Sexy Girls

by Gary S. Griffin

  He quietly greeted us and said, “Follow me on the drive up the street. We'll park in a bank parking lot a block past Ms. Laidlaw's apartment. A uniform officer will meet us at the apartment.”

  We agreed.

  Moss then explained how it would go. “I checked out the place from the outside this morning. It looks like someone is living in the second floor apartment. It's above a woman's hair salon named Style of Women. I want you two to come with me. I'll hand Ms. Laidlaw the search warrant, explain our visit and we'll go inside.

  “Don't touch anything in the apartment. I'll tell Ms. Laidlaw to sit down while we search. I want you, Ms. Myst, to follow me closely during the visit. I want you, Mr. Garrett, to wait in the living room with the uniform and keep an eye on Ms. Laidlaw. If she tries to leave, call out to me immediately. Don't touch or follow her. Of course, you can defend yourselves if Ms. Laidlaw gets violent.

  “Ms. Myst, I want to do our search for any other possessions of your friend's before I arrest Ms. Laidlaw. You two will follow my car back to the police station for the booking.”

  Then Moss asked for our inventory list and had us explain which items were missing and not sold to Tom Howard. After all three of us were clear about the search, we left his office.

  We were off on our Newark adventure.

  Cyndie spotted the Style of Women shop as we passed it. We pulled in and parked at the bank's rear parking lot. The ride up Main Street brought back memories. Cyndie whispered, “Oh my God, Stevie, we're really doing this.”

  I answered, “We sure are. Just be careful.”

  From what we could see from a quick look in the window, Style of Women was a pretty storefront shop with white trim, pink curtains and white tile floor. Next to the Style of Women front door was another glass door, through which we could see the staircase leading to the second floor.

  Outside the shop, Lieutenant Moss met the uniformed officer who Moss introduced as Young. Young was indeed youthful; a white kid with red hair and freckles. Young said hello and Moss told him to follow us up the stairs. When Moss heard Young unbuckle the holster snap over his gun, he said, “Easy Young. Don't draw your weapon, yet.”

  That comment made me more alert and Cyndie held my hand even tighter.

  We slowly walked up the thirteen steps and Moss, Cyndie and I stood on the landing in front of the door. Young was two steps down. I could hear a TV playing inside.

  Lieutenant Moss knocked twice, hard, and said loudly, “Ms. Laidlaw, please open up. This is the Newark Police. We have a search warrant.”

  The television snapped off. I thought I heard a window open. It looked like Moss was about to test the strength of the door with his shoulder, when it opened.

  A tall, pretty woman wearing shorts and a tank top said, “What's going on?”

  I immediately recognized the pungent aroma of marijuana wafting out of the room.

  Moss answered, “Are you Karen Laidlaw?”

  “Yes, what is the meaning of this?”

  Showing Karen his badge, he answered, “I'm detective Allan Moss of the Newark Police Department. I have a search warrant to inspect your home for stolen items belonging to Andi Grayson, a friend of these people.”

  Moss handed her the search warrant. With that comment, Moss turned his body and revealed Cyndie and me standing behind him.

  Moss continued, “Ms. Grayson was killed over a week ago and Mr. Garrett and Ms. Myst inherited the missing property.”

  Laidlaw's whole outlook changed in an instant from anger to shock, “What happened to Andi?”

  Cyndie answered, “You knew Andi?”

  Laidlaw was stunned. She answered, “Yes, I was her hairdresser before Fred and I…” Then she stopped mid-sentence. Allan Moss asked, “Before what, Ms. Laidlaw?”

  Karen looked down and said quietly, “Before we moved.”

  Moss stepped up into the living room, and said, “Ms. Laidlaw, please stand back.”

  Karen relented. Moss told her, “Please sit down on that chair until we leave. This will take about ten to fifteen minutes. If you have any questions, Officer Young will answer them.”

  All four of us entered and looked around at the living room. Cyndie exclaimed almost immediately, “That's looks just like Andi's television.”

  Laidlaw replied, “You're crazy.”

  Moss asked Cyndie, “How do you know that?”

  Cyndie answered, “It's the same model, I'm sure of it, look.”

  Cyndie pointed to a piece of Velcro on the side of the TV. “This is where Andi hung the remote.”

  Karen Laidlaw started cussing and saying Cyndie was a liar.

  Moss and Cyndie continued their search and soon added a VCR, an ornate gold edged mirror, china, crystal, and many other smaller items to the list of stolen, but now found, items.

  When Cyndie was satisfied that she had identified most of the significant things not sold to Tom Howard, she said, “Lieutenant Moss, I think that's it.”

  Moss turned to Karen and said, “Ms. Laidlaw, you're under arrest for theft, trespassing and possession of stolen property.”

  He then read Karen her rights. Moss had Karen stand up and handcuffed her. He told her that Officer Young would take her to the station.

  Before Karen left, Moss turned to us and said that he wanted our help in tagging and moving the stolen items to the Police Station. Moss told us that they would remain in police custody until after the trial.

  Just before Karen left, Cyndie asked her, “Where's Fred?”

  Karen was fuming. “That bastard stole my car in early April when he left Delaware. Then, less than a month later, my car was found in California after Fred was arrested for robbing a bank. I just got it back two weeks ago after he trashed it and put five thousand miles on it.”

  We stopped, and asked Moss to wait a minute before he took Sherry away.

  Cyn asked, “Karen, when did Fred get arrested?”

  “I'm not sure, of the exact date, but it was in early May, because California police contacted me a few days later and I paid to have my car shipped back here. It cost me almost $1,000. I got my car back on Sunday, May 23.”

  Cyndie asked, “Where's Fred now?”

  Karen replied, “In a Los Angeles jail, I think.” She looked at Moss and said, “You should be able to track it down.”

  I asked, “Where were you the week before Memorial Day?”

  Karen answered, “I was here, working. Why?”

  I replied, “Andi was killed early that week.”

  “Look, I had nothing to do with it. I liked Andi. Fred was an asshole and a prick and I was fooled by him, just like Andi. I can prove it with my appointment book. I'm sorry she's dead.”

  Moss then took Karen away.

  ***

  We then followed Moss back to the police station. Over the next two hours we learned quite a lot about Fred Conarto, both his past and his activities after he left Delaware. Fred Conarto's real name was James Madison Winterset, originally from Torrance, California.

  Lieutenant Moss let us read his FBI summary. I scooted my chair close to Cyndie so we could both read it. Winterset had two prior convictions for robbery and for an assault. The robbery conviction was in Southern California in 1995 and the assault conviction was in the Chicago area in 1999. He served 18 months in Chico State Prison for the robbery and was released on probation and time served waiting for trial on the assault conviction.

  Winterset was thirty-seven years old and was described as six feet tall and one hundred and seventy pounds, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Identifying features included a tattoo on his left upper arm that was a red rose. When I read the physical description I said out loud, “That's Fred.”

  We thanked Moss for sharing that information.

  However, the most interesting news was that James Winterset was now, and had been sitting in a Los Angeles County jail for the last month. He was awaiting trial for a bank robbery and car jacking he was alleged to have committed on May 5, about five
weeks earlier. He was arrested the day of the robbery.

  I looked at Cyn - she had finished reading the same final paragraphs - we knew what that meant. James Winterset could not be Andi Grayson's killer. We turned and explained that to Lieutenant Moss.

  ***

  We thanked Moss and he told us he'd be in contact regarding Karen Laidlaw and the possible trial. We left the Newark Police Station and headed north, back to my home in north Wilmington. We really were at square one again. God, what happened? Chasing Fred and Karen seemed so promising, only a few hours ago.

  What a crazy past nine days! Suddenly, our married-soon-to-be-divorced gorgeous friend, Andi Grayson, was dead. Her lover and my best friend, Cyndie Myst, remained in danger. Cyn, Edie McCall and I were co-owners of an incredible, nearly empty, Rehoboth Beach house, and, yes, Edie and I were in love. We solved one crime we didn't even know about and we now knew so little about the crimes we were pursuing.

  Who killed and blackmailed Andi?

  Cyndie and I headed to my home tired, befuddled, hungry and still a little scared. We needed to figure out what to do next. I stopped at a favorite roadside produce stand and bought fresh veggies - lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn and a watermelon. Next, I went to my butcher and ordered two filet mignon steaks, a cut-up chicken and four fresh hamburgers. Dinner and lunch were set for the next two days.

  We arrived at 3PM. I unloaded the car while Cyn explained to Edie everything that happened during our Newark adventure. Afterwards, Edie and Cyndie marinated the chicken and made a salad. I put our clean clothes in the bureaus and placed the dirty laundry in my hamper.

  I listened to my answering machine. There were two messages. The first was from Philadelphia Police Detective Morelli. His brief message was to the point. The medical examiners were done and Andi's body was ready to be released. Andi had already been dead about a week when she was found. Morelli planned to continue his investigation. I sensed that the detective had little to go on. Morelli asked me to return his call.

  The second message was left by Walter Hines' paralegal confirming our appointment with Walter the next day, Monday, at 3 p.m.

  I called Morelli and left a message that Edie, Cyndie and I would speak to Andi's attorney the next day about handling Andi's body. I said we had an unofficial copy of Andi's will that indicated her wish to be cremated. We would confirm that. I also mentioned that we were back from the beach and I wanted to talk to him about our trip.

  ***

  Over dinner, Edie and I coordinated our Florida trip plans. We would leave Tuesday morning for Fort Lauderdale.

  We savored a long, slow meal together, saying little but loving our company fully. We finished our salads, six pieces of chicken and four pieces of buttered corn. We were stuffed and definitely decided to wait until some other time for the watermelon.

  After dinner was over, it was nearly nine o'clock and an early summer night greeted us on my deck. The last of the light was leaving the western sky. I lit the bug-repellant candles and turned on the string of miniature white lights wrapped in the spokes of the table umbrella. I then soaked in the sounds, sights and smells of this clear warm early June night. Fireflies were lighting over the backyard and cicadas sang out in the grass. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night to celebrate with a lover. Both houseguests were desirable, very desirable, in very different ways.

  But, it wouldn’t be with Cyndie; she made that clear in Rehoboth. And, I knew that I wouldn’t be with Edie tonight. In Florida, in two days, who knew?

  I finished cleaning and was enjoying a cold glass of iced tea, when my houseguests wandered out on the deck. Cyndie was first. She wore a short, loose-fitting, white cotton summer dress. In one graceful move she sat down next to me on the loveseat. Her long black hair flowed around her shoulders. Edie came out ten minutes later and sat in the matching side chair. She wore a long, pink nightgown. She sat with folded hands and she had the sweetest smile on her face.

  Without asking, I hustled inside and retrieved two other glasses, filled them with ice and lifted the pitcher of iced tea. I returned to the deck and placed these on the glass topped table. Edie accepted a glass, while Cyndie demurred.

  Cyn and Edie shared memories of Andi and their wild times in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. There was a competition in the telling of these tales. A rivalry of sorts developed, but things remained civil.

  Cyn still had her claim on me, but it was also clear she was passing the title to dear little Edie. I understood the unspoken declaration, and Edie knew she must be patient and polite. Miss McCall made it look easy. Surprisingly, the women became closer friends by the evening’s end.

  I learned many new things that night about Andi, and about my sexy girls.

  part two

  a legal plan

  Overnight, a cold front came through creating a rainy, Monday morning. We left the Miata home for Edie’s use. Cyn let me off in front of my Liberty Place skyscraper and then drove to her parking spot at the modeling agency on Rittenhouse Square.

  Later in the day, we left work early and drove the SUV straight from Philadelphia to Wilmington for our three o'clock appointment with Andi's attorney. The ride went smoothly under grey clouds and through the silver rain as we were driving in off-peak hours. The law office occupied a two storey row house. I spotted four other law firms in the same row just north of downtown, each within easy walking distance of the city, state and federal court houses. Edie arrived first and we parked curbside behind the Miata. We put money in the meters, and hurried inside.

  Walter Hines greeted us warmly into his walnut-paneled office. Hines was in his fifties, with grey hair, a grey suit and a medium build. His office was filled with Penn State University decorations, right down to the stuffed Nittany Lions on his book shelf. I spotted the framed Penn State Political Science BA and Yale Law degrees on one wall. He was a cheerful but serious man and he told us to get comfortable in the navy blue leather chairs.

  His legal secretary brought Cyndie and Edie hot tea with a lemon slice and me dark, rich coffee with half and half. Hines had a refill of his black coffee. Hines lit his pipe and the smoke had a pleasant earthy aroma. He didn't ask if we cared and neither Cyndie nor Edie said anything, so I remained silent. I couldn't remember the last business meeting where someone smoked. It was at least ten years earlier.

  After casual conversation we gave him an update on our recent travels and events. I explained that, even though the police didn't really have a solid lead on Andi's killer, one possible suspect was ruled out. I briefly described our Rehoboth Beach adventure.

  Hines asked, “What are you doing now?”

  Cyndie told him we had refocused our efforts on Andi's blackmail case as we thought the blackmail and the murder were connected.

  Hines asked, “What will that prove?”

  I responded, “Well, besides wanting to know who did this, our goal is to ensure Andi's will is settled in our favor.”

  Hines smiled. “You liked the beach house?”

  Edie’s answer took me by surprise. “Yes, actually, we did, very much.”

  I changed the subject. “Walter, we are not convinced all is as it appears on the surface.”

  Hines looked at both of us. “What do you mean?”

  Edie answered, “It all worked out so convenient for Robert Grayson. He's able to divorce Andi and save a half million dollars in the process. Plus, we don't know why he didn't bring the police into it or investigate it himself. He knew Andi was vulnerable and we think he set out to destroy her by divorcing her and trying to prove she's at fault.”

  “Do you have any proof?”

  That was the problem. I admitted, “No, not yet, but I'm going to speak to him tomorrow morning. Then, later in the morning, Edie and I are traveling to Florida Wednesday to meet Red Sable, a friend of Andi and Cyndie, to find out what she knows. She quickly moved from Philadelphia after the blackmailing.”

  Hines looked uncomfortable with this news and said, “Wh
y are you meeting with Robert Grayson?”

  I answered, “I want to ask him about the blackmail and see if he’ll help us.”

  Walter responded, “I don't know if that's a good idea. You have a vested interest in the outcome of this investigation. I'm sure he knows that. Surely, your ex-girlfriend, Eve Simmons, has told him that you're a beneficiary of his estranged wife's will.”

  “I understand what you're saying, Walter, but my instincts tell me he's involved.”

  Walter puffed his pipe and smiled, slyly. “Okay, say he is. He's not about to tell you anything. As your attorney, I advise against this meeting.”

  He was serious. I hadn’t thought that Walter represented us, but he did, and suddenly, I understood he was our attorney.

  Cyn spoke up. “Stevie, I see what Walter's saying. Don't do it. I'm sure Eve knows about this and has told Robert to keep quiet.”

  I frowned and turned to Walter. “Okay. What do you suggest we do?”

  “You told me earlier. I will put Grayson and Eve on notice that we want to execute Andi's will.”

  Edie asked, “Will they contest it?”

  Walter answered, “I think it's likely, but we have a strong legal position. The beach house was Andi's before the marriage, the prenup agreement excluded the beach house from the marriage property just as Robert's Delaware estate and his Center City office building is excluded from marital assets, and we have Andi's will executed over six months ago.”

  I conceded to his logic. “Okay, I'll cancel my meeting.”

  We spoke about Andi's remains and Walter agreed to make the arrangements to have Andi's body cremated. We would get Hines a copy of Andi's death certificate.

  Hines asked, “So you three are planning to keep the cottage? Will you be joint owners?”

  Edie's response surprised me. “Yes, we are. We love it, and can't wait to go back again.”

  Our hour visit went quickly and satisfactorily and we left Wilmington at 4:15, just ahead of the Monday night rush hour.