Grave Doubts (A Paranormal Mystery Novel) (11 page)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Lee arrived in
Robin's outer office a few minutes after two o’clock wearing fresh clothes and
makeup. A matronly-looking woman dressed in a gray polyester suit was hanging
up the phone. She acknowledged Lee just as Robin returned from another meeting.

“I wasn’t sure
you’d come,” Robin said to Lee. “C’mon in. Can you hold my calls, Rosemary?”

The secretary
nodded as she turned to pull a fax off the machine. Lee followed Robin into her
office where her friend pushed aside several file folders on a small, round
conference table so they could sit down. The large window that overlooked an
outdoor courtyard washed the oak furniture in a shallow band of light. Two
large Asian watercolor prints warmed the room, and a small water feature on her
desk gurgled like a mountain brook.

As VP of Human
Resources, Robin handled the personnel files of over one thousand employees,
worked with two unions, and had earned a reputation as a tough negotiator. She
was quick, clever, and didn’t hold a grudge. Robin settled back and scrutinized
her friend.

“That wasn’t
your best move this morning. You must have known Martha wouldn’t want to hear
theories about Diane’s death. She wants her executive team to walk a straight
line. What in the world were you thinking?”

Lee chuckled
and shook her head as if she couldn’t believe it herself. “I don’t know. It’s
an understatement to say I’m not thinking clearly. I just couldn’t stand her
pathetic attempt at compassion. I’d rather she just ignored Diane’s death.”

“What will you
do while you’re off?”

Lee bit her lip
and didn’t respond. Robin’s eyes grew wide.

“My God, you’re
going to try to find out if Diane was murdered, aren’t you?  Lee, don’t. I
don’t know what happened to Diane, but leave it to the police.”

“Diane left a
message on my answering machine,” Lee announced bluntly.

Robin’s jaw
dropped. Lee knew she was wading into deep water, but plunged ahead thinking
she was going to have to get better at telling this story.

“I don't mean
recently. She left a message Thursday night
before
she died.”

Robin recovered
her composure. “I don't understand.”

“She left a
message saying that she wouldn't be in on Friday. I played it for the first
time last night when I got home from your place.”

Robin inhaled. “How
awful.”

Lee leveled a
look at Robin, all fear gone now for the path she was embarking on.

“Diane wasn't
coming in to work that day because she was going to Portland with Bud.”

Robin's eyes
grew wider. “But, he said…he…oh my God, he was lying!  You could tell Alan.”

Lee shook her
head. “I need more information than that.”

“But he lied. He
said that he broke up with her. The police would have to talk to him again.”

“Robin, be
serious. Alan's not assigned to the case. He'd have to pass the information
along to Sergeant Davis, and I’m positive Davis wouldn’t care. Even if they
talked to Bud, he would just come up with some lame excuse, and the police
would drop it again. Diane’s message doesn’t prove he lied.”

Robin sighed. “So
what are you going to do?”

Lee leaned
forward slightly. “You need to promise me you won’t say anything to Alan. If
I’m wrong, I don’t want Alan involved in any way.”

Robin had been
toying with the pearls around her neck as Lee spoke. “I don’t know, Lee.”

“Please, Robin.”

Robin’s
graceful brows were clenched in the middle of her forehead, as if they were
locked in mortal combat. Robin always followed the rules and never made
grandstand plays. Lee was asking her to do something against her character, and
right now there was a war going on inside her as she considered Lee’s request.

“You don’t have
to lie,” Lee cut in reassuringly. “Just don’t say anything.”

“What are you
going to do?”

“I need to find
something substantial. A reason someone might have wanted Diane dead. I need
more information on the players.”

“The who?”

Lee made a
face. “It was something Patrick said. The players…people involved with Diane.
I’ve already had an encounter with her sister, Carey. And her brother-in-law
came to see me in my office this morning.” Lee grimaced, remembering the letter
opener. “He was pissed off to say the least, and he doesn’t want me encouraging
Carey in any murder theories.”

“Maybe he
killed her and made it look like a suicide,” Robin offered.

“I’ve thought
of that, but I need more,” Lee emphasized. “What about the life insurance?”

“I called the
hospital’s agent, and I was right. Many insurance policies have a waiting
period – especially for suicide. If a suicide occurred during the waiting
period, then the company wouldn’t pay. After the waiting period though, they
would.”

Lee’s eyebrows
arched. “Carey said that Diane took out a policy when she worked at the
university.”

“So, if there
was a waiting period, it would have been over a long time ago.”

Lee became so
lost in thought about Vern Mathews and the life insurance policy, she almost
missed Robin’s next sentence.

“You know, you
also have to find out more about Bud Maddox. He’s got to be your prime suspect.”

Lee stopped
daydreaming and stared at Robin. Each waited for the other to speak. Outside,
clouds moved in a straight line across the sky like the cheap backdrop to a
school play, and a bird descended onto the branch of a tree right outside the
window. Lee was only vaguely aware of it.

“That’s why you’re
here, isn’t it?” Robin asked. “To get the personnel file. It won’t tell you why
he might have murdered Diane. I told you, we did a criminal check on him, and
he was clean.”

“I need a place
to start.”

Now that she
was moving in a positive direction, Lee was as calm as a mirrored lake. On the
other hand, Robin shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

“You know I
can't give it to you, Lee. It’s against the law.”

The wind picked
up and scratched a tree branch against the window, making them both look up. Lee
noticed the bird and inwardly smiled. After a moment, Robin’s demeanor changed.
She sat forward, cleared her throat, and glanced at the file cabinet to her
left. Lee followed her gaze.

“Do you want
something to drink?” she asked. “I think I’m going to run to the cafeteria.
I’ve been taking antihistamines, and my throat is really dry.” She stroked her
throat and then got up to reach into a desk drawer to find her leather shoulder
bag. “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

Before Lee
could respond, Robin left the room. Lee recognized the charade for what it was
and thought of the characters on stage. Robin had just played out her role and
given Lee her cue. Although her heart raced nervously, she reached over and
pulled open the drawer marked “M,” quickly locating the file marked “Maddox,
Bud.” Before she could change her mind, she grabbed a yellow notepad from under
a stack of papers and slipped the file folder in between the middle sheets. The
deed was done before her conscience could disagree, but her temples pulsed, and
her temperature had risen significantly. As calmly as she could, she opened the
door and stepped into the outer office. The secretary looked up.

“Tell Robin I
had to leave. I forgot I have to make a phone call,” she lied as calmly as she
could.

The secretary
waved her out as she juggled another incoming call. Lee hurried down the hall,
her brain on fire and not really knowing where she was going. For the first
time in her life, she’d just committed a crime. By the time she walked into her
office, the pit of her stomach was twisted in knots. Jenny and Marie looked up
in surprise.

“I thought we
weren’t going to see you until Monday?” Marie stated.

Lee gaped at
them. “I…uh, forgot something,” she said without conviction. She’d wandered
back to her office out of habit, forgetting she’d already said good-bye that
morning. “I’m just here for a minute,” she stammered. “I wanted to take some
things home…to read.”

Lee hurried
into her office to mask her mistake. She placed the pad with its hidden
contents on a chair next to her desk and then found a stack of professional
fundraising journals lying on the floor. As she bent over to pick one up, Jenny
entered behind her.

“Got a minute?”
Jenny asked, moving to sit in the chair. “I wanted to ask you about that campaign
report before you go.”

Lee
straightened up as Jenny sat down and placed the incriminating pad in her lap.
Lee froze, her eyes riveted on Jenny’s lap. A tip of the personnel file poked
out of the pad only inches from Jenny’s fingers. Even from where Lee stood, she
could read the beginning of Bud Maddox’s name in bold type on the tab.

“Can this wait?”
Lee blurted. “I’ve got an appointment.”

No one could
know she’d taken the file. If it was discovered, at the very least she’d lose
her job. But the consequences could even be greater.

“Uh…sure. No
problem.” Jenny stood up again, confused. She started to leave, forgetting the
pad now clutched to her chest.

“Jenny!” Lee
nearly barked. “I need that pad.” Lee gestured toward her hands.

“Oh, sorry,”
Jenny said, passing it over. Lee grabbed for it and pushed the folder back into
place with her thumb.

“Thanks,” Lee
said, her nerves starting to fray.

Jenny walked
out with a curious look on her face. Lee gathered up a couple of journals and
stepped out to Marie’s desk.

“Okay, I’ll see
you guys later.”

Marie looked
up, her brown eyes furrowed. “Today?”

Lee was
beginning to know what it felt to be a pathological liar. “Uh, no, not today.
I’m working on a couple of projects at home and may have to stop by to pick
stuff up,” she said vaguely. “I mean, feel free to call me if you need
anything. I’m not going anywhere, just taking some time off.”

Marie frowned,
and Lee realized she needed to just shut up. She spun around and hurried into
the hallway, colliding with Martha Jackson who was just coming into the office.
With an “oof!” Lee dropped everything at Jackson’s feet.

“Oh, I’m sorry,
Martha,” Lee apologized. She quickly stepped in front of her boss to pick up
the file folder.

“That’s all
right, Lee,” the CEO said, forced to step back. “I didn’t expect to find you
here. I thought you had already left.”

“I thought I’d
take some work home,” Lee said as she patted the journals in her hand.

“Well, I came
over for Mrs. Bates’ address. Does Marie have it? I originally turned down the
invitation for her birthday party tonight, but found I can go after all.”

“Marie can get
it for you,” Lee said, stepping away. “I’m late for an appointment,” she said
quickly and left.

Once out in the
fresh air, she took a few deep breaths. How did con men do this on a regular
basis?  She was at the car before she realized she'd forgotten her jacket in
Robin’s office. In her imagination, alarms were already going off inside the
building as security guards converged on her office to find the personnel file.
She unlocked the car door thinking that her jacket would have to remain behind
to face the music alone.

“Miss
Vanderhaven?”

Lee wheeled
around to come face to face with a police officer.

“My name is
Officer Wright.”

He was a tall
man with short gray hair and sharp blue eyes. His right arm was tucked in at
his side, holding his cap to his chest. His left hand reached into a pocket to
extract a notepad and pencil.

“I need to ask
you a few questions.”

“Now?” she
blurted. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

How did they
find out so fast?

“It’s about
your assistant, Diane Winter. I met you the night she died. I was part of the
response team. I was just about to come find your office, but saw you come out.
Anyway, your friend’s condominium was broken into last night. I was wondering
if you knew anything about it.”

Lee was
speechless, her mind a blank. “What are you talking about?  I was th… I
mean…why would anyone…why would they…she’s dead.”

“The entire
place was ransacked. Her sister is over there now trying to identify anything
that may have been stolen.” He paused for an awkward moment. “Your car was seen
there last night. Can you tell me why you were there?”

“I stopped by
to check on something, but I didn’t…it wasn’t me…I didn’t do anything. I just
checked on something.”

Her mind seemed
to whir in reverse. Images of the garbage dumpsters, the bird, and the dark
feather clicked through her head like a child’s View Master.

“You care to
tell me what you were checking on?”

“I’m sorry?”

There was a
buzzing in her ears and she caught herself focusing on a small gnat that
flitted about the officer’s head.

“Why did you go
there?”

“Oh,” she
responded, focused now on his eyes. “I was at the condo the night she died and
I remembered that I didn’t see a certain vase there that night. I just wondered
what happened to it. That’s all. I have a key, so I looked around for it, but I
couldn’t find it.”

“Why was the
vase important?”

He squinted in
the sunlight making the skin around his eyes crease into little folds. Officer
Wright finally became aware of the gnat and used his notepad to swat at it.

“It wasn’t
important,” Lee stumbled, watching the gnat. “I mean, not to anyone but me. You
see, I gave it to her,” she lied. “I just wondered what happened to it. Ask
Alan Grady. Detective Grady,” she emphasized. “I was at his house for dinner
last night, and I mentioned it to him just before I left.”

The officer
took a note. “Did you talk with anyone while you were there?”

Lee could
hardly hear anything because her heart was pounding so loudly in her ears. For
God’s sake, she had just lied to a police officer.