I've Got You Under My Skin

93

Bruno stood on the sidewalk for a full fifteen minutes before Dave Cappo pulled up in the grounds van promptly at 8 A.M. Dave was bursting with excitement as they headed for the Powell estate.

“Did you hear everything that’s going on?” he asked.

“What’s that?” Bruno asked, saying to himself, I don’t care.

“Somebody tried to kill somebody at the Powell place last night.”

“What?”

“It was the housekeeper. She killed Powell’s wife twenty years ago,” Dave said breathlessly. “She tried to do it again to someone else last night, but she got caught in the act. She tried to get away and fell in the pool-turns out she couldn’t swim.”

Did they find Timmy? Bruno thought in terror.

“What do you think of that?” Dave was asking. “I mean, for twenty years those four graduates have been under suspicion, and it turns out none of them did it.”

“What’s happening up there now?” Bruno asked. If they found Timmy, I can have Dave take me home right now. I can say I don’t feel well. I can be out of this town in minutes. Timmy doesn’t know who picked him up. But they’ll come looking for me fast…

“Oh, just the usual stuff,” Dave said. “The medical examiner took away the body. From what I hear, the housekeeper was standing there holding the pillow over the face of the mother of one of the graduates. Her name is Muriel Craig. She’s an actress.”

Bruno knew he had to respond. “Oh, I’ve heard of her.” They haven’t searched the pool house, he thought. They wouldn’t have any reason to start searching now. I’m going to see it through.

Usually Dave dropped him off in the driveway. “I don’t know if they’ll let you in, but we can try. Then you can tell us everything that’s going on now.”

The car was stopped by a policeman. “I’ll have to check inside,” he said. He phoned and received the answer.

“Mr. Powell says to let him in. He can start working on the putting green that’s outside the area the police have roped off.”

Trying to look casual, Bruno got out of the car and walked slowly to the pool house. He passed the pool. The body was gone. He went in, closed the door, and rushed to the utility room. Timmy was awake. He was squirming on the mound of blankets. Tears were running down his cheeks. Bruno knelt beside him. “Don’t cry, Timmy,” he said. “Mommy’s coming soon. I’m going to give you some cereal and let you go to the bathroom. Then Mommy will take you to see Grandpa. Is that okay?”

Timmy nodded.

“Now you have to promise me that you won’t try to call out when I let you eat. Is that a promise?”

Timmy nodded his head again.

There was a small bathroom off the utility room for the use of any of the grounds help. Bruno carried Timmy into it and stood with him over the toilet. “Let it go,” he said. It’ll be your last time, he thought.

He placed Timmy back on the blankets, went into the kitchen, and brought out Cheerios, milk, and orange juice.

“I’m going to pull down the gag,” he said. “I’ll let you eat, but make it fast.”

His eyes terrified, Timmy obeyed.

When he was finished, Bruno retied the gag, again being sure that it was not too tight. He pushed Timmy down on the blankets. “If you try to make any noise, no one will hear you,” he warned. “If you’re very, very quiet, I promise Mommy will come to pick you up.”

Bruno reached for a rake, carried it out of the utility room, closed the door, and locked it.

He went outside and began to poke at the grass around the putting green with the rake.

Before the police responded to the 911 call, Josh had rushed to Jane’s apartment, where he searched for and found the hidden jewelry George Curtis had given Betsy. Now it was securely in his pockets with no one the wiser. He had been surprised that Jane was the one who had killed Betsy, even though he had always suspected she was crazy about Mr. Rob.

At nine o’clock everyone who had stayed overnight came down for breakfast. They barely spoke to each other. The realization that they were now free of any suspicion that one of them had taken Betsy’s life was just beginning to sink in.

Muriel had refused to go to the hospital and stayed in bed until the medical examiner had left with Jane’s body. Her throat swollen, her voice husky, she had already begun to realize that now Robert was really alone, and he would know that she had lied to him about Nina’s confession. But on the other hand, she thought, maybe he will understand that I lied because I love him so much. To that end, she finally got up, showered, carefully made up her face, and brushed her hair. When she was finished, she dressed in a light sweater, slacks, and sandals. She hoped the rapidly spreading bruises on her throat would show Rob how much she had endured for him.

Chief Ed Penn and other detectives had spent the hours after the incident individually questioning everyone in the house. All of their accounts were consistent. From all initial appearances, Jane had acted alone in trying to kill Muriel. From all initial appearances, Jane had accidentally fallen into the pool as she fled from the house.

Under these circumstances, he reluctantly agreed to the fervent request by Laurie and Alex to allow them to finish the program. “The investigation is not over,” he told them firmly. “Everyone will have to come in to give formal statements. But as long as no one tries to go into the roped-off areas, I’ll let you continue.”

In the den, Laurie and Alex were waiting to hold the final interview with Robert Powell.

The others had been invited in to watch. By then they were all packed and dressed, desperate to be away. Still hardly able to believe that the nightmare was over, they filed into the den and sat behind the cameras, waiting for Robert Powell.