Murder, of Course

by Diane Weiner

  “The dude lives in an actual castle in Scotland. It’s been in the family since the 1600’s. Let me check something.” She searched while Emily and Henry stood frozen, hopeful for information.

  “You know, he’s the last of the family line. It was him and Fiona, and he had no children. Looks like next in line is Maddy. When he passes on, the castle is hers.”

  Henry said, “So maybe he wants to bring her there to carry on his legacy after he dies. Still doesn’t explain why he needs custody. She’d still inherit it, right?”

  “Yes, along with quite a fortune. You said he worked at Scotland Yard? Must pay a mean pension.” She tried another search. “I can’t get into the Scotland Yard’s employment records. Let’s try education. Did your roommate ever mention where he went to college?”

  “No. She barely mentioned him at all. Her mother grew up in Edinburgh, so I suppose he did as well.”

  Rebecca searched. “Father was a businessman, mother listed as a homemaker. One sister––Fiona.”

  “That’s it!”

  “They both went to a prep school, he went on to Cambridge, majored in business.”

  Amazed at the ease in which Rebecca found the information, Emily said, “If he was a businessman, how did he wind up at Scotland Yard?”

  Rebecca kept going. “This is interesting.”

  Henry moved closer, looking over her shoulder. “He donated a ton of money to Huntington’s disease research. Check out how the parents died. Huntington’s is hereditary and always deadly.”

  Rebecca accessed death records. “Mom died of breast cancer. Father died…of Huntington’s.”

  Henry said, “That means both children had a fifty/fifty risk of inheriting the disease. Em, did Fiona ever mention it?”

  “No, I’m pretty sure I’d have remembered if she did. Do you think that’s how she died?”

  “It’s a long progression and at the end, the person needs full time care. There’s no way Fiona could have cared for Maddy if that was the case.”

  “Oh my God! Do you think there’s a chance Maddy has it?”

  “Fiona died in her mid-fifties. If she had the disease, I’m pretty sure she’d have known it by then. I can do some digging through the hospital.” Henry squeezed Emily’s hand.

  Abby came in, hair wet from the shower. “Hey, I thought I heard voices.”

  Emily said, “Rebecca is amazing. She could make a fortune doing private investigating.”

  Abby put her hands on Rebecca’s shoulders. “She sure could. We’re going to a craft fair this afternoon. Want to come along?”

  “No, thanks,” said Emily. “We should be going. Have fun, and thanks again, Rebecca.”

  Chapter 33

  When they got home, Maddy was watching a movie on the sofa, still in her pajamas, hair unbrushed.

  “Maddy, we went to see a lawyer, and then Rebecca came up with some important information. We’re not going to lose you.”

  “Emily, I’d rather die than go to Scotland with my uncle.”

  Alarms went off inside Henry’s head. “You don’t mean that, right?” He’d heard a story just the other day on NPR about the rise in teen suicide, and then there was the incident with the sleeping pills back in Chicago…

  Maddy didn’t answer.

  Emily said, “Did your mom seem sick at all, before she died, I mean.”

  “Sick? Like how? She ran the Chicago marathon last fall. She was the healthiest person I knew—until she died.”

  “Did she ever mention Huntington’s disease?”

  “Yes. Her father died from it. Why?”

  “Nothing important,” said Henry. “Want to go over to the cat café later? We can have dinner there.”

  “Maybe.”

  “In fact, I’ll ask Pat and Megan if they want to meet us. Megan’s been investigating your uncle and if we’re lucky, she may have come up with something to prevent him from taking you.”

  Emily sat down at her desk, but had difficulty concentrating on her writing. She and Henry were supposed to be retired. Nothing stopped them from selling their cabin and moving to Edinburgh themselves to be near Maddy! She found peace now that she had a plan for dealing with the worst case scenario. Another four years and Maddy would be eighteen and free to live where ever she wanted. Emily began to type. For those who question whether pure evil exists in this world, the story of a mother who plotted and carried out the murder of her own son, then hid his body in a deserted tunnel beneath her house will leave you without doubt.

  Before she knew it, Henry came in. “Let’s get ready. Pat and Megan are meeting us at five.”

  Maddy was silent in the backseat the whole ride to the inn. It got dark so early in the winter, that Emily, already depressed over the current situation, would have preferred staying home in her sweats and ordering pizza. She hoped seeing the cat café would cheer Maddy up, and that Megan might have more news to share. On the other hand, perhaps this was a terrible idea. What if seeing the cats made Maddy realize the café would go on without her and what if Megan had bad news?

  Coralee stood at the entrance to the inn. “See that line? It’s all for the cat café. Maddy, this is going to be big. Ten cats have been adopted since it opened yesterday.”

  She led them to a table in the dining room, which was opposite the cat café. “Maddy, honey, it’s going to be okay. That so called uncle is up to no good. I can feel it in my bones. There’s no way he’ll get past our detectives and drag you across the ocean. As a matter of fact, Detective O’Leary is in there now and she told me she’s working day and night to keep you here.”

  Maddy shrugged her shoulders and followed Henry and Emily to the table.

  Pat jumped up when he saw them. “Megan can’t find any record of this guy working at Scotland Yard. As a matter of fact, he’s been getting disability checks from the government for years. He must be living off family money or something.”

  Megan said, “The castle was renovated fifteen years ago. That’s when Malcolm sold his flat in the city and moved to the outskirts. The renovation cost a fortune.”

  “Was he married?” asked Emily.

  “No marriage license issued. Also, he let his driver’s license expire years ago. Maybe a chauffeur came with the castle.”

  Emily said, “Fiona worked her way through college, and didn’t leave behind much money to care for Maddy. You’re saying her family was rich?”

  “Fiona’s father invested in a business when Fiona must have been a baby. He left it to Malcolm. It was losing money, but a few years ago, it took off. With his business degree, Malcolm may have turned it around.”

  Henry said, “So, the man has a business degree, successfully turns around a business, and joins the police force? Then he goes on disability, but still manages to live in a castle? Something doesn’t add up.”

  “He looks perfectly healthy to me,” said Maddy.

  “Well, some disabilities aren’t visible. Not that I trust the man,” said Henry.

  Emily’s heart dropped. Standing in the entrance was Uncle Malcolm, bundled in a tweed coat. Coralee awkwardly pointed to their table and followed as he approached their table.

  “Well, I’ll be. What a nice chance to get to know my niece a little better.” He sat at the empty place, taking the menu out of Coralee’s hand. His coat smelled of smoke and his breath reeked of whiskey. Emily completely lost her appetite.

  “Just wait, little lassie. I’ll take you out for a proper Scottish dinner at Dubh Prais over on High Street when we get back home. They have the best venison in the city.”

  Maddy made a face and shuddered.

  “If you don’t like venison, they have a bloody good lemon sole with cheese sauce.”

  Maddy looked up at him. “I don’t do meat.”

  Henry changed the subject. “So how do you spend your days now that you’re retired?”

  “Hunting and fishing during the season. Reading and traveling during the winters. Do you like to read, lassie? I can t
ake you to the Elephant House Café where that Rowlings lady wrote Harry Potter. When you go to the toilet, there are messages written all over the walls and even the windows in honor of Harry Potter.”

  Emily wanted to throw up, picturing Maddy surrounded by venison and a graffiti-filled bathroom with an uncle who fished and killed animals in his spare time. Distracted by her nightmarish thoughts, she accidentally cut her finger while cutting the sautéed asparagus on her plate.

  Uncle Malcolm grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around Emily’s finger. “Direct pressure will stop the bleeding. You have to wash it out so it doesn’t get infected. I assume you’ve had a recent tetanus shot?”

  Emily yanked her hand away. “Even if I wasn’t married to a doctor, I’d know that much.”

  Megan said, “So tell me about Scotland Yard? Must have been an exciting career.”

  “It had its moments. Sometimes I miss the thrill of the chase.”

  “When did you move to Scotland? After you retired?”

  Uncle Malcolm cleared his throat. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, Scotland Yard is in London, not Edinburgh. When did you move, when you retired?”

  “I did undercover work in Scotland for them. Moved out of London half a dozen years ago.” Malcolm looked at the blood soaking through the handkerchief. “You may need a suture or two.”

  Emily said, “Yeah, I think we’ll be going. I want to take care of this, and Maddy has school tomorrow. Me too, as a matter of fact.” One pleasant thought in the midst of this vortex of doom was the fact that Mair Rose was in prison, and no longer at St. Edwards.

  Chapter 34

  When Emily pulled into St. Edwards, she was surprised that Nancy’s car was already parked in the lot. She gathered her tote, and on the way in, prayed for something to turn up that would keep Maddy with them. Would Maddy survive being uprooted? The better question—would she recover from losing part of her family? Again?

  She checked her messages and noticed a missed call from the lawyer who’d been handling Maddy’s adoption. While she listened, tears streamed down her face. He was confirming their court date. By the end of the month, Maddy could officially be their daughter. She wasn’t ready to call the lawyer and cancel—not yet.

  Nancy ran up to her in the mailroom. “Guess what? I’ve been offered Mair’s position! Officially I’m interim, but at least for now I can make life much more pleasant around here. And the increase in salary will really help us.”

  Emily hugged her. “I’m so happy for you. You’re the perfect choice for the job.”

  Nancy’s worry lines reappeared. “I’m so sorry. Here I am all happy and you must be worried sick. Any news on Uncle Malcolm?”

  “Both Megan and Rebecca are working on it, but we’re running out of time. I wish Fiona hadn’t insisted on Maddy having a passport. That could have slowed things down. I almost told Maddy to pretend she’d lost it.”

  “Why don’t you go home? You can reschedule your class.”

  “Maddy went to school today. She’s trying to keep things routine for herself, though I know she’s terrified.”

  Two other faculty members approached Nancy, offering hugs and congratulations. Emily slipped out and got ready for her class.

  *****

  “Pat, are you sure?” said Henry. After a busy morning in the emergency room, he met Pat in the cafeteria for lunch.

  “Megan searched travel records. Uncle Malcolm didn’t just arrive. He’s been in town for a month!”

  “She’s sure? He checked into Coralee’s just last Saturday.”

  “Yeah. He flew in from Edinburgh via JFK, then rented the white Toyota he’s still driving. She has restaurant receipts, credit card charges, the whole shebang.”

  “Why would he sneak around a whole month before claiming Maddy?”

  “She’s working on it. And she contacted her buddy in London. He did some searching. There’s no record of Uncle Malcolm ever working for Scotland Yard, undercover or not.”

  Henry picked the crust off of his grilled cheese sandwich. What was Uncle Malcolm hiding? “Fiona and Malcolm sure beat the odds if neither inherited Huntington’s. Surely they were tested. If we can prove Malcolm is medically compromised and would be unable to care for Maddy…”

  “That could be why he retired early—if he truly worked for Scotland Yard, but he didn’t work for them, according to what Megan’s found.”

  Henry crumbled the crust between his fingers.

  “At his age, he’d already be showing symptoms, right?” said Pat.

  “We don’t see him 24/7. For all we know, he is.” Henry’s phone vibrated. “I’ve got to get back upstairs. Some kid was brought in with a broken arm. Keep me posted. Tell Megan thanks.”

  “Gotcha buddy.”

  Henry handled the emergency, then went to his desk. Knowing he didn’t have access to medical records that weren’t his patients’, he mentally ran through his contacts. He had an old colleague who moved somewhere in Europe. He’d seen his name on an article in a medical journal not too long ago. He grabbed the stack of journals off his bookshelf and scanned the table of contents of each one. When he was nearly two-thirds through the stack, he found what he was looking for. He flipped through his ancient rolodex.

  “Thaddeus, it’s Henry Fox. I’m doing fine. Hoping we’ll run into each other at another conference in the near future. The reason I’m calling, is I need emergency access to medical records for a Malcolm Fraser and I know you have universal records over there. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an emergency. You’ll try? Call me anytime. Great.”

  Henry checked on the last few patients in the emergency room, then headed home. It seemed proving Malcolm incompetent due to medical issues was the most direct way of blocking custody. Why did Malcolm lie about working for Scotland Yard? And if he wasn’t working for them, why had he lost contact with his sister all those years? He pulled into his driveway behind Emily’s car.

  Emily and Rebecca were seated on the sofa, engrossed in conversation. Emily whipped around. “You have to hear this. Rebecca found something.”

  Henry tossed his coat on the coat rack and sat down next to them.

  Rebecca showed him a printout. “Uncle Malcolm wasn’t living alone in that castle. He was living with a man named Josefer Rubric.”

  “You mean, like they were a couple?”

  “No. I mean Josefer worked for Malcolm. To make a long story short, Josefer was a nurse, hired to care for Malcolm.”

  “Care for him?” Henry bubbled. “So he does have Huntington’s after all. Let’s get Megan to talk to him. We can use him to build a case that Malcolm will soon be unable to care for Maddy.”

  “Hang on,” said Rebecca. “There’s a complication.”

  “What complication?” He was getting impatient and wished Rebecca would just spit out everything she knew all at once.

  “Josefer is dead. Died a few months back. Malcolm’s been living alone since.”

  “So we have another dead end,” said Henry.

  “Maybe not.”

  Again, Henry wanted to shake the words from her mouth. “Go on.”

  “I figured two men, one medically compromised, wouldn’t be up to cleaning a castle without help, or cooking, or keeping the grounds, for that matter. I spent a bit of time with my friend Google.”

  Emily noticed Henry’s veins swelling in his neck. “What she’s trying to tell us, is that she found the name of a cleaning lady who worked for Malcolm up until the time Josefer died.”

  “And you talked to this cleaning lady?” Henry leaned forward, hoping to finally see how the pieces worked together.

  “Not exactly.”

  A little more gruffly than he’d intended, Henry said, “What do you mean?”

  “She quit the agency after Malcolm died. I’m trying to track her down. She didn’t leave a forwarding address.”

  “We’re running out of time. Malcolm is taking her back to Scotland tomorrow. Th
eir flight leaves at 6 p.m.”

  Emily squeezed his hand and held back the flood of tears welling up behind her eyes.

  Chapter 35

  Neither Emily nor Henry slept at all. Maddy cried most of the night, inconsolable and refusing to pack a suitcase. Emily knew she should help prepare her for the upheaval she was about to experience, but had a hard time accepting the reality of the situation.

  “Maddy, we haven’t given up. You may have to get on that plane tonight, but we will be fighting to get you home and I promise we will.”

  Henry felt uncomfortable making that sort of promise, but knew they would fight for her with every dime and every bit of emotional energy they had. “We have some leads we’re waiting on. I’m sure something’s going to turn up.”

  Maddy cradled Chester, wiping her tears on his black fur. “What’s going to happen to the cat café? What about Chester?”

  Emily hugged her. “Don’t worry about the cats. We’ll keep an eye on the café and make sure it runs smoothly until you come back.”

  “I don’t want to go to some dumb private school in a foreign country. It was hard enough leaving Chicago and coming here. This is worse.” Maddy couldn’t catch her breath through her sobs. “What if I run away?”

  Henry said, “We want to play this by the book. If we don’t cooperate, it’ll hurt our chances of getting you back. We have no choice but to send you on that plane with him.”

  Emily said, “If worse comes to worst, we’ll sell this place and move to Scotland with you.”

  “Just give us a little time to follow up on our leads, first.” Henry tried to be rational. It would take time for them to sell the cabin and move overseas. Maybe Emily would have to go on ahead while he tied things up here. Then again, nothing was as important at this moment as being together as a family.

  “Maddy, I have to go by the college for a quick meeting, then I’ll be back,” said Emily. “Henry will be here with you. Give me an hour or so.” She hugged Maddy tightly, then made herself pull away to get ready to go.