Murder Is Elementary (10 page)

Chapter 31

The smell of garlic and oil permeated the kitchen of the Petrocelli home. Antonio was kneading a mixture of wet chopped meat, egg, and breadcrumbs. Hayley threw the pasta into a big pot of boiling water followed by a dash of salt and a splash of oil. The steam brushed her face. Then she started chopping cucumbers for the salad. The rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board was soothing. Hayley had avoided getting into a big discussion over the purse incident with Antonio, just as she’d been avoiding confronting him about his affair with Vicky. He still had no idea that she was aware of his transgressions. “Pass me the tomato,” said Hayley.

“Here you go,” said Antonio.

“By the way, when do you think we’re going to hear more from the police?” asked Hayley.

“I don’t know. Probably not until they realize our fingerprints are not on the purse. Then they’ll be calling to apologize,” said Antonio.

“I still can’t fathom how that purse got there. Can you?” Hayley’s voice rose at the end as if she expected a confession.

“I have no idea. I didn’t put it there so I assumed you did, though I can’t imagine why.”

“Are you kidding, you idiot? I was sure you did it. I know how upset you were when she didn’t recommend you for that vacancy last fall. And I know you had other reasons.”

“What other reasons?” said Antonio.

“How stupid do you think I am? Do you think I didn’t know you were sleeping with Vicky? What…did you hope it would get you ahead in your career or were you just turned off by your wife––the wife who’d just given birth and was still carrying around a few extra pounds.”

“No, Hayley, I would never have done that to you.” Hayley couldn’t believe how phony he sounded.

“Don’t even pretend. I have proof and you’ll pay for treating me that way,” said Hayley.

“So that’s what this is about. You took the purse to frame me. You killed Vicky with one of your cupcakes and then planted the purse in the closet so I’d be blamed.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Me. A cold-blooded killer. If ‘I’d killed her, I certainly wouldn’t have put the purse in my own house. I would have disposed of it ASAP or just left it there.”

“Why didn’t you listen to your parents and marry someone rich in the first place? You never thought I was good enough for you. You figured you’d get me thrown in jail for murder so you’d get rid of me.”

“Wow, I can’t believe your acting career never took off.” Just then Tony called form the living room.

“Mommy, I’m hungry. When’s dinner?”

“In just a little while, honey.” She whispered to Antonio, “I don’t want him to hear us fighting. Let’s shelve this for now.”

“For now,” said Antonio. He threw the meatballs in the pan, into the hot oil.

Chapter 32

The winding dirt road seemed much less ominous in the daylight.
At least I know where this ends
, thought Susan. She’d picked up Carolina early from school so they could visit Javier and try to get closer to finding a relative.

“Thanks for doing this Mrs. W,” said Carolina. “I can’t wait to see him.”

“I’m as anxious as you are to get this settled. There’s no way you’re going to go to a foster home.” The ride seemed much shorter than when she’d come here with Lynette. Before she knew it, Susan saw the rehab sign and pulled into the parking lot.

“Do I look okay?” asked Carolina. She applied a little cherry lip gloss

“You look beautiful, as always,” said Susan.

Carolina had her hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
I couldn’t have gotten my big toe into those skinny jeans even when I was sixteen
, thought Susan, but she admired how even though they were form-fitting, they looked tasteful. Some teenage girls wore those jeans that were all ripped and shredded looking. They walked into the lobby. Although the rehab could almost pass for a hotel, the hospital smell gave it away. Susan pressed the elevator button and they waited as the orange numbers blinked and the metal door opened. They found Javier’s room and Carolina embraced her dad with a hearty bear hug.

“You look beautiful,
mi hija
. I’ve missed you so much,” said Javier.

“I’ve missed you too. I’m so proud of you, taking this step.”

“I’m doing it for you. When I finish here we will put our family life back together. I know it won’t be the same without your mom but we will be okay.”

“I know.” Carolina’s face relaxed and she smiled. It was the first time since before Vicky’s death that Susan had seen that smile.

“Does either one of you know what’s happening with the murder investigation? I may have had my share of problems with Vicky, but I want to know who did this to her. The killer took away my baby’s mother. He deserves to be locked up in jail for the rest of his life,” said Javier.

“I know,” said Carolina. I won’t be able to even start dealing with this until the murderer is found. I want to know why he killed my Mom,” said Carolina.

“The Westbrook Police Department is working hard on this case. My daughter Lynette is a detective on the force and I know she’ll solve this. She’s brilliant,” said Susan. She remembered the primary reason they’d come here and subtly changed the subject.

“Javier, we need to find a relative to stay with Carolina until you get out or she’ll be placed with a foster family.”

“Foster family?” Javier rose from the edge of the bed. “No way. Isn’t Araceli still living at the house?”

“Yes, but they won’t accept her as a guardian,” answered Susan.

“Then I’m checking myself out right now. I’m coming home with you.” Javier opened the drawer and grabbed his underwear and a pair of jeans.

“No, Dad. You need to get yourself together.” Carolina grabbed the jeans and put them back in the drawer. “I was thinking, didn’t mom once say she had a sister?” asked Carolina.

“Oh, yes, but they hadn’t spoken to each other in years,” said Javier.

“Do you know how I can get in touch with her?” asked Carolina.

“I have no idea, none at all. I don’t even remember her name. I think it started with an R. Maybe it was Regina or something. The best thing to do would be to call Grandpa in Florida. It’s his daughter after all,” said Javier.

“Yes, but according to mom he was in pretty bad shape,” said Carolina.

“He’s in and out. It’s worth a try. I think I even have the number of the nursing home here in my phone. I called to tell him that Vicky had died but I’m not sure he understood.” He scrolled through his phone and gave Carolina the number.

“Let’s try him right now,” said Carolina. She entered the number and pressed the call button.

“Coventry Assisted Living and Nursing Home. How may I direct your call?” asked the operator.

Carolina explained that she wanted to speak to her grandfather and was connected to his room.

“Hello, Grandpa? This is Carolina. What? I can’t understand you. What are you saying? Grandpa, I need your help. Grandpa?” Carolina paused and then began speaking again. “Yes, thank you, ma’am. Okay. I understand.” Carolina ended the call and turned to Susan and her father.

“Well, I guess we’re back at square one,” said Carolina. “The voice that answered was incoherent. A nurse took the phone and explained that my Grandfather is in an advanced stage of dementia. Although he still has moments when he seems perfectly normal, these, according to the nurse, are getting less frequent.”

“I think you need to fly down there,” said Susan.

“Maybe if you see him in person he’ll be able to focus,” said Javier.

“That’s a great idea,” said Carolina.

“The flight is only a few hours and I’ll even go with you,” said Susan.

“Really? That would be great. Thank you, Mrs. W.”

“Yes, thank you,” said Javier. “I feel so much better knowing you are watching out for my daughter.” Javier gave Carolina a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Susan and Carolina headed back home. While Susan drove, Carolina called the airline and booked a flight for the next morning.

Chapter 33

Jody sat down at the Starbuck’s counter and waited for Theresa. The robust coffee smell wafted through the entire store. She preferred a latte to a beer any day. The store itself was buzzing like a triple espresso grande.
I already feel more awake and I haven’t even ordered yet,
thought Jody.
How is it that this place is always booming, even late in the afternoon?
She scanned the shop looking for Theresa.
Look at that father buying his son a coffee. That kid is maybe ten. As a matter of fact, I think he goes to our school. I hate when parents are so clueless. Doesn’t he know kids shouldn’t be drinking coffee? Caffeine is a drug. He might as well be giving the kid cocaine.

“Hey, sorry I’m late.” Theresa came in still wearing her work clothes. “Let’s get in line. I really need some coffee. Maybe a biscotti too. We can hit the gym tomorrow.”

“I just got here. How are things going? Tell me about that new guy you’re seeing. You’ve been walking on a cloud these days.”

“Well, he’s just wonderful. He buys me flowers and texts me all the time saying he’s thinking about me. We’ve been together every day this week. I think he may be
the one.
” Theresa looked like a star-gazing teenager.

“I’m very happy for you. He just better keep treating you right or he’ll have me to answer to. What are friends for, right?”

“I’m glad you’ve got my back,” giggled Theresa. “Hey, we’re next.”

“I’ll take a mocha latte with soy milk and a chocolate biscotti,” said Theresa.

“I’ll take a frappacino with whipped cream. It’s been a tough day,” Jody said. They found an empty table and enjoyed their drinks.

Chapter 34

I hate traveling these days
, thought Susan.
It’s such a hassle taking off your shoes, packing three ounces of shampoo, taking your laptop out of the case.
As a rule, she avoided air travel but this was important. She hoped Carolina would get the information she needed.

Carolina looked at the flight board. “Hey, it looks like the flight’s on time,” said Carolina.

Susan was glad the weather had cooperated. She and Carolina took out their self-printed boarding passes. Neither had luggage to check, which would save time when they got to Ft. Lauderdale. They boarded the plane.

“I wish they had more storage for carry-ons,” said Susan. She checked a few overhead bins and finally found room to store her suitcase. Carolina shoved her soft duffel bag under her seat. Susan took out her Kindle. Carolina took out her iPod. The flight was smooth and before they knew it, they were in Florida.

“I hope we get some answers,” said Carolina. “I don’t want to worry about being taken away from my home. I’ve lost so much already.”

“I know,” said Susan. She took off her jacket but noticed that there were people wearing jeans and sweaters. “I definitely consider this shorts weather,” she said. The air was thick and heavy even though this was technically winter. She’d been to Florida in the summer and it was even stickier and hotter. She didn’t understand why people retired here. She loved the change of seasons in New York and really hated the heat. At least summer only lasted a few months back home.

“Here’s the hotel shuttle,” said Carolina. They climbed into the white van and buckled up. “The roads are so flat here,” said Carolina. Back in the Hudson Valley they were surrounded by mountains so this was a noticeable contrast. They pulled into the Ramada Inn, gathered their bags, and checked in.

The room was generic. There were two full-sized beds with floral bedspreads, a dark wood desk, and a bathroom with a tub/shower combo.
It’s so stuffy in here,
thought Susan. She turned the air conditioner to high while Carolina flicked on some lamps and opened the curtains. They put their clothes in the dresser drawers. Susan put her toothbrush and three ounces of shampoo in the bathroom.

“Let’s grab a quick lunch and then get over to the nursing home,” suggested Susan.

“Sure. Let me just change my clothes first. I’m sweaty from the van ride. You think they’d use the AC.” Carolina put on a fresh pair of jeans and a T shirt which read ‘Westbury High Debate Team.’

“Is this okay?” asked Susan. They were standing in front of the hotel café.

“Sure. I’m anxious to eat and get going,” said Carolina.

“They have a lunch special. You can get either soup or a salad with half a Cuban sandwich,” explained Susan.

“I’ll get that with the minestrone,” said Carolina.

“I’ll have the same,” said Susan.

They ate their overpriced soup and sandwiches, and then grabbed a black and yellow taxi from the line in front of the hotel.

“Look at those houses,” said Carolina. The taxi was driving along the ocean on A1A. The mansions were mostly Spanish-styled with iron sculpted gates and fountains out front. The taxi driver explained that most of the owners only came down for the winters.

 
Coventry was a newer building with a salmon-colored exterior. The lobby was painted pastel blue and a large mural with palm trees flanking a beach scene was the first thing you saw when you walked in. Wicker furniture was arranged so that it was possible for ambulatory residents to come out and visit with their families. Susan and Carolina were buzzed into the facility. The first thing that hit them was the smell of body odor. Susan had seen an experiment on Dr. Oz where they took t-shirts and had three different aged groups of people wear them for a week. Then they had audience members smell them and rate the odor. The shirts from the oldest wearers were rated least offensive. Susan didn’t buy that. There definitely was such a thing as old person smell and it wasn’t pleasant. She gave her armpit a discreet sniff, just in case. They passed patients in wheelchairs and others with walkers. The halls had railings built into both sides of the walls. It was depressing, no way around it.

“Here’s his room,” said Carolina. The room was small and painted yellow with a green and white patterned wall paper border. In the center was a utilitarian hospital bed with a metal night stand. Across from the bed, a flat screen TV was suspended from the ceiling. A faux wood dresser and a plastic chair rounded out the décor. They walked in and saw an elderly man lying on his side in a fetal position. Susan was less than optimistic that they’d be able to communicate with him. She was right.

“Mr. Bowers, my name is Susan Wiles and this is Carolina Rogers, your granddaughter. We came from New York to see you.”

Mr. Bowers grunted.

“Grandpa, do you remember me?” asked Carolina. She turned to Susan. “I haven’t seen him since I was eight. I’ll be surprised if he recognizes me.”

“Mr. Bowers, we really need to talk to you. Carolina needs your help.”

Mr. Bowers was unresponsive. A nurse came in to check his blood pressure.

“He has his good days and his bad,” said the nurse. “If you catch him at the right time, he’s perfectly lucid. Maybe come back later,”

“Thank you,” said Carolina. “I guess we have no choice.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll try again later. The nurse said he goes in and out.”

Susan and Carolina returned to the hotel.

“I brought a bathing suit just in case,” said Susan. “Why don’t we go down to the pool for a bit? We can try again after dinner.”

“Okay, I guess so,” said Carolina. She pulled a striped two-piece from her suitcase. Susan changed into a black one-piece. She hated black but she knew it made you look slimmer––especially when combined with ‘tummy trimming technology.’ They grabbed-shaped pool.

“The water is so refreshing,” said Susan. Surprisingly, they had the whole pool to themselves. The pool was lined with white plastic lounge chairs and in the corner there was a table covered with an umbrella. If it weren’t for the sound of the traffic whizzing by, you could almost think you were in some Caribbean resort. Well….maybe a Caribbean Econolodge.

“It feels so weird to be swimming outdoors in the middle of winter,” said Carolina. “I could get used to this. Strange as it may seem, I love the smell of chlorine.”

Susan did a little aqua jogging. It was easier on your joints than jogging on land and the water added resistance. After a while, a family with two children came through the gate. The little boy looked like a third grader, and the little girl––kindergarten. After spending her career teaching in an elementary school, Susan could easily assess a child’s age.

“Hello,” said the dad. He was probably in his mid-thirties and wore light blue surfer shorts. “Where are you girls from?”

“New York,” answered Susan. “And you?”

“Atlanta. We’re here for my father’s birthday. He loves seeing the kids.”

“I’m sure he does,” answered Susan. She knew she’d love spending time with her grandchildren one day. The mom was about the same age as the dad and wore a modest two piece. She swam a few laps, then stretched her arms over the side of the pool, kicking her feet nonchalantly out in front of her. The children were both experienced swimmers and raced back and forth across the pool. When they got tired of that, the little boy started jumping off the side of the pool and deliberately splashing his sister.

“Mom, tell him to stop,” whined the little girl, stretching the word
Mom
into two syllables. That’s something Susan didn’t miss from her teaching days. She hated when kids used that whiney tone. Lynette would never let her kids get away with that. No, siree, her grandkids would know how to use their words to effectively communicate. No need for dramatics.

“Well, I think we’re going to dry off and get some dinner. It was nice meeting you. Have fun with your Grandpa.” Susan addressed the last comment to the children.

When they got back to the room, Susan called Mike. She already missed him. She and Carolina changed out of their bathing suits and put on fresh clothes for dinner.

“I’m going to hang my suit here by the air conditioner,” said Carolina.

“What do you feel like eating?” asked Susan.

“I saw a pizza place,” said Carolina. “We passed it on the way to the nursing home. Let’s eat there and then go back to see my Grandfather.”

“Sounds good,” said Susan.

They entered the pizzeria and took a seat at a booth. The table was covered with a red and white checkered tablecloth, and a wax-covered Chianti bottle had been turned into a table light. Susan and Carolina studied the plastic menus.

“Let’s share a pizza if that’s okay with you,” said Susan. “What do you want on it? Do you want New York style or Sicilian?”

“New York style has fewer calories, and I like mushrooms and black olives.”

“Sounds perfect. Let’s get the whole wheat crust.”

After dinner, they returned to the nursing home. Mr. Bowers was sitting up, eating his dinner with the help of the nurse. Compared to the delicious pizza they’d just eaten, his dinner looked horrid.

“Hi, Grandpa. Are you enjoying your dinner?” Mr. Bowers looked at Carolina and said something that sounded like gibberish. He was eating mashed potatoes and some meatloaf that looked as though it had been left out in the rain. The hospital sheets were tossed aside. Susan was grateful that he was wearing pajama pants under his hospital gown.

“How is he this evening?” asked Susan

“He was talking a bit before dinner, then he lapsed back into this,” said the nurse.

“Carolina,” said Mr. Bowers.

“I’m surprised that he knows my name and can say it so clearly.” His knees were bent like a door jamb in need of oil. Protruding from his hospital gown, his legs looked like deflated footballs.

“Grandpa, yes it’s me.” Carolina moved closer and grasped his forearm.

“Carolina. Remember the rocking horse?”

“Yes, Grandpa.” Carolina looked at Susan. “I think he remembers how I used to love the rocking horse outside Safeway. It was painted black and white with red stirrups and black plastic reins. He had to give me a boost to reach the saddle. He used to put quarter after quarter in the red metal box for me. It even played cowboy music. Grandpa would sing along, something about ‘git along little dogies’.”

“Carolina,” aid Mr. Bowers.

“I don’t think you’ll get much more right now. Why don’t you give me your phone number and I’ll call you if he becomes coherent,” offered the nurse.

“Okay, let’s do that,” said Carolina. Carolina jotted down her number on the pad of paper on the nightstand. Susan could hear the disappointment in Carolina’s voice. They found a taxi and returned to the hotel. Carolina pulled out her smart phone, and Susan turned on the TV.

“We’ll try again tomorrow,” said Susan. “I know you’re disappointed but tomorrow is, as they say, another day. Let’s relax and get some sleep.”

“Okay. I think I’ll take a shower now so I’ll have time to dry my hair.”

Susan set her phone alarm and watched a little more TV before falling asleep. How did
Law and Order
manage to stay so interesting after all these years? You’d think they’d run out of ideas for episodes. She could hear the cars going by outside but she was used to Mike’s snoring so she had no problem falling asleep. No Ambien needed. The ringing of Carolina’s cell phone woke her up before sunrise. She could hear Carolina groggily answer the phone.

“Hello. Yes, this is Mr. Bower’s granddaughter. Really? Thank you so much. We’ll be right over.”

“Well, was it the nursing home?” asked Susan. By now she was fully awake and craving coffee.

“Yes, it was the nurse from last night. Her shift ends at 7:00 so she wanted to call us before she left to tell us that Grandpa is awake and is totally coherent. She knew we’d be anxious to come over.”

“Oh, that’s great. Let me jump in the shower and we’ll get over there. I’ll be very fast.” Susan was true to her word. Five minutes later she pulled a pair of tan capris and a coral colored t-shirt from the drawer. Wearing summer clothes in the middle of winter felt weird but it was refreshing not to be restricted by bulky clothing. Outside of the lobby, the sunrise painted pastels across the horizon and the wind blew a hint of coolness across her cheek. Pedestrians carried coffee and newspapers. Why did coffee always smell especially enticing on mornings when you most needed it? Susan felt a slight ache across her forehead. Joggers and bikers competed for space on the sidewalk.
Don’t people go to work here in Florida
, thought Susan. Certainly not all of the morning exercisers looked old enough to be retired. A line of yellow taxis were parked outside of the hotel. Susan and Carolina slid into the first one and despite morning traffic, they walked through the nursing home doors twenty minutes later.

“I hope he’s still talking,” said Carolina. She clasped her hands together as though she was praying.

“Well, let’s find out,” said Susan. They signed in at the front desk and stuck blue and white visitor passes to their shirts. The aroma of bacon and eggs emanated from the food carts that lined the hallways. Susan’s stomach growled. When they got to Mr. Bower’s room they were astonished to see Carolina’s grandpa sitting up in bed. His hair was combed and he looked twenty years younger than he’d looked yesterday.

“Hi, Grandpa,” said Carolina. She went over to the bed and gave him a hug.

“Carolina. I’d recognize that beautiful face anywhere. You look so grown up. I’m so happy to see you.” He hugged her with his scrawny arms.

“You too, Grandpa. This is my friend Mrs. Wiles. She was the best teacher ever and she’s been watching out for me ever since mom died.”

“Good, good. How is your Dad doing?”

 
“He’s doing just great,” said Carolina. Susan knew the whole subject of Javier drinking and having been a suspect in Vicky’s murder was not something Carolina wanted to get into.

“What can I do for you, sweetheart?” His cloudy blue eyes looked up at Carolina.