Murder at the Clinic: A Midwest Cozy Mystery Read online

  “What’s that?”

  “What are you going to do if the death wasn’t due to natural causes? What if the woman was murdered? I know it sounds bizarre, but stranger things have happened, believe me.”

  “Blaine, I believe you, but I was there. Everyone from the coroner to the police agreed there was no sign of foul play. I was in that room with the dead woman. If she was murdered, I can’t imagine how it could have happened.”

  “I hope for your friend Mitzi’s sake, that’s true. If not, it could cause big problems for her, and you might even be under suspicion since you were there when the woman died.”

  “You’re kidding, right? Why would I be implicated? I didn’t even know the woman.”

  “When a murder occurs, everyone who was physically present, who knew the victim, or who had anything to do with the victim, is looked at as a possible suspect. I’m sure this is unnecessary, but I’m going to call Nick and put him on alert that we may need his services.”

  “Blaine, I think you’re overreacting. I know your brother Nick’s a great private investigator, and he sure helped me when my editor was murdered, but this seems a little over the top.”

  “Be that as it may, I’m going to do it. I’ll call Greg and Nick now, and I’ll see you later. And Kat, thanks.”

  “For what? I didn’t do anything.”

  “You agreed to marry me. I think that’s doing something.”

  “No, I’m the one that should be saying thank you for asking. See you tonight.”

  CHAPTER 10

  Promptly at six that evening the doorbell rang. Kat was in the kitchen fixing dinner when she heard the joyful yelps of the dogs. That, along with the doorbell, announced Blaine’s arrival.

  She opened the door and hugged the man who would soon be her husband. Pulling away, she looked at him and thought, along with being one of the finest people she’d ever met, he really is attractive with the grey hair at his temples highlighting his tanned face. Blaine was known to sneak out to the golf course whenever the weather was good, and he felt he could get away from the office. The only thing that gave him away was his tan. No one who knew him would even think of suggesting that the tan came from a sunlamp. No, Blaine was the kind of man whose tan came from being outdoors, and in his case, that was the golf course.

  Blaine looked down at her and smiled, pulling her to him once again and kissing her deeply. She gently pushed him away and led him into the house. “That should give the neighbors something to talk about,” she said laughing.

  “Since the word is already out you’re Sexy Cissy, I don’t think it will come as a shock to anyone that you engage in behavior like that. I’m going to let the dogs out for a moment. Mind if I close the back door, so they can’t get in?”

  “Of course not, but why so serious?”

  He walked over and told the dogs to go outside and then closed the door. When he returned he got down on one knee in front of her and said, “Kat Denham, will you marry me?”

  “Blaine, I told you I would over the phone. Please, get up. You don’t have to do this.”

  “No. I want to do this by the book, and from everything I’ve heard, this is how proposals are supposed to be done. Now, answer the question.”

  “Yes! The answer is yes. Now will you please stand up?”

  He stood up, kissed her, and then took a small box out of his pocket. “Kat, if you want another ring, I’ll completely understand. I think I told you a while ago that my family was very wealthy. This is my grandmother’s ring, and I inherited it when she died. I’ve never done anything with it, and if you like the stone, I’d like to have a more modern setting designed for you. If you don’t like the stone, we’ll find something you do like.”

  She opened the small box, looked at it, looked up at him, and then looked again at the ring. “Blaine this is the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen,” she said with tears in her eyes. “It’s far too expensive for me to wear. It’s absolutely spectacular. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “You probably haven’t. From the family stories I was told, it’s extremely rare,” he said.

  “What’s the stone? It’s really different.”

  “It’s called a fancy purplish pink heart shaped diamond. I guess the cut, the color, and the fact that it’s two carats makes it pretty rare. The setting is old-fashioned, but if you like the diamond, as I said, I’ll have a new setting designed for you.”

  “No. Absolutely not. I’ve never had anything like this in my life, and I think the setting is beautiful. If you’re serious about giving me this, I would consider it an honor to wear your grandmother’s ring.”

  “Well, in that case, let’s see if it fits.” He put the ring on her finger and gently kissed her. “Kat, it’s as if it was made for you.”

  She moved her ring finger around while the late afternoon sun pouring in from the living room window played off of the large diamond, creating a kaleidoscope of rainbow colors throughout the room.

  “Blaine, I think we need to celebrate this. I have a very good bottle of champagne in the refrigerator I was going to offer Lacie when she finished her exams this semester, but I think this occasion warrants it instead. I’ll get another one for her. Would you open it? I need to check on a couple of things for dinner.”

  “Kat, you can celebrate this with champagne if you like, and I’ll help you, then later I’d like to celebrate it my way, and you can help with that,” he said grinning.

  “We’ll see.”

  “Yeah, I guess I should be used to it by now. Promises, promises, promises, but you can’t blame a man for trying,” he muttered audibly as he walked toward the kitchen.

  Jazz and Rudy had been watching them intently through the sliding glass back door, wondering why Blaine had gotten down on one knee and then why they put their faces together. When Blaine walked toward them, they knew they’d probably be let in if they woofed, and so they did, and so they were.

  Kat went into the kitchen and checked on the osso buco which was simmering on the range. While she was heating some olive oil and butter in a large pan for the risotto, Blaine walked over and handed her a filled champagne flute.

  “Kat, can you put the spoon down for a minute? I’d like to propose a toast.”

  “Absolutely,” she said, raising her glass.

  “Here’s to making me the happiest man in the world,” he said as he gently touched his glass to hers.

  “Well, I certainly don’t want to be outdone. Here’s to making me the happiest woman in the world, thank you.” Again they touched their glasses and each took a sip. “That’s really good. Wow! I could get used to this. Champagne for lunch yesterday and champagne tonight.” Her words were interrupted by a sizzling sound coming from the kitchen stove. “Think I better take care of this, or I’m going to burn the beginnings of the risotto.”

  “What’s in that big dish on the back burner, Kat? It smells wonderful.”

  “It’s a dish called osso buco. I don’t eat veal very often, but when I was at the store yesterday I saw some veal shanks and remembered how good the osso buco was when I had it years ago at an Italian restaurant. I’m going to serve it over risotto. Since asparagus is definitely in its prime in the spring, I decided to add some of that to it. Go watch the news. Dinner will be ready in about forty-five minutes.”

  He walked over to the television set in the great room and turned it on. A few minutes later she heard the talking head news commentator going on and on about all the disasters that had taken place in the world on that particular day. She shook her head in dismay at the carnage displayed on the screen. What’s the old saying about television news? She thought. I think its if it bleeds, it leads.

  *****

  “Okay, Blaine, dinner is on the table. Wearing a ring this big is going to take a little getting used to, and I sure don’t want to take it off and lose it. I have to keep pinching myself to believe all this is happening.”

  “Believe it,” he said as he sat down
at the table. “Kat, this looks fabulous. The meat on the veal shanks is literally falling off the bone.”

  “Hope it’s as good as it looks.”

  They were both quiet for a few minutes while they ate, and then Blaine said, “It’s definitely as good as it looks. I know you said earlier you don’t eat much veal, but any time you’re inclined to make this, you’d make me a very happy man.”

  “Good. Glad you like it. Blaine, when we talked on the phone today, you mentioned you were going to call your friend, the coroner. Did you, and if so, what did he say?”

  “Sorry, with everything else, it slipped my mind. Yes, I did. He’d just gotten back from lunch, and he was getting ready to do the autopsy. He told me if he found anything out, he’d give me a call tonight. The fact he hasn’t called is probably good news.”

  “Wait a minute. The guy did an autopsy after he ate lunch? Seriously?”

  “Yeah, I know. I sure couldn’t do that, but I guess after you do enough autopsies, it just becomes part of your routine.”

  “I don’t think I could ever have an autopsy become routine.”

  “Agreed. Ah, sorry, but I hear my phone. It’s in the pocket of my suit coat which I hung up in the hall closet. Mind if I go talk to whoever it is?”

  “Of course not. I’ll clean up while you’re talking.” She cleared the table and rinsed the dishes while Blaine took the call.

  A few minutes later she heard him walk into the kitchen, and when she turned around, she noticed how serious he looked. “Is something wrong, Blaine?”

  “Yes. Greg doesn’t think the woman who died in Mitzi’s office died from natural causes. He thinks she was poisoned.”

  “Oh, no,” gasped Kat. “I’ve got to call Mitzi and tell her.”

  “Wait a minute. Kat, Greg told me if he discovers that foul play may have been involved in a death, he’s required to call the chief of police and tell him before it’s released to the public. He’s making that call now. I imagine that both you and Mitzi will be visited by the police tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. Greg said they’d probably treat this as a murder case. The police will be interviewing anyone and everyone who knew her.”

  “Are you telling me Mitzi and I may become suspects in her murder? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so. Now why don’t you call Mitzi, and then I want you to tell me exactly what happened this morning. I want to know everything, who was there, what was said, everything. I alerted Nick earlier. I’m going to call him and have him come over, so he can get started immediately on any investigation stuff that needs to be done.”

  “As district attorney, can’t you make this go away or do something? You know that neither Mitzi nor I murdered her.”

  “I wish I could, sweetheart, but I really don’t have anything to do with a case until it’s brought to me by the police, and their evidence is presented to me. Then I make a determination whether or not we should file a criminal complaint against someone. Believe me, when people find out the district attorney’s fiancée is a suspect in a murder case, unfortunately that alone will cause it to make the papers.”

  “Oh, Blaine, I’m so sorry you have to be involved.”

  “Kat, we don’t have much time. Call Mitzi, and then we need to get started on clearing both your names. I can’t do anything publicly, but I can sure give you and Mitzi some thoughts on what you need to do.”

  She looked down at her ring, wondering if she’d done the right thing when she accepted it or if she was going to be a huge liability to Blaine.

  CHAPTER 11

  “Hi, Mitzi, it’s Kat. I can’t talk for very long, but I’m afraid I have some bad news. You know how I mentioned that Blaine’s the district attorney. Well, it turns out the coroner is a friend of his. Blaine asked him if he’d let Blaine know the preliminary results from the autopsy before it was released to the public. The coroner just called Blaine and he’s pretty sure your patient was poisoned. He’s having tests run to confirm it. Blaine is sure you and I will be investigated and could even become suspects in the case. He said it will probably be investigated as a murder case.”

  “What? Oh, no!” Mitzi exclaimed with a sound of shock in her voice. “You’ve got to be kidding. This is about as bad as it gets. I can just hear what Dr. Nguyen will say about this. I might as well kiss that promotion goodbye. I better call Rex and tell him, before he hears it from someone else. Don’t think he’s going to be too happy his fiancée may be considered as a suspect. This is just swell. Kat, I’ve got to make some calls, and I’m sure you do too. Let’s talk tomorrow.”

  *****

  “In all honesty, Kat, this really is not how I envisioned we would spend our first night together as an engaged couple. There are a lot of other things I would prefer to do, but while you were talking to Mitzi I called Nick, and he’s on his way over here right now. I think there’s some saying about two heads being better than one, and in this case, I think three heads will even be better.”

  “Blaine, are you sure that was necessary? After all, Nick’s one of the top private investigators in the state. Isn’t bringing him in to look at the case unnecessary and a little premature?”

  “No, the quicker we can establish who might be a suspect, besides you and Mitzi, the quicker Nick can get started on this. Of course it’s important to find out how Sandy Hendrick was poisoned, but it’s equally important to clear both your name and Mitzi’s from the list of suspects. Good, there’s the doorbell. Must be Nick. Why don’t you get some pens and paper, and we’ll get started as soon as he comes in?”

  When Blaine walked back into the great room he was followed by a tall handsome man who definitely resembled Blaine. It didn’t take much of a leap of imagination to know they must have come from the same gene pool. “Kat, it’s good to see you again,” Nick said as he kissed her cheek, “and I understand congratulations are in order, although it sounds like you may have to table those wedding plans until we get this little problem under control.”

  “Nick, I really wish we were seeing each other under different circumstances. Hopefully, after you become my brother-in-law, we’ll be able to get together when someone’s death isn’t the main reason for meeting. Where should we start?”

  “Blaine gave me the bare bones when he called this afternoon. I want to know everything that took place from the time you got to Dr. Green’s office until the time you left.”

  Even though Kat told him what she thought was everything, several times Nick interrupted her with questions. “Kat, you said you checked in with a receptionist by the name of Rochelle. Do you know her last name?”

  “I’ve only called her Rochelle since the time I’ve been going there for acupuncture treatments, but there’s a nameplate on the reception counter, and I’m pretty sure her last name is Salazar.”

  “That’s a good start. I need more details like a physical description, what she did before she started working for Dr. Green, things of that nature.”

  “She’s about age forty-five, around 5’5” tall, with dark hair worn short framing her olive complexion. I think she has brown eyes. She’s quite attractive. I remember Mitzi telling me that after her children left home, her husband left her. Even though she had a college degree, she’d never worked outside the home. Evidently she wanted to try something different, and she entered the acupuncture program at the university. I think maybe she’s in her last year. It seems to me Mitzi mentioned once that she was going to have to find a new receptionist next year because Rochelle would be a licensed acupuncturist and wouldn’t want to work as a receptionist any longer.”

  “Good. That’s enough for me to get started. Do you know where she lives?” Nick asked.

  “I have no idea. Would you like me to call Mitzi? She probably knows.”

  “Not yet. I may have some other questions I want to ask her, and I might as well do them all at once.”

  “How about the woman who died? What’s her name?”

  “Sandy Hen
drick.”

  “Do you know anything about her? From what I understand you saw her even though she was deceased. Can you give me her physical description?”

  “I’d say she looked to be in her mid-forties. She had shoulder length blond hair which was probably professionally highlighted. I never saw her eyes, because Mitzi had mercifully closed them.”

  “Do you know if she was married or had children?”

  “Nick, I remember Mitzi telling the detective she needed to call Sandy’s husband and tell him, but Rochelle volunteered to do it,” she said becoming quiet for a few minutes as she thought back to the conversation, “because the detective wanted to question Mitzi. I also remember she was wearing a wedding ring. I think Mitzi said something about her not having any children.”

  “When we call Mitzi, I’ll see if she knows his first name. That would help. So other than you, Rochelle, Mitzi, and Sandy Hendrick, no one else was in the acupuncture clinic.” Kat nodded affirmatively. “What can you tell me about Mitzi?”

  Kat told him about Mitzi’s mid-life crisis or change as she called it, and how she was going to be married in two months to Dr. Rex Brown, a plastic surgeon. Blaine interrupted her and said, “Nick, I’ve known Rex for years. He’s a really good man. If he’s marrying Mitzi, she’s above reproach.”

  “Blaine, you know everyone has to be looked at in this type of case.”

  “Are you saying Mitzi really could be a suspect?” Kat asked incredulously.

  “I’m not saying anyone is a suspect. That’s not my job. My job is to get facts and information about these people. There’s a big difference.”

  “Yes, I see what you’re saying, but there may be a couple of other people you might want to check out.”

  Nick looked up from the pad of paper he’d been writing on. “Go on, Kat, if there’s anyone else you think I need to know about, don’t hold back.”