Who's Dead, Doc?

by J. M. Griffin

  “That’s for sure.” I handed Mora the teacup, which she filled again.

  “How is Carina Richland doing? I heard she was taken to the hospital.”

  “She has a severe iron deficiency, and will continue treatments for it. She’s home now and feels better.”

  “I always wondered if she’d start dating or would remarry, but not a word has been said that I know of. Carina keeps her business to herself.”

  “She does. Paul’s death was difficult for her and Adrian. They have been working through their grief, but not everyone goes through it the same way.” Because it was common knowledge, I didn’t mind sharing that much with Mora. Nothing more would get past my lips, not one word. Mora had said more than I had expected, but that didn’t mean I would.

  “Sheriff Carver has those two criminals in custody, huh?”

  I nodded. “Thank goodness for that.”

  “You didn’t stop by to gossip. What can I do for you?”

  “Since Jim Brody supports the lodge for the elderly to enjoy during the summer and fall, I wondered if you knew if he’ll be able to continue to do so now that these problems have arisen. I only ask because Bailey Kimball and I recently discussed doing a show for the residents at the lodge. Our rates are reasonable, and the elderly adore the rabbits as well as Bailey’s act.”

  “It would be a pleasure to have you both entertain. According to my boss, you’ve both done some sort of program for our residents before, just not together. I always search for quality entertainment for them to interact with, and you two are great for that type of engagement. It’s getting late in the season, but we have a celebration coming in November. If you can fit it into your schedules, I’d be delighted to have you two with us.”

  “Wonderful, I’ll bring Petra, she’s a long-haired angora rabbit who does tricks. I think her talents would amuse everyone. I’ll let Bailey know and if you give me the date with the particulars of the event, we’ll get back to you right away. How’s that?”

  “Give me a minute to look up the date and time for you. It’s up to you girls to decide how you want to handle your setups. We’ll be indoors, and the lodge has ample space.” She went to her desk, opened her calendar, and jotted the date and length of time for the event. I pocketed the sticky note she peeled off the pad.

  “As for Jim’s continued support, I haven’t discussed it with him or our management team. It’s bound to become a hot topic because Jim has done more than support the lodge. He funds many of our other events and insists his company pick up the tab for those who can’t afford medications. He’s been most generous to our residents and staff over the years. I hope things get straightened out.”

  “It amazes me that Evelyn actually worked for him. She wasn’t very well-liked.”

  “I saw her at a fundraiser Jim hosted for a charity he supported. Now that you mention it, I did notice the tension between them.”

  “Hmm, when was this?”

  “About three months ago. Evelyn didn’t appear happy when they were having a chat. Jim seemed short when he answered her, and being curious, I mentioned it to him later. He said there had been a mix-up of sorts and then excused himself. There was probably more to that situation than I thought. Jim is a good man and I took his word for it.”

  “I must be going, the rabbits await. Thanks so much, Mora. Keep me posted on the outcome of Jim’s problems.”

  She promised as I crossed the room and went out the door. I hurried to the farm. I’d been gone far too long, and Bun would be nervous, as would Jessica. Molly would have arrived by now along with Jason. I heaved a sigh. So far, the day had been filled with more than I had considered possible.

  On the way home, Mora’s information went round and round in my head, like an out-of-control recording. She undoubtedly knew more, but was fond of Jim which meant she wouldn’t get into the nitty-gritty of his life. It wouldn’t be beneficial to do so, and who could blame her for keeping the residents her main concern. If word got out that Mora had mentioned more than she should have, the funds she needed might suddenly dry up. As for my grant money, no wonder Jim couldn’t offer it to me. Evelyn had taken advantage of her position to cipher funds from his account into her own.

  Sheriff Carver and I needed to chat. He definitely would have gone through Evelyn’s bank accounts once he’d learned of her occupation as a blackmailer. It only made sense that he would do so.

  I swung into the driveway, parked in front of the shop, and went inside. All was quiet, neat, and ready for a spinning class. I walked into the barn, found Jason at the sink washing his hands, and asked where Molly was.

  “Her car is here, but she isn’t in the shop.”

  “She and Jessica are out back, dealing with Walkabout Willy. He’s quite the rascal. Got away from the pen and took off for about two hours. We looked everywhere for him and didn’t want to have to tell you he was gone.”

  I started for the back door. “He did return, right?”

  “Yeah, no worse for wear, but he must have gotten into a bramble bush, because he’s covered with them.”

  Outside, I could hear the two women discuss what might have caused Willy to become entangled in the brambles. I greeted them, took a look at the woebegone rabbit, and said, “He doesn’t look too bad.”

  “He doesn’t like being handled this way, but we have to clean his coat of thorns.”

  “If that was Bun, he’d let you brush him for days.” I crouched next to Willy, rubbed the fur on his head, and gently scratched his nose. He responded with closed eyes and then he relaxed. “Bring him inside and put him on the rabbit table. I’ll keep him calm and you can finish the job.”

  We entered the barn and took to the task of bringing Willy’s coat back to normal. I looked at Jess and asked, “You don’t think he ate anything out there that might disagree with him, do you?”

  “Probably not. For the most part, rabbits know what to eat and what isn’t good for them. Of course, there’s always an exception to every rule.”

  Soon, Willy was back to normal and allowed into the interior play area. Molly and I examined the spinning class schedule. Jason jumped into the conversation about his own work and school activities, while Jessica tended to her patient roster.

  When Jessica’s itinerary was complete, I gave her a hand to straighten the examination rooms and restock them.

  As we finished, she said, “I won’t be here tonight, I have a date.”

  “Anyone I know?”

  She laughed. “My parents are taking me out to dine.”

  “Look at this this way, you get to visit with them and have a great meal, too.”

  I left her smiling and went into the house to see Bun.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  The afternoon ended with Bun and me alone, and my telling Bun what I had learned from Seamus, Colin, and Mora.

  “Your time was well spent, then. Wish I could have gone with you, but I understand that I couldn’t.”

  “It would have looked odd to have you in the jail cell with me. Besides, you’d have been unhappy over the way Seamus treated me. He’s not a nice person.”

  “No, he isn’t. What do you make of Jim Brody’s issues?”

  “Evelyn could have been blackmailing him over something, what it was, I don’t know, but it might have something to do with Adrian and Carina. It’s terrible that she stole from the grant accounts. He might have to come up with money to continue the grant payments that are portioned out to students and other places. It isn’t good publicity for his business, either.”

  “Evelyn had a good thing going, too bad she didn’t play the blackmail card well enough. It cost her dearly. I didn’t like the way she treated you, or how she treated Carina at the party. A vicious and hard-hearted woman, that one. What else did Mora tell you?”

  “She’s worried about the situation Brody has gotten himself into. Certain she knows more than she would say, I couldn’t finagle a way to get her to tell me. I can’t blame her, though. Her firs
t priority is to the residents and fulfilling their needs. Brody has been generous with them and the people who work at that facility.”

  “Carver will have looked into Evelyn’s bank accounts. You always insist he’s thorough. He does have her notebook, doesn’t he?”

  “He does and he’s on my call list. I have to contact Bailey before I do anything else.” I sighed, flopped into a chair, and said, “These last several hours sure have been hectic. I’m on overload.”

  “Relax, you’ll find the truth will come out with or without us. When we’re behind the wheel, and we can drive it forward faster than anyone else, you only need to let your brain sort through all that you have learned for that to happen.”

  Bun, as usual, was right. Pressuring myself for the answer wouldn’t do any good. My subconscious would sooner or later hand over key information required when it was good and ready. I hoped it was sooner rather than later. Colin had said “she,” but which she did he mean?

  Forcing myself out of the chair, Bun and I went into the barn. Bun was the director while I hauled out the equipment I always used for parties and started to clean them.

  “Shouldn’t you put all the rabbits in one cage? It would be easier, you know.”

  “It’s not a good idea. They enjoy their own cages and snacks on the way home, and have come to expect as much. There might be discord among them if they decided to fight over food.”

  “I guess that could be a problem. It was only a suggestion. You know how good I am at making suggestions.”

  Too bad most of his suggestions weren’t worthy ones. I do admit that he could come up with a decent plan now and again, especially when we were in dire straits. I patted his head, smoothed his fur, and left him in charge while I continued to sanitize the cages.

  It didn’t take long to finish up.

  “I guess we’re done here for now.”

  I imagined if Bun had hands, he’d have brushed them off as if his part was done. While I had done the work, it was always fun to have Bun’s company. I swiftly moved the van, locked it, and then locked the barn doors for the night.

  I fed the rabbits their final meal of the day and added chopped fruit and additional hay to each hutch. Other than the spinning class activities, all was quiet, the rabbits were at ease, and I yearned to have the same for me and Bun. “Let’s call it a day, shall we?”

  “Good idea.”

  In his room, Bun feasted on his own supper while I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the kitchen table. I called Bailey, gave her the date and time for our gig at the lodge, and asked if that worked for her.

  “It does, thanks for checking with Mora. This will be fun and could even lead to more engagements there.”

  Unwilling to mention Jim Brody and the possible loss of his funding for programs the old folks enjoyed so much, I said, “That would be nice.”

  We ended our conversation. My next call was to Mora. I didn’t connect with her, but left her a voice message saying Bailey and I were able to entertain at the lodge.

  I’d hung up and was about to call Sheriff Carver when he knocked at the door. I hadn’t heard or seen him arrive. I must be slipping or just plain tired. Tired, definitely tired.

  He entered the room after I beckoned him in and plunked his hat and coat on the hooks near the door. Oh my. He was staying awhile.

  “I was about to make tea, would you care for something to drink?”

  “No, but I do want to know what you’re up to and what you’re holding back.”

  “Gee, Jack, I was about to ask you the same thing.” I leaned back in the chair and folded my arms across my chest.

  His eyebrows drew together in the middle, just above the bridge of his nose. “What do you mean? I’m not withholding information from you.”

  “Were you able to look into all of Evelyn’s accounts?”

  “I was. It wasn’t until today that I found the very last one. It contained an incredible amount of money, too. Have you any idea where she would get that kind of money? Other than her blackmail scheme, that is. Those funds were split between three local banks. This last account was in a bank in Maine.”

  “She stole some of that money from Jim Brody.”

  “She did?”

  I stared at him for a moment or two before I said in a soft tone, “Jack, you most certainly knew she worked part-time for Jim as the distribution clerk for funding the grants approved by his board of directors. Please don’t insult my intelligence by denying it.”

  His face sagged with disappointment. At least, that’s what it seemed to me. I waited in silence, hoping he would explain. Our mutual silence didn’t last long, but long enough for me to think he wasn’t going to talk about Jim or anything else.

  I pushed my chair back, freshened my cup of tea, and returned to the table.

  “I found out about Evelyn’s theft earlier today. I didn’t mention it because I wanted to look into it before I said anything. Jim was foolish to hire her, I can’t imagine why he did so,” Jack said.

  “His family might have wanted him to.”

  His brows rose as he contemplated what I’d just said. I fiddled with the spoon next to my cup and then admitted it was conjecture on the part of the person who had told me so.

  “I am under the impression that Jim’s parents have a hand in what goes on in his business. I wasn’t aware of that, and have never heard anything about them. Maybe Evelyn was blackmailing one of them and said she would take a job with Jim as payment.”

  “That’s a little farfetched.”

  I stared at him and remarked, “Not really. Consider how easy it was for her to get that position and take the opportunity to funnel money from his accounts into hers. It was perfect. He’s a busy man who has trust in his employees, we all know that. Evelyn could turn on the charm when it suited her, believe me, and he was familiar with her besides.”

  “How do you know that?”

  His disbelief in every statement I made irritated me beyond reason. Jack found it troubling that someone he thought so highly of hadn’t been smart enough to see Evelyn for what she was. That Jim had been taken for a ride by the very woman he considered trustworthy and kind seemed unthinkable in Jack Carver’s mind. Possibly Jim hadn’t been treated to the unfavorable side of Evelyn that so many others had.

  “I promised someone I wouldn’t share that information.”

  “I don’t care if you did, I want to know right now. It is pertinent to my investigation.”

  I sat up straight, put my elbows on the table, and leaned toward him. “And that would be how?”

  “Tell me what information you have first, and then if it makes sense, I’ll tell you what I know.”

  Geesh, had this become complicated or what?

  With a roll of my eyes, I said, “This isn’t kindergarten, you know.” I explained the connection between Paul, Carina, Jim, Adrian, and Evelyn. It took a while to unwind their tangled relationships so Jack could work it out. I got up, reached into the counter drawer, and withdrew the journal I kept. I flipped to the page with connecting lines and dots to show him instead of trying to make it clear verbally.

  He read it over, perused the other pages in the book, and then said, “You really have a knack for finding out the nitty gritty. You also give me gray hair, you know that, don’t you?”

  I nodded, held back a grin, and said, “Everything I know is there in that book. I wrote the entire thing out when I learned of it. I can’t figure out who killed Evelyn. What I know for certain is that it wasn’t Carina.”

  “You never cease to amaze and annoy me. Like I said before, you’d make one heck of a detective.”

  “And, as I’ve said, I’m a rabbit farmer with an avid sense of curiosity, nothing more.”

  We both relaxed and smiled a little.

  “I’ll take this book if you don’t mind. I want to read it over and take some notes. By the way, who told you about all these connections?”

  “You know better than to ask me that
. I will not give you that name unless I feel things have become dangerous.” I watched him think things over, then I asked, “Are the two goons in Concord?”

  “Yes, they are. No one came to save their sorry butts, and no one planned on doing so. It was merely wishful thinking on their part.”

  “Huh, then be on the lookout for something that’s supposed to come your way since Seamus can’t make blackmail money off his contact while he’s in prison. He told me he had information and if his contact didn’t pay up, you’d receive something from him in the mail.”

  “Good to know. I’ll be in touch.”

  With that, Jack was gone. I watched his departure and turned when Bun said, “He sure got an earful, didn’t he?”

  “The time had come for me to give him what we have found out. The only thing missing in this puzzle is the last piece of it. The killer has been under my nose all this time, and now I know who it is, I just don’t know the reason behind the murder. Seamus was amused by the fact that I didn’t know the why of it. I’m certain there is one more connecting line that will pull all of this together.” I heaved a tired sigh.

  “You’ll figure it out, I just hope it isn’t too late before you do.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  The phone rang. Carina was on the line. I answered the call on a cheerful note, though I didn’t feel like it.

  “Hi there, how are you doing?”

  “We’re fine now that I’m home with Adrian. Why don’t you come over tonight?”

  This invitation was my chance to ask the questions bugging me. The ones that would solve the murder and connect the dots. “Sure, I’d like that.”

  “Good, I look forward to it, say, around eight o’clock?”

  “Okay.”

  * * *

  By the time I was ready to drive to Carina’s house, the full extent of the complexities involved in this mystery had hit me. Why didn’t she say why she wanted me to come over, and why didn’t I ask? I took a deep breath, started the car, and dialed Jack’s number. He answered on the first ring. I explained where I was going.