Veritas

by Anne Laughlin

  “Where there’s hope, there’s life, Chief.”

  “Sally.”

  Beth paused. “Yes. Sally.”

  They hung up and Sally checked her hands to see if they were trembling. She felt something akin to an adrenaline rush, the fight-or-flight response to danger that most cops were familiar with. But this had been a low-watt conversation about letters of recommendation. Danger? Maybe. But when wasn’t it a risk trying to love someone? From the extent of her physical reaction to Beth, Sally guessed the reward would far outweigh the risk.

  Sally shoved the thoughts of Beth to the back of her mind and left the station to interview Katie. The phone on her belt rang just as Sally was pulling out of the parking lot.

  “Good morning, Chief. It’s Rudy Blaise.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Mayor.”

  “Word is that you’re out and about early today.”

  “I think I can guess who passed that word along to you.”

  The mayor laughed. “That and a few other choice words, some of which I can’t say I understood. But the point was clear enough. The president thinks you’re in over your head, Chief. Says you’re grasping at straws.”

  “And what do you think, sir?”

  “I think he’s an ass and a half, is what I think, but I don’t suppose it would hurt to ask if you need any help.”

  Sally paused for just a moment. “No, sir, I have the staff I need. We are following up on a few things and I hope to have something to report soon. Do you feel any obligation to do as President Landscome asks?”

  “None whatsoever. But if you want anything from me, just let me know. I don’t know who the state or county could send our way who’d be more qualified than a former Chicago homicide detective.”

  Mayor Blaise loved to bring up the fact that his chief of police was a murder dick in Chicago. If Sally told him that they actually were called “dicks” within the department, he’d be over the moon. It was all Mickey Spillane to him.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence. I’ll let you know how things progress,” Sally said.

  Sally flipped her phone closed as she turned onto Katie’s street. Heading toward her was Mel’s truck, which braked to a stop in the middle of the road. Sally pulled her squad car up alongside and lowered her window.

  “Is there a reason you’re obstructing traffic?” Sally asked.

  Mel had her elbow out the window of her F-150 pickup. The truck was black and gleaming, the interior black leather, the stereo system obviously enhanced. Mel reached over to shut it off and turned back to Sally with a smile on her face.

  “There’s no one else on the street, Chief. And I’d probably still be asleep myself if you hadn’t called Katie this morning.”

  “I thought that was you swearing in the background. Is she okay with you spreading the word about your latest conquest?”

  Now Mel frowned. Sally thought she was guileless, which was probably one of her charms. You always knew what was going on with Mel. She either wore it plainly on her face or told you straight out. Sally knew this much from the time she’d spent in proximity to Mel at Werni’s Tap. Everyone there loved her, teased her, and perhaps, most importantly, respected her limits. When Mel stopped smiling, you could be sure that she wasn’t happy at all. That unhappiness directed at someone could be an impressive display, and only the most naïve pushed her one step beyond.

  “I believe that the word conquest sounds a little disrespectful, Chief. I’m sure you don’t mean that.”

  “No disrespect to Katie Murphy was intended.”

  “That’s good. She’s a very classy lady. I’m lucky she wanted to spend time with me.”

  “Uh-huh.” Sally wondered whether Mel was as grateful as she seemed. No wonder the women loved her. Mel seemed to worship each and every one of them.

  “She’s about to tell you about our getting together herself. We don’t want any secrets when you’re prowling around town investigating a murder. And I know that Katie’s in the middle of the story, though I don’t pretend to understand all that tenure crap.”

  Sally smiled. “Yeah. If you do figure it out, clue me in, okay? Those academics are the champions of obfuscation.”

  “You sound like one of them with that big word.”

  “That’s because it’s a word that describes what people do to make something really unclear, and any police detective will be very much familiar with obfuscation.”

  “I think here they just call it bullshit.”

  Sally put her car back in drive. “I’ll go see Katie now.”

  “Don’t you beat up on her, now. She’s a nice lady.”

  Mel touched the bill of her Mopar baseball cap and drove away, a smile back on her face. Sally felt a little queasy. Mel seemed so at ease, all the time. She had a lightness about her that Sally would never have. Even if she adopted Mel’s ways and tried to pick up as many women as possible, she’d strike out right and left. She was gloom to Mel’s cheer, reserve to Mel’s openness. No wonder Beth liked Mel. Maybe even loved her.

  Sally pulled the squad up to the curb in front of Katie’s house. The screen door swung open and Katie stepped out to greet Sally. She wore loose blue jeans and a tight T-shirt, her young face relaxed but her eyes worried.

  “Come in, Chief. I have a pot of coffee on.”

  “I’d love a cup,” Sally said. Katie led her into the small kitchen. The stove and refrigerator were compact size, the cabinets were painted metal, and the floor was covered with industrial-grade linoleum.

  “I know this place seems a little grim,” Katie said. “I had better digs when I was a grad student.”

  “It’s not so bad. Convenient.”

  “And cheap. I’m lucky to have it.”

  Katie poured the coffee, passed the cream, and led Sally back to the front room. She sat next to Sally on the sofa.

  “What can I tell you?”

  “Was that Mel I heard here when I called this morning?”

  “You know it was, Chief. I just saw the two of you talking down the street.”

  “Mel is not a kiss-and-tell kind of person, which I suppose is how she stays alive in this town.”

  “What does this have to do with anything?” Katie asked.

  “I’m not sure yet. But look at this from my point of view. When I talked with you yesterday morning, the alibi you gave for the time of the murder was that you were in Delilah’s bed. Delilah’s alibi is that you were in her bed. Now I come to discover that you’re sleeping with Mel. That makes the alibis a little suspect, like you and Delilah both agreed to provide them for each other.”

  “Because Delilah and I conspired to murder John Barrow? That’s absurd.”

  There was a knock on the door and Ted came in.

  “Ted, this is Katie Murphy from the college. Sit down and take notes and I’ll fill you in later.” Ted pulled a chair over from the dining table and took out his notebook.

  Katie looked worried. “Chief, I’ll be the first to admit that I wasn’t a big fan of John Barrow, but that simply put me with the majority on this campus. Delilah was quite vocal about disliking him, but it wouldn’t occur to her to murder him. She’s many things, but she’s not a murderer.”

  “You’re right that there are a lot of people who disliked Barrow. But you’re the only one who would benefit directly from his death. It isn’t guaranteed, I understand, but it’s very likely that you will take his position in the English department. I can certainly see wanting to move out of here.”

  “You think I would murder someone so I could move into a better apartment? That’s the craziest thing I’ve heard. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to stay at Grafton, so I sure as hell wouldn’t murder someone to ensure that I can. And if Delilah and I were supplying alibis for each other, what was her motive?”

  “That’s easy. She’s in love with you.”

  Katie leaned back on the sofa, her arms wrapped around her middle. “Should I get a lawyer?”

  “That’s up to you,
but it’s only going to impede the investigation. If you’re innocent, you’ll want the investigation concluded as soon as possible.”

  “I guess. It’s hard to know what’s right.”

  “I just have a couple more things to cover. Bear with me here. The first is for you to tell me what you would expect to happen as far as tenure now that Barrow is dead.”

  “I really don’t know that I expected anything. Dean Ellis told me yesterday that she’d like to avoid the whole formal interview process and just put me into the English department as an assistant professor. I have no idea if that will fly or not.”

  Sally paused for a moment while Ted scribbled furiously.

  “The second thing is for you to tell me where you stand with Mel and Delilah. I’m not being nosy. I just need to know what is going on with all the players.”

  “I don’t really care if you know. Delilah and I have only been seeing each other for a short while. I’m not even sure how it started, and I’ve been pretty sure all along that it wasn’t going to last. She’s so intense. But Mel feels so different to me. She says she wants to see me again, and I definitely want to see her. I’m going to break up with Delilah.”

  “She’ll be very unhappy.”

  “Probably, but I can’t be responsible for that, can I?”

  Sally stood. “Ted, take these cups into the kitchen, will you, and meet me outside?”

  “Sure, Chief.” He leaned over in front of Katie to pick up a cup and said, “Excuse me, ma’am.” When he’d gathered the cups he stepped into the kitchen. Sally heard water running.

  “Don’t wash them, Ted. Just put them on the counter.”

  Ted came back out and headed for the door. “Sorry, Chief. Ma’am.”

  Katie turned to Sally. “What’s with the ‘ma’am’ thing? I’m thirty-four years old.”

  “Old habit, I think. Listen, Katie, I need you to stay here in town while we’re continuing our investigation, okay?”

  “Am I really a suspect?”

  “Right now everyone is, but you are the only one that has a motive that’s clear cut and I can’t eliminate anyone from consideration at this time.”

  Katie went to the door and held the screen open for Sally. “I hope you find the murderer quickly.”

  Sally just nodded good-bye and walked through the door. Ted was standing by her squad car, his own pulled up right behind it. A neighbor out walking her dog looked at them curiously.

  “What’s next, Chief?”

  “Head over to the station and get the keys to Barrow’s house out of the locker, then meet me at Barrow’s place.”

  “Are we looking for anything special?”

  “At this point, we’re looking for anything. There’s got to be something we missed.”

  “It wasn’t us that searched the place anyway. Didn’t the state boys just go through and then bag everything up?” Ted asked.

  “Yeah. And I’ve been through that stuff twice. Let’s just take a look to satisfy my curiosity, okay?”

  “Sure, Chief. I’ll see you over there.”

  As Ted pulled away, Sally called Henry at the station.

  “Henry, Ted’s on his way to pick up Barrow’s house keys, so will you grab those for him?”

  “No problem. Anything else?”

  “I want you to put your detective’s hat on for me and run down an alibi. We’re looking to confirm that Nigel Landscome was registered in Brown’s Hotel in London, England, last Friday, including any evidence of when he checked out of the hotel.”

  “In London?”

  “You can do it, Henry. They speak English. They have phones.”

  “Okay, Chief. I’ll get back to you.”

  Sally hung up and drove toward John Barrow’s house. The yellow crime scene tape was still in place on Barrow’s property. The red tape around the area where the body was found had been removed by the state CSI team when they left the scene. Ted pulled up as Sally stood on the patch where Barrow had fallen, looking out to the street to see what she could see. There was one house directly across from Barrow’s, but two interviews with the owners had produced only one answer to their question—they hadn’t heard or seen a thing. They were sound asleep at 11:00 p.m. on Friday, just as they were every night. Just as was most everyone on the street. Asleep or cocooned in their living rooms with their eyes and ears focused on their TVs.

  Sally took the keys from Ted and they went into the house. The look and feel of the place was familiar to Sally from the many murder scenes she’d worked in Chicago. Surfaces were covered with fingerprint dust, every bit of paper and ephemera bagged and removed, along with any sense that a person had lived in the place. Ted held his arms carefully at his sides, as if he’d just entered an overstuffed antiques shop.

  “You can’t hurt anything,” Sally said. “Just put on your gloves and let’s go through every drawer and closet again. It shouldn’t take long.”

  Ted headed to the kitchen. Sally went to the answering machine attached to the living room phone. She had stopped by on Saturday to check it for messages, and there’d been none. Now she saw the red light blinking.

  “Mr. Barrow? This is Karl over at It’s Geek to Me in Center City. Say, we’ve got your laptop ready. You had a virus, that’s why it was frozen, but we decontaminated her and she’s running fine. I updated your security software, no charge. Anyway, we’re open today, Saturday, till five but closed on Sunday. It’s here waiting for you.”

  Sally picked up her cell and called directory assistance for the store’s number and jotted it down while she was being connected. The call went right into voicemail and Sally left a message telling anyone at the store to call her regarding John Barrow’s laptop. Then she yelled for Ted.

  “I don’t know if this will turn out to be anything, but I’m counting on you to run this down. Barrow did have a laptop, but it’s been in a repair shop in Center City. I don’t have the address—here’s the name and phone number. Get down there and get me that laptop.”

  “Are they open today?”

  “Nope. You need to find the owner and get him to the shop. Don’t let me see you again until you have that computer in your hands.”

  Ted looked both eager and uncertain. “I’ll try my best, Chief.”

  “Ted, you need to walk out of here knowing you can do this. You’re a police officer. You’re gathering evidence. This is what we do.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I just hope I can find him.”

  “My guess is this shop is in a strip mall, or somewhere with other shops nearby. Ask those folks for his name. Use the Internet. You’ll find him.”

  “I’ll call you when I have something,” Ted said.

  “You do that. And don’t let me down.”

  Sally spent the next couple of hours going through every nook and cranny of the house, not finding a thing. She hoped Ted was going to bring back a laptop full of clues.

  *

  Late Sunday afternoon, Beth put her macaroni-and-cheese casserole into a thermal tote and walked to Delilah’s house. The quarterly faculty parties began promptly at 4:00 on Sunday, as they had for the past ten years. Each year, Delilah sent out an announcement right after New Year’s Day so that faculty members could mark their calendars with the correct dates. Not every professor attended, regularly or otherwise. The hard sciences, for instance, were poorly represented, but that still made for a large gathering. As Beth neared Delilah’s house she could see others approaching from every direction, each carrying something to contribute. She knew that Sally planned on stopping by the party and her body did that flippity-flop thing in her stomach again when she thought about it.

  The afternoon was sunny and warm, a hint of cool air coming in on a breeze. Delilah stood at her front door, holding the screen open and ushering people in. Beth could see the look on her face, the one that seemed more impatient than welcoming, as if all of these college professors were tardy. She would have the same demeanor at the end of the party, which always came promptly
at 7:00, holding the screen door open again and guiding the slightly wobbly back out the door. In between, everyone seemed to have a good time.

  As Beth climbed the steps to the front door, Delilah waved her hand, hurrying her up. Then she clasped a hand on Beth’s forearm, holding her in place as Roy Thibedeau from History and his wife scooted through the door.

  “Margaret, you know where to put the salmon mousse,” Delilah said to them, a forced smile on her face. She turned back to Beth after the Thibedeaus had gone in. “Honest to God, hasn’t she gotten it through her bonnet that no one eats her damn mousse? It looks like the one house standing after a tornado when people are done eating, and still she brings it to every party.”

  “Dee, you’re gripping my arm like a vise. What’s going on?”

  Delilah closed the screen door and pulled Beth to the far side of the front porch. She waved as Sandy Anderson from Sociology entered the house, holding hands with a young woman.

  “Who’s she with?” asked Delilah.

  “Grad student from State. They’ve been together for a while now.”

  “Well, no one told me.” Delilah stared after them.

  “Delilah, it’s been two years since you and Sandy broke up. And you ended it, remember? No one told you because you have a huge reaction to little things. It’s tiresome.”

  Delilah was about to argue the point, but then stopped and took a long breath. “I don’t have time now to tell you, again, just how wrong you are. Or to point out that you are the biggest sponge on campus. You take everything in and never change shape—it’s like you have no reaction to anything. I’d rather err on the side of standing up for myself, thanks very much.”

  Delilah crossed her arms and looked a bit triumphant. “Let’s see if this gets a rise out of you. I just heard from a reliable source that Landscome has received final authority from the board of trustees to institute layoffs, and they’ll be announced this week.”

  Beth took a step back and her mind went numb at the edges, threatening to shut down at the careening course of her thoughts in the past several days—missing student, Sally, murder, Sally, Mother, Sally, layoffs…