Chapter 26.  Boomerang

 

Vic was insane with rage.  He stomped around his apartment, breathing out vengeance, “Who does she think she is? ... little Miss Pretty? ... I offered her everything a girl could want, and she bounced me on my butt ... I don’t ever want to see her again ... But, she’ll be there in the office every day! ... And, Dan with her! ... My whole career depends on making this Project a success and getting my Doctorate degree ... How do I get her to go away? ... to disappear?”

He drank and ranted all day Saturday.  Near midnight, he passed out on his couch with the TV blaring before him.  When he awoke Sunday, it took hours for him to nurse away his headache.  Early in the afternoon, he checked his messages on the internet.  There was one from Dr. Angelo.  He accessed it and read,

Thought you would want to know, Miriam and Dan are engaged.  They haven’t set a date for the wedding yet, but they’re talking about having it soon.  We’ll have to get used to calling her Miriam Diederman.  How quickly things change.  I guess I need to look for a gift. 

 

See you tomorrow,

Charles Angelo.

 

“Married?” Vic screamed.  “How bad can things get? ... I can’t work with Mr. and Mrs. Diederman ... My career is on the rocks.” 

 

The demons within his heart began to make wicked suggestions, “Apologize profusely for pressing Miriam for a date ... Then, give her a gift ... ha! ha! ... the most important gift of her life ... Give her a dose of Flare! ...  It got rid of the Grandma problem ... solved the Shelly predicament ... threw Moreno into chasing the wind when you gave it to those girls ... One dose and she’s gone ... problem solved!”

 

The idea appealed to Vic, but, he wondered, “Wouldn’t Moreno be all over me, instantly? ... Maybe I could give her Flare Monday morning and then, spend almost all of my time out of the office ... That might work ... Oh! my god! ... I just remembered ... The Chemistry Department has several visiting professors in this week ... They will be discussing neutrinos ... How fortunate! ... I’ll spend my time there ... And, if Moreno comes after me, I’ve got my top-flight defense attorney to protect me ... I think I can get away with this ... I’ve got to take the risk ... Things will be better with Miriam out of the way ... much better.”

 

...

After Church and lunch, Miriam and Dan relaxed on the patio.  Again, Jan had “brought Chuck home”.  That pleased the youngsters.  Jan, seated on her couch in the living room next to Chuck, was holding his hand.  They were getting to know each other.

 

Miriam was next to Dan on a glider.  He put his arm around her and held her snugly.  She melted into him and opined, sweetly, “Dan, I want to get married soon.  I’m eager to be your lover.  But, first we must marry.  I talked with Mom and Dad last night.  They are thrilled.  We laid out a tentative schedule, if it’s OK with you.”

 

“The sooner, the better,” Dan declared with a grin.

 

“I want to take you to Niagra Falls on Columbus Day,” Miriam stated.  “That’s when the trees should be adorned with their peak autumn colors.  So, if Reverend Bandy can, I’d like to have our ceremony on the Saturday just prior to October 12^th.  Then, we can drive to the Falls, stopping at various points of interest.  From there, we can go to Boston.  My folks want to host a wedding reception for us at our home Church.  Then, we can drive home.  OK?”

 

“Perfect, sweetheart!”

 

“Now, about the ceremony, I want a simple wedding.  I’ll wear a bridal gown, but I really don’t want you to wear a tux.  I think that looks too ‘plastic’.  I’d rather you wear a nice suit.  I want Twila Brown to be my flower girl and Polly, Doc’s daughter, to stand up for me.  Is all this OK?  And, who do you want to stand up for you?”

 

“I like your thinking,” Dan said.  “I’d feel silly in a tuxedo ... Let’s see, I think I’ll ask Jim Gish to stand up for me.  We’ve been buddies since grade school.”

 

“Good,” Miriam replied.  “Now, about the reception, Dan.  I don’t want to serve a meal, and I don’t want a band and dancing, so let’s just have the reception at the Church ... in the Fellowship Hall.   You know ... wedding cake, mixed nuts, mints, and punch for everyone.  A few comments by close friends ... and, Hey! maybe the fellows in my string quartet will provide gentle, background music.  What do you think?”

 

“It sounds great to me,” Dan asserted.  “But, who shall we invite?”

 

“The whole congregation, for sure,” Miriam declared.  “And, we can send invitations to special relatives and friends.”

Chuck and Jan stepped onto the patio.

 

Miriam sat up and asked, “Jan, would you make my wedding gown?  Could you do it in time?  We’re thinking about tying the knot in early October.”

 

Jan laughed as she said, “You’re stealing my son that soon?”  Chuck, Dan and Miriam laughed with her.  “Sure, my dear.  I’ve got some beautiful designs in mind.”

 

Dan said, with a giggle, “Mom, I’m just moving to the other end of the breezeway.”  Everyone laughed again.

 

“What about a gown for Polly?” Miriam asked.  “She’ll be the only one standing up for me.”

 

“Of course,” Jan replied.  “But, she will need to come here sometime in the next two weeks, so I can get her precise measurements.  I’m so eager to meet her.  Chuck, can you get her here for measurements and for the wedding?”

 

“Without a doubt, Jan.  She’ll be here for both.”

 

“And, Dan’s sister and husband and kids will come for the ceremony.  What a celebration that will be!” Jan exclaimed.

 

...

Monday morning, Vic bustled into the office with considerable verve.  He was dressed in an elegant business suit.  He was ready to unleash his wicked plan.  With his best smile, he proclaimed, “Congratulations to the Diederrmans!  I had no idea you two were so tight.”

 

Dan rose solemnly and planted his sturdy frame between Vic and Miriam.  “You tried to get my sweetheart to sleep with you ... That makes me mad!”

 

At the urging of his familiar spirits, Vic assumed a grave and contrite countenance.  “I understand how you feel and I apologize for that,” Vic said softly.  As if he was making a confession to a priest, he said, “I tried to get her to date me, too ... You’ve only known her for a few months ... I thought I had a chance ... I didn’t know you were ready to tie the knot.”  Vic was a master of deceit.  He put on his empathetic face and said, “Listen ... I’m sorry ... But, can you blame me for wanting to date your beautiful girlfriend? ... That’s what guys do ... But, now that you’re engaged, I’ll cease and desist ... I’ll never flirt with Miriam again ... I’ll never ask her out ... We’ve got to get along here ... We need to be friends ... Please accept my humble apology ... From now on, I’m on your side ... I want you two to have a wonderful marriage ... I’ll support you 100%.”

 

A demon inside Vic urged, “Now, lighten up!”

After a moment of awkward silence, Vic brightened his face, laughed softly, and intoned, “I’ve asked a lot of girls to my bed, and until Friday night, I had never been refused.  But, Miriam, you know how to say, ‘No!’ ... Sitting there on the dance floor alone, I got your answer ... My butt’s still sore.”

 

Dan cracked a faint smile as he thought of Vic’s embarrassing moment.

 

Vic continued his deceptive speech.  “I’m going to be out of the office most of this week.  I’ll be attending a seminar on neutrinos over in the Chemistry Department.  But, before I go ... will you two let me treat you to a terrific cup of coffee?”  Vic adopted his most charismatic persona and added, “There’s a cool coffee house on the Loop.  Let’s go there and bury the hatchet ... Please!  Anyway, I want you to ride in my Ferrari.  We’ll be back in an hour ... Let’s be colleagues ... Let’s be friends.”

 

Dan looked at Miriam.  She was non-committal.  She said, “It’s up to you, honey.”

 

Dan weighed the pros and cons.  In the interest of furthering the Project, he said, “OK, let’s go.”

 

As they walked by the door to Dr. Angelo’s office, he stepped into the hall.  Vic declared, “I’m taking these lovebirds out for a fancy coffee.”

 

“Great,” Angelo said, “I just wanted to share some more good news.  Knut has agreed to join us full- time.  He’ll start in a couple of weeks.”

 

A chorus of approvals was voiced by the team.  Then, the trio walked to the parking lot.  Vic’s Ferrari was a convertible.  Since it was a nice summer morning, he put the top down.  Miriam insisted on sitting in back, so Dan rode up front.  He enjoyed the feel of the throbbing machine.  Miriam didn’t seem to care.  She was having trouble being anywhere near Vic.  Shortly, they were in the coffee shop.  Indeed, it was a sumptuously appointed venue.

 

As Dan and Miriam sat down close to each other, Vic graciously announced, “Relax ... I’ll take your orders.  Miriam, what will you have?”

 

“A medium mocha with a dollop of whipped cream.”

 

“That’s what I want, too, Vic responded.  “Dan?”

 

“A double espresso ... no cream.”

Vic went to order the coffees.  Miriam went to the powder room to fix her wind-blown hair.  Though he didn’t know why, Dan felt compelled to keep his eyes on Vic.  Something in him cautioned, “Don’t trust him!”

 

Dan watched as Vic set three drinks on a tray.  His sharp eyes followed Vic to the condiments bar where he set the tray.  Then, Dan watched as Vic did a peculiar thing.  He reached into his suit-coat pocket and pulled out a plastic container.  It looked like a salt shaker one might take on a picnic.  Vic twisted off one end of the gadget and sprinkled a white, sugar-like substance into one of the mochas and dropped a red, plastic spoon into it.  He closed the shaker, put it back in his pocket, picked up a few more spoons and some napkins, and returned to the table where Dan was sitting.  Carefully, Vic deposited the mocha with the red spoon at Miriam’s place, served Dan the espresso, and set the remaining mocha at his spot.  Dan was filled with wonder and alarm.

 

Suddenly, a loud, female voice sang out, “Vic! ... Where have you been? ... I haven’t seen you in weeks!”  It was Keturah, “The Cat”.  She had surged through the door with two of her girlfriends.  Obviously, Vic was disturbed.  He hurried over to try to silence Cat.  But, she was loud and full of conversation.

 

To ease his mind, Dan used the distraction to re-arrange the drinks.  First, he took the red spoon out of Miriam’s cup and dropped it to the floor beneath the table.  Then, he exchanged Vic’s and Miriam’s mochas.  Finally, he shoved a clean, red spoon into Miriam’s drink.  “There,” he mused, “the table looks the same, but Vic has the spiked drink.  If he’s playing a ‘get-even’ prank on Miriam, now, the prank’s on him.”

 

Meanwhile, Vic had quelled Keturah by inviting her to his apartment for the night.  They parted and Vic sat down just as Miriam returned.  The trio chatted about the return of Knut, while they consumed their coffees.  Dan watched carefully, but Vic didn’t gag on his drink.  He never noticed the switch.  “What was that all about?” Dan wondered.

 

As they moved toward the exit, they passed Cat’s table.  She looked at Vic and declared, loudly, “Tonight, the two shall be one.” and laughed coarsely.  The girls with her giggled, knowingly. 

 

Vic smiled and said, “Later!”

 

Miriam and Dan blushed.  She thought, “That’s the girl Vic wanted me to be.” 

 

...

Vic vanished as soon as the trio got back to the office.  Miriam rose from her chair and moved toward Dan.  Meekly, standing by his side, she pled, “Hold me!.  Squeeze me!  I need some love.”  Dan rose and wrapped his arms around her.  She shuddered as she melted into him for a long while.  She moaned, “I don’t like being near Vic ... He’s evil.”

 

Vic was upbeat as he headed across campus.  He mused, “My ‘Miriam problem’ is solved.  Soon, she’ll be gone, and Knut will be on board.  I won’t have to look at her smug face any more, and Dan will be crushed ... With the help of Flare, I will win!”

 

The demons in him cheered, “Vic is victorious!  She got what she had coming.  She put you down ... Now, you’ve put her down!  But, enjoy your win ... drop by the office from time to time and watch her die ... Each day she’ll be a little more bronze ... Rejoice over her when she drops dead!”

 

Vic heeded their advice.  He saw no change on Tuesday and none on Wednesday.  He began to wonder if he had given her enough Flare.  So, early Thursday morning, he entered the office carrying two Styrofoam cups filled with coffee.  “Here,” he said, “I brought you some more joe.”  He set a cup on Miriam’s desk, saying, “Mocha for you.”  And moving to Dan’s desk, he added, “Espresso for you.”  Miriam’s cup contained a deadly dose of Flare.

 

Wary as ever of Vic, Dan felt a surge of alarm.  He had noticed, when Vic pivoted toward him, that Vic’s complexion was more radiant than he had ever seen it before.  Instantly, all the disparate details of Vic’s past behaviors and all the thoughts Dan had cataloged in his head congealed.  He jumped to his feet and placed his body between Miriam and Vic, screaming, “Miriam, don’t touch that cup ... It’s spiked!”

 

Vic was in shock.  His plot was unmasked.  “What are you saying?” he asked, trying to damp down Dan’s accusation.

 

Dan got in Vic’s face.  Grabbing his suit-coat lapels, he declared, in a brusque voice, “Monday ...  I saw you spike one of the mochas with a white substance.  I thought you were playing a prank on Miriam ... to get even with her.  But, now I know the truth ... You meant to kill her! ... Now, I know you’re a murderer ... you killed your Grandmother, Shelly and those other girls!”

 

“Dan! ... That’s crazy talk ... Where’s your proof?” Vic gasped.

 

“You’re my proof!” Dan declared. “You need to know, I switched the mochas, Monday morning!”

 

“You what?” Vic squealed.

 

“You drank the spiked cup ... and now, I see you’re beginning to radiate a bronze glow ... I ought to beat you to death, but there’s no need of that ... Soon enough, you’ll drop dead!”

 

“Oh! My god!” Vic shrieked, “You switched the cups?”

 

“I did indeed!” Dan affirmed.  “I wish God was your god ... I shudder to think where you’re headed!”

 

Vic was shaken.  Dan released his grip and shoved him to the floor.  “Get up!  Get out!” Dan demanded.  In terror, Vic scrambled to his feet and fled from the building.

 

Miriam rushed to Dan’s side, trembling.  She buried herself in Dan’s embrace.  “Oh ... Dan!” she whimpered, “You saved my life!”

 

“Yes,” he whispered, “and mine too.  My life would be worthless without you.”

 

They clung to each other till their hearts quit pounding.  Then, Dan took the cups to the men’s room and poured their contents down the drain.

 

When he returned, Miriam asked, “Should we tell Detective Moreno what we know?”

 

“No ... Not yet,” Dan replied.  “We have no proof till Vic perishes.  Don’t tell anyone anything.”

...

Vic hurried home.  He looked in the medicine chest mirror.  “I do look tan, but that could be from riding around in my Ferrari with the top down.”  He stripped off his clothes and stepped before a full-length mirror.  “Oh god!  I’m tan from head to toe.  But, wait, maybe Flare only kills females ... Maybe I’ll survive!  I don’t feel ill.  In fact, I feel great.  And, if I’m dying, I want to go out with a bang.”

 

He called Cat.  “What time can you be here?  I want to go to the casino tonight.  We’ll dine and dance and gamble the night away! ... About 5 o’clock?  Great!”

 

They partied hard and they partied long.  Vic seemed tireless.  Finally, they fell asleep in each other’s arms.  When she awoke, Cat had to hurry off to work.  Vic showered.  He looked in the full- length mirror, again.  “No doubt about it,” he said.  “I’m a radiant bronze.”

 

Fearing the end was near, he decided to put on the expensive tuxedo he had purchased for the charity ball.  Then, he slipped on his new, shiny, black, dancing shoes and reviewed himself in the mirror.  “Perfect,” he said.  “I’ve never looked better ... a beautiful tan, a handsome face, a wonderful outfit, and shiny shoes.”

 

Next, he decided to take his Ferrari for a spin.  He jumped in and sped to highway 44.  He headed South, toward Springfield.  Wanting to know how fast his new machine could go, he jammed the accelerator to the floor.  He rapidly reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.  A state trooper saw him whiz by.  He bolted into hot pursuit, but he feared he couldn’t keep up.  He radioed his call center, “There’s a guy out here on 44, racing South, wearing a black tuxedo and driving a bright- red Ferrari.  I’m after him, but I’m not sure I can catch him.  You might want to sic a copter on him and notify any officers downstream.”

 

About fifteen minutes into the chase, the trooper saw Vic crest a huge hill and disappear into the next valley.  When he topped the hill, he saw a startling sight.  As he looked down into the Ferrari, suddenly, Vic collapsed.  He fell forward, against the steering wheel.  The car careened off the road and rolled down a steep slope on the right side of the highway.  But, Vic had been thrown clear of the car, since he had not been wearing a seat belt.  He was laying on his back, on the far side of the drainage ditch that bordered the road.  He appeared to be asleep.  The car had crashed into a huge oak tree in a patch of woods at the bottom of a steep decline.  It was on fire.

 

The trooper stopped his patrol car, scrambled to Vic’s side, and tried to rouse him.  He could see no injuries, but Vic wasn’t breathing.  He felt, and there was no pulse.  He stepped back and reviewed the scene.  Never had he seen such a handsome corpse; a nice tan, a wonderful tux, and shiny shoes.  A copter hovering overhead landed.  Soon, other troopers arrived.  Emergency crews were close behind, and news crews arrived en masse.  It was a quirky event: a red Ferrari burning to a crisp. and a dead driver dressed to the nines, wearing a Rolex watch.

 

The EMT’s announced, “We don’t think he was killed by the crash ... He must have died and then been thrown into the ditch.”  They strapped Vic’s remains to a stretcher and took him to a nearby hospital for further processing.

 

Jan called Chuck about 10 o’clock in the morning.  “Chuck,” she said, “something bizarre has happened.  I was sewing, and I had the TV on.  The programming was interrupted by a news flash.  A man dressed in a fancy tuxedo and driving a red Ferrari crashed on highway 44.  The driver is dead.  They’re showing some shaky. cell phone videos taken by spectators, so I’m not sure, but it appears the dead driver is Vic!”

 

“Oh dear!” Chuck said, “I thought he was working in the Chemistry Department today.  Thanks for letting me know.  I’ll turn on my office TV and follow the story.”

 

Within minutes, the channels were showing clear pictures of Vic, lying on the bank of the drainage ditch.  Chuck buzzed Miriam, “Hey, come here!  Vic is dead!  It’s very strange.”

 

Miriam and Dan quickly conferred.  “Let’s keep quiet about what we know till we speak with Moreno,” Dan said.  Miriam agreed.  They went to Dr. Angelo’s office and watched the coverage of Vic’s demise.  Of course, Vic’s name was not aired.  His parents had not yet been notified.  But, the three in Doc’s office were sure it was Vic.

 

“Sad ... sad ... sad,” Doc opined.  “Such a loss of talent.  But, why was he off campus, racing along the highway in a tux?”  Miriam and Dan commiserated with Doc, but they didn’t tell him all they knew.

 

...

When Dan and Miriam returned to their desks, Dan placed a call to Detective Moreno, “Sam,” he said, “I suppose you already know that Vic is dead.  Miriam and I know a lot about what happened to him.  We need to talk to you.  Can you meet us in that conference room on the first floor where you and Vic talked?”

 

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Sam said.

 

Miriam and Dan got Cokes out of the vending machine on the first floor and waited for Moreno.  Sam arrived and thanked them for volunteering to share what they knew about the strange death of Victor Bobreaux.  He sat down, pulled a yellow legal pad from his leather valise, and said, “Fire.”

 

Miriam declared, “Vic tried to kill me!”

 

“Are you sure?” Moreno asked.  “Give me some details.”  He seemed to be writing down everything that was said.

 

“Well,” Dan declared, “last Friday night, even though Vic knew Miriam and I were dating, seriously, he made a vile pass at Miriam at a square-dance.  He asked her to sleep with him.  She pushed him away so hard that he fell on his butt in the middle of the dance floor.  Apparently, this made him insanely angry.  Saturday, I found out about the incident when Miriam and I were settling some differences between us.  Oh! By the way, that was a terrific day.  Miriam and I got engaged!”

 

“I see,” said Sam, “Congratulations.  Miriam, that’s a dazzling ring.”

 

“Thanks ... I’m very proud of it,” Miriam said, “but, I’m even more proud of Dan.  He saved my life.”

“Please, Dan, tell me more,” Sam urged.

 

Dan continued, “Monday morning, Vic came to work with a smile on his deceitful face.  When I challenged him, he apologized for his bad behavior.  He asked us to forgive him.  He said, ‘Now that you two are engaged, I won’t hit on Miriam.’  And, in the interest of research team solidarity, he asked us to ‘smoke the peace pipe’ with him at a local coffee house.  When we sat down there, he insisted on waiting on us.  He took our orders and went to fill them.  Miriam went to the powder room.  I watched him closely.  After he got the drinks, he stopped at the condiments bar.  I saw him sprinkle something into Miriam’s cup.  Right after he set the drinks on our table, he was distracted by a former girlfriend, someone he called ‘Cat’.  While he was away from our table, I switched his drink with Miriam’s.  They had ordered the same thing.  So, he drank the spiked coffee.

 

“Please believe me,” Dan said.  “I did not know the substance he put into Miriam’s coffee was lethal.  I thought he was playing a prank on Miriam, to get even.  But, he drank the cup I had placed before him without noticing it was spiked.

 

“Now, here’s the thing.  He came to work Thursday morning with a second round of coffees for Miriam and me.  That seemed odd.  I studied him.  I noticed his skin was radiant.  Suddenly, I understood that Vic was trying to kill Miriam.  He had been expecting to see a change in her complexion.  Since none had occurred, he had brought in a second dose of his poison.  When I accused him of attempted murder, he said I was crazy, but when I told him I had switched the coffees, Monday morning, he lost it.  Suddenly, he knew he had swallowed his own poison.  I pointed out that he was the one who was becoming bronze.  Then, I considered beating him to death, but, knowing he was already near death, I just threw him to the floor and told him to leave.”

 

“Amazing,” Sam said.  “For some time now, I have believed Vic poisoned his Grandmother, Shelly Ruskin, and the other girls.  But, I have had no proof.  What did you do with the coffees he brought in Thursday?”

 

“I poured them down the drain before they hurt someone,” Dan said.

 

“Well,” Sam reasoned, “For sure, he’s a bronze corpse now.  The trooper who chased him down 44 says Vic collapsed at the wheel of his Ferrari.  He thinks Vic was dead before the car veered off the road.”  Sam paused in deep thought.  “I wish I had those coffees.  I could have them tested.”

 

“Well,” Dan mentioned, “that shaker full of poison that Vic used to contaminate Miriam’s drink may still be in his suit-coat pocket.  In any case, you need to find it before someone else dies.  It’s one of those salt shakers people use at picnics.  You know, you twist off the end cap and sprinkle salt on your food.  But, in this case, it’s a white substance that looks like sugar.

 

“Now, here’s what’s bothering me, Sam,” Dan added.  “Technically, I killed Vic.  I put the poison in front of him.  Am I in danger of being prosecuted for that?”

 

Moreno sat quietly for a moment.  Then he asked, “Who knows what you two know?”

 

“Just us,” Miriam said.

 

“Can you two keep it secret?”

 

“Sure,” Dan said.

 

“Well, here’s how I see it,” Moreno explained.  “What good could come from making your secret public.  Vic’s parents would be devastated.  The parents of those four girls Vic killed would be no better off.  You would not be convicted of anything, but you would have to go through the hassle of some legal hearings.”

 

Sam laid his notepad on the conference room table, paged through the notes he had taken, and ripped them off the pad.  He rolled then into a scroll and handed them to Miriam.  “Here,” he said, “your first wedding present.  Promise me you will destroy these notes.  This meeting never happened.”

 

“Thank you,” Miriam said, with teary eyes.  “You’re wonderful.”

 

“No Miriam,” Sam replied, “You two are special.  I’m so glad you’re tying the knot.  But, that reminds me ... Edith and I are about to get married, too ... Now, I slipped into your Church one Sunday, hoping to observe Vic there.  It was the morning you and your Mother played a duet.  I’ve never heard anyone play the violin as well as you do.  Would you play a piece at our wedding service?  It’s the second time around for both of us.  We met, recently, in a little Church where each of us had gone to get our lives straightened out.  It’s been a whirlwind romance.  We’ve been chaste, but that can’t continue forever, so we’re getting hitched.  I want it to be a beautiful ceremony.”

 

“Well, Sam,” Miriam said with a giggle.  Let’s make a deal.  I was watching TV the other night, and I heard you sing the National Anthem before a Cardinal home game.  You have a marvelous voice.  I’ll play for your wedding if you’ll sing for ours.  Deal?”

 

“Deal!”