Alice might have been the sanest member of my extended family. She was pretty, athletic, dedicated to her job and she loved my middle brother, Daniel. They were raising two great kids. Currently working in the intensive care unit at Montgomery General, she said it was a nice change of pace from the ER since the patients were usually immobilized and quite often, unconscious too.
I found her seated alone at the nurse's station, sipping a coffee. She smiled as I approached her and stood, reaching over the divide to hug me. "Thank you so much for coming," she said. "I really couldn't think of anyone else to call."
"No problem at all," I assured her. "I'm not busy today and besides, it's not often you ask for my help. What can I do?"
"I'm not sure but perhaps you could speak to my patient's husband and try to give him some professional reassurance? If he's wrong about what he suspects, he might appreciate it. If he's right, he might need more serious help."
"You said he thought someone tried to kill his wife?"
Alice nodded. She set down the coffee, walked around the nurse's station and inclined her chin, indicating for me to follow her to the end of the corridor. "See the corner room? That's Sophie Takahashi. EMTs brought her into the ER a week ago after sustaining what I'm told was a nasty fall at her home. Apparently, they're in the process of renovating and Mrs. Takahashi took a tumble, crashing through the banister in the upstairs hallway and landing in a terribly bad position."
I winced. "Have you asked her if that's what really happened?"
"We can't. She hasn't regained consciousness. Her husband, Austen, says he fears she might have been targeted and attacked."
"Why haven't the police been notified?"
Alice shrugged. "After Mr. Takahashi — Austen — told me that earlier, I tracked down the EMTs who brought her in. They said they didn't see any signs of an attack, although they admitted they weren't looking for any clues. Their only concern was providing emergency treatment and getting her to the hospital as soon as possible but you can ask them yourself. I saw them earlier so I know they’re around. They did notice a broken section of the banister, which supports the accident theory. Austen said he took more time to think about it since that day, trying to clear up any discrepancies. They were right in the middle of the renovation, but no one was actually working on the balustrade, not just yet. Austen claims it wasn't loose or faulty and he can't think of any possible way she could have fallen through it."
"Who found her?" I asked.
"One of the guys on their work crew. He called 911. I don't know anymore than that."
"What's her prognosis?" I asked.
"I can't divulge too much because you're not a family member but I can tell you, right now, her odds of survival are fifty-fifty."
I looked inside the room where I could just see the end of the hospital bed and the outline of legs under the sheet. "You mean there's a chance she might not ever wake up?"
Alice nodded. "I'm afraid so. Now that he's had a few days to calm down and think about it more clearly, I fear that knowledge is what got Austen so riled up. He's right. If someone deliberately did this to her and she dies, it's an act of first degree murder."
"And what if she never wakes up but she also doesn't die?" I wondered.
"I'm not sure about the legal implications but somehow, it seems even worse to me. A living death."
"Can I talk to the husband?"
"Sure. He's in there, expecting you."
"What did you tell him?"
"Not much. Only that you're a private investigator and a good person to talk to about proving his suspicions. I think he just wants to hear he isn't really crazy."
"Why didn't you suggest he call the police?"
"He did. He called them a couple of days ago and they sent a unit to his house. After a cursory look around, they said they were sorry she fell but that's all it looked like. I think they also suggested installing a few safety improvements around the house during the renovation and that was it."
"I'll talk to him," I said. "I have to admit, if the police already concluded it was an accident and the EMTs concurred, it might just be that. A tragic, horrible accident."
"I hope so, but I'm sure he'll appreciate an independent opinion from someone familiar with murder investigations. Come and see me before you go?"
I promised I would before Alice opened the room's door and ushered me inside, announcing me softly as I stepped past her. A much younger woman than I envisaged lay on the bed, unmoving except for the soft rise and fall of her chest. Various wires connected her to complicated machines that ticked and beeped. Her blond hair was plaited neatly over one shoulder and I wondered who did it. Perhaps the same person who applied the fresh bandages around her head.
The man seated at her bedside looked tired and worn. The dark circles under his eyes indicated he hadn't slept properly in days and his black hair was lank and unruly. He was dressed in a good quality navy blue sweater and jeans but I wondered if he realized he put on mismatched shoes. He caught me looking at them and gave me a wan smile. "I only noticed my error an hour ago," he said, glancing up again as he stood, extending his hand. "I've been here since six. Austen Takahashi."
"Under the circumstances, I think you get a pass," I said, reaching to shake his hand. His shoe error made me feel better about meeting a prospective client in my yoga-wear. "Lexi Graves. I'm sorry to meet you in this awful situation. How's your wife?"
"They said she has brain activity and she's stable. So there's still hope. Let me get you a chair." He moved towards me but I waved him back into his own seat and he slumped gratefully, picking up his wife's hand.
I lifted the chair and moved it to the foot of the bed where I could talk to him more easily. "Alice told me you think this might not have been an accident," I said.
"I don't just think it; I know it," he said with conviction. He stroked his wife's hand with his thumb and sighed. "Sophie was enjoying the renovation and all the different kinds of work it entailed. She was keenly interested in interior design and thought it might be a fun career, so she called it good work experience. But I know she wouldn't have started unscrewing the banisters by herself. It just doesn't make any sense."
"Alice told me the EMTs found a broken section of the banister at the scene that could have been consistent with her fall."
Austen nodded. "Yes, but that doesn't mean it wasn’t planted there."
"Do you think that's what really happened?"
He paused, breathing in and out audibly, and watching Sophie as he thought. "Yes," he said, tearing his gaze away. "I think Sophie was pushed over the rail and someone planted that banister underneath her. I just can't work out why. She was... she is so lovely. Everyone likes her. She's kind. She's a good person." His eyes dropped to the floor and I wondered what he wasn’t telling me. There was something else; I was sure of that.
"I'd like to hear more about her, but first, can you tell me exactly what evidence you have to support your suspicion that her fall wasn't an accident?"
"I've been thinking a lot about this and even found some compelling evidence. I didn't know Sophie was taken to the hospital until a half hour after I got home that day. I switch my phone off while driving so I didn't get the calls from my foreman. As soon as I entered the house, I could see something happened and immediately concluded someone must have fallen down the stairs."
"What gave you that impression?"
“I saw the banister section on the floor, and I started to go upstairs to see what happened. I noticed some spots of blood on the stairs, on the surfaces and the risers. I switched my phone back on and all the missed calls and text messages came in. That was when I realized it was Sophie who got hurt. I jumped straight back into my car and drove to the hospital. Thankfully, Manny stayed with her."
"Manny?"
"Manny Ortega, my foreman. He was the one who found her."
"I see. Please continue."
"I stayed all night at the hospital and then, in the morning, when my wife was pronounced stable, I went home to change before coming straight back. I was so worried it took me a couple of days to think clearly again. Later, I remembered those blood drops and wondered how come I saw them on the stairs if she went through the banister, landing directly on the floor? That didn't make any sense. I thought I might have imagined it so I went back to check and you know what I found?"
"Dried blood?"
Austen shook his head, frowning. "Nothing. No blood drops at all. I thought that's it, I must’ve imagined it. I must have been that distressed. But I know I saw the drops of blood before I was told what happened. I still couldn't imagine why Sophie would lean against the banister or work on it like everyone assumed she did, so I went upstairs and examined it more closely. Ms. Graves, the banister wasn't snapped off like she leaned against it before it collapsed. The panel was purposely unscrewed! I tried to unscrew another panel and another, but it was almost impossible to turn. No way is Sophie strong enough to unscrew any of them!"
"Could she have used a power tool?"
"There weren't any closeby so I asked Manny if Sophie borrowed any tools from him and he said no. I asked him if she discussed working on the banister and he said she had an updated schedule of their projects so she knew they weren't planning to work on the entryway for another couple of weeks. He also said that when they spoke that morning, Sophie mentioned wallpaper samples and said she planned to make a choice that day so we could order it well in advance."
"That sounds like she was totally preoccupied with other things."
"Exactly. When I recall the blood on the stairs, it makes me think she either fell down that way, or she was pushed."
"Could she have tripped and fallen?"
"It's possible but, if that were the case, why bother to exert all the necessary effort to unscrew a banister and place it under her? Why not just call for help? She was found alone. Maybe it was an accident and someone panicked, but given the effort made subsequently to disguise it, I can't stop thinking someone intended to seriously hurt her and make it look like an accident."
I frowned, analyzing his logic. The fall sounded terrible but the way Austen described it, and from all the things he observed, it didn't seem accidental. He was right, if it were just an unfortunate accident, it made sense to call 911. Even if someone else were present and simply panicked when Sophie fell, they could have just left the scene. People would naturally assume someone fell down the stairs once they saw the blood Austen claimed was there previously. Unscrewing the banister and placing it underneath her was time-consuming, awful, conniving and deliberately deceitful. That time could have been better spent calling for medical assistance. Unless they didn't want to be discovered with her? Could they possibly have thought she wouldn't survive? Or that she was already dead?
"Do I sound crazy?" asked Austen.
"No," I told him. "Not at all. If it's okay with you, I'd like to inspect the spot where she was found."
"That's fine. I can give you our address and call my foreman to allow you full access. I can't leave Sophie's side. I only make exceptions to very quickly eat, use the bathroom, or rush home to shower, change, and race directly back here."
"Please don't trouble yourself. If you can give me your foreman's number and the permission to look around, I'll do that." I began to rise, looking down at Sophie. She appeared so peaceful in the bed, as if she were sleeping. Only the bandage around her head, the splint on her arm, and the machines clicking and whirring next to her hinted at what happened.
"Ms. Graves..."
"Lexi, please."
"Lexi... I don't mind being wrong. Hell, I hope I am. I'm a proud man but I can accept being told when I'm wrong. But if I'm not, then someone deliberately did this to Sophie. I don't know why anyone would hurt her and right now, if I'm right, they're getting away with attempted murder. I can pay you for your time, that's not a problem, but please, just..."
I placed a hand on his arm. "Let me first take a look at the scene and speak to your foreman. If I think it looks more like an accident, I'll tell you that and there won't be any charge. However, if I think there's something really there, I'll tell you and you can work out what to do from that point, whether to hire me or call the police again."
"Thank you," said Austen. Pulling his wallet from his pocket, he produced a business card. He wrote on the back and handed it to me. "That's Manny's number. I'll send him a message now, telling him to expect you."
We said our goodbyes and as I left, Austen slid back into his seat and picked up Sophie's hand again, murmuring something private to her. I slid the door closed and walked over to Alice. She was joined by two more nurses who both said hello as I interrupted them. "I'll walk you out," said Alice, which I translated to: I want to speak to you privately. "What do you think?" she asked as we entered the elevator.
"He's obviously very upset but he seems pretty smart and has clearly thought things through. He raised some interesting points."
"Do you think someone actually hurt Sophie?"
"I think it's possible. I'm going to ask around, take a look at the exact location where she was found, and get back to him."
"Thanks, Lexi. I really appreciate it," said Alice, patting my arm. "I can't imagine what he's going through but I'm sure he'll be relieved that someone is taking him seriously."
"You obviously did too," I pointed out. "That's why you called me."
I took the elevator down and followed the long, winding corridors to the EMT transport area. I found the same EMTs who brought Sophie in when they delivered another patient to the ER and they confirmed the story I'd been told. I contemplated that as I headed to the visitor's parking lot. Having endured a nasty experience upon leaving the hospital once before, I was relieved to step, uneventfully, into the sunshine. Before I could even walk to my borrowed car, my phone rang. A number flashed on the screen but it wasn't one I recognized.
"Is that Ms. Graves?" asked a male voice with a slightly foreign accent. When I confirmed it was, he continued, "This is Manny Ortega. Mr. Takahashi called me and said you were coming to the house. He said it was very important. Would you like to come now? I'm here so I can let you in."
"On my way," I eagerly replied.
The Takahashis lived in one of the nicest parts of Bedford Hills. The whole expensive neighborhood featured luxury homes on wide lots but Westmount was easily one of the most coveted streets. Recessed from public view behind a tall wall and fancy iron gates, the two-story brick house was an imposing character. I imagined it would be even more striking once the gardens were landscaped.
A tall, black-haired man in jeans and a padded vest, a toolbelt slung around his hips, waited for me beside a work truck opposite the house doors. A bit further along the driveway, I saw another older truck, parked next to a gleaming, black, brand new truck. That was a lot of trucks in one place for me.
I parked beside the work truck and hopped out, walking across to him. "Mr. Ortega?" I asked.
"Manny, please. We’re informal here. I tried calling Austen by his surname but he and Sophie said no way."
"Then you must call me Lexi."
"Follow me. Austen told me to let you in and allow you to go wherever you like. Is everything okay at the hospital? We're all so worried about Sophie."
I took an instant liking to Manny. Not only was the older man handsome, the deep gray that was filling in his temples was very attractive. He was pleasant to talk to and carried an air of capability about him, something I intuited from his calloused hands and the deep creases around his eyes. "I just came from the hospital and Sophie is stable but not yet conscious," I told him, figuring it wouldn't hurt to reveal one of the few pieces of information I gleaned about her health.
Manny unlocked the door and opened it, standing back to let me pass. I stepped into a large entryway that should have been bright and airy but was currently covered in a fine coating of construction dust. On my right, a staircase curved up to a mezzanine-style landing with thick, ornate, iron banisters. Immediately obvious was the missing panel in the middle of the landing. Manny must have noticed me staring at it because he said, "That's where Sophie fell."
I nodded and looked around for the missing piece. It was propped up against the far wall. "Do you mind if I look around some more?" I asked, glancing at the fetching foreman.
"Please go ahead. I'll wait by the door."
I walked over to the chunk of banister first, pulling my sleeves over my hands so I could examine it without leaving prints, just in case. Several of the spindles had blood on them, barely discernible against the black iron. That could have been consistent with Sophie landing on them, or the blood from her head wound splattering them.
"Austen said one of your work crew found her? Is that right?" I asked.
"Yes." Manny heaved a breath but didn't move from his position by the door. "I feel so awful about it. I heard what I thought was a scream but since no one called for help and I didn't hear anything else, I ignored it. I was cutting some marble for the kitchen and I didn't want to stop for fear of breaking it. It only occurred to me later, when I finished cutting, that maybe I should check just in case, so I sent David out to take a look. He found her, lying right there." He pointed to a section of the floor several feet from the bottom step of the staircase. "I came as soon as he shouted to me."
"Where was the banister in relation to Sophie’s body?" I asked pointing to the piece I just handled.
"Underneath her. She was holding onto it like this," he said, holding up his hands and curling his fingers.
"Lying on her front or her back?"
"Her front. She was face down."
"Did you move her at all?"
"No! I didn't dare to. I checked to see if she was breathing but I thought she might have broken her neck or her back. I called 911 and held her hand until they got here. Did I do something wrong?"
"No, that was a very smart decision. You didn't know what injuries she had and if you moved her, you could have caused even more damage."
"I should have done something earlier when I thought I heard the scream. She must have been lying there for a long time."
"I'm going to take a look upstairs," I replied, eager to change the subject. I was pretty certain that no matter what platitude I came up with, Manny couldn't truly banish his guilt for not getting to her sooner.
"Please be careful where you step and stay away from the edge," he said.
I walked up, taking each stair slowly, scanning the tops and risers for any signs of blood. Several of the stairs were dusty and some were strangely clean but I couldn't see any droplets of the blood Austen claimed he saw. When I reached the top, I walked across the landing and dropped to my hands and knees before crawling to the edge. I wasn't ready to take any chance of tumbling over. I inspected the joins of the banister, noting that all the screws were tight, except those that previously held the missing piece in place.
"That banister was badly installed," called Manny. "I told Austen and Sophie it had to be replaced as soon as possible."
"Did you warn both of them it was dangerous?" I asked, looking down at him from my vantage point on my belly. The idea of falling so far made my stomach roil.
Manny shook his head. "It wasn't loose or dangerous, just not up to code. I told them it needed replacing before the whole thing came crashing down."
"Was that a real possibility?"
"All the joins were put in wrong and so were the anchor points. I considered it a real possibility and it's my job as foreman to keep everyone safe, especially when the homeowners choose to remain on the property during renovation."
"Would Sophie have any cause to unscrew this section?"
"None. She liked to know what we were doing and sometimes asked one of the crew to show her how to do something but she wouldn't take on a complicated job like that. For one thing, we need scaffolding in place just to take it out and put in the new one. The new one won’t even arrive for another three weeks."
"Doesn't that strike you as strange?"
"Damn strange," said Manny.
I started to shuffle back from the edge before I looked down. The spot where Manny said he found Sophie seemed a little too far from my current viewpoint. I could imagine Sophie falling directly forwards, maybe even further out than right underneath the landing, but so far out and toward the left? Could the momentum of her fall have possibly carried her that distance? I wasn't sure. I shuffled back until my feet touched the wall and got up, hugging the wall as I walked back down. "I don't see any footprints going up here," I said, realizing I left a trail of my own on the dusty steps.
"We've only been working in the back of the house so far but the dust travels no matter how much we try to contain it. No one went upstairs except Sophie and Austen and their guests. Austen is the only one who has been here in a week."
I stopped a few steps from the bottom and turned around. The clean stairs niggled at me. What was the significance of the occasional clean step? Why not clean all of them? I stooped for a closer look and suddenly caught a scent. It was very faint but it was definitely there. Someone must’ve used bleach.
"Have you or anyone else cleaned these stairs recently?" I asked.
"No, we won't do that until the new banister is installed and the carpet laid. There's no point in cleaning the stairs when they'll only get dirty again tomorrow. Can I ask what you're looking for, Ms... uh... Lexi?"
"Just checking out some things," I told him, evading the question.
"If Austen wants it all cleaned up before he brings Sophie home, I can do that. He told us to stop work for a few days but I can call my whole crew back and get everyone started again, if that's what he wants?"
"I'm sure it's okay to keep doing whatever he told you for now," I said. "I'm going to take a few photos and then I'm done." I pulled my phone out and took a short video of the entryway as well as some pictures. When I tucked it away, I walked over to Manny. "Thanks for taking the time to meet me."
"Anything for Austen and Sophie. They're a nice couple. Really good folks to work for."
"Have you worked for them a long time?"
"Many times for Austen. I used to be a police officer in Mexico. Construction here has a higher life expectancy." He gave me a rueful grin that added even more charm to his rugged face. "Thanks to Austen, I can give my family a good life in this country."
He pulled the door closed behind us and locked it. "You can call me anytime if you want to stop by again. I'm not sure what Austen has you doing but it seems urgent to him and I also know he thinks there's something suspicious about Sophie's fall."
"What do you think?" I asked.
"It's troubling me," he said after a long pause. "Plus, the more I analyze it, how could her head be injured at the back when she landed on her front?"
I agreed that was a very good question and we shook hands. We both got into our vehicles and just as I was about to start the ignition, my cellphone rang.
"Hey," I said, lightness filling me as I heard Solomon's voice.
"I know you took off for the day but I need a favor," he said. "Can you come by the office?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"A client just paid me in cash and I don't want to leave it in the safe. I need to meet another client right away; otherwise I'd take it to the bank myself."
"I'll take it there on my way home," I said. "I'm in Bedford Hills so I won't be too long."
"I'll wait in the parking lot so you can just grab it and go. What are you doing in Bedford Hills?"
"I'll explain later. Love you."
"Love you more."
I started the engine and just as I pulled out, stomped on the brake. The shiny, new truck barreled past me and burned rubber out the driveway with a squeal of tires. I glanced at Manny but he was shaking his head. "Who was that?" I asked, pulling alongside him.
"Zach Gallo, Sophie's brother," he said, leaning down to speak through my window.
"Must be in an awful hurry," I said, shaking my head. I edged out again, extra careful this time, and Manny followed me out the driveway in his own truck. After a few blocks, he turned and I drove to the office, lost in thought. I had the horrible feeling Austen might be right; his wife's fall was looking less like an accident and more like a poorly disguised attack.