A Wrongful Death (34 page)

Sarah had forgotten her fingernails apparently. Her face was undergoing a rapid change, becoming mottled with red blotches against white. Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth a tight, hard line. She started to speak and her brother put his hand on her arm.

"Let's hear the rest of it," Lawrence said in an undertone.

"There are a few other details, but at this time I'll go to the press release," Crais said. "I have a copy for everyone present at this meeting."

He read from a printout,

"The Diedricks Corporation announces a reorganization plan to take effect immediately. Mr. Lawrence Diedricks wishes to announce his retirement as of this date and Dr. Jefferson Knowlton will assume the vice presidency left vacant following the death of Joseph Kurtz. A talent search is underway for other positions that will become open in the near future—"

"This is nonsense!" Sarah cried. "It's a meaningless fiasco. My father is incompetent, demented. He no longer controls the company! I have power of attorney to make any and all corporate decisions, and Mr. Crais is not associated with the company in any way! That's the press release! Not your twaddle!"

"Mrs. Kurtz," Crais said, "I'm afraid that isn't quite correct. Your late husband was granted power of attorney, but that is not a heritable asset. It ceased with his demise."

"That's a lie! It's a damned lie and you know it! My company lawyers will show you who's in charge of my company!"

"Sarah, you have no position in the Diedricks Corporation, and no voice in company decisions," Dr. Diedricks said, cutting through her tirade. "Your presence at this meeting is not required. If you can't be quiet, leave."

"Father, there's no need to go to such extremes," Lawrence said soothingly. "That sale was a proposal only, just something to be considered, not a done deal by any means."

"You're damn right it isn't a done deal," his father said. "My company is not for sale."

"You don't understand!" Sarah shouted. "You don't understand how much money is involved.You'll be rich as Croesus. You don't need the company anymore. You've done your bit, paid your dues."

"Read the whole story," Diedricks said fiercely. "Read the ending, not just the dazzling parts. I don't want to be as rich as Croesus. What for? I have everything I need.You'll still have your share of whatever profits are left. You don't need any more than that. And, Lawrence, I suggest you accept your resignation, or face being fired outright. Do you understand? I'm still the president of this company and I make the rules. Do you understand?"

Although his voice was reedy and without the power to roar, he spoke with the authority of many decades of success, and Lawrence mutely nodded and mumbled, "Yes." He seemed to shrink back into his chair.

Sarah gave him a contemptuous look and leaned forward with both hands on the table. "We won't let you get away with this. They've fed you a pack of lies. We are selling the company and you can't stop us," she said hoarsely, glaring at her sightless father. "We'll fight you through every court in the country! You can throw out Lawrence, but not me! I'll fight you. You're just a crazy old man! A dead man!" Her hands were opening and clenching spasmodically, and she was breathing in open-mouthed gasps, as if she had been running and couldn't catch her breath. She looked at Barbara with hatred. "You did this, you bitch! He's a sick, dying old man and you brought your filthy lies here. Get out of my house! Get out! Or I'll have you thrown out!"

Gary Swarthmore moved in a little closer to Dr. Diedricks, watching Sarah warily.

"Dr. Diedricks," Barbara said, "you heard the first of two parts of the tape Elizabeth Kurtz made. At this time I'd like to play the second part, if you agree."

He nodded. "If there's more, I want to hear it," he said.

Barbara retrieved the tape player from her purse and set it on the table. She had rewound it the night before, and it was ready to pick up again where it had stopped previously.

Elizabeth's firm, clear voice came on, and it and Sarah's labored breathing were the only sounds in the room. Then Terry Kurtz made an inarticulate noise, and leaned in toward Barbara, staring at the tape player.

"I looked at her face — blood and shattered bones — and I thought that was supposed to be me. It was meant for me—"

Terry grabbed Barbara's arm. "She's alive? Elizabeth's alive?"

Across the table, Sarah jumped to her feet, swaying, shaking her head. "She's dead! I know she's dead. She's dead!" she screamed.

Elizabeth's voice was continuing, and Sarah screamed again and shoved her chair back, knocking it over. No one else moved as she ran from the room. Barbara turned off the tape player. A stunned silence followed.

"This meeting is over," Dr. Diedricks said in a faint voice. "Gary, take me back to my room ."No one else moved as Gary wheeled him out. Then Lawrence lurched to his feet and followed them, as pale as death.

Where had Sarah gone? Barbara wondered, glancing uneasily at the window. To get the gun and come back with it? Use it on herself? Get in her car and speed away? And where was Alan?

"She's alive," Terry whispered, breaking the silence. "Elizabeth's alive."

"Someone should see to Mrs. Kurtz," Crais said nervously. He was watching the windows, also.

"Terry! Go take care of your mother," Barbara said.

"What? Yes, yes. I'll see to her." He went to the door, but it was flung open before he touched it, and Sarah walked into the room.

She was not hurrying, apparently oblivious of everyone but Barbara, her eyes narrowed to slits. And she was carrying a butcher knife. She was moving deliberately, almost slowly, the knife at waist level, close in to her body. "I killed her twice," she said, her voice so harsh it was unrecognizable. "Twice! And you kept bringing her back. I killed the slut twice! You shouldn't have brought her back. Now you have to take her place." She stepped past Terry as if unaware of him. He looked frozen. Then he roused and grabbed her arm. She jerked and pushed him away as if he were a child. He hit a chair, sending it spinning, and caught himself before he fell on top of it. Barbara scrambled from her chair and shoved it in front of Sarah, backed up, groping behind her for the next chair. Sarah knocked Barbara's chair away and kept moving forward, not taking her eyes off Barbara.

Barbara backed up into Terry's chair, and ducked as the knife slashed through the air, inches from her face. Barbara pushed Terry's chair in front of Sarah, and ducked again as the knife flashed at her. Suddenly Alan ran in with Hoggarth right behind him. Sarah shoved Alan aside the way she had done Terry. He straightened, and grabbed her around the neck from behind, and Hoggarth grabbed her wrist and twisted. She screamed and tried to slash him. He twisted her arm, forcing it down and back. The knife dropped to the floor and he kicked it away.

As she struggled violently with both Hoggarth and Alan, Gary Swarthmore hurried into the room carrying a sheet. Moving with purpose he got in front of Sarah, dodging her flailing arms while Alan and Hoggarth fought to restrain her. Gary's deliberate motions appeared to be almost in slow motion as he managed to get one of Sarah's arms secured under the sheet, and passed the end of the sheet to Alan, who yanked it, pulling it tight. Gary secured the other arm and moved in close as he and Alan wound the sheet around her. Alan held it in back. It took all three men to control her violent jerks and then, with her arms restrained, she began to kick. Gary forced her into a chair and positioned himself behind it holding her as she kept kicking and trying to pull away. She screamed obscenities as she fought them.

"Go pet another sheet," Gary said to Terry, who looked like a waxen statue. "Now! And a pillow."

Terry ran from the room.

Hoggarth already had his phone out, and was speaking into it. Barbara heard only ".. .violent, insane..."

She was shaking hard, and realized that Jefferson Knowlton's arm was around her shoulders. "Let's get out of here," he said, drawing her around the table with him out to the hall, across it to the dining room, where she sank into a chair. He sat down, and both Crais and Lorenz came after them and pulled out chairs. No one spoke.

Sarah's harsh voice screaming obscenities faded as someone closed the office door.

An ambulance had come and gone. Barbara had glimpsed Sarah trussed in sheets, held fast to a chair, no longer screaming, as she was carried out that way. Soon afterward Alan came to the dining room.

"The lieutenant wants you all in the den "he said.

Dr. Diedricks was not in the den, but Gary Swarthmore was there.

"Is he all right?" Barbara asked.

"He's okay. I think he's known ever since he heard that first tape. He couldn't hear much of it tonight, thank God. He's resting."

They began to arrange themselves on chairs. Terry stood by the bar; he was white-faced and looked ill. Lawrence Diedricks was already seated in the corner of the room. He appeared to be in worse shape than Terry, shaking now and then with a whole body tremor. He kept his head lowered, his face concealed. When they were all seated Hoggarth introduced himself, then said, "What happened in that room?"

No one spoke for a moment, then Crais said, "I was explaining what we discussed in meetings earlier. Then Ms. Holloway played a tape..."

"I'll tell it," Lorenz said brusquely, and he did in great detail. Apparently he remembered every word that had been uttered.

Hoggarth listened attentively but asked very few questions. "I understand there's another man in the household, a Mr. Lon Clampton. Where is he?"

"Dr. Diedricks booted him out" Alan said. "Day before yesterday he told him to pack his bags and beat it. Mrs. Kurtz said he didn't have to go because he worked for her and Dr. Diedricks told him to get his ass out of here, to go to her house if he worked for her. He gave him five minutes. Then Gary was supposed to call the police and have him arrested for trespass. He packed up and took off."

Crais cleared his throat. He glanced uneasily at Lawrence, who had not stirred or looked up. "Lieutenant, perhaps we could arrange a meeting for tomorrow with your district attorney to discuss this unfortunate incident. Of course, certain facts will have to be made public, but perhaps we can limit the damage to a fine old man and his esteemed company which has always enjoyed the highest possible reputation."

Hoggarth nodded. "That can probably be arranged," he said.

"If there is such a meeting, my father, who represents Elizabeth Kurtz, should be present," Barbara said quickly. "After all, she is a very interested party."

"And I should be present, as well," Lorenz said. "Mr. Knowlton is one of the most seriously damaged parties in this affair."

Hoggarth looked resigned. "I'll bring up your concerns," he said. He knew as well as Barbara that the district attorney would seize any opportunity to come out of this whole affair looking good. /Turn the spinmeisters loose/, she thought cynically. Poor Mrs. Kurtz suffering from grief, had become deranged and was under medical care.

Hoggarth noted their names, addresses, where he could reach them, and soon afterward, he stood. "We'll want statements from all of you. For now, Mrs. Kurtz will remain in custody to undergo a psychiatric examination," he said. He looked at Lawrence, then had to say his name in order to get his attention. "I'd like a few words with you "he said. "The rest of you are free to leave." He glanced at Barbara and added, "I'll drive you back to Eugene when we're done here. I'll have someone bring your car back tomorrow; Mr. Diedricks, if you will come this way."

No one lingered very long after that. Before leaving, Jefferson Knowlton came to Barbara and for a moment looked as if he wanted to embrace her but didn't quite know how. He settled for a handshake and a muttered thank-you. Crais spoke briefly to Gary and left and then Gary Swarthmore and Alan talked in low voices for a minute or two. Gary said he would be on his way after checking in on Dr. Diedricks. They walked out together. Still standing by the bar, Terry asked in a low voice, "Do you think she'd see me?"

Barbara shrugged. "I'll tell her you asked. It's up to her."

"And let me see Jason?"

"I'll tell her."

"I understand "he said. "Thank you." He walked out.

She went to the bar and poured herself a rather strong drink of bourbon and water, then called Frank as she sipped it. He made strangled noises when she recounted the scene in the office. "Sit down, Dad. Deep breaths. It's okay. Over. I thought you might call Elizabeth and tell her. She could call her mother and arrange for her to bring Jason home. I guess Elizabeth will be required to stay here long enough to straighten things out. But they can be together while that's going on." She told him Hoggarth would bring her home, and he said he'd have something for them to eat when they got there. She shook her head. Good food to vanquish bad memories? She didn't think it would work this time.

Hoggarth spent nearly an hour with Lawrence Diedricks and looked disgusted when he joined her in the den. "Are you off duty?" she asked.

"All day," he said heavily. "It's a holiday, remember?"

"Why don't you have a little something then? One for the road."

He went behind the bar and began to examine the bottles. With his back to her, he said, "You knew she'd break if she heard Elizabeth Kurtz's voice, knew she was alive. You gave her the nudge to send her over that goddamn edge."

It wasn't a question and she didn't respond. She took a longer drink, this time draining her glass.

Chapter 32

"You sent him, didn't you?" Barbara asked Frank at the dinette table where they had eaten.

He nodded. "I didn't trust her," he said, "but Lord knows I wasn't expecting her to turn homicidal before witnesses."

"And I just thought she might say something incriminating," Hoggarth said. "I wanted to get statements if that happened before the memory wipes got to work." He rubbed his scalp. "It's a damn good thing Swarthmore was there. If Alan had been able to get a hand free, he would have shot her. Or I would have. Jesus, what a mess that would have been."

Barbara pushed her plate back. "Dad, I'll put things in the dishwasher, and then I'll collect my gear and head for home."