by Anne Canadeo
Dana picked up her phone and began typing. “He might still be at the hospital with her, but I’ll look him up online. He must have a listing for his practice. Maybe he’s listed his cell number, too. Let’s see . . .” Dana scrolled the screen on her cell phone. “Here it is. There are two numbers. I’ll try both.”
Dana called the first number and Lucy could hear Lewis’s voice on a recording. Dana left a quick message and then tried the other number.
It rang a few times. Then Dana said, “Lewis? This is Dana, one of Amy Cutler’s friends, visiting for the weekend. We’re concerned about Meredith and wanted to know how she’s doing. We called the hospital and they said she was in the ICU.”
Dana had put the call on speaker so they could all hear his response.
“That’s right,” Lewis said. “I’m here with her now. And Cory is here, too. She’s hanging in there. I’m praying she can weather this episode.”
“That’s too bad. What’s the problem? It looked as if she was having an asthma attack, or something like that.”
Lewis didn’t answer right away. “I suppose it’s all right to tell you, though Meredith never wanted this widely known, afraid it would scare off her employers.” He paused again. “She has a rare blood disorder. She’s been in remission for a while, but it’s flared up again. There’s no cure. The treatments to control it are . . . limited, you’d have to say. The condition seems to have advanced.” His voice sounded sad, his words choked.
“Oh, dear . . . I’m so sorry to hear that. We’re all sorry,” Dana added. “Please let her know we’re rooting for her recovery. We’ll all say a prayer for her, too.”
“Thanks. I’ll tell her. And thanks for your concern.”
There didn’t seem to be any more to say. Dana said good-bye and ended the call.
Suzanne was the first to react. “What awful news. Just goes to show, you never know. Meredith looks like the picture of health, leading yoga and fitness classes. Meanwhile, she’s carrying around this awful diagnosis.”
“She definitely hid it well,” Maggie said. “The poor woman, having that sword hanging over her head. It sounds as if her condition is . . . well, terminal.”
“He said there was no cure. And not many treatment options.” Lucy put her drink down. She’d lost her appetite. “That sounds like a dire situation to me.”
“She’s gravely ill,” Maggie agreed. “Though Lewis did seem to hold out hope she could get through this crisis.”
“Yes, he did. But, of course, he would cling to any hope. I think he loves her,” Lucy said. Once she said it aloud, she knew it was true.
Dana seemed suddenly restless. She stood up and poured herself a glass of water from a pitcher that was on the table. “I was thinking the same thing. Just from the tone of his voice, talking about her, you could tell. Both of them seem somewhat isolated and lonely. But now that they’ve found each other, it looks as if they won’t have any time together. That seems so unfair.”
“A tragic love story.” Suzanne wasn’t being sarcastic. For once, Lucy noticed. Her eyes actually looked glassy. “Like a movie you’d see on the Lifetime channel. Only thing, this is for real. I feel so bad for both of them.”
Lucy felt the same. Meredith and Lewis were both nice people. It seemed so sad and unfair that Lewis might lose her.
* * *
Lucy and her friends decided on take-out from a Mexican restaurant Amy had recommended. After dinner, they gathered together in the living room to knit, chat, and watch a movie. As they scrolled through the choices on Netflix and Amazon, many films seemed tempting. But when they hit on Bridesmaids, the vote was unanimous.
“We have to watch this. The perfect, prewedding primer,” Suzanne insisted, hitting the select button. The wacky comedy lifted their spirits a bit, but the bad news about Meredith still cast a shadow on their last night at Osprey Shores.
When the movie was over, they all stretched and yawned. “I wish I had given out puppies at my bridal shower,” Lucy said, recalling one of her favorite scenes.
“It’s not too late to give them out as wedding favors,” Suzanne cheerfully suggested.
“Birds would be easier. Pairs of lovebirds in little cages with a ribbon on top,” Phoebe said.
“Nice idea,” Lucy replied, though she had no intention of following through on either suggestion. “I do think you’re a little obsessed with feathered creatures right now, Phoebe. How did those photos turn out?”
Phoebe had been fiddling with her camera most of the evening. Lucy was curious to see her photos.
“I guess you can take a quick look. I’m not done editing yet. I got a few great shots and enlarged them, and worked the exposure and color saturation. I might even try some in black and white. More dramatic.”
Lucy knew how Phoebe was about her creative projects. She hated to show any works in progress. “You don’t have to show me yet if they’re not ready. I understand.”
Phoebe considered Lucy’s words a moment. “I guess I’d rather wait until they’re all done. If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” Lucy said sincerely. “Honestly.”
“Thanks, Lucy. The editing is actually the fun part for me. Sometimes a really messy shot comes out great once you crop out all the noise.”
Lucy considered Phoebe’s words. “That’s a good metaphor for many things in life, Phoebe.” Trying to figure out who killed Dr. Morton, for instance. It was a messy picture, with so many possibilities. But Lucy was sure the killer was hiding in plain sight, if they could only crop out all noise.
No late-night knitting fests or Scrabble tournaments were proposed after the movie. Lucy and the others cleaned up the empty popcorn bowl and tea mugs from the sitting room. Then they turned in on the early side, looking forward to sitting on the beach under sunny skies for their last few hours on the island.
* * *
Lucy had forgotten to draw her shades down all the way before she went to bed. In the morning, a blade of sunlight slipped under the curtains and wouldn’t let her rest. She thought she was the first one up, until she heard Suzanne’s voice in the kitchen. It sounded as if she was talking on the phone, and Lucy assumed she was settling some situation at home. After all, it was Monday morning, just about the time Suzanne’s brood would be heading off to school.
Lucy went into the kitchen and poured herself a mug of coffee. She quickly realized Suzanne was not talking to one of her children. It was Amy on the line. Again.
“That’s terrible. How could they do that? That’s no proof at all. Did you call his lawyer yet?”
Lucy felt her stomach drop. It sounded like the police were moving in on Rob and had found another link to tie him to Morton’s murder.
“I can wait with you. I’ll meet you at the station in a little while.” Suzanne paused, listening. “All right. I understand. But please call me if you change your mind, and let us know what’s going on. This isn’t right.”
Suzanne ended the call and looked up at Lucy, her expression bleak. “The police took Rob back to the station for another interview. They’ve been in touch with a few biotech firms in the area and learned that someone was shopping around a new device—just the type Morton would design—and conducting business in a suspicious way. For one thing, the seller claimed to be representing an inventor with a list of inventions to his credit, but wouldn’t give his name. The companies couldn’t find any history of this sales rep in the field, either.”
“Now the police think that Tanya did find Morton’s final plans, and Rob was trying to sell it to a biotech firm?” Lucy took a sip of coffee. “But I thought his plan with Tanya was to sell it under his own name. He has an impressive track record and selling a new device wouldn’t seem suspicious at all. Rob had no reason to act under a false identity.”
“That’s what I thought, too. It doesn’t make sense. The police are also questioning Tanya. Probably trying to get her to admit that she did find the plans and gave them to Rob. Who knows, maybe
once Rob got cold feet, she worked her wiles on some other sucker and persuaded him to sell the invention.”
Lucy nodded. “Did Amy hear the name the police think Rob used? I can do a search on the Internet.”
“Let me think. I know Amy mentioned it.... I thought it was a strange choice for a fake name. Maybe it is real.” Suzanne tore open two packs of diet sweetener and stirred them into her coffee. She suddenly looked up. “I remember now. Fred Sigmund. That’s the name the police mentioned.”
“Fred Sigmund? That is a strange choice. A far cry from Joe Smith.”
“I guess whoever got their hands on Morton’s invention was trying to be convincing.”
“Unless that’s the guy’s real name.”
“Here, try to find out if this Fred Sigmund exists. You’re good at that stuff.” Suzanne’s notebook computer was on the kitchen counter, and she slid it toward Lucy.
“I’m sure the police did the same thing and came up with zero. That’s why they think it’s an alias Rob made up. I’ll give it a try anyway.”
“That’s the spirit. Work your magic, Lucy,” Suzanne said.
Lucy took her coffee and the computer into the living room and began her search. She didn’t know if she had any magic in her fingertips, but she was good at searching the Internet for personal information. There were a number of paths into that maze.
She soon heard Dana come into the kitchen, but Maggie and Phoebe were still sleeping. A rare indulgence for a Monday. Lucy didn’t blame them.
Suzanne quickly filled Dana in on the latest news from Amy. Then added, “If Rob wanted to sell Morton’s invention, why use a fake name? It’s his reputation and track record that would convince a company he’d actually created the device. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“No sense at all.” Dana sipped her coffee. “Maybe there’s another player in this picture. Maybe Tanya had more than one accomplice on the line.”
“That’s what Lucy thought. Right now she’s searching the name this mystery salesman used.”
Lucy had quickly located a few Fred Sigmunds but none seemed a likely partner in crime for Tanya. She headed back to the kitchen to give her report.
“I found a few Fred Sigmunds. There’s one in Madison, Wisconsin. He’s eighty-three, a children’s book illustrator. There’s another in Lubbock, Texas. But he’s in high school and an Eagle Scout. There are two in California, one in Florida, and five in New York and New Jersey. But for various reasons that I won’t bore you with, none seem likely to be Tanya’s second choice.”
“Great job, Lucy. There are a lot more Fred Sigmunds running around than I expected,” Suzanne said.
“Me, too. But none running around New England, trying to sell Morton’s stolen invention, as far as I can see. I guess it is an alias.”
“Are the police sure it was a man trying to sell the device? Maybe Tanya decided to go it alone and just impersonated a man’s voice on the phone,” Suzanne suggested.
“She does have a deep voice.” Dana had fixed a bowl of yogurt and fruit and sprinkled some granola on top.
“That’s a possibility. Though the police seem fairly certain a man was trying to sell the invention. Enough to reel Rob back into the interview room.”
“Poor Rob. Poor Amy.” Suzanne shook her head. “I think I should skip the beach and go to the police station to keep her company. Even though she said she didn’t want me to.”
“That’s sweet of you, Suzanne. Maybe you could meet us there later. Certain members of our beach party are still in dreamland,” Dana noted.
“We’re the early birds today. It’s so nice to see the sun after all that rain. I think I’ll take a quick bike ride since Maggie and Phoebe are still sleeping.” Lucy had poured herself a small bowl of granola and spooned it up quickly. “Want to ride with me, Dana?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Dana rinsed her yogurt bowl and set it in the dishwasher. “Meet you on the porch in ten minutes?”
“I’ll be there,” Lucy said, finishing up the last bite of her breakfast.
A short time later, Lucy and Dana headed over to Mermaid Manor where Dana needed to pick up a bicycle. As Dana examined her choices, Lucy saw Lewis Fielding coming out of the glass doors that led to the fitness center. His clothes looked rumpled, his hair was uncombed, and he definitely needed a shave on the small patches of skin above his beard. He must have slept at Meredith’s bedside and had just returned.
“Lewis . . . how’s Meredith doing?” Lucy greeted him.
“She’s hanging in there. She’s a fighter. It’s hard to tell if the medication is helping, but she seemed a bit brighter this morning. A bit more awake and aware. The doctors might move her out of the ICU to a subacute area tomorrow.”
“That’s good news. Glad to hear it,” Lucy said.
He seemed tired and totally drained, though a spark of optimism shone in his eyes. “Thanks for your call last night. She appreciated it.”
“We’re all thinking of her. I’m glad to hear she seems better today.”
“Me too,” Dana said. “I hope the treatment continues to help, and she pulls through quickly.”
“That’s my hope. As sick as she is, she’s still concerned about her classes and students. She sent me over here to talk to her boss and put a note on the door, apologizing for having to cancel today.”
“She’s a very dedicated teacher. You can see that right away,” Dana said.
“And a very good one,” Lewis added. He paused and glanced over his shoulder at the main road. “I noticed some police cars at the Cutler’s cottage when I got back. Is everything all right?”
Dana glanced at Lucy a moment. “The police have some strange idea that Rob Cutler is involved in Dr. Morton’s murder. But it just isn’t so,” Dana insisted. “They keep questioning him.”
“But they haven’t found one shred of evidence yet that connects him to Morton’s murder. It’s all circumstantial,” Lucy added.
Lewis looked concerned. “That’s too bad. I had no idea. I heard that the police questioned him, Tanya Morton, and Sam Briggs. But I didn’t think it had come to much.”
“So far, it hasn’t. Thank goodness,” Lucy replied quickly.
He nodded, looking concerned about Rob. “I’d better get home. I’m just going to clean up and head back to the hospital. Thanks again for your good wishes.”
Lucy and Dana said good-bye. They watched Dr. Fielding get into his car and drive out of the parking lot.
“He was trying to put a positive spin on Meredith’s condition,” Dana said. “But I don’t think she’s out of the woods yet.”
“It’s still very serious,” Lucy agreed. “I didn’t know how much to disclose about Rob’s situation. But I thought it was best to be discrete. I’m sure Amy and Rob don’t want all their neighbors to know Rob was involved in a scheme to sell Morton’s invention. Even though he backed out.”
“I thought the same thing. Gossip gets around here. Dr. Fielding knew about Rob being questioned. And, as we’ve already determined, he’s also a person who may have known about the invention and where it’s hidden. If it’s still hidden.”
Lucy didn’t answer. As they walked their bikes up to the main road, thoughts and theories about Morton’s murder swirled in her head.
“I hate to say this, because he’s such a nice guy, but Lewis’s knowledge from treating Morton could have made it possible for him to be Tanya’s accomplice once Rob backed out. Or even act on his own, if he was able to get his hands on the invention plans.” Lucy glanced at Dana. “He told me he visited Tanya after Dr. Morton died, to offer his condolences and find out if she was planning a memorial service. Maybe he took the plans then. They probably weren’t on Morton’s computer, or Tanya would have found them. But there could have been a little stick drive or a CD hidden in a place Tanya couldn’t figure out.”
Dana turned to her. “Definitely possible. But what would his motivation be? Sheer greed? Feeling cheated by Morton in some way?
Or just a deep hatred for the man?”
“Any one of the above?” Lucy thought a moment. “And there’s Meredith, connected to both men. Lewis obviously loves her, and it’s common knowledge that Morton treated her badly when they were married, and when they divorced. Lewis must have been very angry at Morton for that. Being denied an adequate divorce settlement was tough on her, especially after she got sick. Her medical costs must be astronomical. I think we would have heard if her ex-husband had helped with those bills. Maybe Lewis was angry about that.”
“I think you’re on to something. Something worth bringing to the police. You know what I just realized? Fred Sigmund is the perfect alias for a psychiatrist. Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychiatry? Duh . . . why didn’t I get it sooner?”
Lucy stood dumbfounded a moment. Then had to laugh. “Of course. That makes perfect sense. Even if Dr. Fielding isn’t connected to the murder, I think there’s a good chance he can tell the police something about Fred Sigmund.”
“And get Rob off the hook.” Dana got on her bike, ready to ride. “I’ll return the bike later. Let’s head back to the cottage. Maybe Suzanne didn’t leave yet. We can go to the police station together.”
Lucy got on her bike, too. “Good plan. We’ll tell Rob’s lawyer what we’ve figured out, and hopefully Detective Dunbar will listen to this new theory,” Lucy added.
When Lucy and Dana arrived at the cottage a few minutes later, Maggie and Phoebe were having coffee in the kitchen. Suzanne was dressed, about to leave for town.
“Can you wait for us? We need to go with you,” Dana said to Suzanne. She glanced at Lucy. “Lucy came up with a great theory that might get Rob off the hook.”
“And Dana figured out who Fred Sigmund is . . . I mean, where the name probably came from,” Lucy added.
They quickly filled their friends in on their speculations about Lewis Fielding, how he had either located the invention plans or was Tanya’s second-choice accomplice, after Rob backed out.
“Interesting. And logical,” Maggie said. “But are you saying Dr. Fielding killed Morton in order to get the plans and sell them? Or he just took advantage of the fact that Morton was dead, and he knew where the plans were, so he managed to get his hands on them?”