Murder Between the Pages, page 18
“You’re spoiling me,” she said.
He brushed a thumb along her cheek. “I want to take care of you. Are you sure you’ll be all right here alone?”
Despite her fatigue, she nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
He leaned close and kissed her cheek. “Goodnight, Nina. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
From her front window, she watched him drive away, so thankful he was at the Lorings to help her through the awful experience. Her thoughts turned to Patti. Would she recover? Had she really been responsible for Wildeen’s death? So many questions yet to be answered.
****
A night’s sleep restored Nina’s strength but not her spirits. Over breakfast, self-reproach continued to plague her. What if she hadn’t stopped to talk to the condo manager? What if she hadn’t become lost on the way to Josh’s? Would she have arrived in time to prevent what happened to Patti?
The biggest question, though, was why Patti chose to commit suicide before seeing Nina. She specifically asked Nina to visit. Why, then, had she attempted to kill herself before they were scheduled to meet?
Perhaps she changed her mind about wanting to confide. Then another thought occurred. What if Patti hadn’t attempted suicide at all, and instead someone set the scene to appear she’d taken her own life? The idea that she might have been only moments away from confronting the person sent chills rippling down Nina’s spine.
Nina called the hospital that Stephen named yesterday, but, as she had expected, was told only that, yes, Patti Hamilton was a patient. Well, at least she knew Patti was still alive.
At the library, her staff gathered around. They heard the news and wanted to know the details. She told them only that she and Patti became acquainted at the athletic club and Patti invited her to the Loring home for a visit.
Nina expected a summons to the police station to talk to Pete Russell. Instead, Russell came to the library. Appreciating his gesture, she counted on being more relaxed and in control on her own territory than at the station.
When he arrived, she led him to her office and motioned him to a seat.
Russell shook his head and remained standing. Propping his hands on his hips, he looked around. “Cozy office you have here.”
“I like it.” She sat behind her desk and followed his gaze to the bookshelves lining the walls. “Never enough room for all the books, though. Do you read much? I mean, besides for your work?”
“Don’t have much time, but when I do, I usually choose a true crime story. No surprise there, huh?” He grinned and from his jacket pocket pulled out a small notebook and a pen. “But, to get down to business, I want to review what happened yesterday at Josh Loring’s. Why were you there?” Narrowing his gaze, he raised a hand. “I know, you’re about to tell me to read the statement you gave yesterday to the officers at the scene. I did. But I want to hear what happened straight from you. You might have thought of something else since then.”
At the thought of reliving yesterday’s horrible experience, Nina felt her stomach tense. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath and started with her recent encounter with Patti at the athletic club and moved on to Patti’s subsequent phone call asking for a visit, and their arrangement to meet at Josh’s.
Russell made a few notes and then looked up. “Did she say what she wanted to discuss?”
Nina hesitated, certain her answer would upset him but also knowing she must be truthful. “She, ah, wanted to talk about Wildeen’s murder.”
He stopped and stared. “Now, why would she want to talk to you about the crime?”
Guilt over intruding into police business nudged her, but she pushed away the feeling and lifted her chin. “I’m looking into the murder. For Zelma.”
He frowned and waved his pen. “Do you mean to tell me you’ve been running around town playing amateur detective?”
She met his glare with a steady look. “I’m surprised you didn’t already know. Everyone else in town knows. But I haven’t said anything about being a detective. I’ve merely made inquiries here and there.”
“Look, take my advice and let us catch the bad guys.” He thumbed his chest.
Nina smiled sweetly. “Of course, and if I hear anything I think you might find useful, I’ll be sure to let you know.”
Russell pointed to his notebook. “Let’s get back to Patti.”
Once again, while struggling to calm the rising tide of emotions, she explained the details about finding Patti in the garage and dragging her into the yard. “Is the suicide note authentic?”
“Do you know any reason why it shouldn’t be?” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
Nina looked away. “No, I don’t,” she finally said, her voice low. Without proof he was doing anything illegal, she wouldn’t reveal her suspicions about Josh. Glancing at Russell, she wondered if he’d sensed her hesitation.
He paced a narrow path and then stopped at her desk. Picking up a blue glass paperweight, he turned it over in his hands. “We’re still checking the note for authenticity. Hopefully, she’ll come out of the coma, and we can find out exactly what happened.”
“So, she’s still in a coma. I was wondering. I called the hospital this morning but, of course, they couldn’t tell me anything more than confirm she’s a patient.”
“I’m sure the doctors are doing everything they can for her recovery.” He put down the paperweight and looked at his wristwatch. “Oh, oh, gotta go.”
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Nina led Russell to the door. “Please let me know if I can do anything else.” She opened the door and stood aside.
He stopped and regarded her with a stern look. “Yeah, you can let us do our job, and you stick to yours.”
Right. She would do her job as she saw it, which meant continuing her investigation.
****
When Stephen texted Nina asking to come over that evening, she agreed without hesitation. She very much wanted to see him. However, they had barely settled on the living room sofa with their coffee when she answered a call from Josh.
“I didn’t want to bother you at work, Nina, but I needed to thank you for rescuing Patti.”
His forlorn voice brought a flood of sympathy. “I wish I had arrived earlier. Maybe I could’ve prevented what happened. I heard she’s still in a coma.”
“Unfortunately, she is. I was with her most of the day, along with her sister, Melanie, who flew in from L.A. Mel is her only family.”
The mention of a sister reminded Nina how little she knew about Patti. “I’m glad Melanie could come. How are you doing?”
“Not so good. Bad enough what happened to Wildeen. Now, Patti…”
Nina pressed a hand to her stomach. Knowing just what to say in this situation proved difficult. “I’m so sorry, Josh. Do you believe Patti’s note and that she killed Wildeen?”
“She was awfully jealous of Wildeen, but to go to the extreme of murdering her? Hard to accept. Still, if she did commit the crime, then I suppose guilt could drive her to take her own life. I’ve been wondering why you were visiting.”
His suspicious tone made Nina hesitate. What could she say without violating Patti’s confidence? As always, she’d best stick to the truth. She settled closer to Stephen, hoping to draw strength from his presence. “She asked me to come. I think she wanted to be friends. We got acquainted at the club, you know.”
“Yes, but you two are so different. I’d never expect a friendship to develop.”
Neither had she, and Patti’s request for a visit had been unexpected. “I regret we didn’t get a chance to find out. Maybe, hopefully, we still will.”
“Thanks, Nina. I’ll keep you informed.”
When the call ended, Nina set aside her phone and turned to Stephen. “Josh is having a difficult time accepting Patti murdered Wildeen. I still can’t believe she would invite me to visit and then kill herself before I arrived.”
Stephen rubbed his jaw. “Maybe she didn’t attempt suicide and the garage set-up was a cover for murder. The killer didn’t know you were scheduled to visit.”
Nina leaned against the sofa cushions and folded her arms. “What if Josh murdered Wildeen, and then attempted to kill Patti because she, too, knew about his financial scams? He wants the cops to think Patti killed Wildeen and then herself. Then, both cases will be closed. Josh can keep cheating his clients with no one the wiser. What do you think of that solution?”
“A possible scenario, but who else might not want Josh’s dealings to be discovered?”
She tilted her head and mentally reviewed her list of suspects. “Burgess Botts. If Josh is exposed, he will be, too. His share of the rip-offs would be discontinued.”
Stephen picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “Okay. Anyone else?”
“How about Elizabeth Botts? She wouldn’t want her husband exposed or to lose the extra income.”
“Now, we have three possible suspects.” He held up three fingers.
“Yes, which makes discovering the murderer more difficult. Still, Josh seems the most likely person. Maybe his display of grief is just to hide guilt. I wonder if he has an alibi? We need to know if the suicide note was authenticated. Can you find out?”
“I’ll do my best. My contact at the police station is usually willing to share information.”
She straightened and beamed him a smile. “Oh, Stephen, what would I do without you on my side?”
He scooted close and put an arm around her. “I told you we make a good team. Now, if I could make myself indispensable in a few other ways…”
She laughed. “Let’s not go there now. We have too much to deal with without us as a complication.”
Chapter Seventeen
The following day, Nina sat in her library office writing her column for The Richmond Review—or attempting to. She’d planned a series on Art Techniques, chosen to coincide with Richmond’s yearly art festival. The column’s topic was watercolor. On her desk sat a stack of the library’s best books on the subject, plus notes from interviews with several local artists.
However, so far, inspiration eluded her. Wildeen and Patti dominated her thoughts. Nina wanted to get her life back on track, to do her job at the library, and carry on with day-to-day living. But she couldn’t put aside the tragedies. The memories lingered, festering like ugly sores, and popped up when she least expected.
Her grandmother lent a sympathetic ear, telling Nina she understood how she felt, but to not blame herself. “I’m worried about you,” Jessica said during a recent phone call. “You’re too involved. Why not let the police solve the crimes?”
“I know I should, Gran, but I just can’t rest until I’ve done everything I can to help.” Even though Zelma wasn’t speaking to her, Nina still wanted to prove her innocence.
“Please be careful,” Jessica admonished.
“I will,” Nina had promised.
She certainly had enough work to keep busy. She must finalize plans for the book sale, prepare stories for the weekly story hour, attend meetings of various professional groups, process new books, and manage the staff.
Plus, she must write the column for The Review. Focusing again on the screen, she read what she’d written and made her brain compose another sentence. Then another. She sighed and looked at her wristwatch. Maybe writing for the newspaper wasn’t such a good idea, after all. She wondered if Zelma worked as hard on her novels. According to her, the words just rolled out of her mind and onto the page. Except for her most recent book, of course. The one she had plagiarized. Zelma’s indiscretion had created a most puzzling situation.
Nina’s phone chimed. A glance at the ID brought a smile to her lips, and she connected the call. “Hello, Stephen.”
“Hey. How’re you doing?”
“Not so good. I’m writing my column, but I can’t stop thinking about Wildeen and Patti.”
“You have a couple more days before I need your copy. What I have to tell you might put your mind to rest.”
Nina gripped the phone. “Go ahead.”
“Patti’s note was printed on a printer found in the Loring home. The autopsy turned up traces of a sedative in her blood, consistent with her doctor’s prescription for depression. So far, indications are Patti killed Wildeen and then guilt drove her to suicide.”
Nina raised a hand. “Wait a minute. What about Josh’s and Patti’s claims they were together the night of the murder?”
“The police questioned Josh again, and he admitted he and Patti had an argument that night—over Wildeen, as a matter of fact—and they didn’t stay together.”
Nina shook her head and shifted in her chair. “I still can’t believe Patti would kill herself knowing I was on my way to see her.”
“Why don’t we talk more later? The weekend’s coming up, and I’d like to spend the time together.”
“I want to be with you, too. My house Saturday, yours Sunday? I love your brunches, and in the afternoon, we can visit Gran, as usual.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll think of something we can do on Saturday.”
Nina hung up, filled with happy anticipation. However, soon her worries about Patti and what had happened returned to plague her. She still refused to believe the attempted suicide theory, but how could she ever prove she was right?
****
When Stephen arrived at her condo the following day, he suggested a ferry ride across the sound to the Olympic Peninsula.
“I’d enjoy a ferry ride,” she said. “But rather than drive, let’s be walk-ons. The across-sound traffic is heavy on summer weekends, and with a car, we’d wait in line a couple hours. Exploring Kingston on foot—the shops, the restaurants, and the beach—will be easy enough. We won’t lack for activities.”
Stephen folded the map he’d consulted and tucked it into his jacket pocket. “I made a good choice when I picked you for my tour guide.”
Thirty minutes later, Nina stood beside Stephen on the deck of the Hyak, watching the dock and the town of Richmond recede into the distance. The sun beamed from a bright blue sky dotted with only a few clouds. Seagulls hovered about the ship’s stern, hoping to be tossed a handout. They cawed and flapped their wings as they kept up with the rapidly moving vessel. Farther out, a variety of boats dotted the water, including a tug hauling a load of lumber to Seattle.
Nina leaned against the railing. “I never realized how much fun playing the tourist could be, until I had someone to play with.”
He stepped closer and slipped an arm around her waist. “Are you saying you’re glad I came into your life?”
She chuckled. “Yes, exactly that.” Her gaze met his, and warmth that had nothing to do with the sun overhead filled her.
After debarking at Kingston, Nina and Stephen walked a short distance to the town’s business district where they browsed art galleries, antique, and souvenir shops. Then, they chose a restaurant and sat on the deck enjoying glasses of Chablis and crab cake appetizers.
Nina sat back and took a deep breath of fresh air. How easy to forget her worries on a perfect day such as this one.
They made idle conversation for a while, and then Stephen put down his wine glass and leaned forward. “I hate to risk spoiling our relaxing day, but I need to tell you what I’ve found out since we last spoke.”
At his serious tone, she sat straight, ready to listen. “About Wildeen’s murder?”
“Right. I’ve finally finished checking the arrest and criminal records of all the names on your list of suspects. Everyone has a clean record, except one person.” He raised his eyebrows.
“Who? Stephen, don’t keep me in suspense.”
“Wildeen’s employee, Hamlet Green. He’s been arrested for burglary and drug trafficking.”
Nina frowned, unable to recall ever suspecting Hamlet was anything other than Wildeen’s loyal employee at the bookstore. “Here in Richmond?”
“No, he’s originally from California. He did time in a correctional institution near San Francisco. He goes by a different name now. His legal name is Hamlet Genovich.”
“I wonder if Wildeen knew about his past.”
Stephen helped himself to another crab cake. “If she didn’t when she hired him, maybe she found out later and threatened to fire him, or expose him to the college, or to someone he cares about.”
Nina folded her arms. “Would any of those actions be a motive for murder?”
He shrugged. “A guy with a history of violence might be easy to set off.”
A memory surfaced, and Nina stiffened. “He was hostile at the bookstore when I questioned him about his whereabouts at the time of Wildeen’s murder. But I wouldn’t have guessed he was a drug addict and a criminal. What do you think I should do?”
Stephen finished a bite of his crab cake. “What can you do? The police are still responsible for solving the crime. So far, they seem to accept Patti’s note and her suicide attempt. If only she’d wake up from her coma…”
Nina pressed her lips together and shook her head. “I keep hoping and praying she will. In the meantime, I have to do something to help bring the case to a conclusion. I just don’t know yet what that something is.”
He took her hand in his. “Don’t forget about me. I’m here to help.”
Warmth filled Nina. “You are wonderful, you know that?”
“Thanks. So are you.” He leaned over the table and kissed her.
However, even though Stephen’s support comforted her, Nina still needed to decide on her next move. How could she discover the truth?
****
The following day, Nina and Stephen followed their usual routine. However, instead of taking her home after the visit with her grandmother, he suggested they drive to his house to watch the sunset. She agreed, and soon they sat on the sofa facing the window where they could enjoy the view. He put his arm around her, and she rested her head against his shoulder. The sun inched toward the horizon, filling the sky with bands of orange and gold. All too soon, the last rays faded into the darkening sky.
