Murder, of Course

by Diane Weiner

  “Really? I know the detectives are working on it, but if she can move things along even faster…”

  “Let us know. Like I said, she loves playing private investigator.” Milo pulled on the leash. “Better get going. See you at the grand opening if not sooner.”

  Emily continued her run. If Rebecca could find records of financial transactions between Brody, Hartman, and his father, would it lead to anything useable? She thought about what they knew. Danielle came to town for the cat commercial. She was a lawyer, and had defended her then boyfriend, Brody Wilkerson, who worked for Splash Panels. She won the case for him. Splash Panels, a newly patented air conditioning system, made its debut at Nature’s Vista assisted living facility. A lot rode on it being a success. Hartman, head of the facility, was partners with Brody. A third partner, Charles Wilkerson, is Brody’s father. Emily stopped and took a swig from her water bottle.

  The air conditioning system failed, causing the death of Winnie’s mother, amongst others. Because Splash Panels won the case, they had no financial responsibility toward the families of the residents. In fact, the residents turned over their assets to Nature’s Vista when they moved in, and the families had no recourse in regaining those assets.

  Winnie was furious. She happened to meet Brody at the cat audition outside Washington, D.C., and realized who he was. She blamed him for her mother’s death. She had reason to murder Danielle when she realized it was Danielle who had defended Splash Panels.

  Danielle found out Brody knew about the problem with Splash Panels and was possibly blackmailing him over it. Did Brody kill Danielle to keep her quiet? He lied about being in town at the time of her death.

  Prints that matched the fuse box as well as a cigarette butt outside Maddy’s window didn’t belong to Brody, or to any criminal in the database. Abby’s picture captured a shadow of a man climbing a ladder to the roof of Danielle’s cabin, most likely to stuff it with clothing and insure the carbon monoxide would kill Danielle. Wallace Hartman had a stake in keeping things quiet, but he was attending a funeral at the time.

  That left the third secret partner, Charles Wilkerson—Brody’s father.

  Emily walked the last part of her run, thinking while she cooled down. By the time she got home, Maddy had left for school, and Henry was walking out the door.

  Henry kissed her. “Have a good day. Try not to get upset by Mair Rose, hard as it may be.”

  When Emily got to St. Edwards, she had a note––no––a reprimand waiting in her mailbox. She wanted to scream, and used every ounce of self-control to keep it in.

  Nancy put her hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  Through a clenched jaw, Emily said, “Nothing.”

  “Come on. I can read it all over your face.”

  “Follow me.” She led Nancy to her office and closed the door. “This is from Mair. She says this is a formal warning regarding failure to meet instructional contact time.” She slammed the paper into Nancy’s hand.

  “What! I didn’t know there was a particular rule. Heck, I’m sure I’m breaking it too.”

  “She cites letting my students out early on three occasions, and had them sign it! Look at this! I wasn’t even working on this day and she cites me for shortchanging the students. If she doesn’t get thrown in jail soon, I’m serious about quitting. Henry’s right. Who needs this?”

  “What a witch! If we didn’t need the money, I’d quit in a heartbeat. We have virtually nothing saved for Brooke’s college education, and as it is we’re praying for a huge scholarship to fall from the skies.” She plopped down in the chair next to Emily’s desk. “Let’s see what dirt we can dig up. We have some time before class starts. Turn on your computer.”

  “I’m not sure what we’re looking for. I wonder if her boyfriend, Mr. Principal, was ever questioned.”

  “You have to remember her father was in charge of the police department. I’m sure lots of things slipped through the cracks. Look him up.”

  “Which one?”

  “Start with Mair’s father.”

  Emily said, “Do you know his name?”

  “Yeah, he was all over the news with the tough guy act after Nathan disappeared. It’s Harold Kramer. If you’d lived here at the time, you’d remember, too. Came across as so insincere when he talked about finding his poor grandson on TV. I think there was a scandal going on some time after that forced him to retire. At least that’s what the rumor mill said.”

  Emily googled his name and scrolled through the entries. “I’m not finding anything we can use. We need someone with more expertise to handle this. I have just the person, too.”

  “Who? Detective Megan?”

  “No, our new neighbor, Rebecca. You met her at the painting party.”

  “Yes, she was very sweet.”

  “Her wife told me she had experience in private investigating and she’s a computer whiz. I’ll go by and talk to her after work.”

  “While you’re at it, see what she can dig up on the principal.”

  “You got it. Come on, we don’t want to short the students on instructional time.”

  *****

  Henry beat both Maddy and Emily home. He was stuck on the idea of Brody’s father being the third business partner, and the role he may have played in Danielle’s death. He called Megan at work, but discovered she’d been called out of town on a family emergency. He hoped all was okay and would call Pat later to find out.

  “Then, may I speak with Detective Wooster?”

  After a few minutes, he was connected to Ron’s office.

  “Detective, it’s Henry Fox. I was wondering if you were able to track down Brody Wilkerson’s father? Megan told us he was a partner in the Splash Panels/Nature’s Vista scandal.”

  “Megan told you all that?”

  “We were the ones who found the body and we’re helping however we can.”

  “Yes, we found him and we’ll be following up when Detective O’Leary returns. You can check back with her.”

  Henry sensed Ron’s uncomfortableness. After all, it wasn’t standard practice for the police department to share information about an ongoing case with civilians. Having his best friend dating the lead detective certainly blurred the rules, but in this town, the big picture—finding a murderer—trumped the norm. “I wonder why he kept his partnership secret. Was it because he was afraid of being accused of nepotism?”

  “No, I doubt that. They’d worked together before. I’ve got another call.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go.”

  Brody’s father secretly helped his son by hiring him to install Splash Panels. Mair Rose’s father was chief of police and covered up his grandson’s murder to protect his daughter. It made Henry wonder how far he’d go to protect Maddy if push came to shove. Then he realized that the behavior of those fathers most probably caused their children’s delinquency. He’d always been on the nurture side of the nurture vs. nature debate. He and Emily made it clear to Maddy what was and wasn’t acceptable, and obviously, Fiona had done the same. He couldn’t imagine being in that situation. Then, he thought about how sweet Coralee was and the rocky road she’d gone down with her son, Noah.

  He was about to get on his computer, when he remembered his old medical school buddy who went into business in the D.C. area. They kept in touch a few times a year. Maybe he’d have a clue where to start. He scrolled through his contacts.

  “Jack, yeah, it’s me. Doing good. Emily’s fine. Yes, it’s great being a dad. Maddy’s wonderful. I’m calling because I could use your help. I know you’re in the business end of medicine. You still manage that private hospital in Fairfax, right?”

  “Sure do. Hoping to retire in a couple of years so the wife and I can travel. What good’s having money if you don’t have the time to spend it?”

  “I hear you. Do you know the name Charles Wilkerson?”

  “Wilkerson…sure. He invested in a rehabilitation center some years back and was brought up on tax fraud c
harges. He was blackballed after that. No one around here would take his money.”

  “But if he had a partner, he could be the wind behind the scenes, right?”

  “I suppose so. As long as his name wasn’t associated with the funding, who’d care?”

  “You heard about the whole Splash Panels/Nature’s Vista fiasco, right?”

  “Of course. Both dodged a bullet, winning the lawsuit and all. Had they lost, the responsible parties would have lost their shirts. Splash Panels had a damn good lawyer and once they won, Nature’s Vista was off the hook, too. Gotta feel bad for the relatives of those residents who died like that.”

  “Tragic. Maybe things will be made right after all.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The lawyer who represented Splash Panels was murdered here in our town. She represented them as well as dated Brody Wilkerson, of Splash Panels.”

  “Wilkerson, like Charles Wilkerson?”

  “His son. We found out Charles was a silent partner and may even be a killer.”

  “I thought you went to Vermont to relax and putter in your woodshop? Murder? Secret partners?”

  “Never a dull moment. Keep in touch, buddy. If you ever get a free weekend, you and Carol ought to drive up for a long weekend. You still ski?”

  “It’s been a while, but yes, I still ski. I’ll talk to Carol and maybe we can arrange something.”

  “Take care, buddy.”

  Chapter 26

  Emily made a point of announcing to her class, “It’s exactly 4:20, so it’s time to leave.” She was a little miffed that her students would sign the statements Mair required, however, upon further reflection, she understood they were likely not given much choice. Mair was intimidating just by her presence in the room. An evil aura radiated from her like a perverse sort of halo. Hungry, tired, but motivated to nail Mair, Emily headed to Abby and Rebecca’s to see what Rebecca could dig up.

  Before she could even knock, she heard Milo bark. Rebecca, wearing her Yale sweatshirt and fuzzy socks, answered the door.

  “Hi, Emily. Abby said you might be stopping by. She’s still at the inn working on the mural.”

  “Maddy really appreciates that.”

  “What can I help you with?”

  “I was wondering what you can dig up on my boss, Mair Rose. Two years ago, her autistic son disappeared from their house while her husband was at work. Mair claims to have been asleep on the sofa at the time. The boy was never found.”

  “Mair Rose.” Rebecca opened her computer and typed.

  Emily’s eyes scanned the homey cabin. On the end table, a candle nestled in a sea-glass jar radiated the aroma of warm vanilla. The walls were made of knotty wood, decorated with a hand-crafted quilt, a park scene fashioned from copper, and several framed photos which she assumed were Abby’s work. On the oak coffee table, flip books of photos—the Cayman Islands, Alaska—and a wedding album. She flipped through the pages. Both girls were gorgeous in their wedding gowns. Abby’s dress was lacy and romantic; Rebecca’s, elegant satin with clean lines.

  “Here it is, the whole story from the local paper. The community organized a giant search party and divers searched the lakes and ponds throughout the town. Says they found nothing.”

  Amazed at how quickly Rebecca found the information, Emily said, “Mair’s father was Chief of Police in Oakbridge at the time. I think he covered things up because he knew his daughter was guilty.”

  “His own daughter killed her child? His grandson?”

  “You’d have to meet Mair and you’d understand. The boy’s father is convinced of her guilt, and she apparently had something going with her boss at the public high school. He may have helped her.”

  “Is her father still Chief of Police?”

  “No, and from what I hear, his resignation was rather sudden. We weren’t living here yet, but that’s what my friend Nancy says.”

  “Give me a few more minutes. What’s her father’s name?”

  “Harold Kramer.”

  Rebecca put on her glasses and typed away, laser focused on the job at hand. Milo inched his way over to Emily with a well-worn, rag toy in his mouth. He dropped it at Emily’s feet and they engaged in a game of fetch while Rebecca worked.

  “Here we go. Her father was accused of tampering with evidence associated with the Nathan Rose case. It was swept under the rug in exchange for his quiet resignation.”

  “How on earth did you find that so quickly?”

  “I’m a pro,” laughed Rebecca. “Evidence disappeared. According to officers working on the investigation, that included a baseball cap and an area rug. Also a bottle of grape juice.”

  “How do they know? Are the officers still working there?”

  Rebecca called out some names, then searched. “One was transferred to San Diego, another took early retirement.”

  Emily’s heart sank. “Figures.”

  “Wait, there’s one more name. He was a rookie, new to the force. He’s still there.”

  “I wonder if he’ll talk to me.”

  “I’m sure he was scared to say anything, but now that Mair’s father is gone, he may have changed his mind.”

  Emily wrote down the name. “You’re a doll. Thank you. Hey, what smells so good?”

  “It’s my squash casserole. Should be ready soon, want to stay for dinner?”

  “I’d love to, but Maddy and Henry are waiting for me. Thanks, again. I’ll see you at the grand opening on Saturday, right?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for anything. Milo can’t wait.”

  Emily stammered, “I don’t know if bringing a dog to a cat…”

  “Relax. I was only kidding! Tell Maddy I said hello and that we can’t wait till Saturday.”

  Emily drove home, wondering what the next plan of action should be. If she could drive out to Oakbridge again, perhaps she could speak to the rookie cop—if he was still working there. Rebecca was a terrific resource and she tucked away the many ways she could be useful in getting this book written. They should have also dug into Mair’s connection to her old boss. One thing at a time.

  When she walked in her front door, she saw Henry and Maddy sitting on the sofa together, working a Sudoku puzzle. She felt a warm glow just watching them—her family.

  “Hey, Em. Things run late at work?”

  “No, I stopped by Rebecca and Abby’s. Rebecca’s a whiz at internet investigating. Found out that evidence went missing in the Nathan Rose case. The chief, Mair’s father, quietly resigned when he was implicated, and two detectives working the case were transferred across the country.”

  “So there’s no one left on the force to interview?”

  “There’s one possibility. A rookie at the time was kept on. I’m going to take a ride out to Oakbridge and see if he’s there and willing to talk to us.”

  “I’ll come with you. When are you planning on going?”

  “Tomorrow? My class ends early.”

  Maddy looked up from the Sudoku. “Tomorrow’s Halloween. I’m not staying here alone!”

  “Then you’ll come with us,” said Emily. “And while we’re there, maybe we can try exploring Mair’s property again. She left this afternoon for a conference.”

  Henry said, “Want to hear my news? I did some investigating of my own.”

  “Tell me,” said Emily.

  “Called an old med school buddy who lives in Fairfax. He told me Charles Wilkerson was involved in fraud and tax evasion before he was ever involved with Splash Panels. He had invested in a rehabilitation center. His reputation was ruined after that, which explains why he’d have wanted to keep his name out of the Splash Panels deal.”

  Maddy said, “Leave it to me to wind up having Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot as parents.”

  Emily’s heart stopped. She glanced at Henry, whose face showed he’d registered Maddy’s comment as well. As parents. Why did she feel like she wanted to dance on the ceiling? For all the intellectualizing she’d done, for all the pro
s and cons lists she’d made, her physical reaction to those words said it all. She had a daughter and felt like she’d won the lottery.

  Chapter 27

  After school, Emily, Henry, and Maddy headed to Oakbridge. It was late afternoon, and they passed trick or treaters in pint-sized costumes. The sun was going down behind the mountains and some of the children wore glow sticks around their necks to make themselves more visible to passing vehicles. When Emily was a kid, her mother insisted she and her sister carry flashlights for the same reason.

  “What did you dress up as when you were little?” asked Emily. For the first time, she felt maybe she’d missed out on something by not holding her child’s hand, knocking on doors, and begging for candy.

  “Mom made some great costumes. One year I was the Little Mermaid. Mom covered the bottom half of the costume with green glitter and we found glitter in the house for months. She said glitter was on the banned list when it came time to shop for the prom or my wedding.”

  Henry cleared his throat. “One year I dressed up like Gene Simmons from Kiss.”

  “What’s that?” asked Maddy. “Some old movie?”

  “What! You never heard of Kiss? They were the greatest heavy metal band ever. I covered my face with black and white theater makeup and carried a cardboard guitar.” He belted out a guitar lick, making Maddy and Emily rush to cover their ears.

  By the time they pulled into the Oakridge police station, the sun had set.

  “What’s the name of this officer we’re looking for?’ said Henry.

  “Rebecca said it’s Jay Hart. According to her, he works evenings and should be there.”

  When they walked into the police station, it was nearly deserted. A plastic Jack-o’-lantern on the counter brimmed with fun-sized Twix and Snickers. Henry grabbed a handful and slipped one to Maddy.

  “Can I help you?” said a handsome, young officer. Emily read the name on his uniform. Jay Hart.

  “I hope so,” said Emily. “My name is Emily Fox. I’m a writer and we live over in Sugarbury Falls. I’m working on a true crime book about the Nathan Rose case and I understand you were on the force at the time.”