Why Not Murder

12. Jealousy

12. Jealousy

Winnie and the unborn baby both recovered and were in the hospital for two weeks. When all was well Winnie went home. In the meantime, Maya had continued to read Winnie's emails and see where she had been online. There was nearly no internet surfing and the only email correspondence was between her and her lover. Maya made a wreath for Winnie, about twelve inches in diameter, out of a coiled vine with pine cones, dry flowers and aromatic berries. Then she ended up deciding on flowers for Winnie instead and went to the Laymuir residence to give them to her and to return the cell phone. Not far from the kitchen door, Maya noticed a woman's bicycle without a repair kit attached. Winnie was on the stone patio in the middle of the rear grounds, reclining in the shade of a grove maple, on a super expensive lawn chair. As Maya approached, Winnie pulled ear plugs from her ears and sat up. Maya lay the flowers on the table near her and Winnie thanked her. Winnie was sparkling in jewelry.

"I'm feeling fine now. I tire easily, that's all," Winnie said, "But I am seething with rage below the surface. I know it's not good for the baby but I can't deny it. She's hardy to have survived this. I know she's a girl now and I've decided on the name Gwen. Of course there has been no discussion with Hudson about names. There may never be. The doctors have no clue what happened to me. That's not the reason I'm angry though. I don't have blind faith in doctors like so many people do. I'm angry because I was looking out the hospital window during one of my little walks up and down the hallway and there I see Hudson outside with Heather. They are so flagrant about their feelings towards one another. Anyway, I almost exploded when I noticed Heather's tummy. The wind was pushing her slinky dress up against her. She has a protruding belly, not at the stage mine's in, but she used to have a totally flat tummy. She's pregnant I'm sure."

"She was married to the man who was mauled by the bear," Maya said, "She could be pregnant by her husband and not Hudson, if indeed she is pregnant."

"It makes me so angry," Winnie continued, "I still don't think that Hudson will divorce me because I am worth more than she is."

"There's something else," Maya said holding out the cell phone, "I wanted to return this to you."

Winnie snatched it out of her hand. "How'd you know it was mine?" Winnie asked squinting her eyes.

"I recognized the photo on screen when the phone is turned on," Maya said, "It's of one of your paintings."

"Oh yes, of course. Where did you find it?" Winnie asked.

Maya hesitated for just a moment and then looking directly into Winnie's eyes told her, "I found it on the stony beach at the bottom of the cliff near where Mr. Laymuir's car was found in the water."

Winnie involuntarily sucked her breath in, lay back in the lawn chair and closed her eyes saying, "I need rest." Maya took the hint and headed to the kitchen. As she passed the bicycle she dropped the repair kit on the ground underneath it thinking that whoever's bike it was would see the kit and assume it had just snapped off.

Cook was kneading bread. In-Depth News was on. The maids were drinking coffee and motioned to Maya to come in. In-Depth was reporting on the coroner's inquest into the death of Wyler Roberts, that concluded it was death as a result of a bear attack. Then it announced that new information exclusive to In-Depth had come forward from a most reliable source about the car that had been found in the lake after falling off the cliff. The car that went over the cliff belongs to Hudson Laymuir, the architect. The vehicle of Wyler Roberts has not been found. Therefore it is a strong possibility that Wyler Roberts stole Laymuir's car, pushed it over the cliff and while making his way out of the vicinity was attacked by the bear. Our source has evidence that points to Hudson Laymuir being blackmailed by Wyler Roberts in order to keep the affair Laymuir has been having with Heather Roberts secret. Since the death of Wyler Roberts the affair has become known. Hudson Laymuir insists that he was not being blackmailed by anyone and that prior to the identification of the bear attack victim, he was not aware that Heather Roberts was married. Maya thought, 'Either he's lying or Heather's tenants are wrong about who her lover is'.