Murder in the Middle: A Susan Wiles Schoolhouse Mystery (17 page)

Chapter 52

Susan kept her eyes closed and lay still when Mike’s alarm went off. They still weren’t speaking. She wondered if he’d make a full pot of coffee before he left, or use the Keurig to make a single cup. His taking Lynette’s side over the medical thing still made her blood boil. After he left for work, Susan got out of bed and tried to call Audrey to tell her about her new travel plans. Audrey’s phone went straight to voicemail.
That’s strange. Why isn’t she picking up? I was hoping she’d have called me back when she got yesterday’s message.

Susan was going to the high school to volunteer today, but made a stop along the way. She entered the police station and heard voices coming from Jackson’s office. She decided to wait a few minutes before making her presence known. Was Jackson talking to Rusty? She hid behind the door.

“Mr. Sumter, some serious accusations have been made against you. Do you know a woman named Sophie Bartolo?” Rusty shrugged.

“Don’t play games with me, Mr. Sumter. We know you and Ms. Bartolo had a relationship. You’ve known each other since high school, correct?”

“Yeah. So what? Hadn’t seen her in years. Why are you asking me questions if you already have the answer?”

“Hold the attitude. And wipe that smirk off your face. Ms. Bartolo says you’ve been sending her threats.”

“What? Why would I do that?”

“Maybe you wanted her back. Maybe after you killed Caleb Bartolo and Sophie didn’t respond to your knight in shining armor act, you got angry and decided to put some pressure on.”

“I ain’t talking no more.” Rusty got up to leave Jackson’s office. Jackson called after him. “You won’t be so smug when we arrest you.”

Susan announced her arrival by blocking the office door. Rusty exhaled with audible annoyance.

“Rusty, I wanted to thank you for your advice about the tub. Works great now. Lefty loosey, got to remember that for future reference.” Susan stretched her hands across the doorframe, blocking his exit.

“Yeah, great. Now move so I can get out of here.” Jackson mouthed the words ‘good cop’ to her.

Susan didn’t move. Instead, she addressed Jackson. “What did you say to upset this nice young man? You police are all alike. I heard you making threats about arresting him.”

Jackson assumed the bad cop persona, like he’d done so many times with Lynette. “This guy is a stalker and worse than that, a murderer.”

Rusty had scowl lines around his mouth. “I ain’t no stalker and I ain’t no murderer. What are you talking about? Let me out of here right now or I’m calling a lawyer.”

“Officer, I’m sure this man is just responding to the tone you’ve set,” said Susan. She turned to Rusty. “You can’t let this man falsely accuse you. Make him tell you what evidence he has and you tell him why you’re innocent. I’m sure we can solve this without you paying a ridiculous fee for a lawyer. You know, I needed a lawyer last year and it wiped out my savings.”

“Move,” said Rusty.

“Officer, what evidence do you have against this man?”

“We have a threatening letter which was slid under Sophie Bartolo’s door.”

“I never set foot in that office,” said Rusty.

“And who writes letters these days?” added Susan. “I’m sure you do all your corresponding on the computer, right?”

“We have a witness who saw you breaking into Caleb Bartolo’s home on several occasions. You were there the night Mr. Bartolo was murdered,” said Jackson.

“No f…ing way. You ain’t gonna pin a murder on me.” He tried to get around Susan but she stood solidly in his path.

“You better not leave town anytime soon. And work on your bucket list while you’re still free because a jury is going to have you locked up for life. Maybe even getting the death penalty. How do you feel about needles, Mr. Sumter?”

“I didn’t kill nobody.”

“No, you didn’t kill someone. You killed two people. Sophie Bartolo says you killed her husband, Adam. Says you fed him some pills and pushed him off a cliff. We have your fingerprints all over a prescription bottle. Blood pressure medicine with your father’s name on it. You stole the pills and put them in Adam’s lemonade. Sophie Bartolo already signed a statement. We even have a witness who saw you do it. Arrest warrant’s being drafted as we speak.”

“That bitch killed Adam, not me. And she killed Caleb Bartolo too.”

Susan spoke up. “Maybe Sophie Bartolo is lying about this nice young man. He obviously didn’t do it or he wouldn’t be so upset.”

“He did it. And Sophie Bartolo hired one of the best prosecutors in the state to take this case,” said Jackson. Susan was amazed at how good of an actor Jackson was. Rusty was buying this, hook, line, and sinker.

“Officer, it sounds like a set up to me. Maybe Mr. Sumter here would like to tell his side of the story.” Susan put her hand on Rusty’s shoulder. Rusty jerked away.

“Last chance,” said Jackson. “Come back into my office now, or you’ve got a few hours before we throw your ass in jail.”

“Come on,” said Susan. “Death by the needle––I’ve read that’s really painful. Sometimes they mess up and it takes hours to die. Saw it on
Dateline
. This guy was foaming at the mouth and everything before he died.” She led Rusty back into the office. “Tell your side of the story.”

Rusty kicked the wall, then sat down. Susan handed him a cup of water from the cooler.

“I was at the house that night. I didn’t kill nobody. I was in there setting up threats from Caleb’s computer to Sophie.”

“Why?” said Jackson.

“That bitch was blackmailing me something fierce. Made me write those threats from Caleb’s computer. Made me steal a phone, too, and plant it in Caleb’s house.”

“Lindsay Bateman’s phone?” said Jackson.

“Yeah, how did you know that?”

“We have our ways. What was Sophie Bartolo holding over your head? Must have been a doosey to get you breaking and entering.”

“It started when her husband was alive. We had a thing going. Adam was beating her and spending all their money. She was going to leave him. I told her I’d take care of her.”

“So you killed Adam?”

“No way. I heard about it on the news like everyone else. Told Sophie we had to break it off after he died. Wouldn’t be right, her being a new widow, seeing me right away like that.”

“Why did you steal your father’s pills?”

“Sophie said she could slip them to Adam. They’d make him sleep and we could get some private time together.”

“They’re blood pressure pills. They don’t make you sleep,” said Jackson. Rusty looked genuinely surprised. His mouth dropped open and he gave himself a slap on the side of his head.
 

“Go on,” said Jackson.

“After that, I didn’t see Sophie for almost a year. Then out of the blue she calls and says she needs my help.”

“With what?”

“She tells me Caleb Bartolo, Adam’s brother, had hired someone to find out what killed him. He had some report. He even had pictures. Said he was going to go to the police with it and Sophie would be arrested for killing Adam. She said it was all a set up. I believed her.”

“Is that why you helped her kill Caleb?”

“I didn’t have anything to do with killing him. Sophie said she had my prints all over the prescription bottle and if I didn’t help her, she’d tell the police that I drugged Adam and killed him. Then she got kidnapped. That’s all I know. Why don’t you go bring Sophie down here?”

“Write down everything you just told us and sign it.” Jackson threw a legal pad across the desk to Rusty. “Then you can go. For now.”

After Rusty was out of sight, Jackson gave Susan a high five. They were quite a team, she and Jackson. They managed just fine without Lynette. She hoped he would tell her that.

When she got home, the mailbox at the end of the driveway was open. The mailman always closed it and so did she and Mike. They didn’t want unexpected snow, or rain for that matter getting the mail wet.
Who left it open?
There was still a magazine and electric bill in the box, so it must have been left open after the mailman came.
Who was snooping through our mail?
She felt like caterpillars were crawling up her spine. She tip-toed around the perimeter of her house until she convinced herself that no one was lurking in the shadows.

After regaining her composure, she went inside and called Audrey, again to no avail. This time she left a message with her flight information, and a request. She asked if Audrey could fill her in on any pertinent medical information. She explained Lynette, Audrey’s granddaughter, was having some health issues and might benefit from the information.

Mike got home from work, and told her Lynette would be released from the hospital the next day.

“Unfortunately, she won’t have a job to go to, but she can be with Annalise. Daycare will have to go, what with them living on only one paycheck.”

“At least Annalise will still have a mother.”

 
Mike started up the stairs while Susan was talking. She called after him. “At least Lynette won’t be putting herself in dangerous situations. Not that it seems to matter to you or Jason.”

Susan turned on the TV and was watching the local news when she saw something completely unexpected. Rusty was being arrested for Caleb’s murder. She immediately called Jackson.

“Jackson, what happened? I thought Rusty had cleared himself of Caleb’s murder? Why are they arresting him?”

“After you left, I had a chat with Sophie Bartolo. Of course, she denied everything Rusty told us.”

“Is that surprising?”

“No, but she led us to physical evidence tying Rusty into Caleb’s murder.”

“What evidence?”

“She said that Rusty had bragged about whacking Caleb over the head with a crowbar.”

“Lindsay Bateman said Rusty broke into Caleb’s house with a crowbar.”

“Sophie said that Rusty kept the crowbar, kind of like a trophy. He told her it was in the back of his truck.”

“Did you find it?”

“Sure did. It was under the floorboards with the spare tire. We lifted prints and blood off of it. The blood was Caleb’s.”

Chapter 53

Susan knew Lynette wouldn’t want her there for her homecoming, but she couldn’t stop being her mother, could she? She was sure Jason hadn’t gone grocery shopping since Lynette’s accident so she stocked her fridge and pantry. She couldn’t stop thinking about Rusty’s arrest. He had seemed so sincere yesterday when talking to her and Jackson. Why would he have been stupid enough to keep the murder weapon right there in his truck? She grabbed a wagon and started down the aisles of Shop Rite.

“Susan, fancy meeting you here.”

“Sophie? I thought schools were open today?”

“They are. Antonio sent me to pick up some coffee supplies for the office.”

Susan seized the opportunity to pump Sophie for information. “I saw that Rusty Sumter was arrested for Caleb’s murder last night. I’ll bet you’re relieved that the case is solved.”

“Who needs a murderer running around town? The streets of Westbrook are safe once again.”

“You knew Rusty, right? I heard the two of you were long time acquaintances.”

“We were high school sweethearts. Haven’t seen him in many years.”

Susan knew Sophie was lying. She was hiding something. “I’m so glad you came out of that kidnapping in one piece. You looked great on the news footage the day you were found, nails still intact, hair washed. I think you must have a metabolism like mine. I was sure I was the only one in the world who could be held hostage and still be able to eat. Not even kidnapping would stop me.”

“I had to keep up my strength so I’d be able to break free.” Sophie looked at her watch. “I need to get back to school. Catch you later, Susan.”

At Lynette’s, Susan unpacked the groceries and straightened up.
Lynette would just die if she saw dishes piled in the sink and the bed unmade.
Susan wasn’t sure if anger or hurt was winning the emotional battle inside her. She was out of there before Lynette and Jason arrived.

When she got home, there was a Fed Ex package on her doorstep.
What on earth could this be?
She took it inside and opened it. After reading through the papers, Susan felt as though she’d just received a brick of gold. She wiped away tears of joy and felt the corners of her mouth turn into a smile. She rushed back to Lynette’s house just in time to see Jason helping her daughter into the house.

“Lynette, I need to talk to you.”

“Go away, Mom. I don’t have the energy for this.”

“The doctor says she needs her rest. She’ll call you when she’s ready,” said Jason.

“No, you need to see this.” She waved the Fed Ex envelope in front of them. “It’s really important.”

“Five minutes. You have five minutes,” said Lynette.

Susan handed Lynette the envelope.

“These are medical records,” said Lynette.

“They are your grandmother’s medical records. Read them.”

Lynette started reading. Then she looked up at her mother.

“It says my grandmother had a benign eye condition.” She continued. “This note next to it says: ‘
This is genetic. It bothered me for a year or so, and never came back. Hope the information helps your daughter
.’”

“How did you get this?”

“Your grandmother. I found her, from that cheek swab I did. Her name is Audrey.”

“You actually found her?”

“Lynette, this means you’re going to be okay. You aren’t going to lose your sight.”

“And I still have a career. I can’t believe it.”

“I don’t know what to say,” said Jason. “Thank you.”

“What a game changer. Mom, have you met her?”

“I was supposed to but the airport was closed because of the snowstorm. I was so disappointed. I’m going to Florida over the weekend, though.”

“I’m so happy for you. I want to meet her too, as soon as I’m better.”

“You get your rest and we’ll have a family reunion soon. I didn’t even tell her about Annalise yet. She doesn’t know that she’s a great grandmother. Unless she has other great grandchildren…I might have brothers and sisters.”

Lynette gave her a hug. “Thank you for doing this. I’m sorry I got so mad.”

“You have Annalise now so you should understand about being protective. Go. Get into bed. Get a nap. You’ll need it before Annalise comes home. That little pistol never stops moving.”

“The house looks great. What happened to all those dirty dishes? And I see you’ve been to the food store,” said Jason.

“Just picked up a few things I thought you’d need. I’ll call you later.”