Chained

by Eileen Brady

  “I couldn’t agree more.” Betsy’s gentle grandmotherly features were pinched tight.

  Hoping to delay the play and continue the conversation, I pretended to rummage around for something in my purse. “I’m surprised to hear you say that. I thought he was very popular, especially with the opposite sex.”

  “Yes, he was. But he also filled my Denny’s head with nonsense. Running off to Hollywood. Can you imagine?” Betsy’s voice shook with anger.

  Missy vigorously nodded in agreement.

  “Hollywood?” I pretended to be shocked. “Why would they go to Hollywood?”

  An angry Missy spoke up. “It was all that troublemaker’s fault. Flynn had our Rusty convinced that he should drop out of pre-med. To be what? A photographer? We couldn’t talk him out of it.”

  “Denny was the same way. Saying he was going to ditch his summer job and college and head to California. The four of them were going to surf out there.”

  “Humppph.” Missy commented.

  “Surf. Can you imagine?”

  Betsy made surfing sound like a criminal act. The two women appeared awfully upset about events that happened over ten years ago, Missy, in particular. Without prompting, Rusty’s mother continued the tirade.

  “My husband wanted to kill Flynn for putting all those crazy ideas in our Rusty’s head. He’d been bragging to all his friends that our son was going to be the third generation of Lieberman doctors. I, for one, was overjoyed when Flynn left town without him.” Her hand went to her throat and straightened the collar of her shirtwaist dress.

  Our fourth member wisely kept silent.

  Betsy started dealing. “Funny you should say your husband was mad at Flynn. So was mine. Ed told me he wanted to knock some sense into the kid.”

  Missy glanced up from her cards. “Thank goodness both our boys wised up.”

  That got nods all around. Emotions began to die down.

  “I understand congratulations are in order,” I said to Missy. “Have your son and his fiancé set a date?”

  A withering glance was followed by a noncommittal “We’ll see about that.”

  “One club.” Betsy smiled and winked at me.

  Missy Lieberman made it clear to all using only body language that she wasn’t thrilled with her son’s engagement. Was she one of those moms who didn’t think anyone was good enough for her little boy? A mom determined to keep her adult son as close as possible? Maybe mommy was the real reason Dr. Rusty Lieberman had moved back to Oak Falls.

  As the bids went back and forth I found it hard to concentrate on bridge. That exchange between Betsy and Missy brought up an angle I never thought of. Could one or both husbands have acted on their anger? How crazy was the idea that one of those parents decided to escort Flynn out of town on a permanent basis?

  By the end of the evening I’d picked up a couple of recipes, a complaint from one of my clients, and plenty of gossip about who was sleeping with whom. Luke’s cousin kept to herself, so there were no updates on his relationship with Dina, and none of my other partners had anything to add about Flynn.

  As the Bridge Club members began to file out the door, I hung back to talk to Candy, our brave hostess.

  “Thank you for sitting me with Missy and Betsy tonight,” I told her as we picked up stray glasses and plates.

  “What did you think of Prissy Missy?” Spying a stray scorepad, she reached under the card table and retrieved it, gracefully completing the maneuver despite her high heels.

  Prissy Missy. Funny. “I think I would describe her as formidable.”

  Candy laughed. “Well, if you join any club around here you’re bound to run into her. She’s vice president of our Bridge Club, a member of the town planning board, and one of the founders of the Hudson Valley Gardening Association, among other things.”

  I stopped what I was doing. “Gardening?”

  “Why, yes. The old bat has a beautiful garden. In the summertime, I deliberately walk past her house just to smell the roses.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Thanks to the Bridge Club, I now knew that not everyone appreciated Flynn and his Hollywood dreams. After talking to the two moms, my desire to learn more about that turbulent summer became even stronger.

  My health insurance had been bugging me to name a local primary care physician. I realized that request provided the perfect opportunity to meet Dr. Rusty Lieberman. To my surprise, when I called his office, I was offered an appointment the following day. To prepare, I waylaid Cindy after work and asked her to update me on Rusty. In a hurry to get home, she briefly recited the facts: he’d gone to medical school, gotten engaged to a local girl, and had recently moved back to Oak Falls to join his father’s family medicine practice.

  “Rusty’s a great guy. Good doctor and easy to talk to,” she’d added gathering up her things. “His mom is super thrilled he came back to town.”

  “Their practice is next to the hospital in Kingston, right?”

  “That’s the one.” We walked together, turning lights out as we went.

  “Did you know him growing up?”

  She stopped to retrieve her keys. “I was older than him by two years, so we didn’t hang out. From what I remember he had a reputation for being smart but shy.”

  “Not a troublemaker?”

  “Never—unless he was hanging out with Flynn and the other guys. That was a different story.”

  “Did they ever get arrested?” Maybe Luke knew if any of them had a juvenile record. I opened the front door and we stepped out into the parking lot. The gray sky hung over us like a wet blanket.

  “Nothing like that.” Cindy laughed. “They were pranksters. Putting a bra on the statue of FDR outside the auditorium. Showing up at a basketball game in bathing suits and flip-flops. Nothing serious. Even the principal let them off with warnings most of the time.”

  “And the townspeople. How did they react?”

  Her car door clicked open and she placed her purse and briefcase into the backseat. “Honestly, most of us wished we had the guts to do some of those things when we were in high school.”

  I felt pretty cold standing out there with no coat, so I wished Cindy a good night.

  She rolled down the window and added one last thing.

  “You know, Kate. That gang of his would have done anything for him, including committing murder.”

  ***

  Nine the next morning found me in the waiting room of the Mountain Vista Family Practice. Soft-blue walls and big oak chairs gave it a feeling of stability. Professional quality black-and-white photographs of local scenes decorated the walls. A water cooler gurgled when a mom let her daughter fill a paper cup. Calm instrumental music mixed with New Age nature tracks played softly in the background. I wondered if the son was the person responsible for the modern feel of the office. Nate mentioned Rusty loved photography, and the examples on the walls were excellent. In keeping with the gentle theme, the entire staff wore coordinated uniforms in a soothing gray-green. Someone here ran an efficient and very tight ship.

  I listened to the receptionist question a patient about her insurance. After a few moments someone else, probably a manager, came in to clarify something. Through the glass separating the receptionist from the waiting patients I noticed a pretty dark-haired woman appear from the back of the clinic. Judging from the behind-the-scene dynamics, the newcomer seemed to be in control.

  “Dr. Turner?” Standing in the doorway that said “Employees Only,” a middle-aged nurse in scrubs called my name. She held a chart in her hand and asked me to follow her.

  After the usual questions concerning my medical history, a weigh-in, temperature- and blood-pressure check, I was left to marinate in the modern, but sterile, exam room. Various posters of anatomical drawings of hearts, kidneys, and ears hung at eye level daring you to study them and imagin
e the worst.

  When the door opened after a quick knock, Dr. Rusty Lieberman caught me checking my phone messages.

  The man in the white coat who entered looked about the same as in the old picture—tall, lanky, with a quiet unassuming presence. Only his hairstyle had changed. Now his curly red locks were cropped close to the scalp.

  “Dr. Turner. It’s nice to finally meet you. Are they working you hard at Doc Anderson’s place?”

  I shook his cool, dry hand. “Definitely. Although it should die down as winter settles in.”

  “That’s when we get busy. Flu, pneumonia, slipping on the ice, heart attacks from shoveling snow—you name it.” He sat down at the desk and consulted the computer screen. “So what can we do for you today?”

  I’d rehearsed my story ahead of time. “Because of the move here to Oak Falls I need to designate a local primary care physician for my insurance. I’m pretty healthy, for the most part.”

  His eyes didn’t move from the monitor. “A wellness check?”

  “Yes. I suppose you could call it that.”

  What quickly followed was a review of the paperwork I’d filled out with a few questions detailing my family’s health issues. When he noted my brother and mother had died in a car accident, Dr. Rusty accepted it as part of my medical history with no condolences offered. A few basic questions about diet and daily exercise and we were done.

  “Can you get up on the table, please?”

  The warmth of personality Cindy had described escaped me.

  Fully clothed I slipped onto the paper covering and received a brief and, to my mind, perfunctory, checkup. He listened to my heart for about thirty seconds, and lightly palpated my thyroid gland. By contrast, my head-to-toe everyday veterinary exam on my furry patients was a bargain.

  “Are you on any medications or supplements?” He gestured to me that I could get off the table and back into my original seat next to the desk.

  “Only a multivitamin when I remember to take it. Periodically, ibuprofen as needed.” If Dr. Rusty was truly interested in my health, I didn’t see it.

  “Anything else I can do for you today?” For the first time he looked up from his computer and gave me a brief smile. The vague thought that this was his normal routine with healthy patients crossed my mind.

  “If you have a moment I’d like to ask you a few questions about your friend who passed away, Flynn Keegan.”

  Astonishment was followed by something guarded in his eyes. “And the reason is?”

  “His family asked me to look into the last few days of his life. Since you were one of his closest friends, I naturally wanted to hear what you had to say.” My instincts told me he was a reluctant witness so I ramped up the pressure. “Flynn’s little sister is particularly concerned and upset.”

  “Fiona?” The professional demeanor began to fade to reveal a tiny glimpse of someone else behind the medical mask.

  “Yes. I’ve already spoken to Nate, who was very helpful.”

  The change that came over Rusty was remarkable. His body relaxed in front of me and, for the first time, his pale blue eyes held my gaze for longer than a second.

  “I’d be glad to help.”

  I didn’t have the luxury or time to mince words. “Do you know anyone who might have wanted to harm Flynn?”

  “Harm him?” A broad smile flashed across his face and ten years dropped away. “Everyone loved the guy. Maybe some people were jealous of him, but you couldn’t stay mad at him for long.”

  Nothing new learned, only more of the same old stuff. “What about girls? Did he steal anyone’s girlfriend?”

  “I vaguely remember that some biker thought so.” The memory made him pause for a moment. “This is a bit hard to explain. Flynn liked women, don’t get me wrong, but he always made it clear he didn’t want to get serious.”

  I frowned. “A ladies man?”

  “No. Not at all.” Rusty rolled his chair away from the desk. “A little more complex than that. He knew he wasn’t going to stay in Oak Falls. Always knew that from the time we were kids. My gut says Flynn didn’t want to be tied down.”

  “Tied down?”

  “Yeah, tied down like all the rest of us.” He struggled to explain. “Nate knew if he didn’t get off his ass, he’d end up working in his parents’ store. Denny, well, Denny was a go-getter, wanted to make money right away. Even in high school he took a job working at his uncle’s used car lot after school and on weekends.”

  “What about you?”

  Arms raised, he gestured to the exam room. “My family assumed I’d be following in my father’s footsteps. That’s all I heard my entire life. You’re going to be the third generation of Lieberman doctors.”

  Something puzzled me. “Someone told me all of you wanted to go out to Hollywood together and strike it rich.”

  “You know kids,” he replied. “Big dreams.” A wistful look filled his eyes. “Flynn was destined for stardom, we all knew that. All of us made crazy plans. Who doesn’t at that age?” In that moment Rusty came fully alive, his gestures open, emotional, unguarded. “I tell you what,” he leaned forward toward me. “Those days were the best days of my life.”

  “So when was the last time you saw Flynn?”

  “I don’t really like thinking about this part.” His entire demeanor changed from relaxed to slightly agitated.

  “I’m sure it’s difficult for all of his friends.”

  He abruptly leaned back in his chair, a look of concentration on his face. “I’m pretty sure I drove past him the afternoon he left, but that’s only a vague recollection. My mom had me doing a bunch of errands for her that day.”

  “Errands? What kind of errands?”

  “As best as I can remember she made me drop stuff off at Goodwill, pick up something at the nursery, and I think my last stop was the grocery store. I’m not really positive on that.” His right knee unconsciously jiggled up and down.

  A quick knock on the door interrupted us. The dark-haired woman I assumed was the manager poked her head in. “I’m so sorry to bother you, Doctor, but there’s an important call from Kingston Hospital regarding an admission.”

  “Thank you, Shiloh. Tell them to hold for a moment.”

  “Certainly.” She hesitated a second before closing the door.

  As he stood to leave I said, “I’m surprised you guys remember anything after all this time.”

  Rusty appeared to have regained his professional manner, all traces of emotion wiped away. “There’s a reason for that. We were all so astonished when he left, we compared notes several times, so it stuck in my memory.” Abruptly he stopped. “Anyway, it was nice meeting you. Take care.” After a quick handshake he was gone.

  I didn’t know what to make of my interview. On the one hand, Dr. Rusty’s professional bedside manner was a bit cool. But then talking about the past, he’d thawed in front of my eyes and become more human and vulnerable. Did I see any anger in him? No. Was he upset and sad about Flynn and his final days? Definitely. Rusty appeared to be a gentle soul who cared deeply about his friend.

  Halfway to the truck I heard my name called.

  “Dr. Turner.”

  Someone waved. I recognized Rusty’s office manager. When she caught up to me I noticed she hadn’t stopped to put on a coat.

  “Dr. Turner. You forgot your insurance card.”

  Sure enough, she handed it to me with a smile.

  “Thank you so much…”

  “Shiloh Alberts.”

  That name sounded familiar. “Thank you again, Shiloh.” Then it hit me. “You aren’t the Shiloh who was Flynn Keegan’s date at the prom ten years ago?”

  She stared at me as though I were insane. Her arms wrapped around themselves as she attempted to stay warm. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

  The parking lot was no place fo
r the kind of conversation I wanted to have with her. “I’m checking into some things for Flynn’s family. I’ve got to get back to my office, but if you don’t mind, I’ll give you a call.”

  “Sure.” Her lovely face hinted at more questions unasked.

  “Thanks again.” I held my card up. “Hurry inside. I wouldn’t want you to catch a cold on my account.”

  Her smile showed perfect teeth. “Don’t worry. I’m around sick people all the time and never get sick. Born under a lucky star, I guess.”

  We said our good-byes and I watched her run back into the building. A few moments later, while waiting to pull out into traffic, I glanced at the engraved metal sign in front of the clinic. Mountain Vista Family Practice. It’s true that Rusty didn’t show much anger about Flynn leaving for L.A. without his gang. But I’ve learned one thing from my amateur investigations….

  Appearances can be deceiving

  Chapter Seventeen

  On Monday the skies cleared up as if they were welcoming Jeremy to Oak Falls. Yes, the big day had finally arrived. The entire staff of the animal hospital buzzed with anticipation, while I felt a little knot in my stomach. I’d run around all weekend grocery shopping, getting a second set of towels, straightening up the house once more, and even cleaning the inside of the refrigerator. At the last minute I picked up my extra stuff and shoved it in the closet because I remembered how neat Jeremy tended to be when we were students together.

  This is supposed to be fun, I kept reminding myself. Don’t make it a big deal.

  Despite the ruckus around me with the staff staring at every unknown man who came through the door all day, I still had patients to see. Usually I scanned through my appointment list ahead of time but today I’d been too rushed. Which is why I was unprepared for one of my late afternoon appointments.

  “Hello, Kate.” Luke Gianetti stood up when I came in the exam room. His dark eyes gave me a jolt I didn’t expect.

  “Uh. Hi.” That was the best I could do? We hadn’t really been in communication since his unexpected and extremely short Chinese food visit. “What brings you here? Is something wrong with Gatto?” Luke often brought in his grandmother’s elderly cat for me to see.