Bitter Justice (Cowboy Justice Association Book 12)

by Olivia Jaymes

  The city that Dina lived in was mid-sized at about a hundred thousand residents. She didn't live on the beach but in a villa community inland. It was a charming neighborhood with Spanish-style homes and lots of palm trees. They easily found her unit and parked in front.

  "Now let me do most of the talking," Tanner said as they approached the door. "You're here to watch her. Also, get a good look at her surroundings such as photos or memorabilia. It might tell us something about Leo that we didn't know."

  "Gotcha."

  Maddie had always considered herself observant. In her job she had to be. This was simply a different form of observation.

  The door flew open before they even had a chance to knock on it. Dina Wallace must have been waiting for them.

  "Please come in," she said, stepping back to they could enter. "Can I get you something to drink? It's really hot out there today."

  From what Maddie had experienced since arriving in Florida, it was hot out there every single day this time of the year.

  They said no thank you and were ushered into the living room. The villa wasn't huge but it was meticulously maintained inside and out and decorated beautifully. The living room and kitchen, which was really one big room, was done in tan and red with splashes of blue and green here and there. If Maddie lived to a hundred and twenty, she'd never be able to pull something like this off. She kept her own wardrobe simple for this very reason and she'd had Sherry help pick out the furnishings in her own home.

  "Thank you so much for seeing us on such short notice," Tanner said, settling onto the couch. "We appreciate your cooperation with this investigation."

  "Of course, I'll do anything to help Leo find out who killed Bibi."

  I wonder if she realizes that what she says may not help Leo?

  Now that they were sitting across from Dina, Maddie was able to get a better look at their hostess. Dina was young.

  Really young.

  If she was thirty, Maddie was a monkey's uncle. Now, far be it for her to be judgey about age differences in couples...there were fifteen years between herself and Tanner, after all. But Leo had to be at least sixty and this young woman looked to be in her late twenties.

  Blonde, blue-eyed, and petite, Dina was the opposite of Bibi looks-wise, although both of them seemed to have an open smiling attitude when it came to strangers.

  Maddie let her gaze wander around the room. "You have a beautiful home, Ms. Wallace. Really lovely."

  "Thank you so much." Dina's smile widened, showing perfectly white and straight teeth. "I'm an interior decorator, actually."

  It made Maddie feel slightly better that a real professional had decorated this home and not an amateur.

  Tanner had his little notebook out and his pencil was already taking down notes. They'd barely said anything.

  "How did you meet Leo Gordon, Ms. Wallace?"

  "Please, I hope you both will call me Dina. I met Leo and Bibi when I did a decorating job for them. They wanted Leo's office redone and reorganized."

  "How long ago was that?"

  "About nine months ago. Right after New Year's. They were such a wonderful, welcoming couple. You couldn't help but love them. I can't believe this has happened. It's so awful. So very terrible."

  Dina's lips trembled and her chin wobbled but she only sniffled a few times, controlling her tears.

  "How well would you say you knew Leo and Bibi?"

  Dina sat back in the chair and casually crossed her legs. "Pretty well. I mean...we're friends."

  It was interesting. Watching someone lie. It had happened to Maddie, of course, but not in the context of a murder investigation.

  Tanner shot Maddie a quick glance before continuing his questioning.

  "Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt Bibi? Anyone she was arguing with, perhaps?"

  "No, not at all. Everyone adored Bibi. I can't imagine who would want to hurt her like that."

  Hurt must be the designated euphemism for kill in this conversation.

  "When was the last time you saw Bibi?"

  Dina shifted in her chair, looking uncomfortable. "I think it was a few weeks ago."

  "Can you be more specific?"

  The young woman frowned at Tanner's question. "Is it important?"

  "It is, yes."

  "It was two and a half weeks ago. Leo and Bibi had a party."

  "Thank you." Tanner scribbled down more in the notebook. Just what was he writing, anyway? Was he actually taking notes or pretending in order to unnerve his suspects? Maddie was leaning toward the latter.

  "Now, Ms. Wallace–"

  "Dina," she interjected. "Call me Dina."

  "Dina," Tanner repeated dutifully. "Can you tell me where you were the night of Bibi Gordon's death? Around midnight?"

  Dina's shoulders stiffened. "Am I a suspect?"

  "It's standard procedure to rule out people that knew the deceased."

  "Then you should know that I was in bed at midnight. I would expect that's the answer you're going to get from most people."

  "You're correct. Most people are in bed." Tanner leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "Can you tell me how long you and Leo Gordon have been romantically involved?"

  Her eyes went round and her mouth fell open. She appeared to be trying to form an answer but was too angry to do so, if the color on her cheeks was any indication.

  "How dare you," she said between gritted teeth. "Leo Gordon is a married man."

  "Yes, he is," Tanner agreed. "And I apologize if I'm out of line but I don't think that I am, Ms. Wallace. You were the recipient of many gifts–"

  "Friendly gifts," Dina said. "Gifts between friends. Nothing more."

  Tanner flipped to a page near the back of his notebook. "Diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, a diamond and sapphire bracelet, a half dozen sets of lingerie, three bottles of perfume, a designer gown and Christian Louboutin shoes, a weekend at a spa–"

  "Stop," Dina begged loudly. "Just stop. How do you know all of that?"

  Really? Had Dina Wallace been living under a bridge these last few years? Nothing was a secret anymore. And certainly not purchases that Leo Gordon had made with a credit card. Add in Dina's own social media accounts and anyone could have made the connection.

  "It's my job to know all of this," Tanner responded patiently. Maddie had to admire that there was no judgment in his expression. Simple curiosity, that was all. "And modern technology certainly helps. We can play this game and pretend that you two weren't involved, but there are photos of the two of you together at a cafe in Paris and a chalet in Switzerland."

  The air seemed to leak out of Dina, and she slumped against the chair cushion. "It's not like you think it is. Leo and I are in love."

  Then it's exactly like we think it is.

  "Did Bibi know about you and Leo?" Tanner asked.

  "I don't know," Dina admitted. "Leo was planning to tell her and ask for a divorce so we could be together. He said he wanted it to be a civilized matter. He didn't want it to be ugly or nasty."

  Murder was ugly. Nasty, too.

  "But I doubt Bibi would have cared about Leo and me," Dina went on. "She and Randy Knight were having an affair. Leo and I saw her and Randy on the beach one night. Their marriage was basically over long before me."

  Way to rationalize it.

  "But Leo hadn't told her yet?"

  "Not that I know of. All of this happened..." Her voice trailed off and she buried her face in her hands. "I really cared about Bibi. She was a good person and she didn't deserve this."

  Maddie couldn't stay quiet. "No one deserves to be murdered in cold blood."

  Dina nodded and reached for a tissue. "She was such a good friend and everyone is going to miss her."

  I don't think I would count the woman who was screwing my husband as a friend.

  "Were you at the wake for Bibi?" Tanner asked. "I don't think I saw you there."

  "I had an out-of-town client," Dina explained. "I couldn't make it.
"

  Tanner flipped to another page in his notebook.

  "Dina, were you aware that Bibi was Leo Gordon's third wife?"

  The young woman shook her head. "No, you're wrong. Bibi was his second wife."

  "Actually, she was his third," Tanner replied, his tone firm. "His first wife Caroline drowned in their swimming pool. Let me ask you, Dina, what do you think the odds are of having two wives die so young? Caroline wasn't even twenty-five and Bibi was only thirty-five."

  Dina's face had gone pale, all the color drained from her skin. She was still shaking her head in denial.

  "You have to be wrong. Leo would have told me if something like that had happened to him. He would have told me."

  "He's not wrong," Maddie said softly, leaning forward so Dina could hear her. "His first wife was supposedly walking in her sleep and she got tangled in her nightgown."

  "Supposedly?" Dina's gaze flickered between Tanner and Maddie. "Are there some questions about that?"

  "Leo was questioned by the police," Tanner replied. "They deemed the death suspicious but they couldn't prove anything. He had an alibi. He was at a friend's house drinking."

  Visibly shaken, the young woman stood and began to pace the small space between the chair and the dining table. "You must be mistaken. It's some sort of case of mistaken identity. Leo would have told me."

  "I can't comment on whether he would or not. All I can say is that my information is solid. Bibi was Gordon's third wife, not second. Hell of a run of bad luck for one man to have. It's not unheard of, but it does beg to have a few questions asked, don't you think?"

  Dina stopped, her expression determined. "I'll just ask him about it. I'm sure there's a reason he didn't say anything. It's probably a terribly painful memory for him to talk about."

  Tanner tucked his notebook into his pocket and pulled out a business card, laying it face up on the coffee table between them. "I imagine that it is. Thank you for your time today. If you think of anything that might be helpful give me a call. That's my cell number. I'll be in town through the weekend and after that you can call the sheriff directly. I've written his number on the back of the card."

  Picking up the card, Dina flipped it over, a frown on her face. "Where will you be?"

  Levering to his feet, Tanner held out his hand to Maddie. "I'm working with the sheriff's department on a consulting basis. I don't live in Florida. I live in Montana."

  They walked to their vehicle, Maddie also thanking Dina for her time on the way. They'd given the young woman a great deal to think about after they were gone. Whether Leo Gordon was innocent or guilty, he was definitely shady. Dina might want to rethink her relationship.

  As they drove away, Tanner glanced over his shoulder at the neighborhood disappearing into the distance.

  "I guarantee you she's on the phone to Gordon right now."

  He was probably right. He usually was and it was annoying as hell.

  "Do you think she had anything to do with Bibi's death?"

  Tanner flashed a grin and chuckled. "No, but she might be ready to kill Gordon, or at least neuter him. Under all of that bravado, she's mad about being blindsided. I wouldn't want to be him, if you know what I mean."

  "This sort of feels like it was a waste of time," Maddie lamented. "We don't know anything more than we did before we talked to her."

  "That's not true. We know that she didn't know about Caroline, the first wife. We know what her story is for the time of the murder. I can verify it by checking the traffic camera on the corner of her neighborhood. One way in and one way out. Convenient for me. But I didn't get a feeling that she's involved with this. I think she's just one more innocent caught up with Gordon."

  "So you think he murdered Bibi?"

  "I think that he needs further investigating. I'm not ruling him out at all. By the time we get home, Logan should have emailed all of that background on Gordon and Knight. We need to comb through it carefully. We should also have the camera footage to go through. Hopefully we'll know more after that."

  Did Leo Gordon kill his wife? Or was it Randy Knight? Or Carrie? Or someone completely unrelated? So many questions and few answers. Somewhere they needed to catch a break or a murderer was going to go free.

  21

  On the way home, Tanner and Maddie picked up some takeout food to feed their growling stomachs. He'd handed Maddie the key while he juggled two bags of piping hot food when he heard a noise on the other side of the condo door.

  There shouldn't be anyone inside their unit.

  His heart sped up in his chest and he wished dearly that he had more of a weapon than an order of lasagna and a dozen garlic knots. Shoving one of the bags into his other arm, he raised his hand and lightly pressed it over Maddie's lips. She gave him a startled glance but seemed to trust him enough not to question his action out loud. He nodded toward the door and then placed the bags on the floor before taking the key from her fingers.

  So what's the plan?

  I don't know. We're surprising him, that's for sure.

  You don't have a weapon.

  I know and that's an issue.

  He looped an arm around Maddie's waist and pushed her behind him, his ears straining to hear what was happening on the other side of the door. He could hear movement and perhaps the sound of cabinets or closets being opened or closed. Was their visitor looking for something?

  Adrenaline surging, Tanner pictured the entryway of the condo, looking for any possible weapon to use against the intruder. There were a few pictures on the wall, a table with a mirror over it, and a small brass vase holding a bouquet of silk flowers.

  Bingo. The vase it would have to be. He'd made due with less a few times in the past but he couldn't recall being all that successful, to be honest. Turning around, he whispered in Maddie's ear.

  "Stay here. Don't move until I say it's safe."

  Her eyes widened and he could easily see that she wanted to object, but he shook his head again.

  "I don't want to have to worry about both you and him. Promise me."

  Her cheeks were pink with emotion but she reluctantly nodded, taking a step back. With his wife safely out of the way, he slid the key into the lock as quietly as humanly possible, not wanting to alert their visitor to his presence. When he turned the key, the lock was going to click and he had to assume that the intruder would hear it. All hell was about to break loose.

  Sweat pooling on the back of his neck and the blood rushing in his ears, Tanner debated whether to turn the key slowly or quickly. Which would make the least amount of noise?

  Quickly, he decided. Better to get it over with. Then go in and take down. That was the plan. Whether it was a good one or not? That remained to be seen.

  I am getting too old for this shit.

  Just wait until Logan or Jared or even Dare get to be my age. I'll bet they'll whine like little girls.

  Turning the key to the right, the lock clicked, sounding incredibly loud in the silence. He pushed the door open but didn't see anyone right away but then a figure ran out from behind the couch, heading straight for the outdoor patio only a few steps away. They'd closed the door before they left and locked it but that didn't slow the intruder down much. He had it unlocked and slid open before Tanner could stop him.

  Is he going to jump? He'll kill himself.

  His fingers closed around the brass vase, tossing the flowers onto the floor. It had been too fucking long since he'd been the star quarterback of the high school football team, but some things a guy never forgets. He threw the vase at the intruder, the object zipping through the air and banging the guy on the temple, sending him staggering for a moment before righting himself and throwing a leg over the railing.

  It appeared that he was going to try and climb down. Tanner wanted to be on the ground to meet him. Rushing back out the door he yelled at Maddie to call Ken Smith before shooting down the stairwell. Four fucking flights.

  I am getting too old for this shit.

 
; When he made it to the bottom his knees were screaming and he was sucking wind. Damn, he needed to make sure he worked out more regularly. He'd been slacking lately and it showed.

  He rounded the corner of the building to the beach side but whomever had been in their condo was nowhere in sight. There were a few families enjoying the sunshine, some seagulls, and a jogger with big earphones but not their visitor.

  What in the ever-loving fuck? Where had he gone?

  Better yet, what had he been looking for?

  Once again, a hell of a lot of questions and few answers.

  What if I hadn't been here? What if Maddie had been alone?

  He didn't want to think about that. Because if this guy laid one hand on Maddie, he'd wish he'd never been born.

  Tanner was not a happy camper. He'd stomped around the condo for a few minutes and Maddie had simply let him work through his anger and frustration. He was mad because he was picturing her lying on the floor in a pool of blood. At this moment, it didn't matter that she wasn't dead or injured. He was thinking about the worst possible scenario and she knew better than to try and stop him. He had to work through this himself.

  For the most part, he was calm and in control, but every now and then when he thought he couldn't protect someone he loved he went a little overboard. It wouldn't last long.

  "You could have been here alone," he snarled, scraping his fingers through his hair. "Completely defenseless."

  "That's true," Maddie replied, grabbing two waters from the refrigerator and handing one to him. He could use the help cooling off. "I don't have a tight spiral throw like you do. Aren't you glad you gave in and let me go with you to talk to Dina Wallace?"

  He shot her a glare and proceeded to check out every nook and cranny of the condo.

  "Did they get anything?"

  "Doesn't look like it. I know they didn't get anything pertaining to the investigation."

  He was finally calming down and now he was wearing a small smile.

  "Because you hid it? Where?"