Something Fishy

by Lois Schmitt

  Detective Perini smiled. “Okay. I don’t think he can get very far.” Facing Bradford, he said, “Walk in front of me, and don’t try anything funny.”

  Several guests were beginning to stare in our direction. Wanting to shield Commander West from inquiries before he knew the entire story,” I said, “Let’s go outside, and I’ll explain everything, so you can tell your donors the truth and do damage control.”

  As we stepped outside, I glanced ahead and gasped. Bradford Monroe was running away from the house with Detective Perini on his tail.

  “He’s trying to escape,” I yelled. Commander West and I ran toward them.

  Perini overcame Bradford and tackled him to the ground.

  “He thought he could outrun me.” Perini handcuffed his prisoner.

  “Of course,” I said, remembering the awards on the walls in Bradford’s office. “He was a track star.”

  “That’s funny,” said Perini as he pulled Bradford off the ground. “So was I.”

  “Will you also be able to charge him with murder?” I asked. “Is there enough evidence?”

  “My God!” Commander West exclaimed. “Who did he murder?”

  “Jack Patterson and Katie Chandler,” Detective Perini answered. He turned, now facing me. “It’s a small world. It seems that Bradford Monroe and your mother’s ex-fiancé, Paul Andre, go back a long way. But I’ll fill you in more on that later. Paul turned state’s evidence. He was the go-between that arranged for Bradford to meet with Gary Guster.”

  “Paul knew about the murders?” I sucked in my breath.

  “Paul asked Bradford how he acquired the stamp. Bradford bragged about committing the murders.

  Commander West sighed. “Boasting has always been Bradford’s downfall. You would think a scammer would avoid having his picture taken and not actively seek personal publicity.”

  Detective Perini shrugged. “It’s ego. Scammers like Bradford think they are smarter than everyone else. They don’t believe they will ever get caught.

  “I understand why he killed Katie,” the Commander said. “But why Jack? What did he have to do with this?”

  “Let me offer a theory,” I said. “Jack Patterson and Bradford Monroe both worked together at the Throckbrush Academy—Jack as a teacher and Bradford as development officer. During Bradford’s time there, the academy inherited the estate of a wealthy industrialist, which included a valuable coin collection. The disgruntled, disinherited brother of the industrialist claimed that a 1943 copper wheat penny, valued at nearly one hundred thousand dollars, was missing. Rumors were that a staff member at Throckbrush had grabbed it. The police narrowed it down to Bradford, but they didn’t have enough evidence to charge him.”

  “That can’t be.” Commander West frowned. “I checked his references. There was no mention of this.”

  “There wouldn’t be. Throckbrush Academy runs on their reputation. If they let it be known that a former staff member was possibly an embezzler, their ability to raise future funds would plummet. They might not even survive the scandal. The headmaster told Bradford to resign and gave him a positive review.”

  “Plus, since there wasn’t any real proof, they would open themselves to a law suit,” Detective Perini added.

  “Did Jack Patterson know?” Commander West wiped the sweat off his brow.

  “Yes. As a teacher at the school, he knew all about the suspicions and the investigation. Madge, the marine mammal attendant, told me that a few days before he was killed, Jack asked Katie who she had told about the invitation. I didn’t know at the time what that meant. I originally thought it had to do with the invitation for the aquarium’s cocktail party. Now, I realize it was the invitation to the Governor’s Ball. Katie’s grandmother always kept the study locked, so Jack hadn’t seen the stamp until Katie showed it to him a few weeks ago. Since Jack had collected stamps as a kid, he probably suspected it might be valuable. I’m sure he researched it.”

  “Do you think Jack was suspicious that Bradford might steal the invitation?” Commander West asked.

  “Yes. Oscar Mejas had overheard a phone conversation. Jack used the phrases, ‘I knew him years ago’ and ‘up to his old tricks.’ I can only surmise Jack was talking about Bradford Monroe.”

  “Paul Andre told us everything. Paul was Bradford’s fence,” Detective Perini said. “When Bradford confided that Jack was suspicious, Paul said there could be no deal as long as Jack was around. He couldn’t take the risk. The next day Bradford contacted Paul and told him he killed Jack. Supposedly, Paul was horrified. He had expected Bradford to move onto another scam, not commit murder. For what it’s worth, Paul was a scam artist, but he wasn’t a killer.”

  A Crown Victoria careened up to the edge of the property.

  “That’s Detective Wolfe,” Perini said. “Bradford will be charged with both fraud and murder. Since I’m with the fraud section, as a courtesy, I called the homicide division. Wolfe and I will take Bradford Monroe into headquarters together for booking.”

  Wolfe emerged from his car and made his way to where we stood.

  “Good work, Perini,” he said, without looking at me.

  “Thanks, but I have to admit, most of the legwork was done by this lady here.”

  Wolfe glared at me. He turned back to face Perini. “As I said, good work Detective Perini. Good police work.”

  Detective Perini and I exchanged glances. We both laughed.

  Chapter Fifty-three

  “Wait! You can’t go in there,” Clara called as I made my way toward Olivia Johnson’s office.

  “Olivia texted she wants to see me immediately,” I said.

  “She’s on a phone call with corporate management.” Clara lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s the CEO.”

  It felt like tiny spiders crawling in my intestines. “This can’t be good.”

  “Hold on. I think she’s finished.” Clara’s intercom buzzed. “Kristy is right here. I’ll send her in.”

  I stepped into my editor’s office. Olivia rose from her chair and stood behind her desk. Her face was deadpan as usual.

  “Two excellent articles, Kristy. The one on the land acquisition is especially good. The part devoted to Ruby Diamond and her drug connection really steps it up a notch.”

  Olivia smiled, something she rarely did. “The circulation for this issue should exceed our expectations. Corporate management is pleased.”

  “Pleased enough to stop the merger?” I asked.

  Olivia shrugged. “It’s all about the bottom line. By the way, your advertising idea is working. Our new advertising manager has contacted a local businesses. Several have expressed interest in appearing in Animal Advocate. One is the Mulgrave Auto Dealership. I understand the Mulgraves are big supporters to the aquarium.”

  Olivia smiled. “If we keep circulation up and the ads keep coming, we may be okay. But every time corporate management calls, I hold my breath.”

  Olivia abruptly changed subjects. “You remember Schuyler Adams, right?”

  “Sure.” I said, hoping she hadn’t heard me groan at the mention of the name. How could I forget Schuyler? An Ivy League graduate, he had been my major competition for the feature writer position at Animal Advocate. He was now back at graduate school, but I’d been told he planned to intern with us.

  “Schuyler will be starting his internship here in November, and I decided to assign him to you. The next issue will feature the Heathermore Wildlife Refuge. Some animals have disappeared, and a few have been found dead. That will be your story, but Schuyler could do your preliminary research, including interviews.”

  “Of course,” I said, smiling weakly. I liked asking my own questions, but I knew Olivia had her mind set. I wasn’t sure how this would work out.

  “You can leave now. Be on time for Monday’s staff meeting. And when you work with Schuyle
r, don’t forget, his dad’s company is one of our biggest advertisers.”

  *****

  Abby had texted that Jillian Patterson wanted to see me. On my way home, I stopped at the horse farm. When I entered the stable, Jillian was mucking the stalls.

  “I wanted to thank you, Mrs. Farrell,” Jillian said as soon as she spotted me. “You saved this place from bankruptcy.”

  “Me?”

  “You and Abby. Your daughter put me in touch with a horse rescue group. They’re going to be renting space here. I’m rearranging things, and their horses will have the entire east wing. They’ll be taking most of my empty stalls.” She paused. “I’m giving them a good deal, of course, but their monthly payment will help me cover my costs.”

  “Sounds like a win-win for everyone. But Abby did that. How did I help?”

  “Remember when you gave me the contact information for your accountant, and you recommended that I speak with him?”

  “Yes. Was he able to help you?”

  “He found out about a tax abatement for horse farms.” Jillian grinned. “Between the tax savings and the horse rescue group, the Patterson Horse Farm should start running in the black.”

  *****

  “Is it true the aquarium will be able to buy the twenty acres?” Abby asked. We were in the den, drinking apple cider that Matt and I had bought earlier today at a local farm stand. The two dogs and our newest addition, Gus, the Maine coon cat, were curled up near the fireplace.

  I nodded. “Any negative fallout resulting from the arrest of Brad Monroe is not affecting contributions. According to Commander West, all sponsors are honoring their commitments.”

  “How much money will the aquarium receive from Alicia Wilcox Chandler’s will?” asked Matt.

  “Only three million. Calvin is still refusing to honor Katie’s wish of donating the six million.” I smiled. “It’s his last ditch effort to help Lucien Moray acquire the land, but it won’t do any good.”

  “Why not?” asked Jason, who had entered the room from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of “trick or treat” candy. Halloween was tomorrow, and the bowl was half empty. My family loved sweets.

  After making a mental reminder note to run out to the store early in the morning to replenish the candy supply, I answered Jason’s question. “Because the aquarium doesn’t need the extra money to reach their goal. The aquarium inherited Katie’s estate which includes the Mauritius stamp. That’s worth—”

  “But the aquarium doesn’t have the stamp,” Abby interrupted. “Gary Guster bought it. He owns it now.”

  “No, he doesn’t,” her lawyer boyfriend said. “When Gary bought the stamp, he purchased stolen property. He has no legal right to it.”

  “Jason is correct, Abby. Detective Perini told me the stamp will be returned to the aquarium after it’s used as evidence. Commander West has several potential buyers lined up.”

  “Even if the case drags on, the aquarium can get a loan with the stamp as collateral,” Matt added as he threw extra logs on the fire. “Don’t forget the sale of Katie’s house. That will bring in more revenue.”

  “And the million Katie inherited from her grandmother goes to the aquarium, right? Abby asked.

  “Absolutely. Katie left all she owned to the aquarium. If you add that to the sponsorships, which I understand are piling up, the aquarium will reach its goal.” I smiled again. “Bradford may be a crook, but he was a great fund raiser.”

  Abby grabbed a mini chocolate bar from the candy bowl. She frowned while unwrapping it. “He’s more than a crook, he’s a murderer. Does anyone know how Paul Andre and Bradford Monroe hooked up?”

  I nodded. “I spoke with Detective Perini today, and he told me the whole story. Bradford and Paul both lived in Philadelphia at the same time—”

  “Jack Patterson was there too, right?”

  “Yes. Jack and Bradford both worked at the Throckbrush Academy. Paul was an art appraiser with an office in the city.”

  “He really was a legitimate art appraiser?” Abby shook her head in apparent disbelief.

  “That part of his story is true. He was not, however, an ethical appraiser. He would underestimate merchandise, purchase it at far less than it was worth, and then sell at a huge mark-up.”

  “As an appraiser, he shouldn’t be purchasing it for any amount,” Jason said.

  “You’re so right. Anyway, when Throckbrush Academy inherited the coin collection, Bradford took it to Paul for an appraisal. Bradford had conducted research and had a general idea of what the collection was worth, but to sell it for Throckbrush, he needed a professional appraisal. He found Paul through an online advertisement and chose him because his appraisal rate was the lowest in town.”

  “Of course it was low.” Jason scowled. “He wanted to lure in customers so he could swindle them.”

  “Exactly. Paul tried to pull a fast one with Bradford. He appraised the coins at way undervalue. Then he made an offer to buy.”

  “But Bradford didn’t sell because he knew these coins were worth more, right Mom?”

  “He confronted Paul. But instead of reporting the scam to the police, Bradford made a deal with the devil.”

  “I’m guessing that’s when Bradford and Paul went into business together.” Abby shook her head.

  I nodded again. “A tag team con operation. Meanwhile, a wealthy Philadelphian, who had tremendous knowledge of coins, contacted Throckbrush’s headmaster and expressed interest in examining the collection as a first step toward making a purchase. Since this potential buyer would have an approximate idea of the worth of each coin, Paul couldn’t scam him. The coins had to be appraised correctly, so they had to figure another way to make money off the collection.”

  “What did they do?” Abby leaned down and scooped up Gus who was now rubbing against her leg.

  “Before the wealthy Philadelphian had a chance to view the collection, Bradford stole the cooper wheat penny, the most valuable coin in the set. Paul sold it secretly. They shared the money.”

  “But how could Paul sell the coin without attracting attention and without leaving a visible trail?” My daughter looked puzzled.

  “I’m sure he sold it to a private collector. No one would know. The coin is rare, but it’s not one of a kind.”

  “He and Bradford assumed no one would miss it, right?”

  “Yes. But that was a bad assumption. The estranged brother of the deceased remembered the penny from years ago. The police were positive Bradford was the thief because he was the only person who had been alone with the coins since the school inherited the collection. But no one could prove the penny was there in the first place. The police couldn’t verify the coin hadn’t been sold by Marshall Cunningham prior to his death—despite his brother’s assurance that Marshall would never have broken up the collection.”

  Jason nodded. “A good defense attorney would have ripped apart the prosecutor’s case.”

  “After this happened, I take it that Bradford and Paul continued their business relationship,” Abby directed her question to me.

  “Bradford was asked to leave Throckbrush. That’s when he got the job as development officer for the aquarium. Soon after, Paul’s appraisal schemes caught the attention of the Philadelphia District Attorney. Before the investigation concluded, Paul left Philly and headed to Florida where his goal was to scam wealthy widows. But he kept contact with Bradford. He realized that Bradford’s work in fundraising involved socializing with people who had money—big money. When Bradford started working at the aquarium, he sent Paul a list of donors. Paul convinced the Mulgraves and other contributors to invest in his non-existent health spas. That’s why Paul came to New York.”

  “I’m assuming Bradford got a cut of the Mulgrave’s investment money?” Abby said.

  “Detective Perini told me it was a fifty/fifty split.”

&
nbsp; “Did the Mulgraves and the others get their money back?”

  “They did. Bradford was caught at the very beginning of the scam, before he had a chance to spend the money.”

  “How did Bradford come to realize the value of the Mauritius stamp?” Abby asked.

  “When Katie gave Bradford a tour of her home, he saw the invitation. He realized it was from the nineteenth century, so he assumed the stamp might be worth something. He didn’t know how much until he told Paul, who realized they hit the mother lode. Bradford killed Katie and stole the stamp. Again, no one would be suspicious because the only other person who realized the stamp’s value was Jack Patterson.”

  “And he was dead.” Abby sighed.

  “How did Jack Patterson figure in all this?” Jason asked.

  “Jack collected stamps as a kid. He’d heard about the Mauritius stamp. When Katie showed Jack the invitation, he knew the stamp was valuable. But I’m sure he didn’t want to tell Katie until he researched and found out exactly what it might be worth.”

  “Did he eventually tell Katie?”

  “I think he was killed before he had a chance. But Bradford had found out that Katie had shown the invitation to Jack—”

  “And then Bradford realized he had to get rid of them both,” Abby said, completing the thought.

  I leaned back. “When Bradford was hired by the aquarium, Jack had confronted him and told him to stay on the straight and narrow path. Jack said since there was no definite proof of Bradford stealing the coin at Throckbrush, he wouldn’t say anything to Commander West. But if anything suspicious happened concerning the aquarium, Jack would tell what he knew. Bradford realized that if the invitation went missing, Jack would accuse him of the crime. So, he killed Jack before murdering Katie.”

  Matt furrowed his brow. “I find it hard to believe Katie had no idea how valuable the stamp was.”

  “I don’t,” Abby said. “I’m sure she realized a nineteenth century stamp could be worth something, but Katie was never interested in money. She wouldn’t have spent time researching the stamp’s value.”