by J A Whiting
A cold chill traveled down Angie’s spine.
14
Brenda sat on the cream-colored sofa and Angie took the side chair. Huge open windows looked out over the lush lawn and gardens and let a cooling breeze into the room. A ceiling fan moved lazily overhead. Euclid and Circe strolled in and settled on the area rug.
The dental receptionist was in her early forties, had nicely-styled shoulder-length brown hair, and was short and stocky. She was dressed in a summer shift and sandals. “I’ve been with Carlie and Marty since they opened the practice in town. They came from New Hampshire, did you know that?”
Angie nodded.
“I loved working for them.” Brenda looked out of the windows and let out a sigh. “I can’t believe what’s happened to them.” Tears showed in the corners of her eyes, but they didn’t slip over the lids and she brushed at them and blinked fast a few times. “Why would someone kill them?”
Angie held the woman’s gaze hoping she’d go on without prompting. When she didn’t, Angie said, “You mentioned that you were worried about the doctors?”
Brenda rubbed at her forehead as if a headache was coming on. “I was, yes.”
“What caused your worry?” Angie asked gently.
“About a month ago, maybe three weeks ago, Carlie dropped and broke a mirror in the office. We laughed about it saying, uh oh, seven years of bad luck. I was helping her pick up the shards. Carlie sliced her finger on a piece of the glass and got a nasty cut. She couldn’t work for a few days because of it. Then two weeks ago, they crashed their Porsche. Marty was driving, he hit a tree. Thank heavens they didn’t get hurt … it was only bruises and whiplash and that sort of thing. We had to reschedule two days of appointments because they were so banged up.” Brenda lowered her voice. “Carlie told me they’d been having a heated argument in the car before they crashed. She was very angry at Marty about it.”
Unease began to ping in Angie’s chest. “Did Carlie say what the fight was about?”
“No and I didn’t want to ask. I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. Carlie and I got along great, but she was still my boss. I thought if she wanted to talk about why they were fighting then she would have told me.”
“Did you notice any arguing between them in the office?”
“I did. Things started to heat up in the last few weeks. There were more fights. They tried to be discreet about it, but I noticed. They were more abrupt with one another, they were more curt to each other. I worried they would get a divorce, maybe close the office. The whole atmosphere changed. There was a lot of tension in the air.”
“Carlie never mentioned why they were having a hard time?”
“She didn’t say a word.” Brenda’s hands were curled into fists. “When I heard that Carlie had been killed, the thought ran through my head that Marty did it.” She shook her head. “Then I heard Marty was dead, too. I wondered if they’d had some awful fight that caused both of their deaths. Maybe they both had knives or guns and….”
Angie asked, “What did you think of Marty? Did you get along with him?”
“I got along fine with him. He wasn’t chatty. Marty had a big ego, kind of lorded it over everyone that he was a doctor… like he thought he was better than the rest of us.” Brenda paused for a second then went on. “I always wondered why Carlie would fall for someone like that. He wasn’t very nice.”
“When you first started working there, did you notice Carlie and Marty arguing?”
“Occasionally. At first, I thought it was just the stress of a couple living and working together in demanding jobs.” Brenda unclenched her hands and clutched them together in her lap. “But then I noticed little things between them. Marty making cutting remarks to Carlie, Carlie sometimes deliberately annoying him. They were subtle, but I saw what was going on. Like I said, the past two weeks, things seemed to escalate with more fighting going on.”
“Did Carlie seem afraid?” Angie asked.
“Not afraid … angry, like she’d had enough of Marty and didn’t want to take it anymore.” Brenda’s face looked sad. “I should have talked to her about it. I wish I had.”
“Did Carlie have any friends in the area?”
“I don’t think so. I know she and Marty did some golfing together, did a charity event. They hadn’t been in Sweet Cove very long. They both worked long hours. I don’t think Carlie had the time to get out and meet people yet.”
“Did she mention any friends from New Hampshire?”
Brenda’s forehead scrunched up in thought. “I don’t recall her mentioning anyone. Their work consumed their days. I know they liked to go to the theatre and museums and they did go back to New Hampshire a few times to attend charity events. They both loved cars. On weekends, they often took long drives to coastal towns, the mountains, New York.”
“Did you happen to see a picture in the news of the young man who was found dead in one of the doctors’ cars?” Angie questioned.
Brenda winced. “I saw it.”
“Did you recognize him? Or maybe his name? Jeremy Hodges?”
“No, I didn’t. I’m pretty good with names, what with being a receptionist. I don’t recall ever hearing his name or seeing it written down.”
“Did Carlie or Marty ever talk about a Jeremy?”
“I don’t think so.”
Angie tried to jog Brenda’s memory. “Jeremy Hodges worked for them in New Hampshire. He was a dental hygienist.”
Brenda shrugged. “I don’t recall Carlie or Marty mentioning him.”
“He never came down to visit with them?” Angie thought if she kept bringing Jeremy up it might ring a bell for Brenda. “He didn’t drop by at the office to say hello?”
Again, Brenda shook her head.
“Do you work full time?” Angie asked the question thinking that if there was someone else who worked the front desk then that person might remember Jeremy visiting or calling the dentists.
“I work every day the office is open.” Brenda modified the statement. “Well, I used to, I mean. The office is closed now. Carlie’s sister and Marty’s mother are going to put the business up for sale.”
Angie gave a nod of understanding. “Have you lived in Sweet Cove for a long time?”
“I don’t live in Sweet Cove,” Brenda said. “I live in Hancock.”
“What did you do before accepting the job with Dr. Chase and Dr. Streeter?”
“I was a receptionist in a medical office in Hancock.”
“What made you leave that practice?” Angie asked.
Brenda blinked a couple of times. “I worked there for ten years. The doctors were difficult. The staff changed over more than a few times. I wanted to find some place with a nicer working environment.”
Angie talked with the woman about how hard it was to look for a new job and the difficulty of finding a group of people who were a good fit. “I run the bake shop and my sisters run businesses. It’s not always easy to deal with the public.”
“My gosh, no,” Brenda said. “People can be very demanding. They don’t think about time pressures that the doctors have to deal with. I had to handle a good number of cranky patients who demanded to be seen instantly, complaining about their bills, making excuses about paying, and on and on.” The woman rolled her eyes. “I had one man come in asking for Carlie. I told him she wasn’t in. He didn’t believe me. Can you imagine? Why would I lie?”
“He was a patient?”
“No.” Brenda’s eyes widened. “He wasn’t a patient of the doctors. He wanted to talk to Carlie. I told him he should make an appointment to see her. He got angry. His face got as red as a beet. He said it was very important for him to talk to her. I kept telling him she wasn’t in. He made me nervous. I thought I might have to call the police.”
Little jolts of unease pricked Angie’s skin. “When did this happen?”
“It was the morning Carlie and Marty got killed. In fact, it was right after you and your sister left the office.”
Angi
e sat up. “That very morning?”
Brenda nodded. “Did your sister ever get her tooth fixed?”
Angie’s mind was racing. “What did you say? Oh, yes, she did. What did this man look like?”
Brenda looked confused for a second. “Um … let me think. He was fairly tall, had tanned skin, sandy blond hair. He was dressed nice, pressed chinos, a long-sleeved shirt. He was good-looking.”
“Did he say why he wanted to talk to Carlie?”
“No.” Brenda frowned. “He just wanted to talk to her. That’s all he said, over and over.”
“Did he want to be a patient of the practice?” Angie asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Had you ever seen him before?”
“No. I would have remembered him,” Brenda said.
“Did he say he was a friend of Carlie’s? Did he say he knew her in New Hampshire?”
“No. He just kept saying he needed to talk to Carlie Streeter. Over and over. He got on my nerves. Like I said, I was sure I was going to need the police.”
“Then what happened?” Angie’s eyes were like lasers on Brenda.
“Nothing. He finally gave up. He left.”
“Did he give you his name? His number?”
“No. He didn’t tell me his name.”
Angie’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. This man was a clue. A thought popped into her head. “Is there a security camera in the office?”
“The police took it. It probably wouldn’t be of any help anyway. Half the time it wasn’t working.” Brenda narrowed her eyes. “Why so many questions about this guy? He showed up after Carlie and Marty were killed. If he was the killer, he’d know Carlie wasn’t in the office. He’d know she was dead.”
Angie forced a smile. “I was wondering why he wanted to see Carlie so badly. That’s all.”
It wasn’t all. This man knew something … and Angie needed to find out what it was.
15
The Roseland sisters and Mr. Finch had dinner at the Pirate’s Den Restaurant in the center of Sweet Cove and then decided to stroll through town to get ice cream and do some window-shopping. Jack and Rufus had gone to Boston to see a client, Tom was working late on the new project he’d started, and Josh was in a late evening meeting with a banker. Mr. Finch’s girlfriend, Betty, was showing a few houses to a family new-to-town.
The soft, warm air caressed their skin as the family walked along under the golden pools of light from the old-fashioned streetlamps. Tourists and townsfolk meandered over the brick sidewalks to the stores and restaurants and down to the beach to walk in the white sand beside the ocean.
Jenna strolled beside Angie. “I haven’t seen the ghost of Jeremy Hodges again. Only that one time when he was in the backyard of the Victorian standing under the pergola. Sometimes I imagine he’s in the room with me, but I think it’s just my mind playing tricks on me.”
“Why did he only show up once?” Angie asked as she took a lick of her ice cream.
“Maybe he moved on?” Jenna speculated. “Maybe he crossed over? He died a violent death. I’ve read that dying that way can cause a spirit to linger before being able to cross.”
“He showed up in the backyard,” Angie said. “He must have been looking for you.”
“Why though?” Jenna thought over the possibilities. “Was he looking for help? I’m glad he hasn’t shown up again. I wouldn’t know what to do for him. I don’t know the first thing about how to help someone cross.”
“Well, he must have sensed you could see him so he came by.” Angie poked her sister with her elbow and smiled. “Maybe you’ll have a bunch of ghosts showing up from now on. They seem to know where you live.”
Jenna let out a groan. “Well, they’re sorely mistaken if they think I know what I’m doing. One of them should spread the word that Jenna Roseland is useless.”
“Maybe they’ll help you learn about them and what they need.”
Jenna shook her head. “If I’m going to inherit these abilities and skills, could they at least come with an instruction manual?”
Angie let out a guffaw and Ellie, Courtney, and Mr. Finch turned around to see what she was chuckling over. When she explained what they’d been talking about, Ellie said, “Good grief, I agree with Jenna. If we had some instruction, things wouldn’t seem so scary.”
“Do your skills frighten you?” Courtney eyed her sister.
“Yes,” Ellie practically shouted. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to control it. What if we were at the restaurant and I wanted the salt shaker and just by thinking about it, the thing levitated and floated over to me.” A look of horror washed over Ellie’s face.
“Wouldn’t that be cool?” Courtney smiled.
“No, it certainly wouldn’t. People would talk about me and what I’d done. I’d become a freak. I’d get run out of town.”
“You could always join the circus,” Courtney kidded.
“So not knowing how to control your skills worries you, Miss Ellie?” Finch remarked. “That’s why you never want to use them?”
“That’s part of it, yes.” Ellie’s fair skin looked even paler than usual.
Angie was impressed that Ellie was being so forthcoming about her concerns. Whenever it came to paranormal powers, Ellie wanted nothing more than to run from them as fast as she could.
“You should talk to Cora,” Angie suggested. “She might be able to help you feel more comfortable with your powers.”
“Maybe.” Ellie said the word so fast and clipped that Angie knew the discussion was now over.
Chief Martin and his wife, Lucille, came out the door of an Irish pub and they all greeted one another before walking together down the street.
“I talked Phillip into going out for a while,” Lucille told them. “I thought it would do him good. He’s so wrapped up in those murders, working day and night. This job takes an awful toll on him.”
Angie didn’t want to say anything to the chief about who she’d recently talked to and what she’d learned, thinking it could wait until the next day. Chief Martin needed a break and discussing the visit from the receptionist would only serve to drag the man back into a crime-solving mindset.
Despite her resolution not to bring up the murders, the chief sidled up beside Angie. “Talk to anyone today?” he asked quietly so Lucille wouldn’t hear even though his wife was busy talking to Ellie about recipes.
Angie’s eyebrow raised. “You aren’t supposed to talk about such things right now.”
“It doesn’t matter if I talk about them or not. I’m always thinking about what’s going on.” The chief leaned closer and whispered. “Lucille thinks a night out gets my mind off things. It doesn’t. I humor her.”
Angie shook her head at the law enforcement officer and told him about what she’d learned from the receptionist.
“Huh,” the chief said. “So the dentists fought a lot. Everything wasn’t all peaches and cream. I’d give the notion more importance if one of the dentists was still alive. They couldn’t have tied each other’s hands and then stabbed one another. They didn’t kill each other.” The chief sighed. “A couple that doesn’t get along can point to other problems though.”
Angie said, “I found out one other thing.” She told the chief about the man who came to the dental office the morning of the murders demanding to see Carlie. “Did the police take the security camera from the dentists’ office?”
“They did. Nothing useful was found. The camera was terrible. There was some grainy film from the day before and then the whole thing goes snowy. It’s been sent for enhancement, but they won’t be able to do anything with that rotten piece of film.”
“I need to find the guy who visited the dental office on the morning of the murders,” Angie said. “I think he holds a clue of some kind.”
“Might be like looking for a needle in a haystack.” The chief eyed Angie’s ice cream cone. “That sure looks good.” After a few seconds, he returned his attention to the
matter they were discussing. “I’ll give the patrolmen the description of the guy, see if he’s still around town.”
“Is your team any closer to solving this thing?” Angie asked hopefully.
“Still investigating.”
Angie knew that was the standard reply when there wasn’t anything new on a case.
“I wondered if the lot of you would be willing to come back to the manor house. Walk around, see if you can pick up on anything we might be missing.”
“We can do that. Well, most of us can.”
“Ellie?”
Angie nodded.
“It’s understandable” the chief said. “No need to make her uncomfortable. Let her stay at home.” After a few moments, he asked, “What about the cats?”
“You want the cats to come?”
“If they don’t mind.” Even though he had no idea how the cats could do what they did, the chief knew the felines were able to sense things from both people and objects and he didn’t think it would hurt if they visited the crime scene.
“What did you think of Tara Downey when you spoke with her?” Angie asked.
“She’s forthcoming with information. She contacted the police when Jeremy didn’t come home or answer her texts. She came right down here to talk to us.” The chief turned his head to look at Angie as they walked. “Miss Downey is able to keep her emotions in check.”
“I noticed that.” Angie finished off her cone. “It’s possible the couple was on the verge of breaking up and that’s why she isn’t very upset over Jeremy’s death.”
“Maybe she loves drama,” the chief said. “I’ve met people like that over the course of my many years of investigating crimes. Some people are attracted to the excitement of a sudden death, they like the attention they’re receiving. I’ve been to training on grief. Grief can make people behave in odd ways, in ways other people take as inappropriate. It’s not unusual behavior, it’s just some folks’ reaction to death. It doesn’t mean they don’t care.”
“Hmmm.” Angie thought about what the chief had told her. “I guess it makes sense. When I talked to Tara, she mentioned Jeremy’s friend up in New Hampshire. Has anyone been up to see him?”