The Coloring Crook

“We have news.” Zsazsa motioned for me to sit down. “The young man, Edgar, is not a student.”

Zsazsa explained her concern that he didn’t understand German.

“He’s not even enrolled.” Goldblum lowered his voice and looked at Eric when he said, “I still have some connections.”

“Maybe he’s planning to enroll in the fall,” I suggested.

“Applications for the fall term have closed.” Zsazsa shook her head. “He is not in the department of German and European Studies. I knew it!”

“There are other universities in this town,” Eric pointed out.

“An excellent observation. None of them have a graduate program in German and European Studies,” said Goldblum with great satisfaction.

“We need to see his driver’s license or the registration on his car.” Goldblum looked at me eagerly. “To find out who he really is. Maybe his name isn’t Edgar Delaney.”

“Why would he claim to be a student?” I wondered aloud.

“It’s an easy cover.” Eric pulled out his little notebook and wrote something. “Most people don’t happen to run into retired professors who would ask them questions in German. Maybe he thought that department would be an easy bluff. I’ll pass this information along to homicide.”

Goldblum scowled when Eric left. “That was certainly anticlimactic.”

Zsazsa ticked items off on her fingers as she spoke. “He claims he’s from Ohio. He has no apparent good reason to be in Washington. He lied about being a student. And he lives in Dolly’s house. Isn’t that enough to suspect him?”

Goldblum paced the floor. He came to an abrupt halt. “We should search his apartment.”

“Whoa.” I held up my palms. “That’s definitely illegal. No breaking and entering. Not even the police can do that. They would have to get a warrant.”

“But Maisie wouldn’t. Can’t the owner of the building go into the tenants’ apartments?” Zsazsa cocked her head.

“I want to find Dolly’s murderer as much as anyone else, but I don’t want to land in jail, nor do I want that to happen to the two of you. Besides, I don’t think you’ll find Maisie to be very cooperative.”

I heard Veronica shouting my name. “I’d better get back to work. Please don’t go getting into trouble.” I left the room and scrambled down the stairs expecting to find Veronica with an irate customer.

The man with her could have been Santa Claus had he worn red and added a white beard. He was clean-shaven, with a head of fluffy white hair and a belly that wouldn’t need any stuffing. His sport coat hung open. I suspected that it wouldn’t close over his abdomen.

“This is—” began Veronica.

The man interrupted her. Flashing a badge, he said, “Detective Lieutenant Holberstein. I’d like to speak to each of you individually.”

“You go ahead,” I said to Veronica. “The professor is out if you want to use his office.”

Veronica led the way upstairs, looking terrified.

In less than fifteen minutes, she came back. “Your turn.”

“How did it go?”

She shrugged. “I felt like I was boring him. I gave him the list of Hues, Brews, and Clues members like Eric suggested, and he didn’t even look at it. He just folded it and stuck it into his pocket.”

A few minutes later, I understood what she meant. I had explained how we found Dolly and told him about the skeleton in her wall and The Florist.

“A coloring book,” he said in dull disbelief.

“It’s a rare book from the 1700s,” I explained.

“O-kay,” he sang in two tones. “Thank you, Ms. Fox. I’ll be in touch if we need anything else.”

He stood up and slowly walked down the stairs. I followed him and watched as he ambled out the door.

Veronica was ringing up a sale for a woman.

“Was that Detective Holberstein?” asked the customer. “He looks awful. I suppose it’s no wonder.”

Veronica must have smelled gossip. “Do you know him?”

“Not very well but I heard what happened. Such a shame. I thought for sure that he would retire. He must be counting the days.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“He had major heart surgery. Must have been about a year ago now. I understand it was touch and go for a while. On the day of his operation, his wife and son were on their way to the hospital when a poorly secured load of metal tubes on a truck came loose on the beltway and went straight through their windshield. In a split second, he lost his entire family.”

Veronica and I shared a look. No wonder he had been so lethargic and uninterested.

“I understand he sort of gave up on life after that. Who could blame him?” The customer tsked loudly. “You ladies have a great day.”

The second the door shut, Veronica said, “If we don’t do something, Dolly’s murder will go unsolved.”

“Maybe he doesn’t work alone. I’ll ask Eric.”

“I feel so sorry for him. But Dolly matters, too. And how do we know that her killer won’t poison somebody else if he’s not caught?”

I agreed with her entirely. I didn’t think that Detective Holberstein had it in him to care anymore.

* * *

At 8:41 that night, my phone rang. Zsazsa sounded completely hysterical. She was always in control and self-composed. I had never heard her like this. Words spilled out of her in a crazy mix that made no sense.

“Zsazsa, I need you to calm down. Speak slowly.”

“They are here. They think I killed Dolly.”

“Who?” I asked. “Where are you?”

She whispered, “I have to go. They’re taking me to the police station. Florrie, you must help me. I beg of you!”

The line went dead.