Golden in Death (In Death 50)

She crossed long legs.

“But I believe you’re here to speak to me about my tenure at Theresa A. Gold Academy, in New York. I was very sorry to hear about the death of Dr. Rufty’s partner.”

“Husband,” Eve corrected.

“Yes, of course. I believe I met Dr. Abner very briefly during the transition period. But given so much time has passed, I don’t remember him well.”

“Dr. Rufty replaced you at Gold.”

Grange arched her eyebrows at the term replaced. “Dr. Rufty accepted the position of headmaster after I resigned.”

“Right. And why did you resign?”

“I was offered the position as headmaster here. While Gold Academy is a very fine school, the board of trustees made me an excellent offer and opportunity here. We are a prep school for grades nine through twelve rather than an academy for kindergarten through twelve. I wanted to focus my skills on those vital years before college.”

“So the move to East Washington didn’t have anything to do with your divorce?”

Her eyes went steely. “I don’t base my professional decisions on relationships. Reginald and I agreed our marriage had run its course, and parted without acrimony.”

“Really? I got the sense he had some acrimony left over from the pile of it when he learned you were having an extramarital affair.”

Now the jaw tightened. “My private business can’t be relevant to the murder of the partner—husband,” she corrected, “of the person who serves as headmaster of a school I left eight years ago.”

“You’d be wrong about that.”

“I find you very flippant, Lieutenant.”

“I find you very evasive, Headmaster. Untangling your private affairs—make that business—while you lived and worked in New York is a key component of this investigation. And when you were headmaster at Gold, there was a teacher on staff, a Jay Duran. I’m sure you remember him, as Professor Duran filed complaints against you, along with some other members of the faculty.”

Grange tapped a finger, tipped as red as her suit, against her thigh. “I remember Mr. Duran. He and I didn’t see eye-to-eye on my methods, my policies. The fact remained, I was in charge; he was not.”

“Elise Duran, Professor Duran’s wife, was killed two days after Dr. Abner, and by the same method.” Eve nodded slowly. “This isn’t news to you.”

“When the board insisted I take this meeting, I, of course, did my research. I’m sorry about Mr. Duran’s wife, and for him, for his children. But he was no more than a slight irritation from years ago. I believe he left the academy in any case, not long after I did. Perhaps he also disagreed with Dr. Rufty’s methods.”

“He got his doctorate,” Peabody said, very quietly. “He teaches at Columbia.”

“How nice for him. And still, nothing to do with me.”

“As primary investigator into these murders, I disagree. Both murders connect to the Gold Academy, and to you. Both victims were married to individuals who had issues with your methods and policies and sought to change them. Why don’t we start with your whereabouts on the dates and times in question?”

Fury sparked, stiffening Grange’s already rigid posture. “You’re insulting.”

“Oh, no, ma’am.” Peabody played the wide-eyed conciliator. “That’s not our intention. We—”

“You would come here and accuse me of murder?” Grange snapped back. “And claim you’re not insulting?”

“No one’s accusing you of anything yet.” Eve put the emphasis on the last word to draw Grange’s attention back to her. “Determining your whereabouts, corroborating same is routine. Now—”

“You will not impugn my reputation with your ridiculous routines.” She sprang up, marched to the door. Flung it open. “Teesha, pull up my calendar and tell these women where I would have been on…”

Enjoying herself now, Eve somehow survived the molten stare and reeled off the dates and times.

“Yes, Dr. Grange. On the evening of April twenty-sixth you attended a dinner party at Congresswoman Delaney’s home, with an arrival time of seven-thirty, a departure scheduled for ten-thirty. Mr. Lionel Kramer escorted you. On the evening of April twenty-seventh, you attended a performance of Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center with Mr. Gregor Finski. Curtain at eight.”

“There. Satisfied?”

“I will be when we verify that data. As our investigation leads back to the period where you and Dr. Rufty transitioned, we need the name of the staff member with whom you had an affair while serving as headmaster.”