Death Qualified Part 37

"I believe it must have been a colleague, then. I had forgotten who it was."

"Which colleague?"

"Herbert Margolis called me, I think."

"And told you your garage had been broken into?"

"Yes."

"How did he know that?"

"I don't know." "Dr. Brandywine, do you recognize the name Florence Steinmen?" "I believe she works at the college." "She does, in the administration building. I have her certified statement, which I would like to read at this time."

There were objections, but in the end Barbara read the statement. "

"I work in reception. Someone is on duty every day, and I was on that Sunday. We had orders that if Tom Mann didn't show up for his medicine, we were to call Dr. Brandywine. But if she wasn't available, then we were supposed to call either Dr. Schumaker or Dr. Mar golis. Well, she was gone to England. We all knew that, and Dr. Schumaker was in Canada, I think, so that after noon when I realized that Tom hadn't come in I finally called Dr. Margolis. It was about four when I remembered to call him."

" Barbara looked at Dr. Brandywine for a long time, then said, "So it wasn't about the garage, but about Tom Mann.

He had not taken his medicine. He had escaped. Is that the message Dr. Margolis had for you?"

"Objection," Tony said.

"Counsel is making implications that are improper, as well as asking and answering her own questions."

"Sustained," Judge Lundgren said.

"On Monday, after you arrived home again, did you hire a private detective agency to find Tom Mann?"

Gregory Erlich was already on his way to consult with his client. The jury was herded out, and Barbara sat down to wait. The conference lasted a long time.

When Dr. Brandywine finally answered the question, she said carefully, "I did not hire a detective agency."

"Do you know who did?" Barbara asked softly.

"Yes. Dr. Schumaker hired them. He realized--" "You've answered the question," Barbara said sharply.

"Was the agency hired to track down Tom Mann?"

"To find my papers," Dr. Brandywine said.

"Tom stole some very important papers, my research, his files."

"And this concerned Dr. Walter Schumaker, a mathematician, to the extent that he hired an agency to find them for you? Why, Dr. Brandywine?"

"He knew their importance, I suppose."

"On Sunday he was in Toronto, and on Monday he flew back to hire detectives to find your work.

Is that what you're saying?"

"I.. .. Yes."

"What name were they provided, Dr. Brandywine? Tom Mann or Lucas Kendricks?"

"It would have been Tom Mann. That was the name he was using."

"Then why did they go to Lucas Kendricks's parents' house? Why did they track his trail through the forest? Why did they plant a listening device on the property of the wife of Lucas Kendricks? Didn't you tell them exactly where his wife lived, where he might be heading?"

" Objection Tony yelled.

At the same moment, Gregory Erlich leaped to his feet; his great voice filled the courtroom.

"Your Honor, this is improper, this is hara.s.sment of the vilest--" Judge Lundgren banged his gavel and glared at them all. "Mr. De Angelo "I object. It has not been established who did the things counsel is talking about.

The questions are improper."

"Sustained," he snapped. He turned his furious eyes to Gregory Erlich.

"Sir?"

"I concur with the prosecuting attorney, Your Honor.

No basis exists for those questions. My client has already said she did not hire the agency. She has been trying to cooperate in a very difficult " Judge Lundgren tapped the gavel, softly this time, but enough to cut him off. He looked at Barbara.

"I will tolerate no browbeating, no hara.s.sment of a witness in my court. I believe you know your questions were improper.

If you persist with such improper methods, I have no re course but to find you in contempt of court a second time.

You may proceed."

Barbara nodded very slightly and turned back to Ruth Brandywine.

"Did you ever consult with the detectives that Dr. Schumaker hired?"

There was only a hint of hesitation before she said no.

"Did you ever sit in on any such consultation?"

"I .. . yes. They talked in my presence."

"And who else was there?"

"Dr. Schumaker and Dr. Margolis."

"So the three of you, the three people who had done papers together that all used a hypnotized subject with the initials LK, were together while Dr. Schumaker talked to the detectives. Is that right?"

"Yes."

"Did you see any of the reports the detectives made?"

"No. Never."

"Did you discuss them?"

"I don't remember doing so."

"Did they make tape recordings of conversations at Nell Kendricks's property?"

"I don't know."

"So who was given the information the detectives were gathering?"

Ruth Brandywine's face did show a change then, a minute tightening, a firming of her mouth, a gleam in her piercing black eyes. It vanished almost instantly.

"Dr.

Schumaker," she said then.

"He handled all of that. And I know nothing about it."

Barbara kept at it all afternoon, sometimes getting an admission, often getting objections, or sitting and waiting for the private consultations to end. She felt as if she were trying to chip granite with a feather duster.

It was late in the day when she said, "Someone paid for his room and board, roughly six thousand dollars a year for seven years. You paid him a stipened for manual work, and some research that you won't talk about. Someone carefully kept his car for seven years, his wallet with all the money he withdrew from his account. You believe you might have helped pay for the detectives who were hired by Dr. Schumaker. You cut short your trip to England, and Dr. Schumaker flew to Toronto one day and home the next day because he was gone. Why, Dr. Brandywine? We are talking about many, many thousands of dollars. Why was Lucas Kendricks, or Tom Mann, worth that kind of money?"

There were objections, and in the end Ruth Brandywine said, "The research was important, not the man. I just wanted my research to be completed."

It was nearly five when Barbara was finished. She felt finished in every bone, every muscle, every nerve. Ruth Brandywine looked as impervious as she had early that morning.

The courtroom was crowded; big names had been introduced, and the case had exploded into a whole new pattern.

Judge Lundgren was bitter when he said he would sequester the jury over the weekend. When the judge left, and the jury was led out, Tony was in a head-to-head conference with the district attorney. Big names, Barbara thought, had brought out the top man. There would be more conferences while they decided how to handle the perjury of Dr. Ruth Brandywine, how involved they would get, who else would be brought in for questioning. She made a bet with herself that the DA would handle that part of it, not Tony; the names suddenly had become big enough to guarantee a lot of publicity. Tough s.h.i.t, she thought derisively. She picked up her purse and her briefcase and prepared to meet the press.

Instead, she realized that Nell was still there, waiting to say something. Her face was pinched; she looked very tired. She took Barbara's hand and looked up at her. Tears were in her eyes.

"Whatever happens from now on," she said softly.

"No matter what it is, I'm grateful. Thank you so very much."

Barbara felt nothing but confusion.

"He didn't stay away because he was tired of us, of me," Nell said in the same low voice.

"She kept him.

She made him a prisoner. And he escaped and came home.

He was laughing, and happy. Thank you."

TWENTY-SIX.

john and amy Kendricks had gone home for the weekend; they would be back early Monday. Amy had insisted that they leave for the next two days.

"Nell needs to have some time with her kids," she had said firmly. John had looked embarra.s.sed. He had been willing to hang around, just to be there if Nell needed anything, and had not realized that their presence might become a burden. Nell felt ashamed for feeling that way since they had been so good, but she was glad they were gone for a short time.

Now she was reading to Carol. Downstairs, Travis was on the network on the computer, checking in, he said. And Clive was washing their dinner dishes. She tried to put him out of mind and concentrate on the words before her eyes, one of the Just So stories that she had loved as a child.

"And the elephant child spanked his aunt.. .."

" Carol giggled and then laughed as the elephant child went through the family, spanking them all in turn with his new trunk. Nell put the book down and plumped the pillow, straightened the covers, tucked in the blanket.

"Okay?"

Carol pulled on her nose, held it, and said, "Oday."

Nell laughed and leaned over to kiss her.

"Monkey.

Pleasant dreams."

"Mom?" Carol said as Nell walked to the door.

"Can I go to Michele's after school Monday? On the bus, I mean?"

"I guess so. I'll talk to her mother tomorrow. Is it something special?"

"No. She just asked me."

Nell hesitated, holding the doork.n.o.b, looking back at her daughter who was so pink and clean and blond. Slowly she went back to the bed.

"Is something wrong, honey?"

Carol shook her head and pretended a yawn, but almost immediately she said, "You won't go to jail, will you?"

Nell sat down on the side of the bed and took her daughter by the shoulders, pulled her to a sitting position.

"No way, Jose. I'm going to stay right here and finish reading that book and a hundred more to you." She watched Carol's face until it was relaxed again, and then drew the child hard against her breast and held her, stroking her silky hair, until Carol started to squirm.

"And in the morning, waffles," Nell said.