Who's Dead, Doc?

by J. M. Griffin

  “I don’t mind at all, but if you insist, the honor is yours.” He turned back to Carina and wished her well.

  I closed the door behind him and sat next to Carina’s bed. With her hand in mine, I said, “Don’t ever be afraid. You’re much stronger than you think.”

  “You heard, then?”

  “Some of it. What’s his connection to you?”

  She pushed her body farther upright and I adjusted the pillows. She exhaled and relaxed.

  “My secret, that’s what.”

  “Meaning?”

  “He’s my brother-in-law and Adrian’s biological father.”

  As if I’d been sucker-punched, I gasped aloud. “You’ve got to be kidding?”

  “This is no joking matter, honest.”

  “If you would rather not discuss it, I understand. I have no wish to upset you.”

  “If you don’t mind listening, it would feel good to get it off my chest.”

  I got comfortable in the chair and let her talk.

  Paul insisted they move to Windermere some years before. Carina hadn’t wanted to give up her career and kept working until she decided to let modeling go and concentrate on Adrian. The move had proven fruitful for Paul. As a stock market trader, his work was done on the computer, and his clients were located all over the world. The one thing Paul had held back from her had been his brother.

  “I hadn’t any idea Paul had a brother, let alone that he had lived in Windermere. It did strike me as odd that Paul would want to move to New Hampshire. We were busy New Yorkers. He convinced me that relocation would be good for us and for Adrian.”

  “How did you meet Jim?”

  “He’s actually Paul’s half-brother. Jim’s parents divorced, and Jim’s mother married the man who was Paul’s father. Anyway, before we moved here, Paul and I couldn’t conceive a child and ended up with a surrogate who lived in New York at the same time we did. She had been recommended by someone Paul said he knew.”

  I kept the mounting slew of questions from escaping my mouth and let her go on.

  “I was desperate for a child. When Evelyn Montgomery entered the picture, it was as if my prayers had been answered. Evelyn was more than willing to carry our child for a price. Surprised by her astronomical fee, I wasn’t certain the idea was sound. Something about the woman didn’t sit right with me.” She became silent for a while and then said, “Everyone in Windermere thinks Jim’s a great guy, but I know a different side of him.” With a look of distaste, Carina swished her hands to brush away the flavor of the words.

  Willing her to tell me more, I urged, “Go on.”

  “Could I have some water, please?”

  “Certainly.” I poured a glass of water and handed it to her.

  Her hand shook slightly, but the determination to tell me the story was written on her features. Enthralled, as though watching a soap opera marathon, I settled in.

  “Paul insisted we go ahead with the surrogacy and I complied. As the situation became clear, Paul realized he didn’t have what was needed to conceive a child. That’s when Jim came along and was introduced to me as Paul’s brother. Imagine my surprise.

  “Jim, being the ‘good guy,’ said he would do his part, so we could have a child. Paul was grateful, after all they were half-brothers. No matter what my concerns were, Paul was determined to give me the child I so dearly wanted and insisted he wanted a baby as badly as I did. By then, I felt I was being unreasonable about the entire affair and gave in.”

  “What happened then?”

  “They proceeded with the process and Evelyn carried our child. We fell in love with Adrian the moment she came into the world. We felt like a complete family. All went well for some time. Paul’s business acumen was amazing, we raised Adrian and I relished being a mother. Jim met with Paul now and then, until they had a disagreement. Paul refused to discuss it, but said Jim was no longer welcome in our home or our lives.”

  “That must have been a shock.”

  Carina nodded, and said, “Since I couldn’t convince Paul to talk to me about what had caused the rift, I let it go. It wasn’t worth arguing over, at least I thought so at the time.”

  A nurse knocked on the door, interrupting Carina’s story. I said I’d wait in the corridor until the nurse was finished.

  It seemed like forever, but the nurse finally exited the room. Ready to hear what else had taken place, I heard Jack’s voice behind me.

  “How is she doing?”

  “Very well. You can’t come in. Carina’s coming along nicely. She’s been telling me about her, Paul, and Evelyn.” I left out Jim Brody’s part for fear we’d quarrel.

  “I wanted to find out how she was doing, nothing more. I’ll leave you to it. If there’s useful information to be had, call me.” Jack began to walk away.

  I nodded as the nurse left the room. I opened the door and saw Carina had fallen asleep. I tiptoed out and caught up with Jack at the elevator doors. At his questioning look, I said, “She’s asleep. I think I tuckered her out. I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

  “Of course you have,” Jack said in a dry voice. “How about a cup of tea in the snack shop?”

  “Sorry, I can’t. Jason’s on his own at the farm. I have to get back before he thinks I’ve deserted him.”

  The elevator stopped, and the doors slid open. A few visitors entered as we exited. With his keen stare on me, Jack took me by the arm and said, “I’ll be by later. If Mrs. Richland has offered even a tidbit that would aid me in finding Evelyn Montgomery’s killer, then I want to know.”

  “I’ll tell you everything when you come by. See you then.” We parted company outside the hospital. I shivered a bit, unsure if the brisk wind that blew across the car park had chilled me or if it was due to Jack’s serious attitude.

  My best bet would be to write down Carina’s story. It would help me figure out the importance of what was said, and somehow, I knew all of it was paramount to the investigation. A fine thread connected the murder, Jim Brody, Carina, and the others in some way. I prayed I’d get the proof needed to solve the mystery without placing myself in danger. If a threatening situation arose, Jack would then lecture me until I lost my temper, and that’s never pleasant.

  I arrived home later than I’d anticipated. Jason was gone, the rabbits were fine, and Molly hadn’t arrived yet, which left Jessica in charge. She met me at the clinic door, assured me all was well, and asked what had taken so long.

  “Do you have any other patients today?”

  “No, the last one left a while ago. Come help me organize the rooms. You can explain while we work. My appointments are stacked for Monday.”

  While we brought order from chaos, Jessica shared the humorous moments of her examinations without leaving me a second to tell her what had transpired throughout the day. I chuckled now and again, my mood on the upswing. It occurred to me how other people’s problems wore me out, were detrimental to my health, and caused others to take responsibility for a business that I owned. Maybe I should refrain from things that didn’t concern me? Nah, where was the fun in that?

  Finished, we entered the house. Bun waited in his doorway and said, “This better be good, I have been quite worried that you were in trouble.”

  “Sorry it took me so long, Jess. Carina wanted to talk so I listened. Jack was at the hospital and has said he’ll stop by tonight. Gosh, I’m so tired I can’t think straight.”

  “A good night’s rest will put things back into perspective.”

  I set the table, ladled stew into bowls, and added chunks of bread to a plate. We sat down to eat, and I explained my lengthy absence. Nourished, I leaned back in the chair, sipped a glass of ice water, and waited for the storm of questions.

  “You must be joking.”

  I shook my head. “Not in the least. Once Carina started to talk, she couldn’t stop. Like a fountain, her story flowed on and on. She wanted to say more, but a nurse came in and must have medicated her, because she was asleep when I
returned to the room again. I will pick her up early tomorrow and take her home.”

  “How early? Do you need my help with the rabbits before you go?”

  “I don’t think so. Carina will be discharged by nine or so, which means the rabbits will be fed and the cleaning done before I leave. Thanks for offering, though.”

  Pensive, Jessica fiddled with her spoon, set it down, and said, “You travel a troubled path, you know that, don’t you?”

  “Funny you should say so. I had similar thoughts not too long ago.”

  “You might consider the toll it takes on you, and the rest of us, when you become so involved that you’re reckless.”

  She meant well, I knew that, but being an inquisitive and tenacious person, it might be impossible to walk away from such avid curiosity. I said I’d take her words under advisement and gave Bun a wink when Jess looked away.

  We cleared the remains of supper. Before she left, Jess urged me to be careful.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I recognized the phone number that popped up on my cell phone screen. It belonged to Sheriff Carver. I answered the call and listened to his excuse.

  “I can’t come by tonight. I know you’ve got information to share, I could see that when we spoke at the hospital today. Just jot down some notes before you forget what Mrs. Richland told you. I have my hands full here.”

  “What’s wrong? You sound upset.” No, more like angry than upset, but who was I to say?

  “We were in the process of transferring Seamus and Colin to the county jail. The driver of the bus was in an accident and the prisoners have escaped. Lock your house up tight, or better yet, stay with Jessica for the night.”

  “O-okay. I’ll be careful. Bye.” I could feel my nerves tighten and stretch thinner by the second while considering what to do and where to hide. Assured the two men would seek me out before they left for parts unknown, if they were smart enough, that is, I heard Bun’s voice behind me.

  “We should ride this out, don’t you think?”

  “By waiting for them to arrive and possibly choke the daylights out of us?”

  “Hmm, that’s a possibility, but running never solved anything. I tried that when I lived with Margery. She always caught me, and I paid for my foolishness.”

  “This is a different set of circumstances. While Margery was cruel to you, Seamus is seriously vicious.” I paced the floor, tapped my lips with my index finger, and asked, “Where can we go that won’t put others in danger?”

  His ears twitched, then stood straight up as his whiskers began to jitter.

  “How about Carina’s house?”

  “Adelle might be watching the place in Carina’s absence.”

  “Then let me think about this.” Bun hopped along with me while I continued to pace. Suddenly, he stopped.

  His ears and whiskers repeated what they’d done before. “I bet they wouldn’t find us at Evelyn Montgomery’s house. What do you say?”

  Staring down at my smart, furry friend, I nodded. “I’ll toss some stuff in a bag, and then put your food in a knapsack.” Running up the stairs, I called over my shoulder, “I won’t be a minute.”

  I haphazardly packed an overnight bag, went downstairs and set the knapsack on the table. While Bun chattered about his needs for our stay at Evelyn’s, I tucked already measured food bags into the sack before I stuffed his bowls and several toiletry pads on top. I’d zipped the knapsack closed, then scooped Bun off the floor and helped him into the sling I’d swung across my body. Our safety was paramount and Bun was smart to recommend Evelyn’s. I doubted the prisoners would consider us to ever be there.

  Though certain neither man would bother with my rabbits, I worried about them. I opened the front door and ran into Adam.

  “You’re leaving for Jessica’s, then?”

  I nodded.

  “Good, I’ll be nearby to make sure no harm comes to the farm. Now get going.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’ve got your cell phone, haven’t you?”

  I held it up as I raced down the steps and across the yard, and got into the car.

  “I wonder why he didn’t catch onto your lie.”

  “Me, too. He can tell when I’m not truthful.”

  The roads were almost empty of vehicles as we drove to Evelyn’s.

  “How will we get in? Sheriff Carver must have locked the place up tight after that last incident.”

  “We’ll figure something out.” I left the car a few houses away from Evelyn’s. Bun craned his neck to see where we were going. His senses were much keener than mine, and he’d let me know if we had company.

  I tried the bulkhead door. The handle rattled, but never gave when I pushed and pulled. I’d hoped it was stuck, not locked, but I wasn’t that lucky. I crept past the bulkhead and studied the basement windows. I leaned down and touched the glass. The window moved slightly and the lock rattled. It was loose. I shoved the window frame with my foot. The window swung inward, the metal lock tinkled when it landed on the basement floor, and Bun jumped free of the sling.

  On the ground, his nose wiggled frantically. His ears tipped forward, and his whiskers were completely still. I waited for the go-ahead.

  “We can go in. Nobody’s here. Will you fit through that window? You’re still a bit fluffy, Jules.”

  Great, I was being judged by a rabbit. Huh. I gave him a look, and uttered sarcastically, “I’ll be fine.”

  “You go first, I’ll keep watch.”

  I tossed our bags inside, heard them thunk when they landed on the floor, and turned onto my stomach to enter the window feet first. It took some doing to get in, Bun had a point, I was a tad fluffy. The front of my clothes were a messy mixture of moist dirt and grass that had collected on them as I wiggled my way inside.

  “Okay, come on, I’ll catch you. Hurry.”

  Bun soared through the window and landed in my arms. His ears flopped against my open mouth as I caught him. I put him down, wiped my mouth in case rabbit hair had flown in.

  “You could have let me know you were coming.”

  “We have company. I couldn’t wait.”

  That’s when I began to shake. Who had arrived? Were Seamus and Colin here, too? All this anxiety was enough to give me a headache. Sweat poured down my face as reality set in. I’m not much for sweating, but fear does that to me.

  “Are you okay?”

  I whispered, “It depends on who our company is. Do you know?”

  “They weren’t talking. I was unable to see anyone, I only heard footsteps, so I have no idea. Sorry, Jules.”

  “Maybe somebody was walking past.”

  “Wishful thinking, I’m afraid. I heard their feet on the pavement as they came closer to the house. Maybe we were too hasty in our decision to hide.”

  “You said ‘their’ feet? More than one person?”

  “Two people, at least.”

  “Okay, let’s go upstairs to the front door, in case they come in through that window.” I pointed to it.

  We left our baggage behind, then rushed to the stairs and made our way up, me on tiptoe, Bun on soft padded paws. The house was in the same condition as Adam and I had left it. Crime scene tape remained in place from Adam’s assault, the rooms were dark, and turning on a light wasn’t an option.

  At the front door, we huddled just beneath the doorknob. I undid the door bolt and waited. Exhausted and nervous, I wiped sweat from my face, pushed the hair back from my forehead, and wondered who Bun had heard.

  I sucked in a breath of air and held it when footsteps sounded on the stairs.

  “Did you hear that?”

  I patted his head and whispered I had.

  “It’s them, Seamus and Colin. I can hear them whispering. Can’t you?”

  I hadn’t until they were in the living room. Bun was right, it was them. Criminy, we’d walked into a treacherous situation. I reached up, turned the doorknob, and opened the door a crack.

  Colin whispered, “
How long do you think we’ll have to stay here?”

  His voice deep and low, Seamus said, “How do I know. We were told to stay put, and we will until we’re paid for our part in the plan. Then we’ll leave town. I’ve had enough of this.”

  Sideways, Bun and I sneaked out the door as silent as ghosts while the two men discussed their predicament. Luckily, they hadn’t heard us. We all need to be thankful for something, and I was thankful for this.

  Scrambling as close to the exterior of the house as we could get, Bun and I escaped the clutches of the two despicable men, who were rash enough to hold us against our will until they reached their goals of money and skipping town.

  At the end of the driveway, Bun jumped into the sling that dangled from my neck. I hadn’t removed it when we entered the house, but it was dirty. A matter Bun reminded me of.

  “Eeew, this thing is nasty. Did you have to drag it through the dirt and grass?”

  “Sorry, I wanted to get indoors before we were seen.” The tip of my sneaker caught on the raised edge of the concrete sidewalk. I stumbled, and fell to my knees. My jeans tore across my right knee and the skin began to sting. No time for the injury, I kept going. “Are you okay, Bun?”

  “Uh-huh. What happened? Are you hurt?”

  “I think I skinned my knee. I’ll check it when we’re home.”

  I opened the car door, set Bun and the sling on the seat, and got in. We hightailed it away from Evelyn’s without looking back. Rattled to the bone, my hands shook. I gripped the steering wheel and stopped at a red light after we turned onto the main drag. My phone was in my pocket and, glad it hadn’t fallen out during our adventure, I dialed Jack.

  “This better be important.”

  I drew a breath and blurted, “Seamus and Colin are at Evelyn’s house. They’re waiting for someone to bring them money to aid in their escape. Hurry, I don’t know how long they’ll be there.”

  The line went dead. I shook my phone and said, “Hello?”

  No one answered. I determined Jack wouldn’t waste time with a reprimand or questions, but would act on what I’d said.