Lou entered the bar, spotted his usual table in the back of the room, and ordered his first cocktail. As he sipped his drink, he watched the couples at the other tables, laughing, flirting, and enjoying life. Seeing them made him realize just how pathetic his life really was.
Then he noticed a woman sitting alone at the bar. He knew most of the regulars, but he had never seen her before. She looked his way and their eyes met. She smiled, and Lou smiled back. After a second such exchange, the woman headed to Lou’s table.
“Hi. I’m Crystal. Are you drinking alone?”
Lou nodded. “Uhhh, yes, I guess I am.”
“Mind if I join you?”
“No, of course not. May I buy you a drink?”
“That would be nice.”
Lou signaled the bartender.
For the next twenty minutes, the two chatted. Crystal asked about his work and seemed genuinely interested. Lou couldn’t imagine why such an attractive woman would be attracted to an old codger like him.
Maybe she’s a hooker, he thought, just waiting for the right moment to proposition me. Then it occurred to him. What if she was? It’s not like I’d mind spending some time with her. I can afford it, and what else am I saving my money for?
After a second drink, she touched his arm. “You want to get out of here?”
“Sure. What do you have in mind?”
“My place isn’t far from here. We can have a nightcap and see where things go from there.”
Lou could barely contain his excitement. He hadn’t been with a woman for a very long time. Especially one as lovely as Crystal.
They walked hand-in-hand a few blocks to a seedy hotel. She led him up the stairs and unlocked one of the doors.
“Go on in and make yourself comfortable,” she said. “I need to pick up my mail at the front desk. I’ll be right back.”
Lou entered the room, his mind filled with the expectations of what was to come. He reached for the light switch, turned it on, and his mouth flew open when he saw the man pointing a gun at his chest.
“Mario! What ---?”
“Hi Lou. Come on in.”
I had finished my breakfast and flipped on the TV. I wanted to get a weather forecast. I had some running to do and the day had started out grey and threatening.
I tuned onto the local news channel and a flashing banner read, “Breaking News!”
A reporter was standing in an alley. In the background I could see crime scene tape.
“Early this morning, a custodian found a body in a dumpster. The victim has been identified as Lou Gallo, a local attorney. Detective Blaylock issued a statement saying that the death appeared to be the result of a robbery gone bad. The victim’s wallet, minus cash and credit cards was found nearby. At this time, the police have no leads on Mr. Gallo’s attacker.”
I sat there, stunned. Lou Gallo. Dead.
The first thing that entered my mind was that this was not a botched robbery. I was willing to bet that it was the handiwork of Cosmo’s grandkids.
I quickly dressed and headed to the precinct to talk to Derek Blaylock.
Derek and I had worked on many cases during the five years I was on the force, and several more after I became a private investigator.
“Walt! What can I do for you?”
“I heard about Lou Gallo on the news.”
“Do you know the guy?”
“I do. Like I told you before, I’m the successor trustee on a trust that Lou drafted for Cosmo Sabatini.”
Derek scratched his chin. “Sabatini? I know that name from somewhere.”
I took a deep breath. “That was Sabatini’s house where we found the skeleton. Cosmo Sabatini was Carmine Marchetti’s bookkeeper for fifteen years.”
“Sure, that’s where I heard the name.” Then he gave me a quizzical look. “Tell me again how you got involved as the trustee for the mob’s bookkeeper?”
“It’s a long story. Dad knew Cosmo from the Senior Center.”
I told him how I had gotten drafted into being the successor trustee, the stipulations in Cosmo’s trust, and how all three of the grandkids had miserably failed.
“Ever since they were cut off from receiving their inheritance, they have done everything to disrupt the execution of the trust.”
I told him about the attack on Maria Garcia, the attempt to run me off the road, the skunk in the house, and the shills pretending to be buyers.
“And you have proof that all of those things were connected to Sabatini’s grandkids?”
“Not exactly proof, but you have to admit that all those things happening when they did isn’t just a coincidence.”
“So you’re saying that Lou Gallo was bumped off by Sabatini’s grandkids. How does that change anything regarding the trust?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but my gut tells me they were responsible for Lou’s death.”
Derek shrugged. “I have to have more to go on then your gut feeling. I’ll look into it, but right now it still looks like a robbery gone bad.”
“How did Lou die?”
“Gunshot to the back of the head --- close range.”
“Sounds more like an assassination than a robbery.”
He just shrugged.
I was afraid that would be his attitude. Blaylock has always operated by Occam’s razor. “Simple solutions are more likely to be correct than complex ones.” A robbery gone bad was much simpler than a complex plan engineered by disgruntled relatives.
My next call was to Kevin. He met me at home and I told him everything that had transpired.
When I finished, he nodded. “So it looks like the cops aren’t going to be much help. I guess it’s up to you and me. Where do you want to start?”
“Let’s start with his office. Maybe someone there knows what Lou usually does after work.”
When we entered Lou’s office, the receptionist had her head on the desk, quietly sobbing. She looked up and blotted her red, swollen eyes with a tissue. “May I help you?”
“I’m Walt Williams and this is my partner, Kevin McBride. I was working with Lou on Cosmo Sabatini’s trust. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
She burst into tears again. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been with Lou for twenty years. He was a fine man. This is just so terrible.”
“Yes, it is. That’s why Kevin and I are here. We’re private investigators. We want to discover who did this to Lou.”
She blotted her eyes again and blew her nose. “How can I help?”
“What happened to Lou occurred after he left work yesterday. Do you have any idea what Lou would normally do after work?”
She nodded. “He would almost always go to The Chesterfield, a bar on Main Street, and have a couple of cocktails before heading home. He would rather sit in the bar than all alone in his apartment. He was a lonely man.”
“Can you think of anyone who wanted to hurt him?”
“My goodness no. Lou wouldn’t hurt a fly. The police think he was the victim of a random robbery.”
I thought it might be best to leave it at that for now.
“Thank you. You’ve been a big help.”
“I hope you find who did this and make them pay.”
“We’ll do our best.”
When we were out the door, Kevin said, “The Chesterfield?”
I nodded. “Good a place as any to start.”
By the time we got to The Chesterfield, it would have been about the same time Lou would have arrived the previous evening.
When we walked in the door, Kevin pointed to the security cameras. “Follow my lead.”
He walked up to the bartender and flashed the fake badge he always carried. “My name is Sergeant Fosdick and this is my partner, Sergeant Tracy. Were you working last night?”
The man nodded. “Sure, what can I do for you?”
“Do you know Lou Gallo?”
“Yeah, he’s regular.”
“Was he here last night?”
He thought for a
moment. “Yeah, he was.”
“Did you see anyone with him?”
“Come to think of it, I did. He usually drinks alone, but last night he hooked up with a woman I’d never seen here before. Why do you ask?”
“Lou was murdered last night. Probably right after he left the bar.”
“Jesus! That’s too bad.”
Kevin pointed to the cameras. “We’re going to need to see the footage from last night.”
“Don’t you need a warrant or something?”
“We could get a warrant if that’s what you want. We could also declare the bar a crime scene, clear out the place, and bring in a forensic team to go over the bar with a fine-tooth comb. It would be a lot easier to just look at the footage, and if we see Lou leaving the bar alive, that’s all we’d need. Your choice.”
It didn’t take long for the bartender to make up his mind. “Fritz! Watch the bar. I’ll be in the office.”
Once in the office, the bartender queued up the footage from the previous night. “There,” he said pointing. “There’s Lou, and there’s the woman he left with.”
“Great!” Kevin said. “Make us a copy and we’ll be out of your hair.”
Ten minutes later, we were out the door.
“Fearless Fosdick and Dick Tracy? Isn’t that a stretch?”
“Hey, the bartender couldn’t have been over thirty. There’s no way he’s ever heard of those guys. If the real cops ever come around, he’s going to look pretty silly.”
“The woman in the bar,” I said, “you figure she’s a hooker?”
“Probably. There’s no chance in hell that old Lou would attract a woman like that. Let’s go to my place and see if Veronica knows her.”
At Kevin’s house, we loaded the video as Veronica looked on.
“There she is,” Kevin said. “Do you recognize her?”
“Yes, that’s Crystal. She works for Escorts After Dark.”
“Great!” I said. “Now all we have to do is find Crystal and ask her who hired her to lure poor Lou out of the bar.”
“The Escorts After Dark office is on 39th, just west of Broadway,” Veronica said. “Jimmy Fey runs the place. He’s a real douche.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were in the office of the escort service. A guy who looked like some kind of weasel looked up from his desk. “We don’t take walk-ins. If you want a date, call the hotline.”
“We’re not looking for a date,” Kevin said, flashing his fake badge. “We’re looking for Crystal. We need to talk to her.”
“Yeah,” Fey answered, “you and me both. She’s got regulars calling wanting a date. I haven’t heard from her in two days. Why do you want to talk to her?”
“Did you hear about the attorney that was found in the dumpster the other day?”
“I saw something about it on the news. What’s that got to do with Crystal?”
“We have a video of her leaving the bar with the dead guy just before he was shot.”
“Great! Just great!” he moaned, rubbing his temples. “Just what I need.”
“Look,” I said, “we’re not trying to jam you up. We just need to talk to Crystal. Promise me you’ll give us a call if she turns up and we’ll be out of your hair.”
He looked relieved. “You got it,” he replied.
I handed him my card. “Hey, I thought you guys were cops!”
“He is,” I replied, pointing to Kevin. “I’m like the guy on Magnum P.I. We work together. Don’t forget to call.”
Kevin chuckled as we headed back to the car. “Magnum P.I. --- You wish.”
The next morning, I read an article in the Kansas City Star. It said that a jogger had spotted a body in the Little Blue River and called police. The woman was identified as Crystal Denton who had numerous arrests for prostitution.
I had no doubt that Crystal had been hired by the grandkids to lure Lou Gallo to his death. I also had no doubt that they were responsible for Crystal’s death. Just tying up loose ends.
CHAPTER 19
For the life of me, I couldn’t understand what the grandkids had gained by eliminating poor Lou Gallo.
It occurred to me that maybe they had found some legal angle that I wasn’t aware of. After all, this was my first gig as a trustee. I decided it would be worthwhile to get an opinion from someone who knew what they were doing. I decided to give Suzanne Romero a call.
Suzanne was, in my opinion, the finest defense attorney in the city. She had defended me and Ox on several occasions, and Mary Murphy, the housemother at my Three Trails Hotel as well. In turn, I had helped clear several of her clients.
“Walt, so good to hear from you. I hope this is a social call.”
“Yes and no. I need some advice.”
“I have court this afternoon, but I have some time this morning.”
“I’ll be right there.”
After a little catching up, I told her the whole story from the moment I learned I was Cosmo’s successor trustee, right up to the death of Lou Gallo.
“So, after all that, what possible reason would the grandkids have to kill Lou?”
She thought for a moment. “How old was Cosmo when he passed away.”
“He had just turned ninety.”
“And he lived in a nursing home?”
I nodded.
“Then there is the possibility that they might file a lawsuit in probate court, declaring that Cosmo was not mentally competent when he set up his trust. Lou, his attorney, was the one person who could refute their claim.”
“But the trust is already in effect. In a week or so, as soon as the house closes, it will all be over.”
“Exactly, and that brings me to my next point. If something were to happen to the trustee before the house closed escrow, there would be no one to sign the deed and other closing papers. There would be no one to disperse the funds. It would be up to the probate court to decide how to handle Cosmo’s estate, and the two people who could argue with the heirs are gone.
“Walt, if I were you, I’d watch my back until this is all over.”
Suzanne had confirmed what I had feared. I called Kevin on my way home.
“Can you come over? We have a new client.”
Kevin looked around my office. “Okay, so who’s the new client?”
“Me!”
I told him about my conversation with Suzanne. “They’re going to come after me. I just know it. I need you to watch my back until this thing is over.”
“Of course I will.”
At that moment, Maggie stuck her head in the door. “What are you two plotting now?”
I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily. She had plenty on her plate getting the house closed.
“Uhh, we were just talking about Leo. Trying to decide if there was anything we could do to help find his attacker. By the way, do you have any idea how soon the house will close?”
“The title work is in. All I’m waiting for is a call from the appraiser. As soon as the appraisal comes in, we can set up a closing date.”
“Great! Let me know when you hear from the appraiser.”
“Will do.”
“So what now?” Kevin asked.
“For starters, I’m not leaving the apartment unless I just have to, and when I do, I’ll want you tagging along.”
Angelo, Lucia, and Mario were huddled in Lucia’s condo.
“We took care of Lou,” Angelo said. “What’s next?”
“Walt Williams is next,” Mario replied. “We have to take him out before he closes out the trust, but we have a problem.”
“What problem?” Lucia asked.
“I’ve been watching his apartment every day. The guy hasn’t set foot out of the building. I think maybe Gallo’s death spooked him. We have to find some way to draw him out so we can get to him.”
“What about his wife?” Lucia asked. “Does she ever leave?”
“Yeah, she’s a realtor with City Wide Realty. She comes and goes every day.”
“Well, there you go,” Lucia said. “Grab the little woman and I guarantee you Williams will be out the door.”
Mario smiled. “Good thinkin’ Sis.”
I was in the office paying bills when Maggie popped in.
“I just got a call from the appraiser. I’m heading over there now.”
“Would you like me to come with you?”
“That won’t be necessary. It’s Bill Paxton. He’s done lots of appraisals for me. I’ll be just fine.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as the appraisal was in, this nightmare would soon be over.
Maggie was just unlocking the front door when she heard footsteps.
“Bill, good timing. I just got here.” Then she turned. “You’re not Bill. Who are you?”
Mario showed her the gun. “Don’t scream, and do just as I say and no one gets hurt.”
“What do you want? Money? Here, take my purse.”
“I’m not interested in your money. It’s you I want little lady. Let’s go!”
“Okay, I’ll go, but you’ll regret this. My husband will find me.”
“That’s what I’m counting on. Now move!”
I had just finished lunch when the phone rang.
“Mr. Williams, you don’t get out much lately, do you?”
The voice was familiar. “Mario?”
“Yeah, it’s me, and guess what? Your sweetie wants to say hello.”
Maggie’s voice came on the line. “Walt, I ---!”
“That’s enough. I think you get the picture, Walt. You for the little lady.”
I was incensed. “If you so much as touch her ---!”
“That’s up to you old-timer. Come alone to Shelter House #9 in Swope Park. You come with us and Maggie goes free. Three o’clock. Don’t be late or you’ll never see the missus again.”
The phone went dead.
I just sat there in shock. I couldn’t believe how stupid I had been. I knew they wanted me, so I stayed out of reach. I should never have let Maggie go out alone.
[Lady Justice 37] - Lady Justice and the Living Trust Page 8