Lethal Legacy

by Louise Hendricksen

  Jed thrust out his jaw. “Not interested.”

  Fenwick shrugged, smiled at Amy, and tilted back his chair.

  A tap sounded on the door and Kim walked in. He smiled broadly when he saw Amy. “Ah, you are one of our little mothers.” His large expressive eyes shifted to her abdomen and back to her face. “Are you in good health today?”

  The elaborate pompadour his permed hair created made him appear effeminate, Amy thought.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “Kim, I’m Amy Prescott and this is Jed MacManus, Dr. Nguyen’s attorney.” When the two men had shaken hands and Kim had taken a chair, she said, “My father and I are investigating the death of Mai Nguyen. Did you know her?”

  “I met her only once,” he said, his face somber. “She came here with Dr. Nguyen.” He wagged his head. “So sad for one so beautiful to die so young.”

  “Did you ever visit Dr. Nguyen at home?”

  “Oh, no.” Kim crossed one crisply creased trouser leg over the other and arranged his slender hands in a graceful manner. “Employees do not socialize with patrons.” He smiled at Fenwick. “Boss says, you break rule, you’re outta here.”

  “I see.” Amy jotted a few words in her notebook. “How long have you lived in Wheeler?”

  “Almost a year.”

  “Is your family here?”

  “I have what you call,” he frowned, “cousins, I think.”

  “Dr. Nguyen had a friend named Chea Le. Did you ever meet her?”

  “Chea Le,” he said slowly. “I have never heard this name before.”

  Amy studied his fingers, thought she detected a faint yellowish stain on his index finger, and felt a chill. “What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?”

  An amused smile twitched Kim’s lips and he flashed his eyes at Penwick. “Boss does not allow smoking.”

  Amy folded her arms and contemplated him in silence for a moment. “But you are a smoker, aren’t you?”

  He met her question with a bland expression. “I quit when I came to America. Your cigarettes cost too much.”

  Amy frowned and glanced at Jed. When he remained silent, she said, “That’s all, Kim. Thank you for meeting with us.”

  He beamed and dipped his head in a slight bow. “Most happy to be of assistance.” He stood up and started for the door.

  Amy waited until he was halfway across the room before she said, “Did you know Taun Keo?”

  Kim stopped and slowly turned to face her. “Never heard this name before.” He pulled his full lips into a tight line. “Will that be all. Dr. Prescott?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  When the door closed, she regarded Ivan Fenwick. “Did you tell him I was a doctor?”

  “Let’s see…” He rubbed his nose. “I may have, why?”

  Amy shrugged. “No matter.” She noted the time. “Is Mr. Samphan waiting?”

  “Should be.” He buzzed Daphne.

  In a short time the door opened again and a man slightly taller man Amy stalked into the room. “You page me?”

  “Victor, this lady would like to ask you a few questions,” Penwick said.

  Amy stood up. “I’m Dr. Prescott.” She paused to take in his acne-scarred skin, his rumpled hair and clothing. “But you already knew mat, didn’t you, Mr. Samphan?”

  “You’re the bi,” he halted and glanced at Fenwick, “woman who was bugging my wife.” His lip curled. “I don’t like people messing in my affairs.”

  Amy met his angry gaze straight on. “I don’t like being followed, but that hasn’t stopped you. Has it, Mr. Samphan?”

  “Don’t answer that.” Elliott Osgood levered himself out of his chair. “There’ll be no accusations made here, Doctor.”

  Victor smirked and leaned against the wall, his fist braced on his hip, his chin in the air. “I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, lady.”

  “What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?”

  “Camels.”

  Amy sank down on the couch. “Did you know Mai Nguyen?”

  Samphan glanced at Osgood. “Do I gotta answer that?” When the attorney nodded, he said, “Yeah, I knew her.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Known the schitzy dame all my life.”

  “Schitzy?” Jed asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Victor jerked his head at Jed. “Who the hell is he?”

  “Nguyen’s lawyer,” Fenwick said in a bored voice. “Answer the question and get this over with. I got a business to run.”

  “She always acted like she was better than everybody else.”

  Amy sat forward. “Why’d you call her schizophrenic?”

  “She used to make up things.”

  “What things are you referring to?” Jed asked.

  “In high school, she was always running to the teacher.”

  Jed stroked his chin as he studied the man across the room. Finally, he said, “Did she get you in trouble?”

  “Mr. MacManus,” Mr. Osgood said. “What are you insinuating?”

  Samphan gave Osgood a dirty look. “Sheeit, mister, don’t get your balls in a knot. I don’t give a rat’s ass who knows.”

  Osgood screwed his sharp features into a pained expression and began to clean his nails.

  Samphan squinted at Jed. “Yeah, she did. So what?”

  “Was that the last time the two of you had a run-in?”

  “Nah, she was always making up lies about me. Told her husband I was hittin’ on her.”

  “How long ago did this happen?”

  “Four or five years ago, when they first got married.”

  “What did Cam do?”

  “Threatened me.” He sneered and flexed well-developed muscles. “I creamed him.”

  Amy ran her finger down a fist she’d made. “Did you know Tuan Keo?”

  “Who?”

  “How about Chea Le?”

  His eyelid twitched. “Nope.”

  “You ever see the Honda they pulled out of the river before?”

  He licked his lips. “Not before yesterday.”

  “You knew Mai Nguyen’s father was killed by a hit-and-run driver, right?” Amy fastened her gaze on him. “Do you know why someone would want to kill him?”

  Samphan drew up his shoulders in an elaborate shrug. “The old guy acted like a fu,” he gave Fenwick a cautious glance, “like a friggin banker. Loaned everybody money. Maybe somebody didn’t want to pay him back.”

  23

  “Any gut feelings?” Amy asked as she and Jed made their way back to their cars.

  “Victor Samphan’s a hothead, that’s for sure, and Kim is,” he made a face, “peculiar. God, I don’t know. What was your impression?”

  “Nothing definite. If you’re not in a hurry to get back to Ursa Bay, how would you like to take a ride?”

  Jed’s eyes took on a wicked gleam. “Now you’re talking my language.”

  Amy smiled and unlocked her car door. “No, I’m afraid not”

  “Ah, Amy…” Jed slid into the seat beside her.

  “Remember, you promised J.T. and J.B.”

  “Who?”

  “The twins.”

  “They caught me in a weak moment” He reached across the gear shift, took her hand, and brought it to his lips. “Honey, you don’t have a man and I don’t have a woman.” He ran the tip of his tongue along her forefinger. “What’s a little sex between friends?”

  “A good way to ruin a friendship, that’s what.” She withdrew her hand, started the car, and pulled out into traffic.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To Victor Samphan’s place.”

  “Hey now, hold it, that guy is a loose cannon. I’m not about to tangle with him.”

  Amy slowed the car. “Then I’d better let you out. Cause that’s where I’m going.”

  “You are not.”

  Amy pulled over to the side of the road. “Jed, let’s get something straight. I’m an investigator. At times, that involves taking risks. I cannot let someo
ne tell me what I can and can’t do.”

  “All right, all right, goddammit” Jed slashed the air with his hands. “I’m with you.”

  Amy smiled at him and started off once more. “I hoped you would be.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’m not as brave as I sound.”

  “That’s out and out coercion. It’s a good thing I’m a mild-mannered person, or I might be tempted to swat you one on that cute ass of yours.”

  Amy laughed. “Mild-mannered! That’ll be the day.”

  This time, although she had no difficulty finding the way, she encountered stretches where the roadbed had nearly been washed out. The station wagon pitched and bucked as she crawled through in low gear. At last, she caught sight of the river and again slowed to a crawl. She tried three byways without success.

  “Tell me you’re searching for a lover’s lane,” Jed said with a twinkle in his eyes. “And I’ll forgive you for exposing me to all this,” he swept out his arm, “rusticity. I have a long list of country phobias I’m plagued by.”

  “Sorry.” Amy glimpsed a break in the trees ahead.

  “I’m looking for the place where that blue Honda might have gone into the river.”

  “It wasn’t near the bridge?”

  She shook her head. ‘Too many big rocks. My guess is, the current pushed the car to where the men found it.”

  “You think the car might not have been found if the river hadn’t flooded.”

  “That’s right” Amy stopped the car near an area of graded earth, got out and showed Jed where salal, fir seedlings, and wild lily-of-the-valley had been mashed down. “A vehicle went through here.” She fingered the plants and inspected the ground beneath. “I wish…”

  In squatting down beside her, Jed disturbed wild ginger leaves that scented the air. “You wish what?”

  That my friend, Nathan, was here. He could tell us exactly how long ago.”

  After cautioning him to walk on the untrampled side of the trail, she moved along the potholed course until the river came into full view. “The vehicle got mired in the mud.”

  “Looks that way.” Jed regarded the shrubbery-enclosed trail they’d taken. “No one would have seen it from the road.”

  She proceeded with even greater care. About seventy feet from the swirling brown water, she exclaimed gleefully, “We’re in luck!”

  Jed crowded close. “What did you find?”

  Amy broke a bracken fern, plucked off the leaf blades, and used the smooth, hard stalk to touch an impression. “Barefooted print. Notice how the toes dig in?”

  Jed leaned closer. “Yes.”

  “He’s pushing something. And since his print over lays the car track, it must be the car.” She pointed farther along where no vegetation grew. “Up there you get the full picture. A person on each side of the car.”

  “Both are shoving.”

  “On the river bank, you notice they’re no longer straining.”

  “The car tracks go right into the river. Jesus, Amy, what do you do now?”

  Take plenty of pictures. While you set up the tripod and video camera, I’ll mix up some dental stone to cast the foot and tire impressions.”

  “Why bother to put it on video?” Jed asked as they walked back to the station wagon.

  “We’ve found it pays. If every move you make is recorded on film, no one can claim you didn’t do a procedure correctly.”

  Amy unlocked the back of the station wagon and took out the gear she thought she’d need. As she was about to close the hatch, Jed grabbed a tarpaulin and a rolled blanket.

  She observed him with a half smile. “You going camping?”

  Jed pretended wide-eyed innocence. “You never know when you might need a blanket.” He glanced up the road. “Where’s Samphan’s house?”

  “Down that lane.” She pointed to a sign post about thirty yards from where they stood.

  Jed gave a low whistle. “You’d better get your car off the road. He might pass that way and see it.”

  Not wanting a confrontation with Victor Samphan any more than Jed did, she got in and started the motor. After she’d backed down the trail as far as she dared without running the risk of getting stuck, they loaded up and trudged back to the river.

  While she contorted her body into knots trying to get the camera angles she wanted, Jed meandered among gigantic cedars and Douglas fir. Sunlight worked its way through the cloud cover, heated layers of leaf mold, and white vapor threads drifted in among the tree’s sweeping boughs.

  “I could get to like this,” Jed said as he rejoined her, no longer carrying the tarp and blanket. He moved close to where Amy was placing a ruler alongside a footprint, leaned over, and kissed her on the back of her neck. “Mmm, you and me all along in the wilderness.”

  Amy frowned and pointed to the video camera. “Get to work. Maybe it’ll keep you out of trouble.”

  He gave her a suggestive look and picked up the camera. “Don’t count on it.”

  With an exasperated snort, Amy fitted a metal form around the clearest tire track, took a Ziplock bag of premeasured dental stone from her supply case, and added water.

  Jed watched her squeeze the plastic bag this way and that to mix the lemon-colored concoction inside. “What’s that stuff.”

  “Calcium sulfate hemihydrate. It’s a form of gypsum, the same as plaster of Paris, only dental stone produces finer detail and isn’t so easily broken.”

  She moved uphill, opened a corner of the bag, and let the thick, creamy mixture flow slowly into the tire impression.

  “Hey, what about those rocks and twigs?”

  “Whatever was under the tire stays. I remove only debris that has fallen in later.” She emptied the bag and started preparing the next impression.

  When the casts hardened, she stored each in a separate container and carried them to the car. Jed, loaded down with her gear, trailed after her. They had just gotten the car loaded up when a blue pickup sped past

  She grabbed Jed’s arm. “Duck down, it’s Samphan.”

  “Jesus! If he finds us…”

  She heard the spraying of gravel as the pickup skidded to a stop, then the sound of the truck backing up. “What’ll we do? He knows my car.”

  “Improvise.” Jed triggered the lock, closed the door, and grabbed her hand. “Follow me and do as I say.” He dragged her into the woods. “Hurry, I’ve got an idea.” He led the way through a tangle of shrubbery and there, spread out in a mossy glen, was the blanket.

  She skidded to a stop. “Did you plan this?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” He pushed her forward. “If you want to save your casts and our skin, lie down and make some appropriate noises.”

  A metallic thump sounded as Victor either kicked or hit her car. She dove for the blanket.

  Jed flung himself on top of her. “Sorry.” He tousled her hair and jerked her blouse open. “Now, kiss me.”

  “No. Dammit, Jed, get off of me.”

  This was asinine, she thought They should have gotten into the car, tried to bluff Samphan. She struggled to get free. “Let me up,” she whispered harshly.

  When the shrubbery moved, she caught a glimpse of a green jacket and her heart thumped against her ribs. Victor Samphan could be the killer. She threw her arms around Jed’s neck. “Ohh Jed … sweetheart.” She put her lips against his ear. “He’s watching.”

  Jed reached between them and she felt him unzip his pants. Oh, my God. Her cheeks blazed with embarrassment. She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m going to die,” she whispered.

  Jed kissed the curve of her breast and moved his body against hers. “If this doesn’t work, we both might”

  A twig snapped and Victor stepped into the clearing. Jed jerked up his head. “What the hell … Jesus Christ, man, can’t you see we’re,” He got to his feet, turned his back, and zipped his pants up. “No damned privacy anywhere.”

  Amy pushed herself to a sitting position, held her blouse together, and studied Victor Samphan thr
ough her tumbled hair. His eyes took in the scene skeptically and his rigid features had a pasty cast.

  When he became aware of her scrutiny, his expression turned scornful. “Horny bitch!”

  Blood pounded in her head and perspiration broke out underneath her clothing. If she drew her gun, he’d attack before she could shoot. And if she did get in a lucky shot, what then? Interrupting a pair of lovers wasn’t a crime.

  “Hey man,” Jed said in a wheedling tone. “It’s worth a hundred bucks to you if you keep this thing quiet.” He held out two fifty dollar bills. “My wife will kill me if she finds out.”

  Samphan took a step forward, snatched the money from Jed’s outstretched fingers, and stepped back. “Get your asses out of here. If you ever come here again, it’ll cost you a helluva lot more than money.”

  Jed helped Amy to her feet. “We’re going.” He took up the blanket and tarp and put his arm around her.

  As they edged past the man, Amy rested her hand on the gun in case he changed his mind.

  “Slut!” he hissed.

  She stiffened. “That’s enough,” She would have lashed out at him with her fists and feet if Jed hadn’t dragged her with him. “I won’t let him talk to me like that.”

  “Oh, yes, you will.” He rushed her up the trail to the car.

  She got the door unlocked and snapped the keys into his hand. “You drive, I’m out of commission.”

  Jed didn’t need any urging. He gunned the motor and tore out onto the graveled thoroughfare.

  When he reached the blacktopped highway, he pulled over to the side. “Damn, I don’t want to go through that again.’*

  “Amen to that. I’ve never felt so, so,” she shuddered, “I need a bath.”

  “Jesus, Amy, he might have killed us!”

  She stared at him. “Why didn’t he, Jed? I’ll bet money that’s where that woman was murdered.”

  24

  Amy, Dr. Epps, and B.J. gathered in the conference room for a coffee break before going their separate ways.

  B.J. sipped his coffee and let out a long sigh. “Lord, what a day.” He regarded Amy. “Anything interesting happen in Wheeler?”