It had to be You

Beacon—to back me up on this. Then come up here and see what my nurse found. Meanwhile, I’ll call Dr. Polhemus to tell him not to file the death certificate yet.“
    “What’s happened?“ Chief Walker asked.
    “I’d rather tell you in person. You know how those girls at the telephone exchange listen in. And I have something you need to see.”
    Howard had been chatting with Jack Summer when the call came through.
    “I’m putting the next newspaper issue together,“ Jack had said. “Have you had anything I can report?“
    “Nothing but two drunk drivers, and one accident due to ice on a driveway back last January. And a boy putting a quarter on the railroad tracks to see if it would derail the train.“
    “Really boring winter for you, huh? No serious crimes to investigate since that woman bumped off the preacher in November.“
    “I like it when Voorburg is boring. It makes me feel like I’m a good cop, and the citizens are mostly good people. I’m sticking with the job, even though I had some good offers from bigger cities, thanks to your reporting my arrest in the murder case of a well-known person and passing it on to national newspapers.“
    “I had a few job offers from that case, too,“ Jack said. “I also turned them down. I like it here in Voorburg, too.”
    Howard said, “That might have a little to do with Mrs. Towerton, I suspect.“
    “Not that that’s anybody’s business, but I have been courting her from time to time. She keeps trying to pretend it isn’t really courting though.”
    That’s when the phone rang.
    “What was that about?“ Jack asked.
    “Miss Twibell at the nursing home wants to tell me something she doesn’t want the phone operators to hear.“
    “May I come along with you? I’ve already been in touch with her about doing a piece for the paper about the history of the nursing home as part of my series about the old homes on the hill above the village.“
    “You may come with me, Jack. But if it’s serious police business, which it sounds as if it is, you can’t report on it until I give you permission.“
    “Fair enough.“

Chapter 5

    Chief Howard Walker came up to the second floor of the nursing home ten minutes after he received Miss Twibell’s call, with Jack trailing along, notebook and pencil at the ready. She and Betty took him into the room where Connor had died. Betty showed him the pillow. There was saliva, mucus, and a little blood on it, and a bit of the same on the bottom sheet. Jack was eavesdropping outside the door.
    Howard took a look and said, “Someone smothered him with the pillow, then put it back under his head with the nasty side down. Is that what you think?“
    “I’ve seen this happen twice,“ Miss Twibell said, “when I was a head nurse in New York City. I never thought it could happen here. Chief Walker, I keep my patients safe and as well as I can, and so does my staff.“
    “I’ve heard that your reputation is excellent,“ he assured her. “An autopsy will probably confirm that he was murdered. But the point is, who did it? And when? Gather together your whole staff and the patients if you can and let’s try to get the times straight.”
    He glared when Lily and Robert Brewster escorted the two old ladies to the main room. “What are you two doing here?“ he asked the Brewster siblings sharply.
    “Helping out Miss Twibell,“ Lily snapped back.
    “Robert, would you round up all the chairs you can find?“ Miss Twibell asked. This was not a good time to veer off the subject, even though she was curious about Chief Walker’s reaction to seeing the Brewsters. “There are an extra three in my suite you can bring.”
    She noticed Jack Summer and asked, “What are you doing here? Our appointment for the interview was planned for later in the week.”
    Jack took her aside and said quietly, “I know that. But Walker let me come with him with my promise of not reporting anything until he gives me permission.”
    When they were all assembled and seated in a big circle, Howard Walker asked, “Miss Twibell, who was in the victim’s room since yesterday?“
    “Me, of course. Betty took the night shift checking on him. Quite early this morning the visiting nurse came.“
    “Who is this visiting nurse, and what time was she here?“ Howard asked.
    “Miss Lucy Mae Quincy,“ Miss Twibell said. “She was here from about seven-thirty to seven forty-five. She works for the State of New York in some kind of health