Summer People (4 page)

“The autopsy is being done today. It should be available tomorrow. Have you made burial plans?”

“Dr. James called Randy’s lawyer in Detroit. The lawyer’s going to contact his sister and see what she wants to do. I thought that maybe the family has a special burial plot or something.”

“Will you stay in the area much longer?”

“I want to leave as soon as possible.”

“Would you be willing to come back? I may need to talk to you again in the course of the investigation.”

“Sheriff, I want you to get his killer.”

When Ray returned to his office in the early evening, he found Sue Lawrence working at a computer.

As he approached, she looked up and said, “I’m just finishing cleaning up my notes on your interview with Mrs. Holden. I’ll be able to print you a copy in a few minutes.”

“What did you think of Tawny?” Ray asked.

“An interesting woman. She’s only a few years older than me, but she’s decades ahead of me in experience. When I brought her over this morning, she didn’t have a lot to say, but on the way back to Suttons Bay she was more relaxed and talkative.”

“Did you learn anything new?”

“Nothing new. The things she said just reinforced her answers during the interview. She makes it clear that the past is past. She also told me this was the second violent death of someone close to her in the last year.”

“Who was….”

“Another flight attendant, a women she shared a house with. The accident took place on the ground, one plane was taxiing, the other taking off. I sort of remember seeing it on the news. As I was editing this report, I was wondering how much events like this shape the way you look at the world.”

“Hard to say,” responded Ray. “As you reread the interview, does she sound credible?”

“I think so, but it’s hard for me to say. Her life is so different than mine. It’s hard for me to put myself in her head.”

“Do you think that she had any reason to want her husband dead?”

“If she had, it wasn’t suggested by anything she said during the interview. But,” she hesitated for several seconds, “I worry about being too naive, too accepting. She might be a skilled actress, and I don’t see through the act.”

“But your gut level response?”

“I think she’s real.”

“Let’s say she was involved. What might her motive be to have him killed?” asked Ray.

Sue smiled at him. “You like to hear other people try to figure things out, don’t you?”

“I do. It helps me think about them, and I like the way you work. I worry about being too cynical. Anyway, back to the motive question.”

“There’s the question of the estate, but that will only be an issue if she’s heir to a lot of money. And that’s something you can check on fairly quickly. From what she said, I don’t think that she thought he had a lot of money. Another thing, I don’t think she cares about those things.”

“Support.” said Ray.

“Well, I helped her pack. We took things out of drawers and off hangers and folded them. She has nice things. They’re all fairly new. Everything is of good quality, but there was nothing really expensive. I don’t think she cares about things that much, and I doubt if she is overly concerned about money. It doesn’t seem that important to her.”

“How about another man, what if she wanted to get out of this relationship? What if this pilot she mentioned wanted her back?”

“I don’t think so. First, this was a new relationship, and it seemed to be working. Second,” Sue held up two fingers, “She’s a strong character. She’s able to direct her life. If she suddenly wanted out, she would have walked. Let me turn the tables. What did you think?”

“I was a bit bothered by her lack of affect. But I agree, it doesn’t look like she had anything to do with the murder.”

“Doesn’t leave us with much?”

Ray nodded agreement. “I’ll have you do some checking. We’ll see if Holden has a criminal record or any current legal problems. I’ll check with his lawyer and see if I can get information on his estate. I’ll look through the house again. Tomorrow, I’d like you to do the same. Take a lot of time. I didn’t find anything, but you might see something I missed. And carefully dig that slug out of the wall. We’ll send it to Lansing and see if we can learn anything about the weapon that was used. These kinds of investigations take on a life of their own. Sometimes when things look completely hopeless, you get a big break. We just need to keep plugging away.”

Lisa Alworth, a portable phone tucked in her pocket, carried her lunch—a plate in one hand, a tall glass of ice tea in the other— from the kitchen at the back of the cottage, through the living room, and out to the front porch, turning as she backed through the screen door. The midday sun burned directly above.

She set the plate and glass on a small rattan table at the side of lounge chair and, before sitting, spread suntan oil on her face and bare arms and legs. She settled on the lounge, glanced at her watch, and picked up the phone. She briefly looked out at the lake and then began keying a number 011-44-…After a few distantsounding clicks, the phone began to ring with the distinctive sound of the English phone system. Beep-beep… beep-beep… beepbeep… beep-beep… beep-beep.

“77046.”

“Hello, Mother.”

“Lisa. How are you?”

“Fine. I was just about to hang up.”

“We’ve just got in. I heard the phone ringing as I came

“Out gallivanting, huh?”

“Elliott needed some peat for the garden, and I wanted to get some fresh fish for dinner. We went to Port Isaac. Place was jammed. Since the tourist season has arrived, it’s quite impossible to get around. And how are things in your part of the world?”

“I’m sitting on the front porch. It’s hot, high eighties. The lake level is up a bit this year. We’ve lost about ten feet of beach.”

“And the cottage, any damage over the winter?”

“I had some trouble getting the pump started. Jon came over and fixed it. Something electrical. Other than that everything seems to be working.”

“And how are you?” Lisa could hear concern in her mother’s voice.

“I’m fine, Mother.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re not lonely?”

“Not at all. I’ve been playingtennis every morning with Kelly; she’s up with the kids. Last night I had dinner with the Fredericks. I’m as busy as I want to be. And guess who arrived last week?”

“Who?”

“Marc.”

“Marc, he hasn’t been up in years. How long is he going to stay?”

“I haven’t talked to him yet, but the rumor is that he’s divorced, and he’s quit his job….”

“You’re kidding,”

“And he’s permanently up here, at least that’s the story.”

“You sound very pleased. You always were sort of sweet on him, even though…”

“Even though what, Mother.”

“You know, his, his,”

“Age? Having trouble saying the “A” word?”

“Well, there is that.”

“And how much older was father?”

“Let me think, about the same, but….”

“But what?”

“You’re an incurable romantic. But so am I. And you know how much I’ve always adored Marc. I was so disappointed when he married that horrid, what’s her name?”

“Elaine.”

“Yes, that’s right, Elaine. What he ever…” there was a long pause. “Elaine is quite beautiful, and very bright, but not someone I’d ever want to spend time with.”

“I thought I’d drop by and see Marc. Maybe this afternoon.”

“Lisa, go slowly. Divorced men are at loose ends for a while. But I agree, Marc is very special. I can see why you’re attracted to him. You know I never disliked your Chris, but Marc is…is much more substantial, there’s more…well I better shut up before I get myself in trouble.”

“So you won’t be shocked if I start dating Marc.”

“Oh, Lisa, not shocked. You know that. It just takes me a while to get used to things. And when you see him, give him my love.”

“I’ll do that.”

“And stay in touch, dear. I’ll try you this weekend.”

They said their good-byes, and Lisa put the phone on the table. She had a gentle smile on her face as she picked up the iced tea and gazed far out into the lake.

********************

Marc sat on the floor of the living room unpacking boxes of books and sorting them into stacks. He had planned to do this earlier in the day, but the day had been hot, and he found excuses to work outside.

A knock at the screen door on the front porch interrupted his concentration. The brilliant sun, reflecting off the lake, streamed in around the person centered in and framed by the doorway. A figure, female, looked in at him. Marc tried to make out the silhouette.

“Hi, are you receiving visitors?” a not unfamiliar voice inquired.

“Come on in,” Marc replied, squinting to see the visitor. “Is it little Lisa?”

“Little Lisa, no. Little Lisa grew up years ago,” she replied with a sarcastic laugh as she entered. “It’s thirty-something Lisa.”

As she moved away from the sun’s glare, Marc could see her clearly. “I guess it was a whileago. You know how it is with summer memories. Somehow we expect everything up here to be frozen in time. Do you want something to drink? I’ve got iced tea and beer.”

“I’ll have the tea. Don’t get up, I’ll get it.”

“It’s in a pitcher in the fridge, and there are glasses in the drying rack.” Marc watched as she walked to the kitchen to get the tea. She was very tan, and in profile, very thin, thinner than he had remembered. His memories of Lisa were of short hair, but now she was wearing it past her shoulders in the ordered chaos of current fashion.

“Do you want some?” she called.

“No, I’m still working on a warm beer.”

When she returned to the living room, she settled in an overstuffed chair, rolling her legs under her.

“Is your mother here?” Marc asked.

“No, she and my stepfather are in Cornwall. They bought an old mill on the coast near Tintagel that they’re fixing up. I don’t think they are planning to come back to the States until Thanksgiving.”

“Michigan not exotic enough?”

“It’s not her idea; you know how much she loves it here. But Elliot wants a place that’s theirs together, not something left over from an earlier marriage. Actually, I think it’s romantic. She sends her regards.”

“I was looking forward to seeing her,” said Marc. “She was a big sister to me while I was growing up.”

“And your baby sitter.”

“And my baby sitter. The only one I can really remember. I think my grandparents had her around almost permanently the first few summers I was with them. Her job was to keep me occupied during the day. Most of the time Ray Elkins was here, too. She had to look after the two of us. I bet that wasn’t an easy job.

“Later, your mother and I became good friends. She was just enough older that I always looked on her as an adult, but I really cared about her in a little boy way—you know how school boys sometimes fall for their teacher.” Marc tore the tape off the bottom of the box he had just emptied, flattened it, and tossed it onto a pile near the door. “I was really unhappy the summer she got married. I was jealous of the guy that took my buddy away. And before long she had her own baby to sit.” He pulled the tape off the top of another box, gazed at Lisa, and smiled. “You look terrific. I don’t think I’ve seen you since the summer you got married. Let’s hear about you.”

“I’m good, and you probably know I’m not married.”

“I heard there were problems, but I didn’t know. How long?”

“Almost two years. It was clear we wanted different things, and I saw no point in extending the agony. Chris has remarried; they have a new baby. I think that’s what he wanted all along— something real conventional. I was too much of a career woman.”

“Was the divorce painful?”

“Painful,” Lisa looked thoughtful. “No, just disappointing. It was just a starter marriage.” Lisa gave him a teasing smile. He liked the smile, relaxed, confident, without tension.

“Still in advertising?” asked Marc.

“I’ve taken a six months leave of absence. I’ve had the money Dad left me sitting in a savings account for years. I’m probably chasing ghosts, but I want to spend a summer up here like I did as a kid. I want to see if I can be that happy again.” Lisa looked pensive. Then her expression shifted. “Enough of me, you’re the one with the big breaking news. Big time stock analyst leaves prestigious Wall Street firm and wife and runs away to the woods.”

“You better get the headlines right. Wife of stock analyst finds true happiness with her psychiatrist.”

Lisa looked uncomfortable. “Sorry if I was sounding insensitive, I didn’t know.”

“You weren’t. The marriage had been over for years. But I never seemed to overcome inertia and get out.”

“Why not?”

“Well,” continued Marc, “inaction is often the easiest course. She had her life, and I had mine. I would leave for the city early and come back in the evening, often very late. Elaine had her career, her friends, her schedule. So there wasn’t much of a marriage, or even a friendship. I thought there should be more to a relationship, but I wasn’t sure. And most of the time I was too busy to give a damn. The psychiatrist did me a great service. But I’m not here because of the breakup.”

“You’re on sabbatical?”

“No. One day I knew I had to get out. I had a friend die of a heart attack, and a few months later another friend died of cancer. I thought—what the hell am I doing here? I moved East because Elaine didn’t think she could survive anywhere besides New York. The rest of the country was too provincial. I never really liked it there. But after a while I stayed on because I didn’t think the firm or the financial world could get along without me. We kid ourselves into believing that we’re indispensable. So to make a long story short, I decided I wanted to be some place that I loved.”

Lisa laughed. “We’re just like the locals, unemployed or retired. I’m unemployed and you’ve retired…”

“But I’m not retired. I’m going to set up my computers in the study and be active in the market. Only this time I’ll be spending my time tending my own investments.”