“I don’t think so. We both knew it was time for me to move my career forward. My leaving would have been a greater inconvenience to Jill. I really have been the concierge, taking care of the details in everyone’s life. From dentist appointments and restaurant reservations to international travel itineraries, I’ve made it all happen. I’ve also handled all the staffing issues at their three homes. I suggested to Jill months ago that I should start training my replacement. Instead, she sends me on a long business trip with Elliott. And that turned out to be a disaster.”

“How so?”

“Actually, the trip went fine. But before I left there’s this big panic about Mr. Wudbine’s cappuccino. Jill almost cancelled me out at the last minute. She was on one of her campaigns to rehabilitate Brenda. I was supposed to teach Brenda how to make coffee to her husband’s specifications. It was a total disaster. Brenda is a poster child for learned helplessness. At the last minute we had to have a totally automatic machine FedExed overnight. I did manage to teach Brenda how to turn it on and push the right buttons. And to make sure there was backup, I trained the cook and Jill.

“And then while I was gone Malcolm got some mysterious illness. He was sick for several days with an acute gastritis. They rushed him to the local walk-in clinic. The initial diagnosis was food poisoning. I guess he recovered a bit, and then a few days later he had another episode. They brought his internist in from Chicago.”

“What was the diagnosis?”

“I don’t think that changed. Again, suspected food poisoning. When Malcolm was dieting, which was most of the time, he lived on these king prawns. He had a standing order with a supplier in Louisiana for a weekly shipment. His doctor banned the prawns and put him on a bland diet. Grace was directed to empty the contents of the refrigerators and freezers, and then restock everything.”

“Did anyone else in the household get sick?”

“I don’t think so, remember I wasn’t there. But somehow when I got back, well, things were different. I do the ordering of the special food items. That’s part of my job as concierge. Jill gave me the impression that she held me responsible for Malcolm’s illness.”

“So your relationship with her started to decline after the trip?”

“Who knows? That’s just the feeling I got from her. You have got to understand that the woman is inscrutable. Her nickname around Wudbine Investments is Ms. Spock. Trying to figure out what’s going on in her head is always about nuance. I would have been more comfortable if she were yelling and screaming. Then, at least I would have known exactly what she was thinking.” Markley stopped and looked down at her hands, then back up at Ray. “But this getting sacked. It had to be Jill. Elliott wouldn’t do this to me.” She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling. “She insisted that I accompany Elliott on that trip, then sort of acted like I was after her man.”

“Any reason she should be worried?”

“Not on account of me. I think he’s as much of a cold fish as she is.”

Ray slid several pages of paper across the table. “Ms. Markley, I’ve highlighted your comments from our first interview about the events of Saturday evening. Would you look through those, and see if you have anything that you might want to add or change.”

He sat silently and watched her eyes scan the text. When she finally looked up she said, “I wouldn’t change anything. This is exactly the way I remember it.”

“Jill Wudbine, do you remember seeing her backstage before and during the play?”

“Like I told you, I got there early. I must have seen her in the dressing room or green room, but I don’t have any clear memory of that. We were both onstage during the first scene. I exited way before she did. I didn’t see her again until I came from the makeup area to see what the hubbub was all about. Jill seemed stunned, just like the rest of us. She was sobbing. I didn’t think she was capable of that much emotion.”

“But you don’t know when she returned to the green room.”

“No, I didn’t see her.” She pushed the pages with the highlighted areas back across the table. “Is there anything else, Sheriff? I have a lot to do.”

Ray glanced down at his notes, and then up at her. “No, not at the moment. If possible, I would like you to stay in the area for a few more days. I might have additional questions for you.”

“Does this mean I’m a person of interest?”

“No. But you were near the scene of the crime, and you have an intimate understanding of the Wudbine household. I may need to tap your knowledge again. Here is my card. If anything occurs to you that you think might be helpful to solving this crime, please contact me.”

Pepper grasped the card with her right hand and carefully scanned the information before dropping it into a shirt pocket. “I see you’re not on Facebook, Sheriff.” She gave him a mischievous smile before she departed.

40

“I understand that Ms. Markley is no longer employed by Wudbine Investments,” said Ray looking across the table at Jill Wudbine.

“That was a long time in coming. Pepper was one of my father-in-law’s welfare cases. She started with us as an intern. Although she had her degree from a good place, Malcolm could see that she was far too green to make it in the corporate world. I mean she was from some little burg with a name like Hicksville or Piggott, someplace in Arkansas or Iowa. So he took her on, this Eliza Doolittle, thinking he could turn her into a duchess, or at least a moderately cosmopolitan woman. I advised him against it at the time, but Malcolm was determined. Always the optimist. And I have to admit, this job he created for her, concierge, was brilliant. It exposed her to all the right kind of people and things. But at the end of the day, I’m not sure she learned anything other than a taste for the good life.

“As for her termination, with Malcolm’s death, this is the right time for her departure. If she weren’t so obtuse, she would have seen it coming months ago. But you didn’t drag me over here to discuss human resource problems. I’m pressed for time, so please let’s get through this interview as quickly as possible.”

“Okay,” said Ray, “I have two things that I would like to go over with you. First, you’ve had a few days to reflect on the events of last Saturday evening. I was wondering if you might have any new thoughts on who might be responsible for Mr. Wudbine’s death.”

“Your question…don’t you think I would have contacted you immediately, Sheriff, if I had anything to add? I have thought of nothing else since…those terrifying moments. I’ve searched my memory for any detail that might serve as a clue. Nothing. Malcolm Wudbine was an exceptional human being. Whoever killed him was probably a hired assassin or some deranged character who was striking out against the world.”

“And who would have hired an assassin?” questioned Ray, wondering what inane response she would next float his way.

“We live in a global economy, Sheriff. We have competitors in distant places, barbarous societies, people who don’t play by the same business rules we follow. Perhaps that’s where you will find your killer. And then there’s the current political climate, all this chatter about the concentration of wealth. This might have been a hate crime precipitated by class envy.” Wudbine’s answers were delivered in her characteristic monotone.

Without commenting, Ray handed several sheets of paper to her. “There you will find a transcript of our conversation on Sunday. I’ve highlighted the parts that deal with your recollections of what happened while you were in the theater. Please read your statement and see if there are any additions or changes you would like to make.”

Ray sat and watched her read through the transcript, first scanning, and then going over the highlighted areas a second and third time.