1 52 Steps to Murder Read online

  Lou answered before I had a chance.

  “Well, since I’m the sergeant, this must be King.”

  “I’m not yet a king, but give me time,” I interjected.

  Hartley drew close enough to see our battle scars.

  “Boy, it looks like the two of you caught something. You haven’t been working out with the Green Bay Packers without a helmet, have you?”

  I looked Hartley in the eye. I wondered if he was responsible for our injuries.

  “It was supposed to be a secret. How did you find out?”

  The mailman laughed, then continued.

  “Well, I hope this is as a result of making progress on the case.”

  “We’re continuing to make progress, Mr. Hartley. Tell me, have you seen anyone on Hilltop Place in the last couple of days?”

  “Now that you mention it, I haven’t. Do you believe everyone’s left town or fallen over dead?”

  “I don’t know, Mr. Hartley. Has anyone stopped their mail?”

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had anyone stop their mail before they died, although Mrs. Nelson stopped hers while she was in the hospital.”

  “What about leaving town? Did Miss Penrod stop her mail?”

  “You know, now that you mention it, she didn’t.”

  “Did you notice any mail in her box?”

  “I really haven’t paid attention, what with my mind being on Mrs. Nelson and Mrs. Jarvis.”

  “What about Mr. Silverman? Have you seen him, or did he stop his mail?”

  “No to both questions.”

  “Do you remember putting anything in his box this morning?”

  “I believe I did, but I’m not sure.”

  “Mr. Hartley, have you by any chance been on Hilltop Place at night any time in the last few days.”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “Just curious.”

  “Now, why would I be over there at night? You know I carry the mail only in the daytime.”

  “Why don’t you tell us why you’ve been over there?”

  “Did someone say I was on Hilltop Place at night?”

  “Let’s just cut the chitchat, Mr. Hartley. Why didn’t you tell us that you rented a house from Mr. Hornwell?”

  Hartley almost dropped his mail.

  “How did you find that out?”

  “One of our men spotted you on the street the other night. What were you doing on Hilltop Place after dark?”

  “Just checking on my house.”

  “And checking on your digging equipment?”

  Hartley appeared stunned and took a moment to answer.

  “I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Maybe not. Just see that you don’t. We’ll keep in touch.”

  Hartley didn’t respond. He stood there sweating. I was sure that he was wondering how much the police department knew about his activities. I could tell that up to a few seconds ago he thought his movements had gone unnoticed. I wondered if the money we had found was his.

  Lou and I left Hartley and went back to Hilltop Place. We saw Officer Davis parked in front of Mrs. Nelson’s house and pulled up to talk to him.

  “Good morning, Officer Davis. Any activity on the street this morning?”

  “Nothing but the mailman.”

  “And have you seen anyone open his or her door and collect the mail?”

  “Not anyone at this end of the street. I assume those are the ones you’re interested in.”

  I walked over and looked up at the Reynolds house. There was mail in the mailbox. Then I walked around and saw mail in Silverman’s box, but saw no one sitting in the window holding a pair of binoculars. I returned to Lou and Officer Davis.

  “Officer Davis, am I correct when I say that you haven’t seen anyone at the Jarvis, Penrod, Nelson, Reynolds, or Silverman houses since you’ve been on detail here?”

  Before he responded, Officer Davis took a minute to think about the five houses I had mentioned.

  “That’s right, Lieutenant. No one. Do you want me to continue to stay here?”

  “Yes. At least through the weekend. I want you on the job as much as possible, and make sure you find someone to relieve you anytime you need to leave. I want to know if anyone enters or leaves any of these houses, at least until we get some new evidence or an autopsy report.”

  “No problem, Lieutenant.”

  “A couple of other things. Now that you’ve had time to think about it, do you think you can identify the person who was in Mrs. Nelson’s house when you and Angela Nelson were upstairs?”

  “Sorry, Lieutenant. I didn’t see whoever it was.”

  “Think for a minute. From the sound of the footsteps, do you think they were made by a man or a woman?”

  “My guess is a man, but I can’t say for sure. At least it wasn’t someone wearing high heels.”

  “Also, is there any way that Angela Nelson could have gotten up those steps and poisoned her grandmother while the two of you were in the house.”

  “How long did it take her to die, Lieutenant?”

  “Approximately fifteen to twenty minutes.”

  “Then there’s no way, Lieutenant. Miss Nelson never went up those steps until about a minute or so before we found her grandmother dead. I’m sure of that. We hadn’t even been in the house anywhere near fifteen minutes. I’d say we’d been there less than five minutes.”

  “Officer Davis, think carefully. Did you hear anyone in the house prior to the two of you entering the house, or did you hear any noises in the house prior to hearing someone running from the house?”

  “Sorry, Lieutenant. I didn’t hear anything.”

  “Then we don’t know if the intruder followed you or was already hiding in the house when the two of you entered,” I said, as I turned away.

  I thought of something else and turned back to Officer Davis.

  “One other thing, the man you phoned me about the other night, the one you saw on the street after dark, do you have any idea if it was the same person you saw running from the Nelson house the morning of the murder?”

  “Since I didn’t see the first person, I really can’t say.”

  “I didn’t think you could, but I thought I’d ask. Could it have been Mr. Hartley?”

  “I guess so.”

  “Thanks for everything, Officer Davis. I’ll be in touch.”

  As I turned away, I pulled a candy bar from my pocket, carefully opened it, and ate one almond and the chocolate that surrounded it. This move so motivated Lou that he took out his bag of M&Ms and downed a few.

  As I chewed and savored my delicacy, I turned to my partner.

  “Well, Lou, I think I’ve discovered something.”

  “What’s that, Cy?”

  “Something none of us likes to discover. I think our word for today is patience with a ‘ce.’”

  “Does that mean that we’re to lie low until someone confesses?”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen, but it might mean that we’re supposed to cool our heels until the next clue presents itself.”

  “Where do you think we are, anyway, Cy?”

  “I’m not sure, Lou. From what we have on the table it looks like our murderer would have to be either Hartley, the postman, or Miss Penrod, the next-door neighbor. That is unless it was our mysterious intruder, who could be Hartley, but not Miss Penrod, or someone who came up through the underground, which could have been the person Silverman saw in Miss Penrod’s house, provided there was such a person. And if it was someone from the underground, he or she would have had to have timed his or her murder sometime between when Miss Penrod and Hartley left and before Officer Davis and Miss Nelson arrived on the scene. Still, something tells me that things will begin to clear up soon.”

  “Yeah, maybe as soon as we locate the Reynoldses. At least, I hope so.”

  “Does that mean that we won’t have to navigate all those steps again?”

  “I don’t know. If so, we’ll have to think of a
new way to work up an appetite.”

  “We never seemed to have any trouble before we started spending so much time on this street.”

  “You’ve got a point there, Cy.”

  37

  I drove toward McAdams department store to call on Angela Nelson. I hoped that calmer surroundings and a few days distance from her traumatic experience might enable her to think of something she had forgotten the day she found her grandmother. I parked the car. Lou and I entered the store and asked a clerk where we might find Miss Nelson. She directed us to the proper department.

  “Well, good morning, Lieutenant. What brings you here today?” Angela Nelson asked, surprised to see us. “And what happened to the two of you? You look like you’ve been in a fight.”

  “The rigors of being a police detective, Miss Nelson.”

  “You haven’t found out more about my grandmother’s death, have you?”

  “Nothing that I’m ready to reveal at this time. I just had something I wanted to ask you. Other than Officer Davis, did you see anyone near your grandmother’s house prior to your finding your grandmother?”

  “Well, I think I might have seen Mr. Silverman in his window.”

  “Did you see anyone else or did you see any activity as the cab driver drove down the street?”

  “No. Why, do you think I might have just missed whoever murdered my grandmother?”

  “There’s a good possibility of that, Miss Nelson. You didn’t by any chance see whoever else was in the house, did you?”

  “No. Sorry, Lieutenant.”

  “What about when they were running out the door? Did you catch a glimpse of anyone?”

  “I’m afraid not. Officer Davis and I were just beginning to come down the stairs when we heard whoever it was. Then, we ended up tumbling down the steps.”

  The thought of tumbling down the steps stopped me for a moment.

  “You didn’t happen to look out the window after Officer Davis ran out to his cruiser, did you?”

  “No. Sorry, Lieutenant. I guess I’m no help.”

  “What did you do while Officer Davis was outside reporting your grandmother’s death?”

  “I’m not sure. I was so upset. I guess I sat on the couch, but I couldn’t say for sure.”

  “You didn’t by any chance go back up to see your grandmother, did you?”

  “I might have. I don’t remember. Like I said, I was so upset to find out my grandmother was dead.”

  “I don’t guess you have any idea what Officer Davis did when he left the house.”

  “You mean to report my grandmother’s death, or afterwards? In either case, I don’t know.”

  “You haven’t by any chance been back to the house since your grandmother’s death, have you?”

  “I thought about it. I thought spending an hour or so reliving some of the memories my grandmother and I had might help bring closure, but then I realized that I wouldn’t be able to get in. Besides, I wasn’t sure if I was allowed, or if you’re still treating it like a crime scene.”

  “Well, it would be best if you stayed away a few more days. I’ll let you know when it’s okay to go back.”

  “Thanks, Lieutenant. I appreciate everything you’re doing.”

  “You’re welcome, Miss Nelson. I’ll let you know if anything comes up. Oh, one other thing. Do you know who owns the two empty houses up the street?”

  “I’ve never really thought about it, Lieutenant. I’m sure there’s some place where you can check. I have no idea if they’re owned by the estates of the people who used to live there, or not. Sorry, I can’t help you.”

  “That’s okay, Miss Nelson. I’ll check back with you when I find out something else.”

  Lou and I had just left Angela Nelson when we received a phone call that a ladder had been found just outside the back wall at the Silverman’s house. Had Silverman escaped, too? Or had he returned? I didn’t figure I could get a search warrant until we got the results as to the cause of Mrs. Silverman’s death. Until then, there was no way I could get into the Silverman house unless Silverman admitted me. I would ask if anyone had seen Silverman, but who was there to ask? Everyone was gone, or dead and gone.

  All of these new developments made Lou and me hungry. Since it was lunchtime anyway, I made a beeline for the Blue Moon. It would not be long until the amount of food at the Blue Moon would be reduced considerably.

  While we ate, I came up with an idea to check on our suspects. After we left the Blue Moon, I called in, received approval, and called the telephone company in order to look over a copy of the phone and cell phone records of everyone who interested us. If anyone started answering the telephone in either the Silverman or Reynolds households, I’d know that one suspect had returned and another had never left. Also, sometimes cell phone records reveal the whereabouts of a person making or receiving a call. I was told I could pick up the records on Monday.

  Lou and I had been working hard on the case, so unless a new clue turned up, we would rest until Monday.

  38

  I drove home. Lightning seemed eager to get home, and so did I. I wanted to mull over the evidence we’d uncovered, and then enjoy a relaxing evening at home. Everything proceeded reasonably well until I noticed the figure who only that morning had gotten progressively smaller in the rear-view mirror of my car was now growing frighteningly larger as I approached my house. Not only did my next-door neighbor seem to be on the lookout for me, but her “fluffy, white rat” stood protectively by her side.

  I pretended not to see Heloise Humphert as I turned into the driveway. I hoped that my failure to acknowledge her would send her scurrying back to her house. I hoped wrong.

  “Well, Cyrus, you’re home early today. We must celebrate,” Heloise Humphert hollered as she hurried down my driveway uninvited. “Oh, poor Cyrus. You still have your boo-boos. Is there anything I can do?”

  “How do you feel about becoming the first person to sail around the world on a raft? I understand you might win the Mark Twain award.”

  “Cyrus. I don’t know anyone as funny as you.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to get out and meet some people. Have you tried the New York City subway after dark?”

  “Oh, Cyrus. Are you trying to tell me that we’re going to take a trip together?”

  “If you like. Let’s go out into the middle of the street, and I’ll trip you first.”

  “Let’s be serious for a minute, Cyrus. Are you ready for us to celebrate your coming home early?”

  Quick on my feet, I replied, “I think experiment might be the better choice.”

  “Oh, Cyrus, you devil you. You must have heard about my collection of flavored lipsticks. I bet you want me to try on some of them while you close your eyes and kiss me.”

  “If I had to kiss you that would be the way I would want to do it. Of course I’d have to get plastered first. But that was not the type of experiment I had in mind.”

  Heloise blushed and decided to satisfy her curiosity.

  “Well, tell me, Cyrus. What did you have in mind?”

  I decided to lie and ask for God’s forgiveness later.

  “I just came from the doctor. He said what I have is contagious, and while it probably will not prove fatal to me, it could very well prove fatal to anyone who comes in contact with me. He said my condition is particularly dangerous to small animals.”

  “Oh, Cyrus, you’re kidding me.” When I didn’t respond, she continued. “You are kidding, aren’t you, Cyrus?”

  “Who knows? We know that doctors sometimes exaggerate a condition to scare people into changing their lifestyles. There’s probably nothing to it. You hurry home and get your lipstick collection, and hurry back with Muffy. We’ll keep an eye on her between kisses and if we see her keel over we’ll know that it might be a good idea for you to go home. That is unless you want to go where Muffy goes.”

  My neighbor grew apprehensive.

  “I’m not sure, Cyrus. Twinkle Toes is just
getting over a cold. I think maybe it might be best if we wait until another time to test my lipstick collection.”

  With that, Heloise Humphert spun around so fast she almost tripped on Twinkle Toe’s leash. After unwrapping the leash from the lower half of her body, she hurried to her own house. She muttered something about dialing the veterinarian to see if she could bring in Twinkle Toes. She wanted to know if the dog had been exposed to a deadly disease.

  I rushed up the back steps of my house, opened the door quickly, and hurried inside. I found a quarantined sign I’d once used as a gag and hung it on the front door in case my neighbor returned. Then I relocked the door, smiled at myself in the mirror, and pictured one of my heroes, Wile E. Coyote.

  +++

  I leaned back in my recliner, mulled over our case. An hour later I was no closer to solving the case than when I began, so I forgot about it for a while. I hated to take time off before a murder case was solved, but I was trying to be patient, something that was difficult for me. I wondered how the two murders were connected. Who would have a reason to murder both of these old women, and what was that reason? And what had happened to the three neighbors who had disappeared? Did Mrs. Reynolds and Mr. Silverman really despise each other, or was that an act? Had they murdered these two (or maybe three women) and gone away together when their discovery was imminent? Were they in hiding? Or had they been murdered, too?

  I would let things rest until Monday. Maybe by then someone would return home. Maybe the phone records would shed some light on some of what went on.

  I called Lou to see what he was up to. He answered on the second ring.

  “Hello, Cy.”

  “How did you know it’s me? Did you get caller ID?”

  “I don’t need it. No one else ever calls me except you.”

  “Would you like for me to give your number to Heloise Humphert?”

  The two of us enjoyed a good laugh as I recanted my most recent encounter with my next-door neighbor.

  “So, Lou, what’ve you been up to since you got home?”

  “Am I a suspect now?”

  “I don’t know. Have you done anything suspicious?”

  “Does calling Thelma Lou count?”