Reversal of Fortune (A Claire Rollins Mystery Book 2)

by J A Whiting

  With a little smile creeping over her face, Claire gave Tessa a sideways look. “He’s super nice. A good guy, the best. He’s like a dad to me. I love Tony.”

  “Does he have family?”

  Claire stopped and turned to Tessa. “If you mean, is he married, the answer is no, he’s not. He’s single.”

  “Oh, no,” Tessa blustered. “I didn’t mean that. I was only asking about him in general.”

  “Hmm.” A smile plastered over Claire’s mouth. “I saw the way you two were ogling each other.”

  “What? No we weren’t.”

  Claire could see a flush of pink coloring Tessa’s cheeks. “I didn’t need any paranormal abilities to see it. It would have been plain as day to anyone who happened to be in the store.”

  Lady woofed and wiggled her tail.

  “Don’t you start in on me, too,” Tessa kidded with the dog.

  “Here we are.” Claire nodded to the small cobblestone street. “This is where State Representative Lowe lived. Two townhouses up from here.”

  Tessa eyed the road and the surroundings. “Let’s walk past the house.”

  Shadows from the setting sun spread over the old, bumpy lane and a little chill surrounded them from the breeze changing direction over the ocean.

  “It’s this one on the left.” Claire indicated the house.

  Tessa took a look at the three-story brick structure and then turned her eyes to the street corner a few houses up the road where the figure of a man stood leaning against the streetlight post. When he saw the women, he started to walk towards them, moving with a slight limp and leaning on the cane he held in his right hand. Dressed in black slacks, a black v-neck sweater, a black suit jacket, and a black fedora hat, the man’s silver-gray hair touched the top of his collar.

  Claire stiffened and the dogs, on alert to the approaching person, kept their eyes locked on the man. Sensing their worry, Tessa said, “I know him. It’s okay. I asked him to meet us here.”

  The man gave a nod and Tessa made introductions. When he took Claire’s hand to shake, electricity zipped up her arm and she almost pulled back.

  “Maxwell, this is Claire. As I told you, she shares similar intuitive skills.”

  “Hello, Claire.” The man’s voice was deep and almost soothing.

  “I’ve known Maxwell for years. Let’s all walk around to the alleyway that runs behind the building.”

  As Claire led the way to the cobblestone alley, Tessa turned her ankle on the uneven surface and let out a curse. “I know these roads are charming, but they’re killing me. I never get used to walking on them.”

  Maxwell offered his arm and the woman took hold of it.

  Claire and the Corgis stopped at the back of Victoria Lowe’s townhouse. “This is it.”

  Tessa leaned to Claire. “I haven’t told Maxwell anything about what happened here. I asked for him to come and give his opinion.”

  Claire wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but she gave a nod.

  Maxwell took his time looking up and down the brick building until his eyes settled on the basement window. He moved forward and stared at the glass. He placed his hand against the side of the townhouse and lifted his cane until the end tip touched the basement window glass. He held it there for a long time.

  Bear looked up at Claire and whined.

  At last, Maxwell removed his fedora and shuffled back to where Tessa and Claire stood with the dogs at their feet. He spoke solemnly. “A woman died here. Recently.”

  The tiny blond hairs on Claire’s arms stood up.

  “She fell down the stairs to the basement. Her heart broke. Her neck broke in the fall. She died.”

  Skepticism brushed over Claire’s skin. Anyone could have looked up the address of the townhouse and found news stories about Victoria Lowe. This man hadn’t told them anything that wasn’t in the stories, except the part about the woman’s heart.

  “There was a man in the house at the time.”

  Claire’s eyes went wide.

  “Angry words were tossed between them. Love slipped away and was replaced with hate.” Maxwell shuddered. “The woman fell … hard against the treads. The man went to the bottom of the stairs. He checked for a pulse. There was none. The man left the house.”

  Claire’s face paled and she had to swallow hard to get her words out. “Did the man push her? Did the man intend to harm her?”

  Maxwell glanced back at the window. “Too many feelings have mixed together. I cannot sort out the man’s intention.” He gave a slight bow. “I cannot stay here any longer.” Leaning heavily on his cane, he struggled away up the lane.

  Tessa offered her thanks to the retreating figure and when he disappeared around the corner, she looked at Claire. “I asked him to come to see if he felt what you felt when you were here previously with Nicole. I thought if he picked up on the same things, it would give you confidence in your abilities.”

  “What if he felt something different?” Claire asked.

  “Then you could use the information as you try to learn more about Grace Dodd’s death. If what Maxwell felt didn’t match up with your sensations, he would have said something to you about how to better tap into your skills.”

  “You told him what I felt when I was here?”

  Tessa shook her head. “Absolutely not. I only asked him to meet us.”

  “Then how would he know what I felt, if you didn’t tell him?”

  Tessa held Claire’s eyes. “He took your hand, Claire. He shook with you. That’s all he needed.”

  As the sun fell below the horizon and darkness descended over the alleyway, Claire looked up the lane to the corner.

  Tessa said, “Maxwell didn’t have any suggestions for you.”

  Claire turned to her about to ask a question, but Tessa spoke first. “That means to trust in your abilities. You are not losing them.”

  16

  Claire leaned close to Nicole and whispered, “I don’t see Dr. Dodd.”

  “I’ve been looking for him, too. I don’t think he’s here.”

  Scanning the huge crowd gathered at the gravesite, Claire searched for the husband of the woman being buried. She and Nicole stood on a slight incline at the periphery of the mourners so that they could pay their respects, but also take in the faces of the nearly one hundred people who had come to lay Grace Dodd to rest.

  Vanessa stood stoically next to her younger sister occasionally lifting a tissue to her eyes. Maddy was a mess, clutching Vanessa’s arm and crying into her shoulder. Claire could barely look at her … the girl’s misery and grief broke her heart.

  As they rode in the cab to the cemetery, Nicole and Claire, having heard that a murderer often showed up at a funeral, decided that they would keep their eyes on the people that gathered for the service. Who knew why a killer would make such an appearance, maybe to get some sick, twisted pleasure from seeing the sadness and loss he’d created.

  Claire spotted the neighbor, Lorraine Hale, who had rushed across the street the night she heard Maddy’s screams. Edie Brookhaven, the housekeeper, stood alone off to the side, her face tight and drawn. Ian Fuller watched the service from a distance standing under a tall oak tree next to another man. He spotted Claire and Nicole and gave them a nod.

  A woman sang a beautiful a cappella hymn and her sweet voice pulled so strongly at Claire’s heartstrings that she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. Noticing her friend reach up to brush at her eyes, Nicole took Claire’s arm and moved her away from the gathering to a walkway that ran through the cemetery. “You okay?”

  Claire gave a nod, but didn’t say anything.

  When they came to a bench, Nicole suggested they sit.

  Taking in a deep breath, Claire leaned back against the seat. “Emotions bubbled up … my mom’s service …Teddy’s funeral. I wasn’t expecting those feelings to hit me so hard.”

  “It’s understandable. Little things can bring back memories.” Nicole looked out over the
quiet, peaceful graveyard. “Sometimes when I bake, the scent of the chocolate or the cinnamon makes me think of baking with my grandmother and then I get all teary-eyed.”

  “We’re softies I guess.” One corner of Claire’s mouth turned up in a wistful smile.

  Nicole asked questions about Claire’s mother and Claire talked about the woman for several minutes sharing details of their lives in near poverty and how hard her mom had worked to keep a roof over their heads, and how they baked and sewed and took walks together.

  “Can I ask you something without you getting angry with me?” Nicole looked sideways at her friend.

  Claire chuckled. “Wow, that’s a leading question. I can’t make any promises about not getting angry, but I will make a guess that I’ll end up forgiving whatever question you’re about to ask me so go ahead.”

  “Teddy was in his seventies when you married him?”

  “He was seventy-three.”

  “And you were what? Thirty-one?”

  “Yes.” Nicole’s questions brought up old feelings of being called a gold-digger when she dated and married her husband and Claire could feel defensive feelings resurfacing.

  Nicole cleared her throat. “How were you attracted to someone so much older than you? I’m just interested. I’m not accusing you of marrying for money or anything.”

  “Lots of people accused me of that very thing.” Claire bit her lower lip, gathering her thoughts to give her friend a truthful answer. “I started working as a lawyer at Teddy’s company. There was an event one evening to hear a speaker, a well-known lawyer and venture capitalist, and my department was asked to attend. I was running late and I turned the hallway corner going about sixty miles an hour. It turns out Teddy was late, too and he was hurrying to the conference room from the other direction. He turned the corner as I was rushing forward and we plowed into each other.” A smile spread over Claire’s lips recalling her first meeting with her future husband. “We laughed and apologized and honestly, I didn’t even recognize Teddy as the founder and CEO of the company. I remember what a kind smile he gave me after the collision. We both hurried away towards the meeting room and realized we were both going to the same place. Teddy held the door for me and we went in, him to the front of the room and me to the back.”

  Claire sighed. “There was a reception afterwards and I was milling about with colleagues. I needed the restroom so I started to head out of the room when Teddy approached and made a joke about our crash. We ended up talking for an hour. He was funny and intelligent and down-to-earth. I enjoyed our chat, but I never thought we would meet up again.”

  “So what happened?”

  “I was working very late one night. I was exhausted. When I was leaving, I got in the elevator and Teddy was there. His face lit up when he saw me. We chatted and when we reached the lobby, he asked if I might like to go get a coffee. He knew an all-night coffee shop around the corner. I said yes. We talked in that shop for two hours. It turned out we both came from difficult childhoods with mothers who broke their backs for us. We both loved being active, we both loved art, we had the same political leanings and passions.” Claire smiled broadly. “I fell for him, I honestly fell for him … the man himself, not who was he professionally or because of how much money he had in the bank. Teddy and I seemed cut from the same cloth. He was a gentle, kind soul who truly cared about other people.”

  “Just like you,” Nicole grinned.

  “Really?” Claire shook her head. “Sometimes I don’t feel like that’s me at all. I always feel that I’m not doing enough.”

  “So go on. He swept you off your feet?”

  “We quietly dated for about six months and then he asked me to marry him. I was afraid. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to withstand the public scrutiny, the wagging tongues, the names I’d be called. It was a level of society I had no business in. I said no. Over the next few weeks, Teddy tried to calm my fears. He reminded me of how similar our backgrounds were, how much fun we had together. He knew people would be critical, but he didn’t care what they said. Teddy had never been married. He told me he’d never fallen in love before. He said he was so grateful that I had come into his life.” Claire took in a long breath. “I said yes.”

  Making eye contact with Nicole, Claire said, “I can’t say that the financial security didn’t cross my mind. I don’t think anyone who grew up poor could help it. But, Teddy loved me and I loved him. I insisted on a prenuptial agreement. Teddy overrode the agreement in his will leaving me with enough money to live my life free from financial worries or concerns.” Claire shrugged. “It’s an unbelievable reversal of fortune from my early life. Now I’m filthy rich, Nic, but I hide it because I want people to like me for me.”

  “You….” A big smile lit up Nicole’s face. “You’re the anonymous donor that bought Tony’s building for him so he wouldn’t have to move his market.”

  “I’m not saying anything about that.” Claire shook her head.

  “It was you.” Nicole hugged her friend. “You did that for Tony.”

  Claire brushed a lock of her hair out of her eyes. “I will say this. If the people around me need something, I’m going to give it to them. Teddy gave me a gift and I’m going to use it to help people.”

  A wicked grin spread over Nicole’s face. “You know, there’s this big house on Cape Cod that I want….”

  “I said need not want.” Claire gave her friend a playful poke.

  “Well, it seems you’ve been given more than one gift,” Nicole said. “One tangible and one not so much.”

  Claire told Nicole about her meeting with the man Tessa called Maxwell. “Tessa said I wasn’t losing my skills.”

  “That’s a relief.” Nicole’s face looked hopeful and then she said with a grin, “Now could you just speed up the frequency and accuracy of those skills so we can get this case solved?”

  Claire smiled. “Tessa told me not to push.”

  “I’ve been your friend longer,” Nicole teased. “I’m telling you to push.”

  “I’ll take that under consideration.”

  Nicole looked back to where they’d come from. “The service will be over soon. I wonder why Dr. Dodd didn’t make an appearance.”

  “Maybe he couldn’t face it.”

  “Not being here makes him look guilty.”

  “It does, doesn’t it.” Claire’s blue eyes clouded. “But the man has been acting oddly and it all could be explained by high levels of grief and shock. He might be under the care of a counselor or physician who advised against attending the funeral.”

  “I don’t buy it,” Nicole huffed. “He was married to Grace for over forty years. He should be here.”

  “Let’s head back.” Claire stood and smoothed the skirt of her black dress. “We can give our condolences to Vanessa and Maddy and maybe Ian will be free for a few minutes to talk.”

  Nicole linked arms with Claire and they started back to the service, but when they reached the crest of the small hill and were about to walk down to join the other mourners, Claire stopped and turned her head towards a cluster of trees set back to the right of the gathering.

  “Is something wrong?” Nicole asked quietly.

  “I got a rush of something, a funny feeling.” Claire rubbed her forehead. “It’s nothing, just everything jumbling together, I guess.”

  Returning to the gathering, a cold tingle of anxiety gripped Claire and an unsettling thought popped into her head.

  Is someone watching us from behind those trees?

  17

  Claire and Nicole finally made it to the front of the line to greet Vanessa and Maddy. With her eyes swollen and red from crying, Maddy stood like a zombie murmuring thanks to the people who passed by and shook her hand, all emotion drained from her. Vanessa thanked the guests, answered questions, and offered comfort, but her face was like granite and her movements stiff as if she’d banished her feelings and locked them up tight inside in solitary confinement.

  Wh
en Nicole and Claire reached the young women, a tiny look of relief flitted over Vanessa’s face and the tension in her muscles lessened. “I can barely stand this. I need to get out of here. I can’t face going to the luncheon,” she confided in a low tone. “We’re both ready to collapse.”

  “We’ll sit with you.” Nicole pressed her arm. “We can act as a buffer.”

  “Will you ride with us in the limo?” Vanessa asked hopefully. “I have some things to tell you.”

  Settled in the limousine after the last of the mourners had gone through the line, Vanessa let out a moan, rested her head against the seat, and closed her eyes for a few moments. Maddy sat near the window her face turned away.

  “We spoke with the Assistant District Attorney and the Greendale Police Chief.” Using both hands, Vanessa pushed her hair back and cradled her face, her elbows leaning on her knees. “The blood on the upstairs woodwork is O-positive. Both my mother and father were O-positive. The blood can’t be dated so they don’t know how long it’s been there. The investigation has enough probable cause for the prosecutor to bring it to a Grand Jury. They hope to get an indictment and bring our father to trial for manslaughter and assault and battery.” Vanessa shook her head slowly. “I don’t know whether to be pleased or horrified. I guess I’m both. How did this happen to our family?”

  “Is your father with someone from law enforcement today?” Nicole asked.

  “Not yet. They’re going to see him up in Marblehead to let him know. He’s still there. He doesn’t even have an attorney yet.” Vanessa’s jaw muscle twitched. “He didn’t come to Mom’s funeral. Can you believe it? He digs himself a bigger and bigger hole.”

  Claire took a glance at Maddy who was watching out the window as the limo sped along and then she faced Vanessa. “Has the detective or the prosecutor said anything to you about Representative Lowe’s death? Have they ruled it an accident?”

  “I haven’t heard a thing.”