Murder Is Private Read online

  At the cemetery, the sun beat down on the congregation. Contrasting the somber occasion, trees flaunted yellow pops of sunshine and deep purple blooms. A group of Celia’s students sang a mournful hymn. Friends and family tossed roses on the white casket. Funerals were always sad, whether you knew the deceased or not. Susan’s heart ached for Audrey as well as for Celia’s students.

  “How are you holding up?” she asked Audrey.

  “Not well. I worked with Celia for more than a decade. I was quite fond of her. None of this makes any sense. Who would want Celia dead?”

  Just at that moment, Kevin, the detective, made his was over. His hazel eyes danced when he looked at Lynette. Did he just give her the once over? Here at the funeral? observed Susan.

  “Lynette, how’s the arm doing?” he asked.

  “Getting better, but if I have to hold Annalise much longer it’ll be the other arm I’ll have to worried about.” Annalise was fast asleep, her head tucked under Lynette’s chin.

  “Thanks for that piece of potential evidence, Mrs. Wiles,” said Kevin. “Turns out it was synthetic hair wrapped around the rubber band.”

  “Like a wig or something?” Susan asked.

  “Or a weave,” he replied.

  “Mom, you gave Kevin evidence? When did you sneak back to the crime scene?”

  “I didn’t sneak back,” replied Susan, “and I stayed outside of the yellow tape. I just saw what I thought might be a clue, picked it up with a tissue so I wouldn’t destroy finger prints, and gave it to Kevin. You can’t scold me for that.”

  “You never asked me to go back to the crime scene with you,” said Lynette. “You knew I’d discourage you.”

  Susan changed the subject. “Kevin, did you know Celia?”

  “Never met her. When there’s a homicide, I try to show up at the services and do a little people watching. Sometimes the murderer is right there mourning the loss, and you can tell a lot from observing people’s behavior.”

  “Any progress?” asked Lynette.

  “I uncovered an interesting tidbit. Celia Watkins had scheduled an appointment with my partner. She was supposed to meet with him the day after she was killed.”

  “Does he know what she wanted?” said Lynette.

  “She told him she had some crucial information to share. I really shouldn’t be going into this,” added Kevin. But you did, thought Susan. Lynette would have been tight-lipped. It took lots of prying to get info from her.

  Susan jumped at the sound of arguing. Lynette, Audrey, and Kevin all spun around to see what the fuss was about. Schwartz and Celia’s husband were screaming at each other. Audrey had pointed out Derrick Watkins earlier.

  “It’s all your fault!” screamed Derrick. His neck veins bulged.

  “You son of a ….”

  There was a collective gasp from the onlookers as Derrick punched Schwartz right in the face––so hard that his nose was bleeding.

  Kevin quickly pulled the men away from each other.

  “Gentleman, this is inappropriate behavior on any given day, but at a funeral? Your wife’s funeral?” He spoke directly to Derrick. Then he turned to Schwartz. Someone had given him a handkerchief for his nose, but already it was soaked through with blood. “Mr. Schwartz, would you like to press charges?”

  Schwartz took a deep breath through his mouth. “No, not this time.” He addressed Derrick, “But if you ever come near me again, you’ll regret it.”

  “I’m taking you to the emergency room. Your nose may be broken,” said Kevin.

  Kevin drove off with Schwartz, while Derrick hung his head down and hightailed it to the parking area.

  “Audrey,” asked Susan, “what was that about? Schwartz only knew Celia as a colleague. Why was Derrick going after him?”

  “I have no idea,” said Audrey. “I wasn’t aware they knew each other at all. Maybe Schwartz cut him off in the parking lot or something. It wouldn’t take much. Derrick has a hot temper. I’ve seen it before. Celia was afraid of him when he got like that.”

  “I would have been afraid, too,” said Susan. “Derrick seemed enraged. If he’s so hot-tempered, do you think he could’ve gotten angry enough at Celia to whack her over the head and kill her?”

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. “Who knows? If I had to bet on it, I’d say yes.”

  Chapter 9

  In the days following the funeral, the school began to regain its beat. The students went back to practicing, dancing, and studying. Starr reminded Susan about the concert at the nursing home that evening. Susan looked forward to attending it. After dinner, she showered and changed into a cotton sundress.

  “Lynette, are you ready to go?”

  “I’m coming.”

  Audrey said she was too exhausted to go with them and volunteered to stay home with Annalise.

  Susan and her daughter enjoyed the walk to the concert. “Lynette, that’s the building.” The sun was going down and a slight breeze brushed against Susan’s face. She took off her sweater. Cool by Florida’s standards was summer to a New Yorker. Lynette had put her hair up, off her neck. Impressive with her one good arm.

  “Blends right in with the other buildings,” said Lynette. “If you didn’t read the sign, you’d never know it was an assisted living home. That’s the kind of place we’ll put you in, Mom. You’ll be able to watch black and white movies while you eat your Jell-O.” Lynette giggled. Susan gave her a swat.

  As soon as they went inside, Susan heard the familiar sound of strings warming up. Folding chairs were set up in the home’s solarium. Nurses wheeled patients in, while ambulatory residents hobbled along with the aid of a walker or cane. Susan waved to Starr. The audience clapped as Alonzo came through the side door with his baton.

  Susan whispered to Lynette as he was about the start, “I love this Telemann Suite.”

  Lynette put her finger to her lips as she whispered, “Shh.”

  Susan instinctively did a bit of people watching as the orchestra played. Didn’t Kevin say you could learn a lot by noticing people’s behavior? Susan wasn’t sure what she was looking for. After all, she doubted any of the people here were involved in Celia’s murder. However, Celia did bring choral groups over to perform here a lot. Maybe she could learn something. Her eyes fell on a male nurse standing at a doorway. Something about his scraggly beard and crumpled scrubs looked out of place. During the number’s second movement, Susan watched him slip out. His patient was fast asleep in his wheelchair, snoring like a freight train. And Lynette was worried that she was disturbing the concert by whispering.

  The second piece required fewer strings, so several student musicians exited through the side door. Sometime later, the male nurse returned to his post by the main door. He kicked the snoring patient’s wheelchair and startled him awake. Problem solved. Meanwhile, one of the violin students who’d just exited through the side door, re-entered through the front. The male nurse nodded at him, and the student moved closer. Was it her imagination, or did the nurse hand something to the student?

  A standing ovation would have been difficult to manage here, but the residents applauded enthusiastically nonetheless. The violin student standing by the nurse was now gone. Susan went up and congratulated Alonzo on a job well done.

  “Alonzo, this is my daughter, Lynette. She’s a detective.” Sweat beaded on his face. She thought she saw his face tense when Susan mentioned detective. Maybe she was imagining it. In the end, she attributed his excess perspiration to conducting in a tux under hot lights.

  “I enjoyed the concert,” said Lynette.

  “Lynette, this is Starr, one of my students.”

  Alonzo excused himself. The male nurse motioned to him, and Alonzo made his way to the door. He whispered into the nurse’s ear, then the nurse nodded and left. Alonzo hadn’t acknowledged any of the other staff. Were they friends? The hair on Susan’s arms tingled.

  “Come on, Mom,” said Lynette, “Let’s get home. Hope Audrey survived a
n evening with a toddler.”

  “She was looking forward to it.”

  When they got home, Annalise was fast asleep on Audrey’s lap, Goodnight Moon open beside them on the sofa. Susan scooped up the baby and took her upstairs to her crib. Her phone vibrated in her pocket as she was tip-toeing out of the baby’s bedroom. She was delighted to see it was her son calling.

  “Evan? It’s so good to hear your voice. How are your exams going?”

  “Getting through them. Dad says you’re in Florida.”

  “Yes. Remember I told you how I was going to meet my birth mother? Well, I’ve not only met her, but we’re staying here at her home. What are you doing about spring break?”

  “I was thinking of coming for a visit. Dad’s working up in New York, and I hear you’re right by the beach.”

  “Yes. And Lynette and Annalise are here with me. We’d love to see you.”

  “I’ll buy a ticket. Love you.”

  Susan practically squealed with delight. She ran down the steps to tell Lynette her brother was coming to visit.

  Lynette smiled. “That’s great. He won’t recognize Annalise. She wasn’t even walking the last time he saw her.” Audrey stirred in the sofa. “We’ll have to make him a hotel reservation,” continued Lynette, “With spring break, I bet hotels fill up fast.”

  “Hotels?” asked Audrey. “We’re talking about my grandson here, am I right?” She sat up.

  “Yes,” said Susan. “Evan’s in medical school in St. Louis. He’s coming here for spring break.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him,” said Audrey, “but what’s this nonsense about hotels? I have plenty of space. He can sleep in the den.”

  “Thanks! I’ll let him know,” said Susan. It was strange. Evan had a new grandma. He and her Mom had been inseparable when Evan was growing up. She was his real Grandma. Susan’s eyes stung with tears. Audrey could be a friend to Evan, but she’d never take the place of her mother.

  Chapter 10

  Susan walked around the neighborhood before work. It was delightful being able to take her walks outside rather than on the treadmill. When she’d left New York, there was still snow on the ground. She showered, dressed, and enjoyed a slice of Audrey’s banana bread before leaving for work. Starr, Bibi, and Manolito were waiting outside the classroom door when she got to her classroom.

  “I really enjoyed the concert last night. The strings played so well in tune,” she said to them, in greeting.

  “Thanks. Mr. Benitez is a drill sergeant in rehearsals. Our concerts are always well prepared. I’m glad you came,” said Starr.

  “Starr, who was the black violin student with the dreads?” Susan asked.

  “That’s Kymani. He’s a senior. Keeps to himself.” But why did he sneak out of the hall only to re-enter through another door? And what did he say to that nurse? Back to work! she ordered herself. She had a class to teach.

  Susan was pleased with the ability of her students. At least Audrey didn’t have to worry about them falling behind. Susan was adjusting to the schedule and not getting quite as exhausted by day’s end as she had at first.

  At lunchtime, she ate outside on a wrought iron bench. It was a gorgeous day. She’d packed a turkey sandwich and an apple. And a brownie she’d picked up at Starbuck’s this morning on the way to work. After all, she had gotten her exercise today and even with the brownie, her brownbag lunch had to be way healthier than the cafeteria food.

  “Mind if I join you?” Gabby Ramirez, the school librarian, sat next to her. She had flawless olive skin and silky black hair which flowed down her back. “How are things going?”

  “I must say I’m enjoying myself. The students are really sweet and they pick up on things so much faster than my elementary kids ever did. Not surprising, I know.”

  “Celia is smiling down from heaven at you,” said Gabby sweetly. “She must be at peace knowing her students are in good hands. She loved those kids. Used to sit right there on the bench across the path and talk with them all the time. They were her family. With no children of her own, and that sorry excuse for a husband, it’s no wonder she was never in a hurry to get home.”

  “Celia and her husband were having problems?” Lynette would tell her to stop nosing into business that didn’t concern her. Sorry, Lynette, she said in her mind to her daughter. She couldn’t resist.

  “I think he beat her,” said Gabby. “Celia wouldn’t admit it––but come on––a sudden black eye, a sprained wrist? The bum even showed up drunk at one of the chorus concerts. She didn’t deserve that.”

  “Why did she stay with him? Why not get a divorce?”

  “Celia was a close friend of mine, Mrs. Wiles. Between you and me, she was planning on leaving him.”

  “She said that?”

  “She’d finally met a man who treated her like a princess. She wouldn’t tell me his name. I wondered if it was because he was married or something.” Gabby blew her nose and wiped her eyes.

  “I’m sorry for your loss, Gabby. I hope they find her killer soon.”

  “I don’t know why they haven’t arrested that bum of a husband, Derrick. It’s clear to me it was him who killed her. If he couldn’t have Celia, then nobody could.” Gabby stood up. “Got to get back; I have a class.” Gabby quickly ran off.

  Susan got up and suddenly slipped on the leaves cluttering the path. Embarrassed, she brushed herself off and looked around to make sure no one had seen her fall. Audrey’s son George had to be the most incompetent gardener she’d ever seen, she thought. How hard is it to pass through the campus with a leaf blower?

  The violinist from last night, Kymani with the dreads, brushed right past her. He was walking toward the arboretum with long, deliberate steps. He wasn’t carrying his violin. Isn’t there an orchestra rehearsal this afternoon? she wondered. She looked at her watch and realized she had some time before chorus rehearsal. I wonder where that Kymani is going in such a hurry.

  Susan followed him toward the arboretum, keeping her distance so he wouldn’t notice her. Leaves crinkled under her sandals. She froze, worried he’d heard her footfalls, but he showed no indication that he had. As she approached the arboretum, she spotted someone in a blue hoodie and jeans leaning against a flowering tree. Kymani approached him. Susan ducked behind the bushes.

  Hoodie boy reached into his backpack and took out a wad of cash which he fanned in front of Kymani’s face as he handed it to him. They huddled up to each other, their backs to Susan. Susan pushed the leaves apart, scratching her hand as she strained to see through the densely packed hedge. Kymani handed something to hoodie boy. If only they hadn’t turned away from her, she thought. The encounter was over in a flash, with the two parties barely uttering words. Kymani left the arboretum the same way he’d come in, and hoodie boy walked off in the opposite direction. Susan looked at her watch and realized her chorus rehearsal was about to start.

  Chapter 11

  After chorus rehearsal, Susan locked the room and started home to Audrey’s. This Kymani fellow was surely hiding something, she thought. Was he selling pot? Running a gambling service? Maybe he was selling research papers. Nah, doubtful.

  When she arrived at Audrey’s, Detective Kevin was sitting on the sofa next to Lynette.

  “Hello, Mrs. Wiles,” he greeted her. “How do you like being back in the saddle?”

  “It’s great. Kind of like being a grandmother––play with the baby, then hand her off to her parents when you get tired. I’ll enjoy my teaching at Hemingway High, then retreat back to retired life when I go home. What brings you out here, Kevin?”

  “Just running some ideas by Lynette. Spring Breakers have hit the town big time and most of my colleagues are up to their gills with drunken college students.” He put his arm around Lynette. “Lynette’s a great sounding board. It helps going over the murder case with fresh eyes.”

  “You know,” said Susan, “I’ve been told I’m pretty good at solving mysteries too.” Lynette shot her a dirty lo
ok. “For instance, did you know that Celia and her husband were having problems?”

  “We always suspect the spouse first,” replied the detective. Why was Kevin’s arm still around Lynette’s shoulders? Susan wondered.

  “You saw that on Dateline, right, Mom?”

  Susan ignored her daughter’s snide comment. “She was seeing someone. She was planning on leaving her husband.”

  “Really?” said Kevin.

  “Mom, that’s just hearsay. You know how rumors fly around schools.”

  “I got it from a reliable source. Her best friend told me,” said Susan. Annalise cried from upstairs.

  “I’ll go get her,” said Lynette. “She had a nice long nap.”

  “Hope she can get to sleep tonight. You know I used to wake you and Evan up if you napped longer than two hours.” Lynette didn’t respond to her mother’s comment. Susan quickly took Lynette’s spot on the sofa.

  “Lynette and Jason are terrific parents. They’ve created a beautiful family together.” Susan emphasized the word beautiful, beaming at Kevin.

  “I’m sure they have. Jason’s a lucky guy.”

  “Kevin, I want to ask you about something I saw,” said Susan in a whisper. “If someone, say some hoodie- clad student, hands over a wad of cash to another student, what might he be buying?”

  “Pot is the most common, but a wad of cash? Pot’s not that expensive. These kids usually buy just a little at a time,” he explained.

  “What else could it be?”

  “Lately, we’ve seen an increase in illegal gun sales. Made more arrests this year than in the past five put together.”

  “Guns?”

  “Yeah.”

  “To use in robberies?” asked Susan.