The Theory of Death

by Faye Kellerman

  “I’m charging it to the department. So unless you want to make a contribution to the police department to the tune of seven dollars and ninety-nine cents, which is what the buffet costs, let me take care of it.”

  “You won’t get into trouble?”

  Suddenly she was concerned for his professionalism. He smiled. “No.” He raised his hand and the server was over a minute later with the check. McAdams stood up, fished a twenty out of his wallet, and left it on the table. Then he tore off the bottom part from the check for a receipt.

  “If you think of anything else . . .” He gave her his card.

  She reluctantly took it and together they walked outside and stood in front of the restaurant.

  McAdams said, “I think we’re going in opposite directions, so I’ll say good-bye.”

  “Thanks for lunch.”

  “Anytime.”

  “Even if it’s not business?”

  Her smile was seductive. He said, “Take care, Mallon.”

  “Tyler, I don’t mean to sound like a jerk. I’m sure most of the professors at Kneed Loft are honest. It’s just . . . it’s hard to know who to trust.”

  “You’re protective of your work. I totally get it.”

  “The difference between failure and success can often be just a single thought.” Her eyes moistened. “I’m not there yet, Tyler. Eli was helping me. He was the only person in that entire place I could trust. Now that he’s gone, I’ve not only lost a sounding board, I lost my lifeline to sanity. I have no one else to turn to. He was the only one who understood. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  She began to weep openly. She fell against his chest. For a moment, he froze but then he realized they were out in public, so no one could take it the wrong way. He put his arms around her as she sobbed on his shoulder. “I’m so lost without him.”

  “You’re a brilliant girl, Mallon. You’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I don’t know, but I suspect that’s the case.” He patted her back. “Call me. Even if you just want to talk.”

  She pulled away. “Do you mean that?”

  “I do. I’m very good at listening.” He smiled. “It’s talking that gets me into trouble. If you’re around me long enough, eventually I’ll piss you off.”

  “Join the club. Every time I open my mouth, someone gets angry with me. I can’t help it. I just say what’s on my mind.” She sighed. “So here goes nothing. I like you, Tyler. Obviously I had a schoolgirl crush on you for years. But now we’re both adults and I’d like to see who you really are. Can I take you out to dinner?”

  McAdams’s head became foggy. He should have expected it, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to put her off. He suspected she was up to something. So taking her out to dinner while the case was still open was out of the question. But later on . . . if she was still genuinely interested . . .

  He let out a small laugh. “When all of this is over and I’m done with my own finals, that would be a yes.”

  “What finals?” Her eyes narrowed. “I thought you were done with school.”

  “No, actually I’m in law school.” When Mallon made a face, McAdams said, “Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s one of those necessary evils for me.”

  “Where is law school?” When he paused, she said, “Figures. What are you doing here in Greenbury?”

  “Officially I am a Greenbury cop who is currently on leave. Unofficially I’m here studying at the Decker place because it’s quiet and I can concentrate.”

  “So you’re not working officially, then.”

  “No, I am working officially.”

  “Either you are or you’re not.”

  “It’s complicat—”

  “Oh please!” She mocked, “ ‘It’s complicated.’ ” She shook her head. “Don’t be so pedestrian.”

  “See, I’m pissing you off already.” He checked his watch. “What was that? Like five minutes?”

  She laughed. “Maybe less.”

  “I can’t do anything socially with you until Eli’s case is closed. Call me or Detective Decker if you think of anything that might help us.”

  “I will—now that I have some motivation for you guys to finish up.” She lightly kissed his lips. Then she kissed him again with more bravado. “I’ve been wanting to do that forever.” She walked away, leaving him standing alone with his fingers on his lips. Then he ran his fingers through his long hair and blew out a stream of hot air that misted in the cold.

  This is not good, he thought. This is really not good.

  CHAPTER 9

  BY HIS DRESS, Ezra Wolf could have been Amish: white shirt, dark pants, suspenders, and hat. He was about five ten with a slim build but thick arms. He had short, ginger-colored hair, blue eyes, and facial hair that did include a mustache. Wolf had walked through the door with a young man in his twenties with the same coloring—red hair and blue eyes—but who was taller and thicker across the chest. He wore modern clothing: denim jeans and a maroon, long-sleeved T-shirt. The duo’s feet were shod in socks, probably leaving their boots in the mud room. Silently, Wolf and the young man sat down at the dining room table.

  Decker introduced himself and then Rina. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.”

  Ezra Wolf nodded, but remained silent. The young man took over. “Jacob Wolf.” He stuck out his hand, first to Decker, then to Rina. “I’m Eli’s older brother. We’re two years apart.”

  “I’m very sorry for your loss,” Decker said.

  “Thank you.”

  “Grace,” Ezra announced. After a short invocation, the two men began cutting up their chops.

  Jacob said, “I know you want to ask questions. It’s fine.”

  Ezra kept eating. Ruth Anne sat with her eyes on the tabletop, her top teeth gently biting into her lower lip.

  “You’re not having lunch, Mom?” Jacob asked.

  “Not hungry.”

  No one spoke. Then Decker said, “I know it must be difficult to talk right now.”

  Ezra spoke up. “When can we bury our son?”

  “If nothing new comes up, I’m hoping in a few days.”

  “What could come up?” Ezra asked. “He killed himself.”

  “We don’t know for certain, Mr. Wolf. The coroner makes the final ruling.”

  “Do you think he killed himself?”

  “If I had to guess, I’d say yes.”

  “Then there’s nothing more to discuss.” The man put down his fork and stared into space. “Why you’re here is a mystery to me.”

  “I wanted to come here personally and tell you how sorry I was.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Ruth Anne said. “We appreciate it.”

  “Anything you can tell me about Elijah would be helpful to our investigation.”

  “What investigation?” Jacob asked. “If you think it’s a suicide, what’s there to investigate?”

  “There is something else,” Decker said. “We found some papers hidden behind one of the drawers in his desk. I guess I’m trying to figure out if the papers were significant to his death.”

  “Does it matter?” Ezra said. “My son is gone.”

  “Mr. Wolf, nothing I do will bring him back. And if you think there’s nothing to talk about, I’ll respect that.”

  Since no one answered him, Decker turned quiet. He had to go along with the family’s decision even if he disagreed with it. Jacob broke the silence. There was rancor in his voice. “Since he left for college, he hasn’t kept in touch.”

  Decker nodded.

  “That’s the truth,” Ezra said. “We haven’t seen Elijah in years.” He looked at his wife. “When was the last time he came down?”

  “Four years ago for Easter.”

  “He was a good boy.” Ezra picked up his fork and stabbed the salad. “Not as much stamina as Jacob. The boy wasn’t cut out for farm life. But he worked without complaint. After he went to the college . . . we didn’t seem to matter anymore
.”

  “He cared in his own way,” Ruth Anne said.

  “Oh, he’d send us money . . . not that I ever asked.” Ezra shook his head. “Why would I need his money? Maybe giving us money was his way of keeping in touch. I don’t know.”

  Decker paused before he spoke. “He sent you money?”

  “That’s the truth,” Ezra said.

  “It was odd,” Ruth Anne said.

  “Very odd,” Ezra confirmed. “First couple of times, we tried to return it. He just sent it back, so I stopped trying. I never touched it. Put it in the bank in case he wanted it later. But he never asked for it.”

  “Can I ask how much?”

  Ezra turned to his wife. “What was it? Like a thousand a month or something for the last two years.”

  “A little more,” Ruth Anne said. “Maybe twelve hundred.”

  “That’s a lot of spare cash.” Decker tried not to look surprised. “Any explanation where it came from?”

  “I called him and asked about it,” Ruth Anne said. “He said he had a job and he didn’t need it. He decided to send it to us.”

  “What kind of a job?”

  “He was working beyond his scholarship requirements. His tuition, room, and board was paid for by the college. I think Ezra’s right. It was his way of keeping in contact.”

  “Okay.” Decker wrote it down. “I know this may sound like I wasn’t listening. I understand that you didn’t keep in contact. But I’m asking it anyway. Did you have any idea of what Elijah was working on in his math?”

  Ezra shook his head. “Even when he still lived at home, I didn’t know what he was doing. I can do calculating in my head. Never needed to write anything down, but what he was doing with the formulas and letters was way beyond my ken.”

  “You sound like you’re good at numbers,” Rina said. “Did Elijah ever try to explain it to you?”

  Ezra eyed Rina, and then eyed Decker. “I asked him once or twice. I was lost within a few minutes.”

  Jacob said, “Something with vectors and complex formulas and matrices. I couldn’t tell you the specifics because I didn’t understand them, either. He tried to explain it to me once, but I couldn’t follow him. I’m also good at numbers. When I went to community college, I always got A’s. I’m thinking of becoming an accountant actually.”

  “You’d make a fine accountant,” Ruth Anne said.

  “He makes a fine farmer, too,” Ezra said.

  The room went silent. Finally, Jacob said, “Eli’s mind was on another planet. After a while, we just didn’t have much to talk about other than the weather.”

  “He was a good boy,” Ezra said.

  “I didn’t say he wasn’t.” Jacob was snappish. “Just that math totally consumed him.” He had finished his lunch and put down his fork. “Thank you, Mom. It was really good.”

  “I have cake if you want it.”

  “No, I’m fine. Save it for dinner.”

  “What about you, Ezra?”

  “If you’re offering, I’ll take a piece.”

  Ruth Anne stood up. “Can I get either of you some cake?”

  “No, thank you,” Rina said.

  Decker said, “I’m fine. Thanks.”

  “How about a refill of tea for both of you?”

  “Sure,” Rina said. “I’ll come help you.”

  “No need.” Ruth Anne’s smile was fleeting. “I’ll be right back.”

  No one spoke until Ruth Anne came back with a pound cake and tea. It took a few minutes to serve and pour. She sat down and Ezra took a forkful of cake. “It’s good.”

  “Thank you.” She turned to Jacob. “You sure you don’t want a piece?”

  “If you bring it out, you know I’m gonna eat it.”

  Ruth Anne smiled and served him a slice.

  Jacob said, “It’s delicious. Lemon?”

  “Yes. Fresh lemons.”

  “At this time of year?”

  “Guess California or Florida had some extra that wound up in the local barn market.”

  The men ate in silence. Decker said, “Jacob, were the two of you close growing up?”

  “We were brothers. We shared a room. I was the serious one. He was a goof.”

  Decker sipped his tea. “From what you’ve told me, it doesn’t sound like there’s anything goofy about him.”

  “He changed radically after the accident.” Jacob finished the cake in four bites and took another piece. “He stopped being the class clown. Maybe he realized that life wasn’t infinite. He got very serious with his studies. His true genius came out.”

  “What accident?” Decker asked.

  “Car accident,” Ezra said. “Jacob broke his leg.”

  Jacob said, “My injury was nothing compared. My friend who was driving was killed and Eli was in a coma for over a week.”

  “That’s horrible,” Decker said.

  “It was a test from God,” Ruth Anne said. “We almost lost him. At one point, the doctors talked about brain surgery for the pressure in his head. Luckily, it didn’t come to that.”

  Ezra said, “After the accident we did lose him in a sense. He stopped talking to us.”

  “That’s not so,” Ruth Anne said.

  “He stopped talking to me and that’s the truth.” Ezra looked at his son. “Maybe he talked to you.”

  “Dad, he didn’t really talk to me, either.” Jacob put down his fork. “But I don’t think it was anything personal. He just changed. Math became his life. Once he won that contest, he became totally devoted to his studies.”

  Ezra wiped his mouth and stood up. “We should get back. We’re putting up a new coop. We try to do all the repairs in the wintertime when we’re not farming.”

  “Makes total sense,” Decker said. “There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get things done.”

  “Or enough daylight,” Jacob added.

  “Now, that’s the truth,” Ezra said. “You ready?”

  “Yep.”

  Ruth Anne said, “I wiped the mud off your boots.”

  “Thank you, Mom,” Jacob said.

  “Yes. Thank you.” Ezra stuck out his hand. “Let me know when I can bury my son.”

  “I will, Mr. Wolf.” Shaking of hands. “Once again, I’m terribly sorry for what happened.”

  The man sighed. “It was a terrible decision, what he did. I don’t know what he was thinking. But no matter what the church says about him and his sins, he’s still my son.” He tipped his hat to Rina. “Nice meeting you, ma’am.”

  “Likewise.”

  Decker said, “Jacob, what contest did Elijah win?”

  “Some statewide math contest. He came in first, which is remarkable because it included New York City. He didn’t even tell us about it. We found out after the fact. I was really mad. He should have told us. But that was Eli. Impulsive. He didn’t always think things out . . . obviously.”

  “He shouldn’t have done it.” Ezra’s voice was soft. “But he was still my son. I won’t turn my back on him even if the reverend says we can’t bury him in the cemetery.”

  “I already talked to Reverend Deutch, Dad. There won’t be a problem.”

  “When did you do this?”

  “Yesterday. After he called. I didn’t want you to worry about it.”

  “That was very considerate of you, Jacob.” Ruth Anne’s eyes welled up with tears. “Please excuse me.” She got up and retreated to the kitchen.

  Ezra said, “I’ll be back in a moment.”

  Decker thought that the old man was going to comfort his wife. But Ezra went in the opposite direction, down a hallway. Rina stood up and started gathering dirty dishes. Jacob said, “You’re a guest. You don’t have to do that.”

  Rina said, “I don’t mind.” She left Decker alone with Jacob.

  Decker turned to the boy. “I’m so sorry.”

  Jacob shrugged. “He hadn’t kept in contact for a while, but it doesn’t lessen the hurt. I tried to keep up the relationship. I called
him after Dad gave up. It was mostly one-sided. I told him he needed to keep in touch. I told him he needed to call the folks. He always said he would, but he never did.”

  “This might be a painful question, but do you think there was a reason why he chose to distance himself from the family?”

  “We weren’t important to him anymore. Just a bunch of farmers . . . what did we know.”

  Decker nodded. “I apologize for my intrusive questions.”

  “I don’t take offense. It’s your job. I tried not taking offense with Eli, but sometimes it was hard. He was one of those guys who made promises he never kept. I don’t think it was out of meanness. He just probably forgot.”

  MCADAMS SWITCHED THE phone to his other ear. He was talking to Iris Beaufont, who remembered him instantly. No surprise there because he had spent half his time at Exeter in places other than classrooms and clubs. Not that he didn’t have friends; he did—a few guys from his neighborhood and even a girlfriend that he took to the prom. She was now a lawyer and worked for the Miami PD office defending drug dealers. She had been one of his forty Facebook friends before he shut down his account. Truth was McAdams had always been more comfortable with people his parents’ ages.

  Iris said, “According to the records, Mallon Euler was here for two years. It appears she left after her sophomore year.”

  “Any reason why she left the school?”

  “I have no idea, Tyler. I shouldn’t even be divulging this information to you.”

  “I’m an official detective now.”

  “And official detectives have search warrants.”

  “Only in the movies.”

  “Anything else I can help you with, darling?”

  “Is Dr. Kent still head of the math department?”

  “It would take an ambulance and a gurney to relieve him of his duties.”

  “Do you have a number for him?”

  “It’s one thing for me to look in the computer files. It’s another to give you his phone number. But I will tell him that you called.”

  “You’re a doll. Thank you.”

  “So you’re still with the police? I heard you were in law school.”

  “From whom? My dad?”

  “Your sister.”

  His half sister. “Ah, Danielle. She’s fourteen already?”