Murder at Breakfast (21 page)

I
stuffed the rope ladder into the bag, thanked Miss Winters for her time, looked
out the door to see that the coast was clear, and then hustled next door and
inserted the key in the lock. Lou and I sat down for a few minutes and
discussed what the rope ladder could mean.

“Lou,
I have no idea if this ladder has anything to do with the murder or not, but if
it does, that brings someone else into the suspect category, although
technically, everyone was a suspect, anyway.”

“Who’s
that, Cy?”

"Ginny
Adams, the upstairs maid. While she didn’t have a key to Mrs. Higgins’
apartment, she certainly had one to the apartment above, and that woman is out
of town.”

“And
more than likely it includes someone else?”

“Who’s
that, Lou?”

“My
guess is the woman who lives upstairs gave someone her key while she was gone,
just in case something happened.”

“That’s
definitely a possibility, Lou, but we don’t know who. Once we see if this rope
ladder will reach from that apartment window to the roof, we’ll know whether or
not anyone could’ve gotten into this apartment that way. Of course, this could
be something else that doesn’t enter into the case. I’m sure all of these
things don’t. We just have to find out which ones do.”         

“Come
on, Lou. Let’s go see Wally, find out if his story agrees with Miss Winters.”

We
had no idea where the handyman would be working, so our best bet would be to
head to the office. Once again, Margaret Draper didn’t seem too excited to see
us, but did her best to hide it.

“And
what can I do for you this time, Lieutenant? Lunch reservations?”

“No,
we don’t want to trouble you any more than we have to. I just need to see
Wally, ask him a question.”

“Well,
I’m sorry, Lieutenant. Wally’s out right now, went to run some errands. He
should be back soon, though.”

I
made a mental note that neither officer informed me that they had let the
handyman run errands. Their job was to see that no one left the premises.

“Oh,
one other thing, Miss Draper. I noticed that this building doesn’t have any
exits from the second or third floor. Could you tell me how many of the
apartments have some type of ladder to get out their windows.”

“The
only ladder is the one that’s either in storage, or, as it is right now,
propped up to Russell Cochran’s window.”

“And
that’s the only ladder?”

“I’m
sorry, Lieutenant, it is. This building was built before the codes required
exits. I’ve talked to the owners about it, but, just between you and me, they
keep dragging their feet.”

I
turned, walked out of the office, found the officer watching the front and back
doors, and motioned for him to follow me outside. We located the other officer,
walked back to the concrete bench to have a confab.

“Can
either of you two tell me why you let the handyman leave the premises? Your
orders were to keep everyone here.”

“But,
Lieutenant, we didn’t realize that meant the people who work here weren’t
allowed to run their errands. He showed me what he had to do, said he’d be back
well before lunch.”

“Well,
I hope so. From now on, before you let anyone leave, check with me. Now, both
of you can get back to your posts, such as they are.”

I
don’t usually get upset, but I expect any officer to do what he or she is told.

Lou
and I waited a couple of minutes before walking up the driveway and going back
into the house. Just as we got up to leave, Wally Gentry drove a truck into the
driveway and parked. I sent Lou to get him. I wanted to talk to him without
anyone else around.

“Wally,
come here a minute. I need to check with you about something. Do you know anything
about a rope ladder in Miss Winters’ apartment?”

“It
was supposed to be our secret.”

“Well,
I’m the only one she told. Can you tell me how it got to be there?”

“The
truth, or what she thinks?”

“Let’s
try the truth.”

“Okay,
I got a note in the mail a couple of days ago from Vera Davis, one of the women
who lives on the third floor who’s away.”

“Is
she the one who lives above Mrs. Higgins?”

“No,
that’s Imogene Ingram.”

“Okay,
carry on.”

“Well,
like I was saying, I got a note in the mail the other day. It was from Vera
Davis. The note said that she had a rope ladder in her storage area in the
basement, and she asked me if I’d retrieve it and take it to Hilda Winters.
See, Miss Winters is afraid of being burned alive in her apartment, and Mrs.
Davis is not. She wanted me to take the rope ladder to Miss Winters, but be
quiet about it. She didn’t even want Miss Winters to know where it came from.
That’s the reason I made up the story about everyone getting one.”

“Do
you still have the note?”

“No,
Lieutenant, I threw it away. I can tell you about it, if you like.”

“Go
ahead.”

“Well,
first of all it was on stationery. At the top it said ‘From the desk of Vera
Davis.’ The note was typed, like on a computer, and then folded and put in an
envelope.”

“Do
you have any idea why she’d send it to you?”

“Maybe
she thought that would be the best way to handle it without too many people
finding out.”

I
thanked Wally for his time. He left to get back to work.

“Lou,
I want to double check this story. Plus, I want to learn a little more about
these two women who are away. Here’s the plan. If we don’t run into Wally, I
want to go to the office to see Margaret Draper. I want to know the phone
numbers where I can get hold of the two women who are away. Also, I want to get
a key to each apartment. I want Miss Draper to call both women while we are
there, but I don’t want to talk to them from her office. I don’t want her to
know what I’m asking them. I just want her to tell them that a policeman will
be calling them shortly about a matter having to do with Parkway Arms, and it’s
okay for them to answer any questions I have. Now, what I don’t want her to do
is turn around and call them back just after we’ve left, so I want you to hang
around her office, small talk with her for a few minutes, until I’ve had a
chance to talk to both women. Okay?”

Lou
and I walked into the building and didn’t see Wally, so we hurried to Miss
Draper’s office. Thankfully, no one was in the office except Miss Draper.”

“Something
else I can do for you gentlemen?”

“Yes,
Miss Draper. I need the keys to both of the apartments where the women are out
of town. Also, I want you to give me the phone numbers where these two women
can be reached. So that each woman will talk to me when I call, I want you to
call them and tell them that a policeman will be calling them shortly about a
matter having to do with Parkway Arms, and let them know that it’s okay to
answer any questions I might have.”

“I
don’t suppose that you can let me know what this has to do with.”

“Not
right now. Everything has to remain confidential for the time being. Now can
you look up those numbers and make the calls?”

The
manager clicked her computer mouse and within seconds picked up the desk phone
to make the first call. Before she dialed, she jotted down the names and
numbers of the two women. As soon as she handed them to me, I turned and left
the office. I think she was surprised to see that Lou didn’t follow me. I
hurried to the elevator, went back to the apartment to make the calls.

I
dialed the first number. A woman answered on the second ring.

“Is
this Vera Davis?”

“It
is.”

“This
is Lt. Dekker of the Hilldale Police Department.”

“Is
something wrong? Did someone break into my apartment? Has there been a
robbery?”

“As
far as I know there has been no robbery. I need to ask you a couple of
questions. Do you or did you own a rope ladder?”

“No,
not me.”

“Do
you have stationery with the heading ‘From the desk of Vera Davis, and have you
sent a note using that stationery to anyone at Parkway Arms?”

“I
do have a note pad with that heading, but I haven’t sent a note using it while
I’ve been gone. As a matter of fact, the note pad is in the apartment.”

“Can
you tell me which of the residents at Parkway Arms has a key to your
apartment?”

“Hilda
Winters has a key. So does Russell Cochran and Imogene Ingram. I think I gave
one to Elaine Jewell, too. See, we have keys to each other’s apartments in case
someone gets locked out and doesn’t want to go all the way to the office to get
back in. Are you sure nothing of mine has been stolen?”

“I’ll
go up to your apartment and check, but I don’t believe so. Can you tell me when
you might be returning?”

“I’m
not sure exactly. More than likely I’ll be back in another week.”

“And
how long have you been away?”

“I
left about a week and a half ago, on a Monday.”

“Thank
you for your time, Mrs. Davis.”

I
was sure the woman wondered why a policeman had called her, if there was no
break-in, but I wasn’t going to stay on the line and let her pump me. I made
the second call, and asked the same questions, minus anything about a rope
ladder. Mrs. Ingram had given keys to Christine Hunt, Vera Davis, and Joanne
Moberly. She left a couple of days before Mrs. Davis and planned to be back in
about nine more days. I wondered if anyone knew how long each one would be
gone, but I didn’t plan to call back to find out.

Lou
returned just as I was hanging up from the second call, looking a little worse
for wear.

“I
think the manager realized why I stayed down there. I was having trouble coming
up with enough things to talk about. I’m not as good with that stuff as you
are, Cy."

Our
clue of the day was Chutes and Ladders. I could think of only one chute, the
laundry chute, and two ladders that might apply. Could it be that one or the
other had something to do with the murder? It was time to call George and ask
him for another favor.

“George,
Cy. I need another favor.”

“I’m
not going to give you another one of my men, Cy. It’s time you did a little
work yourself.”

“But
George, I don’t want one of your men. I want one of your women.”

“Excuse
me.”

“Didn’t
you say that Heather Ambrose used to be a gymnast and a ballet dancer?”

“Cy,
don’t tell me. You’re going to give up that Wii contraption and you want to
take ballet and gymnastic lessons.”

“In
your dreams.”

“So,
why do you want to know about Heather? Yes, it’s true she did both when she was
in school.”

“As
you know George, I’m working on a murder here. I need someone who has a
flexible body to help me. That eliminates me, you, and Lou. I thought of Heather.
I want her to get in and out of an apartment if she can, going through places
that most people can’t go through. Do you think she’ll be game?”

“She
loves you, Cy. She’ll do anything for you.”

“Ask
her to wear one of those gymnastic type outfits under her uniform, and to bring
some kind of cover up.”

“Cy,
is this anything that will get her on YouTube?”

“I
hope not. Give her this address and ask her if she’ll meet Lou and me in the
parking lot at 2:00.”

“At
2:00. Which are you giving up, Cy, your lunch or your nap? Never mind. I know
which one. Since I know you don’t have a cell phone, give me the number where
you’ll be and I’ll call you back in ten minutes if she can’t make it.
Otherwise, if you don’t hear from me, she’ll be there. But you take good care
of her, Cy. Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“You
have my word. After she gets here and sees what I want her to do, if she thinks
any of it is too dangerous, all she has to do is let me know. I’ll call you to
take her place.”

I
hung up and turned to Lou.

“Well,
Lou, what do you think about this rope ladder business?”

“Oh,
I think it’s easier to figure out than anything else we’ve run up against so
far.”

“Oh?
Enlighten me.”

“Well,
I think everyone is telling the truth.”

“And
what evidence do you have to support that?”

“Well,
I think the woman who’s away is telling the truth, because who would have a
rope ladder and store it in the basement? It wouldn't do anyone any good down
there. If the woman had a rope ladder, she would keep it by her window, or at
least on the floor of her bedroom closet. Next, Wally says he received a note.
I think he did. I know the manager says she saw him in the computer room
writing something, but if Wally had written a note to back up his story, he
would’ve kept it and showed it to us to get him off the hook.”

I
was impressed. True, I had the same thoughts myself, but I was amazed that Lou
could still function mentally in his weakened state.

“So,
what about Hilda Winters?”

“Well,
more than likely she’s telling the truth, too. At least as far as Wally
bringing her the rope ladder is concerned. Of course that doesn’t mean that she
wasn’t the one who planted it in the closet.”