Trumpet of Death

by Cynthia Riggs

  “Is he likely to recover?”

  “He’s quite fragile, I understand,” said Victoria.

  “I don’t mean to wish him ill, but … Well, yes, I do wish him ill. Well, off to see my client.” She went to the nurses’ station and spoke to Hope, then returned to Victoria, still holding the bouquet in the mason jar. “They never admitted her. Here, you can have these.” She put the jar down on the small table next to Victoria and left.

  A few minutes later, Isabella Minnowfish came up the stairs and stopped in front of Victoria. She introduced herself. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met formally,” she said. “Of course I know who you are.”

  “I’m delighted to meet you,” said Victoria. “Your great-grandmother was a friend of mine.”

  “I never knew her,” said Isabella. “Is Bruno still alive?”

  “He’s very fragile,” said Victoria.

  “I don’t suppose I can look in on him?”

  “I’m afraid that’s out of the question,” said Victoria.

  “Oh, well. I was just passing by and thought I’d check.”

  About an hour later, a big, pleasant-looking man, a bit overweight, came off the elevator.

  “Mrs. Trumbull, I’m Phil Smith, Zack’s boss at the café.”

  “Yes, of course,” said Victoria. “Thank you for taking him back as dishwasher.”

  “Not at all. He’s indispensable.” He nodded toward the room where Bruno lay. “That our boy Eberhardt in there?”

  Victoria nodded.

  “Came to pay my respects. Okay to go on in?”

  “Sorry,” said Victoria. “No one but medical staff is allowed in.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “I really can’t say,” said Victoria.

  “If he should, by any chance, pull through, tell him I stopped by,” said Phil. “That should give him a thrill.” He grinned and left.

  The two hours went by quickly, with several people Victoria knew visiting patients in rooms down the hall, and Victoria was pleasantly surprised when Chief Josephus VanDyke showed up. He was in full uniform, ruggedly handsome with a smile that created deep creases from nose to mouth on his leathery face.

  “I’m here to relieve you, Mrs. Trumbull.” He hiked up the trousers that were belted below his large stomach. “Appreciate your being part of the guard team.”

  “It’s really quite enjoyable, Chief VanDyke,” said Victoria. “I had no idea there were so many visitors to the hospital.”

  “Now I’ve relieved you, do you have someone to drive you home?”

  “My granddaughter. She works at the Oak Bluffs Harbor.”

  “Just a hop, skip, and a jump from here,” said the chief. “When does she get off duty?”

  Victoria checked her watch. “Anytime now.”

  “I’ll take over then. You can wait downstairs for her.”

  “Thank you.” Victoria was glad to be relieved after the long day. She gathered up her papers and headed for the elevator. As she was waiting for it to come, a bell chimed, and Hope rushed past her to one of the rooms down the hall. The elevator arrived. Just as Victoria was about to step aboard, it occurred to her that with Hope tending a patient, Chief VanDyke should have someone there with him. The elevator door closed without her and she turned. The chief was not at the guard chair. He had entered Eberhardt’s room.

  No one was to enter that room. Victoria called out to him.

  “Chief VanDyke!”

  He immediately appeared.

  Victoria blurted, “Only medical staff are allowed in that room.”

  “I was checking on him,” said the chief.

  “I apologize for even questioning you, but Sergeant Smalley was adamant.”

  “Rightly so,” said the chief.

  Hope returned from the room down the hall. “The patient’s water pitcher was empty,” she said. “Is everything all right here?”

  “Definitely,” said the chief.

  “I should mention that Chief VanDyke went into Mr. Eberhardt’s room,” said Victoria.

  “I’d better check him again.” Hope went into the room and was there for several minutes. When she came out again she was flustered. “One of the tubes was out. I’ve replaced it.”

  Victoria glanced at the chief.

  “I saw that it was,” he said. “I was about to call you.”

  “Sir, you were not to enter his room,” said Hope.

  “I’m a police officer,” said the chief. “My duty is to ensure his safety, and I did just that. One of the tubes was out.”

  “Why didn’t the monitors sound the alarm?” asked Victoria.

  “The alarm goes off when the fluid level is low,” said Hope. “I check every ten minutes or so, but ten minutes could be too late.”

  “I believe I’ll wait for Elizabeth here,” said Victoria, returning to her chair.

  * * *

  Elizabeth came up the stairs to the second floor and saw a stern-faced Victoria sitting on her chair, her papers on the side table, her arms crossed. Chief Josephus VanDyke was sitting in the guard chair, his arms crossed, too, glaring straight ahead at nothing.

  She looked from one stony face to the other. “Ready to go, Gram?”

  “I’ll be staying for the four-hour watch to keep Chief VanDyke company,” said Victoria. “Would you mind getting me something to eat?”

  “Sure, be glad to,” said Elizabeth.

  Victoria reached for her papers, scribbled a quick note, and handed it to Elizabeth.

  The note said, “Get Smalley here NOW.” Elizabeth nodded, looked up from the note and said brightly, “Can I get you something to eat, too, Chief VanDyke?”

  He took his wallet out of his back pocket and checked inside. “I guess not. Thank you, though.”

  “I’ll be right back, Gram. Something to drink, too?”

  “Cranberry juice,” said Victoria.

  Elizabeth went down to the lobby and called the state police number. Smalley answered.

  “Come to the hospital immediately,” Elizabeth said. “My grandmother and Chief VanDyke look like a tornado is brewing.”

  “Be there in ten minutes or less,” said Smalley.

  “I’m taking up some food to camouflage whatever is going on,” said Elizabeth.

  She made a quick trip to the cafeteria, grabbed a ready-made salad and a bottle of cranberry juice, handed the woman at the checkout a ten-dollar bill and left.

  “Your change!” the woman called out.

  “Keep it,” said Elizabeth, and dashed up the stairs.

  * * *

  After Elizabeth left, the chief rose from his seat. “Mrs. Trumbull,” he said, taking a deep breath. “It’s commendable that you alerted the nurse to the fact that a person had entered Mr. Eberhardt’s room. However, you are completely out of line to question me. Or the fact that I entered that room. I am a police officer.” He patted his chest. “I am a chief of police.” He stepped toward her. “I volunteered my time to guard that room. And that’s what I intend to do.”

  “No one,” Victoria slapped a hand on the arm of her chair, “no one, absolutely no one except medical staff, was to enter that room.”

  “As a police officer, I am an exception, Mrs. Trumbull.” He moved closer to her. “Surely you understand that.” He smiled. “We appreciate your efforts to guard Mr. Eberhardt’s room.” Then he pointed a finger at her and said, quite firmly, “However,” he paused. “You have no experience. You have no training. Do not interfere with police work, Mrs. Trumbull. Spend more time with your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren. Bake them cookies. Read to them.” He smiled again. “I’m afraid your great age has warped your judgment.”

  Victoria, her face a bright pink, rose from her seat. “Don’t you dare question my experience, Chief VanDyke.” She stepped toward him and shook her fist at him. “I was guarding precious people before you were born.” Her eyes glittered. “How dare you speak to me like that!” She took another step toward him. “You detached
that tube, didn’t you? You had every reason to kill Mr. Eberhardt, and you almost succeeded.”

  At that VanDyke drew his gun. “You’ve lost your mind, Mrs. Trumbull. Don’t come another step toward me, or I’ll shoot.”

  * * *

  When Elizabeth reached the second floor, she saw the chief pointing his gun at Victoria, who was standing stock still. Hope was cowering behind the nurses’ station.

  “Here’s the food!” shouted Elizabeth.

  The chief glanced over at her.

  At the momentary distraction, Elizabeth threw the cranberry juice bottle as hard as she could at the chief’s head. It hit with a solid thwack and the gun dropped. Hope came out from behind the desk and kicked the fallen gun across the hall.

  There was a moment’s stunned silence. The chief put a hand up to his head. “You don’t realize what you’ve just done, foolish girl.”

  “You were about to shoot my grandmother,” Elizabeth said.

  “I was not about to shoot anybody,” said the chief, with indignation. “I had no other course but to draw my weapon. Your grandmother was out of control.”

  “That’s my grandmother,” said Elizabeth.

  “Furthermore,” said the chief, pointing at Elizabeth with the hand not holding his head, “I am charging you with assaulting a police officer and interfering with me in the course of doing my job.”

  Victoria had returned to her seat. “Are the state police on their way?” she asked Elizabeth.

  “I look forward to their arrival,” said the chief.

  Elizabeth went over and picked up the gun.

  Chief VanDyke took a blue-bordered handkerchief out of his pants pocket and wiped his forehead.

  “Everybody sit still until the police arrive,” said Elizabeth. “They can sort things out.”

  * * *

  Smalley arrived in less than ten minutes accompanied by Tim, who’d apparently repaired his brother’s boat engine in record time.

  Elizabeth was leaning against the counter that surrounded the nurses’ station, still holding the gun. Hope was in Eberhardt’s room checking everything for the third time.

  “What’s up, Josephus?” said Smalley.

  “You can see what’s up,” said the chief. “Mrs. Trumbull’s granddaughter is holding my gun and I am charging her with assault.”

  Victoria stood. “Chief VanDyke attempted to kill Bruno Eberhardt.”

  The chief laughed. “John, that is absurd.”

  “Mrs. Trumbull?” said Smalley.

  “Chief VanDyke disconnected one of the tubes keeping Mr. Eberhardt alive,” said Victoria.

  Hope came out of Eberhardt’s room and stood off to one side.

  “It’s fortunate I went into his room,” said the chief. “When I checked the wires and tubes I found that one had become dislodged. I was about to call the nurse when Mrs. Trumbull became upset about my entering his room.” He smacked his right fist into the palm of his left hand. “I undoubtedly saved his life.”

  “The tube could never have come loose by accident,” said Hope.

  “You’re mistaken,” said the chief.

  “I am a nurse,” said Hope, stretching up to her full height, almost as tall as her great-aunt. “I repeat, the tube could not have come loose by accident. I checked everything a few minutes before Chief VanDyke entered the room. Everything was in order then.”

  “You checked it because a monitor stopped beeping,” said VanDyke. “It was undoubtedly loose.”

  Victoria said again to Smalley, “Chief Josephus VanDyke attempted to murder Bruno Eberhardt.”

  Josephus laughed. “John, this is outrageous.”

  “Furthermore,” said Victoria, “I believe you will find that he stole fifty thousand dollars in cash that belongs to Mr. Eberhardt.”

  “Just a moment, Mrs. Trumbull…!” said the chief.

  “Hold on,” said Smalley lifting up a hand. “Calm down, everyone.” Smalley looked from one to another. “Be careful who you accuse, Mrs. Trumbull. Chief VanDyke is the tribal chief of police.”

  “I think if you look in the chief’s wallet you may find two or three of the hundred-dollar bills he stole. Mr. Eberhardt had listed the numbers of all five hundred of the bills.”

  “We can check that easily enough,” said Smalley. “Shall we go back to the barracks and discuss this?”

  “I’d like to have my gun back,” said the chief holding out his hand to Elizabeth.

  “I’ll take it,” said Smalley.

  “Shouldn’t you put him in handcuffs?” asked Elizabeth, as she handed him the gun.

  “He’s not a suspect,” said Smalley. “Tensions are running high, right now. I’ll hold on to your gun, Josephus, until all this is sorted out.” He turned to Tim. “Take over the watch.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Tim, and saluted.

  CHAPTER 37

  Back at the barracks Victoria and Elizabeth, Sergeant John Smalley, and Chief Josephus VanDyke seated themselves around the conference table in an uncomfortable silence.

  Smalley spoke. “I think we can solve this easily.” He leaned back in his chair. “For some reason, Eberhardt faxed the numbers for those hundred-dollar bills to us at the state police barracks. Paranoid guy. What about it, Josephus, you got any hundreds in your wallet?”

  “No. I don’t.” The chief folded his arms across his chest.

  “We have no right to search you, and furthermore, I don’t believe that’s necessary,” said Smalley. “Mind taking out your wallet and showing us what’s in there?”

  “Not at all.” The chief reached into his back pocket, took out a well-worn black leather wallet, opened it, and fanned out the bills. A ten and several ones.

  “There’s your answer, Mrs. Trumbull,” said Smalley.

  Victoria wrinkled up her face, said “Ahh!” a couple of times and sneezed, then sneezed again. Elizabeth looked at her in astonishment. Victoria sneezed a third time and held a hand up to her great nose. She sneezed once again and apologized.

  “I’m afraid I don’t have a handkerchief. Chief VanDyke,” she continued to hold her hand to her nose, “may I borrow yours?”

  “Certainly, Mrs. Trumbull.” He reached into his right-hand trousers pocket and brought out his blue-bordered white handkerchief.

  Along with the handkerchief, several crumpled bills dropped to the floor. He bent over to pick them up, but Elizabeth reached them first.

  She smoothed them out. “Hundred-dollar bills,” she said.

  The chief reached for them. “Thank you, I’ll just put those back in my pocket.”

  “Let me have them, Elizabeth,” said Smalley. “I’ll check the numbers and that should clear things up.” He took the bills from her. “Sorry we’re putting you through this, Josephus, but I’m sure you want this cleared up as much as I do. We do,” he corrected himself.

  Victoria returned the handkerchief, unused, to Chief VanDyke. “Thank you,” she said.

  With a wry smile he said, “You’re welcome.”

  Smalley returned with several faxed pages and the hundred-dollar bills. “Fortunately, Eberhardt listed them in order so it won’t take a minute.”

  “Never mind, John,” said Josephus. “You’ll find a match.”

  * * *

  “I believe we could use some coffee about now,” said Smalley. “Trooper Ben made a fresh pot. We might as well be civilized about this whole thing.”

  Ben brought in the coffee and poured it into four mugs.

  “You want to say anything, Josephus,” said Smalley, “or would you prefer to have Mrs. Trumbull do the talking. I don’t think we need to Mirandize you.”

  “I’d like to hear what Mrs. Trumbull has to say,” said the chief. He turned to her. “Why me, Mrs. Trumbull? I would have named a half dozen suspects before considering me.” He paused, then that wry smile again. “Me, the chief of police.”

  “I was told you are a gambler, Chief VanDyke.”

  He nodded. “An unfortunate addiction.�
��

  “And I was told that you owe much too much to Bruno Eberhardt.”

  “Both money and favors.”

  Smalley began to doodle on the yellow pad in front of him.

  Victoria continued. “After he bailed you out, your gambling debts mounted again, didn’t they?”

  “Luck of the draw, I’m afraid.”

  “When Mr. Eberhardt asked you to collect Isabella’s clothing, her jewelry, and fifty thousand dollars in cash, how did you explain to him that you had kept the money?”

  The chief wrapped his hands around his coffee mug as though to warm them. “I told him Isabella and Tank had stashed the money in a safe place and I would get it to him later. He said he would withhold the generous bonus he’d promised to pay me until I recovered the money.”

  Smalley tossed his pencil down. “Did you think you’d win this time?”

  “Yes,” said the chief. “I put down only half. Twenty-five thousand. Had I won, I would have doubled it. Fifty thousand. I planned to turn over his fifty thousand to him and I would have twenty-five thousand in addition to the bonus he would give me.”

  “But you lost, of course,” said Smalley. “And when you lost, you had no excuse to give Bruno Eberhardt. Did you kill him when he threatened to expose you?”

  “Yes. There was a thoroughly unpleasant argument that ended when I struck him.”

  “The weapon, Josephus. What did you use?” asked Smalley.

  “The fireplace poker in his study,” said the chief.

  Smalley said, “All right, Mrs. Trumbull. Tell us about your sneezing fit.”

  “I saw that Chief VanDyke had a handkerchief in his pocket. He’s a courteous man and I was sure he would let me borrow it if I needed it.”

  Chief VanDyke made a slight bow in her direction.

  “And?” said Smalley.

  “On the way here from the hospital he put something in his pocket. I didn’t think much of it at the time.” Victoria turned back to the chief. “But I recalled that when Elizabeth offered to get us food, you opened your wallet and I saw a number of hundred-dollar bills in it. At the time I wondered if they were part of Mr. Eberhardt’s fifty thousand dollars.”

  Josephus nodded. “You’re too observant, Mrs. Trumbull. I underestimated you.”