Silent Slipper: A Julia Fairchild Mystery Read online

  all that jazz

  pj peterson

  Copyright © 2022 by PJ Peterson

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  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted under current copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at the email or postal address below.

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  www.pjpetersonauthor.com

  Finngirl, LLC

  P. O. Box 1563

  Longview WA 98632

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, long-standing institutions, agencies, public offices, events, locales and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner. Apart from historical references, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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  Created with Vellum

  contents

  Books by PJ Peterson

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  books by pj peterson

  Blind Fish Don’t Talk

  Rembrandt Rides a Bike

  Pickled Pink in Paris

  One Will Too Many

  Silent Slipper

  one

  Thursday. Dr. Julia Fairchild’s day off from her busy schedule. She wanted to ignore the phone that started ringing as she was leaving her home to go to the Y for a yoga class. Every now and then, she wished that she felt brave enough to cancel her land-line like so many of her friends. Today was one of those times. Curiosity got the better of her, or maybe it was guilt. Either way, she hurried back into the kitchen and caught the phone before it stopped ringing.

  “This is Julia.”

  “Oh, Julia. I’m so glad I caught you. Do you have a minute?” The woman sounded breathless, as though she had been running up the stairs.

  “Maybe. Who is this?” Julia didn’t recognize the voice, nor the area code from which the call came.

  “Rachel. Rachel Howard. From college.”

  “Rachel? Oh, yes, I remember you from our freshman year at college. What’s going on? I have just a few minutes before I have to go to a class.”

  “Thank you, Julia. You may remember that I got accepted at Juilliard to study dance after our first year and that I moved to New York. After a few years of teaching at studios around here, I applied to dance with the Jazzettes and I’ve been dancing with them for the last eight years.”

  “Sounds exciting. You were a good dancer, as I recall. What’s going on now?”

  There was a sniffle and a pause before Rachel spoke. “Something weird is going on here. One of the dancers was found dead in her bathtub last week. No suspect yet. Another girl quit suddenly after five years and said she was getting threatening messages at her apartment.”

  “And you’re calling me because…”

  “You were always so smart and figured things out when no one else could. Plus, I saw your name in the news about that Amsterdam art theft ring and it occurred to me that I could call you.”

  “Rachel, surely there are policemen and detectives working on this case. Why would I be needed?”

  “I got one of those messages myself yesterday. I’m scared. The police say they can’t help because they’re understaffed and overextended. Plus there’s nothing they can do with just a threatening message. I don’t know what to do.” Rachel’s voice sounded shaky.

  “Okay. Let me think about it and get back to you later. Are you calling from a cell phone? I see a number here on my Caller ID.”

  “Yes, that would be the best number to use. I’m glad you still have a land line. I would never have been able to find a cell phone number for you.”

  “There is my office, you know, Rachel.”

  “I didn’t think it was very likely that your office staff would take a personal message and actually get it to you, to tell the truth.”

  “There is that,” Julia agreed. “Let me get back to you in a couple of days. No promises. Is that okay with you?”

  “Oh, thank you! I knew I could rely on you, Julia.”

  “I haven’t agreed to anything yet. But it has been a while since I’ve been to a Broadway musical in New York City! I’ll call you this weekend, Rachel. Stay safe in the meantime. Ciao.”

  Julia was puzzled as she ended the call and went out the door to her yoga class, late. Rachel had been one of those tall slender women who looked like she belonged on a dance stage. Her father had been totally against her moving to the big city to dance instead of finishing her college degree in education. The scholarship from Juilliard had made it possible for Rachel to pursue her dream, however. Julia hadn’t seen her in all those years and wondered if Rachel’s father had ever come around in this thinking.

  two

  Julia checked the view from the 8th floor window of the Hotel Edison while her sister Carly tested the pillows. They had arrived on a mid-afternoon Friday, courtesy of a non-stop flight from Portland.

  “Tell me again why your friend called you to help her,” Carly said as she tried yet another pillow, looking for the one with the perfect combination of softness with enough support for her stiff neck.

  “Rachel said she is worried that something is going on with the Jazzettes. There’s been a death of one of the newer dancers and several others have gotten worrisome messages.”

  “But, why you? You haven’t heard from her directly since your freshman year at college, you said.” Carly was trying another pillow as Julia unpacked her suitcase.

  “I guess because we both ran around in the same small circle with several of her close friends from high school. They adopted me into the group because I was best friends with one of the other girls.”

  “So why not call one of the other friends?”

  “She said she couldn’t track down Cheryl, or Alicia. And Lynda gave her some reason she couldn’t help. That left me. I didn’t protest when she asked if I could come to help because it gave me a reason to come back to New York City and see a couple of musicals while I’m here.” Julia flashed a sly smile at her sister.

  Julia Fairchild, MD, was a small-town girl who practiced internal medicine in Parkview, Washington, which was a medium-sized town in southwest Washington, and only a few miles from where she grew up. She enjoyed traveling, especially with her younger sister, Carly. She felt very blessed to have a close relationship with her sibling, especially after hearing so many stories from her patients of estrangement from sibs and even from their parents.

  Because her office appointment schedule was so light just before Thanksgiving, this had been a perfect time to squeeze in a quick trip. Maybe it wouldn’t be a “real” vacation, but she would enjoy being away from her regular routine no matter what.

  Carly had been able to get a week away from her job as a quality analyst despite the short notice when Julia called. She was eager to enjoy exploring New York City, see a couple of musicals and keep Julia company. And maybe keep her out of trouble.

  “When is Rachel expecting to hear from you?” Carly asked, finally satisfied with her pillow choice.

  Julia checked her watch. “I told her we’d be arriving around dinner time. She wants us to come over to her apartment about 8 o’clock. That gives us ta
couple of hours to eat and find her address. Do you want to try New York pizza? I saw it on the menu downstairs in the hotel restaurant.”

  “Works for me. By the way, you can have the bed closest to the window. Windows in strange places creep me out.” Carly shivered as if to make her point, while finding a tunic to wear with her black leggings for dinner.

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  After enjoying a thin crust pepperoni pizza with a mug of fresh draft beer, Julia and Carly walked the half-dozen or so blocks to Rachel’s apartment. The eight-story brick building was elegant, but decaying, and was only a couple of blocks from Central Park.

  “This seems pretty fancy for someone on a dancer’s salary,” Carly commented as they looked for Rachel’s apartment number on the list next to a column of buzzers. “Oh, here’s her name but no number. Probably a safety factor.” Carly pressed the buzzer.

  “Rachel did say that she and two other dancers shared the space. One of them has a connection to the actual owner, so they are able to rent it for a decent price.”

  “Like a rich aunt? I wish we had one of those!” Carly sighed.

  “Probably something like that. I’d rather have one who lived in Paris or on the Amalfi coast.” Julia grinned at her sister.

  They were giggling when they heard Rachel’s voice on the intercom. “Julia, is that you?”

  “Hi Rachel. Yes, with my sister, Carly.”

  “When you hear the buzz, you can open the door. Take the stairs up to the third floor. I’ll meet you in the hallway.”

  Rachel was halfway down the hallway when Julia and Carly emerged from the stairwell. She looked worried and antsy. She met them as they moved toward her. Julia enveloped her in a warm hug while Carly watched.

  “Oh, Julia. I’m so glad to see you. Thanks for coming. Lynn Inslee, the dancer that died, has a sister who came to town and came over to our apartment unexpectedly. That’s why I came out to forewarn you.” She turned to Carly, who was hanging back. “I’d know you were the little sister just by looking at you. Your nose is exactly the same as Julia’s nose.” Rachel offered her hand to Carly.

  Carly reciprocated as she replied. “That’s what the field bosses told us when we picked strawberries years ago. All four of us younger kids had the same nose. They probably called us the ‘nose kids.’” Carly and Julia chuckled at the memory.

  “It’s a cute nose. Julia told me you would be her sidekick. I’m very glad to meet you.”

  Julia interrupted. “Rachel, what can you tell me about Lynn before we go into the apartment.”

  “She was one of our newer dancers. This would have been her third season. She’s from Louisville and was a bit brusque with many people. She made it clear that she felt superior to some of them. And I heard that our director had some concern that she was hanging out with questionable people.”

  “Did you get along with her?” Julia asked

  “As far as I know. I try to get along with everyone.”

  “Yes, I remember that about you. You were always sweet, when I might have wanted to bite someone’s head off!” Julia hugged her old friend again. “Is there anything else we should know before we go in?”

  “They’re all still in shock with this incident. Be calm and kind,” Rachel admonished.

  With that, Rachel opened the door to the apartment. Julia and Carly entered to join Rachel’s roommates, Janet and Denise, and Lynn’s sister, Bridget Weston, who had flown in earlier that day. Rachel clapped her hands to get the attention of the other women. The buzz of conversation stopped immediately.

  “Thank you for letting my friend Julia ask you questions so she can help us with our problem. She and her sister Carly have just come in today from Washington state. She’s really smart and figures things out. Please tell her anything that might help in figuring out who’s behind all this.”

  Rachel signaled to Bridget to come closer, then turned to Julia. “Julia, this is Lynn’s sister Bridget.”

  Bridget smiled and offered a hand. “Thank you for coming. Rachel’s been telling us about you.”

  “I hope I can help,” said Julia, accepting the handshake. Bridget’s grip was strong.

  Rachel asked Bridget, “Do you want to start?”

  Bridget nodded as she clasped her hands together tightly. “Even though you ladies all danced with Lynn, you wouldn’t have known her like I did. She was a good person, sometimes impatient and abrupt, but I can’t believe she deserved to die. Thank you for being her friends.” She turned toward Julia. “Julia, Rachel tells me you’ve solved a murder or two. Is that right?”

  “Um. Yes, but that’s not my day job.” Julia felt her cheeks turn red. “I’m here to help in whatever way I can. How about giving me some basic information, like where did she live?”

  “She rented an apartment in an old brownstone on Upper West Side. Our parents have money and had been helping her with the rent.”

  Rachel added, “Rents in that neighborhood are sky-high.”

  “Roommate?”

  No. She liked her privacy.”

  “Boyfriend?”

  “Maybe. She broke up with some guy named Angelo a while back. She talked about a new guy the last time we talked, but she didn’t give me a name, yet,” Bridget replied.

  Janet and Denise had been quiet so far. Janet spoke up. “She’s been meeting some guy after the evening performances lately. She let the name ‘Leo’ slip one day, then left abruptly when we teased her that Leo fit right in with her tendency to wear Leopard prints.” The others giggled quietly.

  Rachel nodded. “That’s right. I did hear her refer to a ‘Leo’ when she was on a phone call at the studio.”

  Intrigued, Julia asked, “Any last name?” All heads shook no.

  After a moment’s thought, Bridget suggested, “The police can check phone records to see if a ‘Leo’ pops up.”

  “Good idea. I’ll see if they’ll share information with me. What about changes in her recent behavior--did anyone notice anything unusual?” All heads shook ‘no’ again.

  “Okay. Who did she hang out with? Any dancer she was more friendly with?” Julia scanned the faces looking for unspoken clues.

  Denise raised her hand shyly. “She was nice to Monica Stewart. They started dancing with our group at about the same time. Monica is very quiet. She’s a great dancer but seems uncomfortably shy. Her smile on stage is dazzling, but off the stage she’s very timid. I think Lynn was taking her under her wings. She might be helpful.”

  “Thank you, Denise. I’ll track her down. Anything else? Anybody?”

  Everyone was quiet.

  “If you do think of anything else, no matter what, please let me know. I’ll leave contact information with Rachel. Carly and I are staying at the Hotel Edison for the next few days. Thank you.” Julia smiled kindly as she tuned to leave.

  Rachel and Bridget walked with Julia and Carly to the door.

  “Thank you, Julia. I know it’s a big ‘ask’ to have you come here. I so trust you!” Rachel embraced Julia and pecked her on the cheek.

  Bridget hugged Rachel as she stepped out the door. “Rachel, thank you for being Lynn’s friend. I know she was overbearing sometimes. She was my older sister, so I experienced a lot of her attitude. I’m staying at the Hilton on 6th Avenue for a few more days. Here’s my card.”

  When the door closed, Bridget turned to Julia and asked, “Shall we walk a few blocks together till I cut across to the Hilton?”

  three

  Once out on the street, Bridget started talking about her sister. “I know Lynn came across as a cold, brash person. Takes, um, took, after my father I suppose. I was six years younger and looked up to her as my glamorous big sister! My parents were so proud of her landing in New York City. They couldn’t do enough for her.” Bridget sighed.

  “Bridget, what do you do for a living?”

  “I’m a teacher, doing what I love. Still living in Louisville. My parents are getting older and I felt like I had to stay close by. Lynn would n
ever do that. Of course, now she’s gone.” Another sigh.

  “Are there any other siblings?”

  “No. That’s the main reason I feel responsible for staying closer to our parents. They’re in good health now, but my dad has had open heart surgery and a mild stroke. Mom has been on the frail side all her life. I don’t think they could manage well on their own. My husband has been a jewel about helping them as well with anything that needs a man’s touch. Like mowing their lawn.”

  “I get that. You mentioned that they were helping Lynn with her rental cost. Do you mind if I ask how they would have that kind of money?” Julia felt Carly’s elbow jab her in the ribs as she finished the question.

  Bridget laughed quietly. “Not at all. Dad was a partner in a small company that was bought out by Amazon. All three of the men were rich almost overnight. Dad invested his share of the money well, which allowed him and my mom to have a very comfortable retirement.”

  “He can’t be that old, judging by your young age.” Julia was mentally calculating Bridget’s age relative to her own.

  “Actually, he’s ten years older than my mother. She was 40 by the time I came along. I’m 26 now, so that makes him 76 on his last birthday.”

  “I realize I’m being nosy, but did either of your parents have an earlier marriage or other children?”

  “Not my mom, but I vaguely remember my dad talking about a son from a relationship he had when he was in his 20’s. He was never married to the mother. As far as I know, he never had any contact with him. I don’t think of myself as having a half-brother, although I suppose I do.”

  “That’s interesting. Do you know anything about him? Name? Where he lives?”