The Cradle Will Fall

CHAPTER TEN

THE funeral service for Vangie Lewis was held on Thursday morning in the chapel of a Minneapolis funeral home. Chris stood beside Vangie's parents, their muffled sobs assaulting him like hammerblows. They had been outraged to hear that Vangie could not be buried, that her body was to be shipped back east, then returned later for burial. "Why?"

"I simply don't know." There was no use saying more-not now. He thought of Edna's call. Could she throw some light on Vangie's death? Before he left Minneapolis, he had to call Dr. Salem. What did he know about Vangie that had made him react with such shock last night? Why had Vangie wanted to see him?

There had been someone else in Vangie's life. He was sure of it now. Suppose Vangie had killed herself in front of someone and that person had brought her home?

The minister was saying the final prayer. "When every tear shall be dried…" Chris led Vangie's parents into the anteroom to accept the sympathy of their friends.

When he was able to get away to a phone, Chris called Dr. Salem's office. "This is Vangie Lewis' husband," he said. "It's urgent I speak with the doctor immediately."

"I'm sorry," the nurse told him. "Dr. Salem left a short time ago for the American Medical Association convention in New York. He will not be back until next week."

"New York! Can you tell me where he's staying, please?"

The nurse hesitated. "I suppose it's all right. I know Dr. Salem intends to get in touch with you. He took your wife's medical records with him. You can reach him at the Essex House Hotel on Central Park South."

SCOTT Myerson had called a noon meeting to discuss Vangie Lewis' death. When Katie arrived, Maureen was there with a pen and paper.

"We're bringing sandwiches in," Scott said. "I'm due in court again at one thirty. We've got to move fast on Captain Lewis."

As Katie had expected, Scott was zeroing in on Chris. She looked at Maureen. The girl had an aura of nervousness around her. "Any results on Dr. Fukhito?"

"So far not much. He's not a member of the AMA or the Valley County Medical Society. But I have a call in to the University of Massachusetts. He attended medical school there."

"Who told you that?" Katie asked.

"I remember hearing it somewhere."

Katie sensed that Maureen was being evasive.

At that moment Richard, Charley and Phil came into the office. Quickly they gave Maureen their lunch choices. Scott began to speak. "By now you all know that the Lewis baby had Oriental characteristics. So that opens two possibilities. One: with the birth imminent, Vangie panicked and killed herself because she knew she could never pass the baby off as her husband's. Two: Chris Lewis found out that his wife had been having an affair and killed her. She could have been rushing home to Minneapolis because she was afraid of him. From what Katie tells us, the psychiatrist claims she ran out of his office nearly hysterical."

"The Japanese psychiatrist," Katie said. "Are you suggesting there was something between him and Vangie?"

"I'm not suggesting anything yet. Vangie could have known another Oriental man. But he was nervous when I spoke with him yesterday. He carefully chose every word he said to me, and I certainly did not get the whole truth from him."

"Which brings us to Edna Burns," Scott said. "What about it, Richard? Did she fall, or was she pushed?"

"It's possible that she fell. The alcohol level in her blood was point two five. She was blotto."

"But it is possible she was murdered?" Scott persisted.

"Absolutely."

"And Edna was heard talking to Chris Lewis about Prince Charming." Katie thought of the handsome psychiatrist. Would Edna refer to him as Prince Charming?

"Maybe Vangie told her something Monday night," Charley suggested. "Maybe she knew Chris and Vangie had quarreled and why they'd quarreled. Maybe she was putting the arm on Lewis. She did threaten to go to the police."

"She said she had something to tell the police," Katie objected. "That's the way the super's wife put it."

"All right," Scott said. "What turned up at the Lewis house?"

"Not much," said Charley. "There's a phone number with a 612 area code scribbled on the pad beside the kitchen phone. We thought we'd call it from here. The other thing is that she tore her dress on a prong sticking out from a shelf in the garage."

Scott picked up the message pad Charley had handed him and tossed it to Katie. "Why don't you try this number now?"

Katie dialed the number and waited while the phone rang.

"Dr. Salem's office."

"Perhaps you can help me. I'm Kathleen DeMaio from the Valley County, New Jersey, prosecutor's office. We're conducting an inquiry into the death of Vangie Lewis last Monday. She had Dr. Salem's phone number on her pad."

"Oh, that is a coincidence. I was just about to call your medical examiner. Dr. Salem wants to talk with him. The doctor is on his way to New York right now for the AMA convention. Can your medical examiner phone him around five p.m. at the Essex House Hotel on Central Park South?"

"Yes. I'll give him the message." Then, on a chance, Katie added, "Do you know anything about Mrs. Lewis' call? Did she speak with the doctor?"

"No. She spoke to me. She called Monday and was so disappointed that he wasn't going to be back till Wednesday. I made an emergency appointment for her for Wednesday."

"One last question. What kind of doctor is Dr. Salem?"

"Oh, he's a prominent obstetrician and gynecologist."

"I see. Thank you. You've been very helpful." Katie hung up the phone and reported the conversation to the others.

There was a knock at the door and Maureen came in with coffee and sandwiches. "Katie," she said, "that call from Massa chusetts about Dr. Fukhito is just coming in. Want to take it?"

Katie nodded and picked up the phone. As she waited for the call to be switched, she became aware of a slow, persistent head ache. I'm not operating on all cylinders, she thought. So many things were teasing her mind. What was she trying to recall?

The personnel director at the University of Massachusetts Medical School answered guardedly. "Yes, Dr. Fukhito graduated from U. Mass. He interned at Massachusetts General and later became affiliated with the hospital. He also had a private practice. He left the hospital seven years ago."

"Why did he leave?" Katie asked. "You must understand this is a police investigation. All information will be kept confidential."

There was a pause. "Dr. Fukhito was asked to resign. He was found guilty of unethical behavior after he unsuccessfully defended a malpractice suit."

"What was the cause of the suit?" Katie asked. "A patient sued Dr. Fukhito for inducing her to have a personal relationship with him. She bore Dr. Fukhito's child."

MOLLY bustled around her kitchen, rejoicing in the fact that all the children were back in school. Bill was not going into New York for another half hour. They were enjoying a rare chance to chat in peace, as Bill sat at the table sipping coffee and Molly sliced vegetables. "I'm sure Katie and Richard and the Berkeleys will enjoy each other," Molly was saying. "Now if Liz just doesn't spend the whole evening talking about the baby… When I phoned to invite her, she spent the first twenty minutes on Maryanne's latest trick… which is to blow her oatmeal all over the place. Isn't that cute?"

"It is if it's your first baby and you waited fifteen years to have one," Bill commented.

"Anyhow, even if Liz does rave about the baby tonight, maybe a little of it will sink in on Katie and Richard."

Bill's eyebrows rose. "Molly, you're not very subtle. You'd better watch out or they'll start avoiding each other."

"Haven't you noticed the way they act together? There's something smoldering there. And Richard called me last night and wanted to know if there was something the matter with Katie."

"Did you tell him about the operation?" "No. Katie doesn't want me to. But the poor guy is so worried about her. I don't think it's fair to him."

Bill got up and put his cup and saucer in the dishwasher. "If Katie doesn't want to tell Richard about this operation, don't fill him in. That's not fair to her. You've gotten them together. Now-"

"Now bug off." Molly sighed.

"Something like that. And tomorrow night when Katie goes into the hospital, you and I are going to the opera. You can be at the recovery room Saturday morning, but it won't hurt to have her wish she had someone with her Friday evening. Maybe she'll do a little thinking."

"Let her go into the hospital by herself?" Molly protested.

"By herself," Bill said firmly. "She's a big girl."

The telephone rang. Molly picked it up. "Hello… Liz, hi." She listened. "Oh, for heaven's sake, bring her along. She can sleep up in our room… Great. See you at seven. By."

She hung up. "Liz Berkeley's regular baby-sitter had to cancel, so she's bringing the baby along."

"Fine." Bill looked at the clock. "I'd better go." He kissed Molly's cheek. "Will you quit worrying about your little sister?"

Molly bit her lip. "I can't. I've got this creepy feeling about Katie, like something might happen to her."