killed herself in front of someone
and that person had brought her home?
The minister was saying the final prayer. "When every tear shall
be dried . . ." Chris led Vangie's parents into the anteroom to accept
the sympathy of their friends.
When he was able to get away to a phone, Chris called Dr.
Salem's office. "This is Vangie Lewis' husband," he said. "It's
urgent I speak with the doctor immediately."
"I'm sorry," the nurse told him. "Dr. Salem left a short time ago
for the American Medical Association convention in New York.
He will not be back until next week."
"New York! Can you tell me where he's staying, please?"
The nurse hesitated. "I suppose it's all right. I know Dr. Salem
intends to get in touch with you. He took your wife's medical
records with him. You can reach him at the Essex House Hotel on
Central Park South."
SCOTT Myerson had called a noon meeting to discuss Vangie
Lewis' death. When Katie arrived, Maureen was there with a pen
and paper.
"We're bringing sandwiches in," Scott said. "I'm due in court
again at one thirty. We've got to move fast on Captain Lewis."
As Katie had expected, Scott was zeroing in on Chris. She
looked at Maureen. The girl had an aura of nervousness around
her. "Any results on Dr. Fukhito?"
"So far not much. He's not a member of the AMA or the Valley
County Medical Society. But I have a call in to the University of
Massachusetts. He attended medical school there."
"Who told you that?" Katie asked.
"I remember hearing it somewhere."
Katie sensed that Maureen was being evasive.
At that moment Richard, Charley and Phil came into the office.
Quickly they gave Maureen their lunch choices. Scott began to
speak. "By now you all know that the Lewis baby had Oriental
characteristics. So that opens two possibilities. One: with the
birth imminent, Vangie panicked and killed herself because she
knew she could never pass the baby off as her husband's. Two:
Chris Lewis found out that his wife had been having an affair and
killed her. She could have been rushing home to Minneapolis because
she was afraid of him. From what Katie tells us, the psychiatrist
claims she ran out of his office nearly hysterical."
"The Japanese psychiatrist," Katie said.
"Are you suggesting there was something between him and
Vangie?"
"I'm not suggesting anything yet. Vangie could have known
another Oriental man. But he was nervous when I spoke with
him yesterday. He carefully chose every word he said to me, and
I certainly did not get the whole truth from him."
"Which brings us to Edna Burns," Scott said. "What about it,
Richard? Did she fall, or was she pushed?"
"It's possible that she fell. The alcohol level in her blood was
point two five. She was blotto."
"But it is possible she was murdered?" Scott persisted.
"Absolutely."
"And Edna was heard talking to Chris Lewis about Prince
Charming." Katie thought of the handsome psychiatrist. Would
Edna refer to him as Prince Charming?
"Maybe Vangie told her something Monday night," Charley
suggested. "Maybe she knew Chris and Vangie had quarreled and
why they'd quarreled. Maybe she was putting the arm on Lewis.
She did threaten to go to the police."
"She said she had something to tell the police," Katie objected.
"That's the way the super's wife put it."
"All right," Scott said. "What turned up at the Lewis house?"
"Not much," said Charley. "There's a phone number with a 612
area code scribbled on the pad beside the kitchen phone. We
thought we'd call it from here. The other thing is that she tore her
dress on a prong sticking out from a shelf in the garage."
Scott picked up the message pad Charley had handed him and
tossed it to Katie. "Why don't you try this number now?"
Katie dialed the number and waited while the phone rang.
"Dr. Salem's office."
"Perhaps
and that person had brought her home?
The minister was saying the final prayer. "When every tear shall
be dried . . ." Chris led Vangie's parents into the anteroom to accept
the sympathy of their friends.
When he was able to get away to a phone, Chris called Dr.
Salem's office. "This is Vangie Lewis' husband," he said. "It's
urgent I speak with the doctor immediately."
"I'm sorry," the nurse told him. "Dr. Salem left a short time ago
for the American Medical Association convention in New York.
He will not be back until next week."
"New York! Can you tell me where he's staying, please?"
The nurse hesitated. "I suppose it's all right. I know Dr. Salem
intends to get in touch with you. He took your wife's medical
records with him. You can reach him at the Essex House Hotel on
Central Park South."
SCOTT Myerson had called a noon meeting to discuss Vangie
Lewis' death. When Katie arrived, Maureen was there with a pen
and paper.
"We're bringing sandwiches in," Scott said. "I'm due in court
again at one thirty. We've got to move fast on Captain Lewis."
As Katie had expected, Scott was zeroing in on Chris. She
looked at Maureen. The girl had an aura of nervousness around
her. "Any results on Dr. Fukhito?"
"So far not much. He's not a member of the AMA or the Valley
County Medical Society. But I have a call in to the University of
Massachusetts. He attended medical school there."
"Who told you that?" Katie asked.
"I remember hearing it somewhere."
Katie sensed that Maureen was being evasive.
At that moment Richard, Charley and Phil came into the office.
Quickly they gave Maureen their lunch choices. Scott began to
speak. "By now you all know that the Lewis baby had Oriental
characteristics. So that opens two possibilities. One: with the
birth imminent, Vangie panicked and killed herself because she
knew she could never pass the baby off as her husband's. Two:
Chris Lewis found out that his wife had been having an affair and
killed her. She could have been rushing home to Minneapolis because
she was afraid of him. From what Katie tells us, the psychiatrist
claims she ran out of his office nearly hysterical."
"The Japanese psychiatrist," Katie said.
"Are you suggesting there was something between him and
Vangie?"
"I'm not suggesting anything yet. Vangie could have known
another Oriental man. But he was nervous when I spoke with
him yesterday. He carefully chose every word he said to me, and
I certainly did not get the whole truth from him."
"Which brings us to Edna Burns," Scott said. "What about it,
Richard? Did she fall, or was she pushed?"
"It's possible that she fell. The alcohol level in her blood was
point two five. She was blotto."
"But it is possible she was murdered?" Scott persisted.
"Absolutely."
"And Edna was heard talking to Chris Lewis about Prince
Charming." Katie thought of the handsome psychiatrist. Would
Edna refer to him as Prince Charming?
"Maybe Vangie told her something Monday night," Charley
suggested. "Maybe she knew Chris and Vangie had quarreled and
why they'd quarreled. Maybe she was putting the arm on Lewis.
She did threaten to go to the police."
"She said she had something to tell the police," Katie objected.
"That's the way the super's wife put it."
"All right," Scott said. "What turned up at the Lewis house?"
"Not much," said Charley. "There's a phone number with a 612
area code scribbled on the pad beside the kitchen phone. We
thought we'd call it from here. The other thing is that she tore her
dress on a prong sticking out from a shelf in the garage."
Scott picked up the message pad Charley had handed him and
tossed it to Katie. "Why don't you try this number now?"
Katie dialed the number and waited while the phone rang.
"Dr. Salem's office."
"Perhaps
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