I.L. Wolf - Her Cousin, Much Removed

by I. L. Wolf

  “A while. A couple of years after he and Sissy divorced.”

  “Your Aunt Sissy?”

  “How many could there be? Why don’t you have people out dealing with this? She’s kidnapped. She’s a,” she thought, choosing her words carefully, “middle-aged woman, and I think she’s sick or something, she was at the hospital for the second day in a row today.”

  His head tilted, ever so slightly. “Again today?”

  “Yes. She said she was at the pharmacy.”

  “Huh. Where did you see her?”

  “In the lobby. Does it matter? If you’ve taken crazy pills, can you at least give me some so that I can have the slightest, tiniest clue of what is happening here? Isn’t there some kind of protocol for missing women? And she has an iffy knee, she was an athlete, and it’s been a while now, and I don’t know how I’m going to tell Julian.”

  “When I asked you what you know about Marlene, I’m not sure I was specific enough. What do you know about her past?”

  “Detective James, I get that you seem to think that somehow I haven’t been upfront with you about Delenda or something else, but I really have. I’ve told you everything.”

  “My point is that your information hasn’t been entirely reliable. For example, we know that the last time you saw Delenda wasn’t months ago, Venetia.”

  “What? What are you talking about? I told you, if you want to arrest me, arrest me, but I’m much more concerned about Marlene.”

  “What about your run-in with Delenda at the supermarket?”

  “At what supermarket?”

  “You argued. There’s footage. It’s on that drive Brooks gave us.” He nodded toward the computer.

  “When?” Venetia leaned back into the chair. “I don’t remember that at all.” She sat up straight. “Oh wait. No, yes.”

  “Which is it?”

  “Yes, I remember now.”

  “That’s convenient.”

  “It was nothing. She ran into me with her cart and thought it was a funny way of saying ‘hi.’ I didn’t think it was so funny.”

  “And yet you didn’t think to tell us that?” he said.

  “Us?” Venetia took an ostentatious glance around the room.

  “Fine, me.”

  “I absolutely, literally forgot. It was so like her, causing pain and thinking it was comical. This is a waste of time, if you could get the part after she hit me, you can get her hitting me.”

  “You realize that might only serve to further your motive?”

  “Because she hit me with a shopping cart? Is that a joke? Can we get back to Marlene now?”

  “I’m relatively secure in saying that Marlene can take care of herself,” he said. “More importantly, though, Delenda knew about what happened with Brenna Chale, didn’t she?”

  “I can’t believe you’ve started up with this again. I didn’t kill Delenda. I can’t say I even cared enough about her to kill her.” The silence spread over the table, oozing down the legs and into the corners of the room. “That sounded wrong. That’s not at all what I meant. I meant I’d never have done it, let alone to Delenda. She had her life. I had mine.”

  “So you’ve been saying. But you saw her before she died. And you were angry.”

  “Most people were when they had to deal with her. Can we please get back to Marlene? Can you call someone else to look for her or something? Ping her phone?”

  “Ping her phone?”

  “You know, to figure out her location.”

  “You’re actually worried.”

  “I thought that was pretty obvious.”

  “So you really don’t know.”

  “Don’t know what? Did something happen? Is she…oh no, did someone kill her? Did you find her?”

  “Calm down. What do you know about her from before she was married to Julian Green?”

  “I don’t know, she worked for some kind of alarm company or something.”

  “An alarm company.”

  “That’s what she said.”

  “And you never questioned it.”

  “Why would I? She was a nice woman who came along at the right time for Julian. They’re a great match.”

  “This might be a bit hard for you to hear,” he said, pulling sheet of paper from the clipped bunch. “Marlene’s not exactly who you think she is.”

  Chapter 15

  “I don’t get it,” she said.

  “Well,” he said, sliding the top sheet toward her, “this is Marlene Green, correct?”

  “Of course.”

  He removed the paper clip and took off the next sheet. He placed it on the table in front of her. “And this?”

  The paper had two enlarged copies of driver’s licenses from two different states, one on top of the other. “Yeah,” she said, glancing at the photos, “that’s her.”

  “Take a closer look.”

  “I told you that’s her…” she said, her voice trailing off as she read the names. “Adrienne Hille? April Lang? Who are these people?”

  “They both appear to be Marlene Green.” He took off a few more sheets and pushed them over. Some passport pictures, a couple of work IDs, and a few more driver’s licenses, all with different names and addresses, all with pictures of Marlene.

  “Why did you do this?”

  “I didn’t do anything, Venetia. Marlene has quite a reputation, when you finally get to it.”

  “What does that have to do with her being kidnapped? Maybe she made some mistakes in her past—” she said.

  “We have at least twelve aliases.”

  “Fine, whatever, she’s been with Julian for ages. Working at Water Me Green, living a simple life, and whatever she has in her past, it doesn’t mean she deserves to be hurt.” Whether she wanted them to or not, her eyes returned to the pictures.

  “That’s an awfully generous attitude you have there,” he said.

  “Where did you get them?”

  “Several of them came from Delenda’s computer.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  He shrugged. “Believe what you want, or don’t believe what you want, but Delenda had a few of the identities, and we were able to find the rest.”

  “What are you implying?”

  “I’m not implying anything, Venetia. I’m telling you what we know about Marlene. And what Delenda knew. Maybe Marlene hasn’t been kidnapped, maybe she had good reason to disappear.” He tapped the papers.

  “She’d never have killed anyone.”

  “It seems like there’s a lot you don’t know about her,” he said.

  “Now what?”

  “You suddenly learn that this woman you’ve trusted for years has lied about who she is, and you’re not fazed by it?”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t shocked. I’m compartmentalizing. Lawyers compartmentalize.”

  “It’s interesting that you always invoke being a lawyer when you want to do so.”

  She closed her eyes and pinched her bottom lip between her teeth to stop from speaking. It didn’t help. She stood, and leaning one hand on the table, bent toward him.

  “OK. That’s it, I’ve had it. I don’t know what brought all of this on, because it sure as hell can’t be one pathetic pocket video. If you think that that little recording and a nudge with a shopping cart give me motive to kill Delenda, you should really look into the population of the entire greater metropolitan area, because that is nothing, nothing, compared to what other people might have against her. Like I told you when you started all this, she had a lot of money, and no one knew how.” Her voice stayed low, quiet, the anger flickering around the edges.

  “But that’s not the point. You want to paint me as a liar? Paint away, I don’t actually care at this point. Yeah, I saw Delenda more recently than I remembered, I don’t remember these things, but I know I sure as hell didn’t kill her. She wouldn’t be worth the jail time. Happy? Is that what you want?”

  “It’s definitely getting closer,” he said, holding firm in
his seat.

  “Yes, maybe there’s something going on with Marlene. Maybe, for all I know, you altered all of those IDs. I have no way of knowing, really, beyond what you’ve told me, and maybe earlier today I would have believed it all, but now, I’m not so sure. All I can say is she’s about as much a killer as I am.”

  “It’s all very real, I assure you.” Fanning the photos across the table, he looked up at her, his face neutral.

  “Sure you do. But all I know is that someone I care about is now missing, and it’s my fault. That’s it. And no matter how I ask you, an officer of the law, to do something about it, you don’t seem to care. So this is what’s going to happen. I’m going to walk out of this room, and I’m going to find her, all by myself if I have to.”

  “Are you finished?”

  “Does it sound like I’m finished?”

  “I’m not sure, that’s why I’m asking.”

  “Yes. I’m finished.”

  “Good. Now read this.” He handed her the rest of the papers that had been clipped together.

  “What now?”

  “That’s her rap sheet.” His voice was even.

  “Would it be that hard for you to simply tell me what’s happening?”

  “You don’t seem inclined to listen at the moment,” he said.

  “Fine, she’s been arrested.”

  “Again, you seem awfully calm and accepting here.”

  “I told you, I can deal with it all once I know she’s safe.”

  “Look at the charges,” he said.

  She looked. “Theft by deception, bigamy, bigamy, misappropriation, fraud…money laundering? Simple assault, conspiracy to commit theft, embezzlement. Whoa.”

  “Yes, whoa.”

  “Has she actually been tried for any of this?”

  “Who are you, her counsel all of a sudden?”

  “It’s a simple question,” she said, raising an eyebrow as she paraphrased him.

  “Let me put it this way. There’s a reason she’s changed her identity so often.”

  “You know, yes or no works too.”

  “Marlene’s a fugitive.”

  “Does that mean that it’s OK that someone’s trying to hurt her?” She hefted her purse onto her shoulder. “I don’t think it does. And she could still be a fugitive without a conviction. All she needs is an outstanding warrant.”

  “No one’s kidnapped her, Venetia.”

  “I don’t know how you can say that.”

  “I can’t believe I have to spell this out for you, but unless you’ve missed your calling in the theater, it’s pretty clear that you had no idea.”

  “Of what?”

  “She’s playing you. It’s the end of the long con, she goes for the ransom. She collects, and off she heads to the next mark.”

  “No,” she said, “no, it’s not like that. It absolutely is not like that. She loves Julian.”

  “She’s stayed longer this time, sure, but she had to know with Delenda’s death we’d get close. She’s trying to cash out before it’s too late.”

  “What does Delenda have to do with it? They barely had anything—” she stopped.

  “What? Why’d you stop like that?”

  “It’s not important,” she said, suddenly wondering if it was.

  “So you’re also wondering if the lawsuit had anything to do with Delenda’s death.”

  “You know about the lawsuit?”

  “Public record. We know Delenda sued Marlene and Julian. And we know they settled in Delenda’s favor.”

  “It was a ridiculous case.”

  “That she got a substantial amount of money from. We’re guessing Marlene was going to skip town then, but nothing came of the case, at least as far as her cover being blown, is concerned.”

  “Skip town? There seriously must be some mistake here.”

  “You can see it yourself. She’s conning you. Well, more specifically, Julian.”

  “No.”

  “What do you mean, no?’ His eyes narrowed.

  “I mean she shouldn’t do that. She loves him.”

  “That’s the mark of a con-woman who knows what she’s doing. She’s convincing.”

  “She helped him build that business.” Hovering near the door, Venetia wasn’t sure if she should sit again.

  “All the better to make sure there’s money to get later.”

  “Why’d she agree to follow Dane then?”

  “The bigger question is why was she at the hospital two days in a row?”

  “I told you, I think she’s sick.”

  He pointed to the array of Marlene’s face on the spread of IDs. “How do you think she finds her identities?”

  Venetia flopped back into the hard wooden chair. “I don’t buy it.”

  “Well, obviously you do, because here you are trying to get the cops looking for her. As she planned.”

  “How can you possibly know she’s not in danger?”

  “What? You think Dane’s got her tied up somewhere? No, Venetia. She’s with her partner, and she’s playing you.”

  “She’s not. I know she’s not.”

  “Ten minutes ago you knew she was Marlene Green. Your judgment might be a little clouded.”

  “Who’s her partner?”

  “Don’t know.”

  “Then how can you say she has one? If you have no idea who it is?”

  “Because that is the way these things work, and you said yourself there’s a man involved. Look, no matter how you might feel about her, the fact is that she’s not who you think she is.”

  “No, she is.”

  “OK, that’s ridiculous.”

  “I’m telling you, she’s not conning me. She wouldn’t do that, not to me, not to Julian.”

  “For someone with so much real world experience, you’re awfully naïve.”

  “And yet you seem to think I killed Delenda.”

  “I didn’t say that. I said you have motive.”

  “What if I’m right?”

  “You’re not right,” he said.

  “But what if I am? Can you live with yourself if something happens to this woman?”

  He drew in a big breath of air, held it for a second, and then let it go, bit by bit. “I’m not saying you’re right,” he said. “But why are you so convinced I’m wrong?”

  “I know her. That’s all I can tell you. I know her.”

  “You obviously don’t.”

  “Do you not believe that people can change? At all? Maybe that’s who she was, but it doesn’t mean that’s who she is now.”

  “Sorry, we’ve got an active murder investigation, and we can’t spare the manpower unless you have something better to go on than that picture.”

  “What about the text he sent from her phone?”

  “That’s another question,” he said, “how do they know you’re here?”

  “I have no idea, but you’re wasting time,” said Venetia.

  “I’m afraid the police department doesn’t see it that way.”

  “Fine,” she said. “Fine. Like I said, I’ll do it myself. I’m still free to go?”

  He nodded, slowly. “I’d be careful about hindering a police investigation,” he said.

  “According to what you said, there is no investigation, so it would be difficult to hinder.” She headed for the door, nearly got there, and then turned around again.

  “And you got that hard drive from Dane, didn’t you? The one where the ShamCorp documents came from?” He remained impassive. “That’s exactly what I thought. You want to start digging? Dig there, there’s plenty. Plenty.”

  She yanked the door open, and the gofer who was standing at the ready in the corridor looked at her, surprised, and then scurried away.

  “Venetia,” Detective James said.

  “What?”

  “Watch yourself.”

  “No kidding.”

  “We’ve got a press leak. And I’m pretty convinced it’s your boyfriend.”

&n
bsp; She stopped and turned back around slowly. “You chose this moment to tell me that?”

  “Haven’t gotten another chance,” he said, “it seems as good as any.”

  “Why Mason?”

  “The better question is why not Mason?” he said. He rose gradually to his feet. “Once in a while, we have to take a closer look at the people who are around us, the people nearest to us. I think you’ve found your while.”

  “Thanks for the helpful hint,” she said. “And if you decide to bring back the previous Detective James, you know how to find me.”

  “The previous Detective James?”

  “The one who seemed to have a grip on his case. But what would I know? I’m only a lawyer when it’s convenient for me,” she said.

  “Now might be a good time for it to become convenient,” he said.

  She left without saying anything more.

  Chapter 16

  She was still fuming when she got home thirty minutes later. Hailing a cab from a police station was slightly more challenging than she’d expected, and then she had to retrieve her car. She paced the length of her small living room, unable to sit despite her exhaustion. Mason called her twice, but she couldn’t talk to him now, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from telling him what Detective James said about him.

  Leaning over her desk, she shoved papers aside until she found the ShamCorp documents, and she flipped through them, quickly, without really looking. She dropped them on the floor, gave them a little kick.

  It didn’t help.

  At least now she knew, no matter how enraging it might be. She knew who drafted those idiotic papers, and she’d been stupid enough to entangle herself with him, legally speaking, for years. Years.

  She should have listened to herself when she’d found him that day, listened to her gut insisting that it wasn’t the single indiscretion he claimed. But she’d known him forever. Trusted him enough to form the partnership, and in a lot of ways, that was far more serious than a marriage.

  Due to the massive amount by which one could be screwed by the other. Like, say, framing a law partner to take a fall.

  She threw herself onto her couch, arms crossed, half on, half off, more than a little uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. Dane was the only person who could have written that thing on her computer, no matter what she’d said to Detective James. Yes, they had a part-time receptionist, but she wasn’t capable of it, and the contract paralegals they’d hired when the workload demanded it never had access to her computer. Her computer and Dane’s were password protected.