The following day, I’d just returned to my office after checking on the late afternoon movie being shown in the meeting room, when Susan told me I had a phone call.
“Carrie, it’s John. We have the ME’s report. Aiden was poisoned by a slow-acting toxin.”
I exhaled a deep sigh. “So he was murdered.”
“Yep. They’re thinking thallium, but they’re doing further testing to nail down the specific poison. Meanwhile, I’m interviewing everyone who had a motive to kill the good doctor or who witnessed his death. Since you and Dylan fall into the second group, I’ll be talking to you again.”
“I’ll text Angela with the news. I promised to keep her informed.”
“As of now, we don’t know when he ingested the poison since it could have been administered days before the actual death. This widens the list of suspects. I know you didn’t know Dr. Harrington well, but you did see him the evening before the wedding. It would be helpful if you could recall his behavior, appearance, and demeanor at the rehearsal dinner.”
“Will do,” I said.
I disconnected, thinking about John’s request. Friday evening, Aiden had left the dinner early because he wasn’t feeling well. Which meant anyone at the rehearsal dinner could have slipped something into his drink or food. Though if it was a slow-acting poison, someone had probably administered it a day or two before. That opened the suspect field to include people in his medical office. And Donna. Of course, the spouse was always Suspect Number One. I remembered Donna’s emotional reaction to his death on Saturday night. Had she been exhibiting her genuine feelings or was she a supreme actress?
I googled thallium and read that it was a chemical element found in several ores as well in some vegetables like kale. It was very toxic and was used in rat poison and some insecticides until 1975, when it was banned in the U.S. and some other countries. However, there were many uses for thallium, among them manufacturing electronic devices and the optical industry. Fascinated, I checked out a few more sites about thallium and was amazed to see it could be ordered online. Who knew?
And who had bought it? I grimaced, hating how a homicide always put one in the position of suspecting everyone. Thank goodness Angela and Steve were in California because they were among the few I knew to be totally innocent.
I texted Angela to let her know that Aiden had been poisoned. She texted back immediately.
“Not surprised. And won’t be surprised when Tommy is charged.”
“We’ll leave that to John to find out.”
“LOL” was Angela’s reply.
“R U having fun?”
“A wonderful time. Steve sends love. Me 2.”
Since I was working Friday during the day, I decided to attend Aiden’s wake that evening. The hours were from six to eight. Instead of bringing Smoky Joe home after work and then driving back to town, I called Aunt Harriet to ask if I could drop him off while I attended the wake.
“Of course you can. And stay for dinner,” was her answer.
“Are you sure? I wasn’t trying to wangle a meal.”
“Nonsense, you have to eat dinner, don’t you? And since when do you stand on ceremony with your uncle and me?”
“Sorry. I don’t want you to feel I’m taking advantage of you and Uncle Bosco.”
Aunt Harriet chuckled. “As if you could ever do that. And tonight you’re in luck. Your uncle is making lamp chops on the grill and I’m trying out an orange-strawberry salad.”
“Sounds yummy,” I said.
I smiled as I thought of my great-aunt and uncle. They had nurtured me the seven months I’d lived with them when I had first moved to town, giving me a sense of security and belonging, something I’d never received growing up. It was safe to say that my current stable and productive lifestyle was mainly due to them.
After work, I stopped by the Gourmet Delight for two quarts of gelato—pistachio and orange-chocolate—my aunt and uncle’s favorites. Then I drove around the Green and parked in their driveway.
Uncle Bosco opened the front door just as I’d climbed the outdoor steps. As soon as I released Smoky Joe from his carrier, he dashed from room to room, making sure that nothing had changed since his last visit. I walked into my uncle’s open arms.
“I’m so glad to see you, my dear. And what is this you’ve brought?”
His eyes sparkled as he checked out the contents of the Gourmet Market bag. “Aren’t you kind? I’ll go put these in the freezer, then it’s back to the grill to make sure the chops aren’t burning.”
I followed him into the kitchen at the rear of the house where Aunt Harriet was preparing the salad. She hugged me, then handed me a tray filled with cutlery, paper plates, and napkins to carry out to the patio where Uncle Bosco was already turning the chops. “Tell your aunt five minutes.”
“Uncle Bosco said five minutes,” I said when I returned to the kitchen.
“Good, because the corn is just about done. Here’s the salad, and please come back for the wine.”
Minutes later we were sitting at the patio table, busily passing around platters. I tasted my lamb chop, which was a bit charred, then some of Aunt Harriet’s salad, which was perfect. “Everything is delicious,” I declared.
“I think I overdid the chops. Next time I’ll get it down perfectly,” Uncle Bosco said.
“It’s because you ran to open the door for Carrie. I told you I could do that.”
“Yes, dear.” Uncle Bosco winked at me. “How is your friend Angela? I heard one of her guests died while dessert was being served. That young Dr. Harrington. They say he was a damn good surgeon.”
“A really nice guy, too. He was married to Angela’s cousin Donna.”
“I never met him, but I went to his practice when I was suffering from gallstones and was sure I needed an operation. That was about fifteen months ago. Remember, Harriet? I saw Harrington’s partner. What was his name—Nick Nolte?”
“No, dear, that’s an actor. The doctor’s name is Nick Gannon.”
“Right. Anyway, turned out I didn’t need surgery because the gallstones passed.”
“John called me earlier. It turns out Aiden was poisoned,” I said.
They fell silent and stared at me. Finally, Uncle Bosco spoke. “I suppose you intend to find out who murdered him.”
I shrugged. “I’ll be talking to people at the wake.”
“Be careful, Carrie,” Aunt Harriet said. “Don’t provoke anyone. The murderer could very well be there.”
Which is what I’m counting on. “I’m going to talk to people, that’s all. I won’t ruffle any feathers.”
Uncle Bosco finished off his wine and poured himself another half glass. “Any thoughts on the town council position?”
I laughed. “I haven’t had a moment to think about it. Too busy with Angela’s wedding.”
“That’s what I told Al, but don’t be surprised if he calls you next week.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
We discarded our paper plates, then Aunt Harriet and I carried out a pot of coffee, three mugs, an apple pie, and the gelati I’d brought. I had some pie with the pistachio gelato, but said no to coffee. I helped clear the table and carry in the leftovers to the kitchen. Smoky Joe sat waiting for me with that “feed me” expression, so I gave him some cat food and treats I’d brought along. Afterward he cleaned himself, then curled up in a corner of the living room and went to sleep.
“I’ll come by for him no later than eight o’clock. That’s when the wake is over,” I said as I hugged my aunt and uncle goodbye.
They were somber as they watched me walk to my car, and I wasn’t sure if that was because I was going to a wake or because they feared my questions would stir up a hornet’s nest.
It was only a few minutes past six when I entered the lobby of the funeral home, but the line of people waiting to sign the guest book stretched almost across the length of the room. I joined the throng and let out a sigh. It must have been louder than I’d intended because the woman in front of me turned around. She was short and round and appeared to be in her early fifties. Her cheery smile lit up her pretty face.
“The line moves faster than you’d think. It was out the door when we arrived.”
I smiled back, appreciating her friendliness, but I wondered at her outfit—a screaming orange blouse over a long peasant skirt of blues and greens.
I said, “I should have realized that many people would want to pay their respects to Aiden. He was such a nice person.”
“And an excellent surgeon. The staff and our patients all loved him.”
The staff and our patients? “Did you work with Aiden?”
She nodded. “I’m the office manager. Vera Ghent. I’ve known Aiden since he joined up with Nick five years ago.” She lowered her voice. “I’m still reeling from his death. And to think someone poisoned him.”
So the news was out. No surprise there. John was probably interviewing everyone who worked in the office.
I offered her my hand. “I’m Carrie Singleton. Pleased to meet you.”
“Singleton,” she repeated as we shook. “That name sounds familiar.”
“Bosco Singleton is my great-uncle.”
The man standing with Vera finished his conversation with the couple in front of him and turned his attention to us. He appeared to be in his late forties—of medium height, pleasant looking, with the start of a belly.
“I believe he came in for a consultation.” He turned to Vera. “When was that? A year or so ago?”
“About then,” she said.
“I’m Nick Gannon.” He extended his hand. “Aiden was my partner. We’re so sorry to have lost him—a wonderful physician and a dear friend. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to kill the guy.”
The line moved forward. I hadn’t realized that we’d been inching closer to the viewing room while we’d been chatting.
“How do you know Aiden?” Vera asked.
“A close friend of mine got married on Saturday. Aiden’s wife, Donna, is her cousin.”
“Oh, the wedding where Aiden died,” Nick said. “That must have been awful for the family.”
“For all of us,” I said. “I was standing right next to Aiden when he collapsed.”
Vera and Nick exchanged glances. She said, “How did Roxy react?”
“She was terribly upset. Why do you ask about her in particular?”
Vera shrugged. “No reason, except we’d been seeing a lot of her at the office these past few weeks.”
“For medical attention?” I asked, playing innocent.
Vera winked. “You might call it that.”
“You mean …?”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t swear they were having an affair, but my instructions from Aiden were to let Roxy wait for him in his office if he was seeing a patient.”
Nick shook his head. “Vera, you’re letting your imagination run away with you. They’re cousins by marriage, and Aiden was an especially caring person. The poor girl is an emotional wreck, barely coping after her divorce. Aiden was simply being a good friend.”
“Good friend, my foot!” Vera protested.
Our conversation came to an end because we’d finally reached the guest book and Vera had started to write her message. I wrote a note of condolence along with my address, then entered the large viewing room. Further down, in front of the rows of chairs, was the casket. Closed, I was glad to see. I remained on line to pay my respects to Donna and Aiden’s parents.
Donna wore a black summer suit over a white blouse and seemed to have her emotions under control.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” I said. “I only got to meet Aiden a few times, but I could see what a wonderful person he was.”
“Thank you, Carrie.” She hugged me. “Aiden was a wonderful husband and father and doctor. A terrible loss to everyone.”
She sniffed into her handkerchief and introduced me to Aiden’s parents. I expressed my condolences, then stood before the coffin, thinking of the handsome young man who had been cut down in his prime. Aiden’s death was a loss to many people. Who had hated him enough to make sure he would never live another day?
A pretty young woman, tears streaming down her cheeks, came to stand beside me. She was crying so hard, I didn’t think she noticed I was there. She kissed her fingers and placed them on the side of the coffin. A patient, I figured, and moved on to give her privacy.
Most of the people in the room were strangers to me, which was to be expected. I walked over to Angela’s parents, Rosemary and Joe, who were sitting with Donna’s parents. We chatted a few minutes. I was about to leave when Tommy came over. He glowered at me, though I couldn’t imagine why, then spoke to his parents in low tones before striding off.
Curious, I asked Rosemary, “Is there a problem?”
She sighed. “He’s angry because Detective Mathers had him come in to the precinct again and asked the same questions. It seems he considers Tommy a suspect.”
“Tommy made no secret of the fact that he was furious at Aiden because he’d decided not to invest in his movie.”
Joe turned up his hands. “That’s Tommy’s way. The kid goes on and on about whatever’s bothering him till he flushes it out of his system, once and for all.”
“I hope you’re right.” I proceeded to tell them about Tommy’s tirade about Aiden after the wedding ceremony.
To my surprise, Rosemary said, “Joey, it’s time Tommy learned to control that temper of his. We should have stopped him from badmouthing Aiden Friday night. No one at the table wanted to hear it, and it upset Angela. Then the poor boy was murdered.”
Rosemary blinked back tears. Her sister interrupted her own conversation to lean over and pat Rosemary’s shoulder.
I excused myself and headed for the door. But I hadn’t gone ten feet when Donna’s sister Frankie stopped me.
“Hi, Carrie. I’m glad you came tonight.”
“Of course. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“Yeah. Aiden was the greatest brother-in-law you could ask for. If it wasn’t for him, I never would have gotten through my college math course.”
“I only met Aiden because of the wedding, but I could tell what a special, giving person he was.”
“Yeah, maybe too giving.”
I followed her gaze and saw Roxy in the corner of the room. She was staring at the ground while a good-looking man in his mid-thirties spoke earnestly to her.
“You think there was something between Roxy and Aiden?”
Frankie shrugged. “I don’t have any proof, but from the way she acted—always hanging on to him, I’d say something was brewing.”
“How did Aiden act toward Roxy?”
Frankie raised her eyebrows. “Hard to say. Aiden was nice to everyone.”
“How is Donna getting through all this?”
“That’s hard to say as well. My sister’s a world-class actress. She took on the role of perfect suburban housewife and mother and plans to stick to it, especially now that she’s the mourning widow.”
“What do you mean? Weren’t she and Aiden happy?”
Frankie glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear us. “Not for some time. She never told me, but she confided in Mom, and Mom was too upset to keep it a secret.”
“What was wrong?”
Frankie shrugged. “For one thing, she was annoyed that he worked long hours. He seemed preoccupied but wouldn’t say with what. Recently, I saw for myself how Roxy pissed her off, the way she clung to Aiden like ivy.”
We both turned toward Roxy in time to see her push aside the man she’d been talking to and dash out of the room.
“There she goes, the drama queen,” Frankie said.
“Who was she talking to?”
“Miles, her ex.”
“What’s he doing here?”
“Didn’t you know? Miles was Aiden’s best friend.”
“Oh, right.”
I walked out into the hall and noticed that several people were standing around chatting in small groups. Vera waved to me. I decided to join her when I saw that she was with the young woman who had been weeping in front of Aiden’s coffin earlier.
“So you decided to leave before the speeches,” Vera said.
“I only stopped by to pay my respects,” I said.
Vera laughed. “No criticism here. I’d probably leave, too, except I’m expected to say a few words.”
“I’m glad I don’t have to,” the young woman said. “I’d probably freeze up, speaking in front of a group of strangers.”
Vera patted her shoulder. “No worries. Nick and I will represent the office.” She turned to me. “Gwen is our RN and my right-hand gal.”
“Carrie Singleton,” I said, extending my hand.
“Gwen Swithers.” She studied me as we shook hands. “You were standing by the casket when I had a meltdown.”
At five foot three or four, Gwen had a sturdy, curvaceous figure, with long blonde hair that could use a shaping. She gave me a half smile, and I realized she was young, perhaps no more than twenty-two or three. Working for Aiden and Nick Gannon might very well be her first job out of nursing school.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better now.”
“I’ve never known anyone who died. And to think that someone poisoned Aiden …” Her eyes welled up with tears. “Who would do such a thing to such a kind and loving man?”
“I have no idea,” I said. But I intend to find out.