Chapter Nine Judson
Chapter Nine
Judson
Meg was swabbing the sink when I entered the kitchen. More yellow tents dotted the floor and counter.
“Did you find Maria Durant’s phone?”
“Yes, it’s been bagged.”
“What’re the chances a woman like Maria would have a heart attack?”
“She was a distance runner. And in good shape.”
“Health issues happen. Unlikely doesn’t mean impossible,” I said. “Be on the lookout for health monitors. Apps on her phone. Anything that suggests an illness. I’m going to interview her mother-in-law. Call me if you need anything.”
“Will do.”
“Thank you.”
In my car, I called the hospital. Maria Durant remained in a coma, but she was alive. The charge nurse said Raine Hale paced the hallway. Gabe hadn’t reappeared.
Gabe was impulsive, but this second absence suggested trouble. Was he running scared? He’d done time in prison for a violent assault. Did he fear the system would arrow in on him before anyone else?
His disappearing acts weren’t a good look. Most caring husbands stayed close to a wife in critical condition.
Fifteen minutes on the main road looped me around the Hale estate and toward another entrance. It led down a wooded access road toward a small horse trainer’s cottage, where Gabe’s mother, Edith Durant, still lived.
In its heyday, the Hale family had employed a dozen people to maintain the barns, gardens, and stables. Somewhere along the way, the money had evaporated, and they’d let everyone but the caretaker go. Edith Durant no longer received a salary but lived rent-free in her cottage.
Edith and Gabe had joined the staff over twenty years ago. She was a property manager. She didn’t put her hands in the soil, but she oversaw yard crews, stable hands, and housekeepers.
Again, I pictured Raine driving the mower through tall grass. Gabe had been the lawn crew in those days. And he’d dropped the ball.
Now that Raine was back, Edith’s position on the estate would change. The property was too large and valuable to leave in the care of one person. I’d bet Raine would sell. The fortune would be too hard to resist. Edith and her son and daughter-in-law faced eviction.
I walked up a graveled driveway onto a small front porch. Two rockers moved gently in the wind. I knocked. Hopefully, Gabe was here.
Inside the house, a television broadcast a kids’ show. Seconds later, footsteps and then the door opened.
Edith Durant was a tall woman. Like her son, she had angled cheekbones, green eyes, and puffed cheeks. As a teenager, I’d spent time in this house when I visited Gabe. Edith was usually here but working at the big house. Gabe had once said his mother had been a dancer, but I’d never believed him.
“Judson.” A relieved smile spread across Edith Durant’s face. “Do you have more news about Maria?” She dropped her voice a notch. “Tell me she’s still alive.”
“Last I spoke to the hospital, she was stable. She hasn’t woken up. Doc says her body needs to shut down before it can heal.”
She motioned me inside. The scent of pine cleaner triggered memories of high school, playing video games, and drinking beer half the night.
“Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” Edith closed the door.
“No, thank you.” A little girl’s giggle drifted from the other room. “Is she all right?”
Edith glanced over her shoulder. “She thinks she’s having a sleepover. I haven’t told her anything.”
I lowered my voice. “Is Gabe here?”
“No, he left for the hospital last night. I thought he was with Maria.”
“He hasn’t been at the hospital since early this morning.”
“I haven’t seen him.”
“You sure?”
“You can search if you want to.”
“No.”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t handle himself well in tough situations. He takes off, drinks.”
He’d done that in high school. If a game went badly, or he had a fight with Maria, he was MIA. “Has there been a lot of that lately?”
She folded her arms. “I haven’t seen much of Maria and Gabe in the last few months. Always too busy to bring Molly by.”
“Maria’s been working at the hospital a lot.”
“I know.”
“Who took care of Molly?”
“School. Gabe sometimes.”
“What about Gabe’s business?”
“I know a contract didn’t come through.”
“Why?”
“Gabe said money is tight for everyone. But I think it was his prison record.”
“Are financial issues causing marriage troubles for Gabe and Maria?”
Her chin tilted. “No more than average. Couples argue, but my son and his wife adore each other. They have a solid marriage.”
“Relationships are tough. You said you haven’t seen them in a while.”
The lines around her mouth deepened. “I’d have sensed if something was off.”
Maria and Gabe had put on a happy front for me. “Tell me about Maria’s health.”
“I saw her early summer. I babysat Molly while she ran in a marathon. She was in peak health. She’s a health food nut. Always after Gabe to eat less junk.”
“No issues with her heart?”
“The family has a history, but I never saw a sign of it with her.”
“You had no clues of trouble?”
Her eyes narrowed. “You keep digging for an issue. I didn’t see any problems.”
“What did you think when Gabe showed up with Molly here last night?”
She drew in a breath. “I was surprised.”
I remembered how Maria could rail on Gabe if he missed a practice or blew off a test. He always fired back angry words. Sometimes, I thought they’d rather fight than eat.
“Was Gabe seeing anyone else?”
She bristled. “My son is a good man. He wouldn’t do that to Maria. If I had to bet, I’d say she was the one cheating.”
“Why?”
“She’s selfish. I love her, but she’s always got one eye toward what’s best for her. I mean, she has a day off from work, and instead of spending it with Molly, she enters a race.”
I didn’t bite at the distraction. “Affairs can be a way of dealing with stress.”
“How does any of this have to do with what’s happening now?”
“Gabe is in the wind, Mrs. Durant. No one can find him.”
“You know how he can be.”
“It doesn’t look good for him.”
Her frown deepened. “You’re talking like he’s a suspect. But there’s been no crime.”
The preliminary tox screens would be back today. “Let’s hope.”
“Are you saying there was a crime?”
“I haven’t said that.”
“You’re hinting Gabe caused Maria’s heart attack.” She shook her head. “You two were friends in high school. You know him.”
Police work had taught me that no one really knew anyone. Dial up the right combination and anyone could do anything. “That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to help him. I need him to answer my questions.”
She shook her head. “You doubt him.”
“That’s my job.”
She lowered her voice. “He hasn’t gone far. He’s just found a quiet place and is processing. He’ll show up.”
“Now’s the time to help his wife and daughter. Not nurse stressors.”
“He’ll show up.”
I asked, “How bad has it really been for him lately?”
“Eighteen months of jail time changed him. Since then, he’s easily stressed.”
Gabe had been in a bar, a few beers in. Another guy had picked a fight.
Gabe reacted and beat the guy unconscious.
He’d left the other man disabled. The judge ruled Gabe’s reaction excessive and condemned him to four years.
The sentence had been reduced to eighteen months when Raine had called her family attorney to intervene.
“He’s on medication for anxiety,” I said.
“Did he tell you that?” She didn’t look surprised.
“I saw the pills in his bedroom. The bottle has five refills left.”
“What were you doing in his bedroom?”
“The forensic tech and I are collecting evidence.”
“Evidence for what?” This time her voice did spike before she caught herself. “Maria had a heart attack.”
“I hope it’s that simple.”
Molly ran into the room. Her curly hair was wild and haloed around her round face. Flowered pajamas draped her small frame. “Can I get more juice, Grandma?”
“Of course, baby, head on in the kitchen. There are juice boxes in the refrigerator.”
Molly stared at me. But I wasn’t sure she remembered me. “Why are you here?”
“That’s a rude question, Molly,” Edith said.
“It’s a fair one,” I said. “I’m here to talk to your daddy.”
“He’s on vacation with Mommy,” she said. “They went hiking in the mountains.”
“They like to hike?” I asked.
“Daddy loves to go. He says it helps him think.”
“Does he go a lot?”
She shrugged. “I guess.”
Edith laid a hand on Molly’s shoulder. “Honey, let’s go into the kitchen.”
Edith led the girl away. If I ever had to press the child for more details, I’d return with a social worker. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. I wanted Gabe to call me back. The tox screens to be clean. Maria to wake up.
Edith ushered the girl, now holding a juice box, back into the TV room. She returned. “Judson, I’ll call you if I hear from Gabe. Until you have something, leave. Molly is smart. It won’t be long before she figures out there’s a problem.”
I handed my card to Edith. “Call if you hear from your son.”
She flicked the edge. “He didn’t do anything wrong. He’s just worried.”
“He needs to call me. We need an eye-to-eye conversation.”
“I don’t like your tone, Judson.”
“This is my nice tone, Edith. I’m taking it slow and easy out of respect for you and Gabe. But if the tox screens come back positive and Gabe is still MIA, then my attitude will shift into a higher gear.”
“Do you hear yourself?” she demanded. “You’re treating us like you’re the police.”
“Edith, I am the police. Tell Gabe to call me.”