Valerie Wolzien - Death In Duplicate

They hurried back to the foyer and up the circular stairway to the bedrooms. It wasn’t until they had dashed through the fourth bedroom and connecting bath at record speed that Susan realized Donald was looking for something-or someone. The first hint that it might be the latter came when she realized he was spending as much time looking out the windows as glancing through the rooms. And he seemed unusually interested in showing her the size of the various closets.

“Beautiful pool,” Susan commented, walking up to Donald and looking out the window down onto a large patio. “Guitar shaped?”

“Violin shaped,” he corrected her. “Now the bedrooms on the other side of the hallway look out over the Sound.”

Susan followed him as he dashed across the wide hallway and straight to the window.

The view was magnificent. The Sound was calm and almost navy blue in the morning light. Spring was coming and patches of pale chartreuse green dotted the land to the east. “ Long Island?” Susan nodded to the thin strip of green.

“Perry,” Donald replied, glancing up at the scene before them before returning his attention to the driveway in front of the house.

“ Perry Island? That’s Perry Island?”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

Susan decided there was no reason to point out that his one-word answer might be open to misinterpretation. “I’m surprised to see it. I’m not really familiar with this part of the coast.”

Donald was still staring down at the driveway, a puzzled expression on his face.

“How many other bedrooms are there?” Susan asked when he seemed to forget that the tour still had many more rooms to go.

“Two more bedrooms on this floor. And there are lots of rooms for servants and such upstairs.”

Susan was curious to discover what “and such” might indicate, but she didn’t know how to ask.

“The third floor is closed up. If you’re interested, why don’t you look at the rest of the bedrooms here? I need to go downstairs and make a call on my cell phone.”

“Great.” It made no sense that he would get better reception on his phone on a lower level, but, thrilled to finally be allowed to snoop in peace, she decided not to mention this fact. “I’ll be down as soon as I look around, okay?”

“Sure. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to rush,” he said and started down the hallway toward the stairs.

Susan frowned. Donald was acting very strangely. He hadn’t even mentioned why he had asked her to meet him at Woodwinds. If he didn’t come to the point soon, she decided, opening the door to the next bedroom, she would claim a prior engagement and leave. Just as soon as she looked around here.

She had come to the master bedroom and, she realized looking around, it seemed to be pretty much the only bedroom occupied at present. It was sensational. Susan walked around slowly, examining the inglenook around the fireplace, the huge walk-in closet, the updated bathroom with a Jacuzzi as well as a small sauna. But the most remarkable feature of the corner room was the view. Susan sat down on the large window seat and looked out. She could see the complete western coast of Perry Island now, north to south. In fact, the Perry Island Care Center was directly across from the spot where she was sitting.

And, of course, all the pieces fell in place. For a moment, she remained still, thinking, then she heard footsteps in the hallway and realized that staying where she was could be the stupidest-and last-thing she ever did. The footsteps were coming closer and Susan knew she had to keep Donald from suspecting that she was interested in anything other than Woodwinds.

“This must have been your mother’s bedroom,” she said, getting up from the seat and moving toward the middle of the room. She had no idea how she was going to get past him as long as he stood between her and the door.

“Yes, Mother loved this room,” he said.

“And will you move in here now that your mother is dead? Into this room, I mean?”

“I don’t plan to live here, if that’s what you’re asking me.”

“Oh, you’re going to put Woodwinds back on the market?” Susan edged an inch or two toward the doorway, but Donald stood his ground.

“No, I’m going to develop it. And I’m going to develop the land you were staring at across the Sound, and I’m going to be owner of the most profitable multiuse development in Connecticut.”

“That’s nice… uh, this has all been interesting, but I have to go,” Susan said.

“It’s been less than interesting for me, but I can assure you that you are not going to go, so you may as well stop inching toward the door. I may have only begun my new exercise regime, but I’m stronger than most women I’ve met. You included.”

“You… You’re a murderer,” Susan said, trying to hide the panic she felt.

“No, I’m not. That is,” he added with a nasty smile, “not yet.”

“Not ever.” The voice came from the hallway and Donald swung around as Brett Fortesque entered the room, gun drawn.

Susan’s first thought was that after all the murders they had investigated together-or perhaps simultaneously was the more accurate word-she had never seen Brett with a gun in his hand. The sight, under these circumstances, brought her considerable relief.

Until she realized Brett wasn’t the only armed person nearby. Sophie Kincaid was standing right behind him and she, too, was armed.

“Sophie, where the hell have you been?” Donald said, obviously furious. “I’ve been waiting for you for damn near half an hour!”

It was no way to talk to a lady, but even Susan was shocked when Sophie pulled the trigger and shot Donald Baines in the chest.

“ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG.”

“Donald is neither good nor young, and he is going to live.”

“Would you like some more champagne?”

“I would love some more champagne.” Susan offered her glass for her husband to fill.

“Mother, we don’t drink alcoholic beverages in front of the babies!” Chrissy protested, apparently shocked by her family’s behavior.

“Then perhaps you and Shannon should take them up to their nursery, honey, because your mother and I and our guests are planning on opening another bottle,” Jed said gently.

“I… well, we’ll do just that.” Chrissy gathered her daughter to her breast as if to protect her from the sight of her grandparents’ corruption and left the room.

Shannon picked up Ethan and started to leave, too. “I’d better take this little guy up as well.”

“Once the babies are asleep, you could come back down and join us,” Susan said.

Shannon smiled. “I might do that. I’m really curious to know what happened today,” she added as she left the room.

“As are we,” Kathleen spoke up.

Her husband and Jed nodded their agreement.

“Brett knows more than I do and he’s going to be here in a bit,” Susan said.

“Well, we have lots of champagne,” Jed said. “And I’d like to thank Brett for saving your life.”

“I’m not sure Sophie would have shot me-”

Jerry held up his hands. “Susan, I know you’re going to think I’m dense and I swear that I hang on my wife’s every word so I thought I’d been keeping up with your investigation into your neighbor’s death, but, damn it, I can’t remember anyone named Sophie.” He glanced over at the pile of canines sprawled in front of the fireplace. “Unless she’s one of Clue’s new friends.”

“The mastiffs are named Rock and Roll,” Kathleen informed her husband.

“And Sophie is Sophie Kincaid. She was one of Donald and Nadine’s neighbors before they moved to Hancock. She was also involved with Donald romantically… well, sexually. She didn’t strike me as a very romantic person to tell you the truth.” Susan paused to sip from her flute. “She was involved in his business as well as his personal life.”