Strictly Business

ORCHARD PRESS MYSTERIES, SHORT FICTION & POETRY

January 2007

Strictly Business
a short story
by Rekha Ambardar

Rekha Ambardar has published over 70 short genre, mainstream, and literary short stories in print and electronic magazines. She has also published articles magazines and journals, including Writer's Journal, ByLine, and Fellowscript, and has also published two novels.

Sheriff’s deputy, Jake Baril, and his partner, Tammi Paredes, entered the living room of the apartment where Erica Blaines had been found strangled. The apartment manager, Dave Laroque, had unlocked the door when one of her co-workers had called to find out why Erica had failed to show up at the Lamplighter Restaurant.

Time of death had been established at sometime after eight last night. She was found lying on the floor, still wearing her orange and white waitress uniform.

The officers knelt down to get a closer look. In addition to the red marks of strangulation there was a prominent dark birthmark on the front of her neck.

After the crime scene unit removed the victim, the manager’s wife brought steaming mugs of coffee on a tray. "Just made a fresh pot."

As he sipped his coffee, Baril said, "Did you know the victim?"

"Not really. I’m a delivery room nurse and I work the second shift. I’ve been covering for my co-worker who’s just had foot surgery."

The manager and his wife then left them to study the apartment. On the sofa lay Erica’s purse as if it had been thrown there. Two armchairs sat facing one another and a television set sat on a short round cabinet with a door. The dining area had only a counter and two stools; behind the counter was the kitchenette with a refrigerator.

Officer Paredes followed Baril back into the living room. "I saw you talking on your cell a while back. Any suspects?"

"The victim’s co-worker from the Lamplighter, a woman named Jill, said Erica had mentioned a couple of male friends–married male friends," Baril said.

"Boy friends?"

"Don’t know. I have the names." He consulted a notepad. "Carl Myers, a computer store owner, and Eddie Shannahan, state representative."

They found Myers at Computer Tower, a big store with shiny models of computer units ready to be shipped. Jake took him aside and told him why they were there. Myers’ face turned ashen.

"How long have you known her?" Baril asked.

"Six months. She came to a training session here. She was very ambitious and wanted a job here."

"Were you in a relationship with the victim?"

Myers shook his head. "I'm happily married. I wasn't hitting on her, if that’s what you mean."

"Were you here last night?"

"Here, working."

"Anyone who can corroborate that?"

"I ordered a sandwich from Sub Stop just around the corner."

Baril shut his notepad. "Thanks. We’ll be in touch."

Next they went to Eddie Shannahan's office in a highrise building.

"Did you know Erica well?" Officer Paredes asked after they told Shannahan why they were there.

"Yes and no." He appeared remarkably calm. "She worked as a volunteer in my campaign office."

"Where were you last night?"

"I worked late and then I was at home with my wife. We talked about going out to eat. But then decided to stay home."

"So only your wife can vouch for you."

"Yes."

"At least we know it must be someone she knew," Officer Paredes said, as she drove the patrol car away from downtown. "The lock on her apartment wasn’t broken."

"We need to take another look at the apartment," Baril said, "so let’s head that way."

"Any leads in the case, officer?" Laroque asked Baril when the officers met him at the apartment building office.

"We're working on it. Was the victim a good tenant?"

"Far as I know."

"We have to ask you about your whereabouts last night. Just routine, you understand," Baril said.

"No problem. I took care of some repairs in one of the apartments. There’s always some complaint or other. Then had dinner with my wife, watched TV, and did my rental accounts," Laroque said, looking through some papers on his desk.

Back at the apartment, Baril and his partner looked for personal photos, anything that would give them a clue to the victim's life. There was nothing, except for a sheet of paper with apartment rules stuck midway on the refrigerator. The bottom half had been torn off.

Baril opened the door of the cabinet under the TV. Video tapes were stacked inside. Something stuck in between two tapes caught his eye-a piece of paper and a small cotton scarf. He produced a large-sized plastic baggie, slipped the items in it, and examined it. The paper had the words "The Manager" typed on it. He then studied the paper on the refrigerator. The edge of it exactly matched the edge of the paper he'd found.

"What’s that?" Officer Paredes asked.

"Not sure yet, but maybe Erica's co-worker can shed some light." Baril took out his cell and punched in the numbers.

"Did Erica wear a scarf?" he asked Jill.

"Yes. She was self-conscious about the birthmark on her neck."

He described the scarf to Jill.

"That's the one."

Baril clapped his phone shut thoughtfully. "We have our killer."

"The manager, right?" Paredes said.

Baril nodded. "Dave Laroque, strangled Erica using the scarf as the murder weapon," he said. "He had lied when he said he had dinner with his wife. As she worked the second shift, she wouldn’t have been home. Moreover, since she had been working so much overtime, Laroque had probably been seeing Erica, who probably threatened to tell his wife if he didn’t get a divorce."

"He didn’t want that," Paredes said slowly, "so he strangled her using the scarf around the neck and left her on the floor, convinced that she was dead."

"But she was still alive, although barely," Deputy Sheriff Baril said. "She managed to grab the piece of paper with the apartment rules on the refrigerator with the words, ‘The Manager’ at the bottom of the page, and hid it and the scarf in the round cabinet under the TV. Not knowing who would find it first, she concealed it where it might have the best chance of being found by the police."

Contact the Author - rekha_ambardar@yahoo.com