Read Online Death in a Summer Colony by Aaron Stander - Free Book Online

Malcolm’s personal attorney for the last two decades. From this point forward I will act as the family’s legal counsel in this matter,” her tone flat and businesslike. “I will facilitate scheduling these interviews at a time that’s convenient to family members and not disruptive to work schedules of our employees. You must understand that Mr. Wudbine’s death comes as a great shock to all of us. If you provide a phone number, I will be in contact. Now please leave us to our grief.”
    Ray handed her a business card. “I will begin the interviews tomorrow afternoon. Memories fade quickly. I need your cooperation in finding the killer.” He spoke directly to Jill Wudbine, then slowly made eye contact with the other people in the room.
    Jill rose, she appeared to Ray to be a bit unsteady. “Ms. Markley will escort you out, Sheriff. I will be in contact with you relative to the interviews in the morning.”
    Once outside, Ray walked across the drive and then turned back toward the structure. He wanted to get a sense of the building, and he needed a few moments alone to reflect on what had just happened.
    “She has a heart of ice, doesn’t she?” said Grubbs as Ray slid onto the seat of the golf cart.
    “Who is that?”
    “Jill, the family attorney. No emotion with that woman, ever. She’s totally cognitive. I hope she doesn’t get in your way too much. She’s probably more into protecting the family than finding out who killed her employer, father-in-law, whatever.” 
     
     
     

12
     
     
     
    R ay was leaning against his car stretching his back when Sue’s Jeep came creeping up the narrow road. She parked next to him.
    “Short night,” he said, lifting his vacuum coffee mug.
    “Too short, way too short.” She took a long moment to stretch, leaning against her Jeep and rotating from side to side, extending her back. Then reached back into her vehicle and retrieved a tall cardboard coffee container.
    “What did you learn from Dr. Dyskin?”
    “Not much more than Hanna told me. The victim died from the wound near the base of his skull. Dyskin said that it appeared to have been made by an extremely sharp instrument. The skin was cut rather than torn. He also said that a lot of force would be needed to drive the weapon through the spine. And he went on to say that in his long tenure in Wayne County looking at hundreds and hundreds of murder victims, he’d never seen anyone killed in quite this way.”
    “Anything else?”
    “Well, you know Dr. Dyskin is usually so dour. He almost seemed jolly last night. He was intrigued by the other wounds, the rubber and greasepaint ones. He made some comment about never seeing a murder victim with fatal fake wounds before.”
    “You seem to be tolerating Dr. Dyskin much better these days.”
    “I’m getting used to him. And now that he doesn’t reek of cigar smoke anymore….”
    “He didn’t get any more specific about the murder weapon?” pursued Ray.
    “He said the forensic pathologist should be able to give us a description of the cutting part of the weapon, that it almost looked like a chisel or push dagger. He also went through a whole array of other kinds of weapons with sharp edges, said he’d seen them all in Detroit and Wayne County.”
    “You’re done photographing the scene?”
    “Yes,” said Sue. “I need to go through the pictures again, and perhaps I’ll shoot more today. But nothing jumped out at me.”
    “And the weapon?”
    “You would’ve known last night,” said Sue, taking a yogic lunge pose and holding it for a number of seconds before continuing. “I did look around the stage area and the offstage wings. I need to do that again today. We’ve got to get some light in there. The place is just filled with dark corners and nooks and crannies where you can get rid of something.” She paused and looked at Ray. “What’s the plan?”
    “Tell me what you think about this. You start with the stage area, then move on to the