Murder in the Dorm (21 page)

“Charlie? Is there a problem?”

“I think so. Baynes paid us a very odd visit yesterday afternoon. I thought of calling you then, but wanted to think things through. It was also that Kate and I talked things over to make sure we weren’t overreacting, but we decided that we had things pretty much right. The point of Baynes’ visit was to warn me to stay out of things and to keep my mouth shut. He very effectively wove Kate into the threat by beating me home even though I left the University early. I think he was watching for my departure.”

“Did Baynes threaten you?”

“Of course not; he’s not stupid. His presence was threatening enough.”

“Charlie, I told you confronting him was a dumb thing to do. And as I said, I have no basis on which to do anything. I’ve had the patrol cars checking your house, but that isn’t much help.”

“I know; I just wanted to tell you. I also thought that if there’s any way you can check on him a little it might be a good idea. He may be planning to disappear.”

“I can see that, but I’m more concerned about you and Kate. If you’re right about Baynes being the third party, obviously he doesn’t dirty his own hands, but there’s no way to know if he might not get someone else to… Well, you have to be very careful. Any chance you and Kate, or at least Kate could visit someone out of town for a few days?”

“That’s a thought. I’ll talk it over with Kate. Anyway, just wanted to alert you. Thanks for calling back so quickly.”

After hanging up Charlie stewed for a while. DeVries was quite right. Baynes could well get someone to silence Kate and himself. He really had been stupid to confront Baynes. But the question was, what now? Charlie knew full well that Kate wouldn’t go off anywhere without him and he saw little point in taking off for a few days. It would change nothing.

Charlie managed to get through the workday but was late going home because of students who showed up with questions. As he entered their townhouse he did so with an eye to vulnerability. The first floor was a comfortably sized living room, a small dining area, and a door to a compact kitchen. Upstairs there were only two bedrooms and a bathroom. The smaller bedroom was used as a communal office and was at the back; the larger bedroom was over the living room. There was no basement; only a space under the kitchen for the furnace. All together the house had less than a thousand square feet, and that counted in the stairs. At the back was a tiny yard that backed onto an apartment house. On both sides were identical townhouses. Charlie saw no obvious risk areas and entry by other than the front door would involve traipsing over one of the other townhouse yards or getting into the apartment house, which had underground parking and only a meager rear space. He’d not bothered about a security alarm, not feeling the need for it. They had smoke alarms but nothing else. He determined to call about having an alarm system installed as soon as he talked it over with Kate, and where best to do that than at the Casa Santini?

The restaurant was quite, it being only Tuesday and later than Charlie and Kate usually went. They’d taken a cab because Charlie had wanted a good wine and they lingered over an admirable California zinfandel. Charlie had also wanted a cab because he’d been lucky to find a parking place almost directly in front of the house. What Charlie wouldn’t know for a while yet was the cost of the parking place.

“I think you’re quite right, Charlie. We should have a security alarm. We should have put one in years ago.”

“Okay; that’s settled. I’ll call tomorrow. Now, dessert?”

Kate and Charlie lingered some more over espresso and crème brulee and then called for a cab. After a longish wait but a short ride the driver stopped on the corner of their block.

“Looks like I’m not going any further, as you can see.”

Charlie and Kate stared. There were two fire-engines and two police cars blocking the street and doing so just about where their house was. Charlie paid the driver and he and Kate quickly got out of the cab and hurried as far as they could before being stopped by an officer.

There was no question. Their house was where the fire had been.

Charlie explained to the officer that it was their house and he went to get his sergeant.

“Ah, Professor Douglas? I’m Sargeant McCauley. Inspector DeVries had asked me to have my patrols keep an eye on your house. She called it right. The last time a car came by, the house was on fire. My guys saw flames in the first-floor windows and called the fire department. They got here in good time to put out the fires. There were two, one near the front door and another near the back door. They’re pretty sure an accelerant was used. Is that your car in front of the house?”

“Yes, it is; was it harmed, too?”

“I don’t think so, at least not seriously. My point, though, is that someone assumed you were home. I understand there were lights on upstairs.”

Yes; we always leave lights on when we’re out so the place doesn’t look empty.”

“Well, you’re both very lucky you were out tonight and that the patrol car came by when it did. You won’t be allowed into the house for a good while, so I suggest you find yourselves a hotel for the night. We’ll be here till one or two in the morning and I’ll make sure someone stays until we sort this out. You’d best get going; I’ll have one of my men follow you.”

With that the sergeant left them. Charlie was getting out his cellphone when he noticed that the cab they’d arrived in was still there, the driver checking out what was happening. He and Kate walked back to the cab and they went to an Inn where they sometimes put up overnight visitors. A patrol car followed the cab.

Charlie and Kate got a room without any trouble, bought toothbrushes and a razor from the Inn’s tuck shop, and went upstairs. Neither had much to say and they agreed not to discuss what had happened until the next day when they knew more.

Chapter 39

The Last Wednesday

At first Charlie didn’t know where he was when he woke up at 6:30, then the events of the previous night hit him. He got up, careful not to wake Kate. In the bathroom he showered and shaved and put on the previous day’s clothes and quietly went out to go to the small dining room for breakfast. He hoped Kate would sleep for a while longer. Breakfast was served from 7:00 AM so Charlie was in good time. He was glad he’d taken his cellphone with him when it rang at quarter to eight. It was DeVries.

Charlie. I’m glad you’re both safe. What you may not have learned last night is that the fire was set at both your front and back doors and with an accelerant. Obviously the point was to prevent you getting out if you did survive. I’m afraid you’ve been right all along. There is a third party, and now you’re at risk. It could just be a coincidence that you confronted Baynes and this happened, but that’s hard to believe. I can’t do very much, but to the extent I can I’m looking into Baynes very carefully. As for you, stay away from him and don’t tell anyone where you’re staying. You can go and check your house this morning. Be careful. Sorry, but I’ve got to go.”

Charlie didn’t get a chance to thank DeVries for having the patrol car check their house. He was into his second cup of coffee when Kate turned up. After she’d had some coffee Charlie told her about DeVries’ call.

“We have to go and see what we can salvage, Charlie.”

“I know. At nine I’ll call the department and we’ll go to the house.”

There were two fire-department types and a policeman at the house. Kate and Charlie were told they could enter the house and that the stairs were safe, but not to walk around the first floor. When they got to the second floor they found that aside from smoke damage, most of their stuff was okay. Kate set about packing clothing and Charlie packed items from their home office. What he was most upset about was that the smoke damage had ruined all but two of the paintings they had upstairs. He didn’t want to think about the one’s downstairs.

Charlie and Kate packed their car, which had escaped damage, with what they had rescued from the house and debated what to do. Back at the Inn they learned that they could keep their room at a weekly rate and they decided that was the best thing to do at the moment. After taking some clothing and their laptops to their room, Charlie went off to a storage place, rented a good-sized locker, and stashed everything else they’d had in the car. He then drove back to the house and was allowed to check out the first floor accompanied by the one remaining fire department official. As he’d feared, the paintings in the living room were ruined. One in the dining area was surprisingly unharmed His stereo equipment seemed fine and he carried it and the one painting to the car. The kitchen was a disaster and he didn’t bother to look it over. Charlie drove back to the storage place and stored the painting and the stereo. He went back to the house to see what was being done to find the front door—and he assumed the back door, too—to have been boarded up and a ‘Crime Scene’ poster on it warning people to stay away. There were no fire department or police people there. Charlie went back to the Inn. He thought about going to his office but decided Kate needed the support, so they went for a quite late lunch.

Back at the Inn, Charlie and Kate were running an inventory of what they’d salvaged when Charlie’s cellphone rang. It was DeVries.

“Charlie, some good news, though too late. We’ve arrested the man we think set fire to your house. As you may know, and he obviously didn’t, the fire people always have one of their own discreetly take pictures of the crowd at any suspicious fire. There weren’t many at your house, mostly neighbors with a couple of guys who’d been walking their dogs. We did, though, get a pretty good shot of one man at the edge of the small group of kibitzers and face-recognition software did the rest. He’s a convicted arsonist and we picked him up right away. It’s a safe bet; he had a jug of accelerant in the trunk of his car.”

“Did he say why he set the fire?”

“He hasn’t said anything. He’s waiting for a lawyer. I’ll let you know what I learn.”

Kate said she wanted to take a nap and Charlie decided to drop by the department and explain what had happened to Jodie and Phoebe and anyone else who might be there. While driving to the university, now a longer trip, it began to come home to him just what he and Kate had lost. His impression was that the house would require major renovations and he wasn’t sure how much of their furniture was still usable. His main concern had been the artwork, and that was a near disaster. He suddenly realized that however much fixing might get done, he didn’t want to live in that house anymore. Charlie wondered how Kate felt about that.

Phoebe and Jodie commiserated with Charlie, but it was a bit late for anyone else to be in the department so he went to his office and brooded. Charlie was willing to bet everything they’d salvaged that Baynes was responsible and that he’d had the arsonist do the job so as not to soil his own hands. On the spur of the moment he called computing, hoping the secretary hadn’t left yet. She hadn’t.

“Sorry to call so late; I’ll be very brief. Do you know where I could contact Professor Baynes right now?”

“Professor Baynes isn’t here today. He’s at a conference. He left yesterday and won’t be back until Friday.”

Charlie thanked the secretary and hung up. How very convenient. Who could blame a fire on Baynes if he was out of town? The arsonist had probably had instructions to set the fire Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday so long as it looked like Kate and Charlie were both home. No, there was no way DeVries would get Baynes. The arsonist would know nothing, no more than Giacomo had. His lawyer would be paid, at least for a little while, and that would be the end of that. Baynes was home free. He’d likely not worried overmuch about getting both Charlie and Kate, assuming that if either or both survived the fire, they’d keep their mouths shut. Idly, Charlie wondered what Baynes was planning for himself. He wasn’t a young man. What was he going to do with the money? He couldn’t flaunt it in Kingsford. Charlie was sure, as he’d felt before, that before too long Baynes would quietly disappear. With that depressing thought Charlie went back to the Inn. He wondered if there was a chance of getting a double room.

“Do you want to go out for dinner or just go downstairs?”

“Let’s just go downstairs, Charlie. I’m too down to really go out.”

It was as Kate was getting her purse that Charlie’s cellphone rang. It was DeVries.

“Charlie. I know it’s late but I wanted to fill you in. The arsonist, his name is Jeff Borden, finally faced up to the fact that we’ve got him pretty much nailed. I certain his lawyer, who didn’t show until after three, told him he’s not walking away from this one. The trouble is, and I’m sure you saw this coming, we’re exactly where we were before. He got his instructions by untraceable email and was promised fifty grand and a good lawyer. I don’t think he knows anything of use to us. The lawyer, not quite as big a name as Giacomo had, received a cashier’s check and Borden’s name, period.”

“I suppose you know Baynes is out of town.”

“Yes; that was my next point. A bit too convenient, but hardly actionable. I don’t think we’re going anywhere with this, Charlie. I suspect you and Kate are okay. The fire was intended to either take you out of the picture or stop your private investigation. And since we’ve got zip, anyway, your pursuing the matter would be senseless. It looks to me that Baynes is going to get away with it, assuming he is the third party.”

“I came to that conclusion myself. In fact, I wondered what he’s going to do with the money. I’m betting he’ll soon vanish from the scene and that’ll be that.”