Murder Is Elementary (15 page)

Chapter 53

Jackson arrived at the station with a cup of coffee for himself and one for Lynette.

“Thanks, Jackson. That was thoughtful. Starbucks coffee just overshadows our station coffee every time. You know, we need to bring Theresa Rizzo up to date,” said Lynette.

“I’ll go,” said Jackson. “I’ll go check on Theresa Rizzo and fill her in on the follow up to David’s arrest.”

“I thought you might volunteer,” said Lynette. “Good luck.”

Jackson’s palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel and drove to Theresa’s apartment.
What was it about that girl?
His heart fluttered every time he thought about her. He parked the cruiser and knocked on her door.

“Miss Rizzo, this is Detective Simpson. I just came by to check on you. Are you doing okay?”

“As well as I can I guess. I was never so scared in my life. I really thought I wasn’t going to see another day. Thank God your partner arrived just in the nick of time. Please come in. Can I get you some coffee?” said Theresa.

Jackson had already drunk a gallon of coffee but he wasn’t going to give up an opportunity to sit down over coffee with Theresa.

“Lynette is wonderful,” said Jackson. “And that friend of yours, Jody, she’s the one who knew something was wrong and brought it to our attention.”

“Yes, thank goodness my judgment is better for friends than it is for dates,” said Theresa.

“I can’t believe you couldn’t snag any guy you wanted,” said Jackson. He couldn’t believe those words just came out of his mouth.

“You flatter me,” said Theresa. “I’ve had a series of losers, one after the other. David, though––he truly takes the cake. Speaking of cake, did David confess to Vicky’s murder?”

“No, I’m afraid the bee allergy was legit and he had a solid alibi for the night of the murder. We’ve got him on kidnapping, though, and attempted murder,” said Jackson.

“Well, at least he’ll be locked up for a long time I imagine. I’m going to have a hard time living alone here. I slept with every light on, and my cell phone under my pillow,” said Theresa.

“I can stop by and check on you if you’d like,” offered Jackson.

“You’d do that? That’s very kind,” said Theresa.

“No problem. Maybe one night I could even stop by after work and bring some dinner.”

“I’d like that,” said Theresa. “Thank you, Jackson.”

Jackson said goodbye and got back into his car. He had a gut feeling that his life was about to take a wonderful turn.

Chapter 54

Carolina was in her room, trying to finish her term paper on Emily Dickinson.
My eyes are getting tired from staring at this laptop,
thought Carolina.
This editing is driving me crazy.
It was so hard to get the correct number of spaces and remember what needed to be capitalized in the citations and in the reference pages.
Maybe Mrs. W. would like a little editing project,
she thought.
I could certainly pay her
. She picked up her phone.

“Hi, Mrs. W., it’s me, Carolina.”

“Hi, dear. How are things going?”

“This term paper I’m working on is overwhelming. I just don’t have the patience I need to get the references and citations correct. I was wondering if I could hire you to edit it for me?” asked Carolina.

“You know I’d help if I could, but I’m terrible with that stuff too. You need someone who’s experienced at that,” said Susan.

“Yes, but I don’t know where to find someone. I don’t want to just go online and pick someone. You never know if they’re good or not.”

“I’ll ask around and get back to you. Have you spoken to your dad?”

“Yes, and he sounds great. He thinks another month or so and then he’ll be home. Meanwhile, I wish we could locate my aunt.”

“I know. I’m surprised it’s been this difficult. I’ll keep checking with Lynette. Now, you better get back to your paper. It’s getting late,” said Susan.

“Thanks, I will.” Carolina hung up and went back to her laptop. She thought she heard a sound outside her window.
This is really creepy
, she thought.
They never did find out who was in the house the other night
. She looked outside but nothing looked unusual.
I guess I’m imagining things,
she thought. Still she was glad that Araceli was in the house.

Chapter 55

Susan turned off the light and got under the covers. During her working years this had been her favorite time of the day. Now she didn’t get nearly so exhausted but it was still nice to curl up on the flannel sheets with Ludwig and Johann snuggled up on the comforter. She wished Mike were there too, but he was doing something on the computer and probably would
 
not be up for hours. She thought about Carolina’s problem with the term paper.
I could call Antonio in the morning,
she thought. Maybe he’ll know if any of the teachers at Westbrook might be interested. She slept liked a baby. Again, sans Ambien. In the morning she woke up before Mike and surprised him by making scrambled egg whites and turkey bacon.

“Thanks. This is…well…delicious would be an understatement,” said Mike.

“I’m glad you like it. I wanted us to eat together before you left for work. I’ll get us some more coffee.” While she was in the kitchen, Mike slipped some egg white to Johann who was meowing under the table.

“How’s the murder case going?” asked Mike.

“I was sure David was guilty but it turns out he had an alibi. Blaze Conrad was eliminated a while ago because his girlfriend showed up and provided an alibi. I still have my suspicions about the girlfriend though. The police haven’t been able to tie Hayley or Antonio to the murder in spite of finding the purse in their closet. They haven’t been totally cleared though. Then there’s Vicky’s mysterious sister.”

“The one you found out about during your trip to Florida?” asked Mike.

“Yes. And she has motive. Vicky was suing her for the gem collection her mother, Mrs. Bowers, left.”

“Well, it’ll eventually be solved. Someone will mess up or new evidence will show up,” said Mike.

“I guess so. I have faith in Lynette, and, though I’d never admit it to his face, Jackson is quite a detective,” said Susan.

“It’s getting late. I’d better go. Making anything good for dinner tonight?”

“Maybe a tofu and broccoli stir fry,” answered Susan.

“I said anything
good.
” Mike gave Susan a kiss and left for work. Susan remembered that she was going to try to help Carolina find an editor. She called the school.

“Hello, this is Susan Wiles. I was wondering if I could speak with Mr. Petrocelli.”

“Hi, Susan. This is Jody. Antonio is at a meeting and won’t be back until this afternoon.” Jody often helped in the office when one of the administrators was away.

“Maybe you can help me. I was wondering if you know anyone who’s capable of doing a good editing job on a term paper. It’s for Carolina Rogers.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, my friend Becky sometimes does that kind of work. She’s a college professor. You met her at Vinny’s the night we ran into you.”

“Yes, I remember. If you could give me her number, I’ll pass it on to Carolina.”

“Sure.” Jody gave her the number and went back to work.

Chapter 56

Rebecca couldn’t believe the coincidence. She’d moved to Westbrook to find out about Vicky and her family, and now her niece was calling her to do an editing job. This was the perfect opportunity to see what kind of a person Vicky’s daughter was. She hoped she wasn’t vindictive and self-centered like her mom.
Guess I’ll find out soon enough
, she thought. She knocked on Carolina’s door.

“Hello, you must be Carolina.”

“Yes, come on in. Did you have any trouble finding the house?”

“Not at all. Your directions were right on.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” said Carolina. “This term paper is driving me crazy. We can work at the table.” Rebecca followed her into the dining room.

“Can I get you some coffee and a muffin? Araceli baked some this morning. She’s the housekeeper but surrogate mother would be a more appropriate title, especially since my mom died.” Carolina brought out a platter of pumpkin spice muffins. Then she grabbed her paper from the printer.

“Here it is. I printed out a copy. I think the grammar and spelling are pretty good, but I know I messed up on the spacing,” said Carolina.

“I see a few spots where you have extra spaces.” Rebecca scanned the paper and focused on the reference list. “You need italics here,” she told Carolina. “And it needs to be single spaced here.” She pointed to a spot on the page. “The writing looks excellent though. I bet you’re a good student.”

“I try. I’m taking three Advanced Placement classes this year.”

“So you’re planning on going to college?” asked Rebecca.

“Of course I am. I’d love to get into one of the Ivy Leagues. That’s why I’m studying all the time,” said Carolina.

“What do you want to major in?” asked Rebecca.

“I’m good at science––maybe Chemistry or Biology. I want to go to medical school eventually and become a pediatrician. I love kids.”

“That’s wonderful. E-mail the paper to me also so I can suggest changes and it will be easy for you to edit. Do you know how to use the Track Changes feature?”

“Yes, I think so,” said Carolina.

“Here’s my email address. It’ll take me just a few days,” said Rebecca.

“I feel better already.” Carolina walked Rebecca out to her car and watched her disappear down the driveway.

She seems lovely
, thought Rebecca.
It seems like she has her head on straight.
Rebecca had already checked Carolina’s social media sites. No pictures of her drinking or acting foolish at parties. No sleazy outfits. No profanity. She mostly posted about school. Even her taste in music was mainstream, like what you hear on the top forty stations.
I’m feeling more and more sure about this
, she thought.

Chapter 57

Susan had almost forgotten that she’d signed up to volunteer at Westbrook.
Let’s see
, she thought,
it’s been nearly nine months since I retired. I guess I have had enough of a break from the school scene.
Jody had called her and asked if she’d mind helping out at the Teacher Appreciation Day luncheon. Westbrook always put out a beautiful lunch for the teachers. Last year, they served lasagna, salad, sliced ham, and rolls. And the desserts were to die for––éclairs, puffy and bursting with cream, then topped with chocolate gananche. She salivated just thinking about it. Susan stood in front of her closet.
Should I wear my black skirt and blazer? Maybe my gray dress pants with a silk sweater
. Finally, she chose a casual jersey dress. She loved jersey dresses because they could be dressed up or down, they were comfortable, and most important of all, they didn’t need to be ironed. She’d given up ironing a decade ago.
I’d better grab an apron
, she thought. Serving food could get messy. She locked the front door. Her Prius hadn’t forgotten the commute it had made so many times before Susan retired. Shortly, she arrived at the school. It felt as though she’d never left.

“Susan, it’s so nice to see you here. Are you enjoying retirement?” asked Sandra.

“I am. I’ve been scrapbooking, cooking, and working out. It’s nice to have time to explore hobbies.”

“I can’t wait,” said Sandra. “One more year after this one.”

“I came to help out at the teacher appreciation luncheon. Are they setting up yet?”

“I think so. You know the way,” said Sandra.

When Susan arrived, the teachers’ lounge had already been decorated with hearts and white ribbons. There was a large vase full of red and white carnations in the middle of the table with a handwritten sign inviting the teachers to take one.

“Hey, Jody. What can I do to help?” asked Susan.

“There are trays of enchiladas on a cart in the cafeteria kitchen. Can you go get them? We’ll set them up here.” There was a long, folding banquet table at one end of the lounge. One of the volunteers whom Susan didn’t recognize was busy folding napkins.

“I’ll go get some ice,” said Susan. There were pitchers of iced tea and bottles of soda already on the table. Miss Hadley came in carrying a large bowl of tortilla chips. Susan wondered if they were baked or fried.

“Hi, Susan. Nice to see you here again,” said Miss Hadley.

“It feels good to be back. Even better since I can socialize a bit with my old friends, have some lunch, and then go home. No classes to worry about,” said Susan.

“I hear you,” said Miss Hadley.

“Susan, can you run back to the cafeteria and get the tray of rice and beans?” asked Jody.

“Sure, I’ll be right back.” The Mexican food smelled delicious. When she returned, the desserts had been set up and there was a large bowl of salad ready to serve. Something about the bare salad being next to the key lime pie seemed out of whack, but she was sure the teachers would love this feast.

“It’s show time,” said Jody. She tied on her checkered apron with the dog bone appliqué. Susan thought the apron looked familiar which was odd since it was quite unique. She picked up a serving spoon and stood behind the enchiladas.

Every teacher made a comment as they were served.

“This is so delicious,”

“I’m too full to teach,”

“I’ll have to skip dinner.”

The teachers enjoyed the midday treat and reluctantly went back to their classrooms. Susan hadn’t seen some of them in nearly a year and it was nice to catch up on their lives. Kim was newly engaged, and Cindy was expecting a baby. Pam just found out her son was accepted at Yale.
This is the part of working I miss,
thought Susan. When they’d finished serving, she helped Jody clean up.

“Here, take some key lime pie home for Mike,” said Jody. “Oh, and these sugar cookies I made. There are just a few left.”

“Did you frost these with funfetti icing? They look so festive,” said Susan.

“Oh, at the last minute I decided to use up the can of frosting that had been sitting in my fridge,” said Jody.

“He’ll love these.” Susan wrapped up the cookies and pie and headed home.

“On second thought, I have a whole pie here. I think I’ll stop by the station and give Lynette a piece. It’s on the way.”

When Susan got outside, she noticed that it was beginning to snow. She was ready for it to be spring. She turned on the car radio and learned that a blizzard was brewing
. I guess before I see Lynette I’d better stop at Shop Rite and get some extra water and batteries
, she thought.

Susan drove a few minutes out of the way and pulled into the parking lot of Shop Rite. She had to circle the lot three times before finding a parking space. Inside, the store was wall-to-wall people. Susan thought that these shoppers should have known enough to already be prepared. After all, this was New York and it was winter. Then it dawned on her that she was here amongst them.

The store had already sold out of C batteries and only a few cases of bottled water remained on the shelves. She threw a loaf of bread, a few cans of tuna, spaghetti, and a box of graham crackers into her basket. At the last second, she threw in a package of Oreos. The checkout lines were insane. It took twenty minutes to get up to the register. When she came out of the store, she realized that it was snowing harder.

Susan hated driving in the snow. It took her twice as long as usual to get from the store to the police station. When she finally got to the station, Lynette was on the phone.

“Hi, Jackson.” Susan wondered if she should be nice and offer him a slice too. “Jackson, would you like a slice of key lime pie?” asked Susan.

Jackson looked surprised at the offer.

“Sure, thank you. I love key lime pie,” he replied.

“The roads are getting bad,” said Susan.

“I heard this is supposed to be a pretty bad storm. You be careful driving home,” said Jackson.

Lynette hung up the phone and approached them.

“You’re never going to believe this,” said Lynette. “That was the head custodian at Westbrook. He was clearing snow away from the drains out in the parking lot in anticipation of this blizzard they are predicting. Guess what he found?”

“What?” said Jackson and Susan in unison.

“Vicky’s Epi-pen from her office. It was still in the original prescription box with her name on it. It was wrapped inside of a plastic bag, so just maybe we have a chance of getting some fingerprints.”