by Susan Baker
“Why did you go there?” Maria asked.
“To get an education and meet rich girls,” Tom said almost teasingly. Maria had a feeling that he wasn’t teasing.
“And you are friends with Melinda as well?” Maria pressed.
“Yes, we are all friends. When you saw me earlier, I am sorry I did not properly introduce myself, but I was concerned with Melinda and worried about how she was doing,” Tom answered. “Years ago, Melinda was going to Wellesley University when we, Alex and I, were both at Harvard. Alex was premed, and I was a pre law. Tom did not become a doctor, however he ran a gym, and I moved to New York City to become an investor. So I guess neither of us lived up to our potential,” Tom laughed,
“Do you have any information regarding how Alex died, what killed him?”
“I don’t know yet,” Maria answered honestly, “but I was in charge of the event and I need to find some answers.”
“What do you have so far?” Tom asked.
“Not much yet, I am just trying to talk to everybody right now,” Maria answered. “Were the two of you having any type of disagreement?”
“Goodness no, he was one of my best friends, I don’t think we ever, in all the years I knew Alex, ever exchanged a negative and argumentative word,” Tom replied.
“How did you feel about the wedding? Were you both after the same girl at Harvard?” Maria asked. Tom didn’t answer the question directly.
“Well I was totally happy for Alex and Melinda and I wished nothing but good things for them as a couple. Now I just want to see how I can help Melinda, you know, as a friend.” Tom said. Maria was suspicious and was not sure she believed him, especially after his super chummy relationship with Melinda earlier that day. Something was up there and Maria had to figure out what it was. Tom asked Maria if she was still going to work out and Maria nodded in the affirmative. She bade Tom goodbye, her suspicions still intact, went into the gym and jumped on the treadmill. After running for ten miles, she did some circuit training and after an hour and a half, she felt better, but no closer to solving the mystery. She decided to shower in her room and headed out of the gym and ran smack dab into Ellen.
“I was looking for you, can we talk?” Ellen asked.
“Well, I’m kinda sweaty, but I guess I could spare a few minutes, why don’t you come up to my room?” Maria asked. Ellen agreed and they took the elevator up and Maria unlocked the door and invited Ellen in. They sat around the table and Ellen got right to it.
“Are you still on the case?” Ellen asked, in a pensive mood.
“Yes, I am,” Maria answered, “I guess you still think I should leave everything alone.”
“No, not any more,” Ellen said, doing a 360 from the day before, “and I think I have some ideas for you about who might be guilty.”
“Who do you suspect?” Maria asked, curious.
“Well, I overheard Melinda and her father having a conversation in the hallway which was very suspicious. I think if you are investigating, you look at both of their motives.”
“Why?” Maria asked, noting the intent look on Ellen’s face. She looked almost possessed.
“They were talking about Alex. Apparently Mr. Scott was not fond of Alex in the least and might have wanted him dead,” Ellen revealed.
“What did they say, first what did Edward, I mean Mr. Scott have to say?” Maria asked.
“He told Melinda Alex was never a good match and he was only after his her money. He said Alex was a money-grubber and only wanted her fortune. Did you know Melinda was that rich?” Ellen asked.
“She was wearing Vera Wang Ellen, what do you think?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know fashion, excuse me. But what do you know about Melinda and her father?”
“I knew her father was rich and I suppose Melinda had a great inheritance, I guessed she was a very wealthy woman. But just because Edward didn’t like his prospective son-in-law, doesn’t mean he would kill him. Did you hear any details, anything else that made you listen closer?” Maria asked, already tired of this conversation. It sounded like Ellen was just spreading gossip and had nothing more than a little father daughter talk, but no real details. It was obvious to everyone at the wedding that Edward Scott was not happy about the wedding. That fact was not hard to figure out. But lots of fathers are protective of their daughters and don’t like their son-in-laws at first.
“It’s just that I am not sure Melinda loved Alex, she didn’t talk like a woman pining for her man, if you know what I mean. She told her dad that everything had worked out. What do you think she meant by that?” Ellen pressed.
“I am not sure what that means, maybe she is seeing someone else,” Maria said, her mind on the charms of Thomas Ward.
“I just think you should keep an eye on both of them. I think if you do something will come up,” Ellen said. “I don’t think either of them are innocent parties. They talked about Alex like he was history and they were happy about it. Wouldn’t a wife in this situation be heartbroken and sad? And wouldn’t her father, even if he didn’t like the guy, try to comfort her?” Ellen asked, logically for a change.
“Yes, on all counts. I need to talk to both of them and I will,” Maria said, not wanting to give away her aborted conversation with Melinda before Thomas Ward showed up.
“Who are your other suspects?” Ellen asked, very inquisitive.
“I’m not sure yet,” Maria lied, thinking of Thomas Ward, the young server named Carl, Edward and Amy Scott and Rebecca Carl, all of whom she wanted to question. She just didn’t want to tell Ellen. She wasn’t sure why, but something told her to keep her suspicions to herself and maybe Lindsay only right now. Ellen’s hot and cold behavior, about Maria even pursuing this case, made Maria hesitant to share everything.
“Thanks for the information on Melinda Scott and her father, please tell me everything you think might be important, I can use all the help I can get.
“Will do, but stick with Melinda and her dad, there is something there,” Ellen said again. Maria realized Ellen was acting like a dog with a bone. Did she have something against Melinda? Was it just her disagreeable personality getting in the way again? Maria decided to go for a walk. She put on some sweats and a comfy sweatshirt and was just getting ready to leave when her phone rang. It was Police Chief Appleby. He got right to the point.
“It was cyanide that killed Alex Steeple, you have a murderer in either your hotel staff and a killer in the wedding party. I suspect it was someone in the wedding party, but I will have to question everyone who touched the plates and the cake. No other piece of cake was affected but Alex’s. We are a small town and it will take a while to interview everyone, so I am counting on you for some help.”
“It is in my interests to help, in fact I will lose my job if I don’t find the murderer,” Maria answered. “I have started investigating the bride, but I didn’t finish. I still have the father of the bride and two people who were close to the bride and former groom.”
“I will want the names you have, but first we need to investigate the food preparation staff. Who prepared the cake?” Chief Appleby asked.
“A person on my staff, our head pastry chef, Ian Lake. But although he might remember something about who was there, he certainly had nothing to do with anything poisonous, he is a total professional,” Maria stated unequivocally, but I will talk to him.”
“I will be by tomorrow, I want to talk to you and this Ian fellow, how about if I meet you at the hotel at noon? We can have lunch and talk,” Chief Appleby asked.
“Noon it is,” Maria said, realizing she had to hold Chief Appleby off somehow and buy herself some time to interview Melinda, Edward, and Rebecca. First she had to talk to Ian and interview the kitchen staff. She took off walking towards Ian’s room and ruminated. Poison, who used Poison these days? Murderers, she thought, a murderer who really wanted the kill the groom. Maria shuddered and headed up the Ian’s room, excited to see him and hoping she would not be so shy like the wa
y that she usually behaved around him.
Chapter 5
Maria took the elevator the 11th floor, found Ian’s room and knocked on his door. There was no answer. Maria waited and knocked again, but still no answer. She tried the door and found it was unlocked. She walked in and discovered Ian and Ellen locked in passionate kiss. She was shocked and just stood there for a minute until they both realized she was there and stopped. Maria backed out of the room and slammed against the door, half open. She then opened the door and made a hasty exit. She heard Ian calling her as she left.
“Wait, Maria, this is not what you think!” Ian exclaimed, caught in the act and trying to recover.
“Let her go,” Ellen said, “We were just kissing, what does she care, anyway?” But Maria didn’t stop to hear any more and almost ran to the elevator. Ian didn’t chase her there and she noticed the elevator was on the top floor at the penthouse or the bridal suite so she decided to take the stairs. It was only six flights after all, and she could not stop her heart from fluttering like a wild bird. Ellen and Ian were an item? She had no idea and realized she was very upset. Sure, she had been reticent around Ian, too shy to flirt, her feelings disappearing into a shadow when she was near him, but she thought she had time. She never imagined Ellen and Ian were romantically involved. She ran up the stairs quickly and luckily no one else was on the thankfully carpeted stairs. She finally reached the fifth floor, looked at her watch and realized she had an appointment with Edward Scott, who also resided on the fifth floor while they were all on house arrest until the murder was solved. She had to get a hold of herself. She felt sad and upset, and kept seeing the attractive dark head of Ian kissing Ellen. She couldn’t get the image of Ian and Ellen kissing out of her mind and it was very disturbing. She found Edward Scott’s door and knocked. He opened the door almost immediately and let her in.
“Mr. Scott, I am Maria Winfred and I need to ask you a few question about the day of the wedding and death of Alex Steeple. Can we sit down? Maria asked.
“Of course, and call me Edward, but what do you have to do with the whole affair? Edward asked, leading Maria to the table overlooking the swimming pool. He offered her a soda from the mini-bar and retrieved one for himself.”
“A coke would be nice and thank you,” Maria answered and waited for Edward to get the drink, fill up a plastic cup with ice and set the cup and the can in front of her. She poured her coke in the cup and took a grateful sip of the fizzy drink.
“I was in charge of the entire reception. I work for Atlantic Resorts, which catered the entire affair. My boss has put me in charge of finding answers about the murder. I promise this won’t take long,” Maria answered and took another drink. There was no woman around and Maria figured the Edward’s girlfriend was at the gym or perhaps shopping. Maria didn’t ask. She knew what she wanted to ask Edward however.
“Edward, I noticed you didn’t seem too happy at the reception, how did you feel about Alex Steeple and how long did you know him? Maria asked.
“I made no secret that I was completely against he and Melinda getting married. I don’t know what you call a gold digger if it is a man, I guess you would call him a money-grubber. I didn’t like him the first time I met him when he dated my younger daughter, Amy. He ran a gym for goodness sakes and didn’t have the kind of resources or chances for a future I always envisioned for my daughters. I thought he was just marrying Melinda for her money. She is about to inherit a sizable fortune and already has a lot of money. Plus, I don’t think she truly loved Alex. I had nothing against Alex personally, I just didn’t think he was right for my daughter, I felt that way with Amy and I certainly felt that way about Melinda,” Edward said, apparently trying to give a thorough answer.
“So Alex dated both your daughters?” Maria asked.
“Yes, he dated Amy when she was just a freshman at Wellesley. The relationship didn’t last long, then he took up with Maria. The sisters were never close and it was much worse after Alex broke it off with Amy,” Edward stated, his voice rising a tenor and he seemed coiled like a spring. Maria noticed the muscles in his mouth rise as he clinched his teeth. He seemed like an angry man.
“So you had nothing to do with his murder?” Maria asked.
“Goodness no, I would have never harmed the fellow, like I said, he just wasn’t right for my daughters. I am truly sorry he is dead, but I am not sorry he will not be my son-in-law as I think he would have made a poor one. Melinda has never been good at picking men and Alex was just one in a procession of guys I have not approved of. But what can I do? This is the first poor choice of Melinda’s who has died, or excuse me, been murdered. If I were going to kill each man I disapproved of, I would have had to murder ten men by now. In fact, there has been only one man she has dated since Wellesley that I have approved of and he was a hedge fund manager. I knew he was not after Melinda’s money. But she didn’t want to marry him, and I apparently have no sway over my daughter’s choices. I have a right to my opinion though and I will never stop expressing it as long as I am able. She is my daughter and I love her. My wife, her mother, died when Melinda and Amy were only ten, and I feel responsible for them. I thought it was very rotten of Alex to discard Amy for Melinda, that showed me his character.
“How far apart in age are your daughter’s? Maria asked.
They are only a year apart, but you wouldn’t know they are sisters would you? Can you believe that both of my daughter’s fell for that freeloader’s charms?” Edward asked shaking his head. After Alex dated Amy and dumped her for Melinda, she has not had a date since, and sits around the house knitting and moping. I think she is lovesick.”
“Still she agreed to be the maid of honor, so Melinda and Amy must have gotten along?” Maria asked.
“They were never close, Melinda felt an obligation to ask Amy I think. You should have seen them as children, they fought like cats and dogs, they were vicious with each other,” Edward stated. “But I guess there is love there, they just don’t show it.”
“Do you think Amy was jealous and upset with her sister for marrying Alex?” Maria asked.
“I wouldn’t be surprised, but you would have to ask her, he was wrong for both of them I know that, Edward said. “You know I don’t know about the female stuff, I always had my hands full with two daughters alone and I still don’t get it, I have told what I know.” Maria decided to talk to Amy as soon as possible and took another tact.
“What about the wedding cake? You were not around the wedding cake yesterday before Alex ate the fatal slice?” Maria asked pressing further.
“So that is what killed Alex, a piece of wedding cake?” Edward asked.
“Yes, a piece of poisoned wedding cake to be exact,” Maria answered. She could see that Edward was getting angry at all her questions, but she pressed on.
“Well I can assure you young lady, I had nothing to do with that, I wasn’t even near the kitchen or the serving area all night long and I had nothing to do with Alex Steeple’s murder,” Edward stated, a little too loud.
“I’m sorry Mr. Scott, but I have to ask these questions. I am sure you will get additional questions from the police. Would you agree to provide me with a handwriting sample?” Maria asked.
“Why do you need that?” Edward asked, his surliness at full mast.
“It is just a lead I am following, I can’t reveal it yet,” Maria answered. Edward went to the desk and grabbed a piece of hotel stationary. He scribbled a note and handed it to Maria. His handwriting was barely decipherable but she could read the note. It was the standard first sentence all starting typing students learned in school. It read, “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country,” Maria had to smile.
“Thanks Edward, this will help a lot,” Maria said.
“Do you know how long the police will detain us here? I have a business to run.” Maria had heard that Edward worked in New York City and was a successful corporate attorney. He also had vast holdings in an oil comp
any, probably more than one.
“I don’t know how long you will be detained,” Maria said and stood up to leave. “Hopefully we will find the murderer quickly and everyone can go home. Will Melinda and Amy go home with you?”
“Melinda will go back to New York, but she doesn’t live with me, but Amy does. Melinda has her own life and has the financial freedom to pursue her charity functions and date inappropriate men. Like I said Amy doesn’t do much of anything, she is moody and hard to get along with. If she could just find a decent guy to date, that would make me happy. Or find a career niche, she majored and excelled in economics at Wellesley and I was so proud of her. As for Melinda, like I said, I doubt Alex will be the last of the money-grubbers to follow her around, she seems to draw them,” Edward answered. Are we finished?” Maria nodded and shook Edward Scott’s hand. “The police might have some questions for you later,” Maria saw herself out with the handwriting sample and headed back to her room. Ian was waiting for her.
“Maria, I wanted to talk to you, can I come in?” Ian asked.
“I don’t see what we have to talk about, you and Ellen are obviously an item, I was just surprised. She doesn’t seem like your type,” Maria said, standing in front of her door and refusing to meet his eyes or indeed to let him into her room.
“Ellen is not my type, you have to believe me. I guess we just got carried away in the moment. It won’t happen again,” Ian said, almost pleading.
“Ian, I have no control over you, like I said, I was just surprised. If you want Ellen, that is your choice,” Maria said, not meaning a word of what she was saying. She still refused to meet his eyes and kept her head down.
“Can I come in?” Ian asked.
“Ok, but just for a minute,” Maria answered. She opened the door for him and felt a forced intimacy having him in her room. She wished she could leave the door of her hotel room open but they didn’t work that way. As they walked to table and Ian sat down in one of her two chairs, she admired his handsome face and his strong jaw line that gave his face a regal air. She felt her emotions fold into herself and all of a sudden she felt shy. She always felt this way around Ian. She took a risk and looked into his deep blue eyes. They were open and inviting and his face broke out into a smile, his dimples deep around his generous mouth. Maria loved his smile and always felt warmed by it. He sat down and she offered him something to drink. He accepted a soda and she retrieved two cokes from the mini-bar. He opened his can with a whoosh and Maria handed him a plastic cup filled with ice. She also got one for herself. She was trying to keep busy, and he waited patiently for her to sit down.