Dead Madonna

by Victoria Houston

  “No wallet?” said Lew.

  “Nope.”

  Before leaving the bathroom, Lew used her cell phone to call the Wausau Crime Lab. The EMTs were just entering the bedroom as she was patched through to the pathologist on call. “Yes, we’ll need an autopsy,” she said, then listened. “Good, I’ll have you talk to one of the EMTs so they handle everything correctly, and we’ll send the body down first thing in the morning.”

  Turning towards the three men who had just walked into the room, she said, “Who’s in charge here?” After arranging for the lead EMT to call Wausau on his phone for instructions, she made one more call—to Dan Wright on his personal cell phone.

  “Dan,” she said, “Chief Ferris here. You impress your girl’s dad with those trout flies?” As she listened, a smile crossed her face. Osborne found himself grinning at her pleased expression. “Great. Well, Dan, you owe me—right?”

  Talking fast in a low tone, she described the events of the last few hours and Hugh Curry’s confession. “That said, Dan, is there any chance you could make it up here tomorrow? I sure could use the help … great. Good. See you at ten in my office.”

  Gwen had cleared herself a more comfortable spot on one sofa, where she now sat, quiet and composed. After moving a few piles themselves, Osborne and Lew were able to find room to sit, too. Osborne started in with the same questions he had asked Marcy Kurlander. Gwen’s voice, so abrasive earlier in the day, was now a low purr of grief as she responded. “No need to rush on the funeral arrangements,” he said finishing up. “We don’t know how soon they can complete the autopsy.”

  “What do you mean, autopsy? I didn’t ask for any autopsy. It’s obvious my husband committed suicide.” The purr was gone. Back was the bark—with a hiss. She spoke with a sibilant “s” that Osborne hadn’t noticed before. Another case of bad dentistry? He wasn’t sure she didn’t deserve it.

  “State law requires an autopsy when a death is not the result of natural causes,” said Lew.

  “Oh,” said Gwen, “as if everything isn’t bad enough already.” With a heavy sigh, she slumped back into the sofa.

  “You know, Gwen,” said Lew, “I’ve been watching you and wondering if we shouldn’t have you checked by a physician. I’m worried you could be going into shock.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “You have some of the symptoms.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, you’re unusually calm, very precise in your movements, and that can mean—”

  “No—I’m fine,” said Gwen firmly. “I’m just … I’m doing my best to deal with all this. I mean, what good would screaming and crying do? Maybe later—when it hits me.” She pressed her lips tight. “I do not need the emergency room.”

  “Okay, then,” said Lew. “I hate to make things more difficult for you, but since your husband did not die of natural causes, we have work to do here—”

  “I understand,” said Gwen with a dismissive wave of one hand. “Do you need me to leave?”

  “Yes, we’ll have to secure the house and the property,” said Lew. “But, Gwen, I may have more questions so I do have to ask that you remain here for the time being. Please don’t touch anything until we’ve completed our investigation. That includes all the telephones, your computers, everything. Is that clear?”

  “Certainly, but I’m surprised—well, I assume I can gather some overnight things?”

  “Not yet, please. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a couple phone calls.”

  Ray picked up immediately. After telling him what had happened, Lew said, “I need photos before they move the body, Ray. You know the drill, and I’m sorry to call so late but if you can get over here—Good, thank you. Doc and I are both here. See you in a few minutes. No, I don’t care how you get here, just get here.”

  “What’s that all about?” Osborne said, when she had finished.

  “He’s coming by canoe. Said it would be faster than driving.”

  “He’s right about that,” said Osborne. “Take him a good thirty minutes to drive it.”

  After calling the switchboard with instructions to have the officer on duty drive out to the Curry residence, Lew turned to Gwen. “Officer Martin will be here in about fifteen minutes. I’ll have him drive you back into town and arrange for your stay at the Inn.

  “Now, Gwen, I realize this may be painful, but could you tell us exactly what happened after we left you and your husband at the Chamber offices?”

  CHAPTER 25

  Given it was less than two hours from when he had answered Lew’s last question and finished packing the trunk for the job fair, Osborne could not accuse Hugh Curry of taking long to make a decision. According to Gwen, on arriving back at the Mirror Lake house, he had mixed himself a gin and tonic and walked down to the dock, where he sat watching the sunset and reading through his agenda and attendee list for the next day.

  “Hugh loved having a cocktail on the dock before dinner. If it wasn’t raining, he was down there every night. So I really didn’t pay much attention. I was getting supper going and just assumed he was prepping for tomorrow,” said Gwen. “He likes to open the job fairs by introducing all the participating firms, and since we have several new companies … Oh …” she paused, “I better call Anita Rasmussen and let the Chamber know they have to cancel—”

  “I’ll take care of it,” said Lew. “Gwen, does the name Nora Loomis sound familiar?”

  “Sure—that’s the other woman who was murdered yesterday. Sounded awful, too. What is going on in this town anyway?”

  “How did you hear about it?” asked Lew.

  “At the grocery store. I get all my news when I buy groceries.”

  “But the name doesn’t ring a bell otherwise?”

  “N-o-o. Wait—did she work at Universal Medical Supplies? They’ve had a booth at every one of the job fairs and hired quite a few people. You know, I vaguely remember meeting someone named Nora. It’s a lovely name. Could that have been Mrs. Loomis? And I remember Hugh assuring an older woman that all the personal information on the job fair applications was kept confidential. But, of course, now we know. My God, the man was desperate. Cracking up right in front of me and I had no idea.” She brought both hands to her face and covered her mouth as her eyes widened in disbelief.

  “Gwen, it’s all speculation at this point but it doesn’t look good,” said Lew. “And I’m sorry to press you on these matters, but the sooner we can resolve things, the sooner you can get on with your life.”

  Gwen nodded. “You’re right. I appreciate your concern. But o-o-h … my … God.” Eyes shut tight, she shook her head back and forth.

  “So take us back to what you were saying a minute ago. Your husband was down on the dock with his drink …”

  “Right. For about a half hour or so. Then he walked in here and said to call him when supper was ready, that he would be in the office. Maybe that’s when he wrote the note?” She looked at Lew and Osborne as if they had the answer.

  “Next thing I know I’m setting the table and I hear a gun go off.” Lips pressed tight as if to keep from breaking down, Gwen continued to sit quite still, her eyes focused on Lew. “Wish I could say more.” She gave a sigh that sounded like a hiccup.

  Thinking it a good time to change the subject, Osborne said, “The computer in your office—is that the one that has the job fair database?”

  “Yes, but why would you need that now?”

  “Well, we don’t know what questions are likely to come up, so we’ll need access. Do you agree, Chief Ferris?”

  “Absolutely. I have a young man from the Wausau Crime Lab who is experienced in retrieving data from hard drives. With his help we may be able to track what your husband did with the money from the banks.”

  “Oh.” Gwen nodded in agreement. “The password is ‘Choppy,’ after my dog. Once you’re in, you’ll see a folder named Job Fairs and the database is in that file. But I run my business off that, too. So, I m
ean, are you telling me I can’t use my own computer?”

  “Afraid so. At least until we’ve checked it out.” Lew’s tone was kind but firm.

  Gwen rolled her eyes in frustration. “I certainly hope you won’t take any longer than necessary.” Osborne was struck by the change in attitude. One minute the woman was deep into grief and horror—now she was bullying again. He couldn’t help feeling some sympathy for the dead guy with the bloody shorts.

  “Since you mentioned your dog, Gwen,” said Lew, ignoring the comment, “will he be okay staying here tonight? The Loon Lake Inn does not allow animals and I can’t let you have any of your vehicles until we’ve completed our search of the property.”

  “Sure, Choppy’s been fed. The yard is fenced and he’s got his doghouse. But you’ll let me in to feed him in the morning, won’t you?”

  “If you’ll show us where the dog food is, we’ll take care of Choppy until we’re finished here. Now let’s get your overnight things,” said Lew, turning to face the door. “I just heard a car pull up and that should be Officer Martin. He’ll take you in to town and get you settled.

  “Oh, one more thing,” said Lew as she stood up and started towards the door, “we’ve learned that the person responsible for DeeDee’s pregnancy is a man by the name of Bert Moriarty. He’s acknowledged the fact. I thought you should know.”

  It was only a microsecond, but the expression that flashed across Gwen Curry’s face startled Osborne: the fury, the hot eyes. He had seen that look before—in the mad eyes of a rabid raccoon. An instant later, her porcelain features were serene, composed. But Osborne knew what he had seen and Lew had missed it.

  “But you told me she was carrying Hugh’s child,” said Gwen, her dark voice cracking.

  “I told you she was pregnant,” said Lew. “I didn’t say by whom. Doesn’t the news that your husband was not responsible make things a little easier?”

  Gwen stared at the floor for a long moment. “I … I …” She shrugged. “What the hell difference does it make now?” Pushing herself up from the sofa, she said, “If I’m leaving, I’ll need my medication from the refrigerator—I’m diabetic. That isn’t a problem, is it?”

  “Of course not.”

  Lew opened the door to let the young officer in. “Chief Ferris,” he said, handing her a document, “here’s that search warrant you wanted.”

  “First the autopsy and now a search warrant?” said Gwen from where she stood in front of the open refrigerator. “So you were on your way out here no matter what Hugh did?”

  “Once I had the warrant, yes,” said Lew. “We had enough documentation to justify a search that could help us prove that your husband was defrauding several local banks. If we can find those counterfeit checks …”

  “Wow, looks like I was the only one who didn’t know,” said Gwen in a low, sad tone as she closed the refrigerator door with a gentle shove. “Guess I can go now, huh?”

  The bogus checks were right where Hugh said they would be—in a plastic container shoved under the rear seat in the extended cab of his truck. Six firms, all of which had been participants in the job fairs, had had their checks expertly altered. Several drivers’ licenses were in the container, too, each one bearing a different name and address but always the same photo: a headshot of Hugh Curry. “Man, this guy was good,” said Dan Wright when he examined them the next day.

  Following Gwen’s instructions, Lew found it easy to access the Job Fair database, though it did not appear to have been updated within the last week. “That’s funny, Doc,” said Lew as she scrolled down through the names, “I thought we heard Gwen tell her husband that she had updated the information.”

  “On the server,” said Osborne, after checking his notes. “Is this computer the server?”

  “I have no idea,” said Lew.

  “He-e-e-y,” said a familiar voice in a low tone from behind them. “Before I do what you need me to do, is it okay to make a small announcement? I mean, with all due respect to the dead.” He raised his eyebrows as if expecting to be admonished. “May I give you a little piece of news that affects you, Chief?”

  It was obvious Ray was excited about something but, shoulders hunched and two cameras hanging around his neck, he was trying his best to respect the situation.

  “Cut to the chase, Ray,” warned Lew. “Just be aware I’m not in the mood for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey.”

  “Just thought you might appreciate knowing … FawnCam … has launched operations … in the deer garden … of the famed Ferris farm. DVDs available shortly.”

  “Thank you, Ray, but forget the DVDs. I need photos and I need them ASAP,” said Lew from where she sat in front of the computer. “We’ve kept the EMTs waiting too long as it is.”

  “Okay, okay, I’m on it. It’s just that Mallory and I are pretty pleased everything is working so well.”

  Lew stood up and gave Ray a grateful grin. “Good. And, hey, I appreciate your getting over here so fast.”

  “Ray,” said Osborne, surprised, “how on earth did you find time today to set up FawnCam?” “Only took an hour.”

  “What—the deer let you walk right up and hang a camera around their necks? They didn’t run off?”

  “Doc—” Lew warned as she pointed towards the master bedroom, “you two can discuss this later.”

  “I’m going, I’m going,” said Ray, even as he lingered half out the doorway. “The does were skittish but the young ones hesitated j-u-u-s-t long enough for me and Mallory to get three camcorders hung. Fact of the matter,” he raised an instructive index finger, “they love that deer garden, Chief. That’s what made it easy. So easy that we may … have to pay you a commission.”

  One of the EMTs poked his head into the office. “We can’t wait much longer, Chief Ferris, could have another call any minute.”

  “Right. Ray, here’s what I need—” Lew ripped a page from her notebook. “I made a list.”

  Ray gave it a quick glance and said, “You want me to shoot both color and black and white, right? Like I keep telling you—shouldn’t you fire Pecore and put the good doc and myself on full-time? Right, Doc?”

  “I hear you, Ray, but you and a full-time job—that’s an oxymoron.”

  “Are you calling me a moron?”

  “C’mon. I’m too tired for this,” said Lew, taking him by the arm and walking him down the hall towards the master bedroom. As she gave him a gentle shove into the room, she said, “So when you’ve finished in the bathroom, be sure to get shots of all the rooms in this house. Place is a mess, I know, but we’ve got more than a suicide that happened here.”

  Half an hour later, Lew pushed her chair back from the Curry’s computer and, yawning, said, “Doc, let’s tackle this tomorrow. I am just exhausted. You must be, too.” She looked up at him with a smile despite the fatigue in her eyes.

  “Yes, I certainly am, sweetheart,” said Osborne, pulling off the Nitrile gloves he’d been wearing as he sorted through papers and debris. Standing behind her, he reached down to give her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “It’s been a long day and getting through the mess in this place is going to take a while.”

  “You bet it is,” said Lew, reaching for his hand and pressing it against her cheek.

  A cursory search of the papers strewn through the office and the living room along with a scan of the folders on the computer desktop had yielded no hint of where Hugh Curry had stashed the money from the banks. “It’s looking like we’ll need Gwen’s help to locate their financial records—unless they’re all in that garbage bag.” She pointed to the shredder.

  “Funny we haven’t found Curry’s wallet,” said Osborne. “I don’t know any man who doesn’t carry a wallet.”

  “I checked all those dressers in their bedroom and spent a little time sifting through the mess in the living room and kitchen areas,” said Lew. “We’ll have fresh eyes tomorrow.” She turned to stare at the computer screen one last time, then shrugged. “At least Dan Wright kn
ows computers. If anyone can find electronic financial files, it’s that guy.”

  “Stay at my place tonight?” said Osborne, bending to nuzzle her ear.

  Lew leaned into him. “No, no. Sounds tempting but I am in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.” She spun the chair around to face him. “And you know I’m not comfortable at your place when your daughter’s there. I just feel … self-conscious. Y’know?

  “Like we’re too old to be doing what we’re doing?”

  She laughed. “Maybe this weekend? My place? With the way things are going, I may actually get to take the entire weekend off.” She gave him a quick kiss, then headed down the hall to see how Ray was doing.

  It was after midnight when Lew and Osborne found themselves strolling across the yard towards the dock with Ray. The air was warm, the water glass; not a whisper of a breeze. And the sky so clear they could see the Milky Way, an ethereal scarf wending through millions of stars. A crescent moon cast a sword of light across the still surface of the lake and muted voices drifted from lighted windows on the opposite shore.

  “I drew a map of where I found DeeDee’s shoe and those two teeth. It’s with the report I left in your office,” said Ray as he slipped his cameras into a waterproof case before setting them carefully into the canoe. “The teeth are in an evidence bag on your kitchen counter, Doc.”

  “Good,” said Osborne. “Lew, it’s a formality at this point but I’ll get DeeDee’s dental records in the morning for an official confirmation. Here, Ray, let me give you a push.” With a shove from Osborne, the canoe slipped into the water.

  “‘Night, you two,” said Ray, his paddle making a soft “swoosh” as the canoe cleared the front of the dock. Pulling deep, he stopped. “Whoa, hold on. Can’t believe there’s a rock here. What the hell?” The paddle high in his left hand, he reached down with his right.

  “Ouch! Something very sharp … Chief, Doc—let’s get some light on this before someone gets hurt.”

  Within minutes, they were staring through the crystal clear water of Mirror Lake. “Well, folks,” said Ray, “your guess is as good as mine. Animal? Vegetable? Mineral? Or … one beat-up computer.”