She looked to the chief and Carmedy for permission to continue. Both indicated, no doubt for her father's sake, this was her show. They drifted back into the wings, leaving her in the spotlight. With a short prayer to her father that she live up to their expectations, she started her monologue.
"Although you did very well as a private consultant, Mr. Eldridge, you deeply resented being pushed out of Touchstone Insurance, a company you helped make successful. You particularly blamed Gage, Proctor and Osgoode, all of whom owed you loyalty. Oh, you played nice with Delano Gage, because he was the chief source of your consulting income, and you were polite with Felix Proctor and Jane Osgoode because it suited your plans, but you hated them all."
Eldridge said nothing. Jane's face was bunched up with unexpressed emotion.
"Considering the research and preparation required, you must have been planning this for a long time." She gave a little shrug. "Perhaps the fact your lucrative consulting contract with Touchstone was about to end was the trigger. Maybe you were just waiting for someone like Rossini to show up. In any case, you arranged with Rossini to exchange drugs for help with Moonlighting Games."
Kate counted his offences on her fingers.
"You disabled the monitors and set the fire bomb. You planted the poison, killing Gage, and planned to kill Proctor in some public place, probably Gage's funeral, if my father's wake hadn't provided the opportunity. Murder wasn't enough. You wanted to implicate Proctor and Osgoode in the death of Gage, Osgoode in the murder of Proctor and, I have little doubt, you probably planned to kill Osgoode and make it look like suicide or self-defence."
She paused to give Eldridge a chance to respond. He chose to remain silent, no doubt knowing anything he did say would be held against him.
"Revenge wasn't enough. You wanted the sympathy you never got when you were forced out of Touchstone. To get that, you had to set yourself up as one of the targets. That's why you hired my father. He was to establish you were being followed by someone intent on killing you. The trouble was, the man you hired was well-known by my father. I figure he was so surprised one of his oldest friends was setting him up, he didn't hear the vehicle coming." She pulled back her shoulders. "You'll probably never be indicted for it, but I hold you responsible for my father's death."
Kate sighed, deeply satisfied she could finally make that statement.
Eldridge still kept quiet. The pressure was showing with his pale face and sheen of sweat.
The rest was gravy.
Knowing Proctor was killed by a dual dose of drugs administered with the help of prior knowledge and sleight of hand, Kate looked for a similar delivery system to the drugs in Gage's murder. Gage's tooth-whitening system was the culprit. It was binary foam, created by mixing the gel portion with a powder. Each part contained half the drugs.
"No offence," Mrs. Gage interrupted, "but how did he pull that off? Leon didn't come to the house that often, and I didn't encourage him to stay when he did."
"He wouldn't need a lot of time," Kate said. "He knew your husband's habits and he just had to switch his whitener with one Eldridge had prepared. Of course, Eldridge was careful making sure no prints or epithelial traces were left on the one he left at your house. He was not so careful with the one he took away. We found the same brand of whitener in Eldridge's bathroom with Delano Gage's prints on the package."
"You should have thrown it out," Thorsen said.
There was a partial print found on the inside one of the security cameras taken from Moonlighting tying Eldridge to the case of arson. Though there was no physical evidence yet, Kate also explained how Eldridge had delivered the fatal dose to Proctor by knowing what wine he liked to drink and switching glasses with him. Finally, there was the blood-spattered raincoat.
"Which we might never have found if you hadn't tried retrieving it."
40
Monday November 27
Delano Gage was cremated on Monday after a service that could best be described as a media circus. Leon Eldridge was arraigned later that day. The story made the front page of the national papers. For that reason and others, Felix Proctor's funeral service was private. This didn't surprise Kate at all. That she had been invited to attend, independently by both Glynis Gage-Proctor and Jane Osgoode, did surprise her.
It was a simple, secular ceremony held at the university chapel. Felix and Glynis were members of the alumnae and the Gage family was a heavy contributor to the College of Mathematics and Statistics. In addition to the immediate members of the family, the only people attending were Jane Osgoode, Nissa Ilko, a man named Barns who was an old college buddy of Felix and Kate.
"Essentially, we're witnesses," Nissa told Kate. "We're here to see Jane and Glynis act out their parts with honour and decorum. When the reporters ask, and they will, we can tell them how civilized everyone was."
A bit cynical, Kate thought. Probably accurate. Well, if I'm going to be asked, I better take in the details. Both widow and mistress were elegantly attired in black suits. The widow wore classic Dior with pearls. Ms. Osgoode was wearing an equally classic little black dress and jacket combo. That would satisfy the fashion editor.
Glynis Gage-Proctor was supported by her mother, Constance Gage-Imada. The latest Mrs. Gage was too overcome by the loss of her husband to attend the funeral of her son-in-law. Jane Osgoode, linked romantically with the deceased, sat with a mutual friend. After the service, the widow and old girl friend showed only a little stiffness toward the other, which melted when the select group started sharing happy memories of the departed. That would have to do for the gossip columnist.
The business editor was destined to get the best story.
"It's hard to believe it's over," Jane said to Kate.
"Not exactly over—not unless Eldridge suddenly confesses. The trial is still ahead and plenty of work leading up to it. On the other hand, your part might be over. I don't see why you would be called as a witness. So, what are you going to do?"
Jane blushed. "I was going to skip the country. Just for an extended vacation. I bought the tickets and practically had my bags packed, then Glynis asked me to stay. She's offered me Felix's old job with the potential of eventually being offered the position of general manager. Unless the board moves against her, she pretty much controls Touchstone now."
"Wow!"
"That's what I said. It's just about the furthest thing away from what I expected."
"This," Nissa pointed out a little later, "is the neatest revenge she could have exacted. Jane will be under Glynis Proctor's kid-gloved thumb forever more."
"I just hope Jane got cancellation insurance…what am I saying?" Kate gave a snort of laughter. "Of course, she did!"
"Maybe, but she doesn't need it."
Nissa's smile was brittle. "Jane made a present of her tickets to me and Glynis, and offered me a very generous severance package. My comeuppance."
Kate briefed Thorsen later in the day. "It was a bit surreal. At least the lunch was excellent. It turned out Proctor's old college buddy was the Dean of Hospitality and Food Administration."
"Convenient."
"And just like Felix to make a friend who would do him good eventually."
They sat in the chief's office, sipping coffee. Kate was still in her good blue suit, though if she had to go to any more funerals, she had better get a good, black suit, too. Thorsen took advantage of the turn in the weather to wear shorts and sandals to work. Outside the office, the detective's bullpen buzzed with noise and activity. Inside, an awkward silence fell.
"You are going to tell me your father meant for you to take over his business," the chief said.
She shrugged. "You're going to tell me he always wanted me to be a cop."
"All parents really want is for their children to lead happy, productive lives. That being said, Joe always saw you following in his footsteps. The question is, which footsteps?"
Kate started explaining this was something she had to do. Thorsen forestalled her wit
h a raised hand.
"I'm sure you reasoned it all out. I wonder if you've discussed it with Jake."
She began addressing that.
He stopped her with a raised hand. "I'm not asking."
He pushed his coffee mug aside and turned his monitor toward her. It displayed a page from the Union Handbook. "Did you know there is provision for an officer to take up to six months of 'career-related, experiential exchange opportunities' every five years?"
Kate just stared at him blankly.
"I took advantage of it once to hone my administration and leadership skills, while filling a temporary position at the university. Coincidentally, it enabled me to take two courses in Viking history and literature for free." He flashed a grin. "In any case, if I extend your compassionate leave until mid-December and date your exchange leave from then, you have until May 15th to make up your mind whether you can hack private investigation."
"You can do that?"
It was a dumb question, but she had entered the office prepared to burn her bridges and was flabbergasted her gesture was no longer required.
The chief smiled. Reflected in that smile was the knowledge that, like her father, what he wanted, above all, was for her to be happy. "The paperwork will be creative," he admitted. "I think the cause is legitimate. Six months of working with Jake Carmedy will certainly be an education."
41
Friday November 30
Jake went to the office early, a sports bag slung over his shoulder. At Kate's request, he had given her a few days alone to go through her father's things. The big jobs on his plate were done. All that remained were the reports and the billing. Now, he wanted to get the administrative stuff out of the way and go back to his routine, which included a daily workout when time permitted.
The first hint of change greeted him when the elevator doors opened. The lobby had been repainted and a collection of photographs were installed on either side of the office door. One group paid tribute to Joe Garrett, the police officer. On the other side was a re-creation of what Joe had called "the company brag wall." If that was out here, what had she done inside?
Curiosity blended with dread as Jake thumbed the lock on the door. When he stepped through, the sports bag slipped out of his fingers.
The first thing he noticed was his desk had been moved. Well, he and Joe had talked about doing that, anyway. Its old position by the door made him seem more like a receptionist than a partner. It was a logistical problem. Secure landlines and hard-wiring had to be moved with the desk. They just hadn't got around to it yet.
She had moved both desks. They now formed the sides of a right angle triangle, with the client chairs at the base and a new piece of furniture at the apex, pointing toward the arched windows, which were now decorated with spruce garlands and fairy-lights. The new piece of furniture turned out to be a cabinet for the shared peripheral electronics. It was sensible and if Joe had surprised him with the changes, Jake would have been hugely gratified.
Kate wasn't Joe.
He gazed at what had once been the brag wall. More fresh paint. Okay, the walls had been getting grubby and the colour was almost the same.
Now that Joe's stuff was in the lobby, the company's business license and accreditation for police consultation were in the centre of the wall, with Jake's diploma and license on one side and three new frames on the other. They held Kate's baccalaureate degree, her diploma from the Police Academy and a newly minted Private Investigator's License.
"Damned woman!"
Yet, there was a part of him just a bit relieved there would still be a Garrett with Garrett Investigations.
Something twigged at his consciousness. What the—
In a few quick steps, Jake dashed back to the door and opened it. On the mirrored finish of the one-way window, above the Copperplate letters of Garrett Investigations, were new Roman face characters.
The door now read: Carmedy & Garrett Investigations.
He grinned, closed the door, returned to his desk and opened the file on the next case.
Message from the Author
Dear Reader,
My mother's legacy was her stories. She was so talented a storyteller that she could make insurance sound interesting. My own love of storytelling grew out of the tales she told around the dinner table. Some are interwoven into the book you now hold.
Mum used to say, "Murder maybe. Divorce never." (Fortunately for my ex, I didn't take after my mother in that regard.) She never resorted to homicide, but surrounded by the inspiration of her mystery books, I'm sure she thought about it. Though she died many years ago, I think she'd have given this plot her approval.
If you feel a sudden chill, that's her reading over your shoulder.
~ Alison
About the Author
Alison Bruce has an honours degree in history and philosophy, which has nothing to do with any regular job she's held since. A liberal arts education did prepare her to be a writer, however. She penned her first novel during lectures while pretending to take notes.
Alison writes mysteries, romance, westerns and fantasy. Her novels include Under a Texas Star, a western romantic suspense, and Deadly Legacy, a suspense thriller. Her protagonists are marked by their strength of character, the ability to adapt (sooner or later) to new situations and to learn from adversity.
Copywriter and editor since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher and web designer in the past. She currently manages publications for Crime Writers Canada and is a volunteer with Action Read Family Literacy Center. A single mother, she lives in Guelph, Ontario with her two children, Kate and Sam.
www.alisonbruce.ca
www.alisonebruce.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/alisonebruce
Check out Alison Bruce's exciting western romance…
Disguised as a boy, Marly joins a handsome Texas Ranger in the hunt for a con man and they must bring the fugitive to justice before giving up the masquerade and giving in to their passion.
When Marly Landers is fooled by con man Charlie Meese, she's determined to bring him to justice―even if it means dressing up as a boy and setting off across the plains to find him.
Texas Ranger Jase Strachan is also after Meese, for crimes committed in Texas. He joins forces with the young boy in a journey that takes them to Fortuna, where a murder interrupts their mission. Jase is duty bound to find the killer, no matter the cost.
Marly carries out her own investigation and comes to the aid of Amabelle Egan, the sister of one of the suspects. But appearances are deceiving, and Marly is mistaken for Amabelle's suitor, making her a target for the killer. Not to mention, Charlie Meese is still out there.
Under the Texas stars, Marly and Jase are drawn together by circumstances beyond their control, yet fate plots to tear them apart. Will Marly finally get her man?
Available in Kindle ebook or trade paperback.
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Deadly Legacy (A Carmedy & Garrett Mystery) Page 22