Take Stock in Murder (12 page)

“Yes, dear.”

“How did you explain…I mean, what reason did you give for…?” Charles couldn’t find the right words.

“How did I explain Todd’s attack on me?” Carrie said.

“Yes.”

“That’s the interesting point. Everyone simply accepted Todd as a drunk and his outrageous behavior as the normal result of his drinking. The assumption was that he got fresh and that you gave him a well-deserved punch. Our altercation with Todd was apparently no different from many others he
had. When he was drunk, he annoyed people, and apparently he was frequently drunk.”

“Except with our fight, there was a difference! After those other fights, Todd was still alive.”

“Charles, you’re really beginning to worry me. You seem to think we’re in deeper than anyone else. I assure you, none of the ladies thought our fight had led to murder.”

“I don’t mean to worry you, but there’s a lot of circumstantial evidence against me versus any other angry husband. I fought with Todd with witnesses, we both returned to the Club after the dance, your evening bag was placed in the library, and his body was found in the room where the fight took place.”

“But each day we discover more about Todd’s lifestyle, which seems to point to other possibilities.” Carrie dropped another morsel for Baxter as she carried the remaining dishes to the sink.

“Listen to your own words: ‘other possibilities.’ We need to make one of those possibilities a reality, and I think we need to work quickly,” Charles suggested.

“OK, Sherlock, where do you want to go from here?”

“Maybe I should find out more about the ladies’ relationships with Todd.”

“And how are you going to do that? Take them out on dates?” Carrie suggested.

“That’s a great idea. I hadn’t thought about that one.” Carrie punched him in the side. “Actually, I thought I might go talk with Jake,” Charles said.

“Jake the bartender, at the Club?”

“Yes, my darling. Bartenders know everything, especially about the private lives of members of the Club. You see people discuss things over drinks at the bar, or when drinks are delivered to the private meeting rooms. Bartenders know who is in the Club at a given time and who’s meeting with whom. And when members have too much to drink, they confide their secrets to bartenders. I think Jake is definitely our next stop.”

“Are you and Jake old friends?”

“Jake and I are old friends,” Charles said with authority. “Jake used to own his own pub in the city near the Faraday Press building. When the area was being demolished for a new high-rise, Jake sold his pub. He got a good price for the building, but he still wanted to work. We were looking for a bar manager, and I gave Jake’s name to the Club’s hiring committee.”

“Contrary to what I thought was your elite upbringing, you do know some interesting people. Let me change to more appropriate Club attire, and I’ll be right with you.”

“Oh, no you don’t. This is no job for a lady.”

“Times have changed, darling. Women are allowed in the bar at the Club.” She fluttered her eyelids.

“And, I might add, it was a great step for mankind and dating when that change was made. However, bartenders will not open up to an audience. They’ll tell tidbits to an old friend in confidence. Besides, you worked hard today getting information from the ladies.” Charles rolled down his shirt cuffs, straightened his tie, and grabbed his suit jacket.

“Are you sure my staying at home isn’t related to having to do the dishes?”

“Of course not. We have a dishwasher. In fact, we have two.”

“We do?” Carrie asked, looking around the kitchen.

“Yes, we do. We simply give the plates to Baxter to lick.”

“Very funny. OK, I’ll stay at home and pace the floor until you return as my big, strong, handsome detective.” Carrie kissed him as Charles grabbed his car keys and left.

harles took his time driving to the Club. He wanted to arrive in the gap between the dinner crowd and the group that would arrive for drinks prior to the evening activities. He entered the bar by way of the veranda and thought about Carrie entering this way on the night of the murder.

Why didn’t I park near her car? I might have seen who took her bag from the front seat or, more importantly, Todd’s murderer. Fate wasn’t with me that night. Forget fate. I need to get to the bottom of this murder; otherwise my arrest is the next item on the police agenda
.

Only two people were at the bar, and four more members were finishing dessert and coffee at a table on the far side of the room. Charles sat at the opposite end of the bar and waited for Jake.

By almost everyone’s standards, Jake was a good-looking guy. He was tall and slim but muscular, with wavy, dark hair. He had a smile that lit up his face and made all those around
him feel good. Aside from his physical good looks, he was also simply a nice guy.

“Hey, Mr. Faraday. Haven’t seen you sitting at the bar alone in a while. Where’s Mrs. Faraday tonight? Or is that one of those questions I shouldn’t ask?”

“You can ask. Carrie has an article that’s on deadline, so I thought I’d get out of her way for a while.” It wasn’t really a lie; Charles assumed Carrie would be working on her article since he wasn’t home.

“Personally, I think it’s a good idea for a husband and a wife to have some time away from each other. You know, I hardly ever see you and Mrs. Faraday apart. That’s not good.”

“Jake, you have to remember that Carrie and I are still on our honeymoon.”

“Haven’t you been married about three years?”

“What a great memory you have; we just finished our third year.”

“And you’re still on your honeymoon? Is it a honeymoon in every way?” Jake asked the question with a sly twinkle in his eye.

“In absolutely every way,” responded Charles with a grin.

“Well, good for you two. You don’t hear of many couples making it anymore. I hope it continues. I guess that’s why I’m not married. I haven’t found another Mrs. Faraday. You want something to drink?”

“That’s why I’m here. I’ll take a gin rickey.”

“Coming right up.”

Jake fixed Charles his drink and then went to collect the check from the couple at the other end of the bar. He nodded
to the four diners as they left. Jake and Charles had sole possession of the room.

Charles decided to dive right in, not wanting to go through another round of small talk. “What’s new around here? I assume with the excitement of Todd’s murder, the place is abuzz.”

“It’s been something, I’ll tell you that. Someone from the police department has been here every day, wandering all around the place, asking everyone questions. I know the members aren’t happy with their presence, but I guarantee the staff is even more upset. The Club members are somewhat insulated from the cops by their ranking within the Club and the community. However, each member of the staff has been questioned several times and then questioned again on every detail of what he or she did on the day of the murder.”

“What kinds of questions are the cops asking?” Charles asked.

“They’re asking all the standard questions. Who we saw and when, what we heard—or I should say overheard—what time this or that occurred, et cetera. It’s as if they’re trying to trap us into making a mistake,” Jake said sarcastically.

“I guess they assume that staff members often do see or hear things. How many times have you been questioned?”

“I finished my third session earlier today.”

“Wow, that does seem excessive.”

“They keep asking me about Todd’s drinking. Did he drink alone, or was he with someone? Who saw him last? I think I’m high on their list because I served Todd here in the bar that night. I might add, Mr. Faraday, that you and the missus seem to be high on their list also.”

“It seems I picked the wrong night to punch Todd.”

“Yeah, I heard you put him in his place. The police are also asking if anyone saw you and Mrs. Faraday that night—also, if anyone saw you two leave, or more importantly, return later that morning.”

“Did they learn anything new from you?” Charles asked innocently.

“Come on, Mr. Faraday. You know the area I grew up in Tri-City. We’re not exactly known for spillin’ our guts to the police. I’ve learned the hard way that no matter the pressure, you keep your mouth shut.”

“But the pressure wouldn’t matter unless you really knew something about the investigation,” Charles prodded.

“I know stuff. You learn things whether you want to or not in this job. I think that’s why they keep questioning me.”

“Jake, I’m going to ask you a big favor. You can probably tell by the questions the police are asking that they’re taking a hard look at whether I did more than punch Todd.”

“Yeah, I figured that’s what they’re up to. Todd was always taking chances with the women and annoying their husbands and boyfriends. Todd deserved the punch you gave him, but I also know you wouldn’t murder him, Mr. Faraday.”

“Thanks, Jake. I appreciate your support, but now I have to convince the police. That’s where I need your help. Anything you can do to tune me in on the other men who might be concerned with Todd’s behavior…Well, it might be the very piece of information I need to get the police off my case.”

“I understand, Mr. Faraday. Besides, one good turn deserves another. You got me this job.”

“Jake, I don’t want you to feel in any way obligated because of the job. You applied, you were hired, and you have done a great job.”

He smiled a big grin with his perfect, white teeth, then said, “There are actually several members who might have been upset with Todd.”

“How many is ‘several’?”

“Well, let me think.” Jake paused a moment and shut his eyes. “Let me start with the ladies in that finance club.”

“You mean the Investment Club?”

“Yeah, that’s the group.”

“My understanding is that Todd was providing financial advice about stocks and bonds to the ladies. Being with them would be a normal part of the job.”

“I understand he gave the advice as part of the Club meetings, but he was providing some of the women with extras. I’m talking about individual consultations here in the bar.”

“Now you’ve whetted my appetite. Who’s the damsel?” he asked.

“You’re going to be more surprised when I tell you there were three of them.”

“You’re kidding!”

“I wouldn’t kid you, Mr. Faraday. First there was Marilyn Armstrong, and then there was Terry Conan. I phrased it that way, because one afternoon they got into a real cat fight over…guess who?”

“Wow, two of our distinguished lady members in a fight? Where did this take place?”

“Todd and Terry were in here one afternoon. It turns out Todd had had an appointment with Marilyn, which he had broken. Although the meeting between Todd and Terry had been fairly serious, at the very moment Marilyn walked in, they were laughing. Boy, did she explode.”

“Was it a bad fight?”

“It started out a little loud. That’s how I knew about Todd breaking the appointment, but Todd got them quiet real quick. Mrs. Armstrong left without another word, and Todd and Terry only stayed a couple more minutes. Then Todd slipped me a fifty to keep my mouth shut.” Charles gave Jake a look. “I’ve kept it quiet. You’re the only person I’ve told.”

“Jake, I hope you know what you tell me stays with me.” Charles sat back and took a long drink.

“I know I can trust you, Mr. Faraday, and the missus. That’s why I’m tellin’ you what I know. Let’s see, where was I? There’s Delores Chaney.”

“Delores Chaney?” This name truly surprised Charles, since Delores Chaney had given Carrie the tip about the other affairs. Maybe she’d just been diverting suspicion from herself.

“Yeah, recently there were several…what I’d call ‘special’ meetings. They would both arrive early, before the regular lunch crowd even thought of getting out of bed. Each would order a drink and then casually wander onto the veranda. They would end up at the same table with their heads together. Then they would depart separately, as if the meeting had never occurred.”

“Her daughter, Sara, works for the firm. Maybe she was talking to Todd about giving her daughter more responsibility for the Investment Club.”

“Maybe, but it was a few too many meetings for that type of discussion.”