4 Murder at Breakfast

by Steve Demaree

  “Well, murder has a way of overcoming good health.”

  “So, she was murdered.”

  “So the autopsy report says.”

  “And it looks like someone here was responsible? I can’t believe that anyone here would murder someone. Are you sure she was murdered, Lieutenant?”

  “It looks that way. So, tell me what you can about the start of Mrs. Higgins’ day on Friday.”

  “Well, like I said, I saw her sitting there. Martha was still putting out all the food on the serving table, putting everything into the warmers, so I walked over and started talking to her. Kate, I mean.”

  “Did she seem any different than she did any other day?”

  “No, she seemed just like Kate always was. She was always a little more impatient, a little more in a hurry at breakfast than she was later in the day. I don’t mean she was hard to get along with, just a little on edge, or at least anxious to get her day off to a good start.”

  “So, was she the first one to eat breakfast?”

  “I think you already know that, Lieutenant. After all, you spent a lot of time talking to Martha about something.”

  “Yes, but different people don’t always remember things the same way. Tell me what you remember.”

  “Well, everything started out just like any other day, except that Russell was sick and didn’t come down to eat. He called down and asked Martha if she could send him up a tray. Elaine was being lazy and opted to eat in her apartment, too. Martha has been with us long enough and so have our residents, so she knows what everyone wants to eat. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could tell you what each person would take a bite of first. At any rate, Kate was the first go through the serving line, so to speak. She had her food at the table and had already eaten a couple of bites before anyone else came. I think that was about the time I stepped back to my office. I was in and out after that. I do know that everyone other than Russell and Elaine came down to breakfast, but not much more than that, other than Martha made a comment about no one being in line, so she’d go ahead and fix Russell’s plate and send it up to him, then send up Elaine’s.”

  “And did she do that?”

  “I guess.”

  “And did she leave the dining room to send his food up to him?”

  “I’m sure she did. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten it.”

  I made a note that the cook had forgotten to mention that.

  “And you didn’t see anyone leave the table?”

  “You mean leave the table, or leave the room?”

  “Leave the room.”

  “I don’t think so. I can’t remember for sure. I don’t know this for sure, but I’d say that most of our residents got up to get more of something or other before they left the breakfast table.”

  “So, you spent all the time the residents were at breakfast in your office?”

  “Like I said, I was in and out. I was in here some, but didn’t stay in here. I was in the dining room, too.”

  “Do you remember anyone getting up while you were in the dining room and going over to where Mrs. Higgins sat?”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean that no one did.”

  “Was anyone else who works here in the dining room when the residents were eating breakfast?”

  “No, we try to discourage that.”

  “What about when you ate? Who was in the dining room?”

  “It’s hard for me to remember Friday morning, but I think we had a full crowd. I think all five of us ate breakfast together, but Martha could probably tell you that better than I can.”

  “Was anyone late to the table or did anyone leave early?”

  “Not that I can remember. It’s not like we eat as a class. We all sit down and eat. We don’t line up to come to the table or line up when we leave. There may be five minutes difference in when one person comes to the table and when another gets there. The only thing for sure is that at breakfast Martha always eats last. She waits until each of the other four of us has gone through the buffet line before she fills her plate. When one of us fills his or her plate, that person sits down and starts eating. No one waits on anyone else. All of us have work to get to, so usually we eat, and when we get through we go to our apartments, brush our teeth, use the facilities, and get ready to work. I imagine it was much like that for each of us on Friday. If I’d known someone was going to get murdered I would’ve taken notes.”

  “There’s no need to get huffy.”

  “I’m not huffy, Lieutenant, but you have to remember, we’re not used to these investigations like you are, and the implications that someone we trust is responsible for this is a little unnerving. Do you have any idea whether you expect someone else to be murdered?”

  “I would if I knew who was responsible and why he or she murdered Mrs. Higgins, but since I don’t know that yet, I have no idea. Just tell everyone to keep his or her eyes open.”

  Suddenly the manager didn’t look as perky as the woman who asked me if I had used up all my questions.

  “Let’s continue. Shall we? What can you tell me about what everyone was doing between breakfast and lunch?”

  “Now, I think I can better help you there. I spent most of the morning in my office. I’m sure I didn’t step out anywhere other than to my apartment for a few minutes the entire morning, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell you where everyone was. Martha finished cleaning up and putting things away and went back to her apartment. Wait a minute! Come to think of it, I think she walked by once during the morning and was gone for a while. I think she might have stepped out back. Wally could tell you, because Wally spent all of the morning in the backyard working the flower beds. He keeps things looking nice around here. That takes care of three of us. It was carpet shampoo day for the second and third floors, so Margie and Ginny spent all morning vacuuming and shampooing. They both looked worn out when I saw them at lunch. That reminds me. Wally must have been upstairs the first part of the morning moving furniture into the storage rooms so Margie and Ginny could shampoo every part of the upper floors that didn’t constitute someone’s apartment.”

  “You mentioned that you saw Margie and Ginny at lunch. Does that mean you ate together?”

  “No, I ate lunch in my office, as I do most days. I think Martha and Wally ate in the dining room. I know that Margie and Ginny took their food to their rooms, as they generally do after a hard-working morning, so they can sit in comfortable chairs and rest while they eat. I saw both of them carry a Styrofoam container past my office. Actually, because of the nature of their work on Friday, I think both of them spent the majority of their afternoon in their rooms, before helping Wally move the furniture back around 4:00. You’d better ask them for sure. I just know that they didn’t come back by my office when I was in there. No one did, except Martha, and Wally one time when he was taking a break. Of course someone could have walked by when I stepped to my apartment.”

  “Did you happen to see any of the residents leave?”

  “No, but I can’t see the front door from my office. I could if I were in the dining room, but not my office.”

  “Well, did you see anyone return to the building?”

  “No.”

  “So, it’s possible that someone might not have gone out?”

  “I doubt that. If so, she would’ve missed lunch, because Kate and Russell were the only ones served food in their rooms on Friday.”

  “One other question, Mrs. Draper. Who has keys to what around here?”

  “Well, each person has a key to his or her apartment. Martha, Wally, and I have keys to the front and back doors. Actually, Wally and I have keys to any lock in the building, no matter what or where it is.”

  “Only you two have all the keys. What about keys to the apartments?”

  “Well, Wally and I have keys to all the apartments. Margie has a key to each of the apartments on the second floor. Ginny has keys to each third floor apartment. Neither of them has a key to anything else, and Martha doesn’
t have keys to any of the apartments.”

  “Where do you and Wally keep your keys?”

  “My keys stay in the bottom drawer of my desk unless they’re on my person, and I lock my office door if I’m going to be far enough away that I’m out of sight. Wally keeps all the keys on his belt. I don’t see how he can stand up with all those keys, but I guess he’s used to it.”

  “Now, let’s move on to how you found Mrs. Higgins.”

  “Actually, I didn’t find her, your man did.”

  “Well, tell me what led you to call us.”

  “Martha became concerned when Kate didn’t return her tray from lunch. Actually, something happened to Russell’s tray too, but she talked to him about that. We’ll deal with that later. When Martha couldn’t raise Kate, she became concerned, and came to my office as soon as she could.”

  “And what time was this?”

  “I’m not sure exactly, but the residents were already down eating supper before she had time to get away and let me know.”

  “So, she wasn’t concerned?”

  “Oh, I imagine she was, but she had people to serve, people who were already down in the dining room ready to eat. We always say we give precedence to those who are down over those who are still in their apartments.”

  “So, what did you do?”

  “When Martha got away to tell me, I called Kate’s room. She didn’t answer the phone, so I walked up there. She didn’t answer my knock, so I tried the door. The chain lock was on. I called out. No one answered. So, I shut the door and came back down. When she didn’t answer a few minutes later when I called her apartment again, I called you, then sat down and ate my dinner.”

  “And who did you talk to about Mrs. Higgins’s absence?”

  “Just Martha, who already knew something was up.”

  “None of the residents?”

  “No, I wasn’t around them while they were eating dinner, and most of them were beginning to get up and go back to their apartments when I returned from unsuccessfully rousing Kate.”

  “And you’re sure the chain was on that door when you went up?”

  “Of course, I’m sure. Why would I lie about that?”

  “I didn’t mean you were lying. I just meant are you absolutely sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “And did you hear anyone inside the apartment while you had the door partially opened?”

  “No, if I had I would’ve been more emphatic in my search for Kate. I thought maybe she had fallen asleep, or had decided to take a shower or something, and had lost track of the time. Still, by the third time we couldn’t raise her, I decided that I needed to do something about it.”

  +++

  I thanked Mrs. Draper for her time, and Lou and I walked out. I looked at my watch, wondered where the time had gone. I had planned to talk to everyone, but I wasn’t going to do that unless I spent the whole night there. I wasn’t about to do that. I would talk to Wally and save the rest for the next day. As I thought about the answers the two women gave me the only difference I could recall in what the two of them said was that the cook forgot to tell me that she left the dining room to send the tray up to the sick gentleman, and the woman who decided to eat breakfast in her apartment. Could something have happened during those few moments? Or did the cook stop by the victim’s table on her way out of the room?

  18

  Lou and I located the handyman trimming the grass around one of the two large oak trees in the backyard. When he saw that we were coming to visit with him, he turned off his trimmer.

  “This is a big job, Lieutenant. It sure keeps me busy during the summer, all the mowing, all the trimming. The trimming actually takes about as long as the mowing, because there are so many places the mower won’t go. But I’m sure you didn’t come out here to talk about that. What can I do for you?”

  “I just have a few questions to ask you.”

  “Why don’t we sit over here at the picnic table? I can use a few minutes rest.”

  We sat down, and I realized that with the slight breeze that blew through the trees, and the fact that we were in the shade, it wasn’t as unbearable as I figured it would be.

  “Wally, why don’t we begin by your telling us a little about yourself?”

  “Well, there’s not much to tell. I don’t exactly lead an exciting life. I take care of maintaining the grounds here and fixing anything I can that breaks down. If something breaks down and it’s too much for me, I call someone to come and fix it or take it to someone. I’ve been doing this kind of work long enough that I know some reputable companies in most fields.”

  “You say you’ve been doing this a long time, but then haven’t you been here only a couple of years?”

  “It sounds like I’m not the first person you’ve talked to here, Lieutenant. Did anyone tell you that I see my parole officer regular like, and that he keeps an eye on me, hoping I’ll mess up and lead them to where the money is buried?”

  “No, they must have forgotten that part. So, are you ready to split the money with me?”

  “What about him? Does he get a split?”

  “Not unless you talk loud enough that he overhears what we’re talking about. See, he’s almost deaf, but he reads lips very well, so cover your mouth when you talk.”

  “You mean like this,” Wally answered, putting his dirty hand over his mouth.

  Lou couldn’t hold it back any longer. He actually smiled.

  “So, tell me, Wally, after being pardoned for good behavior, where did you work before this?”

  “Well, I might as well tell you the whole story, only this time it’s the truth. The old lady and I were having problems, and it ended up interfering with my job. I think that’s the reason I lost it. The job, I mean.”

  “And what did you do before coming here?”

  “I did maintenance work for a company that owned a lot of rental houses and apartment buildings. Every time anything broke down, they sent me out to see about it. But my attitude got worse, because of the trouble the old lady and I were having, so I got to where I was grumpier on the job. When I talked back to a couple of customers when they complained that I didn’t have something fixed as soon as they wanted it, the company ended up letting me go. When that happened, the old lady and I decided to part company. I haven’t seen her since.”

  “Did you have children?”

  “No, luckily we didn’t have to drag some younguns through that. Anyway, I happened on this job just as the other guy retired, and after giving me and a couple of other guys a test, they decided on me. This way I have some place to stay, and since I lead a simple life, I’m happy here.”

  “So, what did you think of Mrs. Higgins?”

  “I actually liked her. I know some of the others thought she could be ornery at times, but I think both of us thought of the other as a survivor. I think she liked me, too.”

  “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “One day last week. I’m not sure which one. I passed her as I was on my way from one job to another. We both smiled and spoke.”

  “So you didn’t see her on the day she died?”

  “No, usually I wait until I’m sure all the residents have gone back to their apartments before I come out for breakfast, and as far as I know, she never came out of her apartment again that day after breakfast.”

  “So, who did you see at breakfast?”

  “The usual bunch.”

  “Anything different about Friday?”

  “Not that I could see.”

  “What about lunch?”

  “Martha and I ate together. I started to bring my lunch out to this picnic table, but I saw Martha was at the table alone, and figured she would be if I didn’t sit down and eat with her, so I did.”

  “Who left first?”

  “Best I can remember, we got up at the same time.”

  “Wally, tell me about the work you did on Friday.”

  “Well, let’s see. Friday. Oh, yeah, the first thin
g I did was help the maids move the furniture, ’cause it was the day they shampooed the rugs. After that I come out here and started working the flower beds. I’m at my best when I’m getting my hands dirty. Taking care of the flowers is my favorite part of my job. It’s nice to be able to say I help make things pretty so others can enjoy them.”

  “And how long were you out here?”

  “Pretty much all day. Oh, I went in for lunch. Actually I went in early, needed to get through the dining room without any of the residents seeing me, seeing as how dirty I was. I had already gotten back to my apartment and was cleaning up before I realized that more than likely none of the residents would be eating in the dining room at lunch. Anyway, I continued to wash up, and then waited in my apartment until time for lunch. I went back out and worked the flower beds after lunch, then went back in a little early in the afternoon, because I had to clean up again before I helped the maids move the furniture back, but other than that and a bathroom trip or two, I was playing in the dirt in one place or another.”

  “Did you see anyone while you were working out here?”

  “Let’s see. Yeah, I did. I came back from one of those bathroom trips I was telling you about and Martha, the cook, was out here. We talked for a little bit. She bragged on me about what a good job I was doing with the flowers, and how good the place looked as a whole, and of course I bragged on her cooking.”

  “Is she the only one you saw?”

  “Other than when the maid came to my room to get me.”

  “What about the residents? Did you see any of them?”

  “No, most of them were gone on Friday.”

  “Did you see any of them leave or come back?”

  “No, but I heard a couple of cars though. Can’t tell you who. I don’t get up to check every time I hear a car, even though there’s not a lot of coming and going around here.”

  “I see that ladder’s still up there. Can you tell me how long it’s been there?”

  “A few days now. I’m sure the reason it’s still there is that Russell forgot about it, then he took sick.”

  “And where is it when it’s put away?”

  “See that little place there between the two apartments? We keep it in there. You know that’s Russell’s window where the ladder is and that’s Elaine Jewell’s window below his. Now, if you move on over to the other side of the storage area the third floor window belongs to Imogene Ingram, one of the women who are away, and of course that’s Mrs. Higgins’ window below hers.”