by Ingrid Thoft
They made their way toward the checkout lines, Kelly adding various items to the cart. At the end of one aisle, a display of vending machines caught Fina’s eye. One was on sale for $5,900. She examined it.
“You’re in the market for a vending machine?” Kelly asked.
Fina put her hand on it. “You don’t understand. This is the answer to all my prayers. I never realized you could just buy one.”
“For your house?” Kelly asked with wide eyes.
“I know, it’s crazy, but then I could use my kitchen for something else, like storage.”
Kelly kept walking, and Fina worked to steer the heavy cart around other shoppers.
“Anyone you think I should talk to about this?” Fina asked as they took a spot in the checkout line. Even at only half full, the cart held enough food to feed a small army.
“You could ask Tasha,” Kelly said, “but she can be a tough nut to crack.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sometimes she’ll talk about things, and sometimes she won’t.”
“What about Gus Sibley?”
“What about him?” Kelly asked, unloading a packet of gym socks onto the conveyor belt.
“He’s been around as long as Kevin has. Presumably, their paths cross pretty often. Gus might have something to say about it.”
Kelly shook her head. “I doubt it. He was always really focused on our injuries and the games. But I could be wrong.”
In the parking lot, Kelly rummaged through her purse for her keys, cursing under her breath when the innards tumbled to the pavement. Fina helped her gather the items, locate the keys, and load her purchases into the back of her minivan.
“Thanks for letting me tag along,” Fina said.
“I don’t think I was very helpful,” Kelly said. “Thanks for helping with my shopping.”
“I don’t think I was very helpful, but you’re welcome.”
Fina brought the empty cart over to the corral in the middle of the lot and watched Kelly pull out.
Either Kevin really had been up to no good or at least two people didn’t mind suggesting that he had. Either scenario warranted a closer examination.
—
Fina needed to make some calls, a task that didn’t lend itself to setting up shop in a Starbucks. She could have done it in her car, but she felt like her corneas might peel off her eyeballs soon in the dry heat of the enclosed space. If Fina were closer to the city, she would have gone to Ludlow and Associates and claimed an empty office or conference room, but she didn’t want to drive there only to have to return to the MetroWest area later. Instead, she decided to drop in at her home away from home.
“Hiya, sweetie,” Frank greeted her when he opened the front door.
“Are you in the middle of something?” Fina asked. “I wanted to say hi, and also camp out and make a few calls.”
“We’re just a pit stop to you, is that right?” he asked, chuckling.
“Basically, and the food’s good.”
Fina left her boots and jacket in the front hall and joined Frank in the living room. “Peg should be home in an hour or so,” Frank said.
“How goes it?”
“Terrific. This semiretirement thing is really working out. I’m getting to all those things I never had a chance to do earlier.”
“Like what?” Fina asked. “Bungee jumping? Snowboarding? Please don’t say golf. It will ruin my image of you.”
“No golf or extreme sports, but I’m sprucing up my workshop in the basement, and I have more time to read, one of life’s great pleasures.”
“What are you working on now?” Fina asked, gesturing at the book on the small table next to Frank’s recliner.
“It’s a biography of Winston Churchill. Fascinating stuff.”
Fina feigned a yawn. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“What’s going on with Risa’s situation?” Frank asked.
“That’s why I wanted to stop by; we met Greta Samuels yesterday in Kittery.”
“And?”
Fina tapped her fingers on the arm of the couch. “I told Risa that I was going to withhold judgment until I had time to think about the meeting.”
“I’m guessing you already have a judgment in mind,” Frank said.
“Honestly, Frank, I think the only reason she contacted Risa was for her kidney,” Fina said. “I don’t think Greta would have made any effort to find Risa if her life didn’t depend on it.”
Frank frowned. “Do you think Risa thinks the same thing?”
“I don’t know, but I didn’t want to influence her before she had a chance to give it some thought.”
“You don’t think she should give her the kidney?” he asked.
“I’m not saying that, but I don’t think Risa should give her a kidney believing that this is going to be the start of some beautiful friendship. It wouldn’t surprise me if Greta drifted away after getting the organ.”
Frank shook his head. “Sounds like a real pickle.”
“Indeed.” Fina rose from the couch. “How about if I go make my calls in the kitchen and let you get back to your reading?”
“Sounds good. Help yourself to a snack if you’re hungry.”
Fina grabbed a diet soda from the fridge and settled down at the kitchen table with her phone and laptop. She typed in the name of the sock manufacturer that Mary had provided the day before, but the website wasn’t helpful. Tekmark only sold their products directly to retail stores, and when Fina tried to use their search tool to find retailers in Massachusetts, she got an error message.
She dialed the 800 number for the company, and after being passed around to a couple of people, she was connected with a woman whose lilting accent led Fina to believe she was in Mumbai or Delhi at that very moment, but that didn’t stop her from giving Fina the names of three stores in the state that sold Tekmark products. One store was in Worcester, another in Quincy, and the third in Medford. Fina smiled when she heard the name of the Medford store where Joe and Stuart worked. A return visit was definitely in order, and she gave them a quick call and asked if Joe or Stuart was there. Joe’d be there until five, the helpful associate told her, at which point Stuart would be in. Perfect, Fina thought.
She caught up on some administrative tasks before closing her machine, draining her drink, and pitching the can in the recycling bin.
Frank was engrossed in his book when Fina returned to the living room.
“All done?” he asked.
“Yup. Think I might have a lead.”
“You still working on that NEU case?”
“Yeah,” Fina said. “Liz Barone.”
“Good luck with that, and let me know what happens with Risa.”
“Will do. Thanks, Frank.” She leaned over and kissed his whiskered cheek. “Give Peg my love.”
Fina sat in her car for a moment, contemplating her next step. She had time to kill before heading to Medford. She dialed the number for Gus Sibley’s office and was told he had left for the day. When she reached someone in the athletic department at NEU, she was informed that Dr. Sibley was at an off-season training event in western Massachusetts for the women’s soccer team.
She mentally ran down the list of people related to the case and stopped at Kevin. She still wasn’t ready to confront him about the cheating rumors, but maybe it was time to have a chat with Mrs. Lafferty.
In general, Fina tried to steer clear of any potentially volatile domestic situations. Her arrangement with Ludlow and Associates meant she rarely had to take on domestic cheating cases, which were boring and fraught at the same time. Calling out adulterous spouses or getting mixed up in their drama was at the bottom of her to-do list, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided.
She pulled up to the Lafferty home, which was on the Newton-Wellesley line. One of the
more modest houses in the neighborhood, it was a yellow colonial with a small farmer’s porch on the front. The original structure was dwarfed by a newer-looking two-car garage and the bonus space above it.
The driveway was empty, but that didn’t mean no one was home. A lot of people parked their cars in the garage when it was freezing or there was a chance of snow. Fina had never understood people who filled their garages with crap and kept their cars outside in the winter. Why would anyone choose to dig out their car if they didn’t have to? But perhaps the woman who moved into a dead woman’s apartment and kept it exactly as it was wasn’t in a position to comment on the sentimentality of objects.
Fina rang the bell and looked through the pane of glass embedded in the door. The more modest staircase one would expect in a traditional colonial had been replaced with a two-story entryway and a wide stairway. A woman appeared, and Fina took a step back. She didn’t want to seem rude or nosy.
“Yes?” the woman asked after opening the door.
“Are you Mrs. Lafferty?”
“Yes. Who’s asking?”
Fina pulled a business card from her bag and handed it to Sheila Lafferty.
“A private investigator? What’s this about?” she asked.
“Could I come in and ask you a few questions? I won’t take long.”
Sheila glanced at her wristwatch. She was wearing scrubs with teddy bears and rainbows on them, her feet in athletic socks.
“I’m getting ready for work, so I don’t have much time. You didn’t say what this is about.”
“I’ve spoken with your husband already,” Fina said. “It’s regarding a lawsuit and NEU.”
Sheila studied her feet for a moment. “I’m not the right person to talk to; I don’t have much involvement with NEU.” She had wavy brown hair cut in layers, the longest pieces just reaching her shoulders. She was pretty, but not beautiful, and the scrubs didn’t do much for her figure.
“That’s actually why I’d like to speak with you. I wanted to get an outsider’s perspective,” Fina said. She really would say just about anything to get in the door.
Sheila stepped back, opening the door wider. To the immediate right was a living room with a large-screen TV and two couches, a cream-colored shag area rug, and a ficus tree in the corner.
“You can leave your boots by the door,” Sheila said.
Fina took off her boots, coat, and scarf and piled them near the front door. She followed Sheila into the living room and sat at the opposite end of one of the couches.
“I’m guessing you’re a nurse,” Fina said, trying to break the ice. Sheila had invited her in, but there was something cool about her demeanor. Most people offered Fina coffee or water, but there was no attempt on this hostess’s part to make Fina feel particularly welcome.
“At Children’s.”
“Right. Hence the teddy bears.”
“When did you talk to my husband?” Sheila asked.
“I’ve spoken with him a couple of times, actually,” Fina said. “Both at his office and at the NEU sports complex.”
“What does he have to do with this case?”
“I don’t know how much you know about it,” Fina said. Sheila shook her head, which only confused Fina. She knew? She didn’t know? Fina decided to dive in. “I’m working for the family of Liz Barone. She was a soccer player at NEU about twenty years ago. Her estate is suing NEU for damages because she suffered cognitive disabilities from playing soccer.”
“Allegedly suffered, isn’t that right?” Sheila asked.
“Correct,” Fina conceded. “Her attorneys are alleging that she suffered the damage as a direct result of playing soccer at NEU.”
“And NEU should have known better?” Sheila asked, raising her eyebrow in skepticism. “Twenty years ago?”
Fina held up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “That’s for the attorneys to figure out. I’m just trying to learn more about the soccer program.”
“And about her death,” Sheila suggested.
Fina nodded. “Yes. I’m also trying to determine who killed Liz.”
Sheila picked at a pill on her scrubs. The teddy bears were drawn to look as if they were flying around the rainbows. How was that reassuring to anyone? Fina wondered.
“I can’t tell you more than my husband did,” Sheila said. “He’s the expert on NEU sports.”
“That’s what I’ve gathered,” Fina said. “He seems to be incredibly popular at the university.”
“He is.” Her expression didn’t give anything away.
“How does he find the time for everything?” Fina wondered. “Work, family, NEU? Does he ever sleep?”
Sheila gave her a tight smile. “He’s very organized and very productive. He’d be bored if he didn’t have a lot going on.”
“I know the type,” Fina said. “Do you ever go to any NEU events?”
“Sometimes we take our boys.” Sheila looked out the window. “I imagine they’ll want to go more often the older they get.” Fina thought perhaps there was some wistfulness in her tone.
“It’s fun to do as a family,” Fina said. “When I was growing up, we went to a lot of ball games together. We still do sometimes. Come to think of it, it’s the only place we all get along.”
“Good thing our boys love sports,” Sheila said, shaking her head. “Imagine if they wanted to play the flute or visit museums?”
Who’s to say they didn’t? Lots of interests and preferences were determined by wiring, but parental influence couldn’t be underestimated. Were the Ludlow children born competitive or did they rise to the occasion when it became clear that Carl wouldn’t have it any other way? Would Matthew have been an opera lover in another clan, or Fina a fan of the ballet?
“Is there anyone at NEU who has a bone to pick with your husband?” Fina asked.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Like I said, I’m just trying to learn about the sports programs and the different relationships at play.”
“My husband gets along with most everyone,” Sheila said. “It’s one of the reasons he’s good at his job and a successful booster.”
“Right.” Fina nodded.
It was clear that asking Sheila about her husband’s alleged infidelities would be fruitless. Whether or not the rumors were true and whether or not Sheila knew about them, Fina couldn’t imagine she would discuss it with a virtual stranger. Some people wanted nothing more than to spill their guts and tell their sad stories, but Sheila Lafferty was not one of those people.
“Are you worried what might happen if the lawsuit goes against NEU?” Fina asked. “In terms of the athletic program?”
“I can’t imagine it will,” Sheila said, “and even if it does, there’s no way the school will let the athletic program suffer. It’s too important.”
“But if Kevin weren’t as involved,” Fina mused, “that would be quite an adjustment.”
“Why wouldn’t he be as involved?” Sheila fiddled with the rings on her left hand. She was wearing a modest-sized diamond engagement ring and a thicker gold wedding band.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe if there were some shake-up with the program?”
Sheila looked at her watch again. “Look, I don’t think there’s anything else I can tell you, and I’ve got to leave for work.”
She rose from the couch and headed toward the front door. Fina followed her and pulled on her boots and coat.
“Did you go to the Medical Society benefit dinner with Kevin?” Fina asked.
“That’s a random question.”
“I’m just covering all the bases.”
“What does the benefit dinner have to do with anything?” Sheila asked, and then the answer dawned on her. “I wasn’t at that dinner, but I can assure you my husband was. There are a lot of people who can vouch for him.” Sh
e pulled open the front door. “He had nothing to do with that woman’s death.”
“Well, people saw him at the beginning of the evening and the end, but nobody’s really sure where he was in the middle.”
“Good-bye,” Sheila said, putting her hand on Fina’s shoulder in a not-so-friendly way.
“Thanks for talking to me, Sheila.”
“I wish I hadn’t,” she said, slamming the door after her.
Another satisfied customer, Fina thought, returning to her car.
27.
Fina got to Medford a little after five and sat in her car outside the clothing store for ten minutes. She wanted to make sure that Joe and Stuart had plenty of time for the changing of the guard, and it gave her a chance to reflect on her conversation with Sheila Lafferty. There were various possible outcomes from their little chat, but Fina thought two were most likely. The first was that Sheila would tell Kevin and he would go ballistic. The second was that Sheila wouldn’t tell him anything. Fina couldn’t predict which way it would go, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Kevin left her an angry voice mail before day’s end.
Inside the clothing store, an extremely tall man stood in front of a three-way mirror as another man wielded a tape measure around his treelike limbs. The customer was on a small raised platform, rendering him even more giant. Fina found Stuart behind the counter, staring at a computer screen.
“Hi there,” Fina said. She’d fluffed her hair in the car and reapplied her lip gloss. She wasn’t opposed to using her feminine wiles for the greater good.
Stuart looked up briefly. “Hi.” His head bobbed back up to study her more closely.
“I was here the other day,” Fina said. “I spoke with you and Joe about the man I was trying to locate.” She held up the photo.
“Right. I remember,” he said. “Joe isn’t here. You can try back tomorrow.”
“Actually,” Fina said, leaning against the counter, “I was kind of hoping to talk to you instead.”
“Yeah?”
Fina smoothed the photo down. “I know he’s a customer,” Fina said, “because of his socks.”