by Lois Lavrisa
Estelle and Hazel were determined to save their homes. But deep in my heart I felt that whatever they did wouldn’t make a difference. It seemed that big business with huge financial backing always won and it didn’t matter who got stomped on. Estelle and her neighbors’ houses were just stepping stones on the hospital’s way up. But as much as I wanted to help them, I felt that I had to focus on a much more crucial issue. Finding the culprit.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel any closer to finding the killer who had taken the lives of my two best friends. Therefore, he could continue to end innocent people’s lives.
Robert McNally may still be guilty. But could it be someone else?
Maybe I had to go back to the night at H&K’s and find out where people were between nine thirty and eleven thirty the night Francesca was killed. Other questions surfaced from that night: Who was she going to meet up with when she left me?
In order to be successful in solving this case, I had to remove my emotion and concentrate on facts. I never had a chance to talk to the mayor about why he was at the funeral home the night Mark was killed. Maybe he saw someone or something that could give a clue as to who it was that killed Mark. It wasn’t appropriate to approach him at last night’s memorial service. Maybe today would be a better time to talk to the mayor.
In two days I needed to present Mark’s eulogy. It seemed like it would be easier to run away and hide from all the pain. But, as Vivian said, one breath at a time. I shoved my sorrow into a small corner so that I could function. Yet sorrow and grief crept out, peeking their heads around the corner, demanding I pay attention. My heart was so full of sadness that it seeped into every cell.
As much as I had gone through the motions of living since the murders, death seemed to be like a shadow. It followed me everywhere. Occasionally I hid from it, while I tried to get up every day and get on with my life.
Death and life walked hand in hand throughout my days.
Chapter Thirty-One
Today I vowed to myself that I would solve Mark and Francesca’s deaths.
Another sunset could not pass by without the killer being behind bars. Francesca died Friday night. Mark on Saturday night. Francesca’s memorial was Sunday night. It was now Monday morning and I had to continue my search.
First I went to work. Samuel and Annie had things pretty much under control. Mark and I had trained them well. Annie and I split the mail delivery. I jumped on and off the boat, numbly and automatically. Annie did great, not one fall or misstep.
When the tour finished, I called Estelle and Hazel. They had found an attorney who would try to at least stall the process of eminent domain to give them more time. This seemed to make them happy to at least have the possibility of winning a small battle.
Jacob called. He had a few handyman jobs to finish up. I agreed to meet him for lunch at one o’clock at H&K’s.
I spoke with Mark’s parents, and assured them that I would help in any way that I could with his services. They were beyond despair, but told me they had lots of support from their church and family to help get them through.
When my phone rang my caller ID lit up an unfamiliar number. I answered, “This is Cecelia Coe.”
“Detective Wurkowski here. Can you come to the station now?” he asked.
No way. I wanted nothing to do with the police. But, maybe they found the killer? “Sure, I’m on my way,” I said. I raced the ten blocks to the station. Breathless, I said to the receptionist at the station, “I’m here to see Detective Wurkowski.”
“Follow me.” She led me to a back conference room with standard bare white walls, grey linoleum floor and a brown wooden table, with matching chairs. It smelled of burnt coffee and aftershave. I took a seat.
As the receptionist exited, the detective entered the room. I stood and greeted him with a handshake. “Any news about Mark or Francesca’s cases?”
“Possibly.” He motioned for me to sit down and he tugged a chair next to me. He took out his cell phone and made a call. “Bring one black and one with cream and sugar. Thanks.”
“I’m anxious to hear what you’ve found,” I said.
The receptionist walked in with two Styrofoam cups. The detective thanked her before she left. “Black, right?’ He handed me a cup.
“Thanks. So what’s going on?” I asked. I took a sip of the bitter coffee. I winced as I held the cup in my hand. “Nice and strong huh?”
“Keeps us awake,” Detective Wurkowski said. He stirred three creamers in his coffee and dumped four packs of sugar in it. “Do you know Jacob Elmore?”
I nearly spilled my coffee. “Why do you want to know?”
“This is how it goes. I don’t give information, I get it,” Detective Wurkowski said.
“Yes sir.”
“Listen, I’m not going to beat around the bush.” He pulled out his pocket size notepad and flicked it open. “Saturday at ten thirty a.m. Estelle Andrews hired Mr. Elmore to do work on her house. You were also home at the time. Around six that evening you went to his house then left within an hour. Later, at approximately one thirty a.m., you entered his house and did not leave until just before eight a.m. Do you want me to continue?” Detective Wurkowski looked up from his notepad. Then chucked it on the table. He took a sip of coffee.
They’d been following my every move. I felt violated. Maybe they had good reason.
“I’ll ask again. Do you know Jacob Elmore?” he asked.
“Since you’ve been following me, you know the answer,” I said.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I do know him. Why?”
“We’re working on two open murder cases.” He shifted in his chair. “Back to Mr. Elmore. Do you remember if he had any jewelry?”
Maybe they were closer to finding the suspect than I was. I wanted to cooperate to help them any way that I could. I thought back. The first day when I ran into him on the lake’s foot path, I did remember his necklace. “Yes, actually. When I first met him, he was wearing a necklace with a cross made out of two nails.”
Detective Wurkowski sat straight up, eyes wide. “What day was this? And around what time?” He jotted down some notes.
“It was Friday late morning. Let’s see. First, I did the mail run. Then I sort of had an unplanned swim. Next I went to the hospital to see my ex. To be accurate, he was my fiancé when I went there, but since then we’ve split. I mean we’d been together forever, but this past year or so things just weren’t the same. We probably both knew it, but maybe neither one of us was brave enough to end the relationship. Well, except he did when we got into a fight about the eminent domain stuff, well…”
“If you would keep on track, Ms. Coe. Continue telling me about Mr. Elmore’s necklace.”
“Okay, where was I. Yes. Okay. On the way back from the hospital I saw Jacob. I ran into him on the lake path. He had it on at that time. It was kind of unique, so I remembered it.”
“Ms. Coe, you fell into the lake and nearly drowned. You were saved by Mark Stevens. You did not go to just visit Dr. Ken Wilson, rather, he examined you and ordered a CT. Isn’t that more accurate?” He scowled.
“Well, you’re certainly thorough. Hey, did you find my Maui Jim sunglasses? I lost them in the lake that day,” I said half kidding and half seriously.
“No.” He pursed his lips, and pulled at his moustache. “When was the last time you saw Mr. Elmore with the necklace on?” Detective Wurkowski flipped to a new page in his notebook.
“Let me think out loud. I saw him with it on the path. After that I went home and chatted with Estelle. Did you know the hospital is going to tear down her house?” I asked.
“Yes.” He sighed as he drummed his pen on the table. “Back to Mr. Elmore’s necklace.”
“Okay, when did I last see it? Let me think. Later that evening I met Mark for dinner. We ordered. Did you ever have the crispy chips and Reuben?” I asked.
“Back to the story.” He stared at me.
“After we order
ed. I had to pee, I mean use the ladies’ room,” I said. Pee did not sound professional.
“And then what happened?” He raised an eyebrow.
“On the way to the restroom I ran into Jacob. I literally ran into him. I mean what a dork banging into him like that. I hit my head on the fire extinguisher.” I smiled as I thought about the first kiss he gave me. “Anyway, I was all nervous and babbling and said something to him about his nice nail necklace.”
“So he had it on then?” He verified and made a note.
“Yes, he did,” I said.
“To clarify, Mr. Elmore was wearing the necklace at this time?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“What time was this?” He asked.
“Let me see. We got to H&K’s just past eight. Right after we ordered dinner I went to the restroom,” I said.
“Okay. Let me get the time narrowed down. Am I correct that you would say it was a little after eight when you went to dinner with Mr. Stevens? Shortly after your arrival, you left Mr. Stevens to use the ladies’ room. On the way there, you ran into Mr. Elmore, who had the necklace on. Right?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said.
“Since then have you seen him wear the necklace?” he asked.
“I’m not really sure. Come to think of it, no,” I said. “That was the last time I saw him with it on. Why?”
“That’s all I need to know. You’ve been very helpful Ms. Coe.” He stood.
“But I have a question. Why’s Jacob’s necklace so important? What’s going on here?” I said as I rose. “Are you designing jewelry for your staff? If I worked here, I’d wear that necklace.”
He opened the door. “You know the way.”
“So you’re not going to tell me, huh?” I asked.
But he was already out the door and heading down the hall.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Leaving the station, I couldn’t help wondering why Jacob’s necklace was such a big deal. I’d try to figure that out later. Right now, I needed to go to City Hall. It was almost noon, and I hoped that I’d catch the mayor before he left for lunch. I made a quick call to his office. They said he could see me now.
I had a ten minute walk to City Hall. It was a warm sunny day. The city seemed busy, with some people strolling along the paths and sidewalks. Others sat on benches with ice cream cones or threw popcorn out to the waiting birds. The air smelled of suntan lotion and cookouts. Screams of children laughing and splashing at the beach filled the air. The sounds of boats engines echoed as they weaved on the water while skiers zipped over the waves. Summer in all its glory.
I trudged up the marble steps to City Hall, opened the heavy glass and wood door and entered the lobby. I took the elevator to the top floor.
The receptionist greeted me and led me into the mayor’s office suite. In the corner were campaign posters and four boxes. One of them was open and I saw it contained red white and blue ‘Pike for Governor’ buttons.
Mayor Pike wore a dark suit, with a white shirt and patriotic red white and blue tie. He waved to me with one hand, as the other hand held a phone to his ear. “No, this is great news. Yes, I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. Okay. Take care,” he said before he hung up.
“CiCi, how are you?’ He gave me a hug. “Thank you for the great eulogy. It was perfect. I know Francesca loved it.”
“You’re welcome.” My stomach flipped. I still can’t believe she’s gone. “By the way how’s Vivian doing?”
“You didn’t hear?” He motioned for me to sit. “She left this morning. She said to say goodbye to you.”
“I enjoyed seeing her again. Did she recover from last night?” I dropped into a chair.
“I’m sure she did. She certainly was distraught. We all are. It’s just that she took my daughter’s death very personally. As though Francesca was her own child.”
I coughed. “We all seem to be taking her death personally.” If he only knew how personally I took Francesca’s death, I think I caused it.
His eyes were swollen, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept.
“Let me get you some water.” He poured a glass of ice water from a crystal pitcher on his conference table. “Here, drink this.”
I took a sip.
“Somehow we’ll all get through this.” He sat next to me, and put his hand on my shoulder.
“I hope so,” I said.
“Me too.” He hung his head. “I haven’t slept in days, and work is the only thing I know how to do. I’m a mess.”
“I’m so very sorry.” I choked. A tear spilled down my cheek.
He got up and walked to the big picture window behind his desk. His back was turned to me as he looked out the window. He said, “It’s been as devastating as losing my beloved wife.”
I remembered that she had lost her battle with breast cancer several years ago, a few years after I lost my parents. Thankfully, Francesca and I had each other to navigate through the pain.
“I have had an abundance of grief. But I had to learn to focus on the positive. Turn bad situations around,” he continued.
“I know, Vivian told me how you’ve pulled through some rough times,” I said.
He spun around, his eyebrows creased, voice low and deep. “She did?”
“Just about what happened to your cousin Don,” I answered. I wondered why he sounded angry. Maybe it brought up brought bad memories from his childhood.
“It was a tragic accident that I couldn’t do anything about. Poor Donny, may God rest his soul. Such misfortune.” He combed his fingers through his hair as he came over to me. His face twisted into a tight pained look.
“Yes, that’s what she said.”
“As you saw last night she can drink a lot, and sometimes her memory gets jumbled.” His face relaxed.
“Again, I’m so sorry about everything. Really I am,” I said.
“Listen, I have a lunch meeting in a few minutes. Is there anything else I can do for you?” he asked as he straightened his tie.
“Actually I have to meet someone for lunch shortly too. But can I ask you something about Saturday night?” I asked. I drank the rest of the ice water.
“Sure,” he said.
“Mr. Kincaid said you were at the funeral home that evening, after hours,” I said. I still wasn’t sure how to formulate the next part but I went ahead, “From what Mr. Kincaid told me, Mark was there to let you in. I know it’s none of my business really, but I wanted to know if anything unusual happened during the time you were with Mark.” I took a deep breath.
He cleared his throat. “Excuse me for a minute.” He went to the conference table and poured a glass of ice water. “What specifically do you need to know?”
“Just what happened. You know, he was hit over the head outside the funeral home that same night. I’m trying to figure out anything I could. When you left, did you see anyone outside the building? Were there any cars parked nearby with someone sitting in them, anything abnormal at all?”
“Not that I can think of. I just finalized some arrangements, and then left,” he said.
“May I ask something else, I heard the police may have found something on the case?” I asked.
“The police thought they discovered the murder weapon in my daughter’s death.” He pulled his shoulders back.
“Did they?” my voice rose.
“I’m not at liberty to disclose that. But more importantly that phone call I was finishing up when you came in was the police. They think they have identified her killer.” He took a deep breath.
“Who?” I was stunned, but happy. Finally. This will all be over.
“All I can say is that the killer left something behind. They now have the evidence they need,” he said.
“That’s great.”
“Listen, CiCi, I’m sorry to cut this short now, but I have to leave. Can I walk you out?” He guided me to the door. He pulled a campaign button out of the box, and handed it to me.
“Thanks,” I said.
I put the button on as I left his office.
The killer left something behind.
The police had just questioned me about what Jacob wore.
Oh no. Did Jacob leave his necklace at the scene of the crime?
Was he the killer?
Chapter Thirty-Three
Jacob waved to me from a booth at H&K’s. He stood to kiss me before I sat down.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. A waitress set down two ice waters and menus then left.
“Can I help?” he asked.
“Do you remember I said that I liked your necklace?” I flipped through the menu. Actually, I had it memorized, but I tried to act blasé.
“Why are you asking about it? Did you find it?” he asked.
“Did you lose it?” I responded. When you killed my best friend.
“No. I put it in my locker at work a couple of nights ago.”
“What locker?” I asked.
“On the job site, there is a mobile home for the site manager, as well as a handful of lockers for the crew. I put my necklace in there.”
“When was that?” My heart raced. Please don’t be a killer.
“After you ran into me here.” He unfolded his napkin.
“Friday night, in the hallway by the washrooms?” I confirmed.
“After you plowed me over.” He smiled. “I went to my locker and changed.”
“Why?” I asked.
“I had some personal business to take care of,” he said.
“And the necklace?”
“I took it off and put it in my locker. I haven’t seen it since.” He closed his menu. “She’s heading over. Are you ready to order?”
She took our orders.
A wave of relief washed over me. He was not the killer. Yet I had the impression that his necklace might somehow be considered evidence. I wasn’t sure how all this added up.
We chatted for a while about him trying to start up his own construction company, and all the permits and paperwork that he had been working on.
