Thirteen Diamonds

CHAPTER 26

“It would help if you told me what we're looking for,” Tess said, peevishly. “If there ever was a dish left in here the person leaving it would have come back and retrieved it long since.”

“Unless she couldn't.” I looked around the recreation room, trying to think like a murderer who had to hide evidence in a hurry. Maybe Tess was right. She, whoever she was, could have stashed a small dish behind one of the folding chairs stacked in the corner. It might not have been noticed in the confusion. Then she could have come back and taken it after the hubbub had died down. If so, it was long gone.

I remembered Joe doing his measurements for the replacement of heating ducts that ran under the floor. I saw several vents set in holes in the carpet, situated along the walls. I went to the one nearest the serving table and carefully knelt down in front of it, my old knees creaking in protest. The rectangular metal vent didn't seem to be attached to anything; it just sat on the carpet. I worked my fingers under it and lifted. After some tugging I pulled it right out of the hole.

I could see down the hot-air duct a few feet to where it curved and disappeared from sight. Several tattered cobwebs lined the shaft, but it was clear of anything else. I could picture a small Tupperwear container bouncing down it. Then I spotted a smudge of something near the top of the metal side of the shaft that didn't belong. I summoned Tess to come over.

She rose, protesting, from a bridge chair, and hobbled over to me. But she absolutely refused to get down on her knees. “If I do it will take a construction crane to get me up again.”

“If I'm not mistaken,” I said, “this is the remains of some kind of food. We've got to go talk to Joe.”

Tess looked at her watch. “It's almost five o'clock. He's probably about to leave for the day.”

“All the more reason to hurry.”

“But his office is near Carol's. She might see you.”

“I'll have to take that chance.”

Joe's office was smaller than Carol's and not as tidy. Rolls of blueprints leaned against one corner of the wall. His desk was piled high with papers, in no discernible pattern. A photograph stood out from the mess, depicting three children, two girls and a boy, with hair as dark as his.

His rugged good looks reminded me of my own late husband, Milt, except that Milt had been as fair as Joe was dark. If any of the residents of Silver Acres had looked like Joe I would have considered having an affair, but as it was a long generation yawned between him and me and it might as well have been the distance to the nearest star.

He wore a clean and ironed work shirt, short-sleeved, of course, that revealed his muscles. His name was sewn onto the front in cursive writing. He grinned at Tess as we walked into his office and said, “Hiya, Tess. We got the roof leaks fixed in those apartments on the west side.”

“I know,” Tess said. “Several of the residents told me what a good job your men did.”

“Thanks.” He turned to me. “I've seen you before, but…”

“Lillian,” I said. “Lillian Morgan.”

A brief look of surprise crossed his face but he erased it and said, “Lillian-of course.” He leaned back in his swivel chair, which creaked, and clasped his hands together behind his head. “What's the problem now? Squirrels getting into the walls again? Bats in the belfry?”

“No,” Tess said. She hesitated. “You tell him, Lil.”

“You remember the day Gerald Weiss died,” I started, tentatively. He nodded. “It was suspected that Gerald had died as a result of eating food he was allergic to, but as far as anybody knows he wasn't allergic to the tuna casserole that was served for lunch. There was something in the dish that may have been shellfish, which he was allergic to, but nobody admitted putting shellfish in the casserole and there was no evidence that it was malicious, so the investigation was dropped.”

“I'm with you so far,” Joe said. “Is there anything new on that?”

“I think I know where the container is, in which the shellfish was taken to the recreation room.”

“Oh…where?”

“In a heating duct…I'm going to have to show you.”

“You're kidding.” Joe looked at his watch. “Even assuming you're right, can't it wait until tomorrow?”

“If I'm right, it's a police matter and we need to get right on it.”

“Okay, let's go take a look.” He and the chair returned to an upright position and he stood up to his six feet plus height.

Tess groaned. “I've done enough walking for one day. I don't think I can make it back there again, then to my apartment, back to dinner, and so forth.”

“You're right, Dear,” I said. “You go to your place and rest. Joe and I can handle it.”

As Tess limped off I said to Joe, “Do you have a flashlight and some twine?”

Without asking questions he produced those from two of his various drawers and cabinets, then said, “I'm supposed to meet with Carol in a few minutes. I'd better tell her where I am.”

Before I could say anything he picked up his phone and punched in Carol's extension. My heart tried to force its way into my throat. It returned to its normal position when he put the phone down and said, “She's on another line. That's okay; we'll be right back.”

Joe peered into the heating duct and said, “I don't see anything but spider webs.”

“How soon does it level out?” I asked.

“Right away. It runs parallel to the floor.”

“So anything that was dropped down there would have stopped just around that bend.”

“Yes.” Joe scratched his head. “I guess there's no way to get at it. Fortunately, we've got a contractor coming next week to replace some of these old ducts, so if there's something there we'll find it.”

“At least we can determine if there is something there.”

“How?”

I opened my purse, found the small mirror I kept there for vanity purposes and pulled it out. “Tie the string around this mirror and lower it into the duct. Then shine the flashlight on the mirror. When it is at the correct angle the light will reflect around the bend and we should be able to see in the mirror if anything's there.”

“Are you some kind of scientist?” Joe asked, with a hint of admiration in his voice.

“I'm a mathematician. But I know that with light rays the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection.”

Joe laughed and did as I suggested. I watched to make sure he tied the string around the mirror in such a way that the mirror wouldn't come loose and drop out. But he was obviously clever at this sort of thing and tied it securely, like a package.

He lowered the mirror down the shaft while I held the flashlight. Our heads were close together. In my former life I would have been thrilled, but time had taken its toll on my hormones.

I was actually somewhat dubious about how this would work because I thought it would be difficult to control the mirror, but Joe was very dexterous. He soon had it resting on the curve of the duct at the proper angle so that I was able to reflect the light of the flashlight off the mirror and around the bend. As I steadied the flashlight I caught my breath. Even my old eyes could see an object reflected in the mirror.

“It looks like a plastic container,” Joe said. He looked at me. “Lillian, you're a genius.”

The words had a sweet sound, coming from him. “Thanks for your help, Joe,” I said. “Now I'd better go.”

“Go where?”

“Well…to the police. They need to be here when the container is retrieved. There may be fingerprints…”

“We need to tell Carol,” Joe said, emphatically.

I had almost forgotten about Carol. “Does Carol need to know?”

“Of course. She's the boss.”

He left no room for argument. “Okay, you tell Carol,” I said. “I…have to get home to cook my son's dinner. We can call the police later.” I headed for the outside door across from the recreation room, the one we had exited from when the fire alarm went off.

“Come with me,” Joe said. “You're the one who had the brainstorm. You can explain to Carol why you thought there was something in the duct.”

Again, Joe left no room for argument. I whipped out my cellular phone and punched in Albert's number. He wasn't home yet, but I got his answering machine and left a message, saying that I was in Carol's office and that I would be home soon. I emphasized the word “soon.”

As we walked back down the hallway I desperately tried to think of what to say to Carol.