know who killed your mom. If Taylor and Amy think they know something about it, tell them to talk to the police.”
“Dad, I don't want them to think Mom had a boyfriend. She loved you. She didn't need a boyfriend.”
“Katie, you can't control what other people think. I don't think your mom had a boyfriend. I think she was trying hard to forgive me for hurting her. She loved our family. Your mother loved us too much to have a boyfriend.”
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you very much, Katie.”
He watched her hop in bed with Mr. Rabbit. He pulled Jill's handmade quilt over her. He hurt so much, tears fell on a few patches of the quilt.
CHAPTER
FIFTY-TWO
Dan planned to nap Saturday afternoon. It was exactly one week since Jill had been lowered into the ground. It seemed like seconds and felt like years. He hadn't had a chance to mourn.
So far, he'd seen and pissed off the cops, retained Lombardi, seen two doctors and a therapist, started more meds that so far did nothing, and relied completely on his mother to keep the household running. She said she'd stay as long as he wanted. She wasn't missing anything in Florida. It was about time for the snowbirds, including some of her friends, to return up north.
Jill had always found that expression hilarious. “If Robert E. Lee knew Floridians referred to Virginia and North Carolina as Up North, he'd have to rise up and fight again. This time against barbarians in Florida. They were barely a state during the civil war.”
Dan was grateful for his mother. He didn't want to think what would be going on if his father were alive.
He'd just laid down fully dressed except for his shoes on top of the sheets. He'd rolled back the duvet and was trying to make his mind blank.
The door swung open. Elizabeth. “Dan. What are you doing in here?”
He sat up. “It's my bedroom, Elizabeth. What do you want?”
“I'm going to go through Jill's clothes to take back a few things. I'd like to have something and I'd like to get things for Jane and Emily. They're her size.”
“Back off, Elizabeth. Don't touch a single thing that belonged to Jill. They belong here in her closet until Katie and I are ready to put them away, if ever.”
“Why, she's my daughter and she'd want me to have things. And her sisters.”
“No, she wouldn't.”
“Dan, that's a terrible thing to say.”
“Elizabeth, nothing in this house belongs to you. Please leave my bedroom. Don't ever come in here again.”
***
At dinner Saturday evening, after Elizabeth had left for Charleston without saying goodbye to Dan, Katie elaborated on their time together. “We went to the Japanese Garden for dinner. Grandmother Elizabeth had never eaten sushi. She didn't want to eat raw fish so I helped her pick out a California roll, a cucumber roll, and an avocado roll. She liked the cucumber roll a lot. She said it was almost like a tea sandwich.”
Dan smiled at that. It probably did seem like a tea sandwich to Elizabeth.
“Grandmother Elizabeth didn't know how to use chopsticks and asked for silverware. They didn't have any. She was so funny. She couldn't pick up anything without dropping it. None of it spilled on her dress, though. That would've been bad. She's meticulous.”
“Like your mom,” said Dan.
“Mom wasn't that bad. Grandmother Elizabeth is much worse.”
“Did you like staying at the hotel?” asked his mom.
“It was fun. Our room overlooked the pool, but it wasn't open yet. I brought home soap and shampoo samples. Grandmother Elizabeth said it was okay. We didn't watch TV. She said it jangled her nerves. We listened to the classical music radio station. Why would TV jangle her nerves?”
“Some people find TV distracting. They don't like it as background noise. I think Elizabeth believes it's impolite to have the TV on while trying to have a conversation.”
Good catch, Mom.
“Why?” persisted Katie.
“When she wants to watch a program on TV, she pays attention. If she's not watching a particular program, it's unnecessary noise when she's having a conversation with you.”
And Elizabeth also prevented Katie from hearing any news about her mother's case. Good for her.
“She said we need living room furniture, Dad.”
“She told me that, too. What kind do you want?”
“I don't know. What kinds are there?
“There's antique, like Great Grandmother Charlotte's,” he said. “There's formal, contemporary, and casual. I think that's it.”
“I'm glad the antique stuff is gone. It was uncomfortable.”
“I think we're all glad it's gone. Let's start with color. What color do you want to paint the walls?”
“Blue, of course, Dad.” She looked to Selma as if to say what other color could there be?
“Blue it is. I think they're some furniture and home furnishings catalogues around here. We can look at them tonight and get some ideas. Tomorrow we'll go to the paint store and pick out a color blue. I can paint the room this week.”
He hoped he could. He hoped he wasn't arrested this week. He couldn't believe he was going to be arrested, much less arrested for killing Jill. Surely, the police were smarter than that.
“I'm sorry, Katie. What did you say?”
“Dad,” she gave him an exasperated look. “I said Grandmother Elizabeth asked me if I'd like to spend the summer in Charleston with my cousins. She said there was a day camp at the country club. Aunt Jane has a pool, and I could ride horses at Aunt Emily's.”
Damn that woman. She was so manipulative. One good thing and then she'd do something sneaky.
“Katie, your mom and I already paid a deposit for you to go to camp at Summer Hill like last year. Maybe you could visit your cousins in Charleston after that. I'll have to look at dates.”
His mother took over. “Kaitlyn, do you want to go to Charleston?”
“Not really. I don't think I could live with Grandmother Elizabeth for a whole summer. I like Grandfather George, but she's too strict. I'm sure I couldn't play video games or watch TV or have any fun.”
“What if you stayed with one of your aunts?”
“Aunt Jane has two teenage boys. They're noisy and smelly and tell the dumbest jokes over and over. I don't want to live with them. I think Aunt Jane drinks a lot or pops a lot of pills or something. She always seems out of it.”
“What about Aunt Emily?”
“She's fun, but she has equestrian competitions this summer. I don't know if she'd be around much. Her daughters are okay, but all they talk about is horses. I don't really like horses.”
“Have you been around horses much?” asked Dan.
“We went on that trail ride once on vacation, remember? Jada took us horseback riding for her birthday. It was okay, but kind of boring.”
“We don't
have to decide that now. Do you want dessert? Sorbet?”
“No, thanks. I want to look at those catalogues. Where are they, Dad?”
“In the wicker basket next to your mother's chair in the den.”
“May I be excused?”
Dan nodded. He didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes. The mention of Jill's chair in the den overwhelmed him. Grief hit him when he wasn't expecting it. Katie took her plate to the sink and dashed into the den. His mom suggested dessert for them.
“Dan, we'll have sorbet. I got orange cream.”
His mother cleared the table and set a small glass bowl of orange cream in front of him.
“Eat it, Dan. You don't want to lose too much weight.”
He took a bite to please her. Like he was eight years old.
“That woman,” he started. “It's like she's trying to turn Katie into Jill. Jill ran away from that stifling house. Katie's a completely different kid. She's going to feel worse than Jill did. Jill hadn't had ten years of a different life.”
“You don't have to decide anything now, Dan.”
“Maybe I do.”
His mother looked surprised.
He took the empty sorbet dishes to the sink. He went to the den where Katie was absorbed in the furniture catalogues.
“Katie, take those upstairs to your room. Try to narrow it to your three favorite pieces. I'm going to watch TV down here for a while with Gran.”
When Katie had gone upstairs and the dishwasher had been loaded, Dan and his mother sat in the den. He had a large glass of water. His mother had coffee.
“Mom, the lawyer said I could be arrested any time.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “Arrested? For what?”
“For murder. For Jill.”
“That's ridiculous. You didn't kill her. I thought that lawyer was supposed to be very good.”
“She may be. It's not like I have any experience to compare. Lombardi said I'm the number one suspect. I don't have an alibi that can be proven, Jill had discovered my affair, and I was stressed after the loss of Dad and my job.
He lowered his voice. “Mom, Jill went to see Will Bowles.