The Carbon Murder (9 page)
Authors: Camille Minichino
Tags: #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #Women Sleuths
I swallowed hard, and went back to work on my star.
Only Rusty’s motive for traveling across the country seemed clear: To murder Nina. But if Wayne was right, Rusty might also have had MC on his list, and whoever hired him would still be after her.
I tapped my keyboard. Why was all this happening in Revere? Was it just because MC had returned to Revere, or was there something else going on in Revere, even before MC got back?
I looked at my star. Probably because I was thinking of the Wild West, I’d drawn little filled-in circles at the ends of the spokes, like the rivets on a western shirt, or the logo for some Bar Star Ranch. All at once the circles looked like atoms. Carbon atoms. Buckyballs. Not sixty atoms like a real buckyball molecule, but close enough. Except for Rusty Forman, all the Texans had buckyballs in common.
Now it was easy. Where were the buckyballs in Revere? I asked myself. At the Charger Street lab. And who at the Charger Street lab had been trying to break into this star? I smiled at my cleverness. Lorna Frederick, I answered. Lorna Frederick, who kept calling MC for an interview.
It made so much sense to me, I picked up the phone to share my insight with the real police.
“I have something,” I said to Matt.
“Lorna Frederick,” he said.
I dropped my shoulders, slumped in my chair, swept by a mixture of disappointment at not being first and excitement at the verification of my star calculation.
“Right.” Too weak, I knew, but I couldn’t take it back.
I heard the wonderful Matt-laugh. “You don’t like sharing the triumph?”
“Of course I do.”
“Isn’t there something like this in science, where two people in different parts of the world invent the same thing at the same time?”
I resisted the temptation to explain the difference between scientific discovery and technological invention.
“Lorna Frederick was on Nina’s telephone list?” I asked.
“Right. Only one of many, but for some strange reason, I thought I’d take this one to follow up on. I’m going out to Charger Street in the morning. Interested in a consulting job?”
“Does Revere have a beach?”
T
hat evening Matt and I took a walk along Revere Beach Boulevard. I loved the shapes of the pavilion and bandstand rooftops, some trapezoidal, others with a parabolic cross-section. They were a deep green color during the day, and darkened as the light faded. Beautiful geometric patterns emerged, sandwiched between the gray sky above the ocean and the now almost completely barren trees on the road in front.
hat evening Matt and I took a walk along Revere Beach Boulevard. I loved the shapes of the pavilion and bandstand rooftops, some trapezoidal, others with a parabolic cross-section. They were a deep green color during the day, and darkened as the light faded. Beautiful geometric patterns emerged, sandwiched between the gray sky above the ocean and the now almost completely barren trees on the road in front.
The old-fashioned streetlights came on as we strolled from Revere Street to Beach Street. We were surprised at the low traffic flow along the boulevard.
“Everyone’s home watching
Monday Night Football
,” Matt said.
Monday Night Football
,” Matt said.
“Finally, a redeeming feature,” I said.
An amiable laugh. Matt cared as little as I did about organized sports, denying that it was because he didn’t make the team in high school. When the debating coach gets as much stipend and attention as the soccer coach, maybe our educational system won’t be an embarrassment, was our sweeping, collective opinion. All the world’s problems had simple solutions on a stroll by the ocean.
The evening was peaceful, the weather mild, and we agreed to keep our conversation equally serene. No talk of disease, diagnosis, or treatment, though I’d revisited all my health-related bookmarks. No talk of buckyballs, though I’d given myself a crash course from Internet sources, to update myself. Not even a strategy session on our next day’s meeting with Lorna Frederick.
We cut down a side street to Ocean Avenue, which ran behind the boulevard, where we’d parked Matt’s Camry. We’d covered about a mile and a quarter in all. I wanted to stretch out distance and time, to keep my senses full of the salt-air smells and the sound of the surf, to block out the real-life space-time coordinates that would throw us back into the universe of murder and disease—both too close to home.
Matt started the car, rolled into the northbound lane. “We’ve got some challenges ahead,” he said, as if he’d been in touch with my soul. “And, lucky us, we get to work on them together.”
“Lucky us,” I said. Lucky me.
I thought I’d walked into a catalog for horse owners—Lorna Frederick’s office was teeming with images of horses. Posters of horses; horse sculptures; horse designs on her wastebasket, pencil holder, and lamp shade; photographs of herself with horses and on horses. In one framed snapshot, Lorna, who looked about thirty-five or forty—too old to be jumping over fences in my opinion—was wearing a fitted black jacket and helmet and white pants. I was sure there was a special name for the pants. The word “jodhpurs” came to mind, but that might be those bright, silk outfits that racing jockeys wore, I thought.
Lorna, in person, wore a striking blue knit dress, utterly out of sync with the ranch-like atmosphere of her office. Over her shoulders she’d hung a shawl, or a stole, or at least a large piece of fabric in blues and purples. When she stood to greet us, the beaded fringes on the ends clanked against her telephone. I’d seen such arrays on models in magazine ads, but never on anyone I knew, and certainly not on anyone working in a laboratory. It looked as practical as a prom dress at a rodeo. But what did I know about rodeos? I asked myself. Amazing how I was being carried away lately by images of the Wild West. Texas, big as it was, was forcing its way into my world.
I found myself wishing we could arrest Lorna for fashion violation,
to get her outfit off the streets. But in the less-than-perfect world Matt and I were in, we introduced ourselves and began the slow process of gleaning information.
to get her outfit off the streets. But in the less-than-perfect world Matt and I were in, we introduced ourselves and began the slow process of gleaning information.
“Sit down. Make yourselves comfortable,” Lorna said from behind her desk, with a flare to match her outfit. Her face was pinched together vertically, too small for her body; her light hair, many shades of blond, was short and curled unnaturally at the edges. “It’s not every day I get a visit from Revere’s finest. My secretary neglected to say what brings you here, but you are welcome to my humble office.”
Humble, indeed.
Matt, in the brown suit he wore every Tuesday, nodded his thanks and pointed to the display case of ribbons on the wall behind her desk. Blue, red, yellow, white, all with gold letters spelling something I couldn’t make out. I’d seen the raw materials when I’d reluctantly accompanied Rose to a party-supply store one time, and wondered how you could tell which ones were legitimate.
“Very impressive,” Matt said. There was no way Lorna could know that the police detective in front of her was afraid of large animals, horses in particular. I’d found this out through George Berger. Matt and I had sat with him and his wife at a department party, and he’d related an anecdote about how the rookie Matt Gennaro had refused to mount a police horse for a Veteran’s Day parade. He’d been able to make a deal with his captain, that he’d close at least three cold cases that week if they’d let him off parade duty. He’d closed four. Matt held a smug smile through the telling of the story.
“It’s department legend,” Berger said, when I asked him how he knew this, since he was much younger and couldn’t have known Matt in his early years with RPD.
Lorna sat down and picked up a photo from her desk, herself on a speckled gray-and-black horse. “This is Degas, my Appaloosa, one of my favorites. He’s won me one ribbon after another. Not many people realize Edgar Degas painted and sculpted horses as
well as ballerinas.” Lorna leaned back, steepled her fingers. “I’ve been a horsewoman since I was eight years old. Cleaned stalls in exchange for lessons, and now I own more horses than my first instructor at Sunset Ranch did.”
well as ballerinas.” Lorna leaned back, steepled her fingers. “I’ve been a horsewoman since I was eight years old. Cleaned stalls in exchange for lessons, and now I own more horses than my first instructor at Sunset Ranch did.”
How nice for you
, I thought.
, I thought.
“Impressive,” Matt said again, as if he had limited vocabulary when it came to equestrian prowess.
My eyes strayed to a large whiteboard on the side wall, its tray filled with erasers and thick markers in as many colors as the ribbons Lorna had won. I could tell she had left real science and engineering far behind. The board was filled with organizational charts, budget items with dollar amounts, timelines, and acronyms for funding sponsors. My eyes landed on
DoD
. Leave it to the Department of Defense to use a lowercase O, so that every scientist had to tell her or his editors it wasn’t a typo. DOE, DARPA, NRC. The Department of Energy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A few nongovernment names, some of which were pharmaceutical companies I recognized, were on the board also, with question marks next to them. Not committed, I assumed. There wasn’t an equation or a force diagram in sight.
DoD
. Leave it to the Department of Defense to use a lowercase O, so that every scientist had to tell her or his editors it wasn’t a typo. DOE, DARPA, NRC. The Department of Energy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission. A few nongovernment names, some of which were pharmaceutical companies I recognized, were on the board also, with question marks next to them. Not committed, I assumed. There wasn’t an equation or a force diagram in sight.
“Interesting that you didn’t choose horse-raising as a career,” Matt said.
I wondered if horses were actually raised, like children, or chickens and sheep. My mind wandered in search of a more appropriate word, but neither Matt nor Lorna seemed hampered by the word choice. Lorna told us how her father, a rancher, had convinced her that the best strategy was for her to get an education in a field where she could make enough money to afford the luxury of competitive riding.
“No money in these competitions?” Matt asked, glancing at the showcase, as if to ask the worth of dozens of satiny ribbons.
Lorna shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, almost losing her scarf/shawl. “Not much, at least not in the local shows. There’s decent money in the bigger jumping competitions, sometimes
as much as a hundred thousand dollars, but that would be split up among the top placings. Canada has a famous event, maybe close to a half million in prizes, but on the average it’s much less than that. Most people are in it for the sport.” She smiled, leaned forward, sharing a secret. “Well, for ego, too, I admit. You’re always competing for points, which you accumulate toward yearend awards, at a big ceremony.” Lorna opened her arms wide, to signify how big, again almost losing her wrap.
as much as a hundred thousand dollars, but that would be split up among the top placings. Canada has a famous event, maybe close to a half million in prizes, but on the average it’s much less than that. Most people are in it for the sport.” She smiled, leaned forward, sharing a secret. “Well, for ego, too, I admit. You’re always competing for points, which you accumulate toward yearend awards, at a big ceremony.” Lorna opened her arms wide, to signify how big, again almost losing her wrap.
Matt nodded, relaxed. I knew he was gearing up, letting Lorna get comfortable. “But you have to make a living somehow,” he said, giving a palms-up. Compatriots, both just doing a job. I sat in my navy blue business casual, waiting for a piece of the action. So far, I hadn’t done much but smile and nod in appropriate places.
“Right,” Lorna said, “so, I came East to study engineering.”
“East from … ?” Matt asked.
“Galveston,” Lorna said, raising the hairs on the back of my head. I wished I knew the distance from Galveston to Houston. In a state the size of Texas, it might be the same as Revere to Portland, Maine, but, still, here was another Texan in Revere. Lorna seemed to enjoy giving her bio. “I majored in chemistry at BU, got involved in materials research when I came here to Charger Street as a summer intern. I came back after I graduated, and I’ve been here ever since. Do I have to tell you how many years?” This last was said in a coy, flirting way that did not become her.
Matt smiled and gave a page of his notebook a casual flip. “Do you know a Nina Martin?”
I smiled, recognizing Matt’s style—chat for a few minutes, let them direct the conversation, then hit them with a quick yes-or-no, black-or-white, do-you-or-don’t-you question.
Lorna seemed as taken aback as he’d intended. She cleared her throat and then frowned, as if in confusion, but to my mind, it was a cover-up in advance of a lie.
“Nina … Martin? No.” Lorna might have been trying to pronounce
a foreign phrase. She licked her lips, rubbed her forehead. Matt kept his eyes locked on her. She fumbled with paper clips in a bowl on her desk. “Oh, wait, I did see something on the news. The woman they found in the marsh?”
a foreign phrase. She licked her lips, rubbed her forehead. Matt kept his eyes locked on her. She fumbled with paper clips in a bowl on her desk. “Oh, wait, I did see something on the news. The woman they found in the marsh?”
Matt nodded. I knew he wouldn’t say anything just yet. From the interview handbook, I imagined: Create an awkward silence, hope the suspect will fill it. Not that Lorna Frederick was an official suspect, except for all the connections I’d made on my computer-generated star.
Lorna obliged with stuttering remarks. “Terrible thing. Poor woman.” She shook her head in tsk-tsk sympathy. “What makes you ask if I knew her? Is that what brings you here?”
“Do you have any connections with the buckyball team in Houston?” The Don’t Answer Her Question; Ask Another One trick, a polite form of “I’ll ask the questions here.” I was proud of Matt’s glib mention of nanotechnology.
“Yes, I know the people from the program out there, of course. You know how it is with research these days, share and share—”
“Can you think of any reason Nina Martin would be carrying around your telephone number?” Matt asked, cutting in.
Poor Lorna. In the last few minutes she’d straightened out two metal paper clips. Good-bye steepled fingers.
“Well, no. I … uh … She had my phone number? I suppose it could have been a permutation or something.” Lorna sat up straight again, as if an idea had suddenly come to her. “Or maybe someone referred her to me. I’m responsible for recruiting people to the project. That must be it.”
“Would you mind telling me where you were last Friday, Ms. Frederick?”
His voice so sweet, the detective might have been asking her out for coffee. Which reminded me to look for signs of Lorna’s family life. She had so many rings on her fingers—I counted three on each hand, including an enormous silver/turquoise number that must have made it impossible for her to bend that knuckle—I couldn’t
tell if a wedding ring was among them. I saw only one photo that didn’t include horses—Lorna with two men I recognized as local politicians.
tell if a wedding ring was among them. I saw only one photo that didn’t include horses—Lorna with two men I recognized as local politicians.
Lorna hadn’t misinterpreted Matt’s question as anything but what it was—a request for an alibi. Her face lost its color; she put her hands on her desk and rolled back in her chair, as if to push herself away from the topic. She bit her lower lip and closed her eyes; I thought she might cry. Then, in the next minute, her eyes widened. I imagined her mind churning, angry that Matt had not been open with her from the beginning. Her nostrils flared, as I imagined her Appaloosa’s might. She stood and folded her arms across her chest.
“I rode my horse until ten or ten-thirty, then went home to bed.” She cleared her throat, ready to deliver an unpleasant message to an underling. “And now I’m going to ask you to leave.”
Matt nodded and closed his notebook, giving no sign he’d noticed her new hostility. “Of course,” he said.
The interview was over, and I hadn’t done a thing to earn my consultant status. I had to get a word in. “If you have another moment—before we leave, I’d just like to get a sense of what you do here as project director. Does that mean you have responsibility for funding, or do you also set the research agenda?”
Lorna glared at me, picked up a brochure from a pile on her side table, and handed it to me. “Everything you need to know is in here. Now, I have an important meeting.”
Unlike this one
, was the implication. She swept her arm toward the door. “So if you will kindly leave?”
Unlike this one
, was the implication. She swept her arm toward the door. “So if you will kindly leave?”
We did.
For now,
I thought.
I thought.
“What did you think?” Matt asked, starting our traditional post-interview debriefing. We were in his Camry, headed for lunch at Russo’s on Broadway. In my mind, I’d already ordered the specialty of the house, eggplant parmigiana.
“She seemed too tall for horse-riding,” I said, only half teasing. I realized I was probably influenced by photos I’d seen of jockeys, who seemed not much bigger than Rose.
Matt laughed. “What do we know from this interview? Friendly with the mayor and Councilman Vega, for one.”
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