Murder Is Private (5 page)

Chapter 10

Susan walked around the neighborhood before work. It was delightful being able to take her walks outside rather than on the treadmill. When she’d left New York, there was still snow on the ground. She showered, dressed, and enjoyed a slice of Audrey’s banana bread before leaving for work. Starr, Bibi, and Manolito were waiting outside the classroom door when she got to her classroom.

“I really enjoyed the concert last night. The strings played so well in tune,” she said to them, in greeting.

“Thanks. Mr. Benitez is a drill sergeant in rehearsals. Our concerts are always well prepared. I’m glad you came,” said Starr.

“Starr, who was the black violin student with the dreads?” Susan asked.

“That’s Kymani. He’s a senior. Keeps to himself.” But why did he sneak out of the hall only to re-enter through another door? And what did he say to that nurse?
Back to work!
she ordered herself
.
She had a class to teach.

Susan was pleased with the ability of her students. At least Audrey didn’t have to worry about them falling behind. Susan was adjusting to the schedule and not getting quite as exhausted by day’s end as she had at first.

At lunchtime, she ate outside on a wrought iron bench. It was a gorgeous day. She’d packed a turkey sandwich and an apple. And a brownie she’d picked up at Starbuck’s this morning on the way to work. After all, she had gotten her exercise today and even with the brownie, her brownbag lunch had to be way healthier than the cafeteria food.

“Mind if I join you?” Gabby Ramirez, the school librarian, sat next to her. She had flawless olive skin and silky black hair which flowed down her back. “How are things going?”

“I must say I’m enjoying myself. The students are really sweet and they pick up on things so much faster than my elementary kids ever did. Not surprising, I know.”

“Celia is smiling down from heaven at you,” said Gabby sweetly. “She must be at peace knowing her students are in good hands. She loved those kids. Used to sit right there on the bench across the path and talk with them all the time. They were her family. With no children of her own, and that sorry excuse for a husband, it’s no wonder she was never in a hurry to get home.”

“Celia and her husband were having problems?” Lynette would tell her to stop nosing into business that didn’t concern her.
Sorry, Lynette,
she said in her mind to her daughter.
She couldn’t resist.

“I think he beat her,” said Gabby. “Celia wouldn’t admit it––but come on––a sudden black eye, a sprained wrist? The bum even showed up drunk at one of the chorus concerts. She didn’t deserve that.”

“Why did she stay with him? Why not get a divorce?”

“Celia was a close friend of mine, Mrs. Wiles. Between you and me, she was planning on leaving him.”

“She said that?”

“She’d finally met a man who treated her like a princess. She wouldn’t tell me his name. I wondered if it was because he was married or something.” Gabby blew her nose and wiped her eyes.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Gabby. I hope they find her killer soon.”

“I don’t know why they haven’t arrested that bum of a husband, Derrick. It’s clear to me it was him who killed her. If he couldn’t have Celia, then nobody could.” Gabby stood up. “Got to get back; I have a class.” Gabby quickly ran off.

Susan got up and suddenly slipped on the leaves cluttering the path. Embarrassed, she brushed herself off and looked around to make sure no one had seen her fall.
Audrey’s son George had to be the most incompetent gardener she’d ever seen
, she thought.
How hard is it to pass through the campus with a leaf blower?

The violinist from last night, Kymani with the dreads, brushed right past her. He was walking toward the arboretum with long, deliberate steps. He wasn’t carrying his violin.
Isn’t there an orchestra rehearsal this afternoon?
she wondered
.
She looked at her watch and realized she had some time before chorus rehearsal.
I wonder where that Kymani is going in such a hurry.

Susan followed him toward the arboretum, keeping her distance so he wouldn’t notice her. Leaves crinkled under her sandals. She froze, worried he’d heard her footfalls, but he showed no indication that he had. As she approached the arboretum, she spotted someone in a blue hoodie and jeans leaning against a flowering tree. Kymani approached him. Susan ducked behind the bushes.

Hoodie boy reached into his backpack and took out a wad of cash which he fanned in front of Kymani’s face as he handed it to him. They huddled up to each other, their backs to Susan. Susan pushed the leaves apart, scratching her hand as she strained to see through the densely packed hedge. Kymani handed something to hoodie boy.
If only they hadn’t turned away from her
, she thought. The encounter was over in a flash, with the two parties barely uttering words. Kymani left the arboretum the same way he’d come in, and hoodie boy walked off in the opposite direction. Susan looked at her watch and realized her chorus rehearsal was about to start.

Chapter 11

After chorus rehearsal, Susan locked the room and started home to Audrey’s.
This Kymani fellow was surely hiding something,
she thought. Was he selling pot? Running a gambling service? Maybe he was selling research papers. Nah, doubtful.

When she arrived at Audrey’s, Detective Kevin was sitting on the sofa next to Lynette.

“Hello, Mrs. Wiles,” he greeted her. “How do you like being back in the saddle?”

“It’s great. Kind of like being a grandmother––play with the baby, then hand her off to her parents when you get tired. I’ll enjoy my teaching at Hemingway High, then retreat back to retired life when I go home. What brings you out here, Kevin?”

“Just running some ideas by Lynette. Spring Breakers have hit the town big time and most of my colleagues are up to their gills with drunken college students.” He put his arm around Lynette. “Lynette’s a great sounding board. It helps going over the murder case with fresh eyes.”

“You know,” said Susan, “I’ve been told I’m pretty good at solving mysteries too.” Lynette shot her a dirty look. “For instance, did you know that Celia and her husband were having problems?”

“We always suspect the spouse first,” replied the detective.
Why was Kevin’s arm still around Lynette’s shoulders?
Susan wondered
.

“You saw that on
Dateline
, right, Mom?”

Susan ignored her daughter’s snide comment. “She was seeing someone. She was planning on leaving her husband.”

“Really?” said Kevin.

“Mom, that’s just hearsay. You know how rumors fly around schools.”

“I got it from a reliable source. Her best friend told me,” said Susan. Annalise cried from upstairs.

“I’ll go get her,” said Lynette. “She had a nice long nap.”

“Hope she can get to sleep tonight. You know I used to wake you and Evan up if you napped longer than two hours.” Lynette didn’t respond to her mother’s comment. Susan quickly took Lynette’s spot on the sofa.

“Lynette and Jason are terrific parents. They’ve created a
beautiful
family together.” Susan emphasized the word
beautiful,
beaming at Kevin.

“I’m sure they have. Jason’s a lucky guy.”

“Kevin, I want to ask you about something I saw,” said Susan in a whisper. “If someone, say some hoodie- clad student, hands over a wad of cash to another student, what might he be buying?”

“Pot is the most common, but a wad of cash? Pot’s not that expensive. These kids usually buy just a little at a time,” he explained.

“What else could it be?”

“Lately, we’ve seen an increase in illegal gun sales. Made more arrests this year than in the past five put together.”

“Guns?”

“Yeah.”

“To use in robberies?” asked Susan.

“And for protection. Florida has a
Stand Your Ground
law. If someone breaks into your house and you perceive it as a threat, you’ve got a right to protect yourself.”

“That really happens here?” said Susan.

“As a matter of fact,” said Kevin, “Celia herself shot and killed an armed robber in her own home about ten years ago. The robber was with his brother. The brother’s in jail.”

Lynette came down the stairs with Annalise. Susan scooted next to Kevin on the sofa, planting herself between him and Lynette.

“I gotta get back,” said Kevin, rising. “Stop by the station tomorrow, Lynette. We can grab lunch.”

“Sounds good,” Lynette said, rising and walking him to the door. she locked it and returned to her mother.

“Lynette. You’d better stop leading that man on! You’re a married woman. A mother!” Susan demanded.

“What? Are you crazy? There’s nothing going on between us,” said Lynette sitting down next to her mother with the baby in her arms.

“Maybe not on your part, but I see the way he looks at you. I’ll bet he’s still in love with you.”

“That’s so ridiculous!” Lynette chuckled. “Let’s drop this, Mom. I love Jason and would never cheat on him.”

“I’m just telling you to watch out before he gets the wrong message.” Lynette huffed and took the baby outside.

Susan decided to ignore her daughter for the moment and follow up on something Kevin had said. She grabbed her laptop and searched
home invasion/stand your ground.
She scrolled through the results and found what she was looking for. The first article was from the day of the robbery that Kevin had mentioned. Like Kevin had said, two robbers had invaded Celia’s home in the middle of the night. She’d come downstairs with a gun, and saw one of the robbers was armed. When he took a step toward her, she shot him. She’d called the police before coming downstairs and soon heard sirens. Turns out the robbers were brothers. Celia had killed one of them. The other was arrested.

Susan kept reading. The next articles were about the trial. Celia wasn’t charged. According to the newly implemented
Stand Your Ground
law, she had the right to protect herself. The trial of the surviving brother lasted less than a month. He was found guilty of armed robbery and sentenced to ten years in prison. According to one article, he stood up and screamed at Celia after the verdict was read. He warned her that he’d get revenge for his brother’s death no matter how long it took. Susan looked at the date of the article. It was ten years ago––almost to the day…

Chapter 12

“I can’t wait to meet my grandson,” said Audrey. She and Susan were on their way to the airport.

Susan shuddered when Audrey referred to Evan as her grandson. Evan had only known one grandmother his whole life––and it wasn’t Audrey.

“Can’t wait to see him either. It’s been a while,” said Susan through clenched teeth.

Traffic was light early on this Saturday morning. The two women waited at Evan’s gate. “Audrey, did you know that Celia shot an armed robber?”

“Yes, years ago. It was big news. I say good for her, defending herself like that.” Audrey looked down at the floor. “Maybe if she’d been carrying a gun in the arboretum the other night she’d still be alive.”

Passengers started coming through the gate—couples, families, and an abundance of young people wearing college t-shirts. Susan stood on her tiptoes and strained to see.

“Look! There he is!” Evan ran up to Susan. She gave him a bear hug. “You got taller. And handsomer.”

“Mom,” replied the young man, “I’m pretty sure I’ve stopped growing, but I’ll accept the
handsomer
part. Missed you.” He kissed her cheek.

“Evan, this is Audrey, your…” Susan swallowed hard, “grandmother.”

Evan extended his hand. “Mom has told me a lot about you.” Audrey smiled.

Susan knew he was trying to be polite. She’d told him nearly nothing about Audrey. After all, she knew very little herself.

“Are you hungry? Did they feed you on the plane? A little bag of peanuts, right? And they probably charged you for a drink,” said Susan.

“I’m a little hungry. They have an IHOP here in Florida, right?”

Audrey answered, “You bet they do. There’s one right on the way home.” With smiles all around, they headed out.

“Mom, how is Lynette doing with her vision issue?”

“She’s had a few more episodes, but knowing it’s genetic and not going to make her blind makes it much easier to handle.” Susan couldn’t help but remember that it was finding Audrey and her valuable family history information that had provided much needed health assurance for her daughter.

“Your Mom told me how proud she is to have a soon to be doctor in the family,” said Audrey. Susan winced. She knew Evan hated it when she bragged about him.

“Still have to finish another year of med school, and then a residency. I have a ways to go.”

“There’s a shortage of doctors here in Florida, you know. Maybe you’ll wind up down here,” said Audrey, dropping an obvious hint that Susan did not appreciate.

Susan was hoping Evan would find a residency in New York. He’d once told her the best programs were in the Northeast. After that, she wanted him to settle down and start a family nearby. She’d love more grandchildren. St. Louis was far enough way. What was Audrey doing trying to sell him on Florida?”

“Here we are!” said Audrey when they reached the IHOP. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving, and pancakes are one of my favorite foods.”

“Mine too,” said Evan. “Especially blueberry ones.”

“Those are the best,” said Audrey. “Great minds think alike, isn’t that what they say?”

Once inside, the hostess brought them to a booth in the corner of the restaurant. Audrey faced the wall, but Susan could see the whole dining room from her seat. As they were eating, two familiar faces walked in. Susan found it strange. When she was teaching, she wouldn’t have dreamed of socializing with a student. So it upset her to see Kymani, the sinister violinist, and Alonzo, the orchestra conductor, sitting down across from her. She turned her head away so Alonzo wouldn’t notice her.

“The beach is wonderful. Water’s nice and warm. We’ll have to spend a day there. Maybe tomorrow,” said Audrey.

“I’d love to,” said Evan. “After getting through exams last week, vegging out on the beach is exactly what I need.”

Susan noticed Alonzo lean across the table, close to Kymani. He did all of the talking and it looked serious. It was not a carefree social breakfast. Kymani nodded occasionally and fixed his gaze on Alonzo the whole time.
I wish I could hear what they are saying,
she thought.

“Mom, are you listening?”

“I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

“Beach tomorrow,” said Evan. “We can stop at Subway and bring some sandwiches. Lynette and Annalise too.”

“That sounds great. Annalise loves the beach.”

Susan turned her attention back to Alonzo and Kymani. Their table was right next to the restrooms. “Excuse me a minute,” she said. “I need to use the ladies room. All that coffee, you know.”

Susan sauntered to the restroom. Kymani and Alonzo were deeply engaged in conversation and she knew they wouldn’t notice her pausing near them as she walked by.

“Got it?” said Alonzo. “Tonight at the recess beach.”

“I’ll be there.” Kymani pushed away from the table. Susan hurried past and ducked into the restroom. When she came out, the two men were gone. She made her way back to her table.

“Susan, do you want anything else?” said Audrey.

“No, I’m stuffed after that stack of chocolate chip pancakes.” So much for eating a healthy breakfast. She’d have oatmeal tomorrow. With fat free milk.

When they arrived at Audrey’s, Lynette and Annalise came out to the car to greet them.

“Hey, big guy! You chose a great place for spring break,” said Lynette to her brother.

“I’m no fool. Hi there, Anabanana.”

Susan was amazed when Annalise reached out as Evan took her from Lynette. She hadn’t expected the toddler to remember her uncle. Then again, that grandbaby of hers was one smart cookie.
 

“How’s the arm?” said Evan to Lynette.

“It’s healing. Should be able to ditch the cast in a week or so.”

“Let’s go inside and you can settle in,” said Audrey. She led them all into the den. It was just big enough for a twin bed and small dresser. The sliding glass door allowed a spectacular view of the flowering trees and backyard fountain.

“Evan, you can pull down the blinds so no one can see in,” said Audrey. “After you settle in, would you like a tour of the school?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s go into the living room. Would you like something to drink?”

“I’m good,” he said. “I want to unpack my suitcase first.”

“Go on, Audrey,” said Susan. “I’ll help him and then we can take a tour.” Susan was surprised at how efficiently Evan had packed. She doubted she herself could have squeezed as much as he did into a carry-on. Evan filled her in on his classes and the girl he was currently dating. It felt good to catch up. It had been months since she’d seen him.

“The sunsets are beautiful here. Maybe after dinner we can take a walk on the beach,” said Susan.

“A walk on the beach. I’m game.”