Free Murder My Love by Victor Keyloun Page B

as far away as possible and settled in a remote part of the world either to enjoy rural life or avoid the scrutiny of her family.
    “Do you know the name of the woman?”
    A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Skinner asked Stanton to go to the Chief’s office. He said that Huff was in there with her. Stanton excused himself and proceeded to her office.
    “Sit down, Jeff.”
    “I’m interviewing Greenwell’s sister, Klopowitz’s aunt.”
    “You have to hear this.”
    Huff recounted his visits to the community hospital. He’d first asked for permission from the Administrator to interview workers in the Department of Nutrition. He knew he wasn’t obliged because it was a murder investigation, but he thought he could gain better cooperation if he did. Everyone he interviewed could say nothing but nice things about Miss Greenwell. They were effusive in their compliments. It seemed unnatural to Huff. He felt there was always one person in a group, especially a group of co-workers, who had a dissident voice. He interviewed all the workers in the Nutrition department together. There was one woman in particular, Anita Mazelli, who was weeping throughout his questioning and that raised his hackles. He returned later in the day to speak with her alone.
    “Hey, Anita, let’s go for a cup of coffee.”
    “Why?”
    “Just want to talk a little.”
    “I have nothing to say.”
    “Look, Anita, you’ve seen me around here a lot. I’m not a bad guy. You know how good Miss Greenwell was to my father-in-law. So you know why I’m trying to find out who did this to her.”
    “I know. I can’t believe what happened.”
    Huff leaned back in his chair. “Here’s where it gets interesting, Chief. The woman admitted they had a very, very close relationship. After that, she began to sob uncontrollably. I couldn’t get her to stop crying. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I got up to come back to the station. As I was about to walk out the door, she called me back and through a flood of tears, she said they’d been lovers. She swore it was only one time. She begged me not to say anything. She was worried she’d be fired if anyone in the hospital knew. I told her, ‘Live and let live is my motto.”
    Stanton said, “I’m getting the same vibes from the aunt. Seems Miss Greenwell liked girls more than boys.”
    Wilson glared at Stanton. “Jeff, you can get away with saying things like that in here, but you better watch your mouth in public. And there are certain words I do not want to hear in this police department. Do you understand?”
    “I hear you, Chief.”
    “Then be sure everyone else does.”
    The Chief felt obliged to relate the substance of her meeting with Alice Chicciarelli. Huff was pleased that he was taken into confidence. In fact, he felt that he was part of the process, an intimate to the boss. The Chief rewarded him for uncovering crucial information by assigning him a new task. “See if you can find out who Greenwell was fooling around with before this Chicciarelli woman. We all know her first name is Rita.”
    Stanton stood up and said, “I got to finish up with Mrs. Kline.”
    Huff chimed in, “I’ll start snooping some more, Chief.”
    Abby smiled at him.
    After Huff and Stanton had finished debriefing Wilson, she placed a call. The telephone rang in Mayor Gallarino’s office. He was sitting behind an ornate desk that had been in use for the better part of a century. The lustrous finish had worn off and half of the drawers stuck because the wood had warped. Several carvings had weathered and cracked but it was unseemly to consider replacing the desk. It had been in use for longer than any local citizen alive could recall. Gallarino was comfortable around old things. It was his responsibility to get used to it, as he had to get used to other matters thrust upon him. He was expecting Chief Wilson’s call but he had not anticipated its content. Chief Wilson told him that Linda