Body Over Troubled Waters

by Denise Swanson

  Skye turned her attention back to Nanette, who was sitting as if frozen in place with tears trickling down her cheeks. She silently offered the woman a tissue from the packet she kept in her pocket. One good thing about being a sinus sufferer is that she always had Kleenex tucked away somewhere readily available for a sneeze.

  So far, Dr. Wraige’s widow had displayed all the appropriate behavior, but Skye knew that killers often cried when informed their victims were dead. She wasn’t sure if it was remorse or if they had just convinced themselves the murder never took place.

  While she was waiting for the appropriate moment to offer Nanette a drink of water, Skye heard Wally in hallway say, “Let’s sit in the living room. I’d like you to give me a list of anyone who might want your father dead.”

  She didn’t hear Tavish’s response, but he must have agreed because the men’s voices became fainter. Wally was now separating family members so he and Skye could compare their stories later on.

  Finally, Nanette sniffed loudly, then blinked away the remaining tears in her eyes. She drew in a deep breath and seemed to get ahold of herself.

  After accepting another tissue from Skye and blowing her nose, she asked quietly, “How did Shamus die?”

  “I’m not at liberty to share the details right now, but it appears that he was killed during a struggle,” Skye said carefully.

  “You mean it wasn’t a natural death?” Nanette’s gaze flew to Skye.

  “We can’t make any kind of definitive statement until the medical examiner completes the autopsy,” Skye hedged. “Did your husband have a medical condition?”

  “Just the usual for his age and stress level.” Nanette made a face. “You know, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gout.”

  “I see.” Skye nodded her head. “It’s doubtful that any of those is the cause of death. But again, we’ll have to wait for the ME’s report.”

  “I want to see him.” Nanette tried to rise to her feet, but Skye put a hand on her shoulder and pressed her back into her chair.

  “I’m sorry, but your husband’s body has already been removed by the medical examiner.” Skye patted Nanette’s arm and added, “You can go over to Laurel and see him there as soon as she finishes the autopsy.”

  “But…” Nanette looked around the kitchen as if she were lost. Focusing back on Skye she asked, “What do I do now? Should I call people?”

  Skye felt sorry for the woman. She tried to imagine hearing the news that Wally was gone and shuddered. Quickly pushing away that horrific thought, she rummaged in her purse until she found the case where she kept the collection of business cards that she’d accumulated throughout the years.

  Selecting two, she said, “Once we’re finished here, give Mr. Reid a call at the funeral home. I’m sure he’ll know what has to be done in these circumstances and can guide you. The other card is for a biohazard removal company that you can contact to clean up the scene once the house is released back to you.”

  “Finished here?” Nanette latched on to the first thing Skye had said and asked, “What else do you need from me?”

  Skye knew she had to take notes for this next part. She wished she had brought in her tote bag, which contained a fresh legal pad, but digging through her purse again, she found a small pad of Post-Its and a pen.

  Ready to proceed, she said, “Can you tell me anything about the recent spate of burglaries you and your husband have experienced?”

  “Well.” Nanette ran her fingers through her smooth black hair, messing up the neat bun on top of her head. “The only thing significant that I can think of is that the thief passed up a lot of valuable stuff and only took one item each time he broke in here.”

  “That is odd.” Skye jotted down a quick note. “What was stolen?”

  “The first time it was Shamus’s jewelry box.” Nanette held up her index finger. “The second time it was the leather case where he kept his Stefano Ricci neckties.” She paused. “And you said this time it looked as if his coin collection is missing, right?”

  “Right,” Skye answered, thinking about the stolen items. “We’ll have you and Tavish look through the house to see if anything else is gone, but that was the only obvious space I noticed that was empty.”

  “Okay.” Nanette’s voice cracked, then she startled. “I almost forgot. It wasn’t taken in a break-in, but Shamus’s Black Label Lincoln Navigator was stolen too.”

  “That’s right.” Skye stared into space for a few second, then snapped her fingers. “So the only items taken all belonged to Dr. Wraige?”

  “You know, I guess that’s true.” Nanette screwed up her face. “I hadn’t realized that before. But maybe it’s because I keep my jewelry in my office safe, and I don’t really collect anything or drive a fancy car.”

  “Hmm. Maybe.” Skye nodded, then asked, “Did your husband have any enemies?”

  “Of course not!” Nanette snapped. “He was a good man who worked hard for his community.”

  “Of course,” Skye soothed, then took a deep breath. She hated to bring it up, but they were much more likely to get an honest answer now rather than later when Nanette was thinking more clearly. “How about someone from that social club he belonged to, the one in Laurel?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.” Nanette looked down, refusing to meet Skye’s gaze.

  “Yes, you do. The BDSM club,” Skye said gently. “We found out about it when Palmer Lynch was murdered, and I was told that although you didn’t participate, you knew and accepted his activities there.”

  “Oh,” Nanette gasped. “That closed down right after Palmer died.” Her eyes widened. “Will what Shamus did there get out?”

  “Not if it doesn’t have anything to do with his death,” Skye assured her, then searched her mind in order to phrase it as delicately as she could. “Once the Laurel club closed down, did your husband go elsewhere to uh…enjoy that kind of uh…release?”

  “No.” Nanette shook her head. “We came to a compromise that we both could live with, so he didn’t have to seek outside stimulation.”

  “Okay.” Skye wasn’t sure she believed the woman, but she’d pushed it as far as Nanette could handle without making the woman close down completely. “Did Dr. Wraige have any additional children besides Tavish?”

  “Not yet.” Nanette’s expression saddened. “But we were planning on starting a family soon. Tavish wasn’t thrilled at the idea of an infant sibling,” she said, then smiled meanly. “But there really wasn’t anything he could do about it.”

  “Except maybe kill his dad,” Skye murmured under her breath.

  Chapter 10

  I’d Do Anything for Love

  “How about his position as superintendent of schools?” Wally probed. “Surely that could bring him into contact with people who might harbor hard feelings regarding some of his decisions or policies.”

  “My father didn’t really talk about his work.” Tavish shook his head. “The only part that we discussed were the duties included in my new job.”

  Wally and Tavish were in the Wraige’s dining room. Once Skye had revealed that the superintendent was dead, Wally separated the two household members, leaving Skye in the kitchen to interview the victim’s wife while he interrogated the man’s son.

  Like the rest of the house, this room was furnished with heavy French provincial pieces, and the men were seated across from each at an oak draw-leaf table. It wasn’t Wally’s taste, but he’d been exposed to enough valuable antiques growing up that he knew it was the real thing and probably darned expensive.

  Wally rubbed a finger along the carved floral edge as he asked, “How about Scott Ricci, the guy he let go in order to hire you?”

  “Nah.” Tavish smiled. “My father gave him a glowing recommendation and helped him move into a better paying position in Normalton.”

  “So why didn
’t he get you that spot?” Wally picked up his pen and jotted that information in his notepad.

  “I didn’t have the school-based experience that Ricci had.” Tavish’s hands gripped each other tightly.

  Wally noted that this was a frequent habit of the guy and wondered if it had anything to do with hanging on to his temper. “Still, giving another guy the superior job…” Wally murmured to see if he could prod the younger Wraige into losing his cool.

  Instead, Tavish straightened his back and calmly explained, “I’ve only recently separated from the military. My father suggested I live here while adjusting to civilian life again. He said that taking a position with the school district would help me expand my résumé.”

  “I see.” Wally’s phone vibrated.

  He held it in his lap and saw that he was getting a text from Skye. He kept his expression neutral as he read her message.

  Looking up, Wally said, “Okay. One last thing. Why were you so against your father having a child with his current wife?”

  “It was my opinion, sir, that neither of them would make good parents.” Tavish met Wally’s gaze without blinking. “Both Dad and Nanette are extremely career-driven people. They only wanted a baby because it would make them look better in the community, which would help my father get another contract from the board. He was afraid his age might be a concern when his next negotiations came up and was convinced having a child in preschool would make him seem younger.”

  “And Nanette?”

  “Being a part of the ‘Moms Club’”—Tavish used his fingers to indicate quotation marks—“would help her get more clients for her accounting firm.”

  “Or maybe they were ready to change their focus,” Wally suggested to see how the younger man would react.

  “Hardly,” Tavish snorted. “Hell! Half the time they forgot they owned a cat. Snowflake wasn’t affectionate enough for them and didn’t show enough gratitude for her care. I was the one that usually ended up feeding her and cleaning her litter box.” He frowned and leaped up from his chair. “Hey! Where is Snowflake?”

  “We found a carrier in the garage and secured her in it.” Wally motioned for Tavish to sit down. “Relax. She’s fine.”

  “You left her in a cold garage?” Tavish seemed more upset about the cat’s comfort than his father’s death.

  “No.” Wally jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “We put the carrier in the hallway near your room.”

  Tavish nodded and resumed his seat. “Okay. That’s good. Can I go check on her?”

  Wally glanced at his notes. “When we’re done.” Was he missing anything important?

  After asking Tavish a few more routine questions, Wally led Tavish back into the kitchen where the two women were sitting silently.

  As Wally and Tavish walked into the room, Skye said, “We’re finished in here. How about you?”

  Before Wally could speak, Nanette asked, “What happens next?”

  “The ME will notify you when she’s ready to release your husband’s remains,” Wally began, “and unfortunately since this is a crime scene, I’ll have to ask you to turn over your house keys and vacate the premise until we’re sure we’ve gathered all the evidence. Skye will go with you while you get your things together and I’ll accompany your stepson while he gathers his belongings. While you’re at it, let me know if you notice anything missing.”

  Both Tavish and Nanette objected, but when Wally didn’t react, they seemed to realize that their protests wouldn’t change anything and acquiesced. Shooting him an annoyed glare, Nanette followed Skye out of the kitchen.

  Wally trailed Tavish as he marched stiffly through the house toward his room.

  After Tavish finished filling his large khaki duffel, he and Wally met the women at the front door and Nanette said, “I’ll need to pack for Colleen too.”

  Wally nodded and Skye trailed Nanette down the hallway leading to the guest room. While Wally and Tavish waited, Tavish reached into the pet carrier and scratched the cat behind her ears. Snowflake purred contentedly.

  When Skye and Nanette returned, Wally looked at the Wraiges and said, “We’ll use the fingerprints you two and your guest gave us after the first burglary for elimination purposes from the ones that were found in the crime scene. And, as soon as Ms. Vreesen returns to town, she needs drop off her house key at the police station.”

  “I’ll make sure she does that.” Nanette nodded.

  As they all walked outside toward their vehicles, Wally added, “I’ll need to know where you all will be staying.”

  Nanette climbed into her car. “My office has a furnished two-bedroom apartment over it that is currently vacant. The previous tenant moved out a couple of days ago and Colleen was planning to move in as soon as we had a chance to clean it. We’ll stay there.” She made a face. “I guess I’ll work off my grief scrubbing the place down.”

  “I’m not sure where I’ll go. I noticed the Up A Lazy River motor court is closed.” Tavish pursed his lips. “Where is the next nearest hotel?”

  Wally took a peek at Skye and she was scowling at him. He shrugged at her as if to say it wasn’t his fault her godfather’s motel was out of business while Charlie was under investigation by the state police.

  Realizing the Wraiges were staring at him, Wally answered, “Laurel.” He felt uneasy at the thought of one of his prime suspects being so far away and hastily added, “However, I just remembered, one of my officers is looking for someone to rent a bedroom at her house. Maybe she’d put you up. But she has a dog. Will the cat be okay with that?”

  “Sure.” Tavish patted the top of the carrier affectionately. “Snowflake is a mellow lady.”

  For a nanosecond, Wally worried about suggesting that a possible murderer stay with Martinez, but he shrugged it off. Not only was she armed, the dog he’d just mentioned was actually the newest member of their squad. If Wraige tried anything, Arnold would tear him apart.

  “Okay. Let me check with her.”

  Wally texted Martinez, warning her that Tavish was a suspect in the superintendent’s murder and had a cat. A few seconds later she replied that she was okay with both facts and would be happy to rent the guy a room.

  After passing Martinez’s address onto Tavish, Wally walked Skye to her SUV. He asked her to send the summary of her talk with Nanette to his police email and kissed her goodbye.

  He’d been thinking about what aspect of the crime he should pursue next and had decided that although both Nanette and Tavish were reasonable suspects, at this point finding out what coins were missing and tracking them down would be the best use of his time.

  With that in mind, Wally drove the short distance to the victim’s office. The district’s administrative building was located adjacent to the elementary school. The board had gotten a deal on a house when the owner had died with no heirs and gutted it to fit their needs.

  Wally parked, exited his Hummer, and walked up the cement ramp that had been added to the front of the structure to meet accessibility requirements. He pushed through the double glass doors and entered a small foyer that led to what had to have originally been the house’s living room. Now it contained a large U-shaped desk and a wall lined with file cabinets. Two tweed wing chairs were arranged with a small table between them.

  A forty-something redhead looked up from her computer screen, smiled, and purred, “Chief Boyd, what brings you here today?”

  “Ms. Kline, I’m sorry to inform you that Dr. Wraige died this morning.”

  Wally watched the administrative assistant’s reaction carefully. Rumor had it that she and the superintendent had once been involved.

  She paled. “What happened? He wasn’t sick. Did he have a heart attack?”

  “I’m sorry, Ms. Kline, we aren’t releasing that information yet.”

  Swallowing hard, she visibly pulled herself together, smoo
thed her hair, and said, “I’ve asked you several times to please call me Karolyn.”

  “I’ll need to access Dr. Wraige’s laptop.” Wally’s tone was businesslike. He was used to women flirting with him but had no interest in anyone but his beautiful wife. “Is it in his office?”

  A tiny frown marred her unnaturally smooth forehead. “I believe so. He usually leaves it here rather than hauling it back and forth.”

  “May I?” Wally nodded toward a closed door. It had a gleaming brass nameplate engraved with a small crest and DR. SHAMUS WRAIGE, SUPERINTENDENT.

  “Certainly.” Karolyn rose, walked over, and turned the knob, then ran her tongue over her lips and offered, “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  Wally stepped forward, and she arranged herself so that he had to come in contact with her to enter the room. As he eased past her, she thrust out her chest so that her breasts brushed his arm.

  Once he made it inside, she trilled, “Just give me a holler if you think of anything. I’ll be right out here ready, willing, and able.”

  Rolling his eyes, Wally stepped back and closed the door, then looked around. It was a typical office for someone of Wraige’s stature. A massive cherrywood desk and shelving took up one side of the large office and a leather furniture arrangement occupied the other.

  Except for empty in- and outboxes, the desktop was clear. Wally realized he probably should have asked the vic’s assistant where he stored the laptop.

  Although he didn’t have a warrant to conduct a search, both the widow and son had given him permission to look at the computer’s files, so he felt comfortable doing that. But if the laptop wasn’t in plain sight, he’d have to have the city attorney contact a judge.

  Just as Wally was turning to step out of the room to ask if Karolyn knew where Wraige kept the computer, he noticed the slim device sitting on the shelves behind the desk. He tucked it under his arm and strode to the door.

  Karolyn was on the phone, but when she caught sight of Wally, she shot him a guilty look. She quickly muttered something into the receiver and hung up.