Golden in Death(49)

“Thanks. You?”

“Yeah, fine. Keep going.”

“Okay. Going by her data, she’s stuck with private schools since she started—forty-nine years ago—in Baltimore, Maryland, worked her way to assistant dean of faculty, transferred to a school in Columbus, got the divorce, moved up to assistant headmaster there, transferred here as assistant headmaster, got married again, moved up to headmaster, got divorced, transferred as headmaster to East Washington. She averages about ten years at a school.”

Peabody passed the coffee to Eve. “No particular interest or skill in science shows up. To me, it reads like she used teaching as a stepping-stone to administration and the hierarchy.”

“The second divorce. When and who filed for it?”

“Ah…” Peabody pulled out her PPC. “The spouse—Reginald P. Greenwald—this was also his second. He filed in … January of 2053.”

“The same year she transferred to East Washington. Reginald P. Greenwald. Sounds like a rich name.”

“And you’d be correct. Second son of Horace W. Greenwald and CEO of All Fresh, which was started last century by Philip A. Greenwald—grandfather. They make home and commercial cleaning supplies and tools.”

“Cleaning supplies.” Eve felt a little buzz. “You’d need chemists on staff.”

“Uh-huh. Sure you would. Labs for research and development, testing new products. You could buy a mad scientist with your take of a multibillion-dollar company. But why kill the spouses of a headmaster—who came in after your ex transferred—and a teacher who was about to transfer?”

“That’s a question we’ll ask Greenwald.”

“Should I see if I can get him to come in?”

“No. He’ll bring a bunch of shiny lawyers—that would be SOP. We’ll do a drop-in, after we talk to Rufty.” She glanced at the time. “Which is any minute. I booked a conference room.”

“Yeah, that’ll be easier for him than an interview room. Why don’t I go make sure the AC’s stocked. He drank tea, right?”

“Yeah. Go ahead. Tag me when he gets here.”

She started to dig into All Fresh, confirmed they had research and development labs in New York, with “top scientists, chemists, herbalists, and innovators.”

The wife gets reported by teachers—Duran being one—replaced by Rufty. Then gets dumped. How pissed off would you be?

As she began to play with a new theory, Peabody tagged her.

In the conference room, Rufty sat with his son-in-law. Peabody brought them both a cup of tea as Eve walked in.

“Thank you for coming in,” Eve began.

“We hoped you’d have some news.”

“We hope you’ll be able to help us with some questions about the school, the staff, from when you came on as headmaster.”

“I … Yes, of course, if it’s helpful, but I don’t see how it could be.”

“Dr. Rufty, do you remember Jay Duran? He taught at the academy when you came on.”

“I … We don’t have a Duran in the faculty.”

Eve drew out an ID shot. “Do you remember him?”

“Yes, yes, of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t place the name at first. It was several years ago, and he was only there through the end of the term. I don’t understand.” He face went gray. “Is he— Did he kill Kent?”

“No.” Not listening to the media, Eve thought. “Elise Duran, Professor Duran’s wife, was sent a package this morning. She was killed.”

“Oh dear God.” He turned to his son-in-law, groped for his hand.

“It’s the same?” Greg moved his chair closer to Rufty, put an arm around him. “The same as Kent?”

“Yes. Professor Duran indicated that there were a number of issues and problems at the school, with the previous headmaster, before you took over.”

“I don’t understand. What would any of that have to do with Kent, with Jay’s—yes, I remember him now—with his wife? Wait.” He held up a trembling hand as color washed in and out of his face. “Not them. Me. Because of me? Am I responsible?”

“Dr. Rufty, the person responsible is the person who sent the package, and anyone who, potentially, helped him. You’re not. Jay Duran is not.”

“But if I—”

“Would you blame Professor Duran for the death of his wife?”

“I— No.” He swiped at tears, made a visible effort to steady himself. “No, I would not. I don’t see how this could go back all those years. And Jay, he was only there a short time after I came on. He’d already accepted a position with … I can’t remember.”

“Columbia.”

“Yes. Yes, Columbia. He was a fine teacher, I remember that. Very dedicated. Did he have children? I think he had children.”

“He has two teenage sons.”

“Oh, that poor family. They’re going through what we are,” he said to Greg. “They’re feeling what we’re feeling.”

“Then we have to help them.” Greg rubbed a hand up and down Rufty’s arm.





11


Rufty gathered himself. “Whatever I can do.”