Do No Harm

by Dawn Eastman

“Who knows?” Gretchen said and looked out the window. “Eugene was an unusual child, and not everyone understood him. Franklin thought his daughter was perfect and every other kid was beneath her. It only got worse when she got to high school. He kept such a tight rein on that girl, I wasn’t surprised when she ran away. I don’t know how she even breathed in that house.”

  “That must have been very difficult for her,” Katie said. She thought of her own teenage years and how she would have rebelled at the first sign anyone was trying to tell her what to do. She had not been above doing the opposite of what was expected just to prove she could.

  Gretchen’s face softened. “I think it was. But she was always so kind to Gene. They were really good friends. Of course, he wanted it to be more. What teenage boy wouldn’t, with such a pretty girl? But as far as I know, nothing of that sort ever happened.”

  “Do you have any idea if there were other suspects in the case of Heather Stone’s death?”

  Gretchen pursed her lips and slowly shook her head. “I really don’t know. Being found outside like that on a college campus, I would think just about anyone could have killed her. My Gene was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  A few minutes later, Katie thanked Gretchen for the coffee and said good-bye to her on the porch. As she walked to her car, she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. She turned to see who might be watching her but didn’t see anyone. The feeling gave her a chill, and she quickly unlocked her car, climbed in, and started the engine.

  She felt better when she turned off of Gretchen’s street and headed for home. She reflected that a mother’s view of her children could never be completely relied upon. There were so many layers of memory, one on top of the other. From that delightful toddler to the inquisitive child to the moody teen. They were all there at once, clouding her view. Katie wondered how much Gretchen’s memories were obscuring the man her son had become.

  She parked in her driveway and noticed that Caleb’s car was missing. Her shoulders slumped. She’d been hoping to talk to him and see if he had any more bright ideas on how to proceed. She pushed open the back door and set her bag on the kitchen table. The room was spotless. This made Katie worry. Either he was bringing someone back with him or he had done something Katie would not be happy about. Not that he didn’t clean up after himself, but he pretty much thought the job was done if he put his dishes in the dishwasher. The idea of wiping down the counters and rinsing the sink was a foreign concept. Or so Katie had thought. Apparently, he knew all about these details and chose to use them only on occasion.

  She sat at the table and pulled her notebook out of her bag. She put a checkmark by Talk to Alicia, but didn’t feel that she was any further along. She needed more, but where could she get it? John Carlson? He might not know much more than anyone else in town, since the investigation had happened in Ann Arbor. She moved back to the first to-do, Talk to Russell again. That wouldn’t be easy without telling Gabrielle. She hadn’t wanted Katie to ask him about the case when they went out; she certainly wouldn’t be thrilled with Katie doing a follow-up visit. Especially if she knew the reason was that Russell had a reputation for dating students. And the fact that Katie just didn’t trust him. Between his smug demeanor and the things she had heard from Taylor’s friends, she hoped this was one of Gabrielle’s shorter relationships.

  Katie went into her room and opened her laptop. She felt like a stalker herself, tracking down personal information on the Internet.

  She searched for Eugene Lowe and got a few hits about Heather Stone’s death, but none of it had any more information than she already knew. It was as if there were one or two original articles and the rest just rehashed the same thing. Several articles focused on Heather’s potential and the loss of a young, beautiful woman. When she searched for Heather Stone, the same articles popped up as well as the tribute page that had been set up by Heather’s sorority.

  She heard the kitchen door slam and knew Caleb was home. She got up to go into the dining room and involve him in her research when she heard a female voice. She listened from the hallway and thought she recognized it.

  Hmm.

  “This is so cool, Caleb,” the woman said. “I can’t believe you designed your own game.”

  “I’m just hoping it works when I release it.”

  Katie tiptoed back into her room and pulled the door shut quietly. She’d have to do this on her own for now. She opened her computer again and started clicking on links to read the stories of Eugene’s arrest and trial.

  What she thought was a few minutes later, Katie glanced at her watch and snapped the computer shut. She’d lost track of time, as one did when following the breadcrumbs of the Internet.

  She ran out of her room and startled Caleb and Bella Peterson.

  “Can’t talk now; I’m late,” Katie said as she rushed through the room. “Nice to see you, Bella.”

  She grabbed her keys and bag and dashed to her car.

  21

  The wind had not died down as the day progressed, and Katie found herself wrestling open the door to Pete’s Sandwich Shop just as she had at the Purple Parrot. Once inside, she shook her hair out of her eyes and surveyed the room. She spotted Matt at the back in a corner booth. He was focused on his phone, and she took a moment to admire the view. It was no wonder half the medical residents had had a crush on him when he was the senior resident. His dark hair had fallen over his forehead, and she knew he’d brush it back impatiently when he looked up. As if he sensed her watching, he did look up and met her eyes with his own intense brown-eyed gaze. He raised his hand and smiled while Katie wended her way through the tables.

  He stood and kissed her on the cheek. Katie felt her face get warm and glanced around the restaurant. She was still getting used to being in a relationship and living in a small town where everyone knew your business. Matt grinned at her. “Already checked that the coast was clear.”

  She was sure her face was even redder when she turned away to take off her coat and toss her bag onto the seat of the booth. Guessing she looked windblown and embarrassed, she decided it didn’t matter and leaned toward Matt for a proper kiss. People seemed to find out everything anyway; might as well give them something to talk about. They slid into the booth and grinned at each other.

  Pete arrived, belly first, with an order pad in his hand. His smooth head gleamed in the overhead light. “What’ll ya have?” Katie was always amused at Pete’s aloof manner. No matter how long any customer had been coming to his place, he acted like he’d never seen them before. He was all business, no chitchat.

  They ordered and Pete wandered off without another word.

  “What are we in for today?” Matt asked.

  “I’m not sure, actually.” Katie thought of how keen Emmett had been to have her work on the committee. “I’m a little worried that Emmett has tricked us into one of the more difficult community outreach jobs. He’s been on every committee Baxter has ever created, and he didn’t say it was fun, just that it would be good for the practice.”

  “I don’t know. He really seems to like you,” Matt said. He reached across the table and covered her hands with his own. “Maybe he’s giving you an easy job in the hopes you’ll want to do more.”

  “Either way, it’s a trick,” said Katie. “But I would like to get to know some of the other people in town. And I love Halloween.”

  Katie felt warm and safe sitting with Matt in their back corner booth. The bell on the door rang occasionally as more diners blew in from outside. Each time, a cold blast of air ripped through the restaurant and ruffled the napkins on the counter.

  “Any more news on Taylor?” Matt asked after another gust receded.

  Katie shook her head. “No more than I told you yesterday.”

  “Where could she have gone? And why?”

  Katie shook her head. “I wish I knew.”

  “Hey, I remembered why Russell looked familiar to me,” Matt said. “He was a grad student whe
n I was an undergrad. There were rumors he was dating Heather, and he was at the party that night.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I never forget a face,” Matt said.

  “He dated Heather?” Katie asked. “I wonder why he didn’t mention it?”

  “Maybe he didn’t want to talk about it in front of Gabrielle?”

  “It was years ago. Gabrielle wouldn’t care.”

  “Still, it would have put a damper on things.”

  “I’ve heard some rumors about Russell from students,” Katie said.

  “That he’s a womanizer and not above dating students?”

  Katie’s eyebrows ticked upward. “Yes, something like that. What have you heard?”

  Matt shook his head. “Nothing lately, but once I remembered who he was, I remembered the rumors.” He held up his hands. “I never heard anything dodgy about him, just that he sometimes dated his students. At that time, he was a teaching assistant, and it’s not like it’s unheard of for TAs to date students, but he did have a bit of a reputation for it.”

  “I should tell Gabrielle,” Katie said as she looked down at the table.

  Matt squeezed her hand until she looked up again. “People change. I’m not sure you want to wade into her relationship.”

  “But she’s my friend,” Katie said. “I’d want to know.”

  Matt sat back and crossed his arms. “What good will it do to tell her? Either she’ll confront him and he’ll deny it and then you’ll look like the bad guy, or she’ll confront him and they’ll break up. Or she’ll keep quiet and watch his every move. Any of those reactions will ruin their relationship.”

  “But—”

  “She’s your friend and you know her best, but telling her about a rumor from ten years ago, or even a rumor from now, will only cause trouble.”

  Katie also sat back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Matt was right. She would only cause trouble, and she didn’t actually know Russell had done anything wrong. There was just something about him that rubbed her the wrong way. He was too sure of himself, and she didn’t like how quickly Gabrielle had fallen for him. Katie just felt it was going to end badly.

  “You’re right,” she said. “I’ll stay out of it. Unless I hear something real.”

  Pete rang the bell on the counter to signal that their order was ready, and Matt hopped up to grab the tray.

  Katie enjoyed a moment watching Matt joke with Pete. He had a brilliant smile. Matt had the exceptional gift of knowing exactly what kind of person to be for each interaction. Just by this chameleon trick, he could establish rapport with anyone, from a tattooed motorcycle dude to a four-year-old glitter-loving ballerina. After earning a rare smile from Pete, he returned to the table with their lunch.

  Matt’s Reuben dripped with cheese and the rye was grilled perfectly. Katie looked at her own roast beef and cheddar and wondered if she had lost Caleb’s best-ordering contest. She took a bite and was no longer concerned. They shared a basket of Pete’s house-made potato chips. It really didn’t matter which sandwich was chosen if the chips were involved.

  The sandwiches took their attention for the next few minutes, and except for the crunching of chips, a comfortable silence fell over the table. Matt took a swig of soda and sat back in his chair.

  Katie set her sandwich down and leaned toward Matt. “Do you know anyone who works in the morgue at the university?”

  Matt laughed. “You do have a way with mealtime conversation.”

  “I’m hoping to get Heather Knox’s autopsy information. I’ve seen the short version that it was head trauma, but I’d like to see the complete report.”

  “Yeah, I know a guy,” Matt said. Matt always knew a guy.

  “I know I can request a copy, but I figure it will take weeks to get it,” Katie said. “Do you think your friend could get it soon?”

  “He’s not exactly a friend, but I’ll reach out to him after the meeting.”

  Katie thanked him and went back to her sandwich.

  “I hope we won’t have to get too crafty at this meeting,” Matt said. “I’m not that good with construction paper.”

  “I think you’re safe,” Katie said. “Emmett made it sound like it was just a planning meeting. How much planning does a Halloween celebration need?”

  * * *

  Half an hour later, they entered the main doors of Baxter High School. The smell of linoleum, lockers, and food cooked in industrial pots hit her with a wave of nostalgia. Not all of it pleasant. Every high school she had been in had that ambience of trapped adolescent energy embedded in its walls. Katie had attended several high schools as she and Caleb were shuttled from one family member to another. She shivered a bit and felt grateful she had made it through those years.

  Matt grinned. “This brings back memories,” he said.

  “You didn’t go to school here, did you?”

  He shook his head. “In Ann Arbor, but it still feels the same.”

  Katie thought fleetingly that Matt might have been one of those people who actually liked high school. She wondered if that pointed to a bone-deep difference in their approaches to life. He took her hand then, and she felt briefly what it might have been like if she had spent more than a year at any given high school. She imagined having Matt as a boyfriend in high school. Nope. She couldn’t see it. She had been too angry about her past and too driven about her future to fit with someone as easygoing as Matt. This was their time.

  They had been told to meet the rest of the committee in the school gym. That should have been Katie’s first clue that the meeting was going to be more than she had bargained for. They wandered the empty halls, their footsteps echoing off the metal walls of lockers and shiny linoleum floors.

  They followed the signs to the gym and pushed open the heavy double doors. Katie gasped. Matt chuckled.

  “I don’t think anyone has seen us,” he whispered. He tugged on her hand. “We still have time to make our escape.”

  “There you are!” a familiar voice said. Matt dropped her hand as if it were hot. Debra Gallagher trotted over to them and ushered them further into the room.

  The gym was filled with people. Tables had been set up in opposite corners with signs saying FOOD, DECORATIONS, ENTERTAINMENT, and PARADE. People milled around the tables in what appeared to be organized chaos. Katie wondered who would actually attend the event if the whole town was involved in working on it.

  A siren sounded and echoed throughout the room. Everyone fell silent and looked for the source of the noise. A thin, elderly woman with bright-pink lipstick and a helmet of dark-gray hair smiled benignly and held up her bullhorn.

  “Now that I have your attention,” she shouted into the horn, which squeaked and reverberated. She glared at the device and held it away from her mouth. “I need all team leaders to meet with me on the bleachers in five minutes,” she said.

  “Who is that?” Matt asked.

  “I think her name is Delores Munch,” Katie said.

  Debra nodded. “She’s head dictator of the Halloween festival every year. People draw straws to see who has to lead each team because she gets very bossy as Halloween approaches.”

  “I don’t know which team we’re on,” Katie said.

  “You can join our group,” Debra said. “We need all the help we can get.”

  Debra dragged Katie and Matt toward the table labeled PARADE.

  “I thought this was going to be like a trunk-or-treat thing,” Katie said. Katie had seen flyers when she was in medical school about trunk-or-treat events. It was a Halloween party where the kids could walk around a parking lot and collect candy at each car. It didn’t sound nearly as fun as going door to door, but maybe it made the parents feel better.

  Debra laughed as if Katie had made a very clever joke. “No. This is serious stuff. As long as Delores is in charge, it’s a full-on takeover of the town.”

  “How long has she been doing this?”

  Debra shrugged. “As long as I ca
n remember. It’s great when you’re a kid and all you have to do is show up for the fun.”

  Debra glanced at the crowd milling around the parade table.

  “Here, come check in with our team leader.” Debra pulled Katie off to the side.

  Team leader? Debra made it sound like a military exercise. Between Munch and her bullhorn and the general high level of energy in the room, Katie was quite sure she had been tricked into way more than she had planned on.

  Debra approached a woman with light-blonde hair pulled into an elegant updo. Katie’s stomach sank. Cecily Hawkins. Nick’s wife. Katie still didn’t know exactly what had gone wrong between them, but Cecily seemed to barely tolerate Katie’s existence. Katie wasn’t sure if Cecily blamed her for Nick’s need to take time off from work (as if it were Katie’s fault that Nick had a drug problem) or if she suspected that Katie had learned Cecily’s deep dark secret while investigating a sudden death in September (she had, but she wasn’t going to admit it). Perfect Cecily claimed to come from a wealthy family on the East Coast, but she had, in fact, put herself through school by working as a stripper. Katie was pretty sure Nick didn’t know, and Katie wasn’t going to tell him.

  Cecily turned, saw Katie, and her smile faltered before she turned it up to its highest wattage.

  “New recruits, Mrs. Hawkins,” said Debra. For someone so in tune with the events in Baxter, Debra seemed oblivious to the tension between the two women.

  “Katie, how nice to see you,” Cecily said. “And Matt, I hope everything is going well at the clinic?”

  Katie and Matt nodded warily.

  “I have just the job for you two,” she said. She held a clipboard up and made a mark on the paper. “Katie, you will be on our lead float for the parade. You can be the pumpkin. It’s a big hit every year.”

  Before Katie could respond, Cecily continued.

  “Matt, you can be our pirate leader. Nick used to take on that role, but he won’t be here this year, as you know.” She gave them an icy smile.

  Matt brightened up at the idea of playing a pirate and cast a commiserating glance at Katie and her pumpkin assignment.