“It was a woman.”
“How could you tell?”
“She was wearing a raincoat. It was long, probably black or dark blue, maybe tan but darker because it was wet. And it had a belt at the waist. It was the shape of a woman. No man has a waist like that. Look at yours. It’s clear that you’re a woman. That’s what I saw.”
“And what did you see this person do?”
“They came up through the woods, not where I was but from the other side. The light on the back of the building was on, but she was staying in the shadows. Then there was a big crash of lightning and the lights flickered on and off and back on. By then, she was up near the side of the building. There must’ve been a hasp or something holding the doors covering the electrical panels closed, because she struggled with it for a moment. Then I saw her reach in and all the lights went out, and she came in my direction. She didn’t see me. I got down, trying to stay out of sight. I knew what she had done, and I sure as hell didn’t want to get blamed for it. She came under the roof where I was hiding. I’m surprised she didn’t see me. She stopped, lit a cigarette, and then got out of there fast. That’s all I know.”
“Did you notice anything else? Hair color? Tall or short?”
“Tall, maybe. But there was one more thing. The smell. It was the scent of a woman, but not perfume.”
“Shampoo, soap, something like that?”
“No. It was one of those herbal things. Aromatherapy, you know what I’m talking about?”
“Thomas is an authority on this,” offered Alice Lea. “Aren’t you? It sometimes really helps him with some of his moods.”
“Can you tell me anything more? Do you have a name for it?”
“Let me think. It helps with meditation. And it’s very strong. People usually blend it with lots of other oils.”
“Tom, does it have a name?”
“It’s not sandalwood, or Juniper, or bergamot. It’s just on the tip of my tongue. You know how it is when an idea is just floating around in your brain, and you just can’t quite catch it. Maybe if you come back tomorrow, I’ll remember. I’ll keep a pad by me, so if it suddenly comes to me I can write it down.”
Sue sat and looked across the table. She took several slow breaths, holding Tom in her gaze. “This is really important, friend. If you could remember the name, you would really be helping me out.”
He pulled a cigarette from a package and carefully removed the filter, dropping it in the ashtray. He lit a kitchen match with the nail of his thumb, brought it to the cigarette, inhaled slowly, then exhaled, looking toward the ceiling. “Patchouli oil, I think that’s it.” He slowly spelled out the name, “p-a-t-c-h-o-u-l-i.”
“You’re sure of that?”
“Absolutely. Scents leave one of the strongest impressions on the brain. That woman was wearing patchouli oil.”
Sue looked at her notepad. Finally, she thought. Finally.
“Aren’t you going to asked me who else was there, under the picnic shelter? There were bundles of new shingles in stacks, and I was hiding between the stacks. I could see them, but they didn’t have a clue that I was there.”
“You took the question right out of my mouth,” said Sue. “Tell me, who else was there?”
39
“It’s good you got hold of me today. I’ll be going back to Chicago tomorrow,” said Pepper Markley as she plopped into a chair across from Ray. He perceived by the tone of her voice and her body language that something clearly was not right.
“You sound as if you’re not planning to come back.”
“That seems to be it. I got a call from the head HR person at Wudbine Investments early this morning, I mean it wouldn’t have been 8:00 in Chicago yet. I’ve been terminated. Ms. Ridley said my last day is officially Friday, but that the family would prefer that I leave the premises at my earliest convenience. ”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Stunned, just stunned. And get this,” Pepper was shaking with rage, “the severance package, two weeks. Can you imagine? It’s like getting knocked down and then stomped on. I was planning on leaving this position soon, but not like this. Malcolm had promised me that I would be well taken care of as I transitioned to my next job, either within the company or somewhere else in the industry. I was interested in becoming a stock analyst. Malcolm had taught me a lot in our day-to-day conversations.”
Ray peered across the narrow desk that separated them. Before this interview he had been thinking about how he might get beyond the corporate loyalty she had displayed during their first interview. The Wudbines had provided some unexpected help.
“Did they give you a reason for your termination?”
“Not at all. Ms. Ridley, that’s the HR person, young and officious, just said the family no longer needed my services, and that there was nowhere else in the company where my skill set met current job openings. Skill set, what BS. I’ve got an MBA from Chicago and almost three years of tutoring from one of the best minds in the industry. I can do almost any job in the organization.
“It’s not just getting sacked, Sheriff. There’s a whole question of housing. In the summer I live in an apartment on the grounds near Gull House. When we’re in Chicago, I live in an apartment near Malcolm’s penthouse. The housing was part of my compensation package. That was the arrangement. Mr. Wudbine wanted me close, so I was always available. Like I said, it’s not just getting sacked. Now I have to find someplace to live, move, and then start a job search. This isn’t how Wudbine Investments treats its employees. They always provide generous termination packages.” She slowed, catching her breath. “The firm has been downsizing in recent years. Everyone who was downsized out received their salary and insurance for six months. And there was usually a fairly lavish handshake, too, depending on years of service. When I pressed Ridley about this, she just blew me off with some sarcastic comment about my lack of gratitude.”
“You have no kind of contract?”
“Nothing like that, we are all at-will employees. But my getting sacked, this doesn’t happen at Wudbine, not normally. On Monday, Elliott assured me that they would continue to need my services, now perhaps more than ever, those were his words. And today, this. Go figure. I don’t think I’m even being credited for unused vacation. I’ll probably have to sue for that.”
Markley look at Ray, her anger now seemed to be directed at him. “Why am I here? I’ve already told you everything I know.” She stared at him for a long moment. “They aren’t trying to implicate me in this whole mess, are they? That would be the final….”
“Nothing of the sort. We’re just beginning to conduct a second set of interviews with people who were close to the crime scene or had special knowledge of the victim. And you, obviously, fit both of those criteria.”
“Well, I don’t know anything more than I did a few days ago.”
“We often find that witnesses, after overcoming the initial shock and horror of a traumatic event, remember details that help with an investigation. So I’m going to cover much of the same ground we covered before. First, how did it happen that you were in the play? Wasn’t this a big time commitment, given all work responsibilities you’ve told me about?”
“I think I told you that Malcolm encouraged me to take the part. But it was more than that. No one showed up at tryouts who was right for the role. I’m talking about age and appearance. So, I was pressed into service by Mr. Wudbine. I sort of objected, but I learned long ago that was a waste of time. He always got what he wanted. I don’t know what’s the best way to describe him, persistent or insistent. And, in truth, it turned out that I really enjoyed being in the play. It got me away from Gull House. I met many interesting people that I’d only seen in passing during previous summers. I was having a wonderful time. It really strengthened my resolve to find a new job. And then everything fell apart.”