Death In Duplicate

THIRTY-ONE

KATHLEEN AND JERRY WERE DUE HOME FOR DINNER AND left right after Susan promised to call Kathleen first thing in the morning and share all the details of their discussion. Jed got up to let the dogs out into the backyard and Susan and Brett were alone together.

“I’m going to have to talk to the baby nurse,” he said.

“ Shannon. Her name is Shannon Tapley,” Susan said. “But why? You know who killed Nadine and Blaine.”

“Three people were murdered out at the Perry Island Care Center. It isn’t my case, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Donald or his mother hired someone to kill them. And, if that’s true, I’m sure Sophie will tell us all about them. In the position she’s in, helping the police with unsolved crimes is always a good idea.”

“So why bother Shannon?”

“Because she’s involved in Perry Island Care Center in more ways than one.” He looked at her. “That doesn’t surprise you, does it?”

“To tell you the truth, I had wondered-”

“What had you wondered?” Shannon appeared in the doorway. “Perhaps it’s time I cleared up all your questions. I think I knew I’d have to eventually when I returned to Connecticut.”

“Would you like some champagne? I can get another glass,” Susan offered.

“Thanks, but I’ll pass. I don’t think Ethan and Rosie are settled for the night. And I should run a load or two of laundry before I go to bed as well.” She sat down on the couch and crossed her arms across her chest. “I don’t know where to start.”

“You grew up on Perry Island, didn’t you?” Susan asked.

“Yes. Who told you that?”

“No one. But Donald grew up there and he refers to the island as Perry. Not Perry Island, just Perry. And you do, too,” Susan explained her reasoning.

“Yes, I grew up there. In fact, I grew up hanging out at P.I.C.C.”

“You and your cousin are the heirs to the center, aren’t you?” Susan asked.

“Just me. My father inherited it from his parents and he married my mother who was a nurse there. I’m an only child. I grew up knowing that P.I.C.C. would be mine someday. That’s probably the reason I’m a nurse.” She smiled. “My father was a doctor, but he always said that it was the nurses who were the real workers in the health care system. I never even considered going to med school. I wanted to take care of people and I knew nursing was the field for me.”

“But Mike?”

“Mike is my mother’s sister’s son. There’s no connection to P.I.C.C.”

“Except that you could help get him a job there,” Susan suggested.

Shannon sighed. “That’s true. But the patients come first. I was sure-well, as sure as I could be-that Mike had cleaned up his act when I helped him get hired there. And P.I.C.C. was in many ways the perfect place for him to work. Mike is a people person and he’s not put off by old people. He was a real asset to the center.”

“Then why didn’t he stay around?” Susan asked since Brett seemed to be letting her ask all the questions.

“Death scared him. Well, it scares us all, but Mike was spooked when people started dying and then…” She glanced over at Brett.

“You can tell Brett about Mike’s fear that he caused one of the deaths,” Susan said. “He’ll find out eventually and Brett is capable of understanding the difference between a mistake and murder.”

“Mike was asked by Mrs. Hershman to leave the door to the roof open for her. And then she fell-or was pushed-off the roof, and he panicked and took off. But he liked Mrs. Hershman. He would never have killed her.”

Brett nodded slowly. “I don’t know all the details of the P.I.C.C. investigation, but now that we have connected Donald and his mother with a desire to close down P.I.C.C., I know the police will be looking in some other directions.”

“You think Mike should talk to the police in charge of the case?” Shannon asked.

“And he should talk to Brett,” Susan suggested.

“I have nothing to do with what happened on Perry Island,” Brett said.

“But I think Donald manipulated Mike the same way he manipulated everyone else. He suggested that Mike get out of P.I.C.C. as fast as possible-and that focused attention on Mike that might better have been placed on other suspects,” Susan said.

“That may be true,” Shannon agreed slowly. “And… well, Mike will probably tell you this himself…”

“He was involved with Sophie Kincaid, too, wasn’t he?” Brett suggested.

“You’re kidding! Sophie Kincaid is the older woman that what’s her name-the receptionist-told Kathleen and me about?”

“I think that’s the name of the woman,” Shannon said. “I told Mike he was being used, but he has this adolescent male ego. He thought she liked him because he was ‘hot.’ ”

“He’s not the first male who let his ego blind him to the truth,” Susan pointed out. “And many are a whole lot older than your cousin.”

“I guess.”

Susan changed the subject. “P.I.C.C. is a wonderful place, but its open-door policy for visitors means that pretty much anyone can get in and see-or harm-the residents.”

Shannon frowned and was silent for a moment. “It’s important-vital-that relatives and friends of the residents have twenty-four hour access to them. And because we’re located on an island where there’s very little crime, we never considered it important to keep track of the comings and goings of visitors. There isn’t even a receptionist on duty at night. That,” she added firmly, “will have to change.”

Brett nodded. “It’s sad, but it’s better not to trust everyone than to end up with a tragedy.”

“That’s true,” Shannon agreed.

Susan had a horrible thought. “Oh, no! You’re going to leave Chrissy and the babies, aren’t you?”

Shannon smiled. “I keep telling your daughter that I’m hanging around until Ethan and Rosie go to college,” she answered. “But I suspect Chrissy and her husband won’t need me that long. After this job, I’ll go back to P.I.C.C., but not until this job is over. Working with babies has been a lovely change. And I’ve been thinking that it might be nice to start a day care center on Perry, one that’s connected to P.I.C.C. Our residents would love to be around babies and small children on a regular basis, and I’ll bet there are lots of parents on Perry who would be thrilled to have some professional care for their children.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Susan agreed.

The back door opened and there was a commotion as the dogs dashed through the kitchen and into the hallway. Rock and Roll bounded up to the second floor and Susan shuddered as the newel post at the bottom of the stairway shook. Clue, more sedate than the younger dogs, walked slowly into the living room, over to Shannon, and rested her big golden head on the nurse’s lap. Shannon scratched the dog and frowned. “I was afraid to take this job. I didn’t want to come back to Connecticut. Those last few months at P.I.C.C. were horrible. My parents would have been devastated by the deaths there. I just wanted to get away and forget it all.”

“So why did you take the job?” Susan asked. “Didn’t you know Chrissy and Stephen might end up living here?”

“Yes. But, to tell you the truth, I knew Mike was still in the area and I wanted to help him if I could and… well, Stephen’s parents told me about you.”

“And you thought I might help your cousin,” Susan guessed.

Shannon looked over at Brett then at Susan and then back down to the dog. “Stephen’s mother said you were friends with the police in Hancock, and I was hoping you might influence them to… well, to overlook Mike’s involvement out at P.I.C.C.”

“It sounds to me as though your cousin doesn’t need that type of interference,” Brett said.

Shannon looked up and smiled at him. “I don’t think so either. I… oh, I’d better get up to the nursery,” she said as the twins’ nighttime duet began.

“Call me if you need my help,” Susan said.

“And I’d better get going. Mr. Kincaid’s lawyer is probably still making a fuss, and I want to check in with the officer I left with Donald Baines at the hospital, and Erika has left a half dozen messages on my phone. She says she has fabulous news for me.”

“Maybe she’s pregnant again,” Susan said, standing up to see her guest to the door.

Brett glanced up toward the stairway where the twins’ wails had become even louder. “I doubt it. I think one baby at a time is all we can deal with.”

“Maybe,” Susan agreed, opening the door for him. “Unless, of course, they’re both as wonderful as my amazing grandchildren. Or…” She glanced over at Shannon. “Or you’re lucky enough to find the perfect baby nurse.”