Evil in the 1st House

by Mitchell Scott Lewis

  Lowell took out his cell phone. “Perhaps I can help.”

  He called Melinda. “It’s me. I’m at the hospital in New Jersey and there’s been a terrible accident. Dr. Williamson fell out of a window and is dead. I have Dr. Meltzer here and I need you to talk to him. We need to transplant Williamson’s heart into his son Edward as soon as possible, and there may be some legal problems you should discuss with Dr. Meltzer. The boy’s mother is here and prepared to okay the operation.”

  He handed the phone to Meltzer. After a brief conversation and a number of grunts and I sees, he handed the phone back to Lowell.

  Meltzer turned to Gloria. “And you’re his mother?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you agree to this operation?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Well, this is most…fortuitous.” He picked up the phone and pushed two numbers. “Get me Dr. Williamson’s medical records and a release form for a heart transplant STAT. And I need someone who can assist in a transplant.” He was about to hang up. “Oh, and get me an anesthesiologist.”

  He hung up. “You know there is no guarantee that his body will accept the new heart, although being a parent increases the chances that the HLA markers will match. The boy’s chest cavity appears to be large enough to accommodate his father’s heart.” He turned toward Gloria. “Even if the operation is successful your boy will probably have to take autoimmune drugs for the rest of his life.”

  Gloria nodded.

  “They’re very expensive,” said the doctor.

  She sighed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  Lowell took her hand. “Please don’t worry about that now. One thing at a time. Let’s just get through this procedure.”

  Another nurse brought up the necessary paperwork for Gloria’s signature.

  Dr. Meltzer went into the operating room and returned about fifteen minutes later. He shook his head. “I’m not completely satisfied that everything is on the up and up. I don’t know what’s going on. It isn’t like Edgar to make such a grievous mistake. But I’ve seen the medical situation, and that boy in there desperately needs a new heart soon or he will die. His father has suddenly become a donor, and there is nothing else I can do but perform this operation. The blood work shows compatibility and there is every possibility that it will be successful.” He headed toward the scrub room. “Now if you’ll forgive me I have a transplant to see to.”

  Chapter Forty-five

  The operation was a success. Edward was in recovery and doing well when Lowell and Melinda came in the next day.

  Gloria and Kevin were sitting in the waiting room. She stood and walked over to Lowell.

  “May I speak with you over here for a moment?” she asked.

  They walked over to the window. The hospital grounds were vast, with rows of trees and roaming meadows spread out over a dozen acres. To have a backyard like this, thought Lowell.

  Gloria took his arm. “I haven’t told Kevin about how his father died.”

  Lowell nodded.

  “I was wondering if you had any advice. I mean, how do I tell my boys that I killed their father?”

  Lowell sighed. “You didn’t kill him. It was an accident. You didn’t set out to do him harm, you just reacted to the situation. I don’t think you ever do tell the boys about your part in it. I know it’s going to be difficult to live with this hanging over your head for the rest of your life, but truthfully, what would be the point? It would upset them both and do nothing to change the situation.”

  “But…” she began.

  Lowell held up his hand. “Only you and I know what happened. I’ve told my daughter, but she was acting as council and anything I said is attorney-client privilege and will never be repeated. You did what you had to do to save your child’s life. Things occurred because of your husband’s actions and it is his karma that they turned out the way they did. The spiritual bank books had to be balanced, and your husband’s transplanted heart kept your children alive and your family together. There’s nothing to be gained by confessing now, except a somewhat selfish desire to cleanse yourself of something that doesn’t need cleansing. This will all work itself out through the years and future lifetimes.”

  “It will be hard. I’m a very honest person.”

  “I know,” said the astrologer. “But who would benefit from it? If you were removed from the home, these boys wouldn’t have a parental figure to help them as they enter adulthood. They both will need you very much, Edward especially.”

  She nodded. “I suppose you’re right.”

  Then she dropped her hands into her lap. She looked down at them, seeming quite sheepish once again after her burst of strength and conviction the day before. “I don’t know how I’m going to raise them. Edward’s medication is terribly expensive, even if I can get health insurance.”

  “First things first. Get Edward on the road to recovery and then we’ll deal with everything else. I want you to come to my office in a few days.” He motioned to Melinda. “I’d like you to talk to my daughter for a few moments.”

  Melinda walked over. “Mrs. Williamson, how are holding up?”

  “Gloria, please. I…I don’t know how I’m holding up, to be honest. This has all been so much to take in. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t seen my husband or my other son for almost fifteen years. Now I suddenly I have my boy back with me. And Edgar is…”

  She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Oh, I’ll never forget that moment when I realized that he meant to take my Kevin’s life.” She opened her eyes and looked at Lowell. “No, I won’t tell the boys what happened. You’re right. I did exactly what I had to do. Sometimes it’s just that clear, isn’t it?”

  “Sometimes,” said Lowell. “My daughter will take care of your legal matters in the aftermath of your husband’s death and the transplant. She specializes in criminal law, and will see you through the next few weeks. Once this is all behind you, she’ll recommend someone who would be better for your day-to-day matters.”

  Melinda took out her card. “Call me anytime you need me. This may not go away for some time, and you will probably be called in again by the authorities. I’ll be there whenever you’re being questioned. And I’ll also look over the legal papers.”

  And there would be questions, many of them.

  As they were leaving Lowell handed a check to Melinda. “I want to give you another retainer to act as Gloria’s attorney.”

  “Dad.”

  She looked at it. It was made out in the amount of five dollars.

  “Is that okay?”

  She smiled. “That’s fine.”

  Chapter Forty-six

  Lowell entered Roland’s office. The lieutenant was slugging down a cup of coffee, a grimace on his face. “Awful stuff,” he said as Lowell sat.

  “Want some?” asked the cop.

  Lowell shook his head.

  “Oh that’s right,” said Roland. “You never drink it after noon.”

  Lowell smiled. “There are some exceptions. But not today, thank you.”

  “What can I do for you, David?”

  “I have some information that might be valuable.”

  Lowell told Roland about Williamson’s almost confession to hiring McFarley to murder Karen’s uncle. He also told him about the thumb drive and questionable genetic patents.

  “What I know about genetics wouldn’t fill a match book,” said Roland. “I’ll leave all that up to the DA’s office. I catch killers and jaywalkers. Let someone else deal with the twenty-first century. So Williamson’s dead. What a strange turn of events, wouldn’t you say?”

  Lowell shrugged. “It was an untimely death.” He left out any mention of Gloria’s role in his demise.

  “Yes, but it seems quite fortunate for his son.”

  “Yes,” said Lowell, “it did work out strangely ba
lanced in some ways.”

  “You still have a problem on your hands, you know.”

  “McFarley.” There was disgust in Lowell’s voice.

  Roland looked troubled. “McFarley is a tough case,” he said, as he downed the last of his coffee. “We’ve had no luck finding him, and from what I can gather, he was very indebted to Williamson.”

  Lowell uncrossed his legs and stretched them out in front of him. Lately his right knee and hip had been giving him some trouble and he frequently needed to extend that leg out. “You didn’t learn anything at the hospital?”

  “No,” Roland ran his hands through his hair. “Not much. Apparently Williamson saved his life years ago when he was badly cut up in a street brawl.”

  “That’s when he got the scar on his face?”

  “That’s right,” said Roland. “Williamson stitched him up and prevented him from bleeding to death. He didn’t charge him. Ever since then McFarley has done favors for the good doctor. In fact, Williamson had scheduled plastic surgery to fix the scar.”

  Lowell nodded. “I guess that’ll have to wait. So what now?”

  The policeman leaned back in his chair. “Now you have to watch your back.”

  “For how long?”

  The cop wasn’t enjoying this at all. “I don’t know.”

  “You know, Phil, I can’t live in fear for the rest of my life.”

  “I know. But there’s little else we can do. It could take years to catch him.”

  Lowell thought for a moment. “How devoted do you think McFarley was to Williamson?”

  “No way of knowing. I suppose he felt some loyalty, though how much honor a professional killer and low life like him can have is a good topic for debate. You’re gonna have to be careful until we can get him.”

  “And how about my extended family? If he’s angry enough about the doctor’s death, he may try to take it out on those closest to me.”

  Roland frowned. “It’s a tough business you’re in, as you know.

  Lowell got up and walked to the window. Roland’s office looked out over the busy side street. People were scurrying here and there, caught up in their own personal dramas. He turned to Roland.

  “Phil, we’ve known each other for some time now. Have you ever wondered…”

  “If it’s all worthwhile?” asked the cop.

  Lowell nodded.

  “David, I chose this profession for a number of reasons. I like being an authority figure and I get a lot of pleasure out of helping others. And frankly, I’m not cut out for much else. This is what I’m good at. Also the pension and benefits are better than I could have gotten in private work. I’m not sure why you do it. You’ve obviously got more money than you need and could choose a different path.”

  “I suppose there are a number of reasons. Sarah has appointed herself my shrink. Maybe you should ask her.” He laughed.

  Roland smiled. “We’ll keep the APB on for McFarley and I’ll keep you posted if we hear anything.”

  Lowell got up to leave. “That’s not good enough.”

  Roland nodded. “I didn’t think it would be. Be careful, you’ve got a viper on your trail.”

  Lowell had his hand on the doorknob. He turned back to the policeman. “You can’t live in fear.”

  “No,” said Roland. “That’s not living at all.”

  Lowell nodded to Roland, opened the door, and left.

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Lowell was at his desk looking over the day’s trades when Sarah buzzed.

  The door opened and Gloria entered. She seemed to walk a little taller and straighter.

  Lowell stood. “Please sit down.”

  Her hands were still fidgety as she sat in the client’s chair, but not as shaky. “I want to thank you for everything you did for me and my boys. It was a godsend that my husband found you.”

  “I’m very glad I could help. How is Edward?”

  “He’s doing okay. The doctors think he’ll accept the new heart and be able to live a fairly normal life.”

  “What about you?”

  “My nursing job ended. The old man died. And anyway, I have to find a job in my own name. It’ll be difficult to explain the fifteen-year gap in my employment record. Right now I’m working at a local grocery store. The pay isn’t much, and there are no benefits, but we’ll get by.” She stopped for a moment. “I don’t know what I’m going to do about Edward’s medicine. It’s so expensive.” A tear rode down her face. She brushed it away with a finger.

  “Did you get health insurance?”

  “Not yet. I’ll try to get some kind of policy.”

  “I understand.” He tugged on his ponytail. “Gloria, I have something for you.”

  She put a hand up. “I won’t accept charity.”

  Lowell nodded and sat back in his chair. His admiration for this woman continued to grow. “I wouldn’t offer it. Your husband gave me something to hold for you in case something unexpected happened.”

  She looked shocked. “He did?”

  “It was actually for Edward, but now it’s for your entire family.”

  “What could he have given you?”

  “Well, you do know that he was a narcissist, what an astrologer would call a person with 1st house issues, who thought of his offspring as the living extension of himself.”

  She nodded. “I took courses in psychology in nursing school.”

  He bent down and picked up the brown leather briefcase Williamson had given him weeks before and placed it on the desk in front of her. “Your husband probably assumed there could be some difficulty in his scheme, although I doubt that he expected the results to be what they were. Still, he must have had some trepidation, because he had a contingency plan and left this with me when we first met.”

  She held the briefcase. “What is it?”

  “Open it.”

  She clicked open the latches and sat staring at the crisp hundred-dollar bills. “Oh my God! How much money is this?”

  “One million dollars.”

  She sat silently for a few moments still staring down at the money. Then she looked at Lowell. “I can’t take this.”

  “You must. It’s yours. There are several cases of fraud and theft being brought against your husband’s estate. The justice department has frozen all of his assets and it will take years before anything will be accessible, if it ever is. He may very well have felt that discovery was imminent and put this aside to protect his son. This is the only legacy you are probably going to get from him, and you simply must accept it and use it to help raise your boys. You must think of them first. Edward’s health bills will be enormous, even with insurance.”

  “But a million dollars! My God, what am I going to do with so much cash?”

  “I suggest you get a safe deposit box and put most of it there. When you need money you’ll go and get it. Some should be invested in an interest-bearing fund, but not enough to trigger an audit.”

  “You must take some.”

  Lowell waved his hand. “I’ve been handsomely rewarded in this case and I seek nothing more.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “I’m just glad it all worked out in the end. Do you have a bank account?”

  She shook her head. “I was always too afraid he could track me so I never got one.”

  “I understand.” He took out a card and handed it to her. “I want you to go see this man at the Chase branch over on Fifty-Third Street. The address is on the card. He’s a friend of mine who will open an account for you and see to it that you have a safe deposit box set up immediately. It’s all been arranged.” He looked at his clock. “He’s expecting you in about thirty minutes.”

  “I guess I’d better go grab a bus.”

  Lowell chuckled. “Under the circumstances I think it wo
uld be prudent to have my driver take you. He’s waiting for you downstairs. I wouldn’t want you to run around the city with a million dollars in cash. He’ll also drive you back to Hartford when you’re done.”

  She stood up and came around the desk and hugged Lowell. “I’ll never forget you.”

  “Just keep in touch and let me know how the boys are doing.”

  “I will. You’re a dear, sweet man and I can never repay you for what you have done for my family.”

  She took out a faded Polaroid picture of her holding Kevin and Edward. They couldn’t have been more than a few days old. “I’d like you to have this, if you would. I only have a few pictures of our early life before…” she stopped.

  Lowell took the snapshot. “This is incredibly generous, Gloria. I’ll cherish it.”

  She smiled and left.

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Karen and Luigi showed up about noon. Sarah hadn’t met Luigi yet and her giggles seeped through the door.

  Karen knocked and entered Lowell’s office. “We just wanted to say good-bye.”

  Luigi came around the desk and stood with his head in Lowell’s lap. Lowell scratched the dog’s ears as he talked.

  “You’ve been great,” she said. “I can’t thank you enough. I’ve got the closure I needed on my uncle’s death. At least now I know who was responsible. And why.”

  “Your uncle’s actions forced Williamson’s hand and led him to hire me. His work helped save those boys.”

  Karen nodded soberly. “I suppose there’s some good in knowing that his death wasn’t totally in vain, if it helped save someone else.”

  Lowell thought of Robert and the bodega owner and sighed. “Yes, there’s some small comfort in that.”

  “If you’re ever in L.A. and need a place, I’ve got that couch waiting for you. I know Luigi will be happy to see you.”

  She walked over to him, leaned over, and gave him an awkward hug. Luigi decided to get in on it and stood on his back legs. He licked Lowell’s face a few times before Karen could get him down. Then she took Luigi’s leash in hand, turned once with a small wave to Lowell, and headed for L.A.