Murder at Coventry Hill Inn

by Jane T O'Brien

  “What’s this about a shooting and why are all these people in Mrs. Abbott’s room. She is a sick woman and needs her rest. I can see from here that she is agitated. I must insist you leave at once.”

  Alec walked through the door holding a document. “I can’t speak for the police officers but the rest of us will gladly leave your facility. I have a court order to release Mrs. Abbott immediately.”

  Molly knew Travis Kincaid had a hand in getting the order. She couldn’t believe she ever had doubts about the man. He’d made Brooke happy and influenced the right people at the right time.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Glenda was settled on the airplane, Laura held her mother’s hand. A nurse was on board but Laura insisted on sitting with her mother until they arrived in Hillsboro.

  Molly and Luke stayed behind in Westbury. Molly wanted to know who tried to kill Mrs. Abbott and maybe, Laura. She was afraid her friend was still in danger.

  Mike and Cassie remained as well. Mike conceded their investigation of the missing jewelry could wait another day. They were both concerned with the activities at Maplewood Manor.

  The two couples met later that day. Mike used his connections to investigate the nursing home. It had been established six years before. A wealthy eccentric built it hoping, when the time came, he would spend his final years in luxury. Unfortunately for him, he died before the building was completed. His only nephew inherited the building and land. He never liked his uncle and didn’t want to have anything to do with the home. He sold it at half its value and donated the profit to charity.

  For two years the facility changed hands four times. It is now owned by a Saudi Arabian who purchased it as a vacation home for himself and his four wives, twenty-two children and his many mistresses. However, he thought it looked too much like a hospital and bought another large home in California for his vacations.

  His interest is strictly financial as he collects a tidy sum monthly.

  “I’m still working on Dr. Wilson’s finances,” said Mike. “The nursing home is his only source of income although he is only there a few times during the week. He spends most of his time on the golf course and especially the nineteenth hole. He’s single now but the records show he has been married five times. He’s in his early fifties with no children and came close to not graduating from medical school. His charm seems to have been a deciding factor in his passing grades. There are no ethics complaints on file although I suspect he settles grievances before they are reported. The home has a capacity to hold thirty-five people in private rooms. Mrs. Abbott was one of only seven residents. The cost of care at Maplewood Manor is exorbitant. Mr. Abbott went through his bank account in the first six months his wife was in the facility.

  “I pegged Dr. Wilson as an opportunist but hardly a killer. I’m sure he’s guilty of fleecing the families of the residents but I don’t see him killing anyone.”

  Molly and Luke were impressed with the amount of information Mike had found in a short time. Cassie felt the same way.

  “I’d like to talk to Mandy again. She’s the nurse’s aide we ran into at a local restaurant. While she was working at the nursing home, she overheard a conversation between the staff and Dr. Wilson. Is anyone in the mood for steak and a beer?”

  They arrived at the restaurant. Molly asked the hostess if Mandy was working tonight.

  “Mandy isn’t here anymore,” she said. “I mean Mandy is dead. The dumb kid overdosed doing drugs. I thought she was clean but you never know these days.”

  Molly felt sick, she’d have thought Mandy was clean too. She was a nice girl and had compassion for the elderly people at the home.

  “Thank you, ma’am, I think we’ll find another place to eat tonight.”

  “Suit yourself,” the hostess replied.

  “Luke, I’ve got to find out what happened to Mandy. I can’t believe the girl was on drugs. I wonder if she was taken to a hospital. They couldn’t give us any information but the police report should be a public record.”

  “How about the coroner’s report?” asked Mike as he pulled it up on his phone.

  “It says she died of an accidental overdose. She had contusions on her face and arms as though she struggled. She was found by the river with a bottle of vodka in her hand and drugs in her system.”

  “When did she die, Mike?”

  When he told her, Molly let out a gasp. “That was the night we had dinner at the restaurant and talked to Mandy. Oh, Luke, if we hadn’t talked to her that night, she would still be alive.”

  “Maybe not, it’s obvious she had information someone didn’t want her to broadcast. She was undoubtedly doomed the day she left Maplewood Manor.”

  “Does it show a next of kin?”

  “No, her body was cremated and the ashes discarded.”

  Cassie put her arm around Molly as they both shed tears over the dead girl who seemed to have no one in the world who cared about her.

  “I think we have all lost our appetite, shall we check in with Officer Kelly? He gave you his card, didn’t he, Molly?” asked Luke.

  Officer Kelly was interested in Mandy Blake’s apparent overdose. He asked them to meet him at the station. He had news about the fiber they’d found in the strike plate thanks to Molly’s keen eyes.

  “Come in, please and have a seat,” said Officer Kelly. “I have the police report here concerning Mandy Blake. The girl was only nineteen. She took a drug test through our office when she applied at the restaurant and she was clean. Dr. Maynard, the coroner is a nice guy, but he’s been on the job too long. My guess is that he dismissed this as another teen who got caught up in the drug scene. From what I read in his report, she appears to have suffered from a beating. If she was high, chances are she’d have fallen on one side, not both. Tell me exactly what she told you that night.”

  “It’s not much, we were concerned with what she said but thought she might have been a disgruntled employee who was trying to cause trouble for the nursing home. We went back to the restaurant tonight to ask more questions and were told she’d died the same night we talked to her. I’m sick thinking about our part in her death.”

  “You can’t blame yourselves. Perhaps Mandy told more people about her time at the home. You were practically strangers, and she told you what she’d overheard.

  “As for the fiber you saw, it is from a cashmere sweater. Not something you find most nurses wearing while they tend to patients. Your friend, Mrs. Danforth has agreed to send us the results of blood tests the new facility will run on her mother. If narcotics are found in her system, Dr. Wilson will have much to answer for. We are still investigating the shooting, but I have no new leads.”

  “Thank you, Officer Kelly, I hope you will keep us informed of any further information. Someone has caused the death of two people and injured another. I hope they are stopped before they harm anyone else.”

  “I have an idea,” said Cassie as they left the police station. “Why don’t we check with the funeral homes in the area? I’m sure they keep records of the deceased addresses. We could talk to some surviving relatives?”

  Mike pulled out his phone and within five minutes they had the names and addresses of surviving relatives of five former residents of Maplewood Manor.

  Millicent Turner agreed to a meeting with the foursome.

  “Hello,” the sixtyish, attractive woman said as she greeted them in the parlor of her massive home.

  “You wanted to ask me about Maplewood Manor. My dear mother-in-law was a resident of the lovely facility. My husband and I have busy schedules and were relieved she was well cared for in the home. I have nothing derogatory to say about Maplewood. The staff is attentive and Dr. Wilson was kind to Mother Turner.”

  “Did you visit Mrs. Turner often?” Molly asked.

  “No, dear, Mr. Turner and I lead busy lives. We didn’t have time to stop everything for visits. I must admit, I am not comfortable with the elderly and neither is my Robert. Frankly, it was a relief when
the old lady died. That place was costing us a fortune. It was worth every penny, mind you, but we were happy when that expense was eliminated.

  “You must excuse me; I have a tennis game in ten minutes. Ralph will see you to the door.”

  In the three other cases where the survivors agreed to meet with the group, the story was basically the same. They were too busy to visit their loved ones and seemed happy when the financial burden was lifted.

  “It doesn’t help us in determining who tried to kill Mrs. Abbott although it reaffirms our suspicion that Maplewood Manor is a lucrative business,” said Luke.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Glenda Abbott appeared apprehensive while being wheeled to her room at Sunnyvale.

  Laura tried to reassure her mother. “Isn’t this a bright and cheerful room, Mother, you will be happy here. Do you hear the singing, would you like to join the others, Mrs. Carlson said they have a group session every afternoon? I remember you liked to sing when I was a child.”

  Glenda smiled, she liked the sound of music and she liked to sing. She looked at Laura and frowned. “Did th-h-e-y h-hurt you?” she asked.

  “No, Mother, no one hurt me, we are both safe. Do you want to talk about what happened at Maplewood Manor?”

  “No, th-hey do not l-let m-me t-talk ‘bout it. They g-get m-mad.”

  “No one will be mad at you here, Mother. This is your nurse; her name is Elizabeth. She will take blood from your arm. It might sting for a second, but she is here to help you. Do you want me to hold your hand?”

  “Y-y-es,” Glenda said warily.

  “Glenda, may I call you Glenda?” Elizabeth said.

  Glenda nodded her head, yes.

  “Glenda I’m drawing blood from your arm. I will be gentle and it won’t hurt. Dr. Jamison will do tests so we can help you feel better. Does that sound good?”

  Glenda nodded yes again.

  After several vials were filled, Elizabeth said “I’ll take these to the lab now. Dr. Jamison will be in to see you soon. You will like Dr. Jamison; he is a kind man.”

  “Thank you, Elizabeth. I’ll wait with my mother until the results are in.”

  While they waited together, Laura brushed her mother’s hair making a note to arrange for a hair stylist to cut and style Glenda’s hair.

  The activity of the day and the soothing effect of Laura brushing her hair made Glenda sleepy, and she dozed off.

  Laura watched her mother sleep. She realized she never knew the woman well. She always seemed happy, I remember she used to sing while sitting in front of her dressing table. Did she have dreams of being a professional singer? Was Clinton Abbott her first love or did she have a slew of boyfriends when she was a teenager? I know so little about the woman who is my mother. What would make a mother ignore her child? Laura didn’t feel resentment or sadness about the past, she was simply curious.

  Alec tapped on the door interrupting her musings.

  “Your mother looks peaceful, I think she has improved in a few hours,” he said.

  “The nurse has drawn her blood; the results should be in soon. I hate to think of her being drugged all this time.”

  “I stopped by the apartment; I have the key from your father’s wallet. It’s a post office box key but it could be from any post office. I called Mike Callahan. They will return to Evergreen by nightfall. Maybe he and Cassie can figure out where to find the box this fits.”

  “Poor Alec, you didn’t know you married into such a despicable family. My father is a jewel thief and my mother might be a junky.”

  They heard a chuckle from the doorway. “I wouldn’t call your mother a junky. Hello, I’m Walt Jamison, your mother’s doctor. I see she is sleeping, why don’t we go to my office while I go over the results of the blood work?”

  “I don’t want to leave my mother alone, Doctor. She might be frightened if she wakes up and finds me gone.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” said Elizabeth. “She’ll be fine.”

  “Your mother’s blood test proved positive for a small dose of a sedative. Over time, she has developed a resistance to the effects, however, I would like to wean her off the medication gradually. This drug is often given to control outbursts and psychotic behaviors. After a rudimentary examination upon her arrival, I don’t believe she has these tendencies”

  “Was the drug given to keep her quiet, Dr. Jamison?”

  “I don’t want to speculate; however, it is my opinion, your mother doesn’t need the medication. We will gradually reduce the dosage until it can be eliminated.”

  Dr. Jamison asked Laura questions about her mother’s history. She confessed that she knew little about her mother’s medical history. The doctor ordered Glenda’s medical records where she’d been treated after the accident. She’d suffered a severe brain injury but, with proper therapy, should have recovered from the trauma.

  Laura felt reassured after talking with Dr. Jamison. However, she didn’t confide her fears about what her mother had experienced at Maplewood Manor that seemed to disturb her so. Why was Mother afraid she’d be in trouble if she talked about her time there? Why didn’t her father transfer her to a place he could afford instead of resorting to jewelry theft? What secrets would her father reveal to her if he’d lived? Did he want to tell her something? Who was the man who caused Glenda to drive away from Estelle Palmer’s party? Was her mother having an affair with him? Did her father know? Laura had so many questions and didn’t know the answers. All she wanted was to be a wife to Alec, they hadn’t even had their honeymoon. She couldn’t leave her mother now with so many questions.

  “Darling,” Alec said as though he was reading her mind. “It will all work out; we will have our honeymoon and begin our life together soon.”

  Laura smiled at him. This man who she had loved for so long was finally in her life. Nothing would keep them apart again.

  Mike drove back to Evergreen with Cassie. Travis offered to send his plane for Molly and Luke but they hitched a ride with Mike.

  Molly called Officer Kelly before they left Westbury and he admitted he had no new leads in the attempted murder case.

  “It seems to be a dead end,” she said. “I only hope Glenda and Laura’s lives aren’t in danger anymore.”

  They stopped for lunch when they were halfway to Evergreen. Molly was ravenous and ordered a double cheeseburger with onion rings on the side. When the waitress put the plate in front of her, she felt the bile rising. She excused herself and rushed to the bathroom where she lost what little she had in her stomach.

  Concerned, Cassie followed her into the bathroom. “Are you all right, Molly?”

  “I feel better now, the smell of those onions got to me. I know better than to order a greasy meal.” She popped breath mints into her mouth. “I hope Luke is hungry enough for another burger.”

  When they got back to the table, Molly’s meal had disappeared. The waitress came to the table with a bowl of chicken soup and crackers.

  “Here you go, honey, this will make your tummy feel better,” she said winking at Luke.

  “I’m so sorry,” said Molly. “I must have a flu bug; I hope I don’t infect you.”

  Mike said nothing, but he remembered his sister jumping up from the table to run to the bathroom about eight months before his nephew was born.

  The rest of the ride home was uneventful. Molly’s upset stomach was forgotten. She was grateful to the waitress for giving her the soup and taking away the greasy hamburger. It crossed her mind she could be pregnant but she was afraid to hope. She and Luke had an appointment with a doctor who specializes in infertility.

  The weather turned blustery before they arrived in Evergreen. Snowflakes fell softly on the windshield. It was early November, and the group sang Christmas carols. Cassie was surprised the usually grumpy Mike sang the songs louder than anyone. She would be sorry when this case ended. It was difficult to admit but she would miss her nemesis.

  They arrived in Evergreen close to seven o’cloc
k. “Anyone hungry?” asked Mike. “Greg Cromwell is a great chef. I’m sorry, Molly, I shouldn’t mention food around you.”

  “I feel great, it must have been something I ate this morning. Luke, are you hungry? Greg’s cooking sounds much better than the frozen dinners we have at home.”

  “If you’re up to it, I’m game,” Luke replied.

  Jenny was acting as hostess when they arrived. “Well, look at this, four sleuths together. Any luck in finding the missing jewels?”

  “Not yet, Jenny, but we are getting closer.”

  “I heard what happened to Laura and her mother. Thank heaven Laura wasn’t hurt. What kind of place was her mother living in? It sounds dangerous.”

  “Dangerous and expensive,” said Molly. “I think Mrs. Abbott knows something about what went on in that so-called care home, maybe now she is being weaned off the drugs, they pumped into her, she will expose them.” A shiver went through Molly as she spoke. She had the feeling Mrs. Abbott was still in danger.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Marcella, did you get that room cleaned yet?” asked Ms. Bagley. Not that there is any rush. Before long there won’t be any residents left in the place. I’ve got to think about changing jobs. I was hoping this one would last until my retirement date but I have my doubts. It’s too bad, the money is good, and the work is easy. They pay me to keep my mouth shut about the goings on around here. I could quit altogether and they’d continue to pay me hush money. No, that wouldn’t be a good idea, I wouldn’t live long enough to enjoy my freedom. They get rid of people who know too much. Mr. Abbott was about to expose them and Mrs. Abbott was shot because she knew a secret. That nosy daughter of hers and her friends better be careful. The boss doesn’t like people snooping into the business.