Let's Play Dead Read online

  “Has anyone called 911 yet?” I hollered. “Tell them we need an ambulance!’

  “They’re on their way.” The other worker approached, slipping a cell phone back under his coveralls. “What the hell happened? Is he…?”

  “He was fiddling with the weasel and something seems to have shorted out.” That summed up all I knew.

  “And whatever he did completed the circuit,” the man said. “I’m an electrician. Joe Murphy. I was just helping out with the painting ’cause the wiring was pretty much done. But I swear to God, we checked out all the connections, up one side and down the other! No way this should have happened. He gonna be all right?”

  How was I supposed to know? Jason didn’t look any better: he was pale and breathing shallowly, and showed no signs of waking up.

  I was startled when Arabella said, “Don’t touch anything,” in a calm, clear voice. “We don’t know if the circuit’s still live. You, too, Joe-just leave it alone until we can figure out what happened. Luckily Jason fell clear of it, or you might have been shocked, too, Nell.”

  I hadn’t even considered that, in my hurry to reach Jason, but she was right. I sat back on my heels. “Should we cover him or something?”

  “Good idea. If he’s in shock he’ll be losing body heat. Hand me one of those tarps, will you, Joe?”

  Joe swooped down and bundled up a tarp. He and Arabella together laid it carefully over Jason’s nearly still form.

  “Is the power out throughout the building?” I asked. I thought I could see lights coming from the open stairwell.

  “Shouldn’t be,” Arabella said. “We installed a separate circuit for the exhibition this time around, since we had the walls open anyway, and we knew the electrified animals would draw a lot of power. But we went over the plans more times than I can count! There should have been no way that this could happen. The codes for this sort of exhibit are very strict, and of course we’ve had every inspection the city requires. It would be devastating if anything happened to a child. Not that it should happen to anyone.”

  I felt a sense of relief. Gone was the fluffy Arabella, replaced by a competent leader, and I was happy to let her take charge.

  “Mother, are you up here?” A female voice drifted from the front of the building. “What’s going on with the lights?”

  Arabella stood up abruptly and headed for the sheeting that hid the exhibit. “Darling, don’t…” She was too late to intercept the young woman, who pushed the sheets aside and then shoved past her mother. “What…?” She took in the scene-me squatting next to prostrate Jason, Joe standing anxiously behind, all of us in the dark-and then she wailed, “Oh, no! No! Jason!” Despite her mother’s restraining hand, she rushed over to Jason and knelt down beside me. She reached out to touch him-his face, not his pulse. “Jason, wake up, please!” Then she looked at me, her eyes filled with tears. “Is he…?”

  “I think he’s had a bad electrical shock, but he’s breathing,” I said. “We’ve called for an ambulance.”

  She kept her hand on Jason. “Who are you? Do I know you?”

  “I’m Nell Pratt, from the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society. You’re Arabella’s daughter?” When she nodded, I explained, “Your mother invited me to preview the exhibit.”

  “Oh.” She lost interest in me and turned back to Jason.

  Arabella had caught up with her, and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Caitlin, darling, come away. Help is coming.”

  Once again Caitlin threw off her mother’s hand. “No. I’m staying with Jason. I want to be sure he’s all right. What happened?” Her gaze swiveled wildly between her mother, me, and Joe.

  Arabella and I exchanged a glance. I wasn’t sure that Jason was going to be all right-shouldn’t he be conscious by now? But I wasn’t going to say anything to make this situation any worse. I was relieved to hear the sound of an approaching siren.

  “We don’t know yet, Caitlin. Joe, can you go down and let them in, and bring them up here, please?” Arabella asked.

  Joe, looking relieved at having something to do, said, “Sure,” and headed quickly for the stairs.

  I stood up, since Caitlin had taken over the task of watching Jason breathe.

  Arabella noticed my movement. “You don’t have to stay, Nell,” she said.

  “Maybe I should, since I was here when this happened,” I told her. “In case the police have any questions.”

  Arabella looked bewildered. “Why would the police have any questions? Something must have gone wrong with the wiring. It was an accident.”

  Was it? Any hint of carelessness could do serious damage to the reputation of Let’s Play. What if it was something worse than carelessness? No, I was probably just being paranoid. First, see that Jason got to a hospital and, God willing, recovered. Then, make sure all the wiring was checked out-and then checked again. And pray that it was no more than an accident.

  We sat frozen for long minutes, awaiting the arrival of the EMTs. I could track their progress aurally: the siren swelled in volume, then stopped abruptly when they arrived in front of the museum. There was commotion at the front door; Joe directed them up the stairs, and I heard their equipment clanging as they made their way up. Someone called out from the head of the stairs, and Arabella replied, “In here! Behind the plastic.”

  Finally the EMTs appeared. Arabella tugged her daughter away from Jason’s still form. Caitlin came reluctantly, and Arabella wrapped an arm around her shoulders-or at least she tried, since she was at least six inches shorter than the younger woman. I wondered irreverently how such a short round woman could have produced such a tall willowy child. The EMTs set to work with grim efficiency. They managed to work and spit out questions at the same time. “What’s his name?”

  “Jason Miller,” Arabella responded.

  “What was he doing here?”

  “He works here. He’s been painting part of the exhibit.”

  “What happened? He fall?”

  “No, we were having trouble making the electronic weasel work. Jason just touched it, and something went wrong.”

  “It looked like he was hit with an electrical shock,” I volunteered. “He touched something, then he fell down all at once, and he hasn’t been conscious since. The lights up here went out at the same time.”

  The EMTs exchanged a glance, then looked at Arabella. “You been working on the wiring lately?”

  “Yes. But we’ve passed all our inspections, and everything was fine. The exhibit’s complete except for some painting and touching up. And the other figures were working fine yesterday. I tried them out myself.”

  Arabella had been answering the questions with admirable calm, all the while holding on to her daughter-or maybe holding her up. Caitlin hadn’t said a word since her first outburst, and she was deathly pale, twisting her hands together. Hadn’t Arabella said Jason was Caitlin’s boyfriend? She certainly looked upset, maybe more so than Arabella. I felt like a fifth wheel, watching the professionals at work. What had happened here? Arabella had just said that the animals in the exhibit had been working fine yesterday, and today obviously they weren’t. What had changed? And why?

  The EMTs straightened and extended the legs of their gurney. “Elevator?” one barked.

  “I’ll show you,” Arabella said.

  “I want to come with Jason,” Caitlin said abruptly.

  “You a relative?”

  “He’s my… fiancé,” Caitlin said defiantly. Arabella shot her a startled glance but said nothing.

  “You can’t ride with us. You can follow if you want, but you may have to wait awhile.”

  “Okay. Will he be all right?”

  “Can’t say.”

  Can’t, or won’t? I wondered. Jason wasn’t dead, but he didn’t look very alive, either. I wished I knew more about massive electrical shock. My closest experience was when I had stuck a fork into a toaster some thirty years ago, an experience I made sure never to repeat. But while it had been unpleasant, I hadn’t b
lacked out. How much stronger was the current that coursed through Willy the Weasel?

  I realized I was still standing in the same place, as though rooted to the spot, when Arabella returned from directing the EMTs. “Nell, I’m going to take Caitlin and follow the ambulance over to the hospital. I’m so sorry you had to be here to see this.”

  I shook myself. “Arabella, don’t apologize. You do what you have to-I’ll follow you out. And please let me know how Jason is, as soon as you know anything.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  There seemed to be nothing else to say, so we filed out the front door in silent procession. Arabella took her daughter’s limp arm, and after speaking briefly to Joe, who was still standing sentinel at the front door, led her around toward the back of the building, where I assumed she was parked. Joe and I watched as the ambulance pulled away.

  “Hey, you okay? You look kind of shook up,” Joe said.

  I turned to look at him, truly seeing him for the first time. Maybe thirty-five, at bit younger than me. Tall. Curly dark hair, and blue eyes with lashes that no man deserved. Muscled like he worked out, but not too much. At another time and place I might have admired such a fine specimen of manhood, but he was right-I was shaken up.

  “Can I give you a lift somewhere?”

  He was actually trying hard to be helpful, and I had to admit I didn’t feel ready to face a crowded train. “No, but maybe we could sit down and have a cup of coffee or something?”

  “Sure. There’s a shop on the next street, and I know they’re open late. Come on.”

  I followed meekly as he led me to what would once have been called a greasy spoon, but at least it was warm, and it smelled of good food. Joe held the door for me and waited courteously until I slid into a booth. The proprietor came over and handed us menus, nodding at Joe. I was surprised that despite what I had just seen, I was hungry. Maybe it was reaction, or maybe I just wanted a distraction. I realized that Joe was watching me with those disconcerting blue eyes.

  “I guess we never got properly introduced. I’m Nell Pratt-I run the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society. Arabella invited me by for a sneak preview of the exhibit.”

  “Hi, Nell. I’m Joe Murphy. So, not quite the show you were expecting, I’d wager.”

  “Not at all. You said you’re an electrician?” When he nodded, I asked, “Do you have any idea how that could have happened?”

  The proprietor arrived, pad in hand, and we ordered coffee and sandwiches. Joe waited until he had left before he replied. “I know that part of the building like the back of my hand, and of course we’ve been extra careful because of the kids and all. No way it should have happened like that, unless somebody’s been messing with the wiring.”

  The coffee arrived, and I wrapped my hands around the thick white mug, mostly to stop their shaking. “Why would anyone do that? Everybody loves Let’s Play, as far as I know.”

  “That they do,” Joe said. “I really couldn’t say who’d want to do the place harm. Lucky thing the circuit was a new one-the breaker cut off fast. Maybe Jason hit his head when he fell?”

  “Could be. I was looking at Willy when it happened, not Jason.” I realized I preferred that explanation over a booby-trapped weasel. I took a deep breath and changed the subject. “So, are you from Philadelphia, Joe?”

  “Born and raised,” he replied, and I steered the conversation toward safer topics. The food arrived and was surprisingly good, and after devouring the sandwich, I felt much better. When it was gone, I checked my watch: ten minutes until the next train, and they didn’t run too often after rush hour.

  “I need to get going. Thanks for suggesting this, Joe-I guess I was a little rocky after all. Let me get the tab.”

  “Glad to help,” Joe said, standing up.

  I noticed he didn’t counter my offer to pay, so I left some bills on the table. “I’ve got to go catch my train. Nice to meet you, Joe.”

  I left him at the booth and went back out into the dark and chilly night. The train stop was only a few blocks away, and I had to hurry a bit, but I managed to arrive just as the train was pulling up at the platform. I slumped into a seat, hoping that there would be good news in the morning.

  CHAPTER 5

  Jason Miller was still on my mind as I walked from the station to the Society the next morning. What could have happened? Was he all right? I hadn’t heard a word from Arabella Heffernan, but we weren’t exactly close, and I doubted that she had my home number. Nor did I have hers, and even if I had, I was reluctant to call only to hear bad news. I’d had trouble erasing the image of Jason’s still form on the floor, so out of place among the bright and gaudy cartoon animals. And even if all was well, her daughter, Caitlin, had looked very distressed, and Arabella might have had her hands full comforting her.

  I was knee-deep in paperwork at my desk an hour or so later when Front Desk Bob called. “There’s a Ms. Heffernan here to see you. Can I send her up?”

  Arabella had come all the way here, in person? That was kind. I sighed, wishing I had that elusive assistant to send downstairs and escort Arabella up to my office, according to protocol. “Please see her to the elevator, Bob, and I’ll meet her on this end.”

  “Will do,” Bob said, and hung up.

  I swept the papers into a sort of neat pile, checked to make sure that my guest chair was clear, and walked down the hall to the elevator. I arrived before it had creaked its way up the two stories. When the doors opened, there was Arabella, looking far more cheerful than she had the evening before, and all but hidden behind a large basket filled with flowers and cookies. My mouth started watering immediately, even though I’d eaten breakfast.

  “Nell, I wanted to bring you this as an apology for yesterday. What an awful thing! I’m so sorry you had to be there. What must you think of us!”

  “Please don’t worry about me, Arabella. Is Jason all right?”

  “Thank goodness, yes. That’s why I wanted to see you. I was sure you would be worried, though you were so calm yesterday!”

  Arabella had done pretty well herself, taking charge and doing what had to be done. I’d been impressed: her warm and cuddly exterior hid a solid core. “Why don’t we go to my office?”

  “Wonderful,” Arabella said.

  I led the way, catching a few curious glances directed more at the large basket of goodies than at me. Once in my office, I set the basket on my credenza, then gestured toward the chair. “Please sit down. I was going to call you, but I didn’t want to bother you this morning.”

  “Well, Jason’s going to be just fine. He woke up in the ambulance and he was talking. He wanted to go home last night, but the doctors thought he should stay overnight for observation, just in case.”

  “That’s great news. Oh, where are my manners? Can I get you some coffee? It won’t be as good as your tea, though.” What I really wanted was an excuse to dig into the cookies. “Unless you have to get back to work right away?”

  “Coffee would be lovely. And I’m not in a hurry. I thought I’d treat myself to a little time off, after all the stress of yesterday. And of course the electrical inspectors are back, and I’m sure they don’t want me hovering over them.”

  “You didn’t think you should close the museum, at least until they had checked things out?”

  “The exhibit has its own independent wiring-we added all that recently. That area’s off-limits to the public anyway, until we open the exhibit, but just in case I asked one of our staff to stay and make sure nobody strays.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Let me get you that coffee. I’ll be right back!” I ducked down the hall to the staff room, praying that there was something in the pot, and that it wasn’t sludge. For once I was lucky. I rinsed out two cups and filled them, then headed back down the hall.

  By the time I returned, Arabella had already laid out some of the cookies (from a local bakery, not a package) for us on pretty matching napkins. This was one very organized lady. I set a mug of coffee in
front of her, then went around the desk and sat with my own mug. “That looks lovely.”

  “Thank you. Your office is quite impressive.”

  “It is that. I still feel as though I don’t belong here, and someone’s going to come along and throw me out.”

  “Oh, pshaw! You’ll be fine. As I’m sure you’ve discovered, this kind of position takes a strong sense of organization combined with an ability to size up people quickly and schmooze them. And I’ve seen you do those quite well. Don’t underestimate yourself.”

  I laughed. “I think you’ve nailed the job description, and thank you for the kind words. How long have you been at Let’s Play?”

  Arabella fluttered an airy hand. “Forever, it seems. I came up through the ranks, so to speak. I started out as a docent when my daughter, Caitlin, was young-I saw how much she and the other children loved it, and I wanted to be part of it. And things just sort of grew from there! I’ve been president for ten years now, and I still love it. And I seem to have passed my love of it on to Caitlin-she’s our exhibits coordinator. She’s been working with me at Let’s Play for a couple of years now, since she graduated from college, but the Harriet the Hedgehog exhibit is her first solo project.”

  “I know how much time it takes to get things right, whether it’s fragile documents or plastic animals. She must have had to work long hours.” So Caitlin worked with her mother. I wondered how that had come about-had they avoided any whiff of nepotism?

  “Oh yes, she’s spent quite a bit of time working on the exhibit. It’s a shame she lives in Camden now; I tried to get her to stay with me in the city-I’ve been in the same house since Caitlin was young, and when my husband… left”-a brief cloud passed across her face, and I wondered what the story was-“it was easiest to stay on, since she was settled in school and had friends there. And it was so convenient! Most of the time I walk to work.”

  “I can see that. I live in the suburbs myself.”