Murder by Decay

by Suzanne Young

  The woman’s frown deepened and she glared at Edna. “If you mean when that man was killed in the dentist’s office, I already told the police I’ve been working shorter days since tax season ended. As it happens, I took the whole of Monday off. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m expecting a client soon.”

  Edna sighed as the door clicked shut. Turning down the hall, she mentally ticked the tax accountant off her list. The two end suites at the back of the second floor had been combined into one medical clinic, and she paused at the main door. When she read the office hours on the frosted-glass panel, she turned dejectedly back to the elevator and mentally crossed off another possibility. The clinic was open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. During off-hours, patients were directed to the local hospital. Edna’s spirits sank as she wondered if the quest she was on might end in total failure. Albert would probably be home that evening, if he wasn’t already on his way. She would have no more time to satisfy her curiosity or to find proof that Gordon Jennings was innocent of murder.

  As she rode the elevator to the first floor, her thoughts returned to the carpenter, “Uncle Tony.” She wondered if Somner might be Fran Kailey’s brother. If so, he might have run into Billy Rob on Monday night. Didn’t Tony admit to being behind schedule? If so, he should have been working that night. What would he have done if he came face-to-face with the man who had left Fran destitute ten years ago?

  Edna walked quickly back to the yoga studio. The door was locked but she could hear music. She suspected Somner was inside, probably Rob as well, but nobody answered her knock. She rapped again, but the harder she banged, the louder the music grew. Finally admitting defeat, she decided there was something else she could do. She would get the license plate number of the green Honda. With renewed enthusiasm, she hurried out to the parking lot only to find the car was nowhere in sight.

  Chapter 17

  On the drive home, all that Edna had just learned tumbled around in her head like lottery balls spinning in a wire cage. Vera Baxter, sister of accused murderer George Baxter, was also aunt to Jason Lyneman who practiced law in the office directly above Pieter Resnik’s suite where the aunt worked for the man who was responsible for sending her brother to prison. What were the chances that the propinquity was accidental?

  Very likely, Tony Somner, the carpenter working on the yoga studio, was Billy Rob Kailey’s brother-in-law. Rob Kailey, the murdered man’s son, worked with his Uncle Tony. Coincidentally, the space they were renovating was located across the hall from Gordon Jennings’ clinic where Billy Rob’s body was found.

  Any of these individuals could have been in the building last Monday night. Whoever owned the green Honda might have killed Billy Rob and left him in Gordon’s dental chair, or may have seen the killer and was afraid to come forward. Edna mentally kicked herself for not jotting down the Honda’s license plate before she entered the office building. She’d love to know what the police had discovered about Kailey’s murder, but she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Charlie long enough to find out. Knowing he was busy with not one but two official investigations now, she hated to bother him, even if she desperately wanted to find proof of Gordon’s innocence.

  As she neared her house, Edna’s thoughts switched to Pieter Resnik, and the image of his staring eyes returned to haunt her. Remembering the amber liquid in the lead-crystal tumbler on the table next to his chair, she wondered if the dregs were whiskey or something else. Medication? Mary thought he had no heart problems, but that was probably a guess on her part. The body’s gray-blue pallor seemed to indicate otherwise. Edna made a mental note to ask Mary if she could look into hospital admitting records. Would it be considered a privacy violation for her to check just to see if Pieter Resnik had been a recent patient? What had brought Vera to his house this morning? Edna had left the woman at the office, seemingly swamped with paperwork, only an hour or so earlier.

  Along with these uncertainties, Edna pondered the possibility of Albert’s jury being dismissed that day. What had caused the judge to call for an extended recess? Would the trial be over by evening or would the proceedings extend into next week? So distracted was she by the likelihood of her husband’s return that afternoon, when she pulled around her broken-shell driveway, for a split-second she thought the car parked in front of the house was his. As soon as she stopped behind the vehicle, she realized the Audi belonged to Vera Baxter. All other thoughts flew from Edna’s mind as she stepped from her Buick to be confronted by the woman herself.

  Vera’s blue eyes were hard crystals, but she seemed less angry than she’d been earlier at Pieter’s house. Without any preliminary greeting, she spoke in a voice edged with strain as she strode forward and stopped three feet in front of Edna. “What did Jason tell you?”

  “Excuse me?” Taking a step back to claim more personal space, Edna felt her cheeks grow hot as her temper rose over the woman’s insolence.

  “Was my nephew at Pieter’s house yesterday?” Vera seemed not to have noticed the warning signs in Edna’s face.

  The question piqued Edna’s interest though and she thought fast. If she played her cards right, she might learn something. “Why do you think I would know?”

  “Because I phoned him a few minutes ago. He refused to speak to me, but said you’d just left his office.” Vera sounded more than a little annoyed with her nephew. “Did he tell you about the records?”

  At that moment, the sky grew dark and a brisk wind blew through the yard. Edna drew her green tweed coat more tightly around herself and noticed Vera doing the same. Edna hesitated, considering the wisdom of having the woman in her house, but curiosity overcame caution. With Pieter dead, Vera was the only one who could answer a few questions for Edna. “Come inside,” she commanded more than invited. “Obviously, we need to get a few things straight.”

  As she stepped through the front door and into the hall, she spotted Benjamin sitting in the middle of the narrow room. Remembering Vera’s reaction to Annie and not wanting her visitor to annoy Benjamin, Edna turned to the woman behind her. “Do you mind cats?”

  “No,” Vera said, eyeing the feline. After a momentary reluctance, she added carefully, “She’s pretty.”

  “He,” Edna corrected. “Ginger cats are nearly always male. His name is Benjamin.”

  “Oh,” was Vera’s only reply as she began to unbutton her coat without taking her eyes off the cat. He, in turn, lowered his head and began methodically cleaning a forepaw.

  While this exchange was going on, Edna silently thanked her cat for the distraction since Vera’s manner seemed to have thawed. Then as she hung their coats in the closet, she became aware that her own temper had abated somewhat. We may both survive this encounter, she thought, suppressing the urge to smile before forcing her mind to assess Vera’s odd comments.

  What had Jason implied that Edna knew? He’d told her nothing and, for some reason, seemed to be toying with his aunt. There seemed to be some discord between the relatives. Determined to make the most of Vera’s visit, Edna turned and held out a hand, palm up. “Let’s sit in the kitchen. I could use a cup of tea.”

  Vera said nothing, gave Benjamin a wide berth, and preceded Edna into the country-blue-and-oak room. She took a seat on the far side of the table where she could face the room with her back to the wall. When Benjamin suddenly and silently jumped onto the chair beside hers, she flinched.

  “He’s friendly,” Edna reassured her guest as she gave Benjamin’s ears a scratch. “He likes to be in the room with me and will probably fall asleep to the sound of our voices,” she said, heading for the sink to fill the kettle.

  After a lengthy silence during which Edna heated water and added tea to a china pot, Vera spoke. “What were you and that young woman doing at Pieter’s house this morning?” Her tone was more inquisitive than angry or accusatory.

  Although relieved that her guest’s attitude had mellowed somewhat, Edna was thrown off guard by the unexpected question. She hesitated. How much should she reve
al? Settling on a vague reply, she said, “Carol is a reporter who’s researching an article about Billy Rob Kailey and the old trial. Naturally, she’d want to interview Pieter as one of the key witnesses.”

  Vera’s eyes narrowed as she looked into the distance instead of at Edna. “Yes, he was a prime witness alright. Sent George to prison with his lies.”

  Fortunately, the kettle whistled at that moment, giving Edna time to absorb Vera’s mood swing. She took her time setting teapot and mugs on the table. As she sat across from Vera, the woman spoke again. “How did you get in?”

  Startled by the query and confused by the direction the conversation was taking, Edna hesitated a few seconds before answering. “The door was unlocked.” Thinking back to the moment, she added, “As a matter of fact, it must have been ajar because it swung open when we knocked.”

  “Jason,” Vera muttered more to herself than to Edna. “He was there. Must have been. He’s ruined everything.”

  Edna kept an eye on her guest as she poured tea. “What do you mean?” she asked, handing the drink across the table.

  Mechanically, Vera accepted the mug. Setting it on the table, she wrapped both hands around the porcelain as if to warm her hands. She stared into the cup and seemed to lose herself in thought.

  After a moment of growing silence, Edna grew impatient. “What has Jason ruined?”

  “The cat’s definitely out of the bag, so I might as well tell you.” As if realizing what she’d just said, Vera slid her eyes nervously at the feline on the chair beside her. Benjamin was sound asleep. Moving her gaze back to Edna, she said, “He’s destroyed any chance I had of learning the truth.”

  Edna was beginning to wonder if the woman were mad. “Please stop the cryptic remarks and tell me what you’re talking about. Why don’t you begin by telling me why you’re here.” Her request was an order, not a question.

  Apparently, Vera sensed Edna’s irritation for she responded after only a brief hesitation. “I believe Jason went to Pieter’s home yesterday and confronted him about the dental records he used at George’s trial.” Lowering her head, she picked at her paper napkin for nearly half a minute. Edna waited. Suddenly, Vera gave a short, startled laugh, and looked up as if just then realizing where she was. “I think it’s what killed Pieter … Jason’s discovery.”

  Edna’s heart began to pound. “Why do you think so?” she asked, wondering if Vera had mentioned this theory to Charlie when he’d interviewed her at Pieter’s house.

  “Shortly after you left the office this morning, my nephew stopped by,” Vera explained. “He told me Pieter was dead. Maybe it was the off-handed way he said it, but I didn’t believe him. Had to see for myself.”

  So that’s why she showed up at Pieter’s, Edna thought. Aloud, she asked, “How did he know?”

  Vera leaned into the table, looking hard at Edna as if she already knew the answer. “That’s why I asked you earlier if he mentioned going to Pieter’s house yesterday. I spoke with Pieter on the phone late in the afternoon. He was very much alive, but this morning Jason knew Pieter was dead.” She looked away and down, shaking her head before lifting her glance to Edna’s again. “I’m not saying he killed Pieter, but his actions might have caused the heart attack.”

  Assuming he did die of a heart attack, Edna thought before voicing her next question. “What did your nephew discover that would cause such a reaction in Pieter?”

  With a sigh that indicated she thought Edna was being unduly obtuse, Vera began to speak in a calmer voice. “Jason found the folder Pieter had hidden. Then, without telling me, my nephew drove to Providence and gave the x-rays to a friend. I’ve been looking for that evidence for years. Jason knew that, but he never said a word about finding the report until this morning.” As she continued, anger brought a flush to her face. “We were quarreling this morning when Jason let it slip that Pieter was dead. That’s why I went to his house this morning, when I found you in his den. I was hoping Jason was wrong.”

  Edna was aghast. Her head spun with all that Vera was imparting. Concentrating on the images that stuck in her head, she repeated, “X-rays? Evidence? Are you talking about the dental records used at your brother’s trial … Billy Rob Kailey’s x-rays?”

  “That’s right. Only they weren’t Kailey’s,” Vera scowled. “Jason found proof that Pieter committed perjury. I’ve been looking for that file, but my nephew was the one who uncovered it. After all I’ve done for him, getting him set up in that upstairs office. Even decorated it for him. He should have brought that evidence to me, not given it to some school friend. I could have used it. Would have made Pieter tell me why he helped Billy Rob and why he sent George to prison.”

  “Hold on.” Edna said, wanting to clarify what she’d already begun to suspect. “Are you saying you purposely took the job as Pieter’s office manager in order to look for proof of your brother’s innocence?”

  “That’s right,” Vera said. Her brow creased as if she thought the question stupid. “Why else would I put up with that man for all these years.”

  Edna was astounded. “How did you know such proof existed?”

  “George told me,” Vera said. “He knew his business partner pretty well and was certain Billy Rob had managed to fake his own death. On that assumption, George said Pieter was the key and asked me to help him find evidence to prove his theory.”

  “Did you realize the danger you might be in?” Edna asked, then with growing incredulity at the woman’s naivety added, “If your brother was correct, and it seems he was, Pieter must have conspired with Billy Rob to kill someone. Don’t you think Pieter would have murdered you, if you threatened him with exposure?”

  Vera stared at Edna for several seconds as if contemplating what she’d just said. When she spoke, her voice was soft but firm. “My brother was always there for us … my sister and me. Our father died when I was three and Janie was two. George was only ten, but he became the man of the house. He’s not only a brother, but our dad and our protector.” Suddenly, Vera straightened and shook herself as if casting aside her sentimentality. Her tone was harder when she continued. “I doubt Pieter had the nerve to kill. He was a pushover. More a victim than an aggressor, if you know what I mean.”

  Edna didn’t know. She’d not known the man well enough to have formed an opinion as to his personality. She shirted the comment. “Okay, I think I understand why you went to work for him, but why would Pieter hire you … the sister of the man he sent to prison? Wasn’t he suspicious?”

  Briefly, Vera seemed to consider the question. Then she lifted both shoulders for a couple of heartbeats before relaxing her body back into the chair. “I really can’t say, except I think several things were at play the year after George was convicted. First, there was the hit-and-run that killed Isabelle and put Pieter in the hospital for months. I knew his wife. She was a lovely person if perhaps too kind-hearted and a bit of a scatterbrain. Pieter worshipped her and was devastated over her death.”

  “Yes,” Edna acknowledged while silently wondering what Pieter’s wife’s death had to do with Vera being hired. “I’ve heard how bereft Pieter had been.”

  “I think he went back to work in order to have something to do. He rattled around in that big house where he couldn’t get rid of his wife’s ghost. It was hers, you know. A wedding gift from her parents that he inherited when poor Isabelle died.”

  Edna nodded, but said nothing, allowing Vera to get on with her reasoning.

  “Once the clinic started up, he couldn’t find experienced or reliable help. The office wasn’t busy, never has been, but I doubt he cared if any patients came to him at all. For him, it was an escape during the day, but he didn’t tolerate inefficiency. He hired and dismissed two or three women in the first six months. Word got around town that he was not only hard to please but unpleasant as well, so finally nobody was willing to apply for the job.” Vera smirked with self-satisfaction. “I applied. Figured no harm in trying.”

  “So you
’re saying he was desperate?” Edna was beginning to dislike the woman’s manipulative behavior.

  “Probably, but mostly I think he felt guilty. Maybe he even wanted to be caught out.” She snorted a laugh that held no humor. “Of course, I played my part well, sympathizing over his tragic accident and the loss of his wife who was also my friend. I have a feeling he soothed his conscience by paying me twice the going rate with full benefits and healthy Christmas bonuses.” She gave another mirthless bark. “He could afford it. He inherited millions when Isabelle died and he had nobody to spend it on but himself … and me, of course.”

  That explains the expensive clothes and jewelry, Edna thought, having earlier noticed the emerald necklace and matching earrings Vera was wearing. They went well with the soft yellow Italian cashmere pullover. Forcing her mind off the woman’s appearance and back to her extreme behavior, Edna asked, “If you didn’t know what to look for, what was your plan?”

  Vera shrugged. “The back room in the clinic was lined with filing cabinets, stuffed to overflowing with patient files and paperwork from when Pieter was fresh out of dental school. If anything from the trial existed, it had to be in that room.” Hesitating briefly, she then frowned. “He didn’t allow me to have a key to the office for the first year and a half, so maybe I’m mistaken about his wish to be exposed.”

  “Where does your nephew fit in?” Edna asked. “How did he find the records when you couldn’t?”

  Vera flushed, probably thinking of what she considered Jason’s betrayal.

  “Since I didn’t know what I was looking for,” Vera said with a tight smile, “I began at the first folder in the first cabinet and perused every file without knowing exactly what I would find, but trusting that if I did run across something significant, I’d recognize it.”

  “It seems your nephew got there before you, and in a relatively short time,” Edna said. “Did Jason know what to look for?”