Chapter 3: Pattern
"This is just horrible!" Leila said through sobs as the camera crews gathered around her front stoop stuck out their microphones eager to lap up every word she said. "Why someone is attacking my staff, the people I trust with my life..." She buried her head in her hands. "Oh, I just don't understand it. Who'd want to hurt me like this? We are a good, loving family."
Eames hit the mute button on the TV in the office and turned to her partner. "If there was a word she said not laced in crap; I didn't hear it."
Goren smiled to himself as he looked down at the papers in front of him. "ME reports back on Mrs. Alvarez. She died of strangulation alright, but pre-mortem. She was dead before she was hung off that rafter."
Eames shook her head. "Why is someone attacking the staff of the Walkers? There are no connections between Montague's death and Madia's except that they both worked and lived at Walker Manor."
"The killer might be targeting their staff...to get at Leila. She's been pampered her whole life; maybe taking that away would be the harshest thing you could to do her." Goren suggested.
"But who wants to prove that big of a lesson to her?" Eames asked.
"I haven't figured it out yet..." Goren muttered as he went back to his papers.
"What is all that?" Eames asked. She'd been so engrossed in Leila's over-acted press statement that she hadn't been paying attention.
"Everything I could get on the Walker staff." Goren told her handing her a sheet of paper. "They have forty-two people currently in their employ. Well, now forty with Montague and Madia's deaths."
"Cooks, cleaners, gardeners, hairdressers, manicurists," Eames read. "Leila literally doesn't have to lift a finger."
"Montague had been there the longest." Goren told her. "Twelve years. He was sixty-five and originally from London, England. Came to America at age twenty and has been a butler for notable Manhattan families ever since. I have references from his old boss's saying he was the "perfect employee". Madia is from Spain but has a Green Card...this was her first job and there haven't been any complaints about her."
"I talked to some of the other staff; they said she was a very sweet lady." Eames added. "What about the Day Nanny, Abby?"
"Abigail Mackenzie, thirty-six. She's here legally; her visa's up-to-date. Her passport says she's originally from Melbourne in Victoria. Came here two years ago and has been working with the Walker's ever since." Goren informed Eames. "No criminal record for her or anyone on the staff; not even a parking ticket."
"Wealthy family like the Walkers would screen their staff." Eames said.
"Well, Mr. Walker would." Goren realized.
"Speaking of, did we get a hold of him yet?" Captain Deakins asked as he came into the office.
"Just his personal assistant, Vanessa." Eames told him. "She told me Mr. Walker is devastated over the murders and will 'endeavor to return home as soon as possible'." She smirked.
"Wonder how many more of his staff has to die for this guy to hop on a plane." Deakins mumbled. "In the meantime; Abby Mackenzie's hear to see you; she's ready to make her statement." He nodded his head out to the hall where a teary-eyed Abby was clutching baby Matthew.
xxx
"Madia would never kill herself," Abby was shaking her head as Goren passed her a glass of water. "Never. She has three girls in Spain; she's putting them through college, her and her husband." She bit her lip. "She'd never leave Matty alone like that..."
"We received the Medical Examiner's report," Goren told Abby slowly. "Madia was murdered."
Abby stared up at him with wide, tearful eyes. "What? No, no..." She covered her face with her hands. "This is insane; why is this happening?" She through her hands out and dropped them heavily on the table. "These are good people, why is someone doing this...?"
"Well, that's what we're trying to find out." Bobby told her. "Can you run me through what happened this morning?"
Abby sighed, composing herself. "I got to work on time but Madia and Matty weren't in the kitchen where they usually are. So I went looking...found Matty in the library. Crying in his playpen. He was red in the face; he'd been crying for ages." She sniffled and rested her head in her hands. "I heard the shower running in the guest bathroom, I went in and...and I saw her..."
"The guest bathroom?" Goren repeated with a furrowed brow.
Abby nodded. "I thought it was weird, too." She told him. "The Walker's were very anally retentive about their space; where the staff could go and all. Madia had her own bathroom...not that she was actually using the shower in the guest one..."
"Who else is in the house at night?" Goren asked Abby.
"By eight; just Madia, Matty, Leila and one of the cooks. They have a twenty-four hour chef on hand." Abby explained.
"I read that in their bills." Goren told her. "They seem to have someone help with everything."
"Yeah, they do." Abby agreed. "How long do I have to stay here for?" she glanced out the window to where Matty was sitting with Detective Eames and Captain Deakins.
"You're worried about Matty." Goren sensed.
"He's not always big on new people." Abby told him.
"Without Madia there...who takes over caring for Matty at night?" Goren asked.
Abby shrugged. "You'd have to ask Leila. All I know is I can't stay with him."
"Work and labour laws." Goren nodded. "One person can't work around the clock."
Abby nodded. "Leila just told me to drop Matty off like I normally do and someone would be there to take care of him."
Goren nodded and rifled through his papers. "I did some research on you," He told Abby. "Is Nannying a new thing for you? Because it wasn't what you studied at the University of Melbourne. "
"No, no, I studied IT. Computer Science and the like." Abby told him wiping her eyes.
"You were the top of your class every year." Goren read from the file in front of him. "Why come here and be a Nanny? You could have made a fortune with your skills..."
"My father died about three years ago." Abby told Bobby. "I got some money...my mother's always told me if I was young and had money I should use it to travel, not wait until I'm older like she did."
"That's smart." Bobby gave her a small smile. "Ms. Mackenzie-"
"Abby." She corrected him. He smiled at her. "It's my name, I'm not flirting." Abby assured him with a smirk.
"Sorry." Bobby chuckled. "Abby, you're very...straightforward."
"I told you I don't BS people." She reminded him as she rubbed her forehead.
"You have a headache?" he asked as he watched her.
"I think it's just the lights." She smiled tiredly. "But that's the point, isn't it? I'm so uncomfortable in here that it'll just scare a confession out of me."
"Not unless you have nothing to confess to." Goren told her.
Abby look confused as she lent back in her chair. "You don't seriously think I have something to do with these murders, do you? I called you guys when I found Madia!"
"Where were you when two mornings ago?" Goren asked carefully, taken note of her sudden outburst.
"You mean when Montague was killed?" She snapped. "I was at my apartment. And yes someone can confirm. My doorman saw me come in. He's there all night; he would know if I left again. There are also security cameras out the front and back of my building just in case that's not enough."
"Ms. Mack...Abby, you're not on trial here." Goren reminded her.
"Then why do I feel like it?" She chuckled lightly and rubbed her temple. "Truth is, Detective, I have had a hell of a couple of days here, alright?"
"I understand that." Goren told her. "Two of your colleagues have been murdered...must make you uneasy. Have you seen anyone suspicious hanging around the house lately? Strange phone calls?"
"No; but I'm not usually at the house." Abby said as she rubbed her temple again and winced. "I'd ask Harriet, she's the main maid."
Goren made some notes in his workbook. "Thank you, Abby. I think that's all I need for now." He got to his feet and held the door open for her. "I'll be in touch."
"Yeah, ok." Abby replied vaguely as she got to her feet; her hand still at her temple shielding her eyes.
"Are you alright?" Goren asked her as her skin turned a shade of shock white.
"No, ah, I feel a-a little dizz..." Then she collapsed forward.
Goren managed to catch her before she hit the ground and laid her down safely as Captain Deakins ran in. "What the hell happened?" He asked his Detective.
"She's not breathing," Goren said as he checked her airways. "Call an ambulance. Now!"
xxx
