“You’re kidding?”
Christine shakes her curly head. “I know she comes off all sweet and nicey-nice but trust me, Danny, she can be a real witch.”
“Good to know,” I say, even though I’m not sure Christine is what they call a reliable source. I’m guessing that, whenever she sees Judith Rosen, she also sees Shona Oppenheimer. Coming at her, arms outstretched like a zombie, hands ready to crush her windpipe.
And of course, Judith keeps insisting that Christine is the evil one.
After we transfer our sopping wet clothes to the dryers, Christine tells me more.
“We were friendly at first,” she says. “Shona and me. So, when I lost my day job with Mrs. Crabtree, Shona suggested I take the job at her sister’s father-in-law’s house.”
“Who’s Mrs. Crabtree?”
“Mauna Faye Crabtree. Sweet little old lady. Eighty-eight years old. I was with her for three months before she passed away.”
I nod. I figure burying your clients is just part of the whole home health aide deal.
“I was so grateful to have more work,” Christine continues. “I really didn’t have any kind of problem when they asked me to keep an eye on Dr. Rosen’s medical condition. I thought Judith and David were just looking out for a stubborn old man who wouldn’t reveal anything about his health conditions to his family. But then, they started asking me to do weird stuff.”
“Like what.”
“Find his will. Keep tabs on anything Michael Rosen said or wrote to his dad. Smuggle out medical records.”
“Did you do any of this stuff?”
Thankfully, Christine shakes her head.
“No. Dr. Rosen was my patient, not Judith or David. My loyalty was to him, not them.”
“Which isn’t what David and Judith wanted to hear?”
“Not at all. So Judith nagged her sister. Told Shona to get on my case. Push me harder. Search my shoulder bag.”
“Which takes us to the night I caught the nine-one-one call.”
“Yeah.”
“So, what do you think David and Judith were really after?”
Christine shrugs.
“Do you think Harvey Nussbaum was right?” I say. “Did they want Dr. Rosen’s beach house?”