Murder By Duplicity

by B. T. Lord

  “I’ll drive you home,” he said.

  She adamantly shook her head. “No. You’re needed here. I’ll be fine. I just need some time alone to absorb all of this.” She slowly got to her feet. “If you need to ask me anymore questions, Sheriff, you know where to find me.” When she was gone, Bill stood up.

  “I think I should go with her. You know, make sure she’s alright.”

  “It’s okay, Bill.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked nervously.

  “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the entire county knows you and Margo have been sleeping together for years.”

  “I resent the implications that I would have a relationship with my employee!” he blustered. However, one look from Cammie and he saw it was useless to continue to protest. “The entire county?” he asked. She nodded. “Shit,” he mumbled.

  “Don’t sweat it. You’re a widower. And everyone thought Margo was divorced. You’re two consenting adults. You’re allowed to do the horizontal as long as it doesn’t impact your job or hers.”

  He raised a puzzled eyebrow. “Do the what?”

  “I’ve really got to stop hanging around Rick so much,” she muttered under her breath. “Now suppose you tell me about your relationship with George Peabody. And,” she added before he could speak. “I don’t want the politician’s version. I want the truth.”

  He sat staring at his hands for a long moment. Then uttered a deep sigh. “George Peabody was a son of a bitch who gave me the worst fight of my political career. He was promising everyone anything and everything – things that he could never possibly deliver on. At first I thought people would see through his lies.”

  “What about him being a racist?” She asked.

  “All of that came out after the election. Can you imagine what that would have done to the reputation of this town? Of this county?”

  “It must have hurt you deeply when he almost won,” she commented quietly.

  “You have no idea.” He glanced at her from beneath his brow. “I’ll be honest with you, Cammie. The fact that the townspeople could allow themselves to be so shamelessly manipulated and be ready to believe the lies he was spreading about me…well, I was so disgusted, I was ready to pack it all in and leave Twin Ponds. But I’d been elected to do a job and by God, I wasn’t going to allow my personal feelings to interfere with my responsibilities, especially to those who did vote for me.”

  “What exactly was he saying about you?”

  “He accused me of using town funds for my own personal use. Why in heavens name would I do that? My family has been wealthy for generations. The last thing I’d do or need to do is dip into the till. When that particular accusation got nowhere, he then began to accuse me of receiving kick-backs in exchange for awarding contracts to certain businesses. Again, I ask you, why would I do something so idiotic and so unnecessary? And need I add, illegal?”

  She could see that despite the passage of ten years, he was still angry and upset over the accusations. With his face turning a deep crimson, she was afraid he was working himself up into a coronary.

  “When was the last time you saw George?” she quickly asked in an effort to calm him.

  “The next day after the election, when he gave his concession speech. I admit, it was glorious to see him admit defeat. Two weeks later, Margo told me he’d left town to move to Bangor.”

  “So all this time you’ve thought he was in Bangor as well?”

  “Of course. I had no reason to think otherwise.”

  Cammie took her time asking the next question. “Bill, do you think George knew about your relationship with Margo?”

  He scowled at her. “Impossible, because there was no relationship with Margo. Not then anyway.”

  “When did your relationship begin?”

  “For God’s sakes, Cammie!” he exclaimed angrily.

  “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need to know.”

  “Why? Are you accusing Margo of murdering her own husband? Damn it, are you accusing me of murdering her husband?”

  “I’m not accusing anyone of anything.” Not yet anyway. “But I do need to know.”

  Bill let out an exasperated sigh. “It wasn’t until at least six months after George left that we realized we had feelings for each other.”

  “Did you not believe George was coming back?”

  “It didn’t matter if he did or didn’t. The marriage was over.”

  “Yet Margo didn’t seek a divorce.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “George was gone. It didn’t seem all that important anymore.”

  Cammie met his gaze and kept it until he looked away. She then stood up. “Well, thank you for your time. It was a huge help. And if I were you, I’d give Margo at least until tomorrow before you call her.” She started towards the door. Just as she put her hand on the knob, she turned around. “There’s actually one more thing I need to ask before I go.”

  “And that is?” Bill questioned as he started back towards his desk.

  “Why did you lie to me when you said you didn’t know who the skeleton was? And why didn’t you admit that you knew exactly who the cuff link belonged to?”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “What the Christ are you talking about now?” he bellowed defensively.

  “Bill, ever since the skeleton was found, you’ve been acting jittery. I think you’ve been kicking yourself ever since you let slip at Eli’s memorial that you knew who the skeleton was. And I hate to break this to you, but when you’re upset about something, you can’t hide it, not only on your face, but in your body language. I thought you were going to faint when you saw the cufflink in my office.”

  Bill narrowed his eyes at her. “As I explained to you before, I thought the skeleton might be a dead logger or a Native American. Like Margo and everyone else in this town, I believed George left Twin Ponds after the election. Not only because he lost, but because his marriage was over.”

  He stood up and stomped over to where she stood. She was taller than him by a few inches, but that didn’t stop him from bringing himself up to his full height as he tried to intimidate her. “I resent your feeble attempts to pin this murder on me. I had absolutely no motive to kill him. Nor did Margo. If you continue to harass either one of us, I will have your badge.”

  It wasn’t the first time he’d threatened to take away her badge. It seemed as though every three months or so, he was threatening to take it away. Like most Twin Ponders, she’d learned to ignore his threats. She did, however, decide not to continue her questioning. He was too upset and uncooperative and she knew she’d get nowhere with him.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you,” she offered. “But you did order me to get this murder solved ASAP.” He opened his mouth to roar at her when she added, “I’m kidding. But part of my job does involve looking at this from all angles. Even if some of those angles make you uncomfortable.”

  “Well, that particular angle is wrong. And I will not allow you to besmirch mine or Margo’s reputation. Now if you have nothing else, I suggest you leave. I have to get ready for a speech I’m giving this week.”

  “To whom?”

  “To a group of our local businessmen. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

  He turned his back on her and walked towards his desk where he sat down and deliberately started working on his computer.

  Cammie watched him for a moment before slowly letting herself out.

  As she walked down the corridor, she reflected on the fact that although Bill tried to deflect her by his bombastic, aggressive nature, he couldn’t hide the fact that his hands were shaking when he sat down.

  You know a lot more than you’re willing to admit. And somehow, someway, I’m going to get to the bottom of this. Even if it costs me my job.

  She had to pass Mike Endicott’s office on her way back to HQ. As Twin Ponds’ jack of all trades lawyer, he was kept busy. She went inside and found Evelyn Mason typing away at her computer. She looked up as Cammie
approached her desk.

  “If you’re here to see Mike, I’m afraid he went off to visit a client. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”

  “It’s actually you I wanted to see.”

  Evelyn was Emmy’s aunt – her mother’s sister. There was a slight family resemblance, as well as the familial tendency towards plumpness. Like her niece, Evelyn was briskly efficient. She turned away from the computer and gave Cammie her undivided attention.

  “I can’t imagine what you’d want to see me for,” she replied calmly.

  “I understand that you once worked for George Peabody.”

  “Ah,” she said. She laced her fingers together and rested them on the desk in front of her. “So the skeleton found in the forest belonged to Mr. Peabody?”

  Cammie took the picture out of her pocket and placed it in front of Evelyn. She looked down at it, then closed her eyes. “Oh dear,” she murmured.

  “How long did you work for him?”

  “From the moment he set up shop in Twin Ponds. About two years before he left.”

  “And you were his office manager?”

  She nodded. “I basically ran the office, freeing him to concentrate on his clients.”

  “What was he like to work for?”

  Evelyn flicked her thumbnails together. “He was demanding, but not in a bad way. He expected excellence and gave that to all his clients.”

  “Why do you think he left town?”

  She looked slightly surprised at the question. “He received a better job offer.”

  “You don’t think it had anything to do with him losing the mayoral election?”

  Evelyn hesitated for a moment. “Well, let me put it this way. I wasn’t surprised when he informed me he was leaving Twin Ponds.”

  “Did he tell you where he was going?”

  “He said he was moving to Bangor because he’d gotten a position with a prestigious accounting firm. But I’m afraid he never gave me the name of the company, nor did he leave me a forwarding address.”

  “You didn’t think that was odd? I mean, you ran his office. What if there were loose ends you needed to contact him about?”

  “Mr. Peabody was very thorough in closing up his business here.”

  Cammie looked at Evelyn. “And?” she prompted. The woman’s mouth settled into a thin line. “Evelyn, if I’m going to figure out what happened to George, I need you to answer my questions.”

  “It’s just conjecture on my part.”

  “That’s okay. With the exception of his wife, you were probably the closest person to George. Your impressions of what he was going through those last few weeks before he left Twin Ponds are invaluable.”

  This seemed to pacify her. She sat back in her chair, though she kept her hands tightly folded before her. “It seemed to me that he couldn’t wait to leave. It was as though he was more than ready to move on with his life, especially after the election loss.” She looked up and met Cammie’s eye. “He only lost by 15 votes.”

  “How long after the election did he tell you he was leaving?”

  “I believe it was two days later.”

  “His leaving basically left you out of a job.”

  “Actually, it didn’t. As I said earlier, Mr. Peabody was a very thorough man. He not only found me another job, he gave me stellar references in case I didn’t find the new job to my liking. He also gave me an extra three months wages to tide me over if I decided to take my time finding another position.”

  “That was very generous of him,” Cammie replied.

  “He treasured loyalty and hard work.”

  “Did you ever speak or see him again after he left?”

  “No, I did not.”

  “What about his wife? What were your dealings with her?”

  Evelyn said nothing, but she pursed her lips as though she’d just sucked on a lemon. Instead she asked, “Was Mr. Peabody murdered?”

  “Yes, he was.”

  Evelyn closed her eyes again and took a deep breath as if to steady herself. “I can’t imagine what my personal feelings about Mrs. Peabody could do to help.” Her eyes widened, “Unless you think--”

  “We have no suspects at the moment. Right now I’m just trying to get a feel for everyone in George’s life from those who knew him and Margo.”

  Evelyn paused for a long moment, as if she was weighing what she would and would not say. Finally, she met Cammie’s gaze. “Emmy speaks highly of your integrity. I know you won’t misuse what I say here.” She leaned forward, her intertwined hands tightening even more until her knuckles turned white.

  “Mrs. Peabody was what the young people today call ‘high maintenance’. Whenever she called, she expected Mr. Peabody to pick up her call immediately, no matter what he was doing. If he didn’t, she made sure to make her displeasure known, not only to him, but to me as well. She also expected me to take care of her personal errands.”

  “Like what?”

  “Picking up her dry cleaning, ordering the home heating oil, getting the necessary repairmen whenever anything broke down, things of that nature.”

  “So she was basically using you as her own servant?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did George think about all of that?”

  “Oh, he wasn’t happy about it. He was constantly apologizing to me for her behavior.”

  “So why do you think he refused to put a stop to it?”

  “Because she held the purse strings. She’d come from a wealthy family and was accustomed to having all her needs and wants taken care of by others. It was she who put up the money for Mr. Peabody to open his office. She was also the one who paid for his expensive suits and comfortable lifestyle.”

  “If Mrs. Peabody was paying for everything, do you think George used the money he was earning to move to Bangor?”

  Once again, Evelyn hesitated. And once more Cammie patiently cajoled her to respond. “I – I kept the office books. And I have no proof to back up what I’m about to say. It’s just a feeling I had. But I believe Mr. Peabody was addicted to online gambling. The money to pay my salary, to pay for the office expenses and rent – it all seemed to come from Mrs. Peabody.”

  “Did you actually see him playing online?”

  She nodded. “It was late one night. I was returning from visiting my sister when I saw the lights were on in the office. I was naturally concerned that something may have come up that he needed my help on. I had the keys and let myself in. I could hear him typing away on his computer. When I stuck my head in, I saw he was in the middle of a poker game. Now, I’d been wondering where all the money was going to; we were doing quite well, yet the business account always seemed to be low on funds. That night all the pieces fell into place.”

  “You didn’t say anything?”

  “Why would I? His gambling didn’t interfere with the quality of his work. And as long as Mrs. Peabody was footing the bills and my salary…”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t quit after being treated the way you were by Mrs. Peabody.”

  “I liked Mr. Peabody. He was a decent man in a difficult situation. And he made it up to me by paying me much more than I would have made anywhere else.”

  “Evelyn, what did you make of George’s racism?”

  She jerked her head up in surprise. “Racism?”

  “Some people have said that he wasn’t favorably disposed to anyone who wasn’t white.”

  Evelyn sat back in her chair. “That is an outright lie and whoever told you that should be horsewhipped!” She snapped. “There was not one ounce of racism in George Peabody. Believe me, if there was, he never would have gotten all the votes he did.”

  Cammie stayed calm in the face of her indignation. “Thank you for clearing that up for me. And thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.” She got up and paused. “What kind of mayor do you think George would have made?”

  “He would have been the kind who made sure to preserve what it is that makes Twin Ponds special,
not pave it over with hotels, highways and God knows what else.”

  “Were you surprised when you found out he was running for mayor?”

  “I have to admit, it did seem to come out of the blue. But once he made his platform clear, I applauded his decision and understood his need to stop what was basically turning into a dictatorship.” When Cammie raised a surprised eyebrow, she continued. “Don’t misunderstand me. Bill Barnes may be a benevolent dictator, but a dictator he is nevertheless. Why, he’s been mayor for over twenty-five years. Twin Ponds is long overdue for a change. I’m just sorry George Peabody wasn’t allowed to be that change.”

  When she got back to HQ, she shared details of her conversations with Rick and Emmy. “I’d like both of you to dig up what you can on George’s background, bank accounts, phone records, the whole nine yards. Also, see what you can find out about Margo’s background as well. Emmy, your aunt said she came from money. I’d like to know what they were doing before they moved to Twin Ponds. As for George, see what you can find out on his movements. Both Evelyn and Margo told me he moved to Bangor about two weeks after the election. See what you can discover about his time there. Where he lived, where he worked. He supposedly went to some prestigious accounting firm. There shouldn’t be so many in Bangor that you can’t track him down. They also mentioned he had a gambling addiction. See if you can track down anything on that. While you’re both busy, I’m going to see Mac. That election sounded interesting enough that I’m sure he covered it thoroughly in the Gazette. I want to see what was and wasn’t said.”

  When Cammie left, Rick turned to Emmy. “She’s excited about this one, I can tell. She doesn’t usually bark orders like that unless she’s plugged into it.”

  “Why do you think she is?”

  He smiled. “Don’t get me wrong. I know she likes Bill. But he could stand with a little pricking of his pompous balloon. And she’s just the person to do it.”

  All the preparations were complete. She’d gone over them several times. However, it didn’t hurt to say one more incantation to make sure it stuck. There was nothing worse than having a spell fizzle out because she didn’t put enough of her intention into it.