Evil in the First House: A Starlight Detective Agency (Starlight Detective Agency Mysteries Book 3)

by Mitchell Scott Lewis

  Gloria was just checking the apartment. “I don’t want to worry all night that I left the gas on or something.”

  “I understand,” said Lowell.

  She checked the stove, made sure the windows were locked, and finally turned. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  They went downstairs. Kevin was leaning against the limo chatting on his phone. “I’ll be okay,” he said. “You can text me all night. I doubt that I’ll be able to sleep much.” He saw Lowell and Gloria exit the building. “Jeanette, I gotta go now. I’ll text you when I reach the hospital.”

  The three entered the limo.

  “Pretty wild ride,” said Kevin, as they started to drive. “It’s like an office in here.”

  “Yes,” said Lowell, “I get antsy sitting inside all day and need the freedom this allows.” He pointed to his desk, complete with computer, drawers, and a swivel chair bolted to the floor of the car. “This gives me the ability to work and roam at the same time.”

  “Cool,” said the boy nonchalantly, as he maneuvered his phone, texting and checking emails.

  Lowell fiddled with the control panel. “You want to see something really cool?”

  “Sure,” said Kevin, without much enthusiasm.

  Andy overheard and raised the barrier between the front and back seats. As Lowell turned the knobs, Kevin watched the windows darken for a moment, and then a thunderstorm in New England appeared. He put his phone down and leaned over, touching the window. It was damp and chilly, as one would expect in a cool rain storm.

  “Holy crap,” said the boy. “What is this?”

  “It’s a new type of plasma insert that a friend of mine invented.”

  “Are there other settings?”

  Lowell pointed to the control panel. “Help yourself.”

  Kevin spent the rest of the trip flipping from one scenario to another, occasionally muttering a “Wow” or “Look at that!”

  They arrived at Lowell’s office about one o’clock. Sarah took Gloria and Kevin to the conference room, made them comfortable, and then joined Lowell in his office.

  “They’re okay inside for now.” Sarah pushed her bright red hair back behind her ears. “He seems like a nice kid. It must be a drag to go through this at his age.”

  Lowell agreed. “I’m sure it’s not how he planned on spending the last part of his summer vacation.”

  “Do you think they’ll be alright?”

  Lowell leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He would be happy when these two cases were over. He might even take a short vacation before jumping into the next mess. “I hope so. There’s still a lot left unanswered about Williamson, but hopefully it will all go smoothly. He’s supposed to be an excellent surgeon.”

  Sarah nodded. “What about Karen, the cop from L.A.? And what happened to her uncle?”

  Lowell got up and walked to the window. He sprinkled a little food into the turtle tank and stood gazing at the New York City skyline.

  “Yes, Karen’s uncle. I don’t know,” he said as he turned back toward Sarah. “I just don’t know.”

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Williamson arrived right on time. He entered the office and stood near the front door. “Kevin, have you packed a bag for a few days’ stay?”

  The boy nodded. “It’s by the front door.”

  “Gloria,” said Williamson, “I think it would be best if you didn’t come right now. This will be stressful enough. I have to prep the boys for surgery, and I’ll do the operation tomorrow morning. You can come out to the hospital about noon. They’ll be in recovery by then.”

  Gloria shook her head vehemently. “I insist on coming and, at least helping Kevin settle in.”

  Williamson frowned. “Very well. But there’s no place for you to stay.”

  Lowell jumped in. “Gloria, I’ll have Andy drive you and Kevin out there, and once Kevin’s settled in, Andy’ll bring you back here.”

  She turned to him. “Would you?”

  “I suppose that would be okay.” Williamson turned toward his son. “Kevin, it’s time.”

  Kevin stood up, his iphone in hand, rapidly texting.

  Gloria walked over to him. “Did you remember to pack a toothbrush?”

  “Yes Mom, I’m not a little boy anymore.”

  She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

  “I know you’re not.”

  Williamson looked at his watch impatiently and headed for the door. “Come on, it’s time to go. I’ll be waiting outside.”

  He walked out.

  Kevin looked at his mother. “Try not to worry, mom. I’ll be fine.”

  His mother looked close to tears. “I know you will.”

  She turned to Lowell. “I’ll call you on the way back.”

  They left.

  Lowell spent the rest of the morning sifting through his emails and phone messages trying to plan his next job. Once this business with the twins was completely resolved he would have too much time on his hands, something he loathed. He only took cases that interested him, or where he believed he could make a difference. There were a few that piqued his curiosity. He put those in his in-box. One involved the disappearance of a valuable, beloved pet tiger from a locked windowless room. He might look into that.

  Gloria called in the afternoon to say she was heading back into the city. Lowell put away his work and took a short nap.

  ***

  Gloria sat passively on the couch, her hands folded in her lap.

  “Would you like something?” asked Lowell.

  She shook her head. “No thank you.” She sighed. “Well, maybe a glass of water, if you don’t mind?”

  Lowell went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out a Brita water pitcher and filled a glass. He walked over to the couch and handed it to Gloria.

  She took a long drink. “The hospital is very nice.”

  “Did you see Edward?”

  “Yes. But he was asleep and I didn’t want to disturb him. He looked so frail and thin. I just felt so helpless.”

  She looked up at Lowell. Her eyes were cloudy as if in a daze. “I was so naïve and foolish when we got married.” Her gaze went to the window. “Is everyone?”

  “I think so.”

  She turned back to him. “Were you?”

  He sat down and leaned back in his chair. “Yes. That may be a prerequisite for falling in love.”

  She nodded and turned back to the window staring at the Empire State Building. “I was so young. I thought I could be whatever he wanted me to be. And I tried very hard to live up to his expectations. But now, when I look back at it all, I realize there was nothing I could have done to make it better. He didn’t want me. He wanted children. And I was only the vessel.” She laughed. “Maybe he liked my genes, or my bone structure. Who knows? Everything was an experiment with him. When the boys were born he did some tests on them. A little later he came into the room and was enraged. I could see it in his face. I asked him what was wrong and he looked at me with such contempt. He shook his head and said: You couldn’t even do this right. Then he walked out. I didn’t know what he was talking about, but it scared me silly. That’s when I called my sister and we started to make our plans.” She shook her head. “Maybe that’s when he found out that Edward had a kidney problem.”

  She sipped her water very carefully, her hands trembled slightly. “He’ll be alright, won’t he? I mean, they both will be, right?”

  Lowell tugged on his ponytail. “Your husband is supposed to be an excellent doctor.”

  “Yes, whatever else he is, he’s very good at his job.”

  “Well then, try not to worry too much. The operation is scheduled for tomorrow morning. My driver will take us out to the hospital by about noon and you can check on things.”

  She sipped her water
again and nodded. “It just doesn’t seem fair to put them through this at so young an age.”

  “I know it probably doesn’t help any, but at least they have each other, and Kevin can afford to donate a kidney without it affecting his life too much.”

  “I know, but still, to go through this at fourteen.”

  “You mean fifteen.”

  “No, I mean fourteen. They won’t be fifteen until February. You don’t think a mother would forget how old her children are, do you?”

  Lowell stared at her. “They weren’t born June 10th, 1999?”

  “That’s not even close. They were born February 4th, 2000.”

  “February?”

  “Of course. February 4th, 2000. Edward was born at 10:56 and Kevin at 11:22 in the morning in Princeton. Why?”

  Lowell’s face got tight. “Gloria, to the best of your knowledge does your husband know anything about astrology?”

  “As a matter of fact we both were interested in it when we met. That was one of the things that we had in common. I never had any time to look into it seriously. But when we were first married he studied it extensively with someone in Manhattan. He bought dozens of books and used to go to classes at least once a week. Why do you ask?”

  Lowell sat at his desk working with the Solar Fire program. He entered the new birth data for the children and drew up several charts. He worked hard not to show his concern to Gloria. He picked up the intercom and pushed a button. A few moments later there was a knock on the door. It opened and Mort entered.

  “You rang?”

  “Mort, this is Mrs. Williamson.”

  “How do you do?”

  “As well as can be expected.”

  The strange man nodded. “I understand.”

  Lowell was making notes on the charts. “Mort, we have an errand to run.” He turned to Gloria. “I have to take care of something. Will you be alright if I send you to your hotel?”

  “I guess so. I don’t really want to be alone right now. But if you must.”

  Lowell thought for a moment. “Let me see what I can do.” He buzzed the intercom again.

  Sarah entered a moment later. “Boss?”

  “Sarah, please take Mrs. Williamson to the conference room and make sure she’s comfortable. Then come right back.”

  Sarah led Gloria out the door.

  Lowell turned to Mort. “I need to get a look at Edward, Williamson’s sick child.”

  Mort was petting the turtles. “Do you think Williamson would allow that?”

  “What do you think?” asked Lowell.

  “So I assume we’re looking at, what, five to ten for breaking-and-entering?” He laughed and flapped his elongated arms.

  Lowell picked up the phone and called his daughter. “Melinda, I’m sending Mrs. Williamson to the Empire Hotel on Lexington. She’s not in very good shape and I was wondering if you could get free long enough to check up on her sometime today.”

  “I can get out of here in about an hour,” she replied. “I have to come uptown then anyway and I’ll have some time in between appointments. What’s going on?”

  “I’ll call you from the limo and explain. I may need your services in several ways before this is all over.”

  “That’s why you paid me a retainer.” She laughed.

  “Okay, I’ll send her to the hotel now and tell her to expect you in about an hour and a half.”

  They hung up. Lowell tugged on his ponytail a few times. He picked up the phone and dialed.

  “Williamson Hospital.”

  “May I speak with Dr. Williamson please? It’s David Lowell.”

  “I’m sorry, but the doctor just left and won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you, I’ll call back then.”

  He called Andy. “I’m sending Mrs. Williamson down to you. Take her to the Empire Hotel and come right back.”

  “Gotcha, Boss.”

  A few moments later the door opened and Sarah entered, pad and pen in hand. “Whatcha got for me?”

  “You won’t need the pad. I want you to do a little extra leg-work for me.”

  Sarah knew what that meant, dressing up and playacting. She liked that part of it but didn’t care too much for the danger it often entailed. Still, she knew that it also came with combat pay, and Lowell was always very generous. Sarah had a bit of a problem with shoes. She owned close to a hundred pairs that she fawned over and was always on the lookout to add to her collection. She had her eye on a pair of bright blue pumps she simply could not live without, and they cost a week’s salary. This should make up for it.

  “Will I need a bulletproof vest?”

  “I certainly hope not,” said Lowell. “It’s just a reconnaissance mission.”

  “Okay, Boss.”

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  The hospital was on a hill in a rural area outside Clifton, New Jersey. There was a long, winding, circular driveway that led to the big colonial mansion that housed the sanitarium. Halfway up the drive Andy stopped the limo just long enough for Lowell and Mort to jump out behind a giant azalea bush. They scurried for cover as Andy continued up the driveway.

  There were few lights on the property and no visible security. Lowell and Mort were able to reach the building without being seen. Cameras were a possibility, and they kept a watch for any mounted hardware, but didn’t see any. There was a locked door on the side of the hospital that took Mort less than two minutes to pick.

  “How do you do that?”

  The strange man chuckled. “I don’t know. It’s just obvious which way to turn the pick.”

  They entered the hospital through a large vacant room with a fireplace. It appeared to be a gathering place, perhaps for the staff. There was a bar and a number of couches and leather chairs. They tiptoed to the door and Lowell slowly opened it, peering out into the hallway. He checked his watch. Any second now.

  Right on time, Sarah began her acting.

  “What do you mean my brother isn’t here?” She was shouting at the admitting nurse. “I was told he was taken to this hospital! I demand to know what’s going on.”

  The nurse picked up the phone and a few moments later several people scurried past their door. Lowell and Mort waited a few moments, and then quickly exited the room, turned right, away from the fracas, and found an unattended staircase. They hustled up to the second floor, turned the corner, and just missed running into an intern who was hurrying down the front staircase. They waited a moment until he was out of sight.

  “We only have a few minutes,” said Lowell, “so let’s spilt up.”

  Mort went to the left and Lowell to the right. They opened each door and looked in. On the third try, Mort whistled a low, brief tweet. Lowell rushed over.

  “He’s in here,” Mort whispered.

  They quietly entered the room closing the door behind them. It was nicely furnished, with bright curtains and several comfortable chairs. The late afternoon sun poured through the half-opened curtains casting eerie shadows on the walls. There was a large, flat-screen TV on the wall that was turned off, and a number of flower bouquets and get-well cards on the dresser. Except for a graphic novel for teens that sat on the night table, and a poster of a young female singer Lowell didn’t recognize, there was little to interest a teenager.

  In the bed lay the boy. Lowell walked over to him. His eyes were closed, and he seemed asleep. He looked to weigh perhaps eighty-five pounds. Although he was gaunt and pale, his features were so much like his brother Kevin’s it was unsettling. Lowell thought he looked like a Xerox copy that didn’t come out quite right. He had IVs in both arms and was attached to an elaborate mechanism that beeped every few moments. There was a monitor with a continuously moving line that would jump every couple of seconds. Lowell stared at it, momentarily mesmerized. Then he shook his head.

>   “I want some pictures,” he said, motioning to Mort. “Get some shots of him and these devices he’s hooked up to.”

  Mort took out a small digital camera and took several shots of the boy and the machines he was hooked up to. It took only a few minutes to complete the process. When he was done, Mort put the camera into his pocket and nudged Lowell.

  Having seen what he came to see Lowell turned to leave when a frail voice stopped him.

  “Who are you?”

  Lowell turned to face the boy. “I just came by to see how you were doing.”

  “Oh. Are you a doctor?”

  “No, just someone who’s concerned.”

  The boy nodded, and then closed his eyes once more and fell back asleep.

  As they sneaked out of the room they could hear Sarah wailing. They ran down the same staircase and out the side door, carefully staying in the shadows when possible. Lowell took out his cell phone and dialed Sarah.

  “It’s okay,” he said, “we’re done.”

  “Yes mother…You mean to tell me you sent me to the wrong hospital? Do you know how upset I’ve been and how much trouble I’ve caused these good people?…Alright I’m on my way there now.”

  She hung up and turned to the admitting nurse.

  “I’m so dreadfully sorry for this terrible mix up. It appears my brother was taken to a hospital a few towns over. Please accept my apologies.”

  The nurse frowned and nodded—her displeasure quite apparent.

  Sarah hurried out of the hospital to the waiting limousine and jumped into the back. Andy slowly drove her down the driveway, stopping once again by the azaleas to pick up the boys.

  Chapter Forty

  The sun was just approaching the horizon when they got back to the office. Twilight would be in about half an hour. The late summer sun cast an otherworldly red hue about the city making it look like an artist’s rendition of Mars on the cover of a nineteen sixties Ray Bradbury paperback.