about cell phones?”
“Yes. The coverage is spotty. And many of these deer camps are off the grid and don’t have landlines. They heat with wood and use propane or kerosene for lights.”
“How about the State Police?” Sue asked.
“Same response.”
“So,” said Sue, “we know things aren’t good in the marriage, they’re heading for splitsville. But Dirk can’t be so dumb to think he could get away with this, even if he could get the boys in the deer camp to give him an alibi.”
“Dirk has an almost inexhaustible supply of hubris, but you’re probably right, he wouldn’t be that stupid. Even with an alibi, he knows he is going be suspect number one.”
“And what would be his motive?” asked Sue. “Like it’s not the first time he’s been divorced.”
“We need to get him in here and let him give us his story. And once we get in contact with him, you would think he’d want to be with his kids. I’ve left two messages, so if he turns on his phone or gets someplace with a signal….”
“The other items you think we should pursue immediately?” started Sue, looking at the whiteboard.
“The letters that Lynne got. Anything from the State Police lab yet?”
“No,” said Sue, opening a notepad and starting a list. “I’ll call them as soon as we’re done and let them know this has become a priority. What’s next?”
“I would like to talk to the station manager and see if he’s got any ideas. I want to know if there is anything more on those letters, and then I want to question him about other possibilities like professional jealousy and office romances.”
“Psychiatrist?” said Sue, pointing to white board. “What’s that about?”
“When Lynne came in with the letters, she told me she was seeing a psychiatrist. There’s a chance he might have some useful information.”
“Did she give you a name?”
“No, but based on her description of the man, I’ve a good sense of who it is.”
“Description? Why didn’t she just tell you his name?”
“Lynne was telling me about problems in her marriage. Dirk didn’t like the au pair and accused her of having an affair with her psychiatrist, who she said was in his late sixties. Dr. Ruskin fits that description. I’ll call him and confirm that she was a patient. And then I’ll see if he….”
“Aren’t you going to get into a physician/patient confidentiality problem?”
“I don’t think so, given what’s happened and the kind of information we’re seeking.”
“Sounds like they have a wonderful marriage,” said Sue. Her gaze returned to Ray’s diagram, “And next you have family. I assume you’re referring to Lynne’s”
“Yes. I think we need to see if she’s told her parents anything. If she and her mother are close, perhaps Lynne shared something that might be useful.”
“I’ll set up an appointment to talk to her mother,” Sue said.
Ray pointed to an area in his chart. “I’d also like to know more about the family. Might there be a sibling or relative who would benefit by Lynne’s death? I’d like you to work that angle. And would you carefully peruse this chart and see what I missed?”
“What are you going to do?” Sue asked.
“I’m sort of stir-crazy. I’m going to the hospital. I’ll see if I can learn anything about Lynne’s condition, and if I can find him, perhaps have a word with her father. I’ll also try to visit with Dr. Ruskin.”
“You okay?” said Sue, noting the fatigue in his voice.
“Why do you ask?”
“You just seem tense and very tired.”
“The cold weather, my leg has been uncomfortable today, and this….”
Sue cut him off, “There are certain parallels.” Her sentence hung briefly.
“We better getstarted,” said Ray, using his arms to help lift his body out of the chair. After Sue left, he stood for a long moment looking at the chart and thinking about what Sue had said, the parallels. He pushed those thoughts from his mind. He needed to
“Yes. The coverage is spotty. And many of these deer camps are off the grid and don’t have landlines. They heat with wood and use propane or kerosene for lights.”
“How about the State Police?” Sue asked.
“Same response.”
“So,” said Sue, “we know things aren’t good in the marriage, they’re heading for splitsville. But Dirk can’t be so dumb to think he could get away with this, even if he could get the boys in the deer camp to give him an alibi.”
“Dirk has an almost inexhaustible supply of hubris, but you’re probably right, he wouldn’t be that stupid. Even with an alibi, he knows he is going be suspect number one.”
“And what would be his motive?” asked Sue. “Like it’s not the first time he’s been divorced.”
“We need to get him in here and let him give us his story. And once we get in contact with him, you would think he’d want to be with his kids. I’ve left two messages, so if he turns on his phone or gets someplace with a signal….”
“The other items you think we should pursue immediately?” started Sue, looking at the whiteboard.
“The letters that Lynne got. Anything from the State Police lab yet?”
“No,” said Sue, opening a notepad and starting a list. “I’ll call them as soon as we’re done and let them know this has become a priority. What’s next?”
“I would like to talk to the station manager and see if he’s got any ideas. I want to know if there is anything more on those letters, and then I want to question him about other possibilities like professional jealousy and office romances.”
“Psychiatrist?” said Sue, pointing to white board. “What’s that about?”
“When Lynne came in with the letters, she told me she was seeing a psychiatrist. There’s a chance he might have some useful information.”
“Did she give you a name?”
“No, but based on her description of the man, I’ve a good sense of who it is.”
“Description? Why didn’t she just tell you his name?”
“Lynne was telling me about problems in her marriage. Dirk didn’t like the au pair and accused her of having an affair with her psychiatrist, who she said was in his late sixties. Dr. Ruskin fits that description. I’ll call him and confirm that she was a patient. And then I’ll see if he….”
“Aren’t you going to get into a physician/patient confidentiality problem?”
“I don’t think so, given what’s happened and the kind of information we’re seeking.”
“Sounds like they have a wonderful marriage,” said Sue. Her gaze returned to Ray’s diagram, “And next you have family. I assume you’re referring to Lynne’s”
“Yes. I think we need to see if she’s told her parents anything. If she and her mother are close, perhaps Lynne shared something that might be useful.”
“I’ll set up an appointment to talk to her mother,” Sue said.
Ray pointed to an area in his chart. “I’d also like to know more about the family. Might there be a sibling or relative who would benefit by Lynne’s death? I’d like you to work that angle. And would you carefully peruse this chart and see what I missed?”
“What are you going to do?” Sue asked.
“I’m sort of stir-crazy. I’m going to the hospital. I’ll see if I can learn anything about Lynne’s condition, and if I can find him, perhaps have a word with her father. I’ll also try to visit with Dr. Ruskin.”
“You okay?” said Sue, noting the fatigue in his voice.
“Why do you ask?”
“You just seem tense and very tired.”
“The cold weather, my leg has been uncomfortable today, and this….”
Sue cut him off, “There are certain parallels.” Her sentence hung briefly.
“We better getstarted,” said Ray, using his arms to help lift his body out of the chair. After Sue left, he stood for a long moment looking at the chart and thinking about what Sue had said, the parallels. He pushed those thoughts from his mind. He needed to
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