Murder Is Elementary (12 page)

Chapter 38

Oatmeal again
, thought Susan. Those gross-looking green shakes that she saw on Dr. Oz might not be such a bad alternative after all. Susan had two things on her mind––finding Rebecca Bowers, and linking Antonio to Vicky’s murder. She tried calling the number she got from the nurse at Coventry, but a recording revealed that Rebecca’s phone had been disconnected. Next, she opened her laptop. She tried searching for Rebecca on Facebook but to no avail. She never could understand the obsession some of her friends had with Facebook, but when she realized she’d be able to post pictures of her grandchild––when she had a grandchild––it all made sense.

She filled the cat bowls with Meow Mix and poured herself a second cup of coffee. She opened the curtains so that she and the cats could enjoy the morning sunlight. Then she realized she hadn’t yet shared the information about Rebecca with Lynette.
I think I’ll take a ride down to the station,
she thought. She grabbed her down jacket and pulled on her fur-lined boots. There was a light dusting of snow on the ground and flurries were falling. It didn’t take long to get to the station. She walked in and was greeted by her favorite keystone cop.

“Well, if it isn’t Miss Marple,” said Jackson. He stood with his hands on his hips.
He’s trying to look taller
, thought Susan. She thought he kind of resembled a penguin. Susan wasn’t at all surprised that he wasn’t married.

“Well, hello, Barney Fife. Where’s Lynette?” asked Susan.

“Here to help us solve the case? Did you get back any DNA evidence? Talk to the local psychic?” chided Jackson.

“Why, yes. The local medium told me to beware of a short, squatty know-it-all cop who needed all the assistance he could get. She said I’d better hurry,” said Susan.

Just then, Lynette came out of her office.
She looks exhausted
, thought Susan.
It’s no wonder. It must be awful getting daily hormone shots and going to the lab for blood work before work.

“Hi, Mom, what’s going on?” said Lynette.

“I wanted to tell you about the trip Carolina and I took to Florida.” Susan took a seat. “We saw Carolina’s grandfather at the nursing home. He told us that Vicky has a younger sister. Her name is Rebecca and there were problems between the sisters. Rebecca inherited her mother’s entire gem collection upon her death. Their mother Rosemary left nothing to Vicky so Vicky was suing her for the estate. She lives in Ohio. I have a phone number but it’s been disconnected.”

“Good job, Turbo,” said Jackson. “We had that information already.”

“Thanks, Mom. We’ve been looking into it. We found out that Rebecca is employed by Ohio State but she works from home. She moved out of her apartment and no one knows where she is now. I sent her an email but so far no response.”

“I’m trying to find her in hopes she will act as Carolina’s guardian while Javier is in rehab,” said Susan.

“We’re trying to find her because she had a motive for killing Vicky. That gem collection was worth just under a million dollars,” said Lynette.

Chapter 39

Carolina got out of the old yellow school bus and walked up the circular driveway carrying a backpack stuffed full of text books. She tightened her red wool scarf around her neck and took the mittens out of her pockets.
They should just give us all iPads
, she thought. Some schools were doing that. Then she wouldn’t be risking a lumbar strain from lugging around ten pounds of books. She used to text her Mom every day on the way from the bus to the door to let her know she was home. Mom had still been at work but she always had a ‘to-do’ list for her. It usually involved throwing a load of wash in or unloading the dishwasher––and more often than not, starting dinner. She used to get annoyed––what was the point in having a housekeeper then? But her mom pointed out that Araceli had plenty to do and Carolina needed to learn how to do these things since she’d be going to college in the blink of an eye. Carolina put on her invisible headphones and tuned her out whenever that lecture started.

Powdery snow had fallen last night and blanketed the driveway. Carolina wondered what she’d do if there was a blizzard and Dad wasn’t here to shovel. Then she remembered that she didn’t drive anyway so it didn’t matter. That was another thing. Her dad was supposed to be teaching her how to drive. Mom was supposed to help her choose a prom dress this spring––if she had a date. She thought about that quote she heard in Language Arts––“…the best laid plans of mice and men oft times go astray.” Boy had they ever.

That’s strange
, thought Carolina. She noticed tread marks in the snow. No one should have come to the house while she was at school. Araceli lived there but her car was parked inside the garage and there weren’t any tire marks in front of the garage door. She looked for a package at the door thinking maybe it was the UPS man but the front stoop was empty. She stomped the snow off her feet and turned the key in the front door. Araceli was vacuuming the living room. She was startled when Carolina came up behind her and said hello. “Hi, sweetie, how was school?”

“It was fine. Did anyone come by today? I saw tire tracks in the driveway.”

“No, nobody came.” Araceli smoothed her apron. “I started some
ropa vieja
. I thought you’d appreciate a real meal since you’ve been living on Lean Cuisines.”

“Thanks, it smells wonderful.” Carolina opened the fridge. She grabbed a package of baby carrots with ranch dressing and a Diet Coke. Then she lugged her backpack into her room and started her homework. She was taking three advanced placement courses and there was a lot of homework. She was proud of herself for keeping up her grades throughout this turmoil. In some ways, studying offered a much needed escape for the anger and sadness she dealt with on a daily basis.

Chapter 40

When she’d used Google Earth to pinpoint the town, Rebecca Bowers wasn’t sure what she’d be getting into. All she knew was that she had to move there. She had to keep an eye on things. She enjoyed living in the city and being part of the university so it was with reticence that she left her life behind for Westbrook. She packed up her Ford Focus and headed east towards New York. Thank God, she’d gotten the air conditioning in her car fixed last month. The northeast was having a heat wave. The closer she got to New York the more oppressive the air felt. She was pleasantly surprised when she arrived in Westbrook, in the sticky dog days of summer. Everywhere she looked it was green. Trees were laden with leaves, and dandelions punctuated the golf course-like green lawns. You could smell the humidity in the air all day long until late afternoon thunderstorms passed. What a charming little town this was––close to the big city…yet so far away.

Rebecca was getting ready to meet her gym friends for dinner. She pulled her wavy brown hair into a high ponytail. She’d gotten it cut right before the move. It had been very long––all the way to where her butt started. In her three decades of life, she remembered getting it trimmed maybe half a dozen times. At least Locks of Love will be able to make a few wigs out of this donation, she remembered thinking at the time. It somewhat eased the pain of giving up her youthful persona for a mature one. It was time to step up to the plate and take charge of things.

Chapter 41

Vinnie’s Pizzeria was always busy. It was a Wednesday night and Jody and Theresa actually had to wait for a table as if it were a Saturday night. The chef was putting a pizza into the brick oven using a wooden board with an extra long handle. While they waited to be seated, people continually came up to the counter, picking up white boxes to carry home for dinner. Theresa wore jeans and a button-down shirt under her jacket. Jody wore corduroys and boots, projecting a retro look. She wasn’t crazy about the clunky boots but it was hard to find delicate ones in her size.

“Right this way.” The hostess led them to a table and gave them menus.

“We’ll need a third place setting,” said Jody. Then they ordered a pitcher of beer.

“So how are things going with David?” asked Jody.

“Okay. He’s a bit possessive though. An old friend who happens to be a guy came to visit last week. David really gave me the third degree and insisted on coming along for dinner. He gets jealous if I even mention a man’s name.”

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” Rebecca took off her coat and sat down.

“No problem, Becky. Have some beer. How are things going?” asked Jody.

“Everything’s good. My legs are still sore from the kickboxing we did yesterday. It’s midterms time so I’ve had a lot of grading to keep up with,” said Becky.

“At least you get to work in your pajamas,” said Theresa

“Well, it’s not always easy. There are too many temptations like sleeping in and watching
The View
. It’s nice to get out and spend some time with friends. It gives me a reason to get dressed.”

As she smiled, Jody couldn’t help noticing that Becky’s teeth were as straight as the guards outside of Buckingham Palace. And they were so white. Either she completely shunned wine, coffee, and any other potentially staining foods, or she’d recently engaged in tooth whitening.

A waitress who was dressed in the colors of the Italian flag approached their table and took their order.

Chapter 42

Crackle, crackle, crackle. The stone fireplace was Hayley’s absolute favorite part of her dream house. Antonio was at a PTA meeting and she’d just gotten the boys to sleep. When the baby starting crawling she’d have to cover the hearth with a quilt like she did when Tony was a baby so he wouldn’t get hurt. The heat warmed her cheeks and hands while her thoughts turned icy. If Antonio went to jail she’d be here alone with the kids. Maybe that wasn’t so bad. She wouldn’t have to put up with his cheating anymore. It was so embarrassing going into school or even the grocery store knowing everyone she passed pegged her as a naïve fool. Hayley pretended she didn’t know what Antonio was up to, but she’d known for a long time. She just hadn’t yet decided how to handle it. One of Hayley’s greatest attributes was her patience. The purse. She imagined it being snuck out to the car during the first half of the show so the Epi-pen wouldn’t be available. Everyone knew how severely allergic Vicky was. Then it was smuggled into their closet. A poor hiding job? Or a cleverly planted piece of false evidence. In a flash of genius she’d thrown away the bag of chopped nuts she used for baking. The police surely would have found it and jumped to conclusions when they searched her pantry. Quick thinking.

***

Antonio was grateful for the solitude even if it meant driving to a boring meeting. His hands were freezing even inside the car. It always took a while for the heat to kick in. He and Hayley hadn’t been getting along so well since the police search. It was puzzling that the purse showed up in the closet. The police thought that either he or Hayley––maybe he
and
Hayley––had hidden it there. Obviously, they had no proof since neither one of them was behind bars. When he first met Hayley they had such a connection. He revealed things about himself that he hadn’t ever told anyone. Now he wasn’t sure if she trustworthy at all. He was realizing that she had some secrets of her own.

Chapter 43

I need to get Mike to clean the windshield
, thought Susan. The glare at night is making it hard to see. Downtown was far brighter than the country roads that dominated Westbrook.

“That movie was hilarious. It’s the first time I’ve laughed in a while,” said Carolina.

Susan had taken her to Vinnie’s for pizza and then they went to the dollar movie downtown. Midterms were this week and Susan knew Carolina had been stressing out over them. She’d hoped to offer Carolina a brief respite.

“I enjoyed it a lot,” said Susan.” I had wanted to see it when it first came out but Mike and I never got around to it. The pizza was good too.” She’d eaten four slices but it was topped with mushrooms and green peppers so at least it was healthy. She couldn’t wait to get home and unbutton her jeans.

“That social worker is really friendly,” said Carolina. “I remember meeting her at Mom’s funeral.” They had run into Jody at Vinnie’s. “Her friends seemed nice too. “I’m glad she’s fending off the DCF while we look for my aunt. I can’t believe I even have to worry about being taken out of my own home. Like I don’t have enough to deal with.”

Susan parked in front of Carolina’s house. “I’ll walk you in. The lights are all off so Araceli must already be in bed.”

Carolina opened the front door and flicked on the light. “Come in for a cup of coffee.” She took Susan’s coat and led her into the kitchen. “Brrr, it’s freezing in here.”

“Okay, but I’ll just stay a little while. You have school tomorrow and Mike should be getting back from his poker game soon,” said Susan.

Carolina filled the coffee maker with water and scooped coffee into a filter. “Did you just hear a noise?” asked Carolina.

“No, I didn’t hear anything.” Susan was more determined than ever to find Vicky’s murderer. She saw how jumpy Carolina seemed these days. Maybe if the killer was locked up in jail Carolina could rest easier.

“Did I tell you I’m already on page two of the scrapbook I’m making?” Susan tried to sound like that was an accomplishment. She really didn’t have the patience for scrap booking. Suddenly, they heard the front door slam shut.

“What’s that?” asked Carolina.

“Maybe Araceli went out for a walk,” said Susan. She tried to sound reassuring but was starting to feel a bit uneasy––like someone was lurking around outside maybe.

“She never does that,” said Carolina. They flew into the living room. The door was closed but no longer locked. Carolina opened the door and turned on the porch light. Although Susan didn’t see anyone, she heard the muffled sound of a car starting in the distance.

“Who would have been here?” asked Susan. “Is anything missing?”

Just then Araceli came running out to the front porch. “Que paso? What happened?”

They walked in and out of the bedrooms, checked the den, and made sure the silver was still in the kitchen drawer. Nothing appeared to be missing.

“I’ll call Lynette,” said Susan. Having a daughter on the police force had proven to be a convenience on more than one occasion. Within half an hour, Lynette was knocking on the door.

“Thanks for coming,” said Susan. “I think someone was here in the house. We heard the front door slam closed. It was unlocked but Carolina had locked it when we came in. Then we heard a car start and zoom away. It must have been behind the trees of the neighbor’s yard.” Susan took Lynette to the window and pointed out a dense row of evergreens that lined the neighbor’s driveway and obscured the view.

Lynette wrote down the details. Susan knew Lynette would make an official report when she went to the station in the morning. Susan watched as Lynette took a flashlight from her car and checked out the rest of the house. The storm door on the porch was latched from the inside.

“I guess that wasn’t the point of entry,” said Lynette. Susan followed her as she walked around the perimeter of the house searching the bushes and shrubs.

“Mom, what are you doing? You can’t be following me around. It’s dangerous. Go back in the house.”

Nothing unusual here anyway
, thought Susan. She reentered the living room where Carolina and Araceli were waiting.

“Did you find anything?” asked Carolina.

“Look here,” Lynette said. She led them down the hallway. “The bathroom window was open. That’s how he got in. I’ll get the officers who are on duty tonight over here and have them dust for prints. I’m going to go talk to the neighbors. Maybe they saw something.”

Susan watched as Lynette crossed the lawn and went next door. The house appeared dark but she saw Lynette climb onto the front stoop and knock. Susan could hear a dog barking but no one answered the door.
Even if the neighbors were asleep inside, Cujo’s barking would have woken them up
, thought Susan. She watched as Lynette tried the neighbors on the other side. She saw a middle-aged couple answer the door but couldn’t hear what they were saying to Lynette. Susan waited with Carolina until the officers were finished.

“Come and stay with us tonight,” offered Susan. “It may not be safe. Araceli should go home also.”

“I’ll be okay,” said Carolina. “The police did a thorough search and I have to get up early and get ready for school.”

“Lock the doors and call me if you hear anything else,” she said to Carolina. “I’ll call you in the morning before you leave for school.” Susan gave Carolina a hug and left after she heard the door being locked behind her.