Nathan March Investigations - Book 2: Murder, After the Fact - episode 8
episode one
episode two
episode three
episode four
episode five
episode six
episode seven
Episode Eight
Friday morning arrived as a warm spring day which Nathan hoped would lift the spirits of the entire estate’s staff who now faced their last day employed at the Dickenson estate. For their last time the landscapers were riding mowers, the painter and his helper were finishing the last painting job at the estate which was the roof of the gazebo finally replaced by the carpenter and his assistant earlier in the week.
The two maids when they asked if they should cover the furniture in the house were told by Emmett Doucette that it wasn’t necessary as the house would be occupied for the next few weeks. As soon as the other guests awoke and arrived downstairs for breakfast, the maids changed linens, dusted the rooms and cleaned bathrooms until they were immaculate. The rugs were vacuumed and the staircases were polished for the last time by this staff.
The domestics were crying as they hugged each other between each task they performed. When the entire staff all entered the dining room at 3:30PM, there was a large cake that said Thanks for Everything. Next they were treated to cake and champagne by Nathan March’s investigators. Lena and Martin fussed over everyone as they knew the staff so well.
Emmett Doucette announced that a month’s severance was included in their last paycheck, as Reggie’s farewell gift to each of them. It was Attorney Doucette and Reggie who handed out the final paychecks, along with a bouquet of yellow roses to each of the staff.
The staff refused to leave until all the debris from their farewell party was cleared away. The orderly main house reflected their efforts to say goodbye with honor and dignity, despite their own fears about future employment.
The procession of cars and trucks with occupants beeping and waving goodbye broke Reggie up completely as she clung to Mickey sobbing openly while she tried to wave goodbye. By 5:00PM all the former staff members were gone. The temporary security teams that would remain until further notice were now being backed up by the efforts of the members of the PTA.
New and free-standing lighting to be added to whatever was already in place in order to light up the property, had arrived earlier and was placed strategically and securely just exactly where John directed.
Sam Weiss was busy connecting the new surveillance equipment he ordered with Reggie’s approval, when he spotted Nathan March and a tiny young woman locked in an embrace and try as hard as he could he couldn't take his eyes off them.
About thirty feet away Nathan was seated at a picnic table comforting Trudy Hobbs who was unable to handle Armand’s death. He had seen her outside the library sobbing, and made her sit down and rest.
She had told Nathan that she wouldn’t have come at all except she needed the money in her last pay check, and she didn’t want to lose it because she didn’t show up for work.
“I know there’s more your feeling that’s overwhelming you Trudy and I’m hoping you’ll let a lady friend of mine sit and talk with you about Armand,” said Nathan.
Trudy’s head shot up as she looked him in the eyes, and asked, “Who told you about us?”
“None of that matters but you and your baby do matter, and I think if you talk to my friend Naomi, you will feel better.” said Nathan.
“Only my aunt knows about the baby. How could you know?” asked Trudy.
“You need to believe that I am on your side Trudy,” said Nathan.
“The police told me that his brothers are going to take Armand’s body away to bury him in Brazil. I’m carrying his child and they won’t ever know it, and our child will never know its father’s family.
“He wasn’t a very good man Mr. March. He slapped me around, took my inheritance and wanted nothing to do with his child or me, when he learned I was pregnant. But I still love him for the times when he told me that I was his favorite and I brought him the most joy,” she said.
Looking into Nathan’s eyes Trudy continued. “He was lying wasn’t he, men like my Armand lie very easily,” said Trudy burying her head in Nathan‘s chest like a child whose been wounded and feels confused.
“I believe he meant what he said, when he said it Trudy. Look at you, in one half dozen years you are going to have a child starting school. And if you use the time wisely in between, you too can get an education and provide a comfortable life for you and your child,” said Nathan.
“You’re right. My aunt is so good and she is getting our room ready at her home. She said she will babysit while I finish beauty school. Then I can work in her shop as a beautician and maybe even make my own cosmetics and perfumes someday. It‘s something I've always dreamt of doing, maybe even having a shop of my own. You think it‘s possible Mr. March?” asked Trudy.
“Yes, no doubt about it Trudy, it’s all in front of you, just believe that and no one will stop you from having all you’ve dreamed of, including a perfectly healthy happy baby boy.
“My first doctor’s appointment is tomorrow, my aunt is going with me. If they tell me it’s a boy, I’ll let you know okay. Now where is this friend of yours Naomi?” asked Trudy.
“I’ll call her from my cell. She’s a very special lady who works with me to find the bad guys and put them away. Anything you can tell her about Armand and his relationship with Collette Dickenson will probably help us and the police answer a bunch of questions about both their murders. Is that okay with you?” asked Nathan.
“It’s fine with me,” said Trudy.
As soon as she answered her cell Nathan, standing a distance away from the picnic bench, filled Naomi in on Trudy Hobbs and Armand Oulette. In her room listening, Naomi pulled on her sandals and raced for the staircase downstairs to begin her new investigation.
Minutes later Nathan left Trudy talking with Naomi like old friends while eating pieces of chocolate cake and drinking milk. It was easy for Trudy to talk about Armand to another woman who probably had her own experience with somebody like him herself. Naomi listened like the seasoned professional she had become. It was clear to her that this very young woman had longed to talk to someone about it all for months, and once she started she let it all bubble to the top and added information Naomi needed to know.
Reggie and Mickey sat listening to Emmett Doucette finish his argument with Reggie over the month’s severance pay she handed out.
“It’s done, get over it Emmett,” said Reggie.
“Reggie I’ve already informed Nathan March and Detective Peter Ryan that the newest inventory, when it’s printed, will reflect a loss in assets that totals two and one half million dollars, all vanished in less than one year. That includes artwork, antiques, and an ivory chess set worth $30,000, all by itself. That signals to me that people on that staff you rewarded with a month’s pay, are possibly the ones responsible for the loss,” said Emmett.
While Reggie didn’t react to Emmett’s tirade, for Mickey that total was worth discussing with Nathan as soon as possible, as it could play into the murders themselves. But before he could excuse himself something shook the chandler. A second noise that sounded as if the house was coming down around them, made Mickey scurry picking up John and Sam, as they followed each other up the staircase toward the sound’s origin. Up two staircases they headed to the attic, which ran the length of the Tudor mansion.
When they covered the final staircase, they entered an open door to see clouds of dust particles, and a mountain of debris on the floor, including what looked like huge planks of painted wood that matched the interior of the attic.
Reggie‘s scream as she finally reached the attic herself, brought their attention to the fact that from her angle, under planks of wood, two legs were protruding.
“It looks like Nathan,” said Mickey struggling to lift the planks that had collapsed on him. George Lopez came out from behind Reggie and joined John and Sam as the three lifted the enormous planks like so many toothpicks.
“Shush, I hear something,” said Mickey.
“God my head hurts,” said Nathan from under the pile of debris.
“Hey boss this is a lot of work, anything particular you were looking for,” said John.
“Get me out of here or I‘ll kick your superb ass,” said Nathan as the men laughed grateful to hear his voice again.
“Boss, I know you‘re wounded but even I don‘t threaten the big guy here even when I‘m tip top condition,” said George.
When they gently rolled Nathan onto his back a few moments later he passed out. Covered in dust and debris, he had an enormous amount of blood literally pouring from a neck wound, a deep gash probably made by a sharp edge of one of the planks. George’s enormous hand clamped it like a vice, while John and Sam found an old door and slid it beneath Nathan. Mickey was still holding his cell after reaching 911 for an ambulance.
“Let’s get him down stairs,” said Mickey and the four men lifted Nathan on the wooden door easily down two staircases placing him on the dining room table just as the EMT’s arrived.
After addressing the bleeding and putting an intravenous drip in place, the EMT’s allowed the four men to put Nathan on the backboard-lined gurney. With a neck guard over a bandage, straps held his body in place, as they rushed out the door, to load him onto the ambulance.
Dr. Donald Klein, Emmett Doucette’s physician arrived in a tux. Driven to the estate by his wife, he immediately joined the EMT’s in the back of the ambulance and instantly they were on route to the Emergency Room at Atlanta General Hospital. On examining Nathan in the ambulance Dr. Kline called the ER, to have a surgeon available.
Naomi, who had sent Trudy Dobbs home, now reached for a distraught Reggie who couldn’t believe what had happened.
“No matter what you think Reggie, Nathan will be fine. My father told me stories about that man that made my eyes pop. He’s got his own kind of “JUJU” going for him and his connection to who he calls the “Big Holy” is where it comes from I swear,” said Naomi, to a hopeful Reggie.
Seeing four very large good looking men, had all the ER’s female nursing staff not currently caring for a patient, supplying the men with fresh coffee and fruit, as they waited for word about Nathan’s condition from Dr. Kline. When word came, they were told Nathan’s transfusion was complete and with a safe blood count he was now headed to surgery to close the gash near his jugular artery.
Dr. Kline also told them that Nathan March insisted that John Barry know that he was delusional when he made the crack about kicking his posterior. The howl of laughter was led by John who hugged a very upset Mickey, himself currently unable to stop laughing.
Without waiting for a structural engineer to declare the attic safe Emmett Doucette, in the company of his security officers, peered into the northeast corner of the attic. There with only a thin coating of dust covering them, were numerous boxes whose contents appeared to be the missing inventory pieces including artwork, large silver pieces, gold framed mirrors, and antique china pieces, meaning Reggie’s inheritance was probably now intact.
It didn’t take much to realize who it was that would have had the ability to get all the material needed, and the construction job completed.
It was Armand Oulette whose orders would not have been countermanded and who could have ordered all the construction activities, while Collette traveled to, or vacationed with, her clients.
Before it collapsed, the false wall painted to match the interior of the attic allowed Armand eighty feet of space at a twenty foot depth to store whatever he could behind it. Emmett laughed thinking that with that large a space Armand could have lived there. As moody as Collette was in the end, maybe he was planning to since he surely had keys and maybe even a hidden entrance to the estate that allowed him to come and go from any dalliances.
Emmett called his assistants at his office to come to the estate in the morning to verify that everything missing was now recovered. Next he‘d have it all cleaned, refreshed and returned to its place in the main house, unless Reggie preferred to keep it where it was during renovations.
A weary looking Emmett Doucette was seated at the dining room table a short time later, as Lena and Martin placed a large soup tureen of homemade chicken soup and huge country rolls, on the dining room table. Along with wedges of Monterey Jack cheese and apple slices, a tray of cold cuts with Italian bread and some sweet red wine, that completed the dinner meal for the five of them.
“I wonder what led Nathan to go to the attic today?” said Martin to Lena.
“I can’t imagine,” Lena responded.
Naomi Katz simply shrugged her shoulders.
“Naomi here says that Nathan often gets messages that take him to some strange places. So maybe today he followed one his “leads” and for some reason, he went to that part of the attic and did something like tapping on it and it all fell down on him,” said Reggie.
“That sounds more than possible to me,” said Lena.
Emmett Doucette’s cell phone vibrated and he fumbled for the phone hoping, for updated information on Nathan March.
“Hello,” said Doucette.
“Hello sir, my name is Madhav Swaartha and I believe you are the attorney for the Estate of Collette Dickenson. Am I correct?” he said.
“Yes, I am,” said Emmett Doucette.
“Your office was kind enough to put me through to your cell phone as I am looking for a gentleman, whose name is Nathan March. I‘m hoping you can put me in touch with him, it is very important you see he‘s in danger,” said Madhav Swaartha.
“Mr. Swaartha I for one wish you had called a lot earlier. Nathan March is in Atlanta General Hospital undergoing surgery, to close a gash in his neck. We are awaiting word on his condition now,” said Emmett.
“It happens I couldn’t get through until now sir, but something tells me this Mr. March is greatly protected and I want to ask you to let him know of my wishes for his complete recovery. Will you do that for me Attorney Doucette?” he asked.
“Of course I will. May I ask for your telephone number should he wish to be in touch?” asked Emmett.
Madhav Swaartha was happy to give his three phone numbers to Emmett, and received Emmett’s private phone number in return.
Lena beamed as tears rolled down her face. Emmett became alarmed but Martin explained about Swaartha being the sixth suspect and the one Nathan was to start investigating. With a smile on his face he continued to brag about Lena’s wonderful input into the case.
“You go girl, that’s fantastic,” said Naomi.
“That’s my Mom-to-be for sure,” said Reggie sincerely.
“The cell phone call that Emmett received next, was from Mickey who told him to pass the word that Nathan’s wounds were patched up, and he was doing fine. He said he and George would remain at the hospital, while John and Sam headed back to the estate.
“Tell Lena not to worry, they’re stopping for some more goodies before they get there, including Naomi’s peanut M&Ms,” said Mickey.
“I’ll share don’t worry, ” said Naomi to the others at the dining room table, happy she had taken this assignment to join Nathan March and the others, and thrilled that George Lopez responded to her advances so romantically.
It felt perfectly fine inside the soft purple fog which slowly engulfed him as Nathan listened to a voice calling his name. He saw an image that resembled Collette Dickenson with her blonde hair and blue eyes unmistakable. She was dressed in white chiffon that made her resemble an angel. Although she didn't speak, he heard her thoughts.
“Nathan I had no right to come here by my own hand, but I did it to spare everyone more pain, and instead someone ruined it. Please find the truth so you can fix it,” said the beautiful lady whose murder was uppermost on Nathan’s mind.
“Who ruined it for you Collette? Tell me who ruined it for you?” Nathan repeated over and over again.
“Nathan, Nathan it’s me, Mickey. You’re okay you’re in the hospital and George and I are here with you,” said Mickey.
With the little sleep Mickey and George got during the night as each slept in a chaise lounge in Nathan’s large private hospital room, they looked a lot less than refreshed, and Mickey in particular was desperate for Nathan to come out from under his medication.
Nathan with the assistance of his pain medication, got plenty of rest however his mind wanted to travel where he hoped the answers were, but he knew that Mickey deserved a response so he forced himself to return to consciousness.
“Mickey,” said Nathan as Mickey immediately lifted ice water to his boss’ mouth.
“Is it really painful,” asked George
“I’m okay George, I just feel so stupid,” said Nathan in a voice just above a whisper.
“I should be so stupid,” said Mickey as he lifted the ice water cup and Nathan took a larger swallow.
“Why were you in the attic, can you remember?” asked George.
“Just a gut feeling something Trudy Hobbs mentioned. Something about Armand not seeming too worried about Collette’s removing him from the estate. When I left her with Naomi, I just headed for the attic. The door was unlocked and I decided to check it out. It was still light outside so I didn’t need to find a light switch. I went to the back end of the attic to look around.
“After a while I noticed the east part of the attic, didn’t appear equal in size to the west. As I got closer to the east wall, I saw a tiny stream of daylight coming from under it. That’s when I gently kicked at the bottom of the wall at several points, and next thing I remember you all were pulling me out from under a pile of debris,” said Nathan.
“It was a false wall and Emmett Doucette said he thinks he’s located the entire missing inventory behind it, all two and one half million dollars’ worth,” said George to Nathan.
“Good old Armand was putting his pension fund together,” said Nathan, making Mickey aware that his boss was returning to normal.
“Good Morning Gentlemen,” said Dr. Donald Klein, as he came through the door with a very young looking female doctor, at his side.
“May I introduce Dr. Patel, the surgeon who closed that gash in your neck last night,” said Dr. Klein to Nathan.
“Hello again, Mr. March, I need to take a peek at my handiwork and see how it’s healing,” said Dr. Suzanne Patel.
“Absolutely,” said Nathan aware of her chocolate brown eyes and a smile that lit up the room.
“Hi again Doctor Klein,” said Nathan “didn‘t mean to ignore you.”
“For some reason I do seem to be ignored a lot when I travel with Dr. Patel making surgical rounds. I‘m starting to feel insecure,” he said smiling as Dr. Patel pulled the curtains around Nathan‘s bed so she could do her examination.
“Damn cut me quick before she leaves the room,” said George.
“Naomi’s the one likely to cut you quick, if you get caught by her casting one more lascivious look at that surgeon,” said Mickey.
“That’s for sure. Naomi’s actually one very sweet lady, but I’m not so sure I’m on safe ground with her. She doesn’t pretend or play games, what she feels she says, and I’m not used to that kind of honesty,” said George.
“Getting to you is she?” asked Mickey.
“Our thing’s not casual or superficial like I’m used to. I mean I want to move forward but already my feelings scare me to death,” said George.
“Well take it slow then, get to know her, you have to realize that she definitely knows everything about you and still hasn’t run away,” said Mickey.
“Hey dude, I‘m a catch and don‘t you forget it,” said George.
The curtain surrounding Nathan’s bed was moved aside as Dr. Klein and Dr. Patel finished their examination.
“Mr. Marsh wants out of our establishment he tells us, and Dr. Patel is inclined to grant him his freedom,” said Dr. Klein.
“That’s correct with a few restrictions. You’re going to be sore for some time with those bruises and lacerations in various parts of your body. Your neck wound is to stay covered until Dr. Klein is satisfied with its healing. Then you may get it wet in the shower.
“Until then you may take warm baths. Although I’m sure it may cramp your style, there will be no physical activity for a week and I mean none. You need plenty of rest and then in a week you can slowly return to your normal schedule. You’ve kept yourself in great condition so please extend your wisdom to include patience with the healing process,” said Dr. Patel.
“That’s a promise Dr. Patel,” said Nathan. “By the way do you have a card in case I think of any further questions?” asked Nathan.
“Just so happens I do,” said Dr. Patel handing a card to Nathan. “Please call anytime with your questions,” she added smiling brightly in response to Nathan’s seductive smile.
“As for me, who also happens to be in the room, I will issue discharge orders and a prescription for pain medication to go with your antibiotics and see you in forty-eight hours at the estate. Attorney Doucette encouraged the house call by offering a wonderful bottle of wine from his own collection that I’ve fixed my palette for, for some time.
“Seriously Nathan, please be in touch if you are not feeling well or have increased pain or dizziness. It’s not unheard of to suffer side effects that are more dangerous than the main trauma, so keep that in mind and don’t be a hero,” said Dr. Klein.
“Yes sir,” said Nathan anxious to get dressed and out of the hospital.
When the doctors left his room Mickey could only smirk at the thought that Nathan found it so easy to attract the opposite sex even with a lady who’d seen him at his absolute worst.
“We, who are also in the room,” will help you get dressed if you need the help,’ said George.
“You mean I have a choice my huge one,” said Nathan sarcastically.
“Yes as long as you share the details of your date with the doctor, you do,” George responded.
“If you’d like a signature on a very large check, you’d better disappear while I get dressed,” said Nathan.
“See that, he always pulls that “I’m the boss you are the peon” when it gets good for me,” said George as he and Mickey headed out the door and Nathan chuckled to himself.
Minutes later as he slipped on his leather loafers, the telephone in his room rang.
“Nathan March here,” he said.
“Hi Nate, I just got off the phone with Mickey, I was worried about you,” said Leslie, “so I made him tell me the truth,” she continued.
Knowing that in all the time they’d been together she seldom called, Nathan realized that the connection between them was getting stronger in order for her to feel his troubles from such a distance.
“The way he feels about you Leslie I know it didn’t take much to make him give it up,” said Nathan feeling glad for her call.
“If the truth be told, I did promise him a reward for any information on your whereabouts he could give me, and he folded like a chair,” said Leslie.
“Is that right,” said Nathan laughing. “We’ll have to talk about that sometime after I get to you,” said Nathan.
“I hear that should be in a week or more when they are sure the surgery did the trick,” said Leslie.
“I’m going to kill Mickey, when I get my hands on him. I was planning on seeing you tomorrow,” said Nathan.
“Now, now I have made plans to visit you there seven days from tomorrow. I arrive at 2:00PM and the airport’s hotel just happens to have a reservation in my name that will allow me to catch my 7:00PM return flight back here in time to supervise my 11:00PM shift. I expect to be feeling really uplifted by the visit, if you know what I mean,” said Leslie.
“Lady you might not be able to work, after your visit,” said Nathan.
“Oh my, you do say the sweetest things, Nathan. Got to go love, you take care until I can heal you myself,” said Leslie.
“Bet your life on it angel,” said Nathan as he tore up Dr. Patel’s card and placed the pieces in the trash.
When he left his hospital room, Nathan did so in a wheelchair with George pushing one side and Mickey pushing the other. While the candy stripper, whose job it really was to escort him to the main lobby, couldn’t decide which of the three men she thought was the handsomest, for old guys that is.
Nathan’s mind was swirling with questions about the case. He needed to know who it was that approached Douglas Mayhill at the reading of the will, with information that seemed to please him so much and exactly what was that information? How did two assailants get access to Collette and leave nothing forensically to go on? Did the second assailant learn she was dead when there was no sign of blood coming from the wound or did he or she know it ahead of time?”
On the way back to the estate, as each new question formed in his mind, Nathan tried to remember his conversation with Detective Peter Ryan, when the detective stopped in to check on him during the night.
“Peter next time I tamper with false walls, boot me will yeah,” said Nathan.
“That’s a promise Nathan. Seriously my friend, I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for me, including getting yourself nearly killed. It’s your people and your insight that is producing the leads that are keeping the brass off my adorable butt,” said Peter.
“Well it’s been a few days and no one else has joined the list of the deceased in this case, which means the assailant or assailants are feeling safe for the moment, said Nathan.
“Are you sure you were alone up there in the attic Nathan?” asked Peter.
“Why do you ask,” said Nathan.
“My younger brother’s a structural engineer and I promised him tickets to the next middleweight fight for his opinion on the attic and the construction done there. He told me it was a temporary wall with no safety standards applied, so it was cosmetic only. Someone not knowing where an opening was and leaning on it, could indeed bring it all down, just like you did, he said.
“I checked with Collette’s carpenter and he most certainly didn’t do the work, but he was approached by Armand to do some work off the books, which he refused to do without Collette‘s okay. He was told to keep his mouth shut about it, or he’d lose his job and that’s what he did.
“He did tell me that some time ago the college kid who was his helper, had his car repaired for quite a sum of money, and when he was asked how he could afford it, he said his Dad loaned the money to him. I just happened to check that out and the young man’s father’s been deceased for six years,” said Peter.
“I’ll bet the young man’s now in the wind,” said Nathan, “Am I right?”
“Is Christmas a holiday?” said Peter.
“At least we know why the wall came down,” said Nathan.
“Recovering two and half million dollars’ worth of art and antiques gives me a grand larceny that was reported, investigated and solved all in twenty-four hours with only one civilian injury to report. I deserve a promotion for that one,’ said Peter sarcastically.
“Capture the perp and you might,” said Nathan.
When his cell rang, Detective Peter Ryan looked at the number and answered right away, “Harrington, tell me you found our junior carpenter please,” said Detective Ryan.
“He is none too happy sir, but we’ve got him. He missed a turn down town and messed up his pretty red car. How’s that for poetic justice,” said Chuck Harrington.
“Excellent, I’m on my way,” said Detective Ryan.
“Don’t gloat Peter conceit doesn’t look good on you,” said Nathan.
“All kidding aside Nathan, everyone in homicide has only great things to say about the help your people have provided. I really owe you friend, so please stick around so I can at least try to repay you,” said Peter.