Take Stock in Murder (23 page)

“Baxter. You were saying?”

“Well Todd was operating like a day trader. However, unlike most day traders, Todd had thousands of dollars of other people’s money available for buys. There are fourteen women in the Club. The monthly minimum investment was five hundred dollars. However, for each individual stock buy, based on whether the member liked it, they could add up to twenty thousand dollars.”

Charles made a low whistle. “That’s from seven thousand up to two hundred eighty thousand dollars a month. Do you have an example of a particular stock?”

At last Sara opened the manila folder she’d brought with her and removed a sheet of paper. “He bought ten thousand shares of T. J. World Brand Foods when it first came on the market at five dollars. He held it for two weeks. When the price hit twelve dollars, he sold the shares the Investment Club had bought.”

“Wow, that’s seven-dollars-per-share profit.”

“Don’t forget—he took his commissions out of both the buy and the sell. Then he bought a computer stock with the profits. The computer stock was actually what the women had authorized him to buy. He bought several hundred more shares than the women had authorized, so the computer stock showed an immediate increase. He put a part of the extra profits in the
Club’s account. The women were happy, and he pocketed the difference.”

“It seems unbelievable.”

“Actually, it’s kind of sad. Stocks for the recommend list are not just favorite picks. They are supported by thorough research. Todd had a magic touch for picking terrific stocks, and his research was impeccable. Had he done it legitimately, he wouldn’t have made a quick fortune, but he certainly would have made a name for himself as a top broker.”

“And he would have had the respect of his family.”

“That’s why I think it was a bit of a game for him. He was actually quite brilliant when it came to investments. It was his way of getting back at his family for their lack of respect.”

Baxter jumped off Sara’s lap, and she started to fidget with the collar on her beige sweater.

“Sara, I know this next question is difficult. Were you aware of what Todd was doing?”

Sara hesitated. “We both attended that first meeting of the Investment Club. After the second meeting of the Investment Club, I was assigned a special project and no longer given the time to attend the meetings. Looking back, I think Todd suggested me for the special project to get me out of the way. So no, I had no access to what he was doing.”

“Do you think Todd planned this manipulation from the beginning?”

“Not really. I think when the ladies turned down his suggestion at that first meeting, he decided at that moment that he would show them. Todd thought the ladies should have invested in the new IPO he recommended, but they wanted
something with less risk. They were from the same backgrounds as his family. I think he felt another rejection.”

“Didn’t the women suspect he wasn’t following their instructions?”

“No, because they never knew what he did with the first transaction. He wiped it from their records and hid it in a dummy account called the ‘LOC.’ I think this stood for ‘Ladies of the Club.’ The ladies of TC3 Investment Club saw only the stock they had authorized on their monthly statement. People tend not to question when things go well.”

“That age-old vice called money kept the women happy and quiet.”

“And the money also set him free. It allowed him to get his own place in the city. I think he was planning on opening his own firm, which meant he could break away from his father and brother.”

“Sara, why do you think Todd was killed?” Charles asked.

Sara looked at him and began to cry. Charles got up to grab a box of tissues. As he reached for the box, the phone rang. He was about to check the caller ID when the ringing stopped. Carrie must have answered it.

arrie was awake, dressed, and about to go downstairs when she heard voices. She was debating whether to venture downstairs and face the visitor when the phone rang. She checked the caller ID and saw it was Christopher.

“Aunt Carrie, it’s me, Christopher.”

“Christopher, even though you’re several hundred miles away, I haven’t forgotten what you sound like. How are you?”

“I’m fine, but the primary question is, how are
you
doing? I’m so sorry you were charged with the murder.”

“But how…how did you know I was arrested? It only happened yesterday.”

“Uncle Charles called me and Grandma yesterday when it happened. He knew I was following the case, and he didn’t want us to hear from the media that you were arrested. What’s wrong with those cops?”

“Well, unfortunately there seems to be a lot of circumstantial evidence that made it easy for them to charge me.”

“Yeah, well, just remember that as easily as circumstantial evidence appears, it can disappear.”

“Thanks, Christopher. That makes me feel much better.”

“Look, I’m sorry I’m not there with you to work on this case, the way we did when we solved my dad’s murder.”

“Believe me, we miss you too, but it’s only a few more weeks before semester break, and you’ll be home with us. Then we can discuss the case in more detail. In the meantime we’re trying to keep you in the loop. We’ve shared everything we know so far.”

“I’ve read and reread your e-mails and read all the news articles I can find, so I’ve a good feel for the case. Any new clues?”

“Nothing much yet. Christopher, even though you’re not here in person, I’m relying on your powers of observation. Do you have any thoughts at the moment?”

For a young man, Christopher was very observant and very logical in his approach to problems. It was his unrelenting search for his father’s journal that had broken open the case of his father’s murder.

“A couple of thoughts and a question or two. Uncle Charles said Todd’s body was found in front of the fireplace in the library. And the police think he was killed between midnight and six a.m., when the body was discovered by Mr. Shipley while making his morning rounds.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Was there a fire in the fireplace in the library when you went back to the Club?”

“Let me think.” Carrie paused. “Yes, there was a huge, roaring fire. It flooded the room with light, so I know Todd’s body definitely wasn’t there.”

“Well, here’s my thought. Why would the Club staff build a roaring fire after the dance was over? I learned in one of my seminars that extreme heat like a fire will disguise the time of death—so Todd may have been killed a lot earlier than the police think. By the time the body was discovered, the fire was out, and everyone assumed it went out hours earlier.”

“Your uncle and I were wondering if our timing was off and Todd was killed much earlier. He could have been killed soon after we left the dance.”

There was a moment of silence between them as Carrie thought about what Christopher said. Then she said, “You said you had a couple of thoughts. What else?”

“Well, this next idea is not based on any scientific deductions, just an opinion. But if I were a jealous husband or a boyfriend and I killed Todd in a fit of passion, I wouldn’t be doing all this other stuff with the body. You know, hiding it in a secret passage, moving it to a different room, and setting up clues to frame someone else. I’d just get out of the place as quick as I could.”

“Maybe. But putting the body back in the library made a tighter case against me.”

“I don’t think so. If you or Uncle Charles killed him, why would you move the body to the very room where you had the altercation? You would definitely move him to a room farther away, or at the very least, leave him in the game room. Does the game room have a fireplace?”

“No, it doesn’t.”

“See, so moving the body served two purposes—to keep the body warm and to frame you.”

“Yes, I see what you’re saying. Oh, Christopher, I feel so much better. All I could see was a mound of evidence against me, and now I see there are different interpretations.”

“What’s your next step, or are you spending the time working on your mystery book?”

“Very funny. You know I’m still working on that book. Don’t worry, Christopher. Someday I’ll finish it, but right now I’m going shoe shopping.”

“Huh?”

“It’s not as frivolous as it sounds. The only real clue we have is the woman who searched Todd’s condo. I recognized the shoes she was wearing. They’re sold at Bentley’s Main Street Shoes, and hopefully she bought them there. By visiting the shoe store, maybe we can get a name.”

“Sounds like a plan. You’ll let me know the results of your shoe adventure?”

“You know we will, and thanks for your observations.”

“Good. I’m glad I helped. You know, I could probably miss some days and leave school before the Christmas vacation begins.”

“You stay put, young man. We need you exactly where you are. It’s because you’re away from the day-to-day drama that you have a different perspective on the case. Charles and I’ll be fine until you get here in December.”

“OK then, gotta go. Grandma just got back, and I’m going to help her bring in the shopping. Say hi to Uncle Charles and keep me informed.”

“I will, and thanks for brightening my day.”

harles grabbed the box of tissues from the counter and returned to Sara at the table.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Faraday—I mean, Charles. Todd and I knew each other since we were small children. He attended my birthday parties, and I attended his. There were even a couple of school dances we attended together. At college we went our separate ways, but we kept in touch. When I got out of college, I had great credentials but no job. Todd set up the interviews that got me into the firm. I consider…I mean, considered…him a friend, a good friend.”

And probably a little more than a friend
, thought Charles. He handed her another tissue. “Sara, Carrie and I had nothing to do with Todd’s death.”

“Somewhere inside me I know that. That’s why I decided to talk to you. Regardless of what Todd may have been, he didn’t deserve to be murdered. I want to help find out who did it. I
figured you and Carrie would have the strongest motives for finding the guilty person.”

“You’ve got that right. But motives aren’t enough. We need to have some strong leads, and your information is what I call a strong lead. Was anyone else at the company involved with placing Todd’s orders, or did anyone perhaps know about his stock deals?”