The Fred Vickery Mystery Series: Books 1-3 (Fred Vickery Mysteries)

by Sherry Lewis

“I imagine you’re here because you’ve heard about Adam—?”

  Not entirely certain what Philip meant, Fred just nodded.

  Philip’s brows knit as if he were confused. “You know—in spite of everything he did, I still think Adam was basically a good man.”

  “Yes, he was.”

  “I can’t tell you how shocked I was to find out what he’d been up to.”

  On second thought, Fred supposed there was no harm in being polite. “Exactly when did you find out?”

  Philip shook his head and looked incredibly sad. “Just recently.”

  “The day before Adam was killed—?”

  Philip’s eyes flew open. “No. This morning. I thought I knew everything that goes on here, but I had no idea until Mitch brought his suspicions to me. It didn’t take long to verify what Adam was doing, but I have to admit that I’m completely shocked.”

  So it was true, then. Adam had altered the Shadow Mountain test results. Disappointment lodged in Fred’s throat, making it hard to breathe. “So that’s not what you and Adam argued about the night he died?”

  Philip pulled back slightly and the friendliness on his face cooled considerably. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “That’s odd,” Fred said. “Somebody told me that you and Adam had an argument that night.”

  “Whoever told you that was either mistaken or lying,” Philip said. “Who was it?”

  Even if Fred could remember who’d said it, he wouldn’t have told Philip who it was. “I’m not sure,” Fred said. “I’ve had so many conversations in the past few days, I’ve lost track of who said what.”

  With his charm nudged out of place, Philip stood and paced impatiently. “Where in the hell is that woman? I don’t know what’s happened to the discipline around this place.”

  His reaction interested Fred. Something was making Philip nervous and Fred wondered what it was. The idea that someone knew he’d argued with Adam? Or the possibility that someone had lied to make him look guilty?

  Sketchy details of conversations he’d had ran through his head as Philip paced, and Fred suddenly remembered exactly who’d told him about Philip’s argument with Adam. It was Porter who had told overheard Philip and Adam. Porter could be exasperating and occasionally acted like an idiot, but for the most part, Fred trusted him. If Porter said Adam and Philip argued, they must have.

  Philip looked at the door again, as if he could make Brooke appear by force of will alone. He swore and stomped back to the telephone. He punched numbers and nearly growled into the receiver. “Where’s Brooke? I thought you said she was free.”

  The more agitated he became, the more curious Fred became. Odd that asking about his disagreement with Adam was acting on him like a burr under a saddle. When Philip slammed the receiver down again, Fred decided to press him. “It’s funny that you say you didn’t argue with Adam. I’ve talked with a witness who claims you were upset with Adam.”

  “You don’t remember who said it, but you remember exactly what he said?” Philip let out an icy laugh. “Adam was a trusted employee. Believing in him the way I did might make me stupid or blind, but it doesn’t make me a murderer.”

  Fred tried to keep kept his face expressionless. “I never said it did.”

  Philip stopped pacing, drew a deep breath, and gave an embarrassed laugh. “No. Of course you didn’t. Look, this whole thing’s been a nightmare. . .” As if that explained his outburst.

  Rapidly approaching footsteps broke the tension, and Philip’s face relaxed. So when Brooke appeared in the doorway, he greeted her with a bright smile. “Ah—here she is. Come in, Brooke. Mr. Vickery has a few questions to ask you.” But instead of leaving them in private, Philip settled back into his chair.

  Brooke was dressed in jeans and a white lab coat. Her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail that made her look young and innocent.

  Fred scooted to the edge of his seat. “Do you mind if I talk to Brooke alone?”

  Philip cocked his head as if he’d just heard a new idea, but he nodded in concession. “No. Of course not. I wasn’t thinking. You two stay here. I have a few things to check on in the lab, anyway. Come in, Brooke. Sit.” He gestured toward the empty chair, restacked a sheaf of papers and tucked them under his arm, and with another overly friendly smile, slipped out of the office and closed the door behind him. But he left behind a whirlwind of emotions Fred couldn’t begin to analyze.

  Brooke approached the empty chair beside Fred’s with a hesitant step. “What’s wrong?”

  “Not a thing. I just need to ask you one question—” He looked back at the door through which Philip had just disappeared. “—maybe two.”

  Still looking concerned, Brooke sat. “Okay.”

  “Did you make an appointment for Adam to meet with Roy Dennington the morning of the murder?”

  “Me? No.” She looked mildly surprised. Confused. Truthful.

  But just to be sure, he asked, “You’re certain?”

  Add a touch of annoyance. “Of course. What makes you think I might have?”

  Her response sounded so genuine, Fred’s spirits fell. “Dennington told me that Adam’s secretary called him to set up a meeting with Adam.”

  “Then you should talk to Tiffany. She’s the one—”

  Fred shook his head. “I just talked to her,” he said, interrupting. “She says it wasn’t her. If it wasn’t you, do you think it was Charlotte?”

  Brooke’s brow furrowed in thought. “I guess it must have been, but it doesn’t sound like something she would do. Charlotte works hard to make sure nobody ever mistakes her for clerical staff. I can’t imagine her ever setting up an appointment for Adam—for anyone here, actually.”

  “Maybe she didn’t,” Fred agreed. “I figured since you were the one helping him after hours—”

  Brooke flushed at the words left unspoken. “Can you believe this? Philip’s been like a crazy man all day. He called and made me come in so I could show him what Adam and I did.”

  Well now, that was interesting, especially since Philip had just told Fred he’d only found out about the tests that morning. “What did Philip say when he called you?”

  Brooke shrugged lightly. “Just that he’d found some bad files and he wanted to go over them with me. “He even got Mitch to come in— Honestly, if I’d had any idea what Adam was up to, I never would have helped.”

  “No, I’m sure you wouldn’t have,” Fred assured her. “I’ll ask Charlotte about the phone call anyway, just to be sure. Can I ask you something else?”

  Brooke gave a hesitant nod. “I guess so.”

  “Philip just told me he didn’t know about Adam’s late-night tests until after the murder, but I have it on good authority they argued about something before Adam died. Do you have any idea what they fought about?”

  Brooke’s lips curved into a weak smile. “It could have been anything, Mr. Vickery. Philip practically breeds stress. If he hadn’t ever argued with Adam, I’d worry. He’s probably out there right now. Pacing and waiting for me to come out. I really ought to get back—”

  Fred didn’t want her to go, but he didn’t know what else to ask her. Nothing made sense. Nothing felt right. He was missing something, but he had no idea what it was. He stood slowly, accepting the inevitable. “Yes, of course. Thanks for your time.”

  Her lips curved a bit more. “I wish I could have been more help.”

  “So do I.”

  “Maybe you’re right to talk to Charlotte.”

  “I think I will. It can’t hurt. Is she in the middle of something important?”

  Brooke made a face and whispered, “She didn’t have to come in today.”

  “Oh? Why not?”

  “You tell me and we’ll both know. Why me and Mitch, but not her?”

  Fred leaned a little closer and lowered his voice to match hers. “What do you think?”

  “I think Philip’s the biggest jerk I’ve ever worked for. Frankly, I’m surprised th
at he’s not the one who ended up dead.” She laughed uneasily and looked at the ceiling panels. “I shouldn’t have said that—he’s probably got this place bugged.”

  She wasn’t the first employee at EnviroSampl to complain about the boss. “So things have been difficult around here since the murder?”

  “I’ll say. And Philip’s having an absolute fit about it. He can’t understand why anyone’s still upset. After all, it’s been almost three whole days—” She broke off and shook her head in disgust. “He’s absolutely impossible to deal with. And Mitch is bearing the brunt of it. And it’s not helping matters that we can’t find the Paradise Valley tests Charlotte ran last week.”

  “Some of Charlotte’s tests are missing?”

  “One that I know of. Who knows how many others?”

  All at once, Kelley Yarnell’s story echoed in Fred’s mind. Charlotte had wanted Adam. She’d brought Kelley back for Nancy and fed him stories about divorce and abortion until she thought everything was where she wanted it. But had she also been involved in altering the Shadow Mountain test results? Had she been the driving force behind Adam? Pushing him to falsify test results?

  Had she made that appointment with Roy Dennington? What had she been trying to accomplish? And what had gone wrong? Fred had more questions than answers, but he had a gut feeling that he was finally on the right trail. He was convinced that Charlotte had the answers he needed.

  He patted Brooke’s shoulder in thanks and crossed to the door. If Charlotte was behind the mess at EnviroSampl, she might be ready to run. He had to catch her before she disappeared.

  TWENTY TWO

  Ignoring the very real possibility that he’d get another speeding ticket, Fred cruised through Mountain Home without looking at his speedometer. If Robert Alpers wanted to follow him, it might not be a bad idea.

  Just his luck, he raced down Main Street to Twin Creek Drive and shot up the mountain, all without attracting a speck of attention. He was on his own.

  He reached Charlotte’s place relieved to see her car in the driveway. He parked behind it to block her in and hurried up the front steps. The house looked innocent enough. Nothing sinister. Nothing foreboding. Yet his heart hammered against his chest and threatened to block his throat.

  He rang the doorbell, not really expecting her to answer. When the door opened away from his hand, he had to swallow his surprise.

  Charlotte stood in the open doorway, looking as surprised as he felt. “Mr. Vickery? What are you doing here?”

  He had to corral his thoughts for a second before he could form words. “I need to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  “Can we talk inside?”

  Without a word, she turned and strode into the living room, draping herself over an off-white chair. “For heaven’s sake,” she said with a tight smile. “You look as if the sky is falling.”

  For all he knew, it might be. Steering clear of the low-flung couch this time, he chose a chair near the front window instead. “I’ve got a few more questions for you, and this time I want you to tell me the truth.”

  “By which you imply I lied to you last time we spoke?” Ice lined her voice, but her face betrayed nothing. “All right, go ahead.”

  “I understand you’re a friend of Kelley Yarnell’s.”

  She crossed her legs and stared hard at him. “I’ve known Kelley for years. What does that have to do with anything?”

  “I also understand you told him Nancy and Adam had separated, and why.”

  She nodded, but a wary look inched across her face.

  “And that you had drinks with him the night before the murder.”

  A shadow flitted behind her eyes. “What are you insinuating?”

  “I’m not insinuating a blasted thing, I’m telling you what I know. So was it you who called Roy Dennington and set up an appointment for Adam the morning of the murder?”

  Her body snapped out of its languid pose but she still made an effort to sound casual. “I guess that’s so.”

  “Why? What did Adam want to see Roy about?”

  “He didn’t tell me.”

  Fred had reached the end of his tolerance for the games all these people wanted to play. “You’re a respected chemist,” he said. “Adam’s equal in every way. And I understand you’re very careful to keep people from mistaking you for a member of the clerical staff. Yet when Adam asked you to set an appointment for him, you did it without question?”

  “Yes,” she said, but he thought her voice wavered a bit.

  “I don’t believe you, Charlotte. What did Adam want with Dennington?”

  She shot up and paced a few steps away. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t. To tell you the truth, I don’t have any idea what’s been going on around the office lately. Philip’s been on the rampage. Adam was distracted all the time. And even Mitch is jumpy. It’s gotten to all of us.”

  “What has?”

  She stopped moving and folded her arms across her chest. “Well, at first, I thought Adam was upset because of his marital problems, but toward the end I started thinking there was something else bothering him.”

  “You knew about Kelley Yarnell’s relationship with Nancy?”

  “Not at first,” Charlotte admitted. “I found out about it shortly before Adam died. He was really torn up about it.”

  “That’s why he insisted that Nancy get an abortion?”

  “No,” Charlotte said firmly. “Adam hated the idea of abortion, but he insisted on one because he couldn’t raise that baby. It would have been a constant reminder that Nancy had cheated on him, and Nancy wouldn’t even consider giving the baby up for adoption.”

  “So you told Kelley about Adam and Nancy, and you urged him to come back to town.”

  “No!” Charlotte fiddled with her hair for a moment, then said, “We ran into each other by accident. But, yes, I told him. Listen, I liked both of them—Adam and Kelley. It’s not their fault they were both in love with the same woman. If anybody’s to blame, it’s Nancy.”

  Either Charlotte was lying, or Kelley had lied to him earlier. And if Fred had to choose one to believe, he’d pick Kelley. The young man had seemed sincere. Charlotte did not. “Did you tell Adam that Kelley was back?”

  Charlotte’s expression tightened, and for an instant Fred thought she wouldn’t answer. When she did, she spoke softly. “The day he died.”

  “And you told him Nancy had been to see Kelley at his hotel room?”

  She put a touch of shock into her eyes. “No. I didn’t know that.”

  “I was under the impression you were the only one who knew Kelley was back in town.”

  “Well, I couldn’t have been, could I? Somebody else had to know.” Her voice sounded just right. Defensive. Outraged. Innocent.

  Even so, Fred didn’t believe a word of it. “Then what did you tell him?”

  “Just that I’d run into Kelley the night before.” She looked away. “I didn’t mean to tell him that. It slipped out in the conversation.”

  Maybe so, but Fred suspected that it had only slipped out after she’d oiled the tracks. “How did Adam react?”

  “Like you might expect. Angry. Hurt. Ready to confront Kelley and demand that he leave Nancy alone.”

  “And did he?”

  Charlotte dropped back into her chair. “I don’t know. Really. And besides, that wasn’t the only thing bothering Adam.”

  She seemed determined to draw the attention away from her part in Adam’s break with Nancy. Fred decided to let her go and see where she wanted to lead him. “What else was on his mind?”

  “I don’t know for sure,” Charlotte said. “Like I said, things around the office have been really weird. Philip called Adam into his office the day before the murder, and when Adam came out, he was absolutely livid. I followed and offered to help, and that’s when he asked me to call Roy Dennington and set up an appointment.”

  “But you didn’t ask why.”

  She looked suprem
ely innocent. “No. And if you’d seen the look on his face, you wouldn’t have, either. I figured I’d wait until he calmed down and ask him then.”

  “His behavior didn’t seem strange to you?”

  She gestured broadly and crossed her long legs. “Of course it seemed strange! Adam had no business meeting with Roy Dennington—or any other potential land purchaser. It was an absolute conflict of interest and Philip would never have allowed him to do it.”

  “Okay, so Adam didn’t tell you what he wanted, but you must have had your suspicions.”

  She nodded and managed to look miserable doing so. “I do now, of course. Adam was accessing records in the lab and creating a clean set of test result files on the computer under another password. Mitch called a little while ago and told me what they’d found. I can’t help wondering what Roy could have offered Adam that made it worth losing everything. It must have really been something.”

  “Maybe,” Fred said, still trying to determine what was true and what wasn’t. “So who do you think killed him?”

  Clearly puzzled, Charlotte shook her head. “Obviously, Philip found out about the tests and ordered Adam to stop. Adam must have wanted to meet with Roy Dennington to tell him they’d been caught. He probably asked me to make the call while he got rid of stuff in his office and files on the computer.”

  After he got caught? Philip had probably made copies of Adam’s files to keep as proof. Surely, Adam would have anticipated that. Fred thought it unlike that Adam had wasted time locking the barn door after the cows had escaped. “I understand that Brooke Westphal helped Adam with his tests. How much did she know?”

  Charlotte rolled her dark eyes as if dismissing Brooke completely. “Nothing, I’m sure. I hear that Philip’s furious with her for accessing the lab after hours, but he doesn’t blame her.”

  “Do you think she had a reason to want Adam dead?”

  Charlotte gave a sharp laugh. “Brooke? She’d never have the nerve.”

  “Well someone killed Adam,” Fred said impatiently. “What about Kelley Yarnell?”

  “No! Kelley would never do something like that.”

  “Then who?”