Obsession (12 page)

“Well, Mrs. Lippincott, how was your flight?”

Her pale blue eyes mirrored her fatigue. “All right, I suppose,” she answered, smiling wearily. “But if I'm to call you two Abe and Toni, then you must call me April. I feel old enough as it is without you attractive young people making me feel any older.”

Abe returned her smile. “April it is.” He looked at Toni and raised an eyebrow. He was deferring to her, and she appeared to read his signal perfectly.

“So,” she said, “where do we start? I've filled Mrs. Lipp—April—in on what Simon Olson told you about having seen that vehicle drive up to Dad's the morning he died. Beyond that and what little is in Julie's file, I explained that I have nothing more than a hunch, a gut feeling, I guess, that there's a connection between them. I see you've brought Julie's file.”

“Yes, I did.” Abe held out the file to April. “I realize you probably already know most everything that's in here, but I thought you might want to see it anyway.”

April hesitated, then took the file and laid it open on her lap. She caught her breath as the picture of the smiling young girl greeted her. When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “She's so beautiful, my Julie. So beautiful… and so sweet.…”

Her voice trailed off, and Abe and Toni remained silent as April perused the notations in the file. After a few minutes, she looked up,
her eyes moist as they settled on Toni. “You have a sister her age, don't you?”

“Yes. One year younger than Julie. Her name is Melissa.”

April nodded, then turned to Abe. “What do we do, Detective? Excuse me… Abe. There has to be more to all of this than just coincidence. This mysterious Carlo person, notes in the file regarding a possible baby-selling ring, a vehicle seen near Paul Matthews's cabin the morning of his death, the notation about Eagle Lake, at the very place and on the day Toni's father died… and his death coming just days after I last spoke with him and he told me he thought he would have some answers for me very soon.” She shook her head. “I just can't believe there isn't something going on somewhere, something more than a man searching for a missing girl and then dying of a heart attack. That's too easy, too simple—and too unbelievable. It doesn't make sense. There's got to be more to it. Don't you agree?”

Abe considered his words carefully before answering. He had learned over the years that what seemed to be a casual comment made in private could end up being a quote passed to the wrong person, causing problems down the road. As important as it was to him to continue working with Toni to try and resolve her questions about her father's death, he wasn't yet ready or willing to paint himself into a corner. Besides, there were too many aspects of this situation that could spell trouble for him if he didn't handle them correctly.

“I think it's possible. Unfortunately, at this point, it's not provable, and I have nothing concrete to approach anyone with as far as launching an official investigation. Now, if you have something more you can tell us…”

Mrs. Lippincott shook her head. “I'm afraid not, except for this: I'm not willing to let this matter go until we've exhausted every possible resource. Right now, Detective, I'm thinking you're our best resource.” She glanced at Toni before continuing. “As I told Paul Matthews and as I told Toni, money is no object. I want to find my Julie, and if there's a connection here, then I think it will lead us to
her.” Her chin quivered and she blinked back tears. “Julie is my only grandchild—the light of my life. I cannot begin to tell you what her disappearance has done to me—and to my daughter and son-in-law. They are devastated. We've got to know the truth—where she is, how she is—even if she's… We
need
to know. That's why I'm here, and that's why I'm going to stay… until we know something. Can you understand that?”

Before Abe could answer, Toni spoke up. “I understand. I understand perfectly. I feel exactly the same way about my dad's death. I have to know the truth—all of it. I
have
to.”

Abe looked from Toni to April Lippincott, then back again. His heart went out to both of them. He knew what it was like to lose a loved one—in his case, two at one time. At least, with his parents, there were no unknown factors to deal with. He sighed. Even if he had not wanted to pursue the case simply to stay close to Toni for as long as possible, he knew at that moment that he would have agreed to help these two women anyway. How could he turn them down? Besides, better that he be the one involved than some other detective who might go snooping around and dig up more dirt than necessary. There were some things that were better left buried, he reminded himself. Now, not only was his heart telling him to commit to this investigation, albeit unofficial, but wisdom and prudence dictated it as well.

“Like I told Toni the other day,” he said, “you can count me in. I'll do what I can.”

Mrs. Lippincott relaxed visibly at Abe's words. He only wished he could do the same.

It was the following Monday before Toni could get an appointment to see Dr. Jensen. Toni's father and Bruce Jensen had been friends for years, golfing and fishing together every chance they got.
He had also been Paul Matthews's personal physician. As a result, he was immediately notified when Paul was found dead, lying in the bottom of his fishing boat not far from shore at Eagle Lake. When the coroner arrived and certified Paul's death as being due to natural causes, Bruce Jensen was already there, confirming his patient's existing heart condition. So, it was Bruce that Toni had finally decided to call to discuss the possibility of having an autopsy performed on her father. The fact that April Lippincott had insisted on coming along, anxious to explain to the doctor why she agreed that there was a need for an autopsy, was comforting to Toni. April, although refusing Toni's offer to stay with her and Melissa, had spent quite a bit of time at their house since her arrival in River View, and both of the Matthews girls were growing quite fond of her.

Toni and April had barely settled into their seats in the waiting room when they were called in to Dr. Jensen's office. The fiftyish man with thick, silver-gray hair and steel blue eyes came around from behind his desk to greet them.

“Toni,” he said, clasping her outstretched hand and laying his other hand on her shoulder. “I haven't seen you since the funeral. How are you doing? And how is Melissa?”

Toni smiled. Although Bruce Jensen had not been her personal physician since she graduated from high school, he had been the family physician for as long as Toni could remember. Melissa was crazy about him and jokingly referred to him as “Marcus Welby” after watching the medical series reruns on television.

“I'm fine, thank you.” She turned to April. “Dr. Jensen, this is April Lippincott.”

Bruce's smile was charming. “Mrs. Lippincott. What a pleasure. Please, sit down, both of you.”

Toni and April lowered themselves into the two comfortable armchairs in front of the desk while Bruce settled into his own chair, facing them. “This is quite a treat,” he said, still smiling. “To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“Well, as I told you on the phone, it's… personal,” Toni explained. “It has to do with Dad's death. That's why April—Mrs. Lippincott—came along. Her fifteen-year-old granddaughter, Julie Greene, is missing. She ran away from home. Dad was investigating her disappearance when he died.”

The doctor's smile faded. “Oh, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how difficult it must be not knowing the whereabouts of a loved one, particularly one so young.”

“Thank you,” said Mrs. Lippincott.

Bruce looked back at Toni. “I'm… afraid I still don't understand what this is about. I guess I'm just not making the connection. You say you're here to talk about your dad's death, and Mrs. Lippincott is here because…?”

Toni sensed April stiffen beside her. She took a deep breath. “Dr. Jensen, Mrs. Lippincott and I are here because… we think there may be some connection between my father's death and the fact that he was looking for Julie.” She waited, but the doctor did not respond. “We… think my father may have been getting too close to finding Julie, and someone did not want that happening, so the person… what I'm trying to say is… I think maybe my dad's death was due to something other than a heart attack. I know that sounds farfetched, but…”

Bruce leaned forward. “Yes, it does. In fact, it sounds more than farfetched. It sounds impossible. Toni, you seem to be forgetting that your father was more than my patient; he was my friend. I was treating him for a heart condition. He was on medication for it, and he seemed to be doing well, but there are never any guarantees. I saw your father almost immediately after he died. It was obvious he'd had a heart attack. In fact, I was with the coroner when he certified his death as being by natural causes, and that was not easy for me, I might add. I cared deeply for your father. We'd known each other for years. Don't you think that if I had seen anything at all to make me think his death wasn't exactly what the coroner said it was, I would have
brought up the need for an autopsy? But there was nothing, nothing at all.”

“I know that, but—”

April interrupted. “Dr. Jensen, Paul Matthews was investigating my granddaughter's disappearance when he died. Days before his death, he told me that he thought he was about to find her. After his death Toni discovered a notation in Julie's file that said ‘Eagle Lake, Wednesday, 6 A.M.’ Mr. Matthews died at Eagle Lake on Wednesday morning. Doesn't that all seem a bit too coincidental to you?”

“Not at all,” Bruce answered, his voice soft and reassuring. “Particularly since Paul was alone when he died, and there was absolutely nothing to indicate any sort of struggle or foul play. From what you say, the note didn't seem to indicate which Wednesday, did it? I think you and Toni are letting your grief and worry run away with you—and I don't blame you a bit. This is a terribly difficult time for both of you. But… we have to keep this in perspective. A vague note in a file hardly amounts to evidence of some sinister connection between two otherwise unrelated but tragic situations.”

“Apparently that's the way the police feel too,” said Toni.

The doctor raised his eyebrows. “You mean you've talked to them?”

Toni hesitated. She didn't want to cause problems for Abe. “Indirectly,” she answered, “but there doesn't seem to be enough solid evidence to warrant an investigation.”

Bruce smiled. “Well, then, you see? There really is nothing to this other than a coincidence or two and a couple of overactive imaginations—absolutely understandable under the circumstances, of course.”

“Toni wants an autopsy done on her father.” April Lippincott's abrupt statement startled Toni almost as much as it obviously did Bruce Jensen. The doctor's eyes opened wide and his face reddened slightly as the words hung in the air awaiting a response.

“An autopsy?” Although his voice was low, the words seemed to explode from the otherwise calm physician. He fixed his eyes on Toni
as he spoke. “Do you realize what you're saying? You want to have your father's body exhumed? Toni, if nothing else, stop and think what this would do to Melissa. And for what? There is absolutely nothing to warrant such a drastic move.”

“I think there is,” said Toni. “And I was hoping you'd help me get the necessary court order.”

Bruce's blue eyes turned to ice as he glared at her. “After all the years I have served as your family physician, not to mention your father's friend, and this is the thanks I get?”

Toni was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” said Dr. Jensen slowly, “that you quite obviously do not trust my medical expertise. You don't trust my opinion—or the coroner's, for that matter—about your father's death being due to natural causes, more specifically, a heart attack. I find that quite offensive, not to mention hurtful.” He stood. “If you'll excuse me, I have patients waiting.” Without another word, Bruce escorted them from his office, then stormed away and left them standing in the hallway.

“My,” said April, “that didn't go well at all, did it?”

“I'm afraid not.” Toni shook her head. “I've never seen Dr. Jensen like that—never, in all the years we've known him.”

“Well, my dear, I imagine it's safe to assume that we're not going to get any help from him.”

Toni smiled halfheartedly. “It certainly looks that way, doesn't it?”

They walked down the hall and back into the waiting room, then out the front door toward Toni's red Taurus. April stopped just short of the car and turned, looking back toward the office.

“Is something wrong?” Toni asked.

“I believe there is,” April answered, her back to Toni. “I think something is very wrong, and I think your Dr. Jensen just may have something to do with it.”

CHAPTER 6

T
he late June weather was unseasonably cool with dark clouds threatening to bring even more rain to the already saturated city. From the sound of his uncle's voice when he had called, Abe thought Sol's mood probably matched the weather. He frowned as he rang the doorbell, wondering again what Sol was so upset about. It had been several weeks since Abe had been to visit his uncle, and he supposed it could be something as simple as feeling slighted by his only nephew's inattention, but he didn't really think so. For Sol to phone Abe at the station and demand that he come over “ASAP,” it had to be something more serious than that.