Valerie Wolzien - Death In Duplicate

The call took every bit as long as Susan had anticipated and she was just hanging up when Kathleen appeared in the doorway, a half-eaten cinnamon roll in one hand, a mug of coffee in the other.

“Susan, I can’t believe you. With everything that’s going on around here, you get up early and bake.”

“Not me. Shannon made those.”

Kathleen raised her eyebrows. “Really? They’re as good as yours.” She closed the door behind her and flopped down in one of the pair of wing chairs beside Jed’s large mahogany partner’s desk. “I haven’t learned anything new,” she announced. “But it’s possible we’ll hear something after my friend makes a few phone calls.”

“I’ve just gotten off the phone with Blues-”

“Who? Oh, Chrissy’s mother-in-law! Did you call her or did she call you?”

“I called her. I’d already dialed the number when I realized what time it is in California and I was afraid I was going to wake her, but it turns out that she was up studying the stars.”

“I didn’t know she was interested in astronomy.”

“I think it’s more astrology that interests Rhythm and Blues. But that’s not important.” Susan glanced at the closed door. “I called her to ask about Shannon. After all, they hired her for the kids so I figured they must know a lot about her. But-”

“Don’t tell me. They found her through some sort of Zen spiritual adviser they met on a retreat somewhere.”

“Nope. They heard about her through a mutual friend whose daughter gave birth to a baby with some sort of serious health problem. Apparently this friend couldn’t say enough about how wonderful Shannon was and Blues got the idea of hiring her when the kids had their babies.”

“Did they check into her background?” Kathleen asked, leaning forward.

Susan frowned. “I don’t want Blues or anyone to know that we’re worried about Shannon. She’s not terribly discreet and Chrissy and Stephen might find out and it would upset them and-”

“You’re telling me that you didn’t ask any direct questions about Shannon.”

“Exactly. Fortunately Blues loves to talk so all I had to do was mention Shannon and she was off and running.”

“And?”

“They had only heard about Shannon when they found out that Chrissy and Stephen were going to have twins.”

“How did they know that?”

“Indirectly. Stephen told an old friend who also has twins and that old friend told his mother and she ran into Blues and mentioned it. I felt a bit hurt that they knew and we didn’t, but fortunately they were smart enough to see that the kids would need help when the babies were born. Blues said that she’s heard that some baby nurses won’t work with twins. Can you believe that?”

“Every few weeks I pick up the newspaper and I read something else about the nursing shortage so I suppose nurses can pick and choose the jobs they want.”

“Apparently that’s true. Blues said it wasn’t easy to convince Shannon to work for the kids. And not because they were twins. Blues said Shannon didn’t like the idea of moving when the babies were only a few weeks old. I can’t blame her for that. The last twenty-four hours have been mayhem, and everyone around here has been run off their feet.”

“How did Blues convince Shannon to take the job?”

“I have no idea. Blues said that she sent positive messages out into the universe directed at the problem and the cosmos answered in a positive manner. Frankly, I have no idea what she was talking about, but apparently whatever she did worked. Shannon ’s last job ended three days before Ethan and Rosie were born…” Susan yawned. “And she called the Canfields and said she would be happy to take the job.”

“So she was already working in Philadelphia?” Kathleen asked.

“No, she wasn’t. The job with the ill baby was in D.C. so she didn’t have far to travel.” Susan’s second yawn made her eyes water.

“Where does she live? I mean, when she isn’t working?”

“I have no idea. I didn’t even think about it. Just because she lives in on her jobs doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a home, does it?”

“I doubt it. She must have someplace that she goes between jobs-or on her days off. She does have days off, doesn’t she?”

“Lord, I never thought of that.” And Susan already couldn’t imagine how they would manage without her.

“Is she a registered nurse, an RN?”

“I think so.”

“Was she hired through an agency? I mean are Rhythm and Blues paying her directly or are they paying an agency that then pays her?”

“I have no idea. If she worked for an agency, they would know about her work history, wouldn’t they?” Susan asked.

“Yes, but they might not be willing to tell just anybody. You know,” Kathleen added, “you could just ask her.”

“I suppose, but I don’t want her to feel as though I’m interrogating her or worried about her.”

“But you are!”

“I know, but I didn’t hire her, and the kids-and my grandchildren-are depending on her. Kathleen, I don’t want to wait for your friend. I think we should drive up to that island and ask some questions… Although I don’t want to leave Chrissy and Shannon alone today.”

“Look, why don’t we do some online research? Murders at a nursing home must have gotten mention in more than a few newspapers.”

“And there’s even a Web site that rates nursing homes. I remember someone at the club, who was looking for a place for her parents, telling me about it,” Susan suggested.

“If you can check that out, I’ll go home and see what I can find out from newspaper archives,” Kathleen said. “At least I’ll try. We had parental controls put on the computer so we wouldn’t have to worry about Alex running into something a ten-year-old shouldn’t see. Unfortunately they seem to control the oddest things. Jerry’s niece is graduating from Beaver College next month and we wanted to find out when the ceremony is-”

“And the computer wouldn’t let you.”

“You got it! But I’ll keep track of any dead ends and you can research them. You know, Susan, maybe you could bring these things up in casual conversation. It’s not suspicious to ask someone you don’t know where they live-or where they worked.”

“Kathleen, don’t think I haven’t tried. But you can’t imagine how impossible it is to have a casual conversation around here! In the past…” She paused and glanced down at her watch to check the time. “In the past nineteen hours since the kids arrived, I’ve hardly managed to finish my thoughts, never mind communicating them-”

As if to prove what she was saying the doorbell rang. Kathleen swiveled in her chair and glanced out the window at the street. “United Parcel truck,” she announced.

“Oh, that must be the stroller I ordered. I guess I’ll have to send it back and find one for two babies,” she said, getting up and going to the door.

“Oh, my lord!”

“What’s wrong?” Kathleen asked, following her out into the hallway.

The tall man in a dark brown uniform was pushing a loaded dolly up the driveway. And, from the pile next to the door, Susan got the impression that he had waited until his third or fourth trip to ring the bell.

“You having another wedding here?” the deliveryman asked as he added to the mound of packages. Susan recognized him as being the same man who drove this route the year her daughter was married.

“No.” Susan glanced at the label on the top package. It was addressed to Chrissy and Stephen. “My daughter and her husband and their babies are staying with us for a while though.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Canfield?” he asked.

“Yes. Are these all for them?”