Take Stock in Murder

by Millie Mack

  “Since Carrie’s revelation at the meeting this afternoon, I’m sure by now everyone has heard. However, as far as I’m concerned, Todd deserved whatever he was dealt. No one holds it against you that Todd got punched. Of course, getting punched isn’t the issue, is it? It’s the fact that someone went to the next step and murdered him. Charles, did you take it to the next step?”

  “Me?” Charles was shocked that Delores was so direct.

  “Yes, you. You said you were in the police spotlight. They must have more than a punch in the nose to have the light shining on you.”

  “I assure you, Delores, and anyone you care to tell, that Todd was an incredibly minor character in our lives. We barely had any contact with him until the night of the dance. But now it’s time to turn the tables. What about you, Delores?”

  “OK, fair is fair, but why do you ask?” Delores showed no reaction to Charles’s question.

  “The famous Club rumor mill has you meeting with Todd on several occasions.” She started to answer, but Charles continued. “Before you answer that the meetings were part of the Investment Club, I should say, well…private meetings.”

  “Oh my. The meetings do sound sinister, the way you tell it. How much do you know about the ladies’ TC3 Investment Club?”

  “Only what Carrie mentioned from her discussions with you and the other ladies at the golf game today. However, being a businessman who has dabbled in the stock market, to me the return on investment seems extraordinarily high.”

  “And as a man who has ‘dabbled,’ what are your conclusions for this high rate of return?”

  “Off the top of my head, I’d say there are three possibilities. The person making the purchases is a Wall Street wizard, or he’s an extremely lucky fellow, or…” Charles hesitated.

  “Or…?” she prodded.

  “Or he has come up with a scheme that the rest of us haven’t discovered.”

  “Charles, that’s why I like you; we think alike. I came up with the same possibilities. However, based on a particular transaction, I came to the conclusion that the third scenario was more likely than the first two.”

  “Is that why you were meeting with Todd?”

  “At our first private meeting, I asked him why he’d waited over a week to purchase a stock we had decided to buy in our meeting. The second time I wanted to know why my daughter, Sara, was no longer allowed to attend the Investment Club meetings. Sara works for the Barrington firm and was supposed to be sharing responsibilities,” she stated firmly.

  “Carrie mentioned she was originally helping Todd with the Investment Club. And the next time you met with Todd?”

  “The next and last time I met with Todd, I demanded a detailed explanation of exactly what he was doing with the Club’s investments. At that point we had all received several statements, and I thought the profits were very high. I told him if I didn’t get a satisfactory explanation, I’d have to ask his father for one.”

  “Did you ask Mr. Barrington for an explanation?”

  “Not formally. I did briefly mention the Investment Club to Mr. Barrington one night a couple of weeks ago, when I ran into him here at the Club. I congratulated him on the success Todd was having with our little investment group. I also commented that the returns were so wonderfully high that the ladies were overwhelmed. Did he know the secret of Todd’s success?”

  “And did he know the reason for his son’s success?”

  “No. He simply said, as any father would, that Todd was doing a fine job. However, later Sara mentioned that an internal audit had begun. Perhaps Papa Barrington took my suggestion and was attempting to find out the secret of his son’s success.”

  “What about Sara? Did she know how Todd was achieving the success with the Investment Club’s dollars?”

  “No. As I mentioned, after the second meeting, she was no longer included in our sessions. However, when she saw my statements, she too thought the returns were excessively high. When she tried to talk with Todd about it, he brushed her aside.”

  “Aside from Sara, do you know any other women who were involved with Todd?”

  “I know of several. I’m sure Carrie repeated some of the gossip from our golf game.”

  “I know about the romantic liaisons, but I specifically meant the financial side. Is there any other woman who may have been helping Todd at the firm?

  “Do you have some reason to think there was another woman helping him?”

  Charles created a vague answer to avoid revealing that he was really trying to identify the unknown intruder in Todd’s condo. “You know how it is with a rumor. Someone said another woman other than Sara was helping Todd.”

  “Interesting. I’ll have to ask Sara if she knows of anyone who was helping Todd.” Delores paused for a moment, then added, “You know, Todd did date a young lady for quite a while. I can’t remember her last name, but her first name was Dawn. She’s a real pretty gal, with a real nice personality. She was probably too nice for Todd. Maybe that’s why they broke up. Anyway, she works at the local bookstore, and I still see her when I go there. Since they were always together, maybe someone assumed she was helping him with the investments.”

  Charles didn’t mention that Todd had stopped seeing Dawn by the time the Investment Club was formed. Instead he said, “Perhaps it was this young lady, but I’d appreciate you asking Sara if she knows of anyone else. Also ask Sara, if she has some time, to come over and see me.”

  “To find out more about the Investment Club?” Delores raised one eyebrow. “I’m not sure I want my daughter any more involved in this affair than she already is. So far the police haven’t seen a need to question her.”

  “It’s true it would be interesting to understand some of the stocks Todd purchased, but I would also like to talk to Sara about some personal investments. Since Jeff Bennett retired to Florida, I really haven’t had a good broker. I thought Sara might like our account.

  “Charles, I’ll do that. I’ll tell Sara to give you a call as soon as she has a chance.”

  “Here comes John, so I better get going. Hello, John. Enjoy your dinner. Good night, Delores.”

  arrie was going to put the finishing touches on her article, but she still couldn’t concentrate. The combination of staying at home and waiting for Charles made her feel cooped up.

  Ice cream, she thought. That’s what I need, some ice cream. I could run into town to the Ice Cream Parlor, pick up a couple of pints, and be back before Charles returns. Then we can discuss what he learned from Jake over our favorite flavors.

  She left Charles a note on the kitchen bulletin board just in case he got home before she returned.

  She really enjoyed the Main Street of Nottingham. It was officially named Brighton Boulevard, after one of the town’s founders, but everyone still called it Main Street. The street was really very quaint, especially after its recent renovation. The redesign had created head-in parking on both sides of the road, and the town fathers had purchased some empty parcels of land and added auxiliary parking lots on the side streets. The parking solution had saved many of the small local merchants, who were feeling the pinch from the new malls with their free parking.

  Of course, while saving the merchants, the politicians had angered the commuters by slowing traffic through Main Street. Eventually, though, the transportation department of the state government had added the Tri-County Pike, and now even the commuters were singing the praises of Main Street. At this time of night, the parking activity was centered near the food shops: the Nottingham Grill, Manny’s Pizza Shack, and the Ice Cream Parlor. Carrie pulled into a spot a few doors from the parlor.

  The parlor was busy, and Carrie waited in line behind a large contingent of teenagers. When it was her turn, she ordered two pints of ice cream: black raspberry for her and pistachio for Charles. Carrie paid for the ice cream, and as she turned to leave, she spun directly into Terry Conan.

  “Terry! Well, hello,” she exclaimed.

  “Oh, C
arrie, I didn’t see you standing there.” The tone of her response implied that had she spotted Carrie before joining the line, she would have waited. “I’m just picking up the kids’ order.” Two trays of various ice cream delicacies were sitting on the counter, and Terry looked confused as to how to manage both trays.

  “Here, let me help,” volunteered Carrie. She placed her bag of ice cream on one of the trays and helped Terry distribute the appropriate treat to each kid. The remaining item was a cup of tea, which Terry took for herself. She sat at an empty table near the kids, and Carrie sat down with her.

  “I can only stay a minute,” Carrie said, patting her bag of ice cream. Terry seemed to relax in response to these words. “That’s quite a group of kids.”

  Her face brightened. “It’s the monthly roller-skating outing. We parents take turns playing chaperone. After skating, we walk over from the roller rink and have our ice cream. Then each parent stops by to pick up their kids. There are usually two chaperones, but Ann has the flu. So I’m going it alone tonight.”

  “Mighty admirable.” Carrie smiled. “How are you doing otherwise?”

  “I’m OK. Why do you ask?”

  “I noticed that when the ladies were discussing Todd after the golf game, you seemed affected by the talk. I was concerned about you.”

  “It isn’t what you think. Todd and I weren’t having an affair.” She lowered her voice, although not much could be overheard above the chatter of the children.

  “Why would I think that?” Carrie added.

  Terry stared at her in disbelief. “I forgot that you’re not part of the Club crowd. You see, there are lots of rumors about Todd and the women he was”—she stumbled and then added—“seen with.”

  “You’re right. I’m really not tuned in with Club gossip. Besides, I never pay attention to those kinds of rumors.”

  “Maybe you should. You’re rumored to be one of his liaisons, especially after the incident at the dance.” There was a slight edge to Terry’s response.

  “That was just an unfortunate incident with someone who had too much to drink. I assure you, it was a single occurrence. Besides, I’m not concerned about rumors about me. I’m concerned about you.”

  “I wish I could tell someone how I feel.”

  “I’m sure you’ll feel better if you share with someone…” Carrie allowed her sentence to trail off.

  Terry looked over at the kids to make sure they were behaving themselves. “Todd and I weren’t having an affair. I love my husband very much. In fact, it’s because I love my husband that Todd and I were even friends. Todd’s death meant the loss of a friend, a good friend.”

  Her eyes started to fill with tears. She took a deep breath and then continued. “You may have heard that my husband, Bill, was up for a big job with Marilyn’s husband, Frank. Bill really needed that job. Unlike Delores’s husband, John, who’s a partner in a large firm, Bill is a one-man operation. One job can make a big difference for us. Well, he didn’t get the job, and we knew that with his lower income, it would be a bit of a struggle. I wanted to help, but Bill didn’t want me working. I’ve some money of my own, but it’s sitting in savings accounts and not really—what do they say?—‘working for me.’ That’s where Todd helped.”

  “You mean as a member of the Investment Club?”

  “Yes, the Investment Club, but Todd also met with me separately. With his advice I nearly tripled my money. I was able to help out with those extras a family always needs—you know, like school items for the kids, business expenses for Bill, and even our Country Club dues. It was also a solution Bill could accept, since I never touched the principal, only the extra earned. With the exception of Todd, no one knew I was helping Bill.”

  She looked over at the kids’ table and said, “Paul, don’t lean back in the chair like that. It could slip out from under you, and you would hit the floor. I’m sure your mother doesn’t want to pick you up with a dent in your head.”

  The kids laughed at Terry’s admonishment. Terry turned back to her cup of tea.

  “Terry, do you think Marilyn had something to do with Bill not getting the job?”

  “Oh, yes, she was responsible. That’s how the rumor got started. When Marilyn found out that Todd and I were meeting, she assumed we were having an affair. She was jealous. By the time I confronted her and told her Todd was only helping me out because Bill’s business was in trouble, it was too late. Frank had awarded the contract to John.”

  “How are you and Bill doing now? I mean, the firm. You know I could talk to Charles. He could run a feature article in the Tri-County Monthly about starting a new business and feature Bill’s company. Plus, Charles knows a lot of people, and if they have any building projects on the horizon—”

  “That’s sweet of you, and Bill can always use the publicity, but things have a way of working out. Right after Bill lost Frank’s job, he unexpectedly got the chance to bid on two other jobs. Both bids were from lawyer friends of Frank. I think Frank threw some work Bill’s way. It turned out for the better, because these jobs combined were larger than Frank’s work. So everything is back to normal. But life wouldn’t have been normal without Todd. That’s why I felt a tremendous sense of loss when Todd died. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “Yes, I do. As you said, he was a true friend.”

  “It’s more than that. Maintaining work flow for a new business can be very challenging. What happens if I need advice again?” Her eyes started to fill with tears.

  “Terry, you must look at the positives. You’re through the worst. Start-up is always the most difficult time for a new business. Besides, Todd taught you how to evaluate the various investments. You can continue with the Investment Club and continue to make investments on your own.”

  “Oh, I don’t know whether I could.”

  “Of course you can. After all, that would be the best way to thank Todd and show he was a good teacher.”

  Terry thought for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right, and I’ll tell you something else. I do feel better. Thank you, Carrie. Will we see you and Charles this Saturday at the Club?”

  “Of course. It’s become a tradition with us to have dinner every other Saturday at the Club. Why do you ask?”

  “I just didn’t know, considering all the rumors concerning Todd’s death, if you would keep your routine.”

  “Well, as badly as we feel about Todd’s death and as badly as we feel for the Barrington family, it really doesn’t affect Charles and me. There’s no reason for us to change our routine because of rumors.” Carrie stood up to leave, then turned back to Terry. “Oh, and I’ll mention my story idea about Bill to Charles.”

  ver their ice cream, Charles and Carrie decided on their next steps in the investigation. They needed to talk with Dawn and see what she could reveal about Todd.

  The next morning Charles called the bookstore to find out Dawn’s hours, and before lunch, the couple headed to the local bookstore.

  Charles and Carrie loved the bookstore. The unusual thing about Tri-County Bookstore was its size. It wasn’t a small shop wedged in between other stores in a strip mall, but had rather been established in one of the largest and oldest Victorian homes that graced Main Street—the perfect location.

  The first-floor rooms had been converted into a series of sections filled with fiction books and reading nooks. The second floor housed nonfiction books and research materials, with a series of meeting rooms available for community use. On the third floor, the space had been converted into an apartment. Here the two sisters who owned the store could relax above the business that gave them so much pleasure.

  Over the years, the bookstore had continued to expand. The basement had been remodeled to create a children’s area with comfy floor cushions, where the children could sit and listen to the weekly story hour. French doors were added to the basement and opened onto the gardens. On the first floor, the wraparound porch had been extended and widened. With its rocking chairs and ove
rsized wicker chairs, readers had a serene location for reading the books they’d purchased. But the most successful renovation was a tea room in the back corner of the first floor, where the original kitchen and breakfast room were located. There patrons could purchase tea, coffee, juices, and light snacks while enjoying the tea room or the gardens. Carrie and Charles thought the coffee was exceptional and would often enjoy a cup during their visits.

  Carrie and Charles pulled into the parking lot and immediately found a spot. On weekends the lot was never empty, and customers were forced to park in the auxiliary lots. But on a weekday, the store had fewer shoppers. They entered through the side door and scouted the first floor for Dawn. There was no sign of her, but before they could move to look in the next section, they were spotted by Mrs. Luther.

  “Carrie and Charles, hello. How are you? Sorry to hear about Todd’s death. Even more sorry to hear about your troubles. Just utter nonsense.”

  Charles had never understood why someone surrounded by the best in literary styles talked in broken sentences. Madge Luther was one of the sisters who owned the store. Rumor had it that the insurance money from Madge’s husband’s death and the settlement from Marge’s divorce had provided the sisters with the initial seed money to renovate the house and purchase books. Mrs. Luther, the older of the two sisters, who was closer to Charles’s age, in her midfifties, was very tall and wispy in both looks and conversation.

  “It does seem a shame when someone so young loses his life,” Carrie answered, and then added, “especially when it’s sudden and unexpected.” She knew better than to go into specific details about the murder investigation, because the bookstore was gossip central. The sisters rarely left the store but somehow always knew the latest information on everything happening in the village of Nottingham and the surrounding area.

  “Yes, that’s why you live each moment. Are you after reading materials? How about a good mystery—crime drama? Might find a clue in a book to help solve Todd’s murder. Oh, wait, I know. We just received some new mystery jigsaw puzzles.”