Alex Harris 00 - Poisoned

arrived. The driveway teamed with police and an ambulance that Chantal had called soon after she arrived at the house.
    “I can’t believe it. First Bradley and now Mr. Kaminski. This place is cursed!”
    I went into the house in search of a glass of water. “Here. Drink this.”
    Chantal took several sips from the glass and put her head between her legs. After a few minutes she looked up and put the glass on the porch. “Thanks. I think I’m okay.”
    “Chantal, what on earth happened?” I scanned the driveway for John’s car but didn’t see it.
    “I didn’t plan to come in today. I was supposed to meet Anthony in the city for lunch and then planned on getting a head start on my Christmas shopping.” She reached for the glass again. “Well, he called about nine-thirty to say something came up at the office and he couldn’t get away for lunch. So I did a few errands and then came over here. I thought I would check the mail and get some letters out if there was anything urgent.” Several policemen walked passed us and made their way into the house. “Anyway, I went down the hall into the office and checked the answering machine. It felt kind of breezy in there. I didn’t see any windows open and I checked to make sure I had closed the front door. But I still felt a draft, so I walked around and found the back door opened. The screen was closed but the door was open. I figured Mr. Kaminski must be outside so I called to him. Nothing.
    “I went out onto the back porch and called to him again. I knew he had to be out there, his truck was parked in back, so I walked a ways and then I saw him behind a rhododendron. He was lying there with blood around his head. I walked a bit closer but he wasn’t moving so I ran back into the house and called the police and then you.”
    “Maybe he fell while working out in the yard. He’s getting on in years and he might have lost his balance.”
    “Alex, I almost didn’t come. Say I hadn’t. He would have been out there for God knows how long.”
    I sensed hysteria taking over again. “Chantal! Listen to me. You did come. You did get help. And he’s still alive. Let’s wait to see what the doctors have to say.”
    At the sound of tires on gravel, Chantal and I looked up to see John and Detective Maroni drive onto the property. They parked behind a squad car and conferred with an officer before coming over to where we sat.
    “Mrs. Bradbury, Mrs. Brissart should be called. Do you know if Mr. Kaminski has family in Indian Cove?”
    “Not here, but in Milford. He has a brother and sister-in-law. I’ve got their number in a card file in the study.”
    We went into the house and Chantal handed the numbers to John and asked if he could make the call. John reached Mr. Kaminski’s brother on the first try and told him the name of the hospital the old man had been taken to. He next phoned Mrs. Brissart in Hartford but got no answer. Out of the corner of my eye I saw activity in the hall and out back and wondered why there were so many people coming and going if it was an accident. When John hung up, I turned questioning eyes to him.
    “It looks like he was hit over the head. Someone must have come up from behind. And then he fell on a rock. Though not a very big one, thank God.”
    “Couldn’t he have just fallen?” I asked hoping with all my heart it was an accident. Indian Cove had seen enough of murder, both the real and attempted.
    “There doesn’t seem to be anything in the area that could have caused such a gash on the back of his head. Mrs. Bradbury, I’d like you to tell me exactly what happened.”
    “Detective, we found something if you’d like to come and take a look,” said Jim Maroni, looking more Clark Kentish than ever. We followed him to the back porch where John asked Chantal and me to wait. From our vantage point we saw what looked like a large garden stone being put into a plastic evidence bag. I caught sight of the reddish brown color on one side and turned my head.
    Another police officer came into the back yard from the entrance on the side of the house and walked over to where the other men talked. After a few exchanges, John came back to the porch. “Mr. Kaminski has just regained consciousness and I’m going to the hospital. Mrs. Bradbury, please make sure Detective Maroni has a number where you can be reached. I still need to talk with you.”
    “Certainly.”
    “Alex, I’ll call you when I can.” With that John took