Death at the Door (28 page)

“Hang in there, Lacey,” he said as he continued to apply pressure. She passed out again.

Lark was glad for the rain so Joel couldn't see the tears that coursed down his face. He didn't take his eyes off Lacey's chest, praying that she would continue to breathe. Skewski ran back down the dock and asked what he could do to help. Lark asked him to hold Lacey's legs above her head to try to keep her from going into shock. She moaned in pain when Lark shifted his hands on her abdomen so Skewski could elevate her legs.

“The ambulance is coming down from Sister Bay so it should only take a few minutes. Boskirk is driving over from Baileys Harbor. They caught him just as he was leaving his house. He should get here before the ambulance gets her out of here.”

Skewski quit talking as the ambulance came screaming into the parking lot. The driver and two paramedics got out of the truck. One paramedic ran up the dock to them and the other two scrambled to get the cart out of the back of the ambulance.

The paramedic knelt down at Lacey's right side and started an IV while they told him what had happened. Lark watched the IV fluid run full bore into her arm. The paramedic looked at the blood oozing out of her abdomen and shouted at his partners to bring another pack down with them. One of the paramedics climbed back in the ambulance. When he jumped down out of the rig, he had a second backpack slung over his shoulder.

In no time they had two pressure dressings on Lacey and a blood pressure cuff on her right arm. They'd hung a second bag of IV fluid and had just gotten her loaded on the cart when another car whipped into the parking lot. Gene Boskirk got out and ran down the dock. He conferred with the paramedics as they ran the gurney up to the ambulance. He helped them load and climbed into the back of the ambulance to ride with Lacey.

“I'll see you guys at the hospital,” he yelled to Joel and Lark just before the ambulance doors closed.

For the first few seconds after the ambulance pulled out of the parking lot, Lark didn't know what to do. He was pumped from all the adrenaline coursing though his body. He didn't even notice the rain that continued to pour down on them. He didn't notice anyone getting out of Boskirk's car until someone with an umbrella walked up beside him.

“You're soaked to the skin. You're going to catch a hell of a cold if you don't get out of the rain.”

Lark whipped around to find Sophie standing beside him.

“Where the hell did you come from?” he asked. She could have floated down from outer space and he wouldn't have noticed.

She pointed at Gene's SUV. “We were going out to dinner when the sheriff's office called so I road along. I'll drive Gene's car down to Sturgeon Bay if someone can give me a ride home.”

“Go ask the sheriff.”

“I thought maybe you could drive me back and fill me in on what's going on.”

“I've got work to do.” Lark walked over to Joel and the sheriff.

Skewski took off his hat and shook the rain off it. “I radioed the Coast Guard to look for Gradoute's boat. He must be on his yacht, the
Rose Queen.
He and Rose have docked it here for years. That boat is huge, at least a fifty-footer, so there are only so many docks he can pull into. Once he gets out of the bay he can go just about anywhere. We've put out an APB on him. We'll notify all the marinas from here to Canada. He'll turn up.”

They called Door County Memorial Hospital and were told that Gene had asked that the surgery call team be brought in. He was taking Lacey directly to surgery as soon as the ambulance pulled in the ER. It was still ten minutes out. They decided to drive back to the Gradoute House to interview Rose about the latest findings.

Gradoute House was still lit up like a Christmas tree. Rose answered the door so quickly Lark swore she had been standing on the other side of it when they knocked.

“Do you know where Simon is?” she asked as she ushered them into the foyer.

“Out in the middle of Green Bay on the
Rose Queen,”
Skewski said.

“Green Bay? What's he doing out in the bay? He's supposed to be at the restaurant. Angelina's called twice since he left.”

“He took several shots at Sheriff Swenson and wounded Detective Smith. We now consider him to be fugitive.” The men watched her face as Skewski talked.

“This can't be happening.” Tears dribbled down her cheeks. She brought her hands up to her face to wipe them away. She began to sway back and forth.

Skewski took her elbow and lead her back to the kitchen. Lark and Joel were on his heels. Rose sat down at the kitchen table and Skewski sat down beside her. Joel grabbed a box of tissues off one of the counters and put it down in front of her.

“Rose, we think Simon and his sister were responsible for the robberies,” Skewski said as he patted her arm.

She glared at him. “Simon can buy anything he wants. Why would he steal from our neighbors and friends?”

“Why would he shoot at two police officers and flee into the lake on a night like this?”

“I don't know.”

“Did he call you before he left?” Joel asked.

Rose shook her head no. “I called an attorney after you left and he told me that I should not talk with you unless he's present.” She stood up. “I'm going to have to ask you all to leave. If you want to talk with me again, please contact my attorney, Richard Morrison.” She ushered them out the door without saying another word.

“I'm itching to call Dickey and haul his ass up here to represent his client at the police station,” Skewski said as they walked to the car.

“Give it time,” Joel said. “If she's involved in this, you'll get your wish. If she isn't, the last thing you need is Dickey up your ass.”

While the crime scene team was working frantically to get all the shooting evidence collected before the rain washed it away, Skewski, Lark, and Joel drove to Rosemary's Bistro. Most of the crowd had dissipated so they were able to pull Angelina Russell aside for questioning.

She took them to the storeroom, the only place large enough for them to talk privately.

“Did you call Simon's home and ask him to come in and help with the dinner rush?” Joel asked her once he had gotten out his notebook.

“I called three times,” she said, a look of apprehension on her face. “Rose told me twice that he'd left but he hasn't showed up yet.”

“That's because he took four shots at Detective Smith and me at the Ephraim Marina and took off on his boat,” Lark said.

“Oh my God,” Angelina said. Her hands flew to her face.

“Were you in on the burglaries?” Skewski asked.

“What burglaries?”

“The burglaries of the summerhouses,” Skewski replied, noting the surprise on her face.

“I don't know anything about them.” Angelina's eyes darted back and forth between them.

“Have you met Celeste, Simon's sister?” Skewski asked.

“No. Why would I know Simon's sister?”

“She was caught in New Orleans trying to sell antiques that were stolen from homes in Door County. We though she might have been in the restaurant and Simon might have introduced you.”

“Never met her.”

“Angelina, Simon is in serious trouble,” Skewsi said. “We think he and his sister did these burglaries. We also think they are responsible for the attempted murder of Daisy DuBois in a botched robbery. If you know anything and you keep it from us, you could be charged with obstruction.”

“I don't know anything about the robberies.” Angelina fidgeted with her long white apron. “I need to get back to work.” She turned and walked away from them. They let her go since they didn't have any reason to keep her. They got in Lark's SUV and drove to Sturgeon Bay to wait for Lacey to get out of surgery.

June 7—Edgewater Resort, Ephraim, Wisconsin

After spending half the night at Door County Memorial, Joel and Lark had finally gone home to get a little sleep. Lacey had come through two surgeries, one on her shoulder and one on her abdomen. She was intubated in critical care and listed in serious condition. She was stable after the surgery, but Gene had slept in a call room at the hospital to be sure the nursing staff had quick access to him in case she had any problems.

Joel and Lark met with Skewski in Lark's suite at the Edgewater at nine the next morning to catch up on the case. Skewski brought a coffee cake his wife had baked that morning and Lark provided the coffee. They sat down around the bar in Lark's kitchen.

“The Coast Guard found the
Rose Queen
docked over on Chambers Island. They spotted it around five
A.M
.,” Skewski said

“Where the hell is that?” Joel asked.

“West of Ephraim and Fish Creek out in Green Bay.” All three men looked out the window at the water. The morning was bright and clear and the water was calm. It was as if nothing had happened the night before. “The island is six miles out from Door County and the same distance from the Michigan border on the other side.”

“Shit.” Lark pounded his fist on the table. “Why didn't the Coast Guard find his boat before this?”

Skewski bristled. “You ever try to search a body of water the size of Lake Michigan in a storm in the middle of the night? Think about all the open water. There are nine good-sized islands near the shore between Fish Creek and Ellison Bay. He could have gone west right across to the Escanaba side of Michigan or further north in the UP. He could have gone down to Green Bay and pulled into one of the big marinas. There are hundreds of miles of shoreline.” Skewski got up to top off his coffee.

“The Gradoutes have a family cabin over on Chambers Island. It's an old, primitive place that no one ever uses.” Skewski grimaced at Joel and Lark. “It's been in the family so long I forgot all about it. The island is about eleven miles around. Amos Card used to own the whole shebang. I don't know if it's still in the family or not. We're checking with Rose to find out. The Coast Guard has impounded the
Rose Queen
. They're going over it with a fine-toothed comb. I've got two deputies over there searching the island, but don't hold your breath. One of my guys thinks the Gradoutes kept a fishing boat there. If they did, it's gone now.”

“I'm starting to wonder if we're ever going to catch this guy,” Lark said. “All he has to do is get to Canada and disappear on us. He and his sister have over a million dollars from the other auctions stashed somewhere.”

“We've already alerted Canada,” Skewski said. “Did you notice Simon's SUV last night?”

“Notice it?” Lark asked. “We followed it up the road last night. Of course we noticed it.”

“Did you notice the gold lettering?”

Joel and Lark glanced at each other. They had both missed it.

“We checked that list of SUVs last night and the Gradoutes didn't have a vehicle on it,” Joel said.

“There were two lists, one with SUV owners in Door County and the other with SUVs registered in Wisconsin. It wasn't on either list,” Skewski said.

“It's licensed in Illinois.”

“Damn. You think that's the SUV Mrs. Whitlock saw?” Lark asked.

“We can't find anyone else with a connection to Larsen that has a dark-colored SUV with gold lettering.”

“Wonder who picked him up?” Joel said.

“I say we talk to his gal Friday at Rosemary's again. After all, she provided his alibi,” Skewski said as he put their plates and cups in the sink.

They caught Angelina in the Hill Top Café parking lot just as she was leaving to drive to Green Bay for produce. She reluctantly agreed to answer more of their questions. She escorted then to the dining room and seated them at an empty table in the corner. The men declined coffee. Angelina got herself some water and sat down to talk with them.

“I told you before I don't know a thing about the robberies,” she said as she unscrewed the top of her water bottle.

“An SUV similar to Simon's was spotted in a cul-de-sac near the golf course around the same time Larsen was killed,” Skewski said. “Our witness describes a woman picking up a man who looked like Simon. He put a set of golf clubs in the SUV. He left a golf cart with Larsen's clubs in it in one of the yards.”

Angelina's face went pale. She twirled the water bottle between her hands, not meeting their eyes.

“We think the driver was you.”

“You're mistaken.”

“I don't think we're mistaken. I think you and Simon were having an affair. Did he ask you to lie for him? To protect him? Did he tell you he'd leave Rose and marry you?”

Angelina said nothing.

“You really thought he'd leave Rose and all her money and connections?” Joel shook his head. “Angelina, Rose and Simon were building a new life together with the bed-and-breakfast. Now we have a witness who saw you pick Simon up after Paul was killed, and he's left you behind to take the heat for what he's done.”

“There couldn't have been any witnesses,” Angelina whispered. “Simon said the women living in those houses had gone out of town for the weekend.”

“Simon was mistaken,” Skewski said. “As the driver of the getaway car you are an accessory to murder. The only way you can help yourself is to tell us what happened.”

Angelina closed her eyes and shook her head. “I swear I didn't know anything about this until after it happened. Then it was too late. Simon told me if I said anything, I'd be arrested and we'd both be charged with murder.”

“If you cooperate with us, we will do the best we can for you with the DA,” Skewski said.

She nodded. “I've never had anything more than a parking ticket. I can't believe my life has gotten so screwed up. The Sunday that Paul Larsen was murdered, we did drive down to Sturgeon Bay to shop. Simon is obsessed with using fresh produce so we shop every day. When he picked me up that morning, he had his golf clubs with him. He said he was going to play a round of golf with Paul Larsen. On the way back from Sturgeon Bay I dropped him off at the entrance to the park. Paul was right there with a golf cart to pick him up because Simon had called him a few minutes before we got there. Simon asked me to keep my cell phone on and be ready to pick him up when he called.” She stopped and took a sip of water.

“I expected him to take three or four hours.” She glanced up at them. “I was kind of mad that he would plan a golf game on a busy Sunday brunch day and stick me with all the work. About an hour and a half after I dropped him off, he called me and asked me to come and pick him up. He sounded out of breath and I had trouble understanding him. He told me to pick him up in the cul-de-sac up on top of the hill past the golf course. When I asked him why, he hung up on me.

“When I got there, he drove a golf cart up near the road. He was the only person in it but there were two sets of golf clubs. He put his clubs in the car and we left. They only thing he would tell me was that he and Paul had gotten into a fight about the zoning and converting the house into a bed-and-breakfast.”

“Did he tell you that he'd stabbed Paul and shoved him off the cliff on the eighth hole?” Joel flipped to another page in his notebook.

“Not until after I heard Paul was dead.” She picked at the label on her water bottle. “That's when he told me that if I said a word, I would go jail as a accessory to murder for picking him up.” She looked at the sheriff, her eyes full of anguish. “I swear, I had no idea what he was going to do to Paul.”

Skewski nodded.

“Did you ever meet Simon's sister?”

Angelina held her hands up in front of her. “I swear I don't know anything about Simon's sister or the robberies. He spent a lot of time running between here and Rosemary's. Maybe he met her then.” She looked over at Joel. “I do know about that other state police detective getting robbed.”

Joel leaned forward. “You mean when Lacey got her purse stolen?”

“Yes. We were driving past the antique shop when we saw her pull into the parking lot. Paul pulled onto the road up behind the shop and sneaked down through the woods to her car. He made me keep the car running so we could get out of there in a hurry. He came back with one of those notebooks.” She pointed at the small spiral notebook Joel was taking notes in. “He went through it to see what you all knew about the murder.”

“Lacey wasn't investigating the murder, I was.”

“He went through the notebook looking for information. I thought it was about the murder,” Angelina replied. “He never mentioned the burglaries.”

“What did he do with the notebook?” Joel asked.

Angelina shrugged. “I don't know.”

“What about the night Daisy was shot?”

“All I know is that he left right after Rose went home and came back just as I was locking up Rosemary's. He told me if anyone asked, he was here all night either out in the kitchen or in back working on the books.”

“You didn't ask him where he'd been?'

“I didn't ask and I didn't want to know. After I realized he'd murdered Paul, we weren't that close. I felt more like his prisoner than anything else. Are you going to arrest me?”

Skewski stood up. “Yes, we are, but we'll work with the DA to see that he goes easy on you as long as you agree to testify against Simon.”

Angelina nodded and tears began to course down her face as Skewski read her her rights.