Mission

by Camilla Chafer

  "Could she have used a power tool?"

  "There weren't any closeby so I asked Manny if Sophie borrowed any tools from him and he said no. I asked him if she discussed working on the banister and he said she had an updated schedule of their projects so she knew they weren't planning to work on the entryway for another couple of weeks. He also said that when they spoke that morning, Sophie mentioned wallpaper samples and said she planned to make a choice that day so we could order it well in advance."

  "That sounds like she was totally preoccupied with other things."

  "Exactly. When I recall the blood on the stairs, it makes me think she either fell down that way, or she was pushed."

  "Could she have tripped and fallen?"

  "It's possible but, if that were the case, why bother to exert all the necessary effort to unscrew a banister and place it under her? Why not just call for help? She was found alone. Maybe it was an accident and someone panicked, but given the effort made subsequently to disguise it, I can't stop thinking someone intended to seriously hurt her and make it look like an accident."

  I frowned, analyzing his logic. The fall sounded terrible but the way Austen described it, and from all the things he observed, it didn't seem accidental. He was right, if it were just an unfortunate accident, it made sense to call 911. Even if someone else were present and simply panicked when Sophie fell, they could have just left the scene. People would naturally assume someone fell down the stairs once they saw the blood Austen claimed was there previously. Unscrewing the banister and placing it underneath her was time-consuming, awful, conniving and deliberately deceitful. That time could have been better spent calling for medical assistance. Unless they didn't want to be discovered with her? Could they possibly have thought she wouldn't survive? Or that she was already dead?

  "Do I sound crazy?" asked Austen.

  "No," I told him. "Not at all. If it's okay with you, I'd like to inspect the spot where she was found."

  "That's fine. I can give you our address and call my foreman to allow you full access. I can't leave Sophie's side. I only make exceptions to very quickly eat, use the bathroom, or rush home to shower, change, and race directly back here."

  "Please don't trouble yourself. If you can give me your foreman's number and the permission to look around, I'll do that." I began to rise, looking down at Sophie. She appeared so peaceful in the bed, as if she were sleeping. Only the bandage around her head, the splint on her arm, and the machines clicking and whirring next to her hinted at what happened.

  "Ms. Graves..."

  "Lexi, please."

  "Lexi... I don't mind being wrong. Hell, I hope I am. I'm a proud man but I can accept being told when I'm wrong. But if I'm not, then someone deliberately did this to Sophie. I don't know why anyone would hurt her and right now, if I'm right, they're getting away with attempted murder. I can pay you for your time, that's not a problem, but please, just..."

  I placed a hand on his arm. "Let me first take a look at the scene and speak to your foreman. If I think it looks more like an accident, I'll tell you that and there won't be any charge. However, if I think there's something really there, I'll tell you and you can work out what to do from that point, whether to hire me or call the police again."

  "Thank you," said Austen. Pulling his wallet from his pocket, he produced a business card. He wrote on the back and handed it to me. "That's Manny's number. I'll send him a message now, telling him to expect you."

  We said our goodbyes and as I left, Austen slid back into his seat and picked up Sophie's hand again, murmuring something private to her. I slid the door closed and walked over to Alice. She was joined by two more nurses who both said hello as I interrupted them. "I'll walk you out," said Alice, which I translated to: I want to speak to you privately. "What do you think?" she asked as we entered the elevator.

  "He's obviously very upset but he seems pretty smart and has clearly thought things through. He raised some interesting points."

  "Do you think someone actually hurt Sophie?"

  "I think it's possible. I'm going to ask around, take a look at the exact location where she was found, and get back to him."

  "Thanks, Lexi. I really appreciate it," said Alice, patting my arm. "I can't imagine what he's going through but I'm sure he'll be relieved that someone is taking him seriously."

  "You obviously did too," I pointed out. "That's why you called me."

  I took the elevator down and followed the long, winding corridors to the EMT transport area. I found the same EMTs who brought Sophie in when they delivered another patient to the ER and they confirmed the story I'd been told. I contemplated that as I headed to the visitor's parking lot. Having endured a nasty experience upon leaving the hospital once before, I was relieved to step, uneventfully, into the sunshine. Before I could even walk to my borrowed car, my phone rang. A number flashed on the screen but it wasn't one I recognized.

  "Is that Ms. Graves?" asked a male voice with a slightly foreign accent. When I confirmed it was, he continued, "This is Manny Ortega. Mr. Takahashi called me and said you were coming to the house. He said it was very important. Would you like to come now? I'm here so I can let you in."

  "On my way," I eagerly replied.

  The Takahashis lived in one of the nicest parts of Bedford Hills. The whole expensive neighborhood featured luxury homes on wide lots but Westmount was easily one of the most coveted streets. Recessed from public view behind a tall wall and fancy iron gates, the two-story brick house was an imposing character. I imagined it would be even more striking once the gardens were landscaped.

  A tall, black-haired man in jeans and a padded vest, a toolbelt slung around his hips, waited for me beside a work truck opposite the house doors. A bit further along the driveway, I saw another older truck, parked next to a gleaming, black, brand new truck. That was a lot of trucks in one place for me.

  I parked beside the work truck and hopped out, walking across to him. "Mr. Ortega?" I asked.

  "Manny, please. We’re informal here. I tried calling Austen by his surname but he and Sophie said no way."

  "Then you must call me Lexi."

  "Follow me. Austen told me to let you in and allow you to go wherever you like. Is everything okay at the hospital? We're all so worried about Sophie."

  I took an instant liking to Manny. Not only was the older man handsome, the deep gray that was filling in his temples was very attractive. He was pleasant to talk to and carried an air of capability about him, something I intuited from his calloused hands and the deep creases around his eyes. "I just came from the hospital and Sophie is stable but not yet conscious," I told him, figuring it wouldn't hurt to reveal one of the few pieces of information I gleaned about her health.

  Manny unlocked the door and opened it, standing back to let me pass. I stepped into a large entryway that should have been bright and airy but was currently covered in a fine coating of construction dust. On my right, a staircase curved up to a mezzanine-style landing with thick, ornate, iron banisters. Immediately obvious was the missing panel in the middle of the landing. Manny must have noticed me staring at it because he said, "That's where Sophie fell."

  I nodded and looked around for the missing piece. It was propped up against the far wall. "Do you mind if I look around some more?" I asked, glancing at the fetching foreman.

  "Please go ahead. I'll wait by the door."

  I walked over to the chunk of banister first, pulling my sleeves over my hands so I could examine it without leaving prints, just in case. Several of the spindles had blood on them, barely discernible against the black iron. That could have been consistent with Sophie landing on them, or the blood from her head wound splattering them.

  "Austen said one of your work crew found her? Is that right?" I asked.

  "Yes." Manny heaved a breath but didn't move from his position by the door. "I feel so awful about it. I heard what I thought was a scream but since no one called for help and I didn't hear anything else, I ignored it.
I was cutting some marble for the kitchen and I didn't want to stop for fear of breaking it. It only occurred to me later, when I finished cutting, that maybe I should check just in case, so I sent David out to take a look. He found her, lying right there." He pointed to a section of the floor several feet from the bottom step of the staircase. "I came as soon as he shouted to me."

  "Where was the banister in relation to Sophie’s body?" I asked pointing to the piece I just handled.

  "Underneath her. She was holding onto it like this," he said, holding up his hands and curling his fingers.

  "Lying on her front or her back?"

  "Her front. She was face down."

  "Did you move her at all?"

  "No! I didn't dare to. I checked to see if she was breathing but I thought she might have broken her neck or her back. I called 911 and held her hand until they got here. Did I do something wrong?"

  "No, that was a very smart decision. You didn't know what injuries she had and if you moved her, you could have caused even more damage."

  "I should have done something earlier when I thought I heard the scream. She must have been lying there for a long time."

  "I'm going to take a look upstairs," I replied, eager to change the subject. I was pretty certain that no matter what platitude I came up with, Manny couldn't truly banish his guilt for not getting to her sooner.

  "Please be careful where you step and stay away from the edge," he said.

  I walked up, taking each stair slowly, scanning the tops and risers for any signs of blood. Several of the stairs were dusty and some were strangely clean but I couldn't see any droplets of the blood Austen claimed he saw. When I reached the top, I walked across the landing and dropped to my hands and knees before crawling to the edge. I wasn't ready to take any chance of tumbling over. I inspected the joins of the banister, noting that all the screws were tight, except those that previously held the missing piece in place.

  "That banister was badly installed," called Manny. "I told Austen and Sophie it had to be replaced as soon as possible."

  "Did you warn both of them it was dangerous?" I asked, looking down at him from my vantage point on my belly. The idea of falling so far made my stomach roil.

  Manny shook his head. "It wasn't loose or dangerous, just not up to code. I told them it needed replacing before the whole thing came crashing down."

  "Was that a real possibility?"

  "All the joins were put in wrong and so were the anchor points. I considered it a real possibility and it's my job as foreman to keep everyone safe, especially when the homeowners choose to remain on the property during renovation."

  "Would Sophie have any cause to unscrew this section?"

  "None. She liked to know what we were doing and sometimes asked one of the crew to show her how to do something but she wouldn't take on a complicated job like that. For one thing, we need scaffolding in place just to take it out and put in the new one. The new one won’t even arrive for another three weeks."

  "Doesn't that strike you as strange?"

  "Damn strange," said Manny.

  I started to shuffle back from the edge before I looked down. The spot where Manny said he found Sophie seemed a little too far from my current viewpoint. I could imagine Sophie falling directly forwards, maybe even further out than right underneath the landing, but so far out and toward the left? Could the momentum of her fall have possibly carried her that distance? I wasn't sure. I shuffled back until my feet touched the wall and got up, hugging the wall as I walked back down. "I don't see any footprints going up here," I said, realizing I left a trail of my own on the dusty steps.

  "We've only been working in the back of the house so far but the dust travels no matter how much we try to contain it. No one went upstairs except Sophie and Austen and their guests. Austen is the only one who has been here in a week."

  I stopped a few steps from the bottom and turned around. The clean stairs niggled at me. What was the significance of the occasional clean step? Why not clean all of them? I stooped for a closer look and suddenly caught a scent. It was very faint but it was definitely there. Someone must’ve used bleach.

  "Have you or anyone else cleaned these stairs recently?" I asked.

  "No, we won't do that until the new banister is installed and the carpet laid. There's no point in cleaning the stairs when they'll only get dirty again tomorrow. Can I ask what you're looking for, Ms... uh... Lexi?"

  "Just checking out some things," I told him, evading the question.

  "If Austen wants it all cleaned up before he brings Sophie home, I can do that. He told us to stop work for a few days but I can call my whole crew back and get everyone started again, if that's what he wants?"

  "I'm sure it's okay to keep doing whatever he told you for now," I said. "I'm going to take a few photos and then I'm done." I pulled my phone out and took a short video of the entryway as well as some pictures. When I tucked it away, I walked over to Manny. "Thanks for taking the time to meet me."

  "Anything for Austen and Sophie. They're a nice couple. Really good folks to work for."

  "Have you worked for them a long time?"

  "Many times for Austen. I used to be a police officer in Mexico. Construction here has a higher life expectancy." He gave me a rueful grin that added even more charm to his rugged face. "Thanks to Austen, I can give my family a good life in this country."

  He pulled the door closed behind us and locked it. "You can call me anytime if you want to stop by again. I'm not sure what Austen has you doing but it seems urgent to him and I also know he thinks there's something suspicious about Sophie's fall."

  "What do you think?" I asked.

  "It's troubling me," he said after a long pause. "Plus, the more I analyze it, how could her head be injured at the back when she landed on her front?"

  I agreed that was a very good question and we shook hands. We both got into our vehicles and just as I was about to start the ignition, my cellphone rang.

  "Hey," I said, lightness filling me as I heard Solomon's voice.

  "I know you took off for the day but I need a favor," he said. "Can you come by the office?"

  "Sure. What's up?"

  "A client just paid me in cash and I don't want to leave it in the safe. I need to meet another client right away; otherwise I'd take it to the bank myself."

  "I'll take it there on my way home," I said. "I'm in Bedford Hills so I won't be too long."

  "I'll wait in the parking lot so you can just grab it and go. What are you doing in Bedford Hills?"

  "I'll explain later. Love you."

  "Love you more."

  I started the engine and just as I pulled out, stomped on the brake. The shiny, new truck barreled past me and burned rubber out the driveway with a squeal of tires. I glanced at Manny but he was shaking his head. "Who was that?" I asked, pulling alongside him.

  "Zach Gallo, Sophie's brother," he said, leaning down to speak through my window.

  "Must be in an awful hurry," I said, shaking my head. I edged out again, extra careful this time, and Manny followed me out the driveway in his own truck. After a few blocks, he turned and I drove to the office, lost in thought. I had the horrible feeling Austen might be right; his wife's fall was looking less like an accident and more like a poorly disguised attack.

  Chapter Three

  "You are a lifesaver," said Solomon as he leaned into the passenger side of my car and deposited the small, black backpack on the seat.

  "So I’ve been told," I agreed. "How much is in the bag?"

  "Ten thousand dollars. Why the client refused to pay by bank transfer will have to remain one of life's enduring mysteries."

  "At least they didn't pay you in quarters. I'll deposit it, and then I'm heading home. I think I see pizza and a movie in my near future."

  "I might be late. You should start without me."

  "I plan to. Pizza waits for no man and Monty's is featuring a garlic bread special all month." I decided exactly what I wanted
during cobra pose in yoga, with Poppy draped over my back. I was already salivating at the thought and even the brief investigation into the Takahashi incident couldn't put me off. All I needed to do now was pick the movie on Netflix and choose between my unicorn or raccoon pajamas. Tough choices but I practiced often and hard for these life moments.

  "I'll pick up extra," said Solomon before blowing me a kiss. I pretended to catch it and waved goodbye as he shut the door with the parting words, "You really need to buy a new car."

  The nearest branch of First Eastern Bank was only a couple of blocks from the agency but since it was currently undergoing some renovation work, I headed to the main branch downtown. I had to circle the block a couple of times to find a parking space close by. No way did I feel comfortable walking around with ten grand in a backpack on me. Slinging the strap over my shoulder, I tucked it securely under my arm as I stepped onto the sidewalk. After feeding the meter a whole clutch of coins, I jogged to the other end of the block.

  The bank occupied a beautiful, old, brick building. The carved wooden doors were ten feet tall and permanently propped open during business hours, reinforced by the glass security doors a little further into the entry. Inside, many of the original features remained, a testament to the beautiful craftsmanship of Montgomery's early years. The floors retained the intricate tile work, wood paneling lined the walls and the ceiling was home to a beautiful fresco and cornice work. The newer parts were evident in the tellers' wood and glass cages and the ATMs that were recessed into the walls.

  I stepped past the "wet floor" sign, and joined the queue for the tellers. To pass the time, I played a game on my phone, occasionally glancing up at the old clock high on the wall. I figured I had just enough time to get to the front and make the deposit before the bank announced it was closing time.