David sends him out the back and across the neighbors’ verandas the same way we entered.
When the officers arrive, I expect Lorraine to raise hell, kick, and scream. She surprises us by following quietly to the awaiting police car. Maybe she thinks the money is out there somewhere. David and I surrender her rifle and answer a few questions about the broken slider, and how we caught her breaking into our safe. Since they know she’s a parole violator, the entire process takes less than fifteen minutes.
Once Lorraine is in police custody, David, Frey, Duke and I pull chairs to the desk to determine our next move.
“Now what?” David asks.
David doesn’t know that we have the money. I fill him in and watch the tension drain from his shoulders. “It’s in Duke’s safe at home.”
Duke says, “We did it.” He looks pleased with himself. He dusts his hands together in a good riddance gesture and grins. “This was in one of the envelopes.”
He hands David a folded paper. I watch David smooth it out and read. When he finishes, he grins up at Duke. “That explains one thing.”
I nod. “Sullivan knew he’d become a target. He returned our money with the hope we’d find out who was after him. Unfortunately, we didn’t get this in time to keep him and Howard alive.”
Duke continues, “Guess what Genny told me?”
“The name of the guy Lorraine says is after the money?”
“Not quite. She doesn’t know a name but she described who came to see Lorraine after she left the half-way house.”
“Let me guess,” David says. “Tall. Six-two, two-twenty five. Blonde hair, brown eyes. No distinguishing marks.”
Duke shakes his head. “Female. Fifty-ish. Attractive. Walks with a limp.”
David and I do a double take. “Kitty DelMonico?” I say at the same time David says, “Howard’s wife?”
After the shock wears off, I think about it. “We assumed it was a man, and Lorraine never corrected us.”
David shakes his head. “Kitty DelMonico is no killer,” he says. “I’d be willing to stake my life on it.”
Duke nods. “Normally, I agree with David. I’ve known Kitty for years. If she found out what Howard was involved in, she’d have a strong motive to find the money. He already squandered her inheritance. Her ranch is mortgaged to the hilt. She is permanently disabled because of his recklessness.”
“He caused the accident that hurt her?”
Duke lets out a harsh breath. “It wasn’t an accident. He got in deep with a loan shark. When he sent a collector, Howard wasn’t home, but Kitty was. The guy was told to deliver a message. He did with a ball-peen hammer and broke both of her knee caps. She kicked Howard out after that, and he came to work for me.”
I have a tough time picturing Kitty as the mastermind behind four murders. “I can’t see it. I can’t see Kitty killing four people, no matter how angry she was at her ex.”
“Kitty’s a lot tougher than you think.” Duke says. “She’s has to be, but I agree that she’s no killer. When Taylor came to my office, he was with a man, but that’s not to say he wasn’t working for Kitty.”
“What do we do now?” I ask. “Duke, you and David have all your money back. Howard’s dead. Lorraine goes back to jail. Do you think you could reason with Kitty to call off her hired muscle?”
“Are you serious?” David says. “This hired muscle killed four people. You don’t think he should pay for that?”
“I think we need to speak with Kitty,” Duke says. “I don’t know what she promised him, but I’m willing to bet that asking him to stop now will not change anything but maybe get her killed, too.”
I sigh. “I guess we pay Kitty a visit.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It’s late afternoon now and since David, Frey and Duke haven’t had anything to eat all day, food is the first concern. There are plenty of restaurants down the street from our offices in Seaport Village. I send the three of them with the excuse that I need to check with the police about the break-in at our house. Frey says he’ll bring something back for me with a wink and nod unseen by David and Duke. I kiss him in appreciation. I don’t think I could face faking it with those two at a restaurant.
I no longer need to check with the police about the break in since Duke came clean. I check in with Culebra and see how things are progressing with Janet.
He answers on the first ring. His greeting is cheerful, and in the background, I hear music—60s rock and roll.
“Do I hear a juke box?”
He laughs. “Yes. I know, I know. Anna, you won’t believe the change in this place. When are you coming to visit us? Adelita and Jane can’t wait for you to see their work on the bar.”
“Sounds like it’s more than the bar that’s changed. You sound happy.” Even to my ears, my words come out more cynical than approving. I give a mental thump on the head. “Forget I said that. I am really happy that you’re happy.”
If Culebra notices my skepticism, he pretends not to. “Anna, I haven’t felt this in a long time. You’ve nothing to apologize for. Because of you, I found Jane.”
He found Jane? He talks like the hero in a romance novel. I give myself another thump to keep from making some snippy remark. I draw a deep breath.
“I’ll be down in a few days. I may bring Frey. He won’t believe me if I just tell him what’s happening.”
“You’re always welcome.” There’s a pause. “Jane is waving from across the room. I’d better go see what she needs. See you soon?”
I barely answer affirmatively before the call is cut and I’m staring at my phone.
It’s ten minutes before Frey, David, and Duke return. Frey and I retire to the veranda where I dispatch my sandwich to the seagulls without David and Duke seeing.
When we return, Duke is getting off the phone. “There’ll be a workman out tonight to fix the slider. One of us will have to be here.”
Frey speaks up without hesitation. “You three go ahead. I’ll stay.”
“You’re okay with that?” I ask.
He nods. “I need to call John-John anyway.” He pecks me on the cheek. “Kitty knows you. It makes sense for me to stay.”
We pile into Duke’s Escalade and head for Del Mar. We’re almost at Kitty’s before I ask “How are we handling this?”
I’m riding shotgun, and Duke reaches across me to open his glove box. He retrieves a revolver. “Head on,” he says, hefting the gun. “She’ll confirm or deny what we know. We’ll get the truth. You two carrying?”
David and I nod.
“Good. Here we are.”
We pull into Kitty’s driveway as the sun sets. Duke kills the lights at the gate. Her house glows with lights both from within and around the property. We leave the car and walk.
The curtains are all open. There’s no movement from inside.
Duke gestures to me. “Go around back.”
I slip away from the men and head toward the rear of the house. When we were here before, I did not have a chance to see the backyard. There’s no fence, and the rear, like the front, is well lit. There’s a patio area, a pool and a garden set farther back.
I move cautiously to the French doors open to the evening air. All I hear is the muted clinking of utensils against dishes. When I think it’s safe, I peek around. The doorbell rings, and a chair scrapes back. Heavy footsteps move toward the front. It’s my chance to step inside.
Kitty’s eyes widen when she spots me. She’s tied, hands and feet to a chair, at the table. I put my finger to my lips and listen for Duke and David at the front door.
There’s no conversation, just the rapid tread of someone running back to the kitchen. He hesitates when he realizes the gun he left beside the single table setting is gone and in my hand. He stops.
“Sit,” I say, then call out, “David. Duke. If the front door is locked, come around back. I think I found who we’re looking for.”
Duke recognizes him right away. “He’s the one,” he
says. “The one who killed Taylor in my office.”
The guy remains motionless, eyes darting from one of us to the other. David puts a hand on his shoulder and forces him into a chair. While he handcuffs him, I release Kitty.
She sags with relief. “Thank God. He was going to kill me.
Duke doesn’t seem convinced. “Who is he, Kitty?”
She’s rubbing feeling back into her wrists. “I swear to God, Duke, I don’t know. He broke in one night about a week ago and I’ve been a prisoner ever since.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You went to see Lorraine after she left the half-way house. She said you’re the one who told her to get close to Duke. Why would you?”
Kitty pales. “Yes, I did. I’m not proud of it, but I knew she and Howard were having an affair. When he disappeared, I figured it had something to do with his bookie and his money. I knew he was stealing from Duke. He admitted that.” She turns to Duke, hands outstretched. “Duke, you know how Howard left me. I needed money. Before I found out he was dead, I thought if I convinced Lorraine to work with me, we could find out what he was doing with—”
“With the money he stole from me?” Duke’s tone is harsh. “You could have come to me. I would have helped you.”
Kitty looks away, color flooding her face. “I didn’t think you would once you realized what Howard was doing. And,” she adds, “I swear to God, I didn’t know we were talking about so much money.”
Duke doesn’t look convinced, but Kitty’s words ring true to me. I turn to the guy in the chair. “Who is this?”
David stands behind him. He pats him down, then reaches into the pocket of his jeans. He pulls out a cell phone from one pocket and a wallet from another. He hands them to me while he completes the search, finding a slim, long-handled knife tucked into a sheath at the guy’s right ankle. He lays it on the table.
“That’s it,” he says, stepping back.
I open the wallet first. No identification, just some cash and an electronic keycard marked with a well-known hotel chain’s logo.
I put the wallet and key aside.
I try to access the phone log, but it’s secured by a code. I raise an eyebrow at David. “Nothing.”
Duke moves beside us. “You killed Taylor in my office and tried to pin it on me. Who are you working for?”
No reaction. Not even a blink of concern.
“Well,” Duke holds up the knife taken from him carefully, by the tip. “This looks like a twin to the one you used in my office. If we turn this, and you, into the police, I bet they can match the wound to the weapon. This one would have your fingerprints on it. Pretty damning.”
Again, no reaction.
I can see by the expression on Duke’s face that his patience is wearing thin. He places the knife on the table and reaches into his jacket for his gun. He holds the revolver and presses upward into the guy’s chin. “I swear I’ll blow your brains out if you don’t start talking. If you think there’s a big payday out there for you, you’re wrong. The money is gone. You’re only going to get a needle for your silence.”
The guy blinks up at Duke. “What do I get if I talk?”
Duke grins over at me. “He can talk.” He lowers the gun slightly, the muzzle still in contact with the guy’s neck. “You killed four people. I can’t promise you anything, but I know the right word in the right ear might get your sentence reduced to life.”
He snorts. “Not much incentive.”
David leans down and puts his face close. “How about this? We put a bullet in you and drop you where the police will find you. The knife that’s on you connects you to four murders. Let the police decide who you worked for. As it stands, Duke and I are only two victims of a Ponzi scheme. Lorraine won’t say anything. She’s in enough trouble as it is. Besides, she still thinks the money’s out there somewhere. She’s delusional enough to think once she’s out of jail, she’ll go looking. Genny just wanted a nice payday. There’s a round-the-world cruise she’s been eyeing, and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she hasn’t already made reservations. Once you—or your body—shows up, the police might just close the file. They may pursue Oswald, but if he’s smart and as innocent as he claims, he’ll have records to back him up.”
David straightens and looks over at me and Duke. “How does that sound to you? Think it works?”
“Works for me,” Duke says. “Ties everything up with a nice big bow.”
I know David is not shooting anyone in cold blood—it isn’t in him. I’m curious what happens if this guy doesn’t fold. A lot of what David said was pure conjecture but held the ring of truth. None of us knew what Lorraine was telling the police, or if Genny will take her new found riches and run. On the other hand, there isn’t anything to tie David and Duke to Sullivan or Oswald except that they were taken in like everyone else. They are victims.
No reaction from our prisoner. I take my shot. “The way I see it, we have to get rid of this guy.” I pull Duke and David aside and speak just loud enough so he can hear. “He’s the last link between Howard, his bookie, and us.”
Duke jabs a thumb behind him. “Not the last. There’s Kitty, too.”
Kitty looks startled at hearing her name. She moves closer and bows her head to listen.
“I don’t think Kitty has anything to do with the murders. I don’t know how yet, but this guy got wind of the Ponzi scheme and wanted to cash in before it was too late. I haven’t a clue how he knew Howard and Sullivan were working together or how he knew they were skimming. He definitely had someone pointing him at the right victims.”
Duke nods. “There’s only one man left standing: Oswald.”
“No,” David says. “There’s Kitty, too.”
“But you found me.” Kitty joins us, her hands so tightly clasped, her knuckles were white with frustration. “You saw. I was tied up.”
“You could have staged that,” David says.
“How?” Kitty’s voice is shrill. “How could I possibly know you were coming?”
I list possible scenarios. “Duke, are your phones bugged? Do the cars have tracking devices? Could she hire this guy to follow Howard and us?” I look at David. “We were followed to Sarah Sullivan’s, and she ended up dead. First, Taylor, then Sullivan, then Howard and Sullivan’s wife. Who did they all have in common? You, Duke, yes, but who else?”
Three pairs of eyes go to Kitty.
She gasps, eyes wide. “You’re kidding. You think I orchestrated four deaths? You’re going to have a damned hard time proving anything like that because it’s not true.”
“Okay.” Duke turns away with a shrug. “That leaves option one. David, there’s a tarp in my trunk. We’d be smarter to kill this guy here and decide where to take him after. As Kitty said, no one can link her to anything going on.”
David hefts the lifted gun from the table. “We’ll use his weapon. Wipe it clean, put it in his hand. If we drop the body beneath the OB pier, it would be in water just long enough to get rid of any residual DNA we may have accidentally deposited on the body.”
Duke nods. “Anna, stay here and make sure Kitty doesn’t call the cops before we can get rid of the body.” He looks around. “You can also make sure she cleans up after we leave.”
All the time we’re talking, the guy in the chair looks from one of us to the other. By now, I expected him to show some emotion, to defend himself. Instead, his expression is calm acceptance—even amusement, as if he’s privy to a secret we’re too dumb to understand.
David lays the gun down. “Is the car open?” he asks Duke.
Duke takes the fob from his pocket and tosses it to David. “Bring the car to the back,” he says. “We won’t have to haul the body as far.”
David catches the fob mid-air. “Be right back.”
I wonder what the fuck we’re doing next. I know David won’t shoot the guy, but I’m not sure about Duke. He’s been through a lot in the last couple of days. Even recouping his money, he isn’t the type to let it go.
/>
I approach Kitty. “You aren’t going to let this happen, are you?” I ask. “Even if you never get caught, you have to live with five deaths on your conscience.”
She grabs my hand. “Anna, I swear to you, I’m not involved in this. I never saw this guy before he broke in, and I sure as hell didn’t hire him to kill anybody. I admit, I went to Lorraine. I thought she might hear or see something I could use to get money from Harry. I was desperate. I should have gone to Duke first, but I only went to Lorraine. Now, I’m going to lose my home…”
“That’s a damned good performance,” a voice from the doorway proclaims. “I sure believe you. What about you, David?”
David sighs and shakes his head. “He was waiting for me outside, behind the car,” he says. “It was déjà vu.”
The guy in the chair sits up straight. “It’s about fucking time. Where have you been?”
Donald jabs David with his gun and waves it at the rest of us. “Anna, Duke, guns, please. On the table.”
Chapter Thirty
Duke and I place our guns on the table and are waved back.
Donald motions to Kitty. “Untie my friend, please. Slowly and carefully.”
Kitty walks woodenly toward the chair where the guy suddenly animates. “I expected you yesterday,” he barks. Hands free, he pushes her away and unties his feet. He whirls and backhands her.
Kitty stumbles and falls. Her head hits the corner of a counter and she drops to the floor, silent.
I take a reflexive step toward her, but Donald steps between us. He’s handed our guns to his now freed confederate. “Don’t. I like you, Anna. I’d hate to kill you before we get better acquainted.”
I quake with rage. Vampire is near the surface, and I know I could take this idiot’s head off without breaking a sweat. Donald stands so close, I can count the pock marks on his bad skin.
David lunges, but is knocked sideways by a gun whip to his head. Donald grabs his confederate’s hand. “Easy, Blake. We aren’t through with them yet.”
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