A Murderer Among Us (14 page)

She was almost sorry when the doorbell rang, announcing that visitors had arrived. The girls stopped what they were doing and flew to the door. Jeff followed after them. Lydia brought up the rear and joined the now crowded center hall as Merry’s family greeted the child and couple who had arrived.

“Mom, this is Cerilla and Jim,” Meredith said.

Lydia greeted the couple she’d chatted with at Brittany’s soccer game.

“This is Mandy,” Brittany said, bringing the blonde little girl, a replica of her mother, over to meet her.

“Hi, Mandy,” Lydia said. “I’m Greta and Brittany’s grandma.”

“Nice to meet you. My real name is Amanda,” Mandy offered.

Before Lydia could respond, the doorbell rang again and a young woman and two children entered the house. To give them enough space to take off their jackets, the party spilled into the living room. Jeff made the introductions.

“Jen, Timmy and Cassandra, meet my mother-in-law, Mrs. Krause.”

Lydia smiled and exchanged greetings with the mother over the heads of the five excited children, all talking at the same time. The children raced up the staircase and their parents moved into the dining room.

Meredith was assigning seats when the bell rang a third time. She stopped in midsentence. “I’ll get that!” she announced.

“I’ll go,” Lydia offered, since she was closest to the door.

“That’s all right, Mom,” Meredith said, edging around the table.

But Lydia was already in motion. She opened the front door and stared openly at the handsome young man facing her. He had a square-shaped face, wavy black hair and a winning smile. God, he was gorgeous! He wore no outer jacket, but a blue and gray tweed blazer and a pale gray shirt open at the neck.

“Hello,” he said in an even, modulated voice. “Is this the home of Merry and Jeff Rothman?”

Lydia nodded, and stepped back to let him enter. She nearly tripped over her daughter as Merry rushed forward to take the man’s outstretched hand, which she clasped between both of hers.

“I’m glad you found the house.”

“Your directions were perfect.”

Their eyes locked with an intensity that blocked out everything else. Lydia grew alarmed. What if Jeff or any of their guests were to notice? She cleared her throat and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Meredith, dear, aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Meredith blinked as if she were emerging from a darkened theatre. “Of course. Mom, this is Steve Thiergard. Steve, my mother, Lydia Krause.” She gave a little laugh. “Actually, the two of you are neighbors in a way.”

* * *

Lydia sat before her untouched cup of coffee and marveled at the way her daughter and Steve Thiergard performed like veteran actors in front of the others. Merry had introduced him as an old college friend she’d run into a few months ago. For all she knew, that part could be absolutely true, though she didn’t remember Meredith ever mentioning having met up with an old friend from Lehigh. No one, least of all Jeff, found his presence unusual. The other adults greeted him, then turned to each other, eager to catch up on news about their children and neighborhood gossip. Was she the only person who saw the sparks flying between them?

How dare Meredith bring this man into her home! How dare Steve Thiergard invade another man’s inner sanctum and openly devour his wife with hungry eyes!

Lydia was about to claim a headache and make excuses for an early departure when Steve, who had already said he was a pharmaceutical rep, mentioned that his territory was being changed to the Island and he was considering buying a townhouse nearby. Lydia’s heart raced as she considered all this implied. Was her daughter’s marriage in serious trouble? She’d have a talk with Meredith very soon, and this time she’d give her a piece of her mind. But right now she needed to listen and ask questions to learn as much as possible.

Steve proved to be an entertaining guest. He participated intelligently in the conversation, turning frequently to Jen on his right for her opinion, which she was more than happy to express. The subject turned to medicine then to herbal supplements. Cerilla said she was a great believer in natural supplements and asked what Steve’s take on them was, given that he dealt with lab-made medicines.

The endearing smile Steve bestowed upon Cerilla made Lydia wonder if she’d imagined the connection between him and Meredith earlier—until she realized that his passion was for his subject and not her daughter’s intense friend.

“You’ve just touched on the subject closest to my heart. I believe the right supplements add longevity and health to the average person’s life.”

Jen nodded vigorously. “I agree. Even doctors are recommending them now. Everyone knows all women should take calcium.”

“I take CoQ 10 on my doctor’s recommendation,” Cerilla added.

“Glucosamine chondroitin has worked wonders for my arthritic pain,” Lydia chimed in.

“Sure, those are all great,” Jim said, “but others are downright dangerous. How many people died after taking ephedra? I think it’s a damn good thing the FDA finally stepped in to regulate the industry.”

“You think so, eh?” Steve asked.

“Sure,” Jeff chimed in. “People are too quick to try anything that promises eternal youth and vitality.”

“Well, I have news for you,” Steve answered belligerently. “The FDA doesn’t know its ass from its elbow when it comes to natural supplements. Sometimes they’re heavy-handed and ban a substance that works miracles when taken in small doses.”

“You mean like arsenic or belladonna?” Meredith said.

“Everything in moderation,” Jim joked.

Steve wasn’t amused. “Supplements can do amazing things—like reversing the aging process.”

“Oh, sure,” Cerilla scoffed. “Monkey glands. The Fountain of Youth. Through the ages, man has tried to preserve youth, only nothing works.”

“Really? What if I told you certain botanical herbs combined together are the real McCoy?” His eyes went to Lydia. “What if I told you Mrs. Krause would look as young as her daughter after taking this formula for six months?”

Silence reigned as everyone considered Steve’s words. Lydia stared at him, trying to remember what Doris had told her about Claire’s miracle compound. Had she stumbled upon the person who’d sold her the capsules, here in her daughter’s home? It was possible. Very possible. Steve Thiergard stayed at Twin Lakes several days at a time.

She felt her son-in-law squeeze her shoulder as he spoke. “I, for one, think Lydia’s perfect as she is.”

“But what about the dangers?” Cerilla demanded. “There have to be side effects. There are side effects to every drug.”

“Potential side effects, yes, but we haven’t seen any.”

“Do you actually sell this stuff?” Jen asked.

“Not yet,” Steve replied. “It’s still in the testing stage.”

Lydia wasn’t prepared to call him a liar. After all, she had no proof that Steve Thiergard had sold the capsules to Claire, though it certainly looked that way. Instead she said, “I take it the company you work for will manufacture this wonder drug.”

Steve cleared his throat. “My friend’s company is working on this product and I’ve been helping him out. As for my paying job, I sell meds related to gastrointestinal problems.”

He went on to extol the wonderful pharmaceutical products his company had on the market. Lydia decided bringing the conversation back to the herbal compound might raise his suspicions if he was Claire’s supplier and if he had anything to do with her murder. Instead, she stood and began her good-byes. Jeff stood, too. “I’ll get your coat,” he offered.

“Thank you, Jeff, but Meredith can get it for me,” she said in her best CEO tone.

Startled, Merry followed her into the hall where she retrieved Lydia’s good wool coat from the hall closet.

“Thank you.” Lydia put on her coat then kissed her daughter’s cheek. “Dinner was terrific.”

“And your sweet potato pie and cakes were great. I’ll speak to you soon.”

Merry turned, eager to return to her guests, when Lydia put a hand on her arm.

“Let’s have brunch together on Sunday. Just you and me. I’m sure Jeff will be home then to watch the girls.”

Meredith opened her mouth to dispute this high-handed arrangement, but one glance at her mother’s expression changed her mind.

“Good,” Lydia said. “Why don’t I come for you at eleven? There’s a restaurant not far from here I’ve been wanting to try. I’ll see myself out after I say good-bye to the girls.”

Home again, Lydia fed a hungry Reggie, then changed into jeans and an old sweater. She should call Sol Molina about Steve Thiergard, but too many strings held her back. She didn’t want to disturb his family dinner with his daughter. Even more important, she resisted offering information connected to her daughter. Not that Meredith had anything to do with Steve’s wonder capsule. It was the affair itself that kept her hand from dialing.

Peg called to see how her Thanksgiving dinner had gone. She’d eaten out in a lovely restaurant with a few single women friends. Then she mentioned that Marshall was very appreciative that Lydia was looking into Claire’s death.

“Why did you tell him I had Lieutenant Molina’s ear?” Lydia asked, finally venting her annoyance.

“Sorry, but Marshall was distraught and that was all I could think of to make him feel better.” When Lydia said nothing, Peg asked, “Why? Have you learned something?”

“Possibly.”

“Really? What?”

Lydia frowned. Her neighbor was the biggest yenta in Twin Lakes. Lydia never should have alluded to knowing anything in the first place. Besides, the only information she had involved herbal capsules, and they might have nothing to do with either death.

“Sorry, Peg, I’m not free to discuss it with you.”

“Have you told Detective Molina?”

“I will, once I have proof.”

She was beginning to sound like an addled fool. Having Merry so close to the person who might be involved somehow with Claire’s death had upset her.

“I have to go now. See you, Peg.”

Peg grumbled about Lydia not finishing what she’d started to say and hung up.

* * *

Saturday morning Lydia caught an early train into Manhattan. The cars were filled with riders off from work and school, intent on getting a head start on their holiday gift-buying. Not one of them, Lydia mused, had any connection with Twin Lakes, where two women had died and suspicions ran rampant.

She browsed in Lord & Taylor and Saks, buying cashmere sweater sets on sale—Chanukah gifts for Meredith and Abbie. She tried on stretch jeans and tops and bought three of each, as well as two warm-up suits. Her lifestyle was casual now. She had little use for the suits and silk blouses she used to wear to the office. Even now, on a visit to the city, she wore pants and a woolen poncho over a turtleneck sweater.

Today Abbie was the first to arrive at the restaurant, the same one where they’d dined weeks earlier. She and Todd sat close to one another, heads touching as they laughed over a private joke. The sight filled Lydia with joy and sadness. She was delighted her daughter had found someone to love, but the young lovers were a keen reminder of all she’d lost when Izzy died.

Abbie saw her. Todd immediately rose to his feet as Lydia went to join them.

“Hi, Mom,” Abbie greeted her. She leaned over the table to kiss her. “This is Todd.”

Lydia started to put out her hand, but Todd came around and gathered her in a bear hug. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Mrs. Krause.”

“I’m happy to meet you, too, Todd,” she answered, meaning it.

Abbie was grinning. “Surprise! Todd has none of the British reserve you hear so much about. It must be his Jewish roots.”

So he was Jewish—her daughter’s first Jewish boyfriend since she’d turned sixteen. Todd was compactly built and only inches taller than Abbie. He had brown hair and eyes, and good, even features that gave him a boyish look. In fact, he appeared to be eighteen years old. But after five minutes in his company, Lydia saw he was a sound and savvy young man who knew what he wanted in life and how to pursue it. Lydia quivered because it was clear he wanted Abbie.

“I understand you’ve moved into a new community and you’ve taken a new job,” Todd said.

Lydia smiled. She found his accent delightful. “I’m doing my best to settle in.” She glanced down at her packages. “Each time I come into the city I spend a fortune on furniture or clothing.”

“If you’d rather stay home, you can order anything you like online,” he said.

“I know that,” Lydia said, grinning, “but I much prefer old-fashioned shopping.”

Abbie laughed and rubbed the nape of Todd’s neck. “Todd’s permanently connected to the Web. His machine runs on his blood instead of electricity.”

“Computers—serving businesses, actually—are my livelihood and my passion.” He winked at Abbie. “My only passion besides Abigail.”

A man who speaks his mind and his heart, Lydia thought, warming to him even more.

“Any news about the two murders?” Abbie asked.

“Nothing really,” Lydia said, “though Marshall Weill swears he had nothing to do with either of them.”

“That’s precisely what he would say if he killed them,” Abbie said. “Be careful, Mom. There’s a murderer wandering around that gated community of yours.”

“Of course I’m careful, honey,” Lydia reassured her.

Their waitress approached and they turned their attention to the menu.

After they ordered, Abbie asked, “Was Merry pissed because we didn’t come to Thanksgiving dinner?”

“I don’t think so. She didn’t say anything to me,” Lydia answered, thinking Meredith had other things on her mind.

“Well, that’s good,” Abbie said. “I hate when she projects her hurt feelings long distance. I wanted you and Todd to meet first, before making him face the rest of the family.”

“You make your sister and her family sound like monsters,” Lydia joked, though after the shock of meeting Steve Thiergard, she was glad Abbie and Todd had decided to visit his relatives instead of coming to Long Island.

“I’d be happy to meet them,” Todd offered, “but we’re very close to my cousins, and they invited us to Thanksgiving Day dinner last month.”