Murder is Secondary: A Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mystery

by Diane Weiner

  “Dalia, right?”

  “You remembered. Julie, isn’t it? Nice to run into you again,” said Dalia.

  “It’s a teacher workday. These are a few of my colleagues. It’s such a rare treat to be able to go out for lunch. Usually we scarf down our lunches in the teacher planning area. This must be your husband.”

  Phillip intercepted by standing up and extending his hand. “I’m Phillip Bachman. Pleased to meet you.” He shook their hands. “Dalia, I need to be going so I can get on the road tonight.” He took out his wallet and paid the bill.

  “If you don’t have somewhere to be, you’re welcome to join us,” said Julie. “This is my friend Carol, and this is our media specialist, Janet.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll have a cup of coffee before I leave. Do you mind Phillip?” She was getting a bit bored hanging out in her hotel room.

  “Of course not. I’ll touch base before I go.”

  Dalia had a seat at Julie’s table. “Here, don’t forget your jacket.” She handed it to Phillip. “It’s getting cooler out. Seems like fall has officially arrived.”

  “Yes, it has. I’m not sorry to say goodbye to the heat and humidity. It’ll be Halloween soon, then Thanksgiving. The older you get, the faster the time seems to pass,” said Julie.

  “I’m flying out to Dallas on Columbus Day weekend to visit my son. Guess I’ll pack some sweaters,” said Janet.

  “It’s likely to be warmer out there. The weather is unpredictable out there this time of the year. I lived there when I first married my ex-husband. He was from Texas,” said Julie.

  “Ex-husband? I thought you had said your husband died when Joey was just a baby,” said Janet. “Complications from diabetes, right? Isn’t that why Joey got interested in that topic? You know Dalia, Julie’s son just won a national science contest by inventing a screening test for diabetes.”

  “That’s what I meant,” said Julie. She rubbed her wrist.

  “My husband is also from Texas. Everything’s bigger in Texas––that was his motto. Until we moved to New Jersey,” said Dalia.

  “Dalia, it was a pleasure. Maybe we’ll run into each other again. We have to be getting back to school,” said Julie.

  When Dalia got back to the Rocking Horse, she was happy to see that Zach was still out. Dalia ran through the events of the afternoon. She was thrilled that Phillip had reacted so enthusiastically to the news of her pregnancy. Things were going exactly as planned.

  Then her thoughts turned to her conversation with Julie and her friends. Dalia felt as if Julie was hiding something. For one thing, why had she told Dalia that she had an ex-husband when she’d told her friends that her husband had died? And Julie had that nervous habit of rubbing her wrist. Dalia had remembered seeing that at the spa that day as well as at the restaurant. Julie had a nasty scar there. What had caused it? The scar looked like it had been there a while. Had Julie tried to slit her wrist at one time? And then there was the hair. Julie obviously took care of her appearance. She had seemed to know her way around a spa and her sense of fashion was on the mark. Then why did she do such a lousy job of dying her hair? The dark brown color was drab and unflattering to her fair skin. It seemed off. Dalia’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. He’s hooooome. Zach reminded her of Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining. So much for a peaceful evening, she mused.

  Chapter 25

  Susan was still reeling from both the news that Tank was about to be arrested, and the discovery that she had been adopted. She wasn’t ready to talk about the latter yet––not even with Mike or Lynette. Besides, she didn’t want to add another thing to Mike’s plate right now. She had arranged to pick up Lynette at the station for lunch. Maybe that would get her mind off of the adoption. Mike had already noticed that she wasn’t acting like herself these past few days. She seldom kept secrets from Mike. She hadn’t yet decided if she was going to look for her real––she meant birth––parents. She already knew who her real parents were. Mike would encourage her to search for them because he knew she wouldn’t be at peace until she had answers. He knew her awfully well.

  Susan walked into the station.

  “Hey, Jackson. Is Lynette around?” said Susan.

  “Hey ‘Jackson’? Since when do you use my real name, Miss Marple? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I’m just a bit tired. I haven’t been sleeping well these days.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “You, on the other hand, look great––there’s a spring to your step.”

  “And a song in my heart––must be I’m falling in love.” Jackson laughed.

  “You and Theresa make a great couple. I’m glad you two found each other. Are we going to be hearing wedding bells anytime soon?”

  “Maybe so. I’ve been looking at rings.”

  “Jackson, that’s wonderful. I’m really happy for both of you.”

  Lynette came out of her office.

  “Any more news about Tank’s arrest?” asked Susan.

  “No, we’re still waiting for the paperwork to go through. I feel so awful about this. I know Tank couldn’t have committed murder. There has to be another explanation as to why his handkerchief was there.”

  “I still think Danny Trapani may have done this,” suggested Susan.

  “He doesn’t have an alibi, but we have nothing linking him to the crime scene. No eyewitness, and no physical evidence. It’s out of our hands,” replied Lynette.

  “I guess you’re right.”

  “I’m starving, Mom. Let’s go eat. I’m craving Chinese.”

  “Fortune Dragon here we come,” said Susan.

  Just then the door flew open. It was Amber Bernstein’s father. Susan inhaled the stale smell of smoke as soon as he walked in.

  “Mr. Bernstein, I’m going to lunch. I swear that we’re still working on your daughter’s case,” said Lynette.

  “That’s not why I’m here. You know that I hired a private investigator. I wanted to share some information that he found with you.”

  “What information?”

  “My private investigator found a Zip-lock bag buried under some dry leaves at the construction site. It was found near the trailer.”

  “Mr. Bernstein, our crime scene investigator…”

  “I’m not accusing them of any incompetence. It wasn’t easily visible.”

  “What was in the bag?” asked Lynette.

  “At first, he thought it was some sort of orange-flavored candy, but then he realized that they were glucose tablets.”

  “Glucose tablets? Like diabetics use?”

  “Yes. He interviewed the construction crew. None of them are diabetic and no one else should have been at that site.”

  “Do you have the bag?”

  “It’s right here.” Bernstein pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket. It was carefully wrapped in a handkerchief. He handed it to Lynette. “We were careful not to get our prints on it. Maybe you could run it through the crime lab.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Bernstein. We certainly will. Please continue to keep us in the loop.”

  “Of course. I want to find my daughter’s killer and if we combine resources, perhaps that can be accomplished.” He turned abruptly and left.

  “That’s interesting,” said Susan, watching the departing man.

  “Mom, before we go to lunch, let me show you something. Come into my office.”

  Susan followed Lynette into her office and Lynette pulled a stack of photographs from her desk drawer. “We found this at the crime scene. The real thing is in the evidence room, but I always take photos if I think I may need to revisit something. Look.”

  “What is it? It looks like it came off of a keychain.”

  “It did. We found it on the floor of the bulldozer after Amber’s body was discovered. Look closely.”

  “It looks like a blue star on a silver background.”

  “Exactly. Do you know what that logo is?”

 
“No. Come on, Lynette. Just tell me.”

  “It’s the logo for the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas Cowboys? Diabetes?”

  They both said it simultaneously. “Zachary Chichester.”

  “How on earth is he connected to Amber’s death?” asked Susan.

  “Well, he is involved with the construction project isn’t he? I still doubt he would have been driving the bulldozer though. Not with those shiny Italian boots.”

  “Lynette, remember how I told you he has no connection to that project at all. I went out to the site to invite Zachary over for dinner the other day when I was at the school volunteering. None of the workers had ever seen or heard of him.”

  “I remember you saying that. We now have two pieces of evidence linking him to Amber’s death. We also know he’s been lying, and that he has a cruel side to him. Remember how he treated his wife? This may be good news for Tank.”

  “I felt bad for Dalia at dinner the other night.”

  “The thing we are lacking is motive. Tank has motive, so does Danny Trapani, for that matter. But what possible connection does Zach Chichester have to Amber, a 17-year-old high school student in a neighboring state? I’ll run it by Mr. Bernstein.”

  “It’s very puzzling. We’ll have to keep investigating until we find the common link.”

  “Mom….”

  “I mean you’ll have to keep investigating.”

  “That’s better,” said Lynette, although as she turned away to hide it, Susan saw Lynette smile.

  “Now,” said Susan, “I’m thinking my grandbaby wants some eggrolls and sweet and sour chicken.”

  “Yes, Mom. I think so too.”

  Chapter 26

  Dalia waited until Zach left the hotel room and then got busy. Julie obviously had had a gut reaction about domestic violence when she witnessed it at the spa. And she said her husband had been from Texas. Is it possible? thought Dalia. Could Julie have been married to Zach? Is that why Zach came here?

  She pulled out her laptop and did some searching for Zach’s first wife, Kaitlyn Chichester. She turned on the TV to break the silence. After digging through many false leads, she finally found a picture of Kaitlyn and studied it closely. By the time Dalia had married Zach, there were no pictures of Kaitlyn or their son Joey anywhere in the house. That should have clued her in right away as to what type of heartless person Zach was. In the past decade, she hadn’t heard him mention their names––not even once. The picture she came across was old, but still the resemblance was there. If you colored the hair brown, cut off a few inches, and added fifteen or so pounds, this could be Julie, she thought. It was getting chilly in the room. Dalia turned up the heat and put on a sweatshirt.

  Next, Dalia searched for a death certificate. Maybe Zach had lied and he hadn’t been a widower after all. With minimal effort, Dalia found an obituary for both Kaitlyn and Joey. I guess he was telling the truth about that, she thought. Hallelujah for the internet. According to the certificate, Kaitlyn/Julie supposedly died when Zach said she did. Didn’t that lady at lunch, the media specialist, say that Julie had a teenage son? And didn’t she say something about Julie’s son developing some sort of test for diabetes and winning some award because his dad had died from complications from the disease? Come to think of it, maybe Kaitlyn Chichester really wasn’t dead in spite of the obituary.

  Maybe Kaitlyn/Julie had run away to escape Zach. I’ll bet that’s where that scar came from, she thought. If she had run away, she would have had to appease her son’s curiosity when he became old enough to ask questions about his father. Zach actually has diabetes. Maybe Julie was inspired by a little wishful thinking and told Joey that his father had died from it. That way he’d never go looking for him.

  So that was Zach’s game. He had found out that Kaitlyn/Julie and his son were still alive and he had gone looking for them. God help them, thought Dalia. She had endured years and years of abuse from Zach, right up until the day she had told him she was pregnant. She could only imagine the kind of abuse he must have inflicted on Julie. Maybe he was even hurting their son. That man was completely nuts. Dalia would have left him years ago, but he always threatened that he would hunt her down and kill her if she did. Besides, she’d had no means of supporting herself. That was all changing though. She’d soon be free of that monster. She needed to call Phillip and fill him in on this latest news. He’d know how to handle it.

  Julie grabbed a bottle of water from the mini-fridge and tore open a pack of peanut M&M’s. She had to warn Julie. This was not going to end well for her if Zach wasn’t stopped. She couldn’t even remember Julie’s last name. She went back to the fridge and traded the water for a miniature bourbon. Then she remembered the baby shower. Lynette’s baby shower was Saturday night at Susan’s house. Surely Julie would be there and she’d be blindsided when Zach walked in. Susan had invited them to the shower the night they went over there for dinner. She had to warn Julie before it was too late. She had an idea.

  Dalia walked downstairs to the spa. The same receptionist was there who had been there the day she’d met Julie.

  “Good evening,” said Dalia as she approached the desk. “I was in here the other day.”

  “Yes, I remember. What can I do for you?”

  “Do you remember how I was chatting with the woman in the pedicure chair who was seated next to me?”

  “Yes, it appeared as if you were making a new friend,” said the receptionist.

  “Well, she had told me about a house for sale in her neighborhood and I forgot to take down the information. My husband and I are considering moving here. Could I possibly get some contact information so I can talk to her further?”

  “I’d love to be able to help, but I’d lose my job if I shared that information.”

  “I understand.” Dalia exited the spa but stayed just outside the door. She weighed her options while staying out of the receptionist’s sight. After a while, she came up with a plan. The riding trail passed right in front of the spa’s glass wall. She remembered the domestic violence scene that she and Julie had witnessed from the pedicure chairs. She went outside and looked around. Just as she had hoped, a horse was loosely tied to one of the hitching posts outside of the café. She carefully untied the horse and gave it a swat on the rear end with her purse. He ran off loudly, passing the spa window. To add fuel to the fire, Dalia let out a blood curdling scream. A group of people came running out of the café.

  Right on cue, the receptionist came running outside to see what all the commotion was about. She ran off, trying to chase down the horse. While the receptionist was outside, Dalia slipped into the spa, went behind the reception desk, and pulled up the appointment calendar on the computer. Voila. There was Julie’s contact information.

  Dalia immediately went back to her room and called Julie’s number. Without too much effort, she got Julie to agree to meet her for breakfast the next morning.

  She arrived at Denny’s bright and early. It wasn’t long before she spotted Julie.

  “Hi, Julie. I’m so glad you were able to meet.”

  “I’m glad you called. What a nice treat, to eat breakfast out before school.” The waitress came and poured them both some coffee.

  “Julie, listen carefully.” Dalia leaned across the table and spoke in a stage whisper. “I have something very important to tell you.”

  “You sound so serious. Go ahead.”

  “I don’t know how to start. I guess I’ll just spit it out. I am quite sure that my husband Zachary is your ex-husband and I’m also quite sure that he came to town to hurt you.”

  “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Julie. Julie’s shoulders tensed and she shook her head.

  “I mean you no harm. Believe me, I’m on your side. I know what Zachary is like. He started abusing me on our honeymoon. I’m pretty sure that he did the same to you and that you escaped by faking your own death. You’re actually Kaitlyn Chichester, aren’t you?’

  “No, not me,” sa
id Julie.” I’m Julie Martin. I do not know anyone named Zachary.” Julie emphasized do not. Dalia remembered reading that when people lied, they tended not to use contractions.

  “I’m trying to help you. I think it’s ingenious that you managed to escape that psychopath. I’m sure that Zach somehow found out that you were still alive and he’s here to harm you.”

  Julie sat back in her seat. She looked like she was going to faint. Dalia saw the blood rush away from her face. After what seemed like an eternity, Julie spoke: “Zachary is here? In Westbrook? Oh, my God.”

  Dalia placed her hand on Julie’s and squeezed it.

  “You’re married to Zachary?” Julie asked breathlessly. Dalia nodded.

  “Please listen to me,” said Dalia, insistently. “I don’t want you to be blindsided when he walks into that baby shower Saturday night. Susan Wiles had mentioned that she’d invited half the teachers in the town. I figured you’d be there. We need to stop this monster.”

  After a brief pause, Julie said, “Dalia, you’re right. You’re right about all of it. I don’t know what to do now that he’s found me. I’ve dreaded this moment for the past fifteen years. I have a son who I need to protect. I feel like I’m stuck in a dark corner with no way out. I wasn’t imagining things after all. Someone has been stalking me. Now it all makes sense.”

  “Maybe you should go to the police.”

  “And say what? I’m pretty sure faking your own death and keeping a father apart from his son has some sort of legal consequence.”

  “Then we’ll have to put our heads together and find another solution. This monster has to be stopped,” said Dalia. “We’ll talk again soon.”

  Chapter 27

  “The house looks beautiful,” said Mike. Pink and blue streamers created a canopy over the dining room table. In the center of the table, a large punch bowl supported a concoction of fruit juice, seltzer water, and lime sherbet. There was chili, cornbread, lasagna, salad….and Susan had baked cake pops covered with pastel colored icing. A crock pot full of Swedish meatballs rounded out the feast.