“And how about Mr. Wudbine? Do you know what he did the rest of the afternoon.”
After lunch he’s usually in his gym working out under the guidance of Ms. Mickels. After the workout they usually go sailing for a while. I saw them coming in when I went to the beach. Then he planned to have Alyson fly him to Traverse City to meet Elliott’s plane.”
“Have you noticed anyone around in recent days with whom you were unfamiliar—at the house, the auditorium, or the colony?”
“No.” She paused for a long moment. “I mean, there are lots of people around, many I don’t recognize, but no one who seemed menacing or out of place.”
“Were you aware of any threats against Mr. Wudbine? He did have a security person here and the fairly elaborate system as well,” Ray observed.
“Everyone does that. There’s a lot of paranoia out there, not that Malcolm was particularly paranoid. And it may be sort of a status symbol, too. Mr. Wudbine liked showing off Alyson Mickels, she is a lot classier than any of the personal protection specialists in his circle. He was vain in that way. Don’t get me wrong, Sheriff, Mr. Wudbine was an absolutely wonderful man. And he was enormously generous with me and a real mentor. But we all have our things, don’t we?”
“So when did you arrive at the theater?”
“The curtain was at 8:00. I was there around 7:15. I was probably the first member of the cast to arrive. There was a cocktail party at Verity’s cottage. Most of the cast attended. They arrived at the theatre as a group. Running a bit late, I might add. There was a real scramble to get into costume and makeup. I’m so glad I was ahead of them. I needed time to settle in, if you know what I mean. I haven’t been in a play since high school, and that was only a bit part. This role is very challenging, and I was quite nervous.”
“When did Mr. Wudbine arrive?”
“He got there about 10 minutes before the opening curtain. He wanted my help dressing, but I was getting ready to go onstage. I had a major part in the first scene.”
“Walk me through what happened from the opening curtain until you knew something was very wrong.”
“Well, I was onstage sitting at the dinner table. I was incredibly nervous. Then the curtain went up, and we were off. From that point it just seemed so natural. There wasn’t one muffed line, not one. I was feeling exalted when I got back to the green room. By that time Mr. Wudbine was in his costume. He had those horrible, bloody wounds and was capering around. To be truthful, I was a bit irritated with him. I wanted to be left alone. Fortunately, one of the crew led him onstage.”
“And then?”
“Things got very confused. I’ve thought back over it. There was that lightning and thunder. The building shook, the lights flickered. A little bit later they went out. I was sitting at a mirror checking my makeup when they went out. I just stayed put. Then the lights came back on. I was still at the mirror when I could tell something was wrong. I could hear it in the tone of people’s voices. And you know the rest of the story. Eventually we were allowed to leave.”
“Then what did you do?”
“I left with Jill. Elliott was waiting outside the stage door. And Alyson was just beyond the auditorium. We all went up to Gull House. Jill broke the news to Brenda and the others. We were all stunned, people talked quietly for a while.”
“And then?”
“Eventually I went back to my apartment, sometime after midnight. And this morning I showed up about nine to see if there was any way I could be of assistance to Jill or Elliott. I’m sorry, Sheriff, I don’t know more. I just can’t imagine why anyone would want to kill him. Like I said, he wasn’t perfect. But he did a lot more good than harm.”
24
Ray held Elliott Wudbine in his gaze. “I’m sorry for your loss and this intrusion on your time. I’m sure you understand that the investigation has to go forward as quickly as possible.”
“Sheriff, I can’t imagine what I might know that will be of any use. My father was a good man. I don’t know why anyone would want him dead.”
“When was the last time you saw your father alive?” Ray took in Elliott’s perfectly ironed, button-down shirt, the smell of tobacco, and the bulge in his shirt pocket. Elliott was lean, looked worn beyond his years, his brown hair thinning at the temples.
“He came with Ms. Mickels to pick me up from the airport in Traverse City. It was a magical flight back, the brilliant sunshine, the lakes and forests. However, we could see a mass of dark clouds coming across the lake from the west. After what’s happened, they were an ominous warning—if you believe in that sort of thing.”
“So you arrived back at….”
“I think it was after 6:00. The helipad is on the back of the property. Mickels drove us up to the house in a golf cart. Father and I went into his library for a few moments to talk. We have a couple of acquisitions that we’re negotiating, and I wanted to fill him in on the details. We had a drink, and then I excused myself. I wanted to see Jill before she left for the theater. I got to our cottage just in time. She was heading out as I arrived. Then I found something to eat and wandered down to the theater in time for the opening curtain.”
“Where were you seated?”
“In the back row. The annual summer play is always a sellout. There was some kind of screw-up. I’m not used to sitting in the back.”
“Were you alone?”
“No, Alyson Mickels was already there. She had the seat next to mine. The curtain went up. Jill made it through her first scene. I know she was quite nervous, but you couldn’t tell watching her. The scene came to an end, and by then the rain had started. After the curtain was down, I was on my feet. My back was killing me. Alyson excused herself, she was worried about the cart.”
“So what did you do at this point?”
“I did these back exercises I can do standing in one place. Then I settled back into my seat and started looking at my e-mail. The lights went out. I sat there in the dark and continued to read my e-mail. Eventually the lights came back on. Then Richard Grubbs came out, and I couldn’t quite catch what he was saying, but everyone was leaving. I walked off to have a cigarette and eventually got a call from Jill. I went in and got her, and Alyson drove us and Pepper up to Gull House to absorb what had happened and to try to figure out how to tell my stepmother. And not too long after that you appeared with Grubbs.”
“He’s your father-in-law, isn’t he?”
“After a fashion. Jill had a falling out with him years ago. They don’t talk. I bear him no rancor, I just never see him.”
“Ms. Mickels has told me that one of her jobs was working as a liaison to the firm that provides security to your corporation.”
“That’s correct,” he responded, pulling out a cigarette pack, looking at it briefly, then returning it to his pocket.
“Had your father been subject to any threats?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“Why the need for…?”
“It’s part of the business of doing business. There are threats out there, especially against the financial industry. You know, the growing class warfare and all. You’ve got to be proactive. Everyone is doing it: key cards, fingerprint locks, cameras, photo IDs. With the right planning and equipment, you minimize possible risks.”
“But there was a problem, wasn’t there. Your father was murdered. Can you think of anyone who might have a motive to kill him? There might be some history connected, someone holding a grudge for an actual or perceived wrong ten, fifteen, twenty years ago.”
“I don’t think so. I certainly knew my father quite well, better than most sons. That said, who of us knows everything about anyone else. We all manage to irritate people along the way. I’m sure he did that a lot. He was demanding, wanted everything done yesterday, and he wanted everything done his way. He was very direct, didn’t beat around the bush. But I don’t think his aggressive manner would be a motivation for murder. He just wanted the people around him to perform at the same level he demanded of himself.”