Death in a Summer Colony

by Aaron Stander

  “Do you have anything to support this scenario?” asked Ray.

  “No. But, Sheriff, you are such a provincial. I’m just trying to open your eyes to the possibilities. You’re not going to find the killer in the colony. You’re wasting your time.”

  “How about Brenda, Mrs. Wudbine,” asked Ray, “why would she tolerate the behavior you are suggesting?”

  “Brenda was one of those special assistants back in the day. Now she’s an incurable alcoholic with a very bad heart. The alcohol, that’s how she dealt with it. In recent years she’s been smashed most of the time. They lived separate lives. I imagine Malcolm was just waiting for her to go away. In fact, that thought had crossed my mind. I was wondering who Malcolm would end up with if dear, dear Brenda suddenly exited her worldly existence.”

  She looked at Ray. “You see what this conversation has done. It’s brought back all the anger. For years I’ve done my best just to think about the positive parts of Malcolm’s personality. And now you have me blathering on about his heart of coal.”

  “So tell me about the positive parts.”

  “He has an extraordinary eye for beauty, and not just in women. Look at that house of his. Yes, he hired a gifted architect, but he was a major player in the design. And when you walk through the place, it’s a museum of the best modern furniture of the last 100 years. Every piece is iconic.”

  “And the piano?”

  “Yes, one of many he’s acquired along the way. If I’m not mistaken, that’s a Bosendorfer. Very contemporary, isn’t it. I imagine it was a custom design.” She paused, then continued, “Like I was saying, positive things. Malcolm was a terrific jazz pianist. He liked to spend time in New Orleans, hanging out in the jazz clubs, getting invited to sit in. His foundation has supported starting jazz programs at traditional Black colleges. See, he did many good things.”

  “How about the bass standing next to the piano. Did he play that, also?”

  “No, that’s my daughter-in-law’s, the ice princess. You wouldn’t know that watching her play. She dances with that instrument. And she smiles, most uncharacteristic of her. When she and Elliott decided to marry, there was a rumor going around that Malcolm had arranged the whole thing so he would have a bass player available at his beck and call. And she certainly has been more of a devoted assistant to Malcolm than much of a wife to Elliott, not that he probably noticed.”

  “I’m not quite following,”

  “It’s hard to follow, Sheriff. You are listening to an angry, rambling old woman. Elliott, my dear son. He’s smart, but he’s very weak. There came a time when I could no longer protect him from his father. He, too, was a faithful servant. And I’ve never understood that marriage. Elliott seems to be asexual, an absolute contrast to his father. When he was younger I wondered if he was gay. And his wife…well. Sheriff, I’m tired of talking. Is there anything else?”

  “Not for now, thank you.”

  “Remember, the killer is not among us. I’d call the FBI. You need some serious help.”

  38

  Sue parked her Jeep off the side of the road at the bottom of the drive and walked up the sandy two-track toward the cottage.

  Alice Lea greeted her halfway up the drive. “I see you’re dressed in mufti today,” she commented, eyeing Sue’s jeans and light-blue polo shirt.

  “Your son gave me an excuse to escape from my uniform for a day. This is a lot more comfortable.”

  “Well, you look good in jeans.” Before they reached the cottage, Alice Lea paused and turned toward Sue. “I wanted to chat with you a few minutes before you meet with Thomas. First, I want to thank you and Sheriff Elkins for the way you handled that situation. I know that it could’ve ended quite badly for him.

  “I have to take some responsibility for his meltdown. You see, Thomas was off his meds that day. I won’t always be around, so I’ve been working to have him take responsibility for his medication. That morning I didn’t check. This morning I did. There should be no problem. He’s looking forward to talking to you. I’ve got some coffee set up in the kitchen, and I’ve given him permission to smoke. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be in the area. If it looks like Thomas is going to have another meltdown, I can usually intercede and prevent it from happening.”

  “That’s fine. I only have a few questions for him. I’m not sure he can answer them. But there is a chance he might have seen something on Saturday night that could help us find Malcolm Wudbine’s murderer.”

  Unlike the last time, Tom Lea greeted Sue enthusiastically, shaking her hand and almost reluctantly letting go of it. They settled across the table, Alice pouring coffee and pushing a plate of cookies in Sue’s direction.

  Sue pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and pushed against the power button. “I’m turning my phone off, Tom. I don’t want our conversation to be interrupted. I wonder if you could do the same?”

  “I don’t have to do that. It’s got this built-in, artificial intelligence algorithm. It knows that when I’m having an important conversation I shouldn’t be interrupted. Fantastic technology. Absolutely cutting-edge.”

  “We were interrupted in our last conversation,” Sue chided. Instantly, she thought that was probably not a useful thing to bring up, but it was too late to pull it back.

  “Yeah, I remember that. An unfortunate interruption. It won’t happen. I downloaded the newest iteration of the software, 20.6.8. Now it knows when I’m having a significant conversation. No more interruptions.”

  “Remember what I was asking you about? You were telling me that you were under the picnic enclosure. From your vantage point you could see the back of the Assembly Hall. You said that you could see someone near the electrical panels.”

  “Yes, I remember.”

  “Tell me about the person you saw. Do you know who they were?”

  “No, I didn’t know them.”

  “What do you remember? Old or young? Male or female?”

  “It was a woman.”

  “How could you tell?”

  “She was wearing a raincoat. It was long, probably black or dark blue, maybe tan but darker because it was wet. And it had a belt at the waist. It was the shape of a woman. No man has a waist like that. Look at yours. It’s clear that you’re a woman. That’s what I saw.”

  “And what did you see this person do?”

  “They came up through the woods, not where I was but from the other side. The light on the back of the building was on, but she was staying in the shadows. Then there was a big crash of lightning and the lights flickered on and off and back on. By then, she was up near the side of the building. There must’ve been a hasp or something holding the doors covering the electrical panels closed, because she struggled with it for a moment. Then I saw her reach in and all the lights went out, and she came in my direction. She didn’t see me. I got down, trying to stay out of sight. I knew what she had done, and I sure as hell didn’t want to get blamed for it. She came under the roof where I was hiding. I’m surprised she didn’t see me. She stopped, lit a cigarette, and then got out of there fast. That’s all I know.”

  “Did you notice anything else? Hair color? Tall or short?”

  “Tall, maybe. But there was one more thing. The smell. It was the scent of a woman, but not perfume.”

  “Shampoo, soap, something like that?”

  “No. It was one of those herbal things. Aromatherapy, you know what I’m talking about?”

  “Thomas is an authority on this,” offered Alice Lea. “Aren’t you? It sometimes really helps him with some of his moods.”

  “Can you tell me anything more? Do you have a name for it?”

  “Let me think. It helps with meditation. And it’s very strong. People usually blend it with lots of other oils.”

  “Tom, does it have a name?”

  “It’s not sandalwood, or Juniper, o
r bergamot. It’s just on the tip of my tongue. You know how it is when an idea is just floating around in your brain, and you just can’t quite catch it. Maybe if you come back tomorrow, I’ll remember. I’ll keep a pad by me, so if it suddenly comes to me I can write it down.”

  Sue sat and looked across the table. She took several slow breaths, holding Tom in her gaze. “This is really important, friend. If you could remember the name, you would really be helping me out.”

  He pulled a cigarette from a package and carefully removed the filter, dropping it in the ashtray. He lit a kitchen match with the nail of his thumb, brought it to the cigarette, inhaled slowly, then exhaled, looking toward the ceiling. “Patchouli oil, I think that’s it.” He slowly spelled out the name, “p-a-t-c-h-o-u-l-i.”

  “You’re sure of that?”

  “Absolutely. Scents leave one of the strongest impressions on the brain. That woman was wearing patchouli oil.”

  Sue looked at her notepad. Finally, she thought. Finally.

  “Aren’t you going to asked me who else was there, under the picnic shelter? There were bundles of new shingles in stacks, and I was hiding between the stacks. I could see them, but they didn’t have a clue that I was there.”

  “You took the question right out of my mouth,” said Sue. “Tell me, who else was there?”

  39

  “It’s good you got hold of me today. I’ll be going back to Chicago tomorrow,” said Pepper Markley as she plopped into a chair across from Ray. He perceived by the tone of her voice and her body language that something clearly was not right.

  “You sound as if you’re not planning to come back.”

  “That seems to be it. I got a call from the head HR person at Wudbine Investments early this morning, I mean it wouldn’t have been 8:00 in Chicago yet. I’ve been terminated. Ms. Ridley said my last day is officially Friday, but that the family would prefer that I leave the premises at my earliest convenience. ”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  “Stunned, just stunned. And get this,” Pepper was shaking with rage, “the severance package, two weeks. Can you imagine? It’s like getting knocked down and then stomped on. I was planning on leaving this position soon, but not like this. Malcolm had promised me that I would be well taken care of as I transitioned to my next job, either within the company or somewhere else in the industry. I was interested in becoming a stock analyst. Malcolm had taught me a lot in our day-to-day conversations.”

  Ray peered across the narrow desk that separated them. Before this interview he had been thinking about how he might get beyond the corporate loyalty she had displayed during their first interview. The Wudbines had provided some unexpected help.

  “Did they give you a reason for your termination?”

  “Not at all. Ms. Ridley, that’s the HR person, young and officious, just said the family no longer needed my services, and that there was nowhere else in the company where my skill set met current job openings. Skill set, what BS. I’ve got an MBA from Chicago and almost three years of tutoring from one of the best minds in the industry. I can do almost any job in the organization.

  “It’s not just getting sacked, Sheriff. There’s a whole question of housing. In the summer I live in an apartment on the grounds near Gull House. When we’re in Chicago, I live in an apartment near Malcolm’s penthouse. The housing was part of my compensation package. That was the arrangement. Mr. Wudbine wanted me close, so I was always available. Like I said, it’s not just getting sacked. Now I have to find someplace to live, move, and then start a job search. This isn’t how Wudbine Investments treats its employees. They always provide generous termination packages.” She slowed, catching her breath. “The firm has been downsizing in recent years. Everyone who was downsized out received their salary and insurance for six months. And there was usually a fairly lavish handshake, too, depending on years of service. When I pressed Ridley about this, she just blew me off with some sarcastic comment about my lack of gratitude.”

  “You have no kind of contract?”

  “Nothing like that, we are all at-will employees. But my getting sacked, this doesn’t happen at Wudbine, not normally. On Monday, Elliott assured me that they would continue to need my services, now perhaps more than ever, those were his words. And today, this. Go figure. I don’t think I’m even being credited for unused vacation. I’ll probably have to sue for that.”

  Markley look at Ray, her anger now seemed to be directed at him. “Why am I here? I’ve already told you everything I know.” She stared at him for a long moment. “They aren’t trying to implicate me in this whole mess, are they? That would be the final….”

  “Nothing of the sort. We’re just beginning to conduct a second set of interviews with people who were close to the crime scene or had special knowledge of the victim. And you, obviously, fit both of those criteria.”

  “Well, I don’t know anything more than I did a few days ago.”

  “We often find that witnesses, after overcoming the initial shock and horror of a traumatic event, remember details that help with an investigation. So I’m going to cover much of the same ground we covered before. First, how did it happen that you were in the play? Wasn’t this a big time commitment, given all work responsibilities you’ve told me about?”

  “I think I told you that Malcolm encouraged me to take the part. But it was more than that. No one showed up at tryouts who was right for the role. I’m talking about age and appearance. So, I was pressed into service by Mr. Wudbine. I sort of objected, but I learned long ago that was a waste of time. He always got what he wanted. I don’t know what’s the best way to describe him, persistent or insistent. And, in truth, it turned out that I really enjoyed being in the play. It got me away from Gull House. I met many interesting people that I’d only seen in passing during previous summers. I was having a wonderful time. It really strengthened my resolve to find a new job. And then everything fell apart.”

  “Ms. Markley, the night of the murder, the perpetrator was probably in the theater early on. The killer might have been someone who slipped into the stage area and secreted himself or herself very successfully, and after the crime effected a successful getaway. Or the murderer might have been one of your fellow actors, or a member of the crew. Someone had to notice something.”

  “You left me out of your list of possible suspects, Sheriff. And I should be near the top. I knew all the minute details of Mr. Wudbine’s schedule, the inner workings of his home and office, and I was close to the murder scene at the time of his death.”

  “That’s all true. Is there some reason I should move you up on the list? Can you suggest a motive?”

  Pepper gave him a sardonic smile. “Saturday, I had no motive. Today there are several people I’d like to off. But Malcolm isn’t on the list. I’m sure he had nothing to do with my current situation.”

  “Your relationship with Mr. Wudbine, had it changed in recent months?”

  “By changed, do you mean was it strained?”

  “That’s one possibility,” answered Ray.

  “I don’t think so. We both knew it was time for me to move my career forward. My leaving would have been a greater inconvenience to Jill. I really have been the concierge, taking care of the details in everyone’s life. From dentist appointments and restaurant reservations to international travel itineraries, I’ve made it all happen. I’ve also handled all the staffing issues at their three homes. I suggested to Jill months ago that I should start training my replacement. Instead, she sends me on a long business trip with Elliott. And that turned out to be a disaster.”

  “How so?”

  “Actually, the trip went fine. But before I left there’s this big panic about Mr. Wudbine’s cappuccino. Jill almost cancelled me out at the last minute. She was on one of her campaigns to rehabilitate Brenda. I was supposed to teach Brenda how to make coffee to her husband’s s
pecifications. It was a total disaster. Brenda is a poster child for learned helplessness. At the last minute we had to have a totally automatic machine FedExed overnight. I did manage to teach Brenda how to turn it on and push the right buttons. And to make sure there was backup, I trained the cook and Jill.

  “And then while I was gone Malcolm got some mysterious illness. He was sick for several days with an acute gastritis. They rushed him to the local walk-in clinic. The initial diagnosis was food poisoning. I guess he recovered a bit, and then a few days later he had another episode. They brought his internist in from Chicago.”

  “What was the diagnosis?”

  “I don’t think that changed. Again, suspected food poisoning. When Malcolm was dieting, which was most of the time, he lived on these king prawns. He had a standing order with a supplier in Louisiana for a weekly shipment. His doctor banned the prawns and put him on a bland diet. Grace was directed to empty the contents of the refrigerators and freezers, and then restock everything.”

  “Did anyone else in the household get sick?”

  “I don’t think so, remember I wasn’t there. But somehow when I got back, well, things were different. I do the ordering of the special food items. That’s part of my job as concierge. Jill gave me the impression that she held me responsible for Malcolm’s illness.”

  “So your relationship with her started to decline after the trip?”

  “Who knows? That’s just the feeling I got from her. You have got to understand that the woman is inscrutable. Her nickname around Wudbine Investments is Ms. Spock. Trying to figure out what’s going on in her head is always about nuance. I would have been more comfortable if she were yelling and screaming. Then, at least I would have known exactly what she was thinking.” Markley stopped and looked down at her hands, then back up at Ray. “But this getting sacked. It had to be Jill. Elliott wouldn’t do this to me.” She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. “She insisted that I accompany Elliott on that trip, then sort of acted like I was after her man.”