Jose. They’re desperate for information and don’t have a clue about what to do next. I’m their contact here. I have to tell them something.”
She pondered this as she stared at him. “Are you suggesting foul play or something like that?”
“Yes. But the autopsy should reveal a lot. Please.”
She took a deep breath, then nodded at a chair. “Have a seat.” Bruce did as he was told and she left the office. Fifteen minutes later she returned and said, “Follow me.”
Dr. Landrum’s office was twice as large and consumed one corner of the floor. He was waiting at the door with a generous smile and a handshake. Undergrad at Florida State. PhD in forensic science from Miami. About seventy and on the fading end of a long career in public service. He waved at chairs and they gathered around his desk. Dorothy remained in the room, now armed with a notepad like a legal secretary.
“So you rode out the storm?” Landrum asked pleasantly.
“I did. Not sure how smart it was and wouldn’t recommend it. Do you know the island?”
“Oh yes. We enjoy the beaches there. It’s an easy day trip for us.”
“Ever hung out in downtown Santa Rosa?”
“Sure. Some nice restaurants.”
“And the bookstore?”
“Yes. Several times.”
“I own it. I opened Bay Books twenty-three years ago. You’ve probably seen me there.”
“You don’t say. Was it damaged?”
“It took some water but it’s okay. Nelson Kerr was a friend of mine, one of my writers, and I need to tell his parents something. He moved to the island two years ago and has no family there.”
“I see. The police chief called and we’re sending a crime scene unit to the island today, as soon as we can get across the bridge. I hear it’s rather chaotic there. I assume you think it was not an accident.”
“Depends on the autopsy, sir. Has it been performed?”
“It has. It was done yesterday. I’m not allowed to discuss it with you until I meet with our investigators.”
“I get that. I’m asking for a favor, a little breach in protocol that no one will ever know about. You see, Dr. Landrum, I have some information about the crime, if indeed it was a crime, that I cannot share with you until there is a meeting with the investigators. There is a possible witness, a possible suspect. And a possible motive.”
Landrum looked at Dorothy, who was busy scribbling on her pad. She was of no help.
“Are you sworn to secrecy?” he asked Bruce.
“Whatever you want. I need to tell his family something.”
Landrum sighed, adjusted his reading glasses, and picked up some papers. “In layman’s terms, the deceased died of multiple blows to the head, four to be exact, two of which would have been fatal. His cranium was shattered, massive bleeding around the brain. He was struck at the base of his skull with a sharp object that ruptured his spinal cord, and that alone could have been fatal.”
Bruce closed his eyes and tried to absorb it. He managed to mumble, “So he was murdered.”
“Sure looks like it but it’s too early to be certain. I suppose it’s possible that a man moving around outdoors in a catastrophic hurricane could get hit by debris more than once.”
“But unlikely.”
“I agree. I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Cable.”
“Thank you. And I won’t breathe a word of this.”
“Please don’t. And you say you have additional information.”
“I do. A friend of mine, and also a friend of Nelson’s, knows something. We need to chat with your investigator as soon as possible.”
“Are you headed back to the island?”
“Yes, but we’re in no hurry. My friend is downstairs in the lobby.”
“Does he have time to talk?”