Formula for Murder (18 page)

“Jack and I broke up. Before there was anything to break really. Sure glad I didn’t get carried away over that oaf. Can you imagine dating two other women at the same time and not thinking I’d care!
‘He est un mort!’
my Grand-mère said, but then she doesn’t like any man.”

Kat laughed and tucked her article away to work on that night. Spending time with Maddy was more important. They’d been friends ever since Maddy blew into town on a lilac-scented breeze. She was born in
America
but raised by a very French grandmother. Her sayings were ultimately abominations of both languages and Kat loved her dearly.

They settled down for a heart-wrenching chat about Jack, and life, and men. Kat confided a little more about Nick, feeling free to talk since there was, for once, no one else in the office area. Finally, she returned to the original question. “I’d love to have Chinese with you but my plans are uncertain at the moment. I’m waiting for a student to call me. We’re supposed to go visit Richard Burrows as soon as possible.

Maddy wouldn’t let that slip by. With an interrogation worthy of the inquisition she pulled what details she could from her friend. She didn’t mind terribly. Some considered Maddy nosy, but most considered her concerned and caring. She knew Maddy was trustworthy and confided in her, revealing her fears, her nagging suspicion that someone was trying to harass her with hang up phone calls, and her worries that Charlie was not mourned.

“We must get this murder solved. I will help!” Maddy declared forcefully. She chewed on her lip, contemplating plans of attack. “Let’s list the possible suspects again and discuss each one.”

“The problem with that, Maddy, is that we’ve been through it before with no success.”

Maddy paced in the confines of the small room. “Do it anyway! We must have missed something!”

To pacify her, Kat started. “Well, there’s Gerald. He was in the building at the time, but he didn’t do it.”

“How do you know?”

“Come on Maddy! Gerald?? Besides, I was with him.”

“OK, OK, let’s move on to the rest.”

“You eliminated Sean. Steven Downings and Professor Billings are out of the area and not likely candidates, though Burrows is checking into them. Santora and most of Charlie’s students had alibis.”

Kat tugged on her earlobe, removing her ruby earring and soothing the spot with her fingertips. She added, “One loose end. The journal is still missing. That could be our biggest clue.”

Maddy settled down and Kat took up the pacing where she left off and continued her list. “Burrows cleared Kauffman, the student who was supposed to prepare for the lab that night. People aren’t even speculating, unless you count Louise’s thought that it could have been Maria, if she hadn’t been so ill recently.”

“It’s always Carlos that gets to me. Why Maria?”

She explained about Maria’s arguments with Charlie over sponsoring interns. “But back up a minute. Why does Carlos get to you? Has he done something?”

“From what you taught me about handwriting he’s not functioning smoothly. Here’s a sample of his writing. See what you think, then give it back. I shouldn’t be sharing.”

Kat’s conscious attacked. “Are you sure you want to get involved?”

“You jest? You of all people? Who helped you with that mystery you solved last year? Who steered you toward the right person, and incidentally kept you from the astronomical blunder of accusing the mayor’s assistant?”

“OK, OK. You win.” She studied the handwriting.

”You’re right. It doesn’t flow. It indicates he’s not functioning smoothly. He writes tight and has tics at the beginning of his words. He must have some deep inner frustration—maybe from anger?”

“Does that make him a murderer?” Maddy’s voice rose with her intensity and her green eyes deepened to emerald.

Kat frowned at her chunky heeled shoe then rhythmically flicked it on and off, nervously. “No, but it does make one suspicious. Besides, he was always a loner.”

Maddy grabbed the pencil from Kat and jabbed the air to emphasize her point. “It took him years to get around to asking Maria to marry him. Sometimes I think she married him just to have him handy to rush through her grants.”

“Maddy! You go too far!”

“All right. I exaggerate. He was good at what he did but she was always pushing for more. They worked well together. He had always been such a straight arrow that no one questioned the ethics of their working together. Eventually he worked up the courage to ask and they’ve been married for several years.”

“And this makes him dangerous because…?”

“She’s been on more trips then ever this past year. He’s grown more and more inward. Everyone thought she would pull him out, but instead he seems even more morose.”

“And this makes him dangerous because…?” Kat prompted again with a long-suffering intolerance of Maddy’s round about ways.

“I think he’s going off the deep end is all. I don’t know that that makes him a murderer. Can’t think of a motive. But I bet his recent handwriting would show he’s loosing it.”

Maddy switched gears. “What professors didn’t have alibis?”

“Apparently Abner didn’t.”

“Do you think he did it?”

Kat fished around in the piles on her desk and finally produced a slightly wrinkled handwritten paragraph. “Here, he gave me this for the curriculum brochure.”

She pointed out key spots. “He’s got a stable, far-rightward slant. That means he’s emotional, ardent, sensitive, even demonstrative. But it’s definitely stable, which means that passionate nature won’t get out of control.”

“Does that mean he didn’t murder Charlie?”

“Don’t rush me.” Kat went back over each line looking for details. “He has a secretive loop in his ovals which means he’s hiding something but probably not murder.”

Maddy was never sure how seriously to take Kat’s analysis. “Does it say what kind of toothpaste he uses?”

“Oh ye of little faith. I’ll ignore that. Well, his writing is on the small side, but well-formed, pretty typical of scientists. My guess is no. It’s not Abner. We’ll look elsewhere.”

“Like where?”

“I’ll think about it. Meanwhile, I’ll have to let you know about dinner. Why don’t I call you when I get back? If it’s getting late, and you haven’t heard from me, go without me. Sound fair?”

“OK. Gotta fly.” Mandy fled the room, that whiff of lilac trailing behind her.

Chapter 17

Edgar Allen Poe, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Charles Dickens, George Sand and Albert Einstein became known handwriting analysts.

“Elements of Graphology” by Barry Branston

“How’s it goin’ Kel? Everything OK with you?”

“Sure Rob, but I haven’t seen you much lately. What’s the problem?”

“Kelly, I know this may sound paranoid, but I think I’m being followed.”

‘What?!”

“I didn’t want to involve you. Do you think it could possibly be connected with the other night?”

“It does seem a little weird. Did you talk to someone about going to the police?”

“Yeah, I’m going to do it. I’m not going to bring up your name though. I’m sorry I ever brought you there, but it’s time for me to confess.”

Robin called Kat and arranged to pick her up. He insisted on driving so he could show off his car, a 1957 Chevy with a two-tone paint job.

Dusk enveloped the car as she twisted around to inspect the repaired upholstery in the back that he’d been bragging about. The falling sun backlit the golden leaves in a blaze of glory that she admired with envy, bemoaning her lack of ability with brush and paint. She wondered if everyone felt that same tightening, that need to capture a scene as if seeing it for the last time.

Robin sped down the lane and hooked a left onto an unpaved road, surprising Kat and juggling her twisted body back to the forward position.

“What’s up, Robin? Where are you headed?”

“Honest, over to the police station. These back roads are easier traveling than the main highway since it’s still rush hour.”

“OK, but it’s right to the police station. I told Burrows we’d be there about now.”

As they traveled through the tunnel of overhanging trees, Robin kept glancing into the rearview mirror.

“Now what?”

“These roads are curvy so it’s difficult to be sure, but there’s this car that’s been following us for a while.”

“So, maybe he likes the back roads better too.

“I’ve been driving slower and slower thinking he might catch up and overtake us and he still seems the same distance behind. I can only see him on the long stretches. It’s like he’s hanging back on purpose,” he said.

Kat twisted around again and eventually saw the car before they turned the next curve and lost sight of it. She wondered if maybe Robin was spooking a little too easily.

“Maybe it’s just one of your friends following you.”

“None of my friends have a car like that. It’s a Chevy Cavalier.”

“Meaning?”

“I’ve got a friend with a Jag, and even one with a rebuilt Caddy, but a Cavalier? Get real.”

“Oh, excuse me.” As she started to castigate his reverse snobbishness he veered into a swift left and raced down what couldn’t have been more than an old logging road.

“What are you up to now?” she yelled and grabbed his arm in alarm.

He seemed to realize her fear, but on his part almost relished the chase. He gently shook his arm free and said, “I’ve been spooked for days thinking someone was following me. Now I can know for sure. Only a complete fool would travel on this road. If he’s still behind me, it could only be because he’s tailing.”

More disconcerting then his driving was the sight of the Cavalier closing in.

“That car was behind us right after we left. I remember seeing it when I was admiring your upholstery.”

“Well, the good news is that we finally know for sure we’re being tailed. The bad news is—we’re being tailed!”

Robin seemed to be holding his own in this mental game but Kat’s fear was quickly reaching flash point. It was only tempered by confusion as to why this was happening to them.

A bump or two later they moved to an even less traveled road that reminded her of the highway rumble strips.  As they veered away from the unknown enemy, she calmed her rising panic and advised Robin, “You’ve spent months fixing up this car. Take it easy.”

Before he barely had a chance to follow her advice the gray sedan loomed closer and they were rear-ended. There were no curves to hide around now, just an uneven trail bent on ripping apart the underside of the car while the branches reaching overhead slapped against the roof and the brush alongside the car tackled any paint that was left unmarred. Kat no longer had time to speculate as to why this was happening. Robin could barely control the car as they were swiped again. Meanwhile the trail opened up and the sedan sped forward past them and out of sight.

Robin wasted no time in killing the engine, while opening the door with his left hand. “Come on, what are you waiting for?” He yelled as he took off into the thickest part of the woods.

Kat followed more sedately as she picked her way through the brambles. “Robin, wait up. Don’t you think we should wait in the car? I’ve got my cell phone. We could call for help.”

Robin had slowed and turned back so she could hear but he didn’t stop walking. “Generally a good idea. Staying with the car. But in this case, I don’t want to be in it if he comes back. Besides, you won’t get a signal here.”

“Gotcha.” Kat tried to pick up the pace but the cream heels, her favorite in most circumstances because of their great comfort, weren’t suited to the woods. She’d already picked up three burrs on her now defunct nylons, and one seemed determine to remain imbedded in her skin. Away from the car, her heartbeat began to settle, though Robin’s pace was somewhat frenetic.

Robin slowed again, looking anxiously behind her. He saw nothing. He stopped, waiting patiently. She picked burrs off her legs while continuing forward in a lopsided trot. She realized he wasn’t as calm as he had appeared earlier. Fortunately they were managing to take turns, one shifting into a calm mode as the other panicked.