Chapter 16 - A Male Perspective

"Hi. I don't know if you remember me at all. I think we met at the country club in Santa Barbara a long time ago. I just wanted to give you my condolences. Mel was a great gal."

"Boy, it must have been a long time ago, because Mel was fun, but a great gal, that's up for debate, not that I should talk about that tonight of all nights."

"I'm Lee."

"Randall, Mel's first cousin. I work for her father."

"Let me guess. You work hard for the money, while Mel just waits, waited, for Daddy to send the checks every month."

"Something like that. Mel didn't understand the first thing about money, except that she liked to spend it."

"I do remember that about her."

"That's why I was surprised she was going to marry this guy. He does fine and all as an officer, but I don't see how he could expect to keep Mel the way she liked."

"Did he have reason to expect that?"

"Guess you'd have to ask him that. I only know that Uncle Dick drew a line in the sand with Mel. He had to."

"Business not so great?"

"You must not read the papers much. There was the structural failure of that last plane the Navy ordered. We haven't had any big orders since then even though it wasn't our fault. I'm just praying we get a chance at components of the new bomber design."

"I hope it works out. Dick and Doris are good people."

"That they are. Shame they've plowed so much money into Mel. Bad payoff. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. Loose lips sink ships after all."

"A sudden death like Mel's affects people in strange ways. People want to only remember the good, but there's a certain self-protection in remembering the bad too, as if maybe the person somewhat deserved what happened or caused it to happen, and you are alive because you didn't. It's not a conscious thing anyone would admit to, but I've seen it often."

"You near dead people a lot? You a priest without a collar or something?"

"No. I've just seen my share of friends die during war time and from other things. Some of them made bad choices how to cope with the horrors of war when they got back."

"Like drugs and alcohol, you mean?"

"Like those."

"Mel sure had a taste for those."

"Mel did drugs?"

"Coke. Caught her in the guest bathroom when she was visiting her folks. I've been staying there to economize."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"Me, talk to Mel? No, I just avoided her. She wasn't about to listen to her annoying younger cousin. Mel wasn't a soul-barer, at least not to her family. Maybe she was different with her friends."

"You didn't tell her father?"

"No, he had enough problems without adding that worry to his list. I mean, she was still Daddy's little girl. I don't know how he and Doris are going to handle this, especially Dick with all the business troubles too. I hope they bring her killer to justice quickly."

"Me too."

"You were sitting right up front when it happened, weren't you?"

"Yes, I've known Roger for a long time."

"He seems a good man. I feel badly for him, I do. Did you see anything up there? The shot had to come from the groom's side."

"Are you a ballistics expert?"

"No, but I shoot well enough. The way the bullet hit, it was kind of obvious what direction it came from."

"I agree, but no, I didn't see who took the shot."

"Many people are speculating it was Roger's best man, that redhead. I just can't see a woman doing that at her best friend's wedding. I suppose you know her too."

"We've met a few times, but I wouldn't claim to know her well."

"Were she and Roger ever an item? I mean, that could be a motive."

"Not to my knowledge. People speculated, of course."

"I suspect it unsettled Mel that his best friend is a woman. Mel wasn't a good sharer."

"No, she wasn't, but it was Mel who got shot, not the friend."

"True enough. I just wondered how the friend felt about Mel. Even if she and Roger weren't involved romantically - which I gotta tell you I don't get because I'd go to bed with her in a minute - maybe she wanted Roger for herself and resented Mel."

"The first time I saw Commander MacAdam since Mel and Roger got engaged was ten minutes before the wedding, so I didn't get to hear anything to make me think that. Did you hear or see otherwise?"

"Well, there was something a bit weird yesterday, which seems even more disturbing now."

"Did you tell the police?"

"No, I figured I'd wait and see how the hunt for suspects was going since it wasn't anything you could act upon."

"Then there is something you should know. I didn't see her do it, but I understand the police confronted her and that she confessed to killing Mel. I don't know the specifics of why, though. What you heard or saw might be relevant."

"If she confessed, it hardly matters now." Randall seemed rather ponderous at Lee's revelation.

"I hear you, but now you have me dying of curiosity. Could you at least tell me what happened the other day?"

"Oh, sure. At the shooting range, right before she took her turn, the redhead, she toasted - with bottled water of course - to Mel. Then she plugged ten chest shots in a row. It just seemed a little creepy, you know?"

"More than, especially in light of today."

"If you'll forgive me, I better go check on Uncle Dick and Aunt Doris to see if they know about the confession. It will give them a little peace, I hope."

"Sure. Good to see you again, even under such terrible circumstances. Take care."

After Randall left, Lee shook his head. Rachael had been a loose cannon. If she didn't do it, she done a brilliant job in acting the perfect patsy. Still, Lee had to wonder if Randall seemed a little too happy about Rachael's confession.