Twisted Reason (A Lucinda Pierce Mystery)

by Fanning, Diane

Doubts about her motivations in this case of missing and deceased senior citizens took over Lucinda’s thoughts. That, in turn, took her back to that awful day – the sound of gunfire, the smell of the powder in the air, the slow-motion drop of her mother’s body onto the stairs. The roar of the shot that followed and the thump as her father’s body hit the floor in the hallway. She blamed herself. She shouldn’t have hidden at the top of the stairs. She should have come down when she heard her father’s voice. He wouldn’t have shot her mother if he knew she was watching. Or would he? She would never know and because of that she had never been able to grant herself absolution for her inaction.

  Is that why I’m meddling in a natural death, an accidental suicide and a drowning? Is that why I am trying to find other reasons? To make someone responsible for their deaths? Or is there really something there? Her musings travelled in circles. A half hour after Jumbo went inside, her frustration pushed her to try to derail her train of thought.

  She lowered the visor, slid open the mirror and contemplated her face. Rambo said he wanted to work on her nose next. She doubted he could ever make the damaged side look anything like the original. But she’d probably let him have a go at it anyway.

  She signed deep and long. She’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time for just a brief moment. And it was taking years to deal with the aftermath of that tiny bit of time.

  The passenger door opened, drawing her out of her ruminations. “Sorry about that, Lieutenant,” Jumbo said. “If I’d known it would take that long . . .”

  “You don’t need to say another word, Butler. I’d have busted in there and dragged you out if needed.”

  Jumbo gave her a sidelong glance. “I’m still not sure when to take you seriously and when you’re just jerking my chain.”

  Lucinda laughed and pulled away from the curb.

  A note from Ted lay in the middle of Lucinda’s desk: “Here’s the list I picked up from Mrs. Humphries last night and the one I got today from Mrs. Kendlesohn – surprised she survived your visit – what a B!”

  Lucinda chuckled, lifted the note and scanned the lists. She pulled out the two others she’d gathered, laid them side-by-side, and cross-checked the names. She made a separate list, prioritizing the facilities that made it onto all four lists, working down to those that were on only one. She got on the Internet and went to Google maps where she planned the most efficient route for visiting the places highest on her list.

  Ted interrupted her, “Ah, you found them?”

  “Yes, thanks for running those errands for me.”

  “Okay, tell me the truth: were you really tied up this morning or were you avoiding seeing that woman again?”

  Lucinda laughed. “I really was tied up – missing a visit with Mrs. Kendlesohn was just one of those rare and welcome perks. Hey, you said you wanted to talk. So, what’s on your mind?”

  “It might take a while – I don’t want to take you away from more important things.”

  Lucinda shrugged. “Aside from visiting these senior residential units, all I have to do is wait for toxicology results or a miracle. And I doubt I’ll find answers at any of the facilities, but still, it is something that needs to be done, but not this red hot minute. Let’s go across the street to the coffee shop – I need a latte.”

  Ted nodded and they left the office. In the elevator, Lucinda asked about Ted’s children. He shared a brief update on school grades and sports activities but she could tell he was holding something back. She knew whatever was on his mind, it obviously would affect his kids – and that probably was an area of serious concern.

  The coffee shop wasn’t one of those tidy, cookie-cutter places like Starbucks or Seattle’s Best. This was a funky hang-out with strange artwork on the walls, piles of magazines, community newspapers and tattered paperbacks on occasional tables and conversation areas of comfy furniture in the rear as well as a section of prim café tables and wrought iron chairs up front. The counter was overloaded with plastic wrapped brownies, glass jars filled with biscotti and contribution cans for half a dozen causes.

  The barista who greeted Lucinda and Ted was actually the owner. His long gray hair cinched into a ponytail that hung down to the middle of his back making him stand out from his much younger employees. He prepared Lucinda’s latte and Ted’s cup of dark roast with practiced, efficient moves that made him appear as if he really had three or four hands instead of just the two visible ones.

  Lucinda led Ted back to the far corner of the shop where she slid into one overstuffed chair while Ted sat diagonally across from her. “So what’s up, Ted?”

  “I’m thinking of making a major change – moving out of town – soon.”

  “Won’t you want Pete and Kimmy to finish up the school year first?”

  “That’s just it, Lucinda, I wouldn’t be taking them with me – I’d leave them with their mother.”

  “Whoa, back up, Ted. I thought you were living with Ellen and the kids again and I thought you were getting along well.”

  “Yes and yes.”

  “Well, then, why are you thinking about leaving them?”

  “It’s my dad. He’s been going downhill since he lost Mom six months ago. He’s not up to caring for the house and yard but he can’t bring himself to sell the place – it was where Mom grew up. I need to go be with him and help him take care of things.”

  “I remember that house, it’s huge. Your whole family could fit in there with room to spare. There’s something else happening, Ted. Spill it.”

  Ted took a sip of his coffee and looked away.

  Lucinda sat patiently; if she had learned anything from interrogations, it was that if she waited out the periods of silence, the pay-off often was useful information.

  Ted did not disappoint. He turned his head back, staring into his coffee mug. “Ellen and I are getting along fine – in fact we’ve never gotten along better. But it’s not like a married couple – it’s more like a sister and brother. I sleep on the sofa ‘cause it feels like it’s wrong to share a bed with her.”

  “Is this that tired old place, Ted, where our high school romance is coloring your perception?”

  Ted snorted. “Listen, I deserved that – and I don’t blame you for thinking that way. But Ellen and I talked about it. She brought it up – she was the first one to say she deeply valued our renewed friendship but she just didn’t feel that way about me any longer. She hasn’t even mentioned you except to express her gratitude for your support in the courtroom and her mortification at pulling a gun on you.

  “I’ve got to admit it was a relief learning that she lacked any passionate feelings for me, because I sure didn’t feel that way about her. When I think about making love, you are on my mind.”

  “Ted . . .” Lucinda bristled.

  “I know, I know – you’re not ready to go there until I resolve my family issues. At least that’s what you’ve been saying all along. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking that’s just been your nice way of saying, ‘No way, Jose’ But I’ve accepted it. And my dad needs me.”

  “I know your dad’s place is only a couple hours away but the kids are still so young – you won’t be able to see them all that often, not with working and taking care of your dad. And for that matter, where will you work?”

  “The work part is easy. I already have a job offer with the Regional Computer Forensics Lab . . .”

  “Congratulations. So those courses you’ve been taking the last couple of years were worthwhile, despite your many doubts.”

  “Yes. And thank you for not saying, ‘I told you so’,” Ted said with a laugh.

  “But the children, they need you.”

  Ted sighed. “I’m not convinced that they do.”

  “Oh, c’mon . . .”

  “Seriously, Lucinda. When I come home from work, I often feel like I’m intruding on a tight family unit where I don’t belong. It’s as if the three of them have moved on without me. I mean, the kids still love me and they�
�re glad to see me, but it’s not like they really miss me when I’m gone.

  “I just don’t get it. It hurts – a lot. I was there for them while their mother was in the hospital for more than a year. And yet, now, it seems like she’s the only one that really matters.”

  “Ted, they’re kids. They take you for granted. They’re just making up for lost time with their mother – it’s temporary, nothing more.”

  “I don’t know, Lucinda. I just don’t know. I’ve got to make a decision by next week to accept or reject the job offer. I’m taking all the time they are giving me, but I don’t know how I can turn it down – it’s a terrific opportunity and my dad needs me.”

  “Have you talked to Ellen about this?”

  “No. No. I don’t want to make her feel forced into moving with me or anything like that.”

  “Ted, talk it over with her. Tell her what you’re thinking. So maybe she doesn’t want to move into the same house with you up there but maybe she’d want to move nearby – for the kids’ sake. Or, after all she’s been through, maybe she’d like to move somewhere new to get a fresh start.”

  “I hadn’t considered that – maybe I should talk to her.”

  “Maybe? Oh good grief, Ted. Maybe? Even though you’re not sharing a bed, you’re living in the same house with this woman – you have to talk to her. You can’t just slip out the door and not come back.”

  “I wouldn’t do that. I would’ve said something to her at some point.”

  “You mean on your way out the door?” Lucinda said with an exaggerated eye roll. “Man up, Ted. Talk to Ellen. Do it tonight.”

  Ted held up his hands, palms facing out. “Okay, okay, I’ll do it. Do I need to bring in a note tomorrow to verify that I did?”

  “Shut up, Ted,” Lucinda said with a shake of your head. “Are you busy this afternoon or would you like to ride with me to the senior living facilities, for old time’s sake. I could use your puppy dog eyes and schmoozing talents with the ladies. It always seems to make gathering information a whole lot easier.”

  Twenty

  Lucinda and Ted stopped first at River’s Edge, the one facility on all four of the lists provided by the families of the three dead and the one still missing. It was far more upscale and stylish than either of them had imagined. A vast foyer spread out just inside the entrance of the main building. The centerpiece of the room was a round inlaid table topped by a huge vase filled with a dazzling array of flowers.

  Lucinda’s heels clicked on the highly polished floor as the pair walked to the information desk. Between the four victims, there were three contact names at River’s Edge. Lucinda introduced herself to the perky receptionist and requested to speak to all of them. A young man, wearing a suit and a look of compassion and weariness usually associated with funeral home staff, and a middle-aged woman, with a bounce in her step and an eternal smile on her face, met them at the desk; the third person was not at work that day. “I’m Jenna and this is David,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. It’s such a lovely day. Why don’t we talk out in the garden?”

  Lucinda smiled as she thought that this woman was so full of sunshine, she would think it was a “lovely day” even if the wind was howling, lightening striking and hail pounding the top of her head.

  Jenna led the way to a large enclosed courtyard with white wooden furniture scattered in conversation groups among the bushes, small trees and flower beds. She patted her legs and said, “Now, what can we do for you?”

  Lucinda asked about the three families who visited the facility. Neither one of them remembered anyone but Mrs. Kendlesohn. David winced at the memory. “Not a very pleasant woman and a bit too eager.”

  “Too eager?” Lucinda asked.

  “Yes, definitely. Most children and their spouses visiting here for the first time are reluctant, hesitant, worried about making the right decision, but not that Kendlesohn woman. She would have dropped her mother-in-law at the doorstep and driven off if it were possible. She was asking to be added to the waiting list long before we got out of the lobby.”

  Lucinda raised her eyebrows, pleased to hear affirmation that she hadn’t been too harsh in her judgment of Mrs. Kendlesohn; she was as bad as her first impression and merited further investigation.

  “I’m so sorry we don’t have anything more to offer,” Jenna apologized. “But we do have a constant stream of people in here day after day. Perhaps we could offer a tour of the facilities?”

  “It might be useful,” Lucinda said. And who knows what we might learn? “Another thing that would be of tremendous value would be a list of disgruntled former employees who left in anger or were fired for cause.”

  “I’ll pass that request along to the Human Resources department,” Jenna said, “but there’s no one that comes to my mind right away.”

  While touring the assisted living area, a gray-haired, wrinkled-face woman’s smile reminded Lucinda of her mother’s and how much she wished she could see it again. She went on a flight of fancy, imagining visiting her mother here, taking her out for lunch, meeting her friends.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Jenna and David came to an abrupt stop in front of a pair of doors. “The people in this area of River’s Edge are free to go where they want to go – out to the courtyard, down to the club, the swimming pool, out for visits off the grounds – but that is not true for this next part of the facility we will visit. We will be going into the Alzheimer’s lockdown facility. It’s not just for Alzheimer’s patients but for those suffering from any form of dementia. Be careful when we enter – and when we leave – there is a woman who tries to slip through the doors all the time.”

  It was here that Ted fell quiet as he dwelled on darker thoughts about his father and the possibility he would end up in a place just like this one. Looking into the drawn faces and vacant eyes of so many of the inhabitants, he recognized his dad’s ultimate fate and cringed from it. He saw a man in the corner with a small group of people gathered around him. The man waved his arms and seemed engaged in enthusiastic storytelling but even that man’s eyes reflected an emptiness that betrayed his energetic performance.

  They stopped in the recreation room and watched a staff member lead a few women and two men in a child’s memory game. Seeing their difficulty to do the simplest task horrified Ted. He wanted to scream out the answers. Instead, he turned around and fast-walked back up the hallway to the exit, his gaze not once lifting from the carpet beneath his feet.

  As he punched in the code, he was not aware of the little lady standing patiently beside him. He did not realize she slipped out the door with him until a staff member shouted out, “Marie is out, again.”

  A small army emerged from the lockdown unit and other parts of the building. They mobilized to surround Marie. Each one of them moved slowly and talked softly. Marie dodged about as if seeking escape from the closing net. Finally, a male aide got close enough to her to offer her his arm. She gave him a coy smile and slid her hand into the crook of his elbow. “My, my, Miss Marie, it’s a fine day for a stroll, isn’t it?” he cooed as he led her back through the doors.

  Ted apologized profusely to David and Jenna.

  “No harm done, sir,” Jenna said. “You were obviously moved by your experience in there and your mind was on other things. It’s understandable – the lockdown unit is a powerfully sad place.”

  Lucinda wanted to visit at least two more facilities that afternoon but wondered if she should take Ted back to the Justice Center first. They climbed into the car but Lucinda didn’t turn the key in the ignition.

  Ted didn’t say a word, didn’t look in her direction and gave no indication that he was aware that she hadn’t started the car. She waited two minutes, then three. Finally, she broke the silence. “Ted. Ted.”

  Ted shook his head and looked over at her.

  “What is it?” she asked. “What bothered you so much back there?”

  Ted hung his head and shook it slowly from side to si
de.

  “C’mon, Ted. Spit it out.”

  Without lifting up his face, he turned it in her direction. “I – I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean you don’t know what bothered you?”

  He inhaled deeply and straightened his spine. “It’s not that. I know what bothered me. I just don’t know what to do.”

  “Is it your dad, Ted? Is that what it’s about?”

  “Yeah, I just realized that I’ve been in denial. He’s worse off than I thought.”

  “How? What happened?”

  “I call him nearly every day, Lucinda. Most days he says, ‘Hi there, son. Long time since I’ve heard from you.’ He’s slipping. And I saw his future in that lockdown unit and it tore me apart. I really do need to get up there and the sooner the better.”

  “You need to talk to Ellen tonight.”

  “Yeah, that’ll be fun.”

  “What, Ellen and your dad don’t get along?”

  “Oh, heck, that’s not it. The two of them get along better than I often get along with either one of them. They love each other. When Ellen was in the psychiatric hospital, he drove down here to visit her every month.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “In there, I realized I need her help with Dad and I’m afraid she won’t be willing to give it to me.”

  Eli Kendlesohn spoke to the funeral home and made arrangements for his mother’s body to be transported back for her service and burial. He agreed to meet the man on the phone the next morning to select a casket and take care of other details including the financial matters.

  Rachael walked into the room in the middle of his conversation. When he returned the receiver to the cradle, she said, “Why are you going to all that trouble and expense?”

  “Rachael, what do you mean? We can’t just leave Mother at the morgue and pretend she didn’t exist.”

  “Don’t be an ass, Eli. What I mean is: why are you wasting all the money transporting her body and buying a casket?”

  “What do you want? You want me to bring her home in the trunk of my car and bury her in the backyard?”