Framed For Murder (An Anna Nolan Mystery)

by Spencer, Cathy

  “Don’t mention it, sweetie,” she called back over her shoulder as she hurried away.

  Magdalena popped into my doorway and said, “That’s an interesting theory Alice just shared with you.”

  I jumped and just about fell out of my chair. “Magdalena,” I squeaked, “I didn’t hear you come in.”

  As she walked into my office, my eyes trailed down to her feet and I saw that they were clad in ballet-style flats instead of her usual lofty heels. Her eyes followed my glance.

  “My shoes got a little muddy in the parking lot from last night’s rain. I’m letting them dry before I brush them off,” she said. I nodded. “If you don’t mind listening to another opinion,” she continued, “I’m inclined to agree with Alice’s theory that men choose their mates from a similar social stratum. They want women with an educational and social background equivalent to their own – unless they’re using marriage to promote their careers – and they don’t often venture beyond those criteria. Women, on the other hand, traditionally choose men with better educations and earning potential to ensure a good provider for themselves and their children.”

  I stared at her. Were we sharing a bonding moment?

  “What do you think, Anna?”

  “Well, Magdalena, I guess I would have to agree with you, although sometimes young people rebel against their backgrounds and parents’ standards and go for someone completely unsuitable.”

  Magdalena nodded. “There are always exceptions. Is that what you did?”

  “What, in marrying Jack?”

  “Yes.”

  I thought for a moment. “Acting was an unsuitable career choice in my parents’ minds. They were pretty conservative people – Mom was a housewife and Dad was an engineer. But I didn’t choose acting to rebel against them, Magdalena. I was always drawn to the theatre. Jack was just part of the whole, glamorous package. In my eyes, it was all magical.”

  “Very interesting, Anna. I had no idea that you were once an actress.”

  “I was for the first couple of years we were married. I attended an acting program at one of the college’s back in Toronto. That’s how I met Jack, as a matter of fact. He was hired on as a guest director for one of our plays.”

  “Ah, now I understand the attraction. A young college girl falling in love with her teacher, a mature man who appeared both successful and glamorous.”

  I nodded. “Yes, Jack was ten years older than I and a darn sight more worldly. He had such personal presence. You should have seen him back then, Magdalena – he was magnificent. When he stood on the stage under those lights, the girls would just melt – and some of the boys, too.”

  Magdalena studied me as I reminisced. “Why didn’t you stay with acting?”

  Her question brought me back down to earth. “I guess I grew up in a hurry when I got pregnant. Acting didn’t work for me in the real world.”

  “All that glisters is not gold?”

  “That’s right.”

  “And here you are.”

  “Yes, here I am.”

  “And we’re glad to have you, Anna. You’re a very efficient worker and a sympathetic person. We all rely on you.”

  I smiled. “That’s nice to hear. Thank you, Magdalena.”

  “You’re welcome. Now, I have to prepare for a scheduling meeting with the dean. I’ll see you later.” She turned and left my office.

  I stared after her. Wow, our first real conversation. Maybe we were more simpatico than I had imagined. Feeling a little more warm and fuzzy toward my boss, I returned to work.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I picked up a couple of medium pizzas before leaving Calgary so that Ben and I could each have our favourite kind – the “works” for me and Greek for Ben – and was feeding Wendy when he arrived. Ben made use of my washing machine, and then we chatted about what had happened during the week since seeing each other at the funeral as we ate. I watched Ben closely, trying to diagnose his emotional health because I was feeling guilty about not revealing my lie about the made-up affair. Ben seemed fine to me, at least superficially, but we were both trying to keep the mood light. The murder investigation seemed to be making us both wary of each other.

  “Hey, Mom, are you okay?” Ben asked during our after-dinner walk. “You seem kind of weird tonight.”

  “Weird? That’s a strange thing to say. What do you mean?” I asked, keeping an eye on Wendy as she crept toward a squirrel sitting on the ground nibbling a pine cone. The squirrel scampered up a tree and chattered at Wendy from the safety of its branch twelve feet up in the air. Wendy plunked down at the base of the tree and stared up at her.

  “I don’t know, it feels like you’re uncomfortable or something. Every time I look at you, you look away.” Either my son was more perceptive than I had thought, or I was being too transparent. I was going to have to learn to be a better liar. “Is this about the insurance money again?” he asked

  I was glad to distract Ben with talk about money, but we ended up arguing over whether or not he should be taking money from me instead of borrowing it from the government.

  “Mom, why don’t you just enjoy the money and stop worrying about me?” he said. “As the son of a university employee, I’m already getting a fifty percent discount on tuition, plus I’m putting money aside this summer. I’ll be fine. I’ve got my whole life to pay off the student loans.”

  “Yes, but I don’t want you to have to pay off student loans for the rest of your life. Let me help you out. There’s enough money to pay off the mortgage and cover your bachelor degree. What do you want me to spend the money on – a trip around the world?”

  “Yes!” he replied. We still hadn’t come to an agreement by the time Ben left at 7:30. I was feeling tired, and since Wendy had already had her walk, I changed into my pyjamas and stretched out on the couch to watch a little TV. The telephone rang two hour later in the middle of a home improvement show, and I fumbled for the telephone on the end table beside me.

  “Hello?” I said.

  “Anna, it’s me,” a frantic voice replied.

  “Amy?”

  “Yes. You’ve got to come help me, Anna. Connie Primo is outside my house. I’m afraid.”

  “What?” I asked, sitting bolt upright. “What do you mean? What’s Connie doing?”

  “He was banging on my front door, but I peeked out the curtains and saw who it was and wouldn’t let him in. I think he saw me, Anna. He gave up for a while, but then I heard him trying to get in the deck door. What should I do?”

  I jumped off the couch with the phone in my hand. “Don’t do anything, Amy. Stay inside the house and don’t open the door. I’ll be right over.” I ran into the bedroom to get my purse.

  “Oh, Anna, be careful,” she said. “He’s got such a temper.”

  “Don’t worry, Amy, I’m bringing Wendy. Turn on your porch light – we’ll go straight to your front door.” I cradled the phone against my shoulder and slid an arm into my coat.

  “Hurry, Anna, it sounds like he’s trying to break open the dining room window!” she shrieked.

  I snapped the leash on Wendy’s collar and we dashed out of the house. We jumped into the car and sped the few blocks to Amy’s house, ignoring the stop signs along the way. I skidded to a halt in front of her house, bracing my arm against Wendy to stop her from flying off the seat. Dragging her out of the driver’s door behind me, I slammed the door shut and locked it with a click of the remote. I scanned the street and saw Connie’s jeep parked a little way ahead. The jeep was empty.

  I opened the gate to Amy’s house, and Wendy and I bolted for the front door. As we did, Connie came running around the side of the house.

  “Hey!” he shouted, charging across the lawn toward us. Wendy started barking and lunged at him, dragging me a couple of feet before I could brace myself.

  “What do you want, Connie?” I shouted over her barking. Connie backed up a step and scowled at me. “I don’t want you. I want to talk to your ditzy friend,
but she won’t open the door.”

  Amy must have heard him because the door flew open and she stepped out onto the porch. She was dressed in shorts and a midriff-baring t-shirt, her feet bare.

  “Leave me alone, Connie,” she wailed. “Go home.”

  “Listen, I want to talk to you,” he yelled, barrelling toward the house. Wendy snarled and barked, lunging like a hooked fish on a line.

  “Stay away from her, Connie!” I shouted, sprinting after him. He made it to the porch before I did and grabbed Amy’s arm. She screamed, and I let go of Wendy’s leash. Wendy cannoned up the steps and leapt into the air. She crashed into Connie’s back and knocked them both over. I stepped over their thrashing bodies, snatched Amy’s hand, and hauled her up.

  “Get inside,” I said, shoving her toward the door. Connie had turned over and was holding Wendy at arm’s length as she tore at his clothes with her sharp claws.

  “Get your damn dog off me!” Connie shouted, and I seized Wendy by the leash and dragged her away, still snarling and barking. The neighbour’s porch light flicked on next door. Connie stumbled to his feet and backed away from us, the front of his jacket ripped.

  “What do you want, Connie?” I asked. “Down, Wendy,” I ordered. She obeyed but kept growling. As I rubbed her back, I could feel the tense muscles beneath her coat.

  Connie held his leather jacket up in front of him. “Look at that! Look at what she did to my jacket,” he shouted.

  “You’re lucky you had it on,” I said. “You still haven’t told me – what are you doing here?”

  “Karen and I just got back from the location shoot. Amy was in my house last Saturday and stole my gun.” He looked past me and shook his fist at the house. “I want my gun back, you crazy bitch,” he shouted. I turned and saw Amy still standing in the doorway, shaking.

  “I didn’t take your gun, Connie,” she said in a tremulous voice.

  “Oh, yeah? You’re lying. I had the gun out last week to clean it, and no one’s been in the house since then except you, me, and Karen. You were acting real strange at the house last Saturday, and Karen and I heard you come back inside while we were upstairs. I know you’ve got it.”

  “I don’t have it, Connie. Karen was with me the whole time I was inside the house. She would have seen me if I had taken it. And I didn’t come back inside. I left as soon as you fixed my car.”

  Connie was about to say more when we heard the wail of a siren. A cruiser, its lights flashing, flew down the street toward us. It careened to a stop across the street, and Steve Walker sprang out. Amy moaned, and as I turned to look at her, I caught a glimpse of a white-haired woman peeking at us from the house next door.

  “Steve, I’m glad you’re here,” Connie shouted as Steve strode up the front lawn. “I want these two arrested,” he said, pointing at Amy and me, “and I want her dog put down. It attacked me. Look what it did to my jacket.” He held it up in front of him for Steve to see.

  “Calm down now, Connie,” Steve said, holding up his hands as he climbed the porch steps. “I’m Constable Walker, Ma’am,” he added, introducing himself to Amy. “Someone called in a complaint about a domestic disturbance. Now, what’s this all about?”

  The radio clipped to his belt squawked and he answered it. “Yeah, I’m at Ms. Bright’s house right now. No, no back-up required.” He looked at me. “Anna, you want to tell me what’s going on here?”

  “She’s got my gun,” Connie broke in, pointing at Amy. “She stole it out of my house. I want you to get a warrant and search her place for it.”

  Steve turned to Amy. “Ms. Bright?”

  Amy left the safety of the doorway to creep closer to Steve. “It’s not true, Constable,” she pleaded, her eyes shining with tears. “I was visiting with Karen last Saturday, but I didn’t take Connie’s gun. I don’t even know where he keeps it. How could I? I never set foot in their house before then.” Steve gazed into her eyes, and then looked at Connie.

  “You got any proof, Connie?” he asked.

  Connie uncrossed his arms and waved them in Steve’s face. “Proof? It had to be her, there was no one else. And don’t go all soft over those baby blues of hers. She’s a thief, I tell you.”

  Steve spent the next half hour straightening things out. He convinced Connie not to press charges against Amy and me by pointing out that Amy could press trespassing and assault charges against him. He also reprimanded Connie for not filing a missing weapon report, and made him promise to come into the station first thing Monday morning to fill out the paperwork. Connie grumbled as he lumbered back to his car. Once he left, Amy threw her arms around Steve, startling him.

  “You were wonderful, Constable Walker,” she said, pressing up against him. “The way you took charge and fixed everything was like a dream. I was so afraid of Connie. I don’t know what he might have done if you hadn’t come. Thank you ever so much.” She stood up on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.

  “Just doing my job, Ms. Bright,” he said, grinning down at her.

  “Please, call me Amy, Constable,” she said, releasing him and linking her arm through his. I shook my head. Amy must have been ten years older than Steve, but that didn’t seem to bother either one of them. Actually, Steve being distracted by another woman was a good thing. Hopefully he was over me. I was sitting on the porch steps beside Wendy, keeping my mouth shut and comforting my dog as Amy and Steve flirted some more. Finally, Steve looked down at me.

  “You got anything to add, Anna?” he asked. I stood up and stretched, Wendy springing to her feet beside me. No way was I going to tell him that I had the gun after all of this. I was eternally grateful to Amy that she hadn’t told on me to Connie or Steve.

  “No, Steve. I met Mr. Primo at The Spur the other night – you were there. He seemed a thoroughly unpleasant man then, and his behaviour tonight just confirms that.”

  “Yes, Connie might have broken in a window if Anna and Wendy hadn’t gotten here so fast,” Amy added.

  “Well, next time you have a problem, Amy, call the police,” Steve said. “Then there won’t be any misunderstandings about assault and people’s dogs.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that, Constable. I don’t suppose you have a business card in case I ever need you again, do you?”

  Steve reached into his shirt pocket. “Here you are,” he said with a smile. “And call me ‘Steve.’”

  “Thank you, Steve. I feel so much safer with this,” she said, tucking it into her cleavage. Steve’s eyes followed his card and lingered there. I nudged him with my elbow.

  “I’m going home now unless you need anything else from me, Steve,” I said.

  He untangled his arm from Amy’s and patted her hand. “No, that’s all I need for tonight, ladies. I’m afraid I have to be going, too. Good night, Amy,” he said, saluting her with two fingers.

  “Bye, bye Steve,” she replied, giving him a bright smile. We headed for the sidewalk together, Steve opening the gate for me with a bow. I smiled and shook my head at him as Wendy and I passed through. Wendy needed to relieve herself, so I paused to let her water the boulevard while Steve climbed into his cruiser. I heard the radio squawk, and Steve respond. I had just let Wendy into the car and was settling into the driver’s seat when he called me.

  “Anna!”

  I looked up and saw him crossing the street toward me. His expression was grim, and I felt a sudden foreboding.

  “What is it Steve?” I asked as he walked up to my door.

  “It’s Ben, Anna. Tremaine’s just taken him in for questioning.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Steve argued against it for five whole minutes, but in the end I followed him to the police station. He knew that he couldn’t stop me from trying to see my son, and I pointed out that I was less likely to get into an accident if I followed him. Reaching the back parking lot first, I sprang out of the car and towed Wendy behind me as I raced for the door.

  “Whoa Anna, calm down,” Steve said, catching up to me. I
pulled on the door handle, but it was locked. Steve put a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to look up into his face. “I mean it, Anna. You shouldn’t even be here. I want you to keep quiet and sit where I tell you to sit until I find out what’s happening with Ben.” I nodded, my jaw so tight that I’d have to break it open to speak.

  “Alright,” Steve said, unlocking the door. “Follow me, and keep Wendy quiet.”

  We hurried down the same grey hallway we had passed through when Steve brought me in to make my statement. The door to the interview room was closed. I stared at it as we went by, wishing that I could see through it. I was certain that Tremaine had Ben in there. Steve led me through a locked door into the lobby at the front of the building. It was after hours and the station was closed. An orange security bulb outside the glass door provided the only illumination. There were a couple of black plastic chairs sitting in front of a closed service window, an artificial potted fern the only decoration.

  “You’ll have to wait here, Anna,” Steve said. “I’m not allowed to bring you into the office area. I’ll talk to the guys and see what’s going on. I shouldn’t be too long.”

  “Thanks, Steve,” I mumbled, loosening my jaw. The door clicked shut behind him and I sat in one of the chairs, leaning my head against the cool, grey wall. Wendy settled at my feet. The room had a shadowy, nightmarish quality, probably made worse by my frightened imaginings. Tremaine had brought Ben in for questioning. Was arrest the next step? What could Tremaine have discovered that would justify bringing Ben in? Had Ben been hiding something from me?

  My thoughts were too scattered to be rational, and I tried to calm down. I had to think about Ben’s needs now. What rights did a person have when they were brought in for questioning? A lawyer – did Ben need a lawyer? When the police questioned suspects on television, they often had a lawyer.

  Steve came back into the lobby. “Steve, do you know a good lawyer?” I asked, jumping to my feet.

  “What?” he said. “You mean for Ben? Take it easy, Anna. I don’t know if Ben has already requested a lawyer. Tremaine is talking to him right now – the guys said they’ve been in there about half an hour. When Tremaine comes out, I’ll ask him what’s going on. Or, you could go home and I could call you when they’re done. I don’t know how long they’ll be, and it’s not very comfortable here.”