The Diagnosis is Murder (A Dr. Valorian Mystery Book 1)

by Steven Gossington

  “All right. We’re alone now,” Laura said. “Give me all the gory details. I really wasn’t breathing?”

  “I watched your chest. You weren’t taking any breaths. I breathed for you until the paramedics arrived. A nurse helped me do it right. You’d told me that ventilations and antidotes would usually save a patient with narcotic poisoning, which is why I looked at your pupils. They were just like the way you described Dr. Preswick’s pupils—tiny, pinpoint.”

  Laura touched his arm. “You saved my life.”

  He grinned and puffed out his chest. “You taught me well.” His chin scar was shiny red. “By the way, professor, I tried calling our suspects as soon as I could, from the hospital, while you were recovering.”

  Laura’s eyes lit up. “Good move. What did you find?”

  “All of them were at home—except Dr. Kline. I figure it was about 45 minutes from the time someone slipped you the poison until I was able to make my first call. Start with a few minutes before you became unconscious, about ten minutes of CPR before the paramedics arrived, ten minutes at the scene while they treated and stabilized you, a ten- to twelve-minute ambulance ride, and ten minutes in the ER before I could tear myself away from you.” Alec glanced sideways at Laura. “The killer may’ve sped home in time.”

  Laura shook her head. “I just can’t believe Matthew did this. It must be someone else.”

  Alec clenched his teeth and stared ahead.

  Laura covered her mouth with her hand. “I hope I didn’t have bad breath.”

  “I didn’t notice. Besides, your lips had a tasty coffee flavor. Colombian, or maybe rich French roast.”

  Laura laughed. “Just imagine, I’ll never remember our first kiss.”

  “Trust me, it was great.”

  “But I was at such a disadvantage.”

  “Don’t worry, I was the perfect gentleman.”

  Chapter 26

  Alec fired up his engine and drove away from the hospital.

  “Where are we going?” Laura said.

  “How about back to your place so you can rest a while?”

  Laura’s green eyes glinted. “I don’t need to rest. I want to catch a killer.”

  Alec studied her. “Yep, you’re back to normal.”

  “I’m angry. The bastard almost did me in. I want to turn up the heat. Flush the rat out.”

  “You want to visit the suspects again? Now?”

  “Sure. If we really challenge them, maybe the killer will slip somehow. We can help move Detective Judkins along. He doesn’t seem all that keen about Preswick’s case.”

  “He’s okay. He just knows he won’t get anywhere without stronger evidence. He doesn’t even consider it a homicide, yet.”

  “Well, I want to look the guilty one in the eye again—today,” Laura said.

  “They might start yelling ‘harassment.’ ”

  “I don’t care. They can yell all they want to. I’m not giving up until we find out who the killer is.”

  Alec slapped the steering wheel. “Let’s do it. Anyway, I have some fresh questions. It seems that many folks have skeletons in their closets.”

  Laura turned to him. “You uncovered some interesting facts?”

  “I did. Juicy facts.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  Alec explained to her in detail the new background data he’d unearthed and now planned to spring on the suspects.

  Nourishing rain earlier that afternoon had cleansed the air and the trees and gardens. Now the spring day beckoned all to venture outside—to walk, bike, run, and dance. It was the kind of weekend joggers loved, and they swarmed over the numerous D.C. area trails.

  Laura studied her suspect list. “Let’s make the rounds. We can start with our lab guy— Detmeyer—in Bethesda, then work our way west and south to the others in turn. It’s Saturday afternoon, so hopefully most folks will be at home.”

  “We should be careful,” Alec said. “They may scream harassment, but that won’t stick as long as we’re civil and don’t threaten them physically or otherwise.”

  Alec drove northwest on Pennsylvania Avenue and made his way through Georgetown. He eventually turned north on Wisconsin Avenue, which led him to Bethesda, Maryland. His shiny mustang was the focus of appreciative stares as it eased along in George Detmeyer’s neighborhood. Parents were working in their yards, and youngsters were riding bicycles and rollerblades. He stopped in front of Detmeyer’s house. No one was outside. Laura rang the doorbell and heard the barking Chihuahua. George Detmeyer opened the front door, holding the dog. He was bare-chested and wore shorts.

  “You again.” He pointed at Laura. “Get out of here and leave me alone.”

  “Mr. Detmeyer.” Laura caught his eye just before he slammed the door. “If you don’t talk to us, I’m calling the police now.”

  “What the hell for?”

  “Someone tried to kill me today, the same person who killed Dr. Preswick. Where were you this afternoon about 12:45?”

  Detmeyer froze. “I’ve been right here at home all day.”

  “Have you been alone all day?”

  “Yes.”

  “Mr. Detmeyer,” Alec said. “I’m a private investigator. Do you work on cars?”

  “Cars? Well, I work on my own.”

  “Two of your previous wives died in single car accidents.”

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “I think the police might be interested in looking into that fact.”

  “You’re crazy. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Alec leaned toward him. “You sent threatening letters to Dr. Preswick.”

  George Detmeyer didn’t answer. His face and ears turned dark red, and the Chihuahua squealed.

  Alec softened his tone. “Mr. Detmeyer, we’re not here to cause trouble, only to get to the truth. Have you used drugs before—opiates, narcotics?”

  “No, never.”

  “A bartender at the WXYZ bar recognized your picture. He said you’ve been there before and may’ve been there the evening Dr. Preswick was killed.”

  “Well, he’s dead wrong.” Detmeyer’s eyes darted back and forth, and he was breathing fast. “I’m not answering any more questions. And don’t come back.” He slammed the door and locked it.

  Alec and Laura walked away toward their car.

  Laura kicked the ground. “Damn, I can’t get a good read of him.”

  “Well, he’s not too smart. He doesn’t have to answer any of our questions.”

  “That would only make him seem more suspicious.”

  “Yep. That’s why most people choose to answer questions—the first few questions at least. They don’t want to appear suspicious.”

  “Do you think he’s smart enough to pull off a murder and a close call?”

  Alec shook his head. “No, but unfortunately, appearances can be deceiving.”

  “That’s reassuring.”

  “I didn’t promise you a pleasure cruise.”

  “We’ll need one after this is all over.”

  Next, Alec drove northwest on River Road toward Matthew Kline’s house in the nearby Maryland countryside. Lisa Kline accepted them into her dimly lit living room. She wore a green plaid cotton dress and had her baby on her shoulder. Laura and Alec sat on the soft white couch. Opaque curtains kept out the bright afternoon sunshine.

  “Any news about Matthew?” Laura said.

  “No,” Lisa said. “This is the second day, and there’s been no news from the police—or from him.” Her eyes were reddened, and she spoke in a monotone.

  Laura sat forward on the couch. “We’re interested in finding him, too. He’s been a very good friend to me.”

  Lisa sat in a chair to the side of Laura and Alec and rocked back and forth with her baby.

  Laura looked down. I’m not going to enjoy this. She took a deep breath. “A drug dealer recognized a picture of your husband. He said he’d sold drugs to Matthew. Does that surprise you?”

  Lisa’s eyes widened. �
�You asked me before if Matthew took drugs. I’ve been thinking about it, and I really don’t believe he ever had anything to do with illegal drugs. I just can’t believe it.”

  “You never saw anything around the house that looked suspicious?”

  Lisa put her hand to her mouth.

  “It’s okay,” Laura said. “I’m your friend and Matthew’s friend. You can tell me.”

  “Well, I did see a vial of something—some liquid—in his bathroom drawer.”

  “When?”

  “A few weeks ago, I’m not sure.”

  “Is it there now?”

  “I don’t think so, but we can look. I didn’t bother Matthew about it. I just assumed it was something he brought home from work.”

  Lisa led Laura and Alec down a dark hall, through a bedroom and to the connecting bathroom. She switched on the light and pulled open a drawer. “This is where I saw it.” She moved objects around in the drawer. “It’s not there now. Have a look.”

  Laura found no vials or tubes or other suspicious items in the drawer. She and Alec searched the rest of the bathroom drawers and cabinets. They discovered nothing unusual.

  “Is there any other place we can search, another area he might hide something?” Laura said.

  “Maybe the bedroom.”

  Laura nodded, and Lisa led the way back into their main bedroom and turned on the overhead light.

  Laura touched Lisa’s shoulder. “Your baby is beautiful. He seems content.”

  Lisa smiled down at her child, who was alert, looking around wide-eyed, cooing and gurgling. “He’s a good baby.”

  Laura suspected that Lisa’s responsibilities as a mother were sustaining her, especially now.

  Alec and Laura searched the bureaus and closets, even under the bed.

  “Over here,” Alec said as he reached up to a shelf in Matthew’s closet. From under a folded jogging suit, he pulled out a plastic bag. Inside the bag was a syringe attached to a covered needle. He held the bag up to the light. Although the plunger was pushed to the bottom of the syringe barrel, a few small drops of clear liquid were still visible.

  Lisa’s jaw dropped. “What—what is that?”

  “A syringe. Can we take it with us to have it analyzed?” Laura said.

  “Sure, I guess so.”

  Lisa’s mouth was still open as Laura and Alec said their goodbyes. Laura settled in the front seat and placed the plastic bag with the syringe in the glove compartment. “That poor woman looked as confused as I feel. Matthew must’ve been hiding something all along. It’s so hard to believe.”

  Alec started the engine and drove off. He crossed the Potomac River on the Capital Beltway south into Virginia, then worked his way west to Old Dominion Drive.

  He turned to Laura. “Are you still game for the chase?”

  “Other than being worried about Matthew, I feel fine. My throat isn’t so scratchy now. In fact, I haven’t felt this good in a long time. Maybe I should take a daily dose of that stuff, my morning designer drug pick-me-up. Like when they used to add cocaine to Coca-Cola.”

  Alec stared at her, his eyebrows raised.

  “Oh, I’m just kidding.” She grinned. “But, I do feel okay, and I’m glad you’re with me, in case there’s danger ahead.”

  “Count on it.”

  Their next stop was Mrs. Preswick’s home in suburban Virginia. Luck was with them again. Mrs. Preswick was home.

  “Still nosing around?” she said with a frown as she opened the front door. She didn’t invite her visitors in. Instead, she stood motionless in the doorway in a sheer, tight-fitting purple dress. Her picture perfect hair was swept back.

  “Someone tried to kill me today,” Laura said.

  Her eyes widened. “Oh, dear.”

  “Where were you this afternoon about 12:45?”

  Mrs. Preswick paused and looked downward. “I was here at home, eating lunch.”

  “Any witnesses to that?”

  “No.”

  Alec stepped closer to her. “Did you know that an angry patient had sent threatening letters to your husband?”

  “Threatening letters? Why no, he never told me about anything like that.”

  Alec pressed on. “You hired a private investigator recently to tail your husband, didn’t you?”

  Nancy Preswick’s eyes flashed, and her mouth and face tensed. Laura was amazed at how her countenance changed in an instant to that of a maddened, fiery-eyed vixen.

  Nancy’s voice rose a few decibels as she jabbed a finger at Alec. “What business is that of yours?”

  “So, you knew he was cheating on you, and you found out who the other woman was, right?”

  “I’ll not deign to answer that.”

  Laura leaned close to Alec and whispered, “Why does her voice sound strange?”

  “You can stop the acting job, Mrs. Preswick,” Alec said. “Laura, meet Nancy Dickerson Preswick. She was once, and obviously still is, an accomplished dramatic actress. She was adept with disguises, even playing masculine roles at times.”

  Laura’s mouth was agape as she stared at Nancy.

  Alec pressed on. “Mrs. Preswick, did you murder your husband and attempt to kill Dr. Valorian today?”

  Nancy Dickerson Preswick put her hands on her hips and looked down at them, and then—with a hand over her chest—threw her head back and laughed. “You couldn’t prove it if I did.” She stepped back and slammed the door shut.

  Alec and Laura looked at each other—speechless, mouths open—and returned to their car.

  “What a performance,” Laura said. “You know, she just might be the killer. What do you think?”

  Alec sighed. “This case isn’t getting any easier.” Before starting the car, he turned to Laura. “You may hold the key to this mess. Today, you had a close encounter with the killer.”

  Laura stared ahead. “Yes, I see what you’re getting at. The key is some characteristic that might identify the guilty one. The way he—or she—walked or carried the head, or some unique expression with the hands, or something like that.” She looked at Alec. “Is that what you mean?”

  “You got it.”

  “Well, nothing comes to mind just now, but I’ll think about it.”

  Alec drove back along Old Dominion Drive southeast and then turned south to intersect the Leesburg Pike. His destination was Falls Church. It was nearing 6:30 p.m.

  “Ready for dinner?” he said.

  Laura nodded. “Sure. Let’s eat, and then we’ll try to catch Max Flowers off guard.”

  “I was wondering about something you said. You mentioned to Detective Judkins about Tina’s possibly botched CPR on Dr. Preswick. Think there’s anything in that?”

  “I don’t know what to make of it. I do know some CPR instructors can develop an overly critical attitude toward their students. Maybe Julia Nobles was reacting in that vein to Tina’s efforts. Maybe some people never learn to do CPR correctly. On the other hand, if she’s right about Tina, and if Tina purposefully fouled up her CPR and didn’t allow air into the lungs, then I’d say that would be damned suspicious.”

  After a light dinner of mushroom soup and grilled chicken at a coffee shop near Interstate 66, Alec and Laura drove toward Max Flowers’ house. As Alec turned onto Max’s street, he and Laura saw a man and a woman walking to a car parked in a driveway.

  “I think that’s Max’s house,” Laura said.

  “Looks like it’s date night for Max.”

  Alec stopped the car in front of Max’s house. He and Laura stepped out and walked across the lawn toward the two people.

  Max froze by the front passenger door and pointed. “Look, Honey, those two suspicious folks I told you about.”

  Alec approached Max. “Someone tried to kill Laura today.”

  Max’s eyebrows danced. “Well, well, I’m sorry to hear that. What does that have to do with me?”

  “Where were you this afternoon about 12:45?”

  Max pointed at Laura. “You think I
tried to kill her?” His voice was shrill. “You’re crazy. Why would I want to kill her?”

  Laura leaned in. “Calm down. We’re only asking what the police will ask. You had a falling out with Dr. Preswick, didn’t you? You were partners, and he accused you of mismanaging the business investment money. You told us that.”

  “So what?”

  Alec shook a finger at Max. “He also got you addicted to painkillers, didn’t he?”

  Max inhaled and fell against his car. He spoke in a soprano pitch. “What—no.”

  Alec waited. Max righted himself. “That’s ridiculous.” He glanced at his date. “Don’t listen to him.” He turned to Alec. “It’s not true. Who’s spreading lies about me?”

  “That doesn’t matter. This does: if Laura has proof that you killed Dr. Preswick, that would give you a reason to try to kill her.”

  Max threw up twitching hands. “Proof? What proof? I didn’t kill anybody. What’re you talking about?”

  “Then where were you early this afternoon?”

  Max’s mouth quivered as he nodded at the woman with him. “We walked along the Tidal Basin.” He opened the front passenger door for his date and looked up at Alec and Laura. “We have to go.” Max hurried around to the driver’s side and, before stepping into the car, shouted to Alec. “I didn’t kill or try to kill anybody.”

  Alec and Laura watched as Max backed his car out of the driveway and sped away.

  “He’s nervous, but he wouldn’t want Preswick dead, if that was his main source for drugs,” Laura said.

  “Unless Preswick cut him off and made him angry enough to kill.”

  “That’s an idea. Drug addiction can lead to crazy behavior,” Laura said. “Let’s try Tina Landry’s apartment.”

  Alec drove east and made it to Tina’s apartment parking area. Laura’s knocks went unanswered at Tina’s front door. They resumed their previous stakeout position and settled in Alec’s car to wait, listening to music from the car radio. Stars twinkled overhead in a clear sky.

  Their stakeout was short-lived. A song, ‘Where Do The Children Play?’ by Cat Stevens, was just winding down when a car passed behind them and parked. Blake Sutcliff and Tina Landry left the car and walked to Tina’s place. Again, Alec and Laura closed in on their quarry as Tina’s door opened.