“What did he find?”
“Emily’s skull was fractured, and there were metal splinters embedded in it. He believes they may be cast iron but sent them to the crime lab in Rochester for verification. Her neck and lots of bones were also broken.”
“What actually killed her?”
“Inconclusive,” Carrie answered. “If she had had immediate medical attention, she probably wouldn’t have died from the skull fracture, but if that didn’t kill her the broken neck certainly would have. We need to find whatever it was that caused the skull fracture since it certainly set things in motion to cause her death. When will you be back?”
“I want to call Annie to check in, then I’ll be on my way. The roads have been cleared, so I should be there in an hour. I’ll meet you at the station. Oh, and since I’ve talked with Jonathan Bradford, you can notify the media to let them know who the deceased is. I remember you got them to agree to go with the story but withhold Emily’s name from the report until we talked to next of kin.”
“I’ll take care of it. See you soon.”
Ed called Annie, but she wasn’t answering either her cell phone or the house landline. She took yoga at Suzanne’s studio a couple afternoons each week, and he figured she probably was at a class. He left a message on both phones that he would be meeting with Carrie when he got back to Lighthouse Cove and if she hadn’t prepared dinner yet to plan to go out since he wasn’t sure how long he would be.
Chapter 16
It was dark by the time Ed arrived at the police station. He declined the coffee Carrie offered, knowing that by now, unless it was freshly brewed, it was probably thick as tar and impossibly bitter. Instead, he accepted a cup of hot tea.
“The crime lab just called and verified that the splinters embedded in Emily’s head are pieces of cast iron,” she said, “but we still don’t know what hit her. There are some cast iron pieces in the museum, but most of them are big and heavy, like anchors, which wouldn’t be easy to pick up. There were no identifiable fingerprints or other evidence on them, so it may be that the weapon belonged to the perp. Also, we found some dark, curly hairs on Emily’s coat that clearly are not hers. Suzanne has dark curly hair. Please read the emails and let me know what you think.” She then gave him a summary of what was in them.
After listening to her interpretation, Ed agreed the emails might put suspicion on Suzanne, but also advised her not to over-react.
“I don’t know Suzanne very well, and we don’t know if the hairs on Emily’s coat are hers. Even if they are, there could be a perfectly simple explanation for them being there. They were close friends,” he reminded her. “Close friends sometimes hug. I think we need to proceed with caution.”
Carrie argued, “Ed, I’m going to get a search warrant for Suzanne’s house. I’ll wait until tomorrow, though, since nothing much is going to happen tonight, we’re both tired, and I don’t think Judge Tyler would be too happy if we interrupted her dinner.”
Ed stood up and stretched. “I know you’re in charge of the investigation, Carrie, but I’d wait a bit before getting that warrant. Even if the emails cast some suspicion on Suzanne, what I’d like to do first is call her tomorrow and ask her to meet with me as a follow-up to our discussion on the day of the murder. I’ll question her about them. If we’re not happy with the results of that interview, then we can get a warrant. How’s that sound?”
Carrie reluctantly agreed to Ed’s suggestion, admitting that he trumped her on experience with murder investigations but then reiterated her belief that sometimes the least obvious were often the killers. “I’ve gotten way past the idea that killers look and act a certain way or fit a certain profile.”
“Do you still want to stay here while I read the emails, Carrie, or would you rather go home?”
“I’ll stay. You seem to believe that I’m over-reacting, but since you haven’t read them you really don’t know that,” Carrie testily replied.
Ed ignored Carrie’s last remark and sat down at the computer, but just as he started to read, he slapped his palm against his forehead.
“I completely forgot that I wanted to ask you something. Annie found a gold, anchor-shaped pendant at the museum. It was monogrammed with the museum’s initials, but she didn’t recognize it as anything from the gift shop, although she surmised it might have been something Emily had recently purchased and hadn’t yet packaged. She gave it to Luke who said he’d turn it over to you. Was there anything on it that we can use?”
“Sorry, I forgot to mention it to you. Luke did turn it in, and I sent it to the techs in Rochester for analysis. They didn’t find anything that would link it to the murder.”
“Too bad. I was hoping that maybe it would be another piece of evidence,” responded Ed.
“It’s not, and we have no further need to keep it. I haven’t had time to return it to Annie. If I give it to you, will you make sure she gets it?”
Ed nodded as Carrie opened her desk drawer and pulled out a plastic bag containing the pendant. Ed removed the piece from the bag, examined it, and put it in his pocket. “There’s something about this that’s familiar,” he said to Carrie. His eyes narrowed. “I think I’ve seen it somewhere before. Not at the museum, but somewhere else. I just can’t remember where.” Then he started reading.
Chapter 17
From the E-Mails of Emily Bradford and Suzanne Gordon:
“Dear Emily,
Please believe me when I tell you I have only your best interests at heart. I know what I’ve asked of you seems a bit unseemly, but I think that until you deal with the demons that continue to haunt you, and with your ambivalent feelings, you won’t be able to heal and move on with your life. You know how much I care for you and am concerned about you.
Love,
Suzanne”
“Dear Suzanne,
I know how much you care for me and completely understand why you think moving in with you may be a good idea, but I’m just not ready to do that. I know you mean well, but I need time alone to look at the circumstances that got me where I am and ways I can move forward and live more authentically.
Love,
Emily”
“Dear Emily,
My only purpose is to give you support while you are still struggling to resolve your issues. If you come and stay with me, and, at some point, decide it’s not right for you, I can handle that. (-:
Love,
Suzanne”
“Dear Suzanne,
I just can’t. Your offer, while well-intentioned, is misguided. Being with you might only make things worse. What I mostly need now is solitude and time.
Best,
Emily”
“Dear Emily,
I understand you’re struggling and am sorry you won’t change your mind. All I want is for you to resolve your conflicts and gain clarity, and I’m willing to take this step if it helps you be who I know you can be and come to a place of peace and understanding.
Love,
Suzanne”
“The emails stop there,” Carrie said.
“Interesting,” Ed said. “What bothers you about these?”
Carrie responded, “While it’s certainly possible that Suzanne wanted Emily to stay with her because she was troubled about her emotional well-being, I’m wondering if what was really going on was that Suzanne was in love with Emily and that Emily had some pretty strong feelings for her but couldn’t come to terms with it. That perhaps she was conflicted about her own sexuality.”
“I didn’t read anything like that in those emails, Carrie. They seem to be written out of concern for her friend. We don’t know a thing about Suzanne’s sexual orientation, and even if she were in love with Emily and Emily was struggling with her own feelings, it’s a really long stretch to think the conflict would result in her murder.”
“Ed, you have to admit these could cast some suspicion on her.”
“I’m not seeing them that way at all, Carrie. Suzanne seems to be very ground
ed and an emotionally healthy person, and Annie, who’s a very good judge of character, speaks very highly of her. I think the emails were written from one caring and supportive friend to another who was experiencing a lot of emotional distress.”
“But if Suzanne killed Emily, it might not have been premeditated,” argued Carrie. “Maybe Suzanne knew that Emily was going to go to the museum early the day of the board meeting and went there to talk with her in person and try to persuade her to change her mind. Maybe they got into an argument, and in the heat of the moment Suzanne pushed Emily and she fell against something made of cast iron, a tragic accident that killed her.”
“You’re grasping at straws, Carrie,” Ed responded, impatiently. “If that had been the case, why wouldn’t Suzanne have called 911? Since it would have been an accident, she wouldn’t have been criminally charged, and Emily might still be living. She obviously cared for her,” Ed responded.
“Even if it was an accident and she didn’t mean to kill her, maybe when she realized what had happened she couldn’t face it so in a panic threw Emily over the bluff, and then staged the whole break-in at the museum as a cover up,” Carrie insisted.
“She’s strong and very fit, so it wouldn’t have been impossible. The locks weren’t picked, and Suzanne is one of the board members who has a key to the museum.”
“Let’s see how my interview with her goes,” Ed suggested, weary from the long day and tired of arguing, “and then decide after that if we should get a warrant.”
“Okay, Ed, I’ll wait, but I’m still going to order a background check on her. That way we’ll cover all our bases.”
Ed said, “I think ordering a background check is premature, Carrie, but you need to do what you feel is right. I’ll call you and let you know when I’m meeting with her. I’m going to let her choose the location rather than asking her to come to the station. It might be less threatening for her.”
Chapter 18
Annie was shutting down her computer when Ed got home. She’d been updating a spread sheet of museum volunteers’ names and contact information. “Hard day?” she asked. Ed’s face was drawn, and he looked exhausted.
Ed sighed, “Long and very difficult day, and I’m tired. All the people who I thought could be suspects aren’t. Jon Bradford had a perfect alibi and truly seemed distraught about Emily’s death, the dean at the university was adamant that none of her colleagues or students would have any motive whatsoever for wanting her dead, a former lover died several months ago of cancer, and I even checked out his widow, who while one of the most self-righteous people I’ve ever encountered, didn’t have a motive either.
“There’s someone living here in Lighthouse Cove who Carrie thinks could be a suspect. She found what she believes are suspicious emails between that person and Emily, so I’m going to call tomorrow and schedule an interview. I’m not able to tell you who it is right now, especially since the evidence is very circumstantial, but also because I think Carrie is way off base on this one.”
“When you withhold info from me you have your reasons,” Annie responded. “I’ve seen you work on so many murder cases that I know you have to be discreet and often can’t give me all the details until you have solid evidence, so I won’t press you.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
“You’re welcome. Ed, I didn’t get your message until after I’d already prepared dinner for tonight. I made a huge pot of Tuscan tomato soup and bought a wedge of Asiago cheese and some good crusty bread before I went to yoga. If you’re too tired to go out, we can stay in. If you still want to go, the meal will keep until tomorrow.”
“You know, I’ve been so focused on this murder for the past couple days, and so preoccupied, that even though I’m exhausted I think I would like to go out tonight and do something fun. It’ll be a nice change.”
“Would you have a problem with the Beauvoirs joining us? I ran into Eve at yoga today, and she asked if we might want to meet her and Henri at The Brewery for dinner. There’s an acoustical guitar player performing. I told her I’d text her and let her know one way or the other, but whatever you prefer is fine with me.”
“It would be nice to catch up with good friends. Go ahead and text Eve and let her know we’ll meet them, how about in an hour? I’d like to shower and change my clothes.” Annie picked up her cell phone off the kitchen counter and texted her friend.
“Annie,” Ed continued, “I’d like this evening to be as low key as possible. I’m aware that everyone in the village is talking about the murder, but I’d rather not say too much about it, so if Eve or Henri or anyone else we run into asks, I’m just going to tell them we have a couple of leads but nothing concrete yet and then change the subject. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course, Ed.”
“Now that’s enough about me. How was your day? Did Carrie give you the okay to go into the basement?”
“She did and agreed that Luke could come with me and help me bring some boxes here.”
“Did you find anything valuable?”
“After I got there I changed my mind and decided that going into that cold dark basement today just didn’t appeal to me. Emily’s death has upset me more than I realized. Luke was waiting for me on the front porch, and I told him what I’d decided but asked him if he’d allow me to go in and check for phone messages and go through the mail. He said I could, but that I couldn’t touch anything else and should bring the mail back here, so I wouldn’t contaminate the scene. He didn’t think he needed to stay with me so long as I was willing to leave as soon as I was finished and was comfortable being there by myself. I was and sent him back to the police station with a promise to have him over for dinner some night when things settle down.”
“You stayed by yourself? You certainly remember that I didn’t want you to do that right now, Annie,” Ed admonished.
“I only stayed for a little while longer, Ed. You’re being overprotective, and I’m not a child.”
“Maybe it’s his inexperience, Annie, but Luke was not using good judgment.”
“You’re over-reacting. Luke cautioned me to lock the door and stood outside and watched me turn the dead bolt before leaving,” Annie, frustrated and angry, said tersely.
Ed sighed. “Maybe I am over-reacting, but it’s just out of concern.”
Exasperated, she sighed, shook her head and continued, “Anyway, after I gathered up the mail, I went to the phone with the answering machine which is on Emily’s desk. There were some messages on it that were too extensive for me to input into the notes app on my cell phone. I needed paper to write them down and figured the top drawer of her desk probably had a pad or some sticky notes and a pen.
“The drawer was partially open and when I opened it the whole way, I found a broken chain stuck in the crack of the side of the drawer. I pulled it out without thinking, but after I realized what I’d done decided it might be evidence, so I called Luke and stayed there until he came back to retrieve it. He wasn’t happy that I didn’t listen to him and went into the desk without permission but said that in the long run, because of what I’d found, he wouldn’t make a big deal of it. He said Carrie would send it to the crime lab.”
“Annie, Luke’s right. You shouldn’t have done that, but if the chain can be linked to the murder, maybe it’s a good thing you did. Though I am a bit miffed that the techs didn’t find it. First the anchor, now the chain. It seems to me that they should have been more thorough.”
“Do you remember what the museum looks like, Ed?” countered Annie impatiently. “It’s trashed. I think they did the best they could when they went through the building the first time but missed a couple things. Remember, Luke said they planned to do a final run-through today and I expect, if I hadn’t found the pendant and chain, they would have.”
“Let’s hope that’s true, Annie. While you did the right thing by calling Luke, you’re not off the hook. You shouldn’t be spending time alone in the museum right now.”
&nb
sp; “I’m not going to argue with you, Ed,” Annie scoffed. “As you can see, I was fine, and as soon as the techs are out of there for good, I intend to spend time at my office when I want to.”
Resigned to having a feisty and independent wife, Ed shook his head and went upstairs to clean up. Half-an-hour later he came down the steps looking refreshed and feeling much calmer. He and Annie decided that a brisk walk would do them both good, so wearing jeans, heavy sweaters, ski parkas, mittens, and boots that crunched through a sparkling layer of newly fallen snow, they headed towards the restaurant, engaging in idle chatter and avoiding any discussion about the murder case.
Inside The Brewery an open hearth fire was roaring, and the noise volume, made louder by the high, wood-beamed ceiling, reflected the large and diverse crowd that had gathered for pizza, wings, and adult beverages, and to listen to the guitar performance.
Sturdy round oak tables with wide-bottomed captain’s chairs filled the cavernous room that was framed at one end by a polished wooden horseshoe-shaped bar where their friends, Eve and Henri, sat––he, drinking dark ale, and she, a white wine. Both were munching on popcorn from a basket that the bartender had placed before them.
Ed ordered a glass of red wine for Annie, a single malt scotch for himself, and after several minutes the hostess led the two couples to a table near the fireplace and close to where the guitar player had set up. As predicted, several diners came over to the table to talk about the murder, but Ed deftly changed the subject after telling them the investigation had produced few leads.
Chapter 19
Black, mainly black, with tan and green and occasional flashes of white lightening swirled through the air with cries of anguish and lots of buzzing, buzzing, buzzing that got louder, so much so that it awakened the dreamer just as the 10 p.m. edition of the evening news started airing on the TV that had been on since late that afternoon.
Murder in the Museum_Edmund DeCleryk Mysteries Page 6