Birthdays Can Be Deadly

by Cindy Bell

  Chapter Two

  “Dad?” Mike cried out as he leaned towards his father. The nurse who worked in the community rushed forward to check on James.

  “Is he okay, Owen?” Samantha gasped as she watched the nurse attempt to rouse James. Others nearby tried to gather close to check on him, but Owen waved them away.

  “Give him space,” he demanded, his voice troubled. “Call for an ambulance, quickly,” he shouted.

  Owen pulled James off the table and spread him out on the floor. He began doing chest compressions while the nurse's aide called for an ambulance. Mike, still in a daze, stared down at his father sprawled across the floor.

  “All right, everyone, the party is over,” the nurse's aide said, after she had hung up, and began waving the guests towards the door of the recreation hall. “Let's give James some privacy,” she pleaded with the stragglers.

  As everyone began to leave, Samantha did her best to linger. She wanted to know whether James was going to make it. Soon, she was one of the only people remaining in the hall. She noticed that Eddy was also still in the hall, standing near the exit. He noticed her as well, before shifting his gaze back towards Owen.

  “Dad,” Mike said as he crouched down beside his father. “Please wake up.”

  Samantha looked at James thinking that it did not look as if there was much chance of him waking up. Eddy opened the door for the paramedics who rushed in with a gurney in tow.

  “I don't think James is going to make it,” Eddy said quietly to Samantha.

  “Don't say that,” Samantha argued in a whisper, though she knew that he was right. “He could still pull through, we just have to think positively about it.”

  “Okay, you go on and think positive about it,” Eddy said with a hint of animosity. He got a little fed up with the positive thought movement.

  Owen stepped away from James and let the paramedics take over. He looked up to see Samantha and Eddy still in the recreation hall.

  “Guys, you really need to clear out,” Owen said gravely. Samantha noticed that he refused to look directly at her. She nodded her head.

  “Sorry, Owen, I just wanted to see if there was any way that I could help.”

  “The paramedics are handling it,” Owen said, though his voice wavered when he spoke. Owen was a very caring nurse. He didn't just do his job, he seemed to care about the people that he worked with. He was also studying to become a doctor. Samantha thought he would be a great one since he was genuinely invested in the well-being of his patients.

  As Eddy and Samantha were turning towards the door, one of the paramedics walked over to Owen and spoke quietly to him. When Owen looked over at Eddy and Samantha he didn’t have to say anything for them to realize that James had passed away, his face said it all.

  Eddy opened the door for Samantha and they stepped out of the recreation hall.

  As the door clanged shut behind him, Eddy grimaced. He looked over at Samantha.

  “It’s so sad,” Samantha said quietly. “To die at your birthday party.”

  “I know, it’s terrible,” Eddy said looking at the ground.

  “Are you coming?” Samantha asked.

  “I'm just going to wait here a bit longer,” Eddy replied.

  “All right,” Samantha nodded. She watched him for a moment as if she was about to ask him a question, but instead she turned and walked away. Eddy surveyed the flood of brightly colored shirts heading back to the villas that wrapped around the lake in nearly a full circle. The further away they got, the more they looked like the cheerful birthday balloons that the recreation hall was dotted with.

  “Easy come, easy go,” he muttered to himself and shook his head at the demise of the celebration. Soon, he was the only person near the recreation hall. Eddy kicked the toe of his shoe lightly against the sandy dirt that surrounded the front steps. He pretended to be searching for something in the dirt. He would come up with what he was searching for if anyone asked him what he was up to. The door opened and Owen stepped outside.

  “Owen,” Eddy said in a cool tone and offered him a nod.

  “Eddy, not surprised to find you here,” he said grimly as he locked eyes with Eddy.

  “I think I dropped something,” Eddy muttered and kicked at the dirt again.

  “Nice try, Eddy,” Owen shook his head and descended the steps to join him. “I know why you're here.”

  “So?” Eddy asked. “What really happened in there?” he knew that Owen would tell him everything there was to tell. Owen was fascinated by the cop stories that Eddy would share with him. Most of them true. Some were slightly embellished because it amused Eddy to see Owen so interested. Of all the people at Sage Gardens, Eddy felt the most comfortable around Owen.

  “It looks like a heart attack,” Owen said quietly and then tilted his head towards the corner of the building. The two men walked around the side of the building. Eddy studied Owen curiously. Owen lowered his voice. “He had a strange rash on his skin and his skin was so pink, Eddy. I've never seen anything like it before and certainly never heard of anything like that occurring with a heart attack.”

  “What are you saying, Owen?” Eddy asked as he narrowed his eyes.

  “I'm not saying anything really,” Owen replied nervously and glanced over his shoulder. “I'm only telling you because of your history, Eddy. I just don't feel right about calling this a simple heart attack.”

  “What do you think it was?” Eddy pressed sternly. He knew how to get a confession out of just about anyone.

  “I'm not sure,” Owen admitted hesitantly. “If I had to guess, I would say that he had a strong reaction to something that caused a heart attack. Maybe medication or even poison. “

  “Poison,” Eddy repeated as he mulled over the possibility. “Some poisons can cause symptoms like a heart attack,” he agreed slowly.

  “So, you think I might be right?” Owen asked with a hint of excitement at the idea of seeing through a crime.

  “Hmm,” Eddy rubbed his hands together twice. “To tell you the truth, Owen, as a detective I always relied more on the why than the how.”

  “What is the why?” Owen asked, his brow furrowed.

  “It is the motive. Okay, we know James is dead. We know he could have possibly died from a heart attack, or he could have possibly been poisoned with something that would make it look like natural causes. So, the quick question that comes to mind is, who would want James dead? Who would go to the lengths of poisoning him? If you can find a reason, or a person in his life that might be the driving force behind his death, then I would be more likely to move towards poison. However, that is sometimes a hard thing to prove.”

  “Do you think that it's possible?” Owen asked. “James was fairly well off. I imagine the only person who stood to gain from his death was his son.”

  “So, maybe his son didn't want to wait any longer for the old man to get sick and die. With James being in such good health, maybe he was just getting impatient to get his hands on his inheritance.”

  “I'd hate to think that, but I guess it is possible,” Owen said quietly.

  “No one wants to think it, but clearly it's a possibility,” Eddy said. “Let me know what the medical examiner says, okay?”

  “Sure,” Owen nodded and then lowered his voice. “I've never seen an actual murder victim before,” he admitted nervously.

  “And you probably haven't now,” Eddy reminded him. “We don't have any idea what this is yet. Jumping to conclusions won't solve anything.”

  “You're right,” Owen said and ruffled his hand back through his hair. “I guess I got caught up in the idea.”

  “I'm not saying you're wrong, Owen,” Eddy reminded him sternly. “You have good instincts. But until we get some kind of proof we won't know for sure.”

  “Hopefully they’ll run a tox screen. But even if they do it will probably take a while to get the results,” Owen said grimly. “I guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

  “Maybe,”
Eddy replied thoughtfully. “Keep me informed, all right?”

  “Sure, of course I will,” Owen nodded. “I better check on a few of the residents that were at the party today. It had to be a shocking experience for everyone.”

  Eddy nodded as Owen walked away from him. He looked back towards the recreation hall and felt a bit excited at the prospect of investigating a murder. He had been retired for years. It had been a very long time since he was involved in an actual murder investigation. He had tracked down killers for a living, and he was not about to let a murder go unpunished, especially one that happened right under his nose.

  Chapter Three

  As Samantha was walking back towards her villa, the few residents that hadn't been at the party when James collapsed were hurrying towards the sound of the sirens. The thing about a small, secure place like Sage Gardens was that if there was any sign of trouble, everybody wanted to know about it.

  As she walked past a bench she decided to sit down and look over the lake so she could try to come to terms with James’ passing. While she was looking at the water she was distracted by the residents that were walking away from the recreation hall as they walked past. They were looking either shocked or sad. The news of James’ passing was obviously getting around Sage Gardens.

  Samantha glanced down the hill at the villa that had once belonged to Baki. She and Baki had played cards on a regular basis. He used to make her Chinese tea and always had some new book to share with her. It was a cozy little place that Samantha had loved to retreat to for hours. Now it belonged to Frank, the newest resident at Sage Gardens.

  Samantha was curious about Frank. She was curious about most new residents, but something about Frank had caught her attention. Something about him made her think he had some unusual experiences to share. She considered going down the hill to check things out, and perhaps introduce herself, but she was distracted by the presence of someone else. She turned to see Jo, another resident, slinking down the corridor between the villas. As usual, Jo was dressed in a sleek outfit. She had paired black, leather pants with a skin-tight, off-white top. She was also walking in the opposite direction of everyone else, which sparked Samantha's curiosity even more.

  Ever since Jo had recently arrived at Sage Gardens, Samantha had been paying special attention to her. She dressed differently to most of the residents. She seemed to exude a certain sense of arrogance and confidence. But more importantly than that, she seemed familiar to Samantha. It was hard for her to place why, but Samantha felt as if she had known her at some point in her life. She could not recall ever associating with anyone that would dress the way that Jo did. Yet, every time Samantha saw her she felt like calling out to her, as if they were old friends. Samantha was caught between two curiosities, Frank the new and intriguing stranger, or Jo, the mysterious diva that she could barely get to speak a word.

  As Jo disappeared around the side of one of the villas, Samantha stood up and headed in the direction of Frank's villa. He obviously knew James. If they were old friends or even just old acquaintances he might be very upset by his passing and would need some comfort. She walked down the sloping walkway towards the lake.

  Frank's villa was one of the closest to the lake. All of the villas had a view of the lake, but Frank's villa was one of the few that had a small dock that stretched out into the water. Baki used to sit out on the dock and pretend to fish. He didn't even put a lure or bait on the line. He confided in Samantha that it was his way of hanging out on the dock and ensuring no one would disturb him, as everyone assumed he needed quiet in order to fish. Otherwise, if he just sat out on the dock the entire neighborhood would be outside and wanting to join him. The people of Sage Gardens did have a habit of getting into each other’s business fairly frequently. Of course Samantha's interest in Frank was for much more than pure gossip. She wanted to make sure that he was okay after James' death, and that he was settling into the villa well.

  When she knocked on the door of the villa she could see that the windows were dark. It was still light outside, but usually the kitchen light, or a television would be on, to indicate that someone was home. Samantha was about to walk away when she heard the door handle shake. She turned back just as the door was opening. Framed by the doorway Frank looked a bit larger and stronger than she recalled. She was startled by his sudden presence, despite the fact that she had knocked on the door expecting him to answer.

  “Hi,” she said nervously.

  “Hello?” he replied with a hint of annoyance. “Can I help you?”

  Samantha felt as if she was in the crosshairs of a weapon. She had planned out all of the things that she would say to Frank before he opened the door. Now that she was staring directly into his eyes, she couldn't recall a single thing she had planned on saying.

  “I'm sorry, I'm Samantha, Sam,” she explained and offered her hand for a handshake. “I met you at the party today,” she added as he didn’t seem to recognize her. As her hand hovered in the air before her, she realized just how awkward the situation was. Did anyone even shake hands anymore? Reluctantly, Frank reached out and shook her hand.

  “Are there more of you?” he asked and leaned forward to look past her, up the hill.

  “More of me?” Samantha asked with confusion. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, you're the first,” Frank shrugged as he met her eyes.

  “The first what?” Samantha was getting even more confused by the moment.

  “The first of the single women to just show up on my door step,” Frank replied impatiently. “It happens every time I move into one of these places. All of the single women smell fresh blood and decide to introduce themselves for no apparent reason. I find it extremely forward and distasteful.”

  Samantha swallowed thickly. She had never been so embarrassed. Her mind couldn't keep up with what he was accusing her of doing.

  “Excuse me, but I had no intention of coming here to introduce myself to the fresh blood. I came here to check on you, because of what happened to James. I noticed the way you two were talking, and assumed that you might be old friends, which made me think I should make sure that you are handling the news okay,” she explained. Her voice was even and confident as she spoke, but inwardly she still felt flustered by his accusations.

  “What do you mean? What news?” Frank demanded, it was clear that his patience was on its last thread.

  “Oh, wait, weren't you at the recreation hall?” she asked, startled once more.

  “I was,” he replied darkly. “You know I was, obviously. But I left. Did something happen at the party?” he narrowed his eyes.

  Samantha felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't expected to be the one to inform Frank of his friend's death. The very idea made her uncomfortable. She glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone else was nearby that she could pass the duty onto. However, no one was anywhere near Frank's villa.

  “What is this all about?” Frank demanded as he glowered at her.

  “I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this,” Samantha said hesitantly. “But your friend, James, passed away today at the party. I think it was a heart attack.”

  “Is this some kind of sick joke?” Frank asked, his voice raising with each word. “Are you crazy enough to make something like that up just to get my attention?”

  “I didn't make it up,” Samantha shot back with frustration. She caught herself, and reminded herself that Frank was just in shock. “Didn't you hear the sirens?” she demanded.

  “Well, I assumed they might be common around here,” Frank replied with disbelief. “Are you saying it was James?”

  “Yes,” Samantha nodded and then frowned when she saw the shock in his eyes. “I'm very sorry for your loss.”

  “I can't believe this,” Frank said and shook his head. “You never know when it will be your time, do you?” he asked wistfully.

  “No, we never do,” Samantha agreed and then reached out to lightly touch his shoulder. “I'm sorry, I thought you alr
eady knew. I just didn't want you to have to grieve all alone.”

  “That's very kind of you,” Frank said softly as he met her eyes. “Maybe you'd like to come in for a moment?” he suggested. “I think I need to sit down.”

  “Sure,” Samantha smiled with a touch of warmth. Now that Frank's demeanor towards her had shifted she could tell that he wasn't as tough as he portrayed himself to be. She helped him back into the villa and settled him down on the couch inside. She noticed it was still Baki's couch. She assumed Frank hadn't even had time to properly move himself in just yet. “Let me get you some water?” she suggested.

  “A beer,” Frank requested. “There are some in the fridge. Help yourself if you'd like one.”

  Samantha stepped into the tiny, familiar kitchen. She felt a pang of grief for her friend, Baki. She loved that he was able to be close to his daughter, but she missed him. She opened the fridge to find a six pack of beer. Beside it was a pack of lunch meat and some cheese. That was the extent of Frank's food.

  As she grabbed one of the beers out of the pack, she noticed that two more were missing. She wondered how much Frank drank each day. Reminding herself not to judge she turned to carry the bottle into Frank. As she did she nearly tripped on the trashcan that was sticking partially out of the cabinet. All of the villas were equipped with slide out trashcans in the kitchen to make the most of the small space. Samantha happened to know that Baki's often got stuck. It was clear that the problem hadn't been fixed before renting the villa to a new resident. She decided to fix it for Frank as he had enough to deal with. She gave the trashcan a hard tug and then slammed it back into the cabinet. Something in the trashcan clanged together. She assumed that it was the beer bottles that were missing from the six-pack. The trashcan didn't quite slide back into place. She tugged it out again and was about to slam it again, when Frank's voice interrupted her.