Perverted Justice

by Michael Arches

  “No way. He was surrounded by people all afternoon. Hundreds of them posted pictures of him to their Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds, along with lots of commentary.”

  So much for that idea. I told Linda about getting chewed out for ruining Candy’s love life then said, “I’m about to make it worse. She can do the nasty with anybody she wants, but she’s not leaving town. If she doesn’t agree to stick around, I’ll talk Sarah into getting a material witness warrant.”

  -o-o-o-

  After I hung up, I asked my unofficial partner, “What do you think about what you’ve heard so far?”

  She leaned her head against my shoulder for a moment. “Thanks for asking. It sounds like things are veering off in a new direction, but I favor the theory that someone killed Shermie to get the hottie for himself. That seems more likely than Otter’s latest bed partner committing murder.”

  “Agree,” I said, “but it’s too early in the case to know. Lots of guys might’ve deluded themselves into thinking she’s hot for them. The big problem is, if Candy takes off for California with Rivers, I’m sure she’ll stop helping us.”

  “Well, you can forget the theory that she’s heartbroken. By tomorrow morning, she will have forgotten Shermie’s name.”

  “Do you know anything about the guy?” I asked.

  “A little, but that’s mainly because he went out for a few months with Sybil Renoir. She’s a lovely Amazon. Reminds me of you.”

  “Awww!”

  That was incredibly sweet…and total bullshit. I’d seen Sybil in the last Wonder Woman movie. Sybil had played a great villainess. “That’s enough Hollywood gossip for a while. I need to chat with Candy, then we can talk about what to ask Otter.”

  My call to the blonde bimbo went straight to voicemail. Wasn’t sure what I could say that’d convince her to call me back. Went with the straightforward approach. “Hey, Candy, Hank Morgan here. I need to ask you a few more questions at your earliest convenience. You have my number.”

  Willow giggled. “That’s my girl. No beating around the bush, if that’s the correct expression?”

  “Yep. If she doesn’t call me back, I’ll drop by their condo when we finish our trip.”

  Chapter 6

  While Willow and I were still strolling around, Candy did ring me. Keeping my voice matter-of-fact, I said, “Thanks so much for getting back to me. How you doing?”

  “Still in shock,” she said with a slight slur. Although it was early afternoon, she’d already hit the bottle.

  “Hang in there, girl. It’s hard, but time will help you heal. I just have a couple more questions. Won’t keep you long. First, did Shermie spend much time hunting? I realize you haven’t known him for years, but since you’ve been together?”

  “No, actually. I think the whole lion thing soured him on hunting. Saturday was the first time he’d taken his bow out of the closet since we moved to Aspen.”

  I’d suspected that. I was sure his hunting partner had chosen the location. Led the doctor there for some reason, maybe because he knew bears frequented the area. The killer had wanted to dial up the horror to eleven.

  “Anything else?” Candy asked.

  “Yeah, sorry, got lost in thought. How about hiking? Did Shermie like to hike or ride in the mountains?”

  “Nope, he was really a city guy. I like the outdoors more than he does…did. We did go horseback riding several times, but always with a guide. Neither one of us knew how to take care of horses. Don’t even have a cat.”

  That confirmed another impression. The retired proctologist wasn’t comfortable out in the woods. The only reason I could think of to claim that he went alone was so he could impress his girlfriend. “Thanks for being candid. By the way, did you know Shermie was seriously ill?”

  No response for what seemed like forever. Then, she said, “No, he seemed fine.”

  I noticed she hadn’t asked me what had been wrong with him. I would’ve bet plenty that she was lying.

  “Okay, almost done. I talked to Shermie’s son David and his brother Mark. They’re fine with you staying in the condo for a week.”

  She hesitated before saying, “Well, yeah, I’m not sure what’s next for me. Think I might take off. Somewhere completely different. Maybe, I don’t know, California?”

  I was afraid of that. “Not such a good idea, Candy. You’re in no shape to travel, and this case is moving quickly. I’m sure I’ll need to speak with you again for days to come, sometimes in person. Of course, you don’t have to stay in the condo, if that makes you uncomfortable, but don’t leave the Aspen area until I say so. Understand?”

  Her voice squeaked. “You don’t know what it’s like. People are laughing behind my back. And I don’t have any money. That lawyer Whitten already canceled my credit card. I was supposed to get my allowance yesterday. Didn’t happen. Only three hundred bucks in my account.”

  I could’ve suggested she hock a few things, like that lovely sapphire pendant she’d shown me, but that would’ve been a cheap shot. “At least you have a nice, free place to stay. If you’re frugal, you can buy plenty of groceries with three hundred bucks. Maybe a friend can give you a short-term loan—until you can find a job. With ski season fast approaching, lots of retailers are looking for help.”

  Her voice was suddenly icy cold. “I’ve done nothing wrong. You can’t make me stay.”

  “Easy, girl. I’m trying to make this as painless for you as possible. But understand, I can get a material witness warrant to keep you around. In the county jail, you won’t have to worry about a place to stay or three square meals a day. I need your promise now that you’ll remain in the county until I tell you different. Otherwise, I’ll start working that warrant.”

  “Fine, I’ll stay with that disgusting lion!” She hung up.

  Willow glanced over at me. “Your final words make me think things could have gone better.”

  “That’s putting it mildly, but she said she’ll hang around. I imagine she was hoping Rick would take her home with him. The lady’s pissed that I killed that chance for a while. Life’s a bitch.”

  -o-o-o-

  David texted me to meet him and his sister at the front entrance to the Denver Botanical Garden. It seemed like an odd place to conduct a witness interview in a murder case, but being a prosecutor, he knew that. I was just glad I could talk to his sister right away.

  Willow was happy because the gardens were only a couple of minutes from the Cherry Creek shopping area. She dropped me off with a kiss and a promise to come back when I needed her.

  David was waiting outside the entrance with Otter, a tall, lanky woman with a masculine face and well-toned muscles. She’d woven her sun-bleached brunette hair into a long ponytail that reached down to her waist. My brunette hair was just as faded but not nearly as long.

  Otter’s peasant dress of unbleached cotton hung loosely on her. One bicep contained a tattoo of Janis Joplin, and the other held Jimi Hendrix.

  After a little small talk, I expressed my sadness again for their family’s loss. Then David shepherded us inside. Apparently, the family’s foundation was a big benefactor because we all got in free.

  We walked along a wide pathway through the O’Fallon Perennial Garden. Not much was blooming this late in the year, but lots of fall colors.

  David said, “Otter has been devastated by the news you gave Mark and me. She wanted to postpone our talk, but I told her time was critical in finding the killer. She thought being in nature would help her cope with her stress.”

  “Works for me,” I said. “I love these gardens. And I’m hoping to keep our chat short. Otter, has anyone suggested to you recently that they were upset with your dad?”

  Her voice was low and hoarse, like she really had been crying. “No, nothing like that. Most of my friends don’t know I’m a Blatter.”

  We continued to a pathway next to a long, shallow pool decorated with large ceramic pots and bri
ght green and yellow yucca plants. The path led to a large lily pond with a fountain.

  Otter had been right. The natural beauty surrounding us helped me relax.

  Her shoulders drooped, and I decided to cut to the key question. “I understand you might have a significant other in your life.”

  She froze for a second, then asked, “You mean Pierre? Yeah, we get along great. Or did until yesterday. He headed up to the Buddhist temple at Red Feather Lakes for a few weeks.”

  She peered at me through narrowed eyes. “Why would you care?”

  “I’m just checking out everybody connected to the family in any way. What’s his last name?”

  She thought for a moment, as though not sure. “Bardot, yeah, like pretty Bridget, but a guy.”

  That seemed odd, like something a guy would make up on the spot.

  She sat on a wide platform next to the water lilies, and David and I sat next to her.

  “What’s he look like?” I asked.

  “He’s handsome,” she said, “black hair to his shoulders, average height, fit. Dimples. Very outdoorsy, like me.”

  “Any idea what he did on Saturday afternoon while you celebrated your aunt’s birthday?”

  She looked at me askance, and I thought she realized where I was headed. But her voice remained steady. “He went to an Octoberfest party in Boulder. It was a bust. Life throws curves at us, you know what I mean?”

  I thought I did, but I focused on the alibi. “Tell me more about that party. What went wrong?”

  “He said the beer was too expensive. He’d already wasted of a lot of gas to go back and forth. Climate change is strangling this planet. I don’t own a car.”

  “Do you have his phone number?” I asked.

  She looked it up on her phone and rattled it off for me.

  That’d help me track Pierre down, but I wondered whether I was going too far down this particular rabbit hole. He hadn’t hung around to take advantage of Otter’s newfound wealth, so why would he kill Shermie?

  “Are you going to miss him?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “People come and go. The only constant in life is change. I have a lady friend coming over tonight. We’ll share a bong and stay warm. It’s all good.”

  Despite me asking a half-dozen more questions, I didn’t get anything obviously useful.

  We wandered back toward the entrance, and along the way, I texted Willow to ask her to pick me up.

  While I was thanking David and Otter for visiting the gardens with me, her phone rang. She glanced at the display.

  “What luck, it’s Pierre,” she said. “I’ll ask him about that party for you.”

  She said hello in a friendly voice, but he launched into some long spiel. She listened for a couple of minutes. The more he talked, the more she frowned.

  Then, she asked him in a sharp voice, “What the fuck are you doing in Colorado Springs? You told me you were going to the temple at Red Feather Lakes.”

  I could understand her confusion. One was north from Denver and the other south, at least a hundred miles apart.

  I glanced at David, and his jaw clenched. Otter’s face turned red, and her nostrils flared.

  “Fuck you. I don’t have ten grand for bail, and even if I did, I don’t help lying liars. Karma’s a bitch, you know.”

  Pierre must’ve kept trying to convince her because she listened longer. Finally, she said, “Hell, no, I’m not borrowing money from my family. And if you get out, don’t come back.”

  She hung up.

  David asked the obvious question, “What the hell’s going on?”

  She put her hands on her hips and slowly spun around, like she was looking for answers herself.

  When she noticed us again, she said, “Jerkoff lied to me. Instead of going to the Buddhist center up north, he headed to the Springs. Cops picked him up for trying to con some little old lady out of her life savings. Pierre says it’s all a big misunderstanding, but to hell with that. Once a motherfucker starts lying, it never ends.”

  The guy was obviously a grifter hoping to con the Blatter family, but I wasn’t seeing any connection to Shermie’s murder. “Did you say he left of his own free will yesterday?”

  “Yeah. Liked him but set him free. Won’t tie anybody down.”

  “Had he asked you about your family’s wealth or your dad?”

  “Nope, would’ve been red flags. I’m not stupid, you know. But on the call, he somehow knew I came from money. Bastard wanted it.”

  Maybe the grifter had shifted targets to Shermie. Just in case he was, I called the Colorado Springs cops and got the desk sergeant in the booking department. After I introduced myself, I asked, “Did you just arrest a black-haired man, fit, average height, working some con down there?”

  “Yep, Travis Sanders, or so he says. Already know his ID is fake. He and a young redhead are partners. Caught ‘em swindling a senior here.”

  The partner was a surprise. “When’re they going to be arraigned?”

  “Up to the judge. She’s in trial at the moment. Could take a break to deal with these two, or not. She calls the shot, and we say, ‘yes, ma’am.’”

  I knew that song by heart. “I’m on the way, but it’ll take an hour. I hope you can hang onto him for that long.”

  “Talk to Detective Jesús Martinez. It’s his case. I’ll connect you.”

  The sergeant forwarded my call, but Martinez didn’t pick up. I left a short message and my cell number.

  When I finished, Otter stared at me and said, “Okay, I am stupid. Finally figured out why you care about last Saturday afternoon. Pierre is a lying bastard, but I doubt he’s a killer. He never met Dad.”

  “That you know of, and did you realize he has a female partner?”

  She started swearing at him again.

  “It’s a long shot,” I said. “A lot of police work involves running down blind alleys. You don’t know you’re wasting your time until you get to the blank wall at the end. All I can say for sure is trouble swirls around your family, and I need to get to the bottom of it.”

  “I can’t believe I fell for his shit!” she said. “The guy played a convincing Buddhist. Wouldn’t swat flies or spiders. All life is sacred, blah, blah, blah. Slime ball.”

  “They may have been working your dad, too. I’ll keep you informed of our progress on the case.”

  We reached the street, and I thanked them for their help. The brother and sister walked to the parking garage, arm in arm.

  Seeing that made me wish I had a brother or sister to lean on. At least I had Willow. She was a blessing.

  As I waited for her, I pondered the biggest problem I’d have in pinning a murder on this Pierre. Grifters rarely stayed in one place for long, and he would’ve had to stick with Otter for months to benefit financially from her higher monthly allowance. That didn’t make sense.

  I almost decided to forget going to the Springs, but the guy was so obviously dirty. And it wasn’t like I had any better leads to chase at the moment. Might as well follow this rabbit hole to the end.

  -o-o-o-

  While I was waiting, Jesús Martinez called me. I introduced myself and briefly summarized my interest in Pierre or whoever the hell he was.

  “Pitkin County, eh? That’s odd.”

  “Why do you say?”

  “When we arrested them, the woman was carrying a credit card in a different name than the one on her license. I checked the card’s purchase history to try and figure out where it came from. For a week, until yesterday, all the purchases occurred in or near Aspen.”

  That couldn’t be a coincidence. “These two are like sharks circling the family. And the guy has a terrible alibi for Saturday afternoon, when Sherman Blatter went hunting with his killer.”

  Jesús sighed. “Unfortunately for you, I have an excellent witness here who gives him a much better alibi for that afternoon.”

  My stomach sank. “Just shoot
me.”

  He snickered. “Sorry, but I know that damned feeling. Our male grifter met his latest target, a charming elderly woman named Glenda, around two p.m. at a local art show. That puts him four and a half hours away from your vic who was horse riding with someone else.”

  “Shit! What about the woman? Maybe she’s the one who rode with Blatter? Does she look strong enough to draw a hunting bow?”

  “Uh, sorry again. I’m sure she can pull back a compound bow. Anybody with two arms can, but the girl doesn’t look like the outdoors type. She’s a girly girl, with sexy clothes, lots of makeup, and long, manicured nails.”

  I didn’t know if he’d just insulted women in general and didn’t particularly care. The two assholes he’d arrested were mixed up in my case somehow. “Can you hang onto both? I can get there in about an hour.”

  “Think so. The judge will decide, of course, but I appear before her all the time. She’ll want to know who these two yahoos are before granting bail. They’re using fake IDs, and it’ll probably take us a day or three to get a hit on their prints. If her honor makes any noises about cutting them a break, I’ll mention your interest. Any tie to a murder case should be enough to keep them in custody for twenty-four hours.”

  “You’re a saint, Jesús.”

  He groaned and gave me the address for the courthouse where I could meet him.

  -o-o-o-

  Willow stopped in front of the gardens. I jumped into her snazzy car, and she roared off.

  “Change of plans,” I said. “We have to head south. And I won’t complain if you speed.”

  She grinned. “In that case, take my radar detector out of the glove box. I hid it there so you wouldn’t get cross with me.”

  I tried not to be annoyed but failed. “What else have you hidden?”

  She jabbed her sharp elbow in my left side. “Lots, but you’re the detective. You figure it out.”

  I was too busy botching my main case to worry about her little secrets. If she was conning me, it was the stupidest move of all time. I had almost no money, and she paid for everything. She was way too smart to fake a relationship with someone as poor as me.