That’s when I saw the light blinking on the machine. The phone must have rung while I was in the shower. I hit the message button. It was Geneva, calling with the birth information she’d finally discovered. I’d have to listen later. It was close to noon and I didn’t want to be late meeting Gale.
The condo that Gale had found was on Northpoint close to Fisherman’s Wharf, in an older building renovated into four separate apartments. I found the address and after several turns around the block managed to snag a parking space. The building itself was tall and impressive, with a narrow lane at the side leading to garages in the rear. The front apartments on each of the two floors boasted curved glass windows. I knew the unit for sale was in the rear, which often meant no view of the street and no fireplace, but I’d reserve judgment until I could see it. Best of all, there was no elevator, and this would keep the homeowners’ fees low. A curving stairway with a polished mahogany handrail led me upward.
The door to the apartment was open. I heard Gale’s voice and entered a living room with windows on the side of the building only, but it did have a fireplace.
“Julia, there you are. This is Joyce.”
The realtor smiled and I shook her hand. “So glad you could make it. You’re considering a purchase?”
“Oh, no. Our friend Cheryl is. She should be here soon.”
“Well, please have a look around. It’s a very unusual apartment.”
“Julia, come and see the rest. I think she’ll love it.”
Gale took me by the arm and led me down the hall. “It’s laid out kind of oddly ’cause each floor was split up, but I think it works. You saw the living room. And it has a fireplace! I guess the house originally had two on each floor, so each apartment has one. Isn’t that wonderful?” Gale was excited. “And it’s just come on the market. Believe me, at this price, it’s gonna be snapped up.”
The second room off the hallway was the bedroom. “It’s a little dark cause the windows are on the side here too, but wait.” Gale led me to the end of the hall and I entered a kitchen that was huge.
“Ohmigod.” The back wall of the kitchen was a series of windows overlooking the houses below and the bay. “I can’t believe this view.”
“I know. It’s fantastic. A clear view of Alcatraz and everything, and it’s so light and bright in here. You can see the sailboats on the Bay. And look, there’s another room off the kitchen. Could be an office or a second bedroom.
“You could serve dinner to thirty people in this kitchen. It’s amazing.”
“I can’t wait for her to see it. I swear, she better like it. I’ll knock her silly if she doesn’t.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know. She was supposed to meet me here half an hour ago. I’m a little irked. She better not get cold feet.”
We sat on the chairs in the kitchen and enjoyed the view for a few minutes until we heard more voices at the front door. Gale jumped up and went down the hall to see if Cheryl had arrived. She returned to the kitchen shaking her head.
“It wasn’t her. Where the hell is she?”
“Have you tried her cell?”
“Yes. No answer. I don’t think she would have forgotten.”
“No. But maybe you’re pushing too hard. Maybe she’s not ready yet.”
“Nonsense,” Gale replied. I raised my eyebrows at her but didn’t say anything.
“Call her again.” I waited while Gale dialed the number.
“No answer. I’ll try the shop.” I waited patiently while Gale let the phone ring several times until the answering machine picked up.
“She could be there and just not answering.”
“True. Well, I can’t see the point in waiting. I’ve got to get going, but I’ll stop by the Eye and see if her car’s there.”
I didn’t know if Cheryl was avoiding the open house and Gale’s pressure or if we should be worried about her. “You know what, I’ll go by her apartment and see if she’s home.”
“Okay. That sounds good. Call me later.” Gale breezed out of the kitchen and I heard her thanking the realtor. I made my escape while Joyce was busy with a new prospect.
When I got to Cheryl’s building, I rang the bell several times, but there was no response. Through the glass, I saw a man heading down the stairs and toward the front door. I waited as he came out and then grabbed the door and let myself into the entry hall. I didn’t want to wait for the ancient elevator. I climbed two flights up the curving stairway to Cheryl’s floor. At the door of 2C I knocked. If she was here, she’d come to the door. I called her name and knocked again. No answer. I waited a moment and finally gave up and called it a day. It wasn’t like her to hide out and just not show. Where was she?
forty-three
I maneuvered out of downtown and was almost home when I thought of Pamela, Rob’s former sister-in-law. She’d mentioned she worked in the Cardiology Unit of the VA Hospital. The hospital is at Clement and 38th, just a few blocks from my apartment. This fell into the category of no stone unturned. Instead of heading down the hill, I kept going and followed the signs for visitor parking. I pulled into a lot just east of the hospital building itself.
Several people sat in the lobby, waiting on hard plastic chairs that lined the walls. An information kiosk stood in the middle of the floor but it was unattended. Our tax dollars at work. The sign told me the Cardiology Unit was on the second floor in the west wing. Yellow arrows on the floor pointed toward an elevator bank. I took the elevator and continued in the same direction until I reached a set of double doors labeled Cardiology in large block letters.
A square work area enclosed the nurses’ station. I had no idea if Pamela would be on duty today. It was a long shot, but I hoped for the best. I didn’t think there was much she could tell me, but at least I could swear to Geneva that I’d covered all the bases I could think of.
A young woman in a turquoise smock and black slacks sat behind the counter shuffling sheets of paper. When she was satisfied they were in order, she quickly slipped each into patient charts lined up on the desk. I approached her and asked for Pamela, suddenly realizing I had no idea of her last name.
The woman looked up and smiled. “She’s with a patient right now, but she’ll be right back.”
“Thanks.” I leaned against the counter and looked around. The station had a direct view of six rooms, some of them wards. Another set of double doors at the end of the corridor were designated Cardiac Care Unit. The padded door opened and Pamela appeared, heading in my direction toward the nurses station. She was wearing green cotton pants, as if dressed for the operating room, and a long white smock decorated with a busy pattern of bumblebees. Her pockets bulged with various instruments and a stethoscope hung from her neck. Her hair, straight and blonde and lined with gray, was pinned back behind her ears. She was shorter and heavier than I remembered, or perhaps it was her gaunt face that had made her seem thin that night at the funeral home. She walked briskly toward the nurses’ station.
I followed her with my eyes. “Pamela?”
“Yes. Can I help you?” She barely glanced at me as she rounded the corner by the desk.
“Sorry to bother you at work. I just thought this might be a good chance to talk to you.”
She looked up at me and tilted her head in a quizzical gesture. “Oh. Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. We met the other night, didn’t we? You’re Geneva’s friend.”
“Yes.”
“Are they all right? Has anything happened?” Her expression was alarmed.
“No. Sorry. Didn’t mean to alarm you. Nothing new, just the same old bad news.”
“Oh, you scared me. Listen, I pulled a double. I’m on this evening too but I’m about to take my dinner break. You’re welcome to join me if you like. It’s just the cafeteria, nothing exciting.”
“That’s fine.”
&n
bsp; We took the elevator down to a level below the lobby. Pamela walked quickly, as though one of her patients might be on the verge of cardiac arrest. I had to hurry to stay abreast of her. We stood in line and Pamela waved to a woman behind the counter. The woman promptly filled a plate with a serving of meat loaf and gravy, mashed potatoes, and peas. I followed Pamela through the line and filled a cup with coffee as we approached the cashier.
“So, what can I do for you?” Pamela asked as she plunked her tray down across from me. “You’ll have to excuse me while I shovel food in. I only have a half an hour and I could be paged at any time.”
“I understand. I hope you don’t mind my coming here?”
“Not at all. Fire away.”
“Well, Geneva, as you can imagine, is desperate. First the police questioned her husband, and now her sister’s been arrested. She’s asked me to talk to anyone who might have some knowledge about Moira. I thought of you because you’re in touch with Rob, and I know he and Moira didn’t get along.”
Pamela looked up from a forkful of peas buried in mashed potatoes. “I hope you’re not suggesting that Rob … I mean, I know at first he thought he’d accidentally shot her, but he had no idea …”
“Oh, no. I’m not saying that at all. I’m just curious if you have any thoughts. You’re still connected to Rob and the Learys.”
“I really hope you’re not hinting what I think you’re hinting at. If you’re suggesting that there’s anything underhanded about my relationship with Rob, you’re just plain crazy.” Her reaction made me take two mental steps back. “Rob to this day makes sure I’m doing okay. When my sister died, it was Rob who shared her insurance money with me, and that was when he wasn’t making much money. He’s been nothing but kind and considerate, and I won’t hear you or any other nosy son of a bitch say anything against him.” She was pointing her fork at me, accentuating every statement with another jab.
“Pamela, slow down. You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not accusing anyone. I’m doing this for Geneva.” I wasn’t sure she even heard me.
“And don’t forget, I actually like Brooke. She’s been extremely considerate of my feelings ever since she and Rob first met. I think she’s a great gal! So, no, I don’t believe she could be involved in anything that would hurt Rob.” Pamela wiped the gravy off her plate with a last piece of meatloaf. So if there’s nothing else …”
“Actually, there is.” I hesitated. “Can you tell me how your sister died?”
Pamela’s face hardened and she wiped her lips with a thin paper napkin. “If you must know, my sister took a header down a flight of stairs and broke her neck. She was diagnosed as bipolar, but frankly, I think she was just a selfish, high-maintenance pain in the ass. And, who knows, maybe if she’d lived, they would have divorced anyway. Am I sorry she’s dead? Yes and no. Yes, I’m sorry when anybody dies, but did I have a high opinion of my sister? The answer’s no.”
I was speechless in the face of her outburst. She’d made so many wrong assumptions, I couldn’t begin to reply.
“And now I’ve got to get back to my floor unless you have any further questions.”
“Uh, no.”
“Oh … by the way … in case you’re harboring any suspicions, I was working a double shift when Sondra died and Rob was out of town on a case.”
Pamela picked up her tray, dumped the contents in a large waste container, and pushed through the door to the hallway without another word.
I was frozen in my chair after Pamela’s diatribe. Her reaction was the last thing I’d expected, and I needed a minute or two to collect myself. I finished my coffee, threw the paper cup in the trash, and headed back to the lobby and the door to the parking lot. I was home within ten minutes and very glad to bolt the door behind me.
forty-four
It was late afternoon and I knew Wizard would be hungry. I filled his dish with some fresh food and checked the answering machine. No new calls. I played Geneva’s message again and noted all the birth information. My head felt as if it was ready to burst, but I clicked on the astro program and forced myself to set up the charts.
I sat staring at the computer screen for a long time. His birthday was October 6th. He would be thirty-nine this year. He was born in Los Angeles at 9:31 p.m. His Sun was conjunct Pluto and his Venus, Mars, and Uranus formed a stellium in Scorpio. A deep need for power and control. His Moon and Neptune were in Sagittarius very close to his seventh house cusp, connecting with Moira’s Sun and Moon. He had had a tremendous hold over her. He would appear sensitive and compassionate, but at a deeper level, he had the ability to manipulate others ruthlessly. He was a Svengali, able to display whatever characteristics suited his own immediate needs. How could I have been so blind? The Uranus connection would make him unpredictable and explosive. And all of this fell in his fifth house. He would use sexual energy to gain his ends.
And where was Cheryl? Had she returned to Macao by herself ? Had she stumbled into danger? A low-level feeling of dread had been dogging me since the open house. Now I felt a full-blown rush of anxiety. I had to find her. I’d start with her apartment. I’d find someone to open it up if necessary.
I threw my jacket on and rushed down to the car. As soon as I started the engine, my cell rang. It was Gale.
“Where are you?”
“In the car. I’m going back to Cheryl’s. I’m really worried about her.”
“Me too, but I just picked up the new Eccola! Have you seen it?”
“I actually have it, in the car, I think. I got one from Brooke’s office when I was there. Hang on.” I pulled the car over to the side of the street and left the engine idling.
“Look inside, where they list the editor and the staff.”
“Okay. What am I looking for?”
“The Assistant Editor.”
My eye scanned the page and I found it. “Lana Barron.” “Oh … oh … L. Barron, the person who bought the bracelet at Rochecault?”
“Cheryl told me all about that. Interesting coincidence, isn’t it?”
“Very. Not exactly sure how it fits in yet, but I want to tell you my theory. I’ll call you when I get to Cheryl’s.”
“Stay in touch and stay out of trouble.”
“I intend to, now that I know who did it. I’m just not certain how or why.”
I reached Cheryl’s building in record time and, ignoring the no parking signs, pulled up in front. The sky was dark with a threatening storm. The building lights had not yet come on. Had it only been a few hours since I was last there? I stood on the sidewalk and looked up at Cheryl’s windows but didn’t see a light. I ran up the front steps of the building and hit the buzzer.
He stepped out of the shadow of the columns. I took a step back, my heart thudding wildly.
“Hello, Julia.” Rob smiled. “I knew you’d turn up sooner or later.”
I began to tremble but didn’t want him to see that. “What do you want?”
“I want you to come with me.” He smiled again.
“And I would do that … why?” I did my best to muster some courage.
“Because I have something you want—or should I say, someone.”
I felt my heart sink. He had Cheryl. “Why her?”
“Simple. I had to get to you before you did any more damage. Get in.” He pointed to the driver’s door of my car and walked around to the passenger side. “Just drive nice and slow down to the Marina.”
A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. My hands were shaking, but I managed to start the car and drove straight up the hill to the top of Powell. Rob indicated a turn that took us down to Van Ness. I drove, occasionally glancing in his direction. He seemed completely relaxed, a folded jacket over his right hand covering a gun. I wracked my brain for some way to attract police attention, but without spotting a cruiser on the street, I couldn’t imagine how I could do that.
<
br /> “Drive nice and slow and don’t think about doing anything funny. If you do, you’ll never see your friend again.”
We cut down Lombard and turned onto Marina Drive.
“Take this turnoff coming up.”
I pulled into the drive leading to the yacht club, following it to the edge closest to the docks, and turned off the engine. “Now what?”
“Get out slowly. Don’t try any tricks.” I climbed out and Rob followed me. We approached a gate in the chain-link fence separating the parking area from the docks. Rob pulled a key ring out of his pocket and tossed it to me.
“Unlock the gate.”
I considered what he might do if I tossed the keys over the fence into the water. But after Gale’s call, I knew he wasn’t working alone. Now I understood how he and Lana, the Assistant Editor, had managed to set Brooke up. I unlocked the gate and we stepped onto the wooden pier. I pulled it shut behind us and Rob indicated we should head down the dock.
The boats were bobbing slightly in the current, their masts upright, their sails down. The sky was darker now, with heavy, water-
laden clouds. The wind had picked up, blowing in short intense gusts. Water slapped against the hulls of the boats and the pilings of the pier. The smell of ocean brine filled the air. The pier was deserted. There was no one in sight to call to for help. Unlike some of the other Bay Area marinas, this one allowed no residents.
Rob smiled and hummed softly to himself as he followed me. Near the end of the pier, he said. “Stop right there.” We were next to a long sloop with an aft cabin.
“Climb aboard and watch your step, Julia. I wouldn’t want you to fall,” he chuckled. His amusement chilled me to the bone.
Once on deck, he pushed me toward an opening that revealed a small inner light. I ducked my head and descended the few steps to
a small under-cabin. Cheryl was seated on one of the cushions, in the same black cocktail dress and heels that she’d worn the night we had gone to Macao. She was bound and gagged with strips of white cloth that looked like ripped sheets. Lana Barron sat opposite her, her long legs crossed, with a gun aimed at Cheryl’s chest. Cheryl’s eyes grew large when she saw me, streaks of mascara marring her cheeks.
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