by Mary Clay
"It was the Shark Bite Capital angle that initially drew Bill down here. He quickly realized just what you said, yet in the process discovered that some of the best surfers on the East Coast hailed from New Smyrna Beach. Something to do with small, but tricky, waves forcing surfers to develop extraordinary skill. In the course of his surfer research, he stumbled on something else--a really big story, he said."
As Leonard and I talked, Penny Sue was ogling him in her sex-starved, kewpie doll mode. The wine on an empty stomach had clearly hit her.
"Do you believe his secret was important enough to get him killed?" I asked.
Leonard took the first taste of his drink, one eye fixed on Penny Sue. "Probably. I'd worked with Bill before and he wasn't usually so guarded. That told me it was a big story, which is why I kept funding his stay. Yet, I can't imagine how his death could be related to the lady scholar."
"Maybe Abby stumbled onto his secret, so he offed her," Penny Sue said.
"Not likely. Bill was a gentle man," Leonard replied, clearly relieved Penny Sue had stopped staring at him.
"Yes, and it doesn't explain how Bill died," I said to Penny Sue. "Leonard, did you talk to the police?"
"No, I thought I'd do my own investigation first. I know the authorities will eventually identify Bill and track me down. Bill worked in Iraq, so his fingerprints are on file. It's simply a matter of time."
I'm sure it was, but I'd also promised Deputy Sheriff Heather Brooks, our only police ally, that I'd let her know if I found him. "Considering Abby's death and the fact that Kevin Harrington is being held for extradition, I think the picture is larger than you imagined. Please talk to the authorities. We know a deputy who is sympathetic and discreet. Would you speak with her? I'll set up a meeting."
Penny Sue had finished her second glass of wine and moved on to the third. Her eyelids were beginning to droop. "Yes, Leonard," she put her hand on his arm. He cringed. "Heather is very discreet."
I motioned to the wine. "Forgive Penny Sue; she hasn't had much to eat today. If you believe the police will find you anyway, why not meet with a sympathetic officer? I'm telling you, there are some tough cops in this town who'd love to make your life miserable. We've been down this road before. Then there's the possible mafia problem."
"How does the mafia figure into this?"
I paused to choose my words carefully. "Penny Sue's aunt, Kevin's mother, was a New Jersey government official. She's retired now, but has a lot of her old contacts. You know what I mean? When Kevin was arrested, Aunt Alice called in some favors from friends up north. She didn't know that Penny Sue, Ruthie (whom you haven't met), and I have bad blood with those groups. If Kevin isn't cleared and released from jail immediately, the situation down here could become complicated."
Leonard downed his drink in one gulp. "When you put it that way, I'm more than happy to meet with your police friend. I don't want any trouble with the mafia. I live in New York."
"Good. I'll try to set up a meeting in a neutral location, like a parking lot or my condo. How can I reach you?"
He stood and handed me a business card with his cell number. "Please keep that confidential." He glanced at Penny Sue.
I pocketed the card and smiled. "I'll guard it with my life, and I'll call when I have a meeting arranged."
"Very well. It's been a pleasure. Since I don't have much time before the authorities are involved, I'm going back to the library."
Penny Sue struggled to her feet. "It's been a pleasure, likewise. I hope I seen you again soon."
"I look forward to it." Leonard couldn't get out of the restaurant fast enough.
Back in my car, I took a left and headed home. Penny Sue needed some food and a nap.
"Are you all right?" I asked.
She leaned back against the headrest. "Yes and no." She paused a beat, "Do you have any ice cream?"
The workings of her mind were beyond logic. "I may have some Rocky Road."
"That's fitting. Rocky Road. I like the nuts."
"What's wrong, Penny Sue? You're acting strange. Leonard isn't that good looking."
"No offers on the house."
"You'll get one; it's just a matter of time. Your big lot on a lake is prime real estate. I think the market's starting to come back."
"Yeah, but when? I need money now. You know what this means? No new clothes and I can't button my jeans. I feel like a feather bed tied in the middle. I never thought my life would come to this," Penny Sue said mournfully. "I know it's that damn nursing home across the lake that scares people off."
"It's a very up-scale progressive living facility. Half of the tenants are retired executives and high ranking military officers. The grounds are lovely. I'm sure it won't affect the sale of your house."
"Bad vibes. People there die all the time. Maybe we should smudge it." She closed her eyes and fell asleep before we reached the condo.
I led a groggy, half smashed Penny Sue to her room and closed the door. Ruthie gave me a knowing look and turned her attention back to a man in the living room, no doubt one of the alarm technicians who was working up an estimate. A shame Penny Sue was asleep, because she would have tripped over herself getting to this man. Six-foot-one, brown hair, a dark tan, and bulging biceps--this guy was an unusually fine specimen of manhood. While the technician explained the equipment and costs to Ruthie, I started making cream cheese and olive finger sandwiches. They were Penny Sue's favorite, so I figured I'd let her doze for a while, then coax her into eating something.
"I plan to make a decision soon. How fast can you get the equipment and begin installation?" Ruthie asked the technician.
"I can usually get the equipment in one day, as long as it's ordered by three o'clock. We're pretty busy now because of all the break-ins on the beach, but we have an opening for tomorrow. A part was out of stock, so we had to reschedule that installation. If your parts are available, you could take the slot."
"If you can install our system tomorrow, we have a deal," Ruthie said.
"Fine, I'll call the office and get back to you within an hour." He checked his watch. "I haven't had lunch, so I'll grab a bite nearby. I'll need a signature before the order is actually placed."
"No problem, George. I'll be here."
"Good looking guy," I said, holding up the plate of sandwiches after the technician left.
She nodded. "He's married with kids."
"Too bad, Penny Sue would go ape over George." I fixed us both a plate and sat next to Ruthie at the counter.
"What's with Penny Sue?" Ruthie asked between bites.
"It was happy hour at the Upper Deck. Three glasses of wine on an empty stomach. She'd talked to her father, who said she hadn't received any offers on her house. I reckon she was drowning her sorrows."
"Geez, that's awful. Why didn't you just come back here? Why go to the Upper Deck?" Ruthie asked.
I filled her in on Leonard Kydd and William Duffy. Thank goodness the dead man finally had a name, so we wouldn't upset Ruthie by calling him a bum. "Leonard agreed to meet with Heather." I rummaged through my purse for Heather's card. "I probably should act fast. I don't want to give Leonard time to change his mind."
I phoned Heather and explained the situation. She was en route to a domestic call, but could swing by in an hour or so. "I'll try to reach Leonard and will leave you a text message," I told Heather. "Be careful. I read somewhere that domestic calls are among the most dangerous."
"Yeah, you have a chance of reasoning with a hardened criminal. It's nearly impossible to deal with angry family members--emotions run too hot. I'll check my messages when I'm finished. I'm anxious to speak with Kydd. We can meet at the parking lot on Hiles."
"Good deal."
I sent a text message to Leonard, figuring he wouldn't answer his cell if he were in the library. I typed pls call and hit send. I'm sure there's a shorter method that kids use, but this was new territory for me. I was a texting novice. Penny Sue had shown me how to do it only a few days be
fore. It was complicated. You had to double and triple press the keys since I had an old phone, according to Penny Sue, who owned a fancy BlackBerry. I felt like Wilma Flintstone in a Joan Jetson world. I supposed I should hire a ten-year-old to teach me all about cell phones, iPhones, berries, apples, pears, or whatever. No sooner had I pressed the send button for Leonard's message than Heather called. She was headed our way and would meet us in the parking lot at Hiles and A1A.
"Heather's on her way. I hope Leonard hasn't changed his mind," I said.
Ruthie studied me for a moment. "He'll call," my intuitive friend said with certainty. Once again, she was right. My phone rang a few minutes later. Leonard would come directly.
"Do you want to ride with me?" I asked Ruthie.
"I have to wait for George's call. Besides, Penny Sue would be fit to be tied if we both left without her."
"Good point." I snagged my purse and headed out, I wanted to beat Heather and Leonard to the parking lot so I could make proper introductions. I also didn't want to take the chance that Leonard arrived first and didn't wait. Guthrie pulled into the parking lot just as I put my car in reverse.
He screeched to a stop, billowing sand, and yelled out of his window, "Man, we got some scoop!"
"Hold it," I called back. "I won't be long."
Alice got out of Guthrie's VW bus and gave me a pinched look as I drove away. I'm sure she wasn't used to being put off.
I beat Heather and Leonard to the parking lot, but only by a few minutes. Leonard arrived first in his blue rented Malibu. Heather came a few minutes later in her Volusia County Sheriff's Impala. At close to six feet, Heather was an attractive brunette with a belt full of weapons and gadgets that said, Don't mess with me. I had seen her back down manly men, two at the debate, with a mere I-mean-business stare. I sensed Leonard flinch when she got out of the car.
"Hi, Heather," I called in a purposely light tone intended to relax Leonard. "Did you set the husband and wife straight?"
She laughed. "Husband and wife? It was worse than that--a mother and teenaged daughter. Seems the mother refused to let her daughter go to the Slithering Lizards concert, and a fight broke out. Somewhere in the fray, the mother doused the daughter with whipped cream, and the daughter retaliated with Lysol spray and Cheese Whiz. The kid was holding her mother hostage in the bathroom when I arrived."
I pointed to a blob of cheese on Heather's shirt. "I see you got in the line of fire."
She chuckled. "Only a dribble as I slapped on cuffs. Then the kid started crying and the mother yelled at me. Geez, Mom was the one who called in the complaint! Naturally, she refused to press charges. I gave them both a stern lecture and left. I hate these domestics. They call the police, yet rarely press charges." She flicked the dab of cheese off her shirt. "I assume this is Mr. Kydd."
The three of us leaned against his car as he relayed the same information to Heather that he'd told me earlier.
"So you don't know what William Duffy was looking for in the library?" Heather asked.
"No idea, only that it was a major story and he wasn't ready to talk about it yet."
Heather turned to me. "You work at the library, don't you Leigh?"
I nodded.
"Have you seen anything unusual?"
"Nothing other than Duffy. The entire staff noticed him. He was hard to miss since he staked out the magazine section almost every morning."
"Surfers, then something else. Whatever he stumbled on probably got him killed," Heather mused.
"It was murder?" Leonard asked shrilly.
Heather waved off the comment. "I was thinking out loud. I don't know anything about the cause of death. Could have been a heart attack, for all I know. The detectives don't keep me informed. I will pass on his name, in case they haven't identified the body.
"If it was Bill, who should his family contact to claim the body?" Leonard asked.
"The Florida Medical Examiner, District 7. Since he died in a county building, I'm sure an autopsy is being performed."
"Will the results be made public?" Leonard asked.
"I don't know. It depends on the status of the investigation. There are two bodies involved here." Heather gave Leonard her card. "Call me if you notice anything unusual at the library. Leigh, keep your eyes open but try not to raise suspicions. We don't want to scare off the people Duffy was tracking."
I nodded tentatively, wondering if I should keep it from Guthrie and Penny Sue. They worked at the library, but could they keep a secret?
Chapter 10
Ruthie and Penny Sue were carrying their clothes and other necessities next door, when I arrived home from the meeting with Heather and Kydd.
"George can install the alarm system in your place tomorrow," Ruthie called over her shoulder. "It will only take one day. Go get the stuff you'll need for the evening. Guthrie's gone to Publix for fried chicken."
Loaded down with enough paraphernalia for a month, including all her vitamins, Penny Sue huffed, "Please hurry. Guthrie and Alice are about to bust to tell us what they found out at the Medical Examiner's. And they have to go back tonight."
"Did the Judge find a lawyer for Kevin?" I asked as the screen door closed, hitting Penny Sue on the butt.
"Yeah, the attorney is checking on Kevin at this moment. Now scoot, we're on a tight schedule," Penny Sue said.
I scooped up a nightgown, robe, work clothes, a few toiletries, and hurried to the guestroom at Penny Sue's place. Ruthie was already changing the sheets on Kevin's bed.
"Do you know what Guthrie found out?" I asked Ruthie.
"No. They wouldn't talk until you got back. I think Alice is mad that you didn't wait to hear the story."
"You know I couldn't wait."
Ruthie tucked the sheets under the mattress. "I explained it to them, but Alice still seemed peeved. Penny Sue told them all about Leonard Kydd, but they still wouldn't talk. Guthrie has to go back to the Examiner's office tonight to finish the job, and Alice said they didn't have time to tell the story twice."
"The old my-way-or-the-highway, huh?" I said.
Ruthie smiled. "I'd say that sums it up." She fluffed a pillow and tossed it to the head of the bed. "Alice is a very strong-willed woman."
I moved my toiletries to the bathroom and placed the open suitcase on the floor against the wall. "Keep that in mind if you and Kevin ever get really serious."
"I've done some thinking since we last spoke. I think one marriage is enough for me. Living together would be okay, but no legal stuff, especially now that I have the inheritance. I don't want to jeopardize Jo Ruth's future legacy."
Boy, that was a switch! I couldn't help but wonder if the thought of Alice for a mother-in-law had something to do with Ruthie's change of heart.
Jo Ruth was Ruthie Jo's one and only daughter, who had almost finished her residency in psychiatry at Duke Medical School. With Ruthie's wispy good looks, her cardiologist father's brain, and a looming huge inheritance, Jo Ruth was a catch for anyone. We all joked that it was good we had a shrink in the fold to guide us through old age. In fact, Penny Sue could probably use a little counseling now. Yet, was Jo Ruth's inheritance truly the reason Ruthie had suddenly soured on remarriage? Maybe, maybe not. At our age, living together was as good as being married and a lot less messy if things didn't work out.
My marriage musings were interrupted by the unmistakable screech of the rusty screen door spring and a few familiar grunts. Guthrie had clearly arrived. "Ready for the drama?" I asked Ruthie.
She let out a long sigh. "As ready as I'll ever be."
Alice and Penny Sue were already arranging the food buffet style on the kitchen counter. Guthrie had purchased a large bucket of chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, bakery rolls and a coconut cream pie. He was first in line, holding a plate impatiently.
"Man, we don't have much time," he said to Alice. "We have to get back to the Medical Examiner while the cleaning crew is still there, but before the night shift arrives, if we want to get a look
at those files."
"I know," she said tersely, plunking a piece of chicken and scoop of potato salad on her plate. I sliced the pie, in the interest of time, while everyone else filled their plates. It was a good thing I'd eaten a few of the cream cheese and olive finger sandwiches I'd made for Penny Sue earlier in the day. A single chicken leg, a dab of cole slaw, and one roll were all that was left. By the time I took my seat, Guthrie had wolfed down his food and started telling their story.
"The bodies were in another room, but we heard the doctors talking. The man's name is William Duffy, just like Penny Sue said. The tox report hasn't come back, but a doc thinks Duffy died of compression asphyxiation."
"What's that?" Penny Sue asked. A stern look from Alice stopped Penny Sue's fork in mid-air. "Never mind, I'll look it up later. Please continue."
"There was one fang mark on Duffy's finger, but they doubt he got enough venom to kill him. They suspect he panicked when he saw the snake and pulled the bins of books over on himself." Guthrie shook his head ruefully. "Smothered. A tough way to go."
"The young doctor said the snake bite could have caused a convulsion," Alice added.
Guthrie nodded. "Yeah, it could have been a convulsion."
Guthrie was obviously going too slow for Aunt Alice's taste, because she took over. "A heart attack was the immediate cause of Abby's death, but they don't know why. Her heart looked healthy, so they can't make a determination until they get her tox report." Alice checked her watch. "Guthrie, let's go. With any luck I'll be able to find the files on Abby and Duffy and sneak a peek. There may be things the doctors didn't talk about."
He headed for the counter with his plate. "Sure, as soon as I have a piece of this--"
Alice stood and hitched her purse in the crook of her arm. "No, now!"
Guthrie put his plate down. "Yes, ma'am. I'll have my pie later."
Penny Sue, Ruthie and I served up pieces of pie and adjourned to the living room. "This stuff is good," Penny Sue muttered between bites. I was glad to see she was drinking coffee and had recovered from her earlier funk and libations. "Heavens, I hope Alice doesn't get caught snooping through the files. All we'd need is for her to get arrested."