Recollection Rick
Chapter 8
"You're not planning a trip to Indiana, are you?" Rick asks as Kate crunches a strip of bacon.
"No," Kate replies. "Why would you think I would be?"
"Because, from what you told me, that's where the threat to Berringer probably originated. Maybe the family of someone he ripped off there traced him to New York and decided to come here to kill him."
"It's possible," Kate considers, "but why not just blow the whistle to the N.Y.P.D. or even the Fishers? That would be a lot safer and easier than beating him to death with a baseball bat."
Rick savors a sip of coffee. "Safer and easier but less satisfying. So, how are you going to attack the death of a con man?"
"I thought for starters, I'd talk to the Fishers. They're the victims of his embezzlement. Maybe one of them caught on. And I am going to call the cops in Indiana and see if they investigated Berringer. If someone had a big enough hate on to chase Roger to New York, they might have an idea who. What's your plan for today?"
"I'm going to drop the almanac on the floor and study whatever subject falls open. I should have at least as much luck that way as I did with bombarding my brain with pop culture. And there's a new baby shop opening up right across from the entrance to the park. I guess they figured it would be a prime location to pull in foot – or stroller – traffic. I'm going to check it out. Lily could use some new sleepers."
Kate rolls her eyes. "The ten you already bought her aren't enough?"
"They're all pastel, and she's showing a preference for brighter colors. God, I hope she hasn't inherited Mother's taste. We might end up wearing sunglasses to dress her. But anyway, I want to take a look at the selection. You never know what's going to be a hit."
Kate hangs up her phone call with the sheriff of Sullivan County. He admitted that his office was aware of a burial scheme, but by the time he opened an investigation, Roger Berringer was long gone. He agreed to send Kate a list of complaints filed against Berringer but opined that someone did the world a favor. Kate's inclined to agree that Roger Berringer was a terrible human being, but the laws of the City of New York don't allow for beating someone to death for that, tempting as it might be. She checks her watch. Her appointment with Lorene Fisher is in 45 minutes. She digs into her desk drawer for her purse.
Lily reaches toward a bright red plush sleeper as Rick grins with satisfaction. "I thought you'd like that one. Well, at least it isn't paisley or gold lame. That gives you a step up on your grandmother. I'd say it would look cute for Christmas, but you'll probably grow out of it by then." Rick hangs the sleeper over his arm and continues to push Lily around the store. "Let's see if there's anything else that catches your fancy."
It makes sense to Rick that Lily doesn't seem to be attracted to any other garments. The red sleeper is the only blindingly brilliant item in the store – until they approach a display of stuffed animals. The baby ignores the teddy bears and elephants, stretching her entire small body toward an incredibly ugly but extremely colorful mandrill. "You like that?" Rick asks.
"La-la-la-la," Lily babbles.
Rick examines the toy, which looks even more repulsive close-up. He holds it in front of Lily. "Your mama's probably going to kill me. You're sure you like this?"
Lily vigorously waves her hands and feet at the multicolor primate. "La-la-la-la-da."
Rick sighs. "You know I can't resist it when you ask nicely. All right. We'll get this – thing. But you're going to have to explain it to Mama."
"Ma," Lily echoes.
As Lorene Fisher motions her toward a settee upholstered in brocade, Kate gets the impression of an old-fashioned parlor. A slightly threadbare area rug partially covers the hardwood floor. Lace antimacassars are draped over the backs of chairs, and an upright piano occupies one corner. "I don't know how I can help you, Detective Beckett, the family matriarch claims. The N.Y.P.D. is already aware of Roger Berringer's criminal behavior. As far as I'm concerned, his fate lies in the lower regions."
"I sympathize with your sentiments, Ms. Fisher, but my job is to catch murderers, regardless of the behavior of the victims. Are you aware of anyone, a client or a member of your staff, who hated Roger Berringer enough to send him to, as you say, the lower regions?"
"Detective, if he weren't already dead, I'd be tempted to do it myself. Aside from stealing from us, the plans he sold stretched our clients to their limits, and sometimes beyond. When we looked into the agreements he'd set up, we found many customers who were behind in their payments because they simply couldn't afford them. I recall one client who declared bankruptcy and listed Peaceful End as a creditor. But I don't have the details of any of that. My son, Peter, handles the bookkeeping."
"Does Peter have an office at Peaceful End?" Kate inquires.
"Yes, he does, but he primarily works from home. His wife, Lucille, was in an auto accident this past year. She's in a wheelchair. He's the caretaker for her as well as their two children."
"Sounds like he has a lot on his hands. I hate to disturb him. I'll take as little of his time as I can," Kate promises.
"Can we make this as brief as possible?" Peter Fisher requests when he opens the door of his small home to Kate.
"Of course," Kate agrees. "If you'll answer a few questions and steer me towards any paperwork involving Roger Berringer, I'll make this quick. How long did Roger Berringer work for Peaceful End?"
"If you'll follow me, I have his employment records." Peter leads the short distance to his home office. "Berringer was only with us about a year, and until recently, we thought it was the best year we ever had. Our sales jumped by 30%. I'm not talking about more deceased," he adds quickly, "although we did have a slight spike from the flu epidemic. I'm referring to caskets, grave markers, deluxe service packages, that sort of thing.
"It wasn't until after Berringer passed that we realized he'd been stealing from the company. He diverted some of the extended payments to his own accounts. Unfortunately for us, he drained those almost immediately, and we have yet to succeed in tracing the missing funds. I can download the data from the period he was with us to a thumb drive for you or your people to go over. You shouldn't have any trouble importing it to any standard spreadsheet."
"Thank you," Kate responds. "That will be very helpful, but I'm curious, Mr. Fisher. How did Peaceful End come to hire Roger Berringer? Did he provide you with references? Did you speak to a former employer? How did he work his way into a position of trust?"
"You'll find that information in his file. He had written references and offered us the number for a former employer in Pennsylvania. Or, more accurately, someone we believed to be a former employer, a Sandra Bucholzer. At the time, she gave him a glowing recommendation. When we tried her number after he was killed, it had been disconnected. And from all we've been able to learn so far, that Sandra Bucholzer never existed. We were conned from the beginning, Detective Beckett," Peter confesses, "by Roger Berringer and whoever his confederate was. I'm ashamed to admit it, but that's what happened."