Read The Body in the Cast Online
Authors: Katherine Hall Page
The Body in the Cast (24 page)
Sully had been bending over the body and was now watching while the pile of lumber was photographed.
“Not too difficult to grab one of these as you follow the guy to the door and bean him.”
The detective lieutenant agreed. “We'll know for sure when we get the lab report. Now, Mrs. Fairchild, why don't we sit down and you can tell me all about it?” A flash went off and Dunne winced. Maybe he was more tired than he looked.
Faith's own adrenaline was beginning to ebb. “There's coffee in the kitchen and I'd like to check in. My staff may not know what's going on, since they're in the basement at the other end.”
“Sounds good. Lead the way.”
Again, Faith went back upstairs to the passageway skirting the auditorium. Dunne stopped and looked in the open door from the rear. It was controlled bedlam: lots of noise but little movement. Charley was engaged in a heated discussion with the director and his assistant. People in the audience were shouting to neighbors across the room. A stringer for the
Aleford Chronicle
was desperately begging Patrolman Warren to let him use a phone. The scoop of the century and he couldn't report in.
Aleford Chronicle
was desperately begging Patrolman Warren to let him use a phone. The scoop of the century and he couldn't report in.
“Jesus.” Dunne looked amazed. “The whole town's here!”
“Didn't Charley tell you?”
“He said they'd been shooting a scene, but no, he did not say that every man, woman, and child in Aleford was in it. I've got to call and get more help.”
On the way, Faith told him about Millicent's suggestion. It would have been safe to pass it off as Faith's own ideaâand it would have been eventuallyâexcept this was the kind of lie she didn't tell.
The kitchen with its warmth and deep-seated associations welcomed her like a mother with a glass of milk and plate of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies after school. Not her mother, but some mother.
From their lack of concern, it was clear that word had not filtered down to the Have Faith staff. She filled them in while Dunne helped himself to coffee and several dozen sandwiches.
“I don't believe it,” Pix stated firmly. “I just don't believe it! How could he!”
This was a new slant on the matter and redefined the whole concept of blaming the victim. Pix was treating the murder as Alden's ultimate campaign tacticâ“He would do anything to get elected,” her unspoken conviction.
The detective brushed the crumbs from his hands. He had come in wearing soft gray suede gloves, carefully removing them when he ate. Faith always thought he looked like a wedding guest who had taken a wrong turn when he appeared at an investigation.
“I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask all of you except Faith
to come with me upstairs. We're going to need everybody in one place. She'll be joining you as soon as I finish talking to her.”
to come with me upstairs. We're going to need everybody in one place. She'll be joining you as soon as I finish talking to her.”
Oh, so no special treatment, Faith surmised while he was gone. She was to provide her information, then meekly join the rest of the herd. He was back soon.
“Now, Faith, for the love of Godâand I know you doâwill you please explain to me how it is you have managed to turn up with another body?” John perched on one of the high kitchen stools, creating an impossible balance that threatened at any moment to spill its top-heavy load onto the linoleum.
“One of our tables broke and I remembered the janitor had told me there were some others in a supply room behind Asterbrook Hall, so I went to look. I didn't find the right closet and so I kept going down toward the new addition. Then”âno maidenly blushes for Faithâ“I had to go to the bathroom, and I remembered there was one there near the stairs. I opened a door, but it wasn't the bathroom; it was the storage room. I didn't notice Alden until I tripped over him. I thought he was a carpet.”
Dunne was writing it all down in his Filofax. It was a new one, Faith noticedâbrown instead of black calf.
“Did you hear anything while you were looking for this room?”
“No.” Faith thought hard. “The old part of the building makes a lot of noisesâcreaks and groansâbut nothing out of the ordinary. No cars pulling up or raised voices.”
“And obviously you didn't see anything.”
“No, not until I found Alden. But somebody was there. The lights in the hall went out shortly after I found the body.”
Dunne looked up, startled. “Jesus, Faith! You might have been killed.”
The thought had crossed her mind.
“Whoever it was was more intent on avoiding recognition. Lucky for me.”
“Lucky!” John seemed about to say more, then picked up his
gold Cross pen again and said evenly, “Charley tells me Spaulding was running for the Board of Selectmen. You're not crying, so he wasn't a friend, but you must have known who he was.”
gold Cross pen again and said evenly, “Charley tells me Spaulding was running for the Board of Selectmen. You're not crying, so he wasn't a friend, but you must have known who he was.”
Dunne lived in a much larger town. Despite his years in the areaâfar away from his beloved Bronxâhe still had not caught on to the nuances of places like Aleford. Of
course
she would know Alden Spaulding.
course
she would know Alden Spaulding.
“He was a parishionerâwhich reminds me, I haven't called Tomâand even though this was the only time Alden had run for selectman, he was involved in all sorts of Aleford institutions: Town Meeting, Chamber of Commerce.”
“What did he do?”
“He owns ⦠owned COPYCOPY.”
Dunne let out a soft whistle, just like the cops on TV. “So he was worth a pretty penny.”
“Nothing was pretty about Alden, at least so far as I'm concerned, but yes, he was extremely wealthy.”
“We'll get back to your biases in a minute. First, who do you think will get the money? Wife? Kids?”
Faith hadn't thought about who would benefit. She did so now, aloud.
“He never married, and if he had any kids, someone, probably Millicent, would have spread the word. The only relative I know of is his half sister, Penelope Bartlett. His father remarried after his mother died and they had Penny. She's about seven years younger. But the two didn't get along, so Alden may have left his estate to charity.”
She stopped short at visions of a new roof for First Parish. She had been forcing herself not to think how relieved she was that Spaulding was very definitely out of the race for selectman. This happy new prospect was testing all her powers of restraint. One didn't jump up and shout for joy when someone died, particularly in such a manner. No matter how one might feel deep down inside. Faith's conscience shook its finger sternly. She was glad it was on the job.
“Penny is upstairs, if you want to question her. She is one of
the extras. It's possible she may know the provisions of his will. Some of the property may have been in trust from her father and goes to the next of kin.”
the extras. It's possible she may know the provisions of his will. Some of the property may have been in trust from her father and goes to the next of kin.”
“I'll speak with her,” he said, then moved on to another subject. “What do you make of the slide projector? Was the guy some kind of photography buff? The slides are missing, by the way, so unless this Spaulding was demonstrating the art of hand shadows, we can assume the murderer took them.”
“I've never seen him with a camera or heard him talk about an interest in photography.”
Dunne wrote it down. “Now, before I go, tell me quickly why you disliked him so much. Aside from your comment, it's written all over your face every time you say his name.”
“Well, to start, he was selfish, mean-spirited, and extremely aggravating.” All those endless calls to Tom complaining about picayune thingsâa sentence in the sermon, a wrinkled choir robe, a charity being supported by the Ladies Alliance. This last was actually not a small matter and had had the congregation in an uproar. He'd objected to their fund-raising for safe houses for battered women; said they should have the houses for men. He was really totally crazy. Here was a new thought.
“You know, he may possibly have been more than a little crazy. He used to have furious temper tantrums and was extremely paranoid.”
“All very helpful,” Dunne said, “and I want to talk more, only I've got to get upstairs.” He got off the stool and walked toward the door. Just before opening it, he turned around and faced her with a look close to the old parental “Can you look me straight in the eye and say that?” one.
“Faith, I like to think you would have told me right away, but I'll ask just to make sure. Do you have any idea who would have wanted to kill him?”
“No, not kill him in fact. Figuratively, more than half the town, especially during this election. His personal attacks on his sister's character were beginning to get to people. But bash his head in? No, I can't think of anyone.”
And it was true. Tempting as it was to think that someone had killed Spaulding to prevent his election, no one in either opposing camp filled the bill. Not Penny and not Millicent. Pistols at dawn on the green would be more Millicent's style. She'd never sneak up behind him. She'd want him to know what hit him. And the Heunemansâimpossible. James looked to be one of those New Englanders whose reverence for life was such that he even eschewed ant traps. No doubt Audrey was the same, or was she? What about her remarkâwas it only a few hours ago?âthat if Alden thought he was going to win, he was wrong? Dead wrong. And what about knocking over the coffee urn the day they were shooting on the green? What was it Freud said about there being no such thing as accidents? No, it was impossible. Besides, tonight the people around her would know right away she was missing from the scene. Still, when they looked at the film, they'd have to check every empty seat. Besides Alden's.
On the way upstairs, she mentioned this again to John.
“They've been shooting steadily since the break. It should be possible to tell who's missing by comparing the frames, as well as to estimate the time of death.”
John agreed. “Very handyâwe don't usually have someone with a camera around before the crime.”
This reminded Faith of one of many unanswered questions. “I wonder why Alden left for his slide show during the shoot?”
“Maybe he was looking for the little boys' room, opened the wrong door like you did, and just happened to have some slides in his pocket.”
“Or he'd arranged to meet someone.” Faith was exploring all avenues.
“On second thought, why don't you go home now?” Dunne suggested pointedly.
Sure, run along and miss everything.
“That's all right. I'm really not tired. I'll give Tom a call and join you inside.”
“Whatever.” Dunne was walking rapidly away toward the
auditorium, leaving his aspiring partner in the dust. She phoned home, told a barely conscious and totally astounded Tom what had happened, then followed Dunne's footsteps, carefully positioning herself just behind his line of vision. She'd decided not to inform Tom about the lights going out until she could tell him in person. It might have disturbed his rest.
auditorium, leaving his aspiring partner in the dust. She phoned home, told a barely conscious and totally astounded Tom what had happened, then followed Dunne's footsteps, carefully positioning herself just behind his line of vision. She'd decided not to inform Tom about the lights going out until she could tell him in person. It might have disturbed his rest.
Cornelia got up from the folding chair near the stage, where she'd been sitting clutching her clipboard, when she saw Faith and walked over to her side. She was visibly upset. “What kind of place do you live in! Every time we turn around, somebody else is getting killed!”
“Believe me, it's not an everyday occurrence.” An every, week occurrence lately, however. Faith was tempted to be more cutting with her old classmate. Oddly enough, it seemed important to defend the honor of what was now her hometown, except Corny was so uncharacteristically rattled that Faith decided to exercise tact. It was due for a workout, anyway.
“I know how upsetting this must be for all of you,” she told Corny, “and everyone here feels the same way. It's totally inexplicable. But both Detective Lieutenant Dunne and Chief MacIsaac are extremely capable and I'm sure things will be straightened out soon. Why don't you sit down again? I think Detective Dunne may have something to tell us.”
Corny was only partially placated. “I still say this is a very weird place. I'd feel a whole lot safer in Central Park all by myself, wearing Mother's jewels at midnight!”
It was hard to disagree when there was a corpse literally below their feet.
Dunne and Charley were deep in conversation. Maxwell Reed kept trying to interrupt and the detective was waving him away like an unwanted puppy. Finally, Dunne turned to the director and said, “Look. We know you have a movie to shoot. We know how much money you're losing. We know you're famous. But we have a very dead person downstairs. The second cadaver to appear in connection with your endeavor, and it's my show at the moment, so sit down and shut up. Please,” he added with one of his monstrous smiles.
The director did. Next to Alan Morris, who proceeded to meet Max's furious remarks with what Faith presumed were sympathetic murmurs, guaranteed to calm Reed down while remaining in total agreement. It was a gift.
Caresse and her mother were at the end of the row. It was hard to establish who was comforting whom. Caresse's head was on Jacqueline's shoulder and she was patting her mother's hand. Both looked fearful and close to tears.
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