Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  But then one day Ashley walked in on a private viewing. She put two and two together and threatened she’d go to the police, unless he gave her everything in his savings account. Thanks to his secret obsession and a heartless girl, he was now broke.

  He didn’t have the $4,000 for bail and his credit cards were maxed out. He was hoping an old friend would loan him the cash, but as of yet, his call hadn’t been returned. He was forced to use the court appointed attorney who was fresh out of law school. Hopeless. Life was just hopeless!

  Detective O’Cleary and Detective Pointman stepped into the interview room and shook the hand of the court appointed attorney. Matthew West looked like a teenager who had yet to grow his first patch of whiskers. “This could be to our advantage,” Timothy whispered to Mary as they both noted the attorney’s youthfulness and predictable inexperience. They gave the Professor a nod and sat on the opposite side of the table.

  “Professor Drainer, at this point we only have three suspects in the Ashley Sweetwater murder case, and you’re our #1 suspect. We need you to be up front and forth coming regarding the photos and video we found in your Portland home. Arson investigators have already identified the Macall House as the burning building in the video.

  Panic gripped the Professor. Trapped. What to do? What on earth should I do? He cupped his face with both hands and moaned, “Look, I’ve got an obsession. I admit fire intrigues me. It has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. The first time I lit a match it was an instant high. I’ll even admit I accidently burnt some houses down in my teen years. But I didn’t kill Ashley. Why would I?”

  William wanted to know just how much the detectives knew. Maybe they were clueless to Ashley’s panache for blackmail. He knew she was blackmailing an accountant at OAN. She told him all about it to emphasize her intent to do the same thing to him. Arson was a felony, which was bad enough. But if they concluded he had a motive for murder, with his luck, he’d be facing a death sentence.

  O’Cleary was not phased by the Professor’s attempt to manipulate and gain empathy for his pyromania. “Professor Drainer, your obsession has left families homeless. Your compulsion to set and watch burning houses has disrupted lives and endangered the men and women who risked their own lives to contain the fires. You will get no empathy from us.”

  Professor Drainer looked to his attorney but was met with a blank stare. This idiot is clueless! He has no clue on how to help a murder suspect. I guess I’m on my own, the professor concluded. He decided to play one last card. “Look detectives, I have some information that may be helpful in your murder investigation, but it won’t make me look good. I’ll offer it up as a good will gesture. Hopefully, you’ll see I’m not your murderer. Please believe me when I say I left the Convention Center while Zachary was still working on the azaleas at the Koi exhibit.”

  Both Mary and Timothy were curious about the helpful information the Professor wanted to share. They had read Ashley’s journal and knew she was blackmailing Drainer. If this was the additional information he wanted to divulge, it would solidify facts and maybe even suggest the Professor was feeding them an honest confession.

  “Okay, Professor,” O’Cleary volunteered. “if we find you are honestly working with us to help solve this murder case, we’ll look into getting your bail reduced so you can go home tonight.”

  The thought of home and the comfort of his books and library were enough to bring the Professor to tears. “She was blackmailing me.”

  Dora yelled, “Bingo!” in the back room.

  “She knew about your compulsion to set houses on fire?” Mary asked shifting in her seat.

  “Yes,” sighed the Professor, “she walked into my library while I was viewing the, um, video. She recognized the McCall house and knew it as my mom’s B & B. If she was blackmailing me, she may have been blackmailing others. That should give you somewhere to look, for another murder suspect.”

  Needing time to think things over and converse with Dora and Mary, Timothy told the Professor he’d get back later to update him on his bail. Withdrawing from the interview room, Mary remarked, “So, the plot thickens. Ashley was blackmailing Justin Coin, and her journal entry about blackmailing the Professor is now validated by Drainer’s own words.”

  “And,” Dora added, “there could be another person out there that Ashley was blackmailing, who has yet to show up on our radar screen. The Professor definitely has a motive for killing her, but so does Mrs. Wiley and Zachary.”

  “I have another question about that night,” Mary volunteered. “Could the Professor have returned to the exhibit after Zachary left for the night, and if so, how did he remain unnoticed?”

  Both Dora and O’Cleary shrugged in response to Mary’s question.

  After a short pause, Timothy snapped his fingers and added, “I have a suspicion I want to throw out. My prediction is Joseph Wiley knew about his lover’s blackmail schemes! Sadie told us Ashley handed him the envelope of money that Justin Coin produced in front of Le Pigeon.”

  “That’s a fair prediction, but it needs to be investigated!” Dora agreed. I saw him pocket the money too.

  “So, we ask him a few questions after we question his wife.” Timothy asserted. Looking over at the holding pen, he noticed a middle-aged man wearing a brown jacket speaking with the Wiley’s. “I guess we can interview Whinny now. Her lawyer’s arrived.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Alibi, Alibi

  Sitting in the interview room with her lawyer, Whinny clenched and unclenched her hands into fists. She was angry and terribly hurt. Joseph had been her knight in shining armor. He successfully swept her off her feet and wooed her like a gentleman should. So, when she discovered he was flirting with their nanny, so soon after the birth of their daughter, she had been devastated. She didn’t want to go through another divorce and wanted to fight for their marriage. So, when Professor Drainer complained about his dirty house at the scholarship meeting, she came up with a solution.

  She confronted Joseph about his flirtation with Ashley. He admitted he was feeling neglected since the baby’s arrival, and to be fair, she was caught up in the thrill and demands of motherhood. They had a long conversation; both agreeing their marriage was worth saving. Joseph thought her idea of offering Ashley a job with Professor Drainer would make the nanny’s transition out of their lives smoother. Ashley wasn’t happy about the dismissal, but agreed to move out the following day. Professor Drainer was pleased he had live-in help and Whinny thought the rocky spot in their marriage was over. But then, Bob Smith called her to the surveillance room.

  She couldn’t believe what she was watching on the screen. She caught Joseph in a passionate embrace with Ashley. The flirtation had progressed into an affair. Her knight in shining armor was a fraud, a pipe dream. She wanted them both dead! While waiting for her police interview, she had decided to go home and pack as soon as it was concluded. She was moving out with the baby and filing for a divorce.

  Detective Pointman convinced her partner to take the back seat with this interview. “I’ll connect with her, woman-to-woman.”

  Mary walked into the interview room holding two cups of coffee. Setting one down in front of Whinny, she sipped from the other and took a seat. With a voice filled with compassion, Mary assured Whinny they were just trying to get some information so they could send her home. “We realize you just gave birth and your baby needs you.” Whinny smiled and unclenched her fists.

  Hoping to catch Mrs. Wiley off guard, Mary abruptly asked, “Can you tell us where you were the night of Ashley’s murder?”

  Without thinking, Whinny again clenched her hands into fists. “I was at the Convention Center. I wanted to see the Koi exhibit. Joseph had bragged about it for days but never offered to show me around. I was working on the scholarship presentation, as you know I was the elected presenter, so I was given permission to stay after hours and prepare. When I was finally ready to go home, I went to the lower level to use the bathroom. I then peeked into the K
oi exhibit.”

  “What did you see?” asked Mary

  “Well, it was beautiful! Joseph is very talented. But, there was a young man pruning bushes with a hedge trimmer. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I left the building through the exit they told me to use. Professor Drainer was ahead of me. I called out to him, but I guess he didn’t hear me. By the time I got outside he was already pulling out of his parking spot. I never did get to chat with him, but we did make eye contact as he drove away.”

  “So, to be clear, you saw Professor Drainer leave the building after you checked on the Koi exhibit? And, a young man was pruning bushes when you looked in, right?”

  “Yes, detective.”

  O’Cleary added, “And he saw you. Professor Drainer recognized you?”

  “Oh yes, I’m sure of it. We were just a few feet from each other.”

  Mary and Timothy looked at each other. All of their suspects, spare one, had an alibi.

  “Thank you Mrs. Wiley. You are not under arrest. Your alibi is Professor Drainer. If he confirms that he saw you outside the Convention Center when he drove off, you have nothing to worry about,” assured Mary. Timothy stepped out of the room, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  After a short interview with Drainer, it was confirmed that he did see Whinny in the parking lot but had forgotten to mention it.

  A taxi drove Whinny home, leaving Joseph behind with their lawyer to answer a few additional questions.

  “Mr. Wiley,” Mary began, “we have two eye witnesses who have identified you at Le Pigeon with Ashley Sweetwater on the night of her murder. They saw Justin Coin hand Ashley an envelope of money and then abruptly depart, after shaking his fist. They have also said that Ashley gave you the envelope of money.”

  Joseph shrugged. “Yes? So?”

  “Well, why did Mr. Coin give her the money and what were you doing with it?”

  “Ashley said they made a bet and he was the loser. I guess a pretty bad loser considering the fist he shook at her. Anyway, she asked me to invest it in some stocks. I know a lot about the market.”

  “How much did you invest?”

  “$20,000. This was the second installment. She never told me what the bet was about, but I suspect it was over some horseracing event. Ashley liked to gamble. For a young lady, she was quite the risk taker.”

  Looking to his attorney, Mary said Joseph was free to go home.

  The day started with four murder suspects: Justin Coin, Professor Drainer, Whinny Wiley, and Zachary Fry. Three were clear of murder thanks to alibis. But, arson and embezzlement were still to be determined. Although Zachary Fry appeared an unlikely candidate for murder, nice folks did snap on occasion and the Detectives could not rule him out. They decided to go down to the hospital and check on his prognosis. Dora texted Sadie letting her know they were on their way.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: Bosco Bill Is Found Out

  Zachary’s MRI took longer than expected and Sadie was in a state of worry. What if they discovered something and he was really, really sick? He certainly hadn’t been himself lately.

  Her mind skipped over to Bosco Bill and Mark’s last report saying he hadn’t been eating. The 12-year-old Maltipoo was feisty in nature and yet, she thought, “He is getting up there in doggie years. Oi, he’s 84, four years older than Pop!” Stepping into the hallway, Sadie called Mark.

  A friendly deep voice answered, “Hi ya, Sunshine!”

  Sadie smiled at Mark’s greeting. “Hello to you too, Mr. Sportly!”

  Mark had been looking forward to their next conversation as he had some good news for Sadie. “I’m guessing you’re checking in on your little ol’ man.”

  “Yes, indeed I am. I don’t have long to talk, a former student is in the hospital. I’m waiting for him to return from his MRI. I’ll let you know the whole scoop when I get back home. By the way, could you watch my kids for one more night? I’ll be home tomorrow for sure.”

  “Absolutely, Sadie. I’m happy to help. Your Willow Cake has let me rub her belly four times now and I think I’ve won her over. Bosco, well…he’s quite the trooper. He is true blue to you, that’s for sure. And, although he is still not eating his food, I know he’s playing a game. He’s protesting your absence, I’m sure of that. Who would think a dog could scheme a fake hunger strike? Ha! The rascal! Anyway, I caught Bosco Bill eating Willow’s food last night. She’s in cahoots with him, the dear pup. Your lab just takes a few bites of her food and walks away.”

  Sadie laughed and exploded with relief, “That sounds like my Bosco and Willow!”

  “Yep, when I left the kitchen, Bosco trit-trotted over to the water dish. I heard him lapping away. Willow was in the living room eyeing his food dish. Then I heard Bosco’s tag clicking against a metal dish. Curious, I stepped back into the kitchen and caught his fluffy white butt crunching away on some of Willow’s kibble. When he noticed I had discovered him, he turned tail and moved back into the living room. He just laid by his food the entire night refusing to eat. Willow went into the kitchen and finished off her food. Later that night, I noticed some missing pieces from Bosco’s food dish. I figure he grabbed a few bites when I made myself a cup of coffee. Believe me, he isn’t starving.”

  “Mark,” Sadie sighed, “I am so relieved. I know Bosco is a handful but please be patient with him. I’ll be home tomorrow night and have you over for breakfast the next morning. You won’t believe what my ladies weekend has turned into.”

  “I look forward to your homecoming…just as much as Bosco, I suspect.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Confession

  Zachary was awake when they wheeled him back into the hospital room. Dora, Timothy, and Mary arrived while Sadie was in the hallway speaking with Mark. When she finished her call, Lilly remained with Zachary and Mrs. Fry while the detectives stepped in the hall to catch Sadie up on the interviews and alibis. Sadie gave Dora an unhappy look.

  “Yes, Amiga, I’m worried too. It’s possible your student did it.”

  Zachary’s doctor greeted them in the hallway and they all stepped inside Zachary’s room. Looking to his patient, Dr. Redwig spoke with professional directness and sincere compassion as he relayed the results.

  “Zachary, there’s a reason you’ve been so tired and off balance lately,” the doctor began. “Your MRI shows a growth on your frontal lobe—a tumor.” Mrs. Fry put her hands over her mouth and gasped. Lilly moved to her side and put her arm around the woman’s waist.

  Continuing with a calm voice, Dr. Redwig added, “This specific location of the brain controls motor function, judgment, impulse control, memory, language, and mood. I predict it’s a slow growing, non-malignant tumor that finally made itself known; thanks to the seizure you recently suffered. You’d be surprised how common brain tumors really are. Large majorities are non-cancerous and the survival rate is very high. There are several ways we can proceed, but I suggest surgery. I’ll let you think about my recommendation while I schedule an early morning surgery. We can always cancel it if you want to go a different route. Buzz the nurse’s station if you don’t want the operation. We can go in a different direction, but none of them are very effective.”

  Thus said, Dr. Redwig left the room.

  Zachary looked baffled and his mom was speechless. Lilly and Sadie were stunned while the three detectives remained silent in their surprise. Not experienced in supporting another person in need, Mrs. Fry again fell into a bout of tears. Lilly persuaded her to step into the hallway, not wanting to upset Zachary any further. Lilly did her best to bolster the woman who had been so lax in her mothering skills throughout Zachary’s life.

  Inside the room, Sadie looked over at the three detectives and they read her mind, nodding in agreement as they left. An interview would have to wait. Zachary was now their main suspect, but he wasn’t in any state to answer questions. And if there was a tumor on the frontal lobe of his brain, his judgment and memory were impaired, along with impulse control and his ability to speak or think rationa
lly.

  Alone with her former student, Sadie walked over to his bed and held his hand. He had tears in his eyes and Sadie thought it was because he was afraid. She was wrong.

  “Ms. Sunshine, I have to tell you something. It’s fuzzy but I think it really happened. I know brain surgery is a risky business and I want to confess, just in case I don’t make it, or I come out of surgery like some living vegetable.”

  Sadie put her hand on Zachary’s forehead and said, “That won’t happen, Dear, but I’m listening.”

  “Ok, so you know Ashley and I dated in High School, and my friend Paul broke us up, kind of. You see, there’s more to the story. What you don’t know is Ashley betrayed me. I told her about, well, about something very private. It was something that had never happened before in my life. I was worried about it and thought I might be sick. This is embarrassing but, well, I started wetting the bed. I never did it as a kid, so I didn’t know why I was doing it as a grown man. Ashley thought I was disgusting after I shared my secret. That’s the real reason we broke up. Paul was just someone she could cling to since she didn’t like being unattached.”

  Sadie patted his arm, encouraging him to continue.

  “The horrible thing is, she shared my secret on her Facebook page. She called me a bed wetter! The whole school heard about my problem and teased me until the day I finally graduated. Recently, on my birthday, she posted it again. I couldn’t understand why she was being so hateful.”

  “Zachary,” Sadie felt her student’s pain and tried to offer him some comfort, “I think your brain tumor was the reason you were wetting the bed. I wish you had visited a doctor but I guess you were embarrassed.”

  “I was, and you know what a small city Rogue Valley is, Ms. Sunshine. That’s one reason I applied for OSU. I needed to get out of there. Anyway, I heard Ashley was living in Portland and I wanted to talk to her about the mean gossip she was spreading on her FB page, especially her recent comment about my secret.”