The Arms of Death

by Maggie Foster

  He didn’t dare dispose of it at home, not even in the fireplace. What he needed was one of those needle boxes used at labs and healthcare facilities. Drop it into any one of them and it would go with the other medical waste to a proper disposal location and no one the wiser. So where could he find a needle box?

  There were thousands, hundreds of thousands of them in the Dallas area. In every hospital and health care facility. In every patient room and treatment area. In doctor’s offices and clinics. Anywhere there were needles. But those were all areas where Hal would be seen and challenged. He needed to do this anonymously.

  At the market, his eye fell on a small sign advertising flu shots. He grabbed a cart and wandered through the store, thinking hard. The shots were available in the pharmacy area. In this store, there was no access for customers to the area behind the counter. He watched as the pharmacist took a used needle back with him into the controlled area, to be disposed of in the clearly visible red box. There was no way Hal could reach that box without being seen. He collected the flowers and chocolates, then made his way out, hoping for better luck at the pharmacy on the corner.

  Six stops later Hal still had been unable to drop the virus into any of the needle boxes. He’d come very close at one of the smaller pharmacies. There had been no one behind the counter and few clerks in the store. He’d slipped behind the counter and started for the box, only to find a clerk seated on a chair, just out of view. The clerk had been courteous and Hal’d had to make up something to cover his intrusion, but the real problem was that the vial of virus still lay snuggled in the bottom of his pants pocket. It was no longer cold against his leg. Must be thawing.

  Hal sighed and glanced at the clock. He needed to go see Ginny, needed to get her consent to marry him, and that might take some time. He could continue to search for a suitable disposal place after he left her. He turned the car in the direction of her house.

  * * *

  Jim pushed himself away from the computer. Maybe he’d do better with some food in his system. He made his way into the kitchen and fixed himself a sandwich.

  Whether it was the chewing (which Jim had heard stimulated the blood flow to the brain), or the influx of calories, he found his mind working better. He, Jim, went to conferences, too. What digital footprints did he leave in the dust of the Internet?

  He went back to his desk and plugged his own name into the search engine, then looked through the results. The third one down was his Virginia Medical Board page. He scanned the entries, seeing nothing new, then froze.

  Under the Continuing Medical Education conferences, he saw “Boston” and “Washington D.C.” He pulled his notepad over and checked the dates on the site against those on the spreadsheet, his heart sinking.

  Oh.

  That explained so much. Ginny must have seen this.

  In spite of the sandwich, Jim felt hollow inside as he added another line to his little chart, placing checkmarks under numbers two, three, and four. He had been in each of the cities during the window of opportunity for introducing that virus into all three murdered men.

  He stared at the chart. Hal had only two check marks, under the fourth death, Professor Craig, and the first one, the lab tech. Jim found himself clenching his teeth. He unlocked his jaw and took a deep breath. He needed another check mark for dear old Hal.

  He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on digital footprints. What other sorts of traces had he left in the machine? He went back to the search results. Most were his articles, some his credentials, one or two advertisements. One link brought up an image.

  Jim enlarged it so he could read the legend. It was a photograph someone had posted on a social media website. Sure enough, there he was, posing with a group of fellow physicians at one of the conferences. His face had been tagged, and it was that label the search engine had used to include the picture in the results.

  Did Hal pose for photographs?

  Jim switched over to the images utility. He searched, using both Hal’s nickname and his legal name, the cities, and the years, and hit pay dirt.

  Hal Williams, easily recognizable, tagged and labeled, Boston. The genealogy conference that ended only one day before the Boston death. Jim added a checkmark under the second death. That evened things up. They both had three checkmarks now.

  Jim worked for another half hour, but could not pull up a picture of Hal in Washington at the right time. The Boston photo would have to do. In any case, he now had a viable theory to present to Detective Tran.

  What about Ginny? He couldn’t let her think he was the murderer a minute longer than he had to. He needed to show her the evidence.

  He picked up the phone and dialed her number, but got no answer. He tried the house phone. Same result, both rolled over to voice mail. That was odd. Even if Ginny was asleep, shouldn’t Mrs. Forbes be answering? She wouldn’t have left Ginny alone, would she? Even if she had, surely Ginny was safe in her own home?

  Jim felt a sudden uneasiness. He located the number Detective Tran had given him and dialed.

  * * *

  Ginny rolled over, realizing she’d been asleep and wondering what had waked her. She opened her eyes when she heard the front doorbell. She crawled out of bed, pulled the curtain back on her window and saw Hal’s car parked in front of the house. She sighed, then fastened her hair back from her face with a clip. No time to do more and no inclination, either. She didn’t feel like company and especially not the male variety, but her breeding held good. She would answer the door and send him away politely, then go back to bed.

  She climbed down the stairs, holding onto the bannister and wishing she felt just a little less shaky. She straightened up at the bottom, fixed her best fake smile in place, and opened the door.

  “Good afternoon, Ginny.” He was smiling, his eyes smiling as well as his lips, peeking out from behind a huge bouquet of long-stemmed red roses.

  “What’s this?”

  “A present. May I come in?”

  She hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

  He stepped into the hallway and presented her with the flowers, placing them in her arms. “They don’t begin to express how happy I am to see you up and about, but they’ll have to do.”

  “They’re lovely!” They were, too. She sniffed at the fragrance. “Come into the kitchen. We’ll find something to put these in.” He closed the door and followed her.

  “I tried to call your cell, but you didn’t answer.”

  “I was asleep.”

  She set the flowers down, then located a vase. “Can you hand that down to me, please?”

  “With pleasure.”

  She collected a pair of kitchen shears and pulled the trashcan over, snipping the stems and arranging the flowers in the vase. He stood beside her, handing her the next blossom and clearing away the debris, his smile divided between her and the roses.

  Ginny found herself conflicted. She’d made up her mind she didn’t want to spend any time in the company of a man who could lie the way Hal had done about Jim, yet here she was, accepting his gift and letting him help her arrange the flowers.

  It was just the flowers you’d give to a sick person, she told herself. Roses they might be, and long-stemmed and red and there were two dozen of them, but it was just because she was an invalid. Perhaps he felt guilty for not being able to prevent the attack. He’d promised Smith and Wesson and hadn’t been able to do a thing.

  Then there was the man himself, her much-too-long-term boyfriend. She was very much aware of his presence, the warmth of his personality, the resonance of his voice, the tingle in her skin when their hands brushed. She’d been a long time building this relationship. Perhaps she should give him a chance to explain and apologize. Jealous men do stupid things. That wasn’t exactly news.

  When the flower arrangement was complete, he placed it in the middle of the table, then pulled out a chair for her.

  “That’s enough exercise for one day.” He seated her, then helped himself to
a glass, the ice maker, and water. “Drink.”

  She did as told, watching him place a second chair angled toward her, so they could see one another, but he didn’t sit down in it.

  “I have something else for you,” he said. “May I go get it?”

  She nodded. What now?

  He was back in very short order, bringing with him the largest box of chocolates Ginny had ever seen.

  “What on earth is that?”

  “It’s meant to be shared.”

  Ginny started laughing. “Well you’d better get busy. That thing looks like it will last until next summer.”

  The box was so big it couldn’t be placed on the table with the roses. He set it down on the counter, then opened it and picked out a selection of the candies, placing them on a small plate and presenting them to her with a bow.

  “M’ Lady”

  Ginny took one of them and bit the corner off. “Ummm! Dark chocolate and soft caramel.” She ate it with pleasure and watched him doing the same with one that seemed to be chewy rather than liquid on the inside.

  “Hal, these are delicious. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “How many calories do you think that box has in it?”

  His expression grew thoughtful. “I hadn’t considered that angle.” He smiled over at her. “Maybe I’d better eat them all myself.”

  Ginny smiled. Here was everything she loved in him. He was cheerful, and glib, and generous, and unselfconscious. She watched him hold one of the chocolates to his nose, then move to the roses, comparing the scents.

  “Which do you like better?” she asked.

  “Well, the chocolates taste better, but I think I prefer the way the roses smell.” He put the chocolate down, then sat down in the chair and reached out to take her hands in his.

  “Ginny, darling, are you all right?”

  “I will be.”

  “I was terrified. I thought I’d lost you. I couldn’t sleep thinking about you.” He licked his lips, his eyes taking on an expression of desolation. “All of a sudden I realized I’d been wasting precious time. I should have done this years ago.”

  “Done what?” But she was pretty sure she knew what was coming.

  He let her go, then took a deep breath and addressed her.

  “You asked me,” he started, “whether I wanted to marry you and I didn’t answer.” His brow furrowed, the struggle for words evident in his face. “I didn’t know how. The short answer is, yes, I do, but there are things you should know about me, first. I’ve been talking to the lawyers.”

  Ginny blinked. Lawyers?

  “They tell me the land is mine and the house and all the tangible property I’ve inherited. The money, too.” He ran a hand through his hair. “But not the arms.”

  “Oh?”

  “It turns out I’m not entitled to the Williams coat of arms. That belongs to someone else.” He shrugged, a weak smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “I’m a fraud, Ginny. Not a landed gentleman after all. Just the son of a businessman and the grandson of a farmer.”

  Ginny watched him, realizing he must have known long before she did. It explained his brusque behavior towards her, his bad temper, and inattention. He had known and hadn’t known what to say until he clarified his situation.

  He stood up, reached into his pocket and came out with a small velvet box, then sank to one knee in front of her.

  “Knowing the truth, that I’m not who you thought I was, will you marry me, anyway?”

  “Marry you?” Ginny felt her throat tighten. For two years she’d been looking forward to this day. Now it was finally here, she found she didn’t know what she wanted.

  “Yes. Marry me, Ginny. I realize I haven’t been very affectionate towards you recently. I’m sorry about that.” He had turned on the charm.

  “I can offer you a home you can be proud of and a secure, comfortable financial situation. I can’t say too much now, but I expect to be quite well off in the future. You could have almost anything you want; jewels, travel, servants.” He smiled at her. “And me. All of me; my heart, my body, my time.” He took another deep breath. “I adore you, Ginny. Let me prove it. I will do whatever it takes.” He reached out and took her hands between his. “Marry me and make me the happiest non-armigerous man on earth.”

  Ginny couldn’t help laughing. It was almost too perfect to be true. He was gracefully confessing his disappointment and at the same time demonstrating his noble nature, the honor that demanded he level with her before she made up her mind.

  Ginny pulled herself together. “Oh Hal! The arms don’t matter!”

  He smiled at that and opened the velvet box to show her the ring. “It was my mother’s. She would want you to have it.”

  It was a blue star sapphire, edged in diamonds and set in gold. She touched it with her fingertip. “It’s lovely!”

  “Is that a ‘Yes’?”

  Her brow furrowed. “I need time to think.” She did need time, and a clear head, neither of which she had at the moment. “I had decided this day would never come. You’ve taken me by surprise.”

  He frowned. “I’ve been a fool, I admit it. You can add that to my list of failings. But you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “Hal—”

  “You want to talk it over with your mother, I know. I’ll wait.” He caught her left hand, slipped the ring on the third finger, then turned the hand over, kissed her palm, and closed her fingers around his kiss. “I’ll leave the ring with you until you make up your mind.”

  He leaned closer and Ginny was suddenly aware of the animal attraction that had first caught her attention. She found herself pulled up, into his arms, found his lips on hers and hers responding with no hesitation.

  He wrapped his arms around her. “You are the loveliest woman in the world. I haven’t told you that enough. I have told you how much I admire your mind, your quick wit, and your sense of humor. That you know. But there are nights when I dream of you, of holding you, of touching you. I feel hollow when I think of you and just as hollow when I think I might have to live without you. I want you by my side, Ginny, for always; my better half, my companion, my soulmate, my love.” He kissed her again, very gently, very sweetly, in just the way she liked. She felt her knees giving way.

  Ginny was glad he had his arms around her, glad of the support. There was no doubt he could charm the birds out of the trees. She leaned against him, putting her head down on his shoulder, feeling his arms encircle her, her heart pounding against his chest, and wondered what Dr. Armstrong would have said about this.

  * * *

  Chapter 45

  Saturday

  Tran answered on the third ring.

  “Detective, this is Jim Mackenzie. I have some additional information for you, about Professor Craig’s death.” Jim explained what his searching had uncovered.

  “You are of the opinion Mr. Williams is the murderer.”

  Put that baldly, and to a police official, Jim hesitated, but only for a second. “He had access to the virus and all three murder victims.”

  “I believe I heard you say he can be placed in the city where the death took place for two of the three murders.”

  “Yes.”

  “While you were in all three locations at the right time.”

  Jim swallowed hard. “Yes, but I know I didn’t do it. What’s more, the CDC can vouch for me. I never went anywhere near that virus.”

  He could hear her voice smile over the airways. “I am aware of that.”

  Jim breathed again. “So you believe me?”

  “We will have to confirm your information, but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.”

  “Wait! Please don’t hang up. Ginny isn’t answering her phone.”

  There was a moment’s silence on the other end of the line. “She is not at home?”

  “She’s supposed to be, with her mother taking care of her. Neither is answering.”

 
; “One moment, please.”

  Jim waited as patiently as he could.

  “GPS tracking shows her phone active and at the home address she gave us.”

  Jim licked dry lips. “What about Hal – Mr. Williams?”

  “One moment.”

  But Jim was already on his feet, collecting his keys and heading for the door. He was in the hall when she came back on the line.

  “Dr. Mackenzie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Mr. Williams’ phone is also showing at the Forbes residence.”

  Jim was out the door and in the parking lot before she finished speaking.

  “Thank you for that information, Detective Tran.” He slid behind the steering wheel. “I’m going over there to make sure she’s all right.”

  “That is not a good idea, Dr. Mackenzie.”

  Jim gritted his teeth, pulling out of the parking lot with one hand on the wheel, the other still on the phone. “Why not?”

  “If he is there and your suspicions are correct, you should let the police approach Mr. Williams.”

  “Fine. Send them along.”

  Detective Tran hesitated. “We have no evidence of a problem needing police intervention, yet.”

  Jim turned the car toward Ginny’s house. “Look, if I’m wrong, and I show up, and she’s safe, I have egg on my face, but nothing worse. But if I’m right—”

  “Why do you believe she is in danger?”

  “Because he tampered with her skate.”

  “We will not know if there is any evidence to tie Mr. Williams to that incident until Monday.”

  Jim took the corner a bit fast and had to navigate out of the way of the oncoming traffic.

  “Dr. Mackenzie?”

  Why was she arguing with him? Didn’t she understand the danger? Jim wracked his brain for something that would persuade her. “She’s not supposed to be alone with him.”