by Elaine Viets
“There’s more. Monty’s having trouble getting experts for Kendra. The court gave him money, but when the experts found out they’d be testifying for Kendra, they tripled and quadrupled their fees. A fuck ton flat-out said no.”
“Somebody got to them,” Angela said.
“That’s my guess. Monty filed an appeal saying the experts’ fee increases were way beyond a reasonable amount.”
“What did Judge Boareman say?”
“Whatever the legal term is for ‘tough shit.’ Now Monty has to do a nationwide search for new experts.”
“Poor Kendra.”
“It gets worse.” Katie gave Hero another carrot. “Monty’s bringing in another lawyer. Kendra’s been charged with murder in the first degree, and it’s technically a death-penalty case. Missouri loves giving felons the needle. Monty’s not playing games with Kendra’s life. This is his first trial for a first-degree murder case.”
“But he represented that doctor accused of first-degree murder last year.”
“And he’s damn lucky that case was dropped. It looks like Kendra’s case is going to trial. Even if she doesn’t get the death penalty, she could spend the rest of her life in prison—and she’s only twenty. Monty will be committing gross malpractice if he represents her. He needs a top-flight defense attorney who’s won an assload of first-degree murder cases in appeal.”
“Uh, is an assload more or less than a shitload?”
Katie frowned at the interruption and gave Hero the last carrot. “Less than a shitload but not as much as a fuck ton. You wanna hear this or not? We’re lucky we’ve got a good lawyer nearby in Saint Louis—Lin Kalomeris. She’s smart and tough. We want to meet at her office tomorrow for a summit—a secret meeting outside the Forest. This is risky for both of us. I could lose my job if Evarts finds out I’m helping the defense. So could you.”
“I can get a job in another city,” Angela said. “I’m not going to stand around and suck my thumb while Kendra is railroaded for murder.”
“Good. We’re meeting at Lin’s office on Fourth Street, near the Arch. It’s a big glass skyscraper. Here’s the address. Park in the garage across the street. The building is crawling with lawyers, and there’s an Italian restaurant on the first floor, so if anyone sees Monty and me there, it’s no big deal. Monty and I will go out to dinner afterward, maybe stay in the city overnight. Everyone knows we’re dating. We’ll drive up to Saint Louis together. You come by yourself. We’ll meet you at four o’clock Saturday afternoon, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Keep quiet,” Katie said. “This really is life and death.”
Angela patted American Hero’s nose one last time. “He has too much horse sense to talk.”
CHAPTER 18
Day seven
The law offices of Brandt, Bosman, and Kalomeris had a spectacular view of the Arch and the Mississippi River flowing past, muddy brown and muscular. The huge law firm sprawled over four floors in the twenty-story Bosman Building in downtown Saint Louis.
The law firm was two blocks from Saint Louis’s Old Courthouse, scene of the Dred Scott decision decreeing that Scott, an enslaved man, could not be a citizen or sue in a federal court. He was property. Arguably the Supreme Court’s worst decision, the Dred Scott case haunts Saint Louis—and the nation—to this day.
Kendra’s arrest was a more modern form of racism, and the secret Saint Louis summit was held at BB&K to stop this injustice. Angela met Katie and Monty in the lobby of the building a little before four o’clock Saturday afternoon. Both were dressed for a date night in the city. Monty wore a pin-striped suit, and Katie had on a rare black sleeveless dress and high heels.
“What’s Lin Kalomeris like?” Angela asked.
“Smart. Tough. Hates the death penalty on moral and religious grounds,” Monty said.
“You keep saying that. How religious is she?” Katie asked. “Will I have to watch my fucking language?”
“Would it do any good if I said yes? She’s a little uptight. But I’ve seen her enjoy a glass of wine. She’ll fight hard to save Kendra, and that’s what we need.”
The three signed in at the gray marble security desk, and the guard opened the elevator for them. Lin herself met them at the fourth floor. She was almost as tall as Angela and wore her blonde hair in a twist. Even on Saturday she had on a somber, dark suit. Angela wondered if she wore the severe dark-framed glasses because she needed them, or to tone down her striking looks.
After the introductions, Lin said, “We can meet in the conference room next to my office.” The trio followed her down endless halls painted in vibrant colors: orange, maroon, and lime green. The walls were lined with art that looked abstract and expensive. Angela wondered how many billable hours it represented.
The conference room was as impressive as the view. They sat at a round table overlooking the Arch and the river: Monty was across from Lin, with Katie and Angela on either side of the lawyer. They helped themselves to coffee from an urn and got down to business. Monty explained Kendra’s case and said, “I can’t tell you how risky this meeting is for Angela and Katie. They can both lose their jobs for defying their supervisor and the local powers that be.”
“Point taken,” Lin said. “We’re all here to help Miss Salvato.”
Katie added cream and sugar to her coffee until it was the same color as the Mississippi.
“We believe Kendra isn’t guilty of murder,” Monty said. “But the prosecution, the police, and the fire investigator say the evidence is against her. They say the pour patterns on Luther’s bedroom carpet were caused by gasoline. They claim she doused the old man with gasoline and then set him on fire, creating a fireball that rose to the ceiling, then hit the floor, singeing Kendra’s hair when the scary thing exploded.”
“And what does Miss Salvato say?” Lin sipped her coffee. “What was she doing when the fire started?”
Monty checked his notes. “She was asleep in bed next to her fiancé when she was awakened by the smell of smoke. She saw small flames on the sheets on Luther’s side of the bed.”
“What material were the sheets?” Lin asked.
“The sheets and spread were both silk. There was no blanket. She said the flames were only a couple of inches tall. She jumped out of bed and tried to wake Luther, but she couldn’t get him to move. She tried to lift him, but he was too heavy.
“She said the flames were getting bigger and the smoke was thicker. She couldn’t breathe and ran out of the room. By the time she was down the stairs, there was a bright orange glow and black smoke pouring out of their room―the fire was everywhere. She heard the fire roaring and ran out the front door. She was choking and having trouble breathing. The firefighters arrived maybe five or six minutes later, she’s not sure. When she tried to get help for Luther, it was too late.”
“Did she call 911?” Lin asked.
“No,” Monty said.
“Had her fiancé been drinking?”
“Yes. We have video evidence to prove he was drunk. He’d had a raucous scene at a local restaurant, where he was videoed drinking. We have a copy of the video.”
“I believe I’ve seen it on TV, but I’d like to study it.”
“Here’s a flash drive with the video.” Monty handed it to Lin.
“It’s like Animal House for geezers,” Katie said. Angela was relieved her friend didn’t say something more outrageous.
“Had Mr. Delor been smoking before the fire started?” Lin asked.
“Yes. Kendra said he was smoking a cigar in bed when she fell asleep. She said he usually smoked a cigar before he fell asleep, and she tried to get him to stop because it was dangerous. She says that’s what started the fire—careless smoking. Luther had a history of it. The fire department had been called to his house at least twice before this fire.”
“How serious were the previous fires?”
“The first was minor. The second time, Luther burned a dining-room chair, but there were no injuries.”
“When was the chair fire?”
“Four days before the fatal fire.”
“Did Mr. Delor’s house have smoke alarms or a fire-suppression system?” Lin asked.
“You mean like a sprinkler system?” Monty said. “No. But the house did have smoke alarms.”
“Why didn’t they work?”
“Kendra said Luther had disconnected them. He kept setting them off with his careless smoking, and he got tired of the noise.”
“The night of the fire, did Miss Salvato have sex with her fiancé before he fell asleep?” Lin asked.
“Luther tried, but he couldn’t . . . uh, perform. He’d taken Viagra earlier—that’s on the video, too. He took it in the bar at Gringo Daze and washed it down with beer. When they got home, Luther asked Miss Salvato to put on a sexy outfit, a sort of white-lace bodysuit, and she did. It was, uh . . .” Monty looked embarrassed. “It didn’t have any . . . uh . . .”
“It was crotchless for easy access,” Katie finished, and Monty turned bright red. Katie looked pleased with herself, and Angela guessed she’d had to struggle to describe Kendra’s outfit without using the F-word.
“Was Kendra wearing the bodysuit at the time the fire started?” Lin asked.
“Yes, she went running out into the yard dressed only in the lace bodysuit. The prosecution says she deliberately donned it to distract the firefighters from their job.” Angela drank the last of her coffee.
“Did she do that?” Lin asked.
“She was definitely a distraction. But it wasn’t on purpose. She didn’t have time to grab a robe or change clothes―the heat was too intense.”
“What does Miss Salvato say happened after she tried to save the deceased?” Lin asked. Katie watched a barge power down the river.
Monty looked at his notes again. “Kendra said she was dizzy and confused by the smoke. She had trouble breathing and thinking after she escaped the house. It took her a while to realize that Luther was still inside and in danger. She tried to tell the firefighters, but they didn’t seem to understand. The paramedics tried to force her into an ambulance to go to the hospital, but she broke free and ran back in to save Luther. She got as far as the living room on the first floor when the smoke got her and she had to turn back. She was coughing and choking. That’s when she was taken to the hospital and treated for minor cuts and burns on her hands and smoke inhalation. She did not resist treatment that time. The firefighters and paramedics described her behavior as hysterical and said she fought with and injured at least two paramedics trying to get away from them.”
“She fought the paramedics to run into the burning house?” Lin asked.
“Yes. Kendra said they were forcing her into an ambulance, and she was trying to get away to save Luther.”
“And she escaped and made an unsuccessful attempt to save her fiancé.”
“Correct,” Monty said.
“Did the hospital find any traces of gasoline or other accelerant on her body or clothes?”
“The ER nurse said she didn’t smell any gasoline when she cut away Kendra’s bodysuit or cleaned up her hands, arms, and face so they could treat her injuries.”
“What were her injuries?” Lin asked. “How serious were they?”
“They were fairly minor. According to the discharge papers, her hair was singed slightly, and she had first-degree burns with small blisters on her hands and a few small cuts on her hands and feet. She was given a topical cream. She was given oxygen for the smoke inhalation, and they put a clip on her finger to check her oxygen levels. She had a cough, itchy eyes, and was a little confused, but the confusion cleared up when her oxygen levels began to rise. She was kept in the hospital overnight for observation. Chouteau Forest detective Ray Greiman got a warrant and took scrapings from under her fingernails while she was at the hospital. He also confiscated the bodysuit she’d been wearing. She was released the next day.”
“What’s the other evidence against her?”
“Kendra’s father, Jose Salvato, received a call from the restaurant owners about Luther’s shocking behavior. About three hours before the fire started, Salvato went to Luther’s home and got in a shouting match with his daughter and her fiancé. She refused to come home with her father. She said she would stay with her fiancé for a while and then spend the night at her rented apartment. Witnesses heard Luther say he would ruin Salvato, who has a lawn-care business in the Forest.”
“Could the deceased have ruined Mr. Salvato?”
“I don’t know,” Monty said. “Jose is a respected businessman and takes care of most of the local lawns. Luther was rich but not well liked.”
“What else?” Lin asked. “The prosecution must have more.”
“A firefighter found a partially melted gasoline container near the door of Luther’s home with the logo of Salvato’s landscaping company on it. Salvato admitted it was his. He said a careless employee may have left it behind when the crew cut the grass there. Salvato cuts most of the grass in Olympia Forest Estates, the gated community where Luther lived.”
“Are Miss Salvato and her father the only people with motives to kill Luther?”
“No, Lin,” Angela said. “Not according to the people I interviewed during the death investigation after the fire. Both Luther’s estranged wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, who refused to speak to him, were in Olympia Forest Estates that night. Priscilla was at a cocktail party. The witness said Priscilla left about nine o’clock, citing illness. Luther’s daughter, Eve, was at a barbecue in the same community and went home about the same time. Witnesses told me that Luther offered Priscilla major money to give him a quick divorce, but she was fighting him every step of the way. Luther offered Eve a million dollars to persuade her mother to divorce him. Eve sided with Priscilla.”
“So Mr. Delor’s estranged wife and daughter both had good reasons to want him dead.”
“Yes,” Monty said. “Luther’s behavior was a continual source of embarrassment. That viral video I gave you was just one example.”
“It’s got more fossils than the science museum,” Katie said.
“One more question. Why didn’t Kendra leave for her own apartment that night?”
“She told me she was exhausted after calming down Luther and attempting to have sex with him,” Monty said. “She often woke up about midnight and went to her own apartment. She never stayed the night at his place. We have witnesses to confirm that was her habit.”
“Why would she refuse to stay overnight if they were engaged?” Lin asked.
“Luther gave her two million dollars when they got engaged, but he wanted her there all the time.” Monty hesitated, and Angela could see his ears turn pink with embarrassment. Katie shifted restlessly. She seemed tired of this verbal fencing.
“Luther was hooked on Viagra-fueled sex,” Monty said. “Kendra refused to spend the night until they were married. He promised her another two million when they officially tied the knot. Kendra had a two-million-dollar incentive not to murder her fiancé.”
“That’s one way to look at it,” Lin said. “But she was what—a manicurist? Two million dollars may have seemed like enough money.”
“Hell,” Katie said, “I wouldn’t fuck him once for two million, much less give the old geezer a license to do it every day.”
CHAPTER 19
Day seven
“So, who wants more coffee?” Lin Kalomeris said, in the deafening silence after Katie’s F-bomb.
“Me.” Angela was grateful for the distraction.
“I think we can all use some.” Monty didn’t glare at Katie. He knew it wouldn’t do any good. “Look at that barge going by.”
It looked like every other barge churning down the mighty river, but the three admired it effusively. “Then why don’t we get some,” Lin said.
After everyone had refilled their mugs, Lin checked the notes on her yellow legal pad. “Now, to summarize our discussion so far, you believe that Miss Salvato is innocen
t. Angela and Katie are in a dicey situation—if they’re caught helping her, they could be summarily fired. Is that correct?” Lin’s voice was a little too bright.
“Exactly.” Monty resumed the role of group spokesman. “Chouteau County has been hit with two other arson fires in two weeks, all in Chouteau Forest, the main city. The first fire was at a historic nineteenth-century barn that belonged to the Du Pres family.”
“They’re a big-deal name in Chouteau County,” Angela added.
“They’re a big-deal name everywhere,” Lin said.
“The barn wasn’t on the Du Pres estate,” Monty said. “It was on Old Gravois Road, and it was going to be converted into a restaurant. Old Reggie Du Pres hadn’t closed the sale yet, and the potential buyers backed out after the fire. He’s livid at the loss.”
“Was it insured?” Lin asked.
“Barely,” Monty said. “Old Man Du Pres won’t get much, certainly not as much as if he’d sold it. He’s been hounding the police and fire investigators to make an arrest. The second fire was the Hobarts’ pool house.”
“Hobart . . . Hobart . . . why is that name familiar?” Lin said.
“Their sixteen-year-old daughter was killed in a car crash last spring,” Monty said.
“That’s it.” Lin shook her head. “Tragic, just tragic.”
Angela winced at the memory. She’d been the death investigator on that case, and her dreams were still haunted by the gruesome scene and senseless death of a promising young woman.
“Any loss of life in that fire?” Lin asked.
“No,” Monty said. “But it’s doubled the pressure for an arrest. The victims are powerful, influential families, and they want action. They want someone to blame. And they’re not the only ones. The whole county is on edge with these firebugs. Now Luther Delor is dead, and that’s made it a hundred times worse. The police and fire investigators took the easy way out and charged my client with setting the arson fires, as well as murdering her fiancé and burning his home.”
“What’s the evidence for these additional charges?”