Murder in San Francisco

by Dianne Harman

  “He can’t get used to it if we don’t allow it, and I think that dog is smart enough to know when he can get by with something and when he can’t. I wouldn’t worry about it,” Roger said as they sped along, his eyes looking straight ahead at the road.

  Liz completed the call to Bertha and then said, “Okay, Roger, back to business. I’ll resume where I left off a couple of minutes ago. What are your thoughts about everything?”

  “I’m processing them, so if I’m a little slow to speak, bear with me. There’s so much going on here, it’s hard to isolate one thought. Let me start with the fact that Bernie could have been murdered. I think it’s a definite possibility. I’ve seen a couple of other cases where an elderly person died and no autopsy was conducted for the very reason one wasn’t conducted in this case, no signs of trauma. But when someone is that wealthy, you’d think it would be mandatory.” Roger looked in his rear-view mirror, before pulling out to overtake a truck.

  “Okay, dumb question. Why isn’t it mandatory?” Liz asked.

  “Function of government. Never enough money to go around. Being the coroner of a city as large as San Francisco with an active criminal population makes for judgment decisions, like which deaths should be autopsied, and which shouldn’t. Quite frankly, there isn’t enough money or manpower to do all of them. An elderly person with no visible signs of trauma would be a natural to take a pass on, and in this case, that’s unfortunate because it’s causing problems.”

  “Roger, from that statement, I’m taking it you think Bernie Spitzer was murdered. Right?”

  He was quiet for several moments, and then he said, “Liz, if it was the old guy down the street who tended his roses, and he died with no signs of trauma, no one would blink twice. Matter of fact, rather doubt that anyone would request that an autopsy be conducted, but that wasn’t the case here.

  “The man died with no will or trust, which in itself is unusual, then he has two children who have both had monetary problems, a much younger woman as a companion, and a business deal from the past that went bad. Yeah, I sure would have liked to have seen an autopsy conducted immediately upon his death. Cases go stale, suspects have time to develop elaborate alibis, and evidence gets inadvertently or deliberately lost. In cases like that, when I’m called in to defend someone, it makes my job a lot harder.”

  Liz thought for a moment. “I can see where it would. I’ll call Sean first thing tomorrow and start doing what I can to help, although I have no idea what it would be. What did you think about the news that Michelle’s expecting twins?”

  “I’m kind of at odds over that.” Roger looked across at Liz for a brief second and she could see that like her, he was tired too. He turned his attention back to the road. “Naturally, if she’s happy I’m happy for her, but if Bernie was murdered, his son and daughter have got to be placed very high on the suspect list. Couple that with the fact that not only is Walter going to court to ask for an increase in Michelle’s family allowance, which will take money from the estate, but also the share each of them will inherit will go down from one-third to one-fourth now that Michelle’s going to have twins rather than just one child. When you’re dealing with an estate as large as Bernie’s looks to be, that’s a sizable chunk of money. If you do the math, it reduces each of their shares from $100 hundred million, with one child, to $75 million, with the twins. That’s a $25 million decrease, and like I said, that’s a sizeable chunk of money.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Yes, I see what you mean. So, let me get this straight. When the twins are born, they and his adult children will split the estate equally, is that correct?” Liz asked him.

  “Yes, and there’s another thing we need to consider. I’ve been thinking about it the last couple of hours. Here it is. I think Michelle needs a bodyguard.”

  Liz looked at him, surprised. “A bodyguard? Why?”

  “Liz, I know you like to believe the best will always come out in people, but if something horrible were to happen to Michelle and she had a miscarriage, or I guess in this case, it would be called two miscarriages, Bernie’s adult son and daughter would each get one-half of his estate, not one-fourth.”

  Liz’s eyes became wide with the realization of what he was saying. “Oh, Roger, you don’t think they would try to do something to Michelle, do you?”

  “I don’t know, but I’d like to make sure my client is protected. I’ll call Walter in the morning, and tell him what I have in mind. I’ve used several bodyguards in the past, so I can easily get one or two for her. Actually, I’ll probably need two, because I’d like to see her guarded 24/7 until this whole thing shakes out.”

  “How do you think she’ll feel about having bodyguards? I sure wouldn’t like it.” Michelle struck Liz as someone who didn’t like to draw much attention to herself, despite her head-turning appearance.

  “I have no idea, but considering what the consequences could be if she doesn’t, her thoughts on the matter are rather irrelevant to me. I’ll ask Walter to call her and tell her it’s a done deal. I think I’ll also have a talk with the doorman or doormen, since there are probably several, grease their palms, and tell them I’d like them to keep a log of anyone who asks for Ms. D’Amato, and to call me if anyone asks about her condo number. I also want them to hold any flowers or packages in the lobby until I can have her bodyguards inspect them.

  “I noticed that a key was needed for the regular elevator as well as Bernie’s, so that should help keep foot traffic to her condo down.” He paused, looked at Liz, and resumed speaking. “Liz, I know you don’t like to hear this, but until we find out exactly what’s happening here, I’d like Winston to be with you at all times.” He saw her start to object and held his hand up to stop her from speaking.

  “It’s not up for negotiation,” he insisted. “I need to spend time doing whatever it takes to make sure that in case Michelle is considered to be a suspect, or worst-case scenario, is charged with murder, she gets the best representation money can buy. Walter needs to get his case ready to ask for the increased family allowance for her and the babies, and remember that’s going to be on a fast track, plus he has to keep her as calm as reasonably possible. And you, my love, will be the one out among them, trying to see what you can find out about the cast of characters on the suspect list. That’s why I want Winston with you, and if you really love me, you’d stick that little gun you own in your purse and have it with you all the time.”

  “Okay, Roger,” Liz said, knowing there was no point arguing with her husband. “I’ll take Winston with me when I go into San Francisco, and since all the players live there, I’ll probably be spending some time there, but seriously, the gun? You know how much I hate to have it on me. I always feel like a criminal myself when I’m carrying it.”

  “Sorry, Liz, but you have two choices. You can carry it and feel like a criminal or not carry it, and when something horrible happens, wish you’d had it. Personally, I’d opt for the former.”

  She sighed and said, “All right, if it makes you happy I will, but I have to tell you the only reason I’ll do it is for your peace of mind. Turning to another matter, what did you think of the vibes between Michelle and Walter?”

  “I have no clue what you’re talking about. Walter is her attorney. And if you’re referring to the fact he had his secretary get a sandwich and milk for her, of course he’s going to try and do what he thinks is best for her and for her babies to be.”

  “Roger, are you telling me you didn’t notice any chemistry between them?” she asked incredulously.

  He took his eyes from the road ahead of him and looked briefly at her. His expression was clueless. “No, I didn’t see any chemistry, and for what it’s worth, I didn’t see any physics either. I saw nothing more than a concerned attorney doing the best job he could for his client.”

  Liz started to giggle. “Roger, I love you more than anything, but I think you were absent when they handed out the man-woman vibe gene.”

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nbsp; CHAPTER 17

  “Are you going into your office in San Francisco today, or will you be working out of your office here in Red Cedar?” Liz asked Roger over breakfast the following morning. As usual, Winston was lying down contentedly between them. Although Liz was his go-to person, he’d accepted Roger as his second person when Liz and Roger had gotten married.

  Before he married Liz, Roger had been a widower for several years. He’d lived and worked in San Francisco, but when he’d met Liz, his life had changed. He’d convinced his partners at the San Francisco law firm where he was a partner, that he should open a satellite office in Red Cedar. When he’d married, Liz, he acquired two grown step-children, as well as two dogs, Winston and Brandy Boy. It had been an interesting two years for Roger.

  “Yes, I’m going to go into the city as soon as I finish breakfast. I want to get started doing the preliminary work on Michelle’s case. Hate to say it, but I have a sense it’s going to be needed. I want to look at all of the files we have on Bernie, I want to get the bodyguards for Michelle, and I want to talk to Sean. And you?” Roger asked as he looked up from buttering his toast.

  “I’m calling Sean as soon as the office opens. You’ll probably still be in transit, but he’s so good at finding out information, I’d like him to get started on it as soon as possible. How about if I ask him to copy you on everything he finds out? That would save you from spending time telling him pretty much the same thing I’ll be telling him.”

  “Please do,” Roger responded with an affirmative nod of his head. “This is an interesting situation, Liz, with quite a cast of interesting characters. Although we still don’t know if Bernie was murdered, but if he was, it’s important to remember that there’s always the chance it was committed by someone that’s not even on our radar.”

  “I know, but I think it was my favorite defense attorney who once told me that when you’re trying to solve a case you always start with the low hanging fruit, and based on what Sean finds out, that’s what I’ll be doing. Do you think you’ll be back in your Red Cedar office later this afternoon? I was wondering if you’d be around for the guest dinner tonight.”

  “Probably not.” Roger stuffed the last piece of toast in his mouth, and chewed it before replying. “I want to see where this goes. There’s a good chance that Bernie’s children will have their attorney get a court order to exhume the body, and if that happens, we could know something pretty soon. Sounds like Walter has a source at the police department, so I want to make sure I’m told as soon as he finds out anything. And you?”

  Liz stirred her morning drink of choice, a concoction of warm water, lemon, and manuka honey. “I mentioned the guest dinner, but depending on what Sean finds out, I may go into the city and if that happens, I won’t be able to make it back here in time for dinner. I hate to do that to Gina two nights in a row, but I think Michelle’s predicament takes precedence.”

  “Couldn’t agree more.” Roger looked down at the watch on his wrist and took a final sip of his coffee. “I need to get out of here. The longer I wait, the worse the traffic will be. If I leave now, I might be able to beat the bulk of it. I’m so glad the firm agreed to let me open an office here in Red Cedar. I don’t even want to think what my stress level and blood pressure would be like if I had to make that commute on a daily basis.”

  Roger stood up, walked around the table, and kissed Liz on her cheek. “Love you, Mrs. Langley. I’ll touch base with you later today. If you’re going to be in the city, maybe we could have lunch or an early dinner there.” Winston followed him to the door and watched him step over Brandy Boy to get to the steps that led down to where his car was parked.

  “Okay, Winston. It’s just you and me,” Liz said to the big dog after Roger had left. “You haven’t been to the city in a while. This might be the day.”

  She looked at the kitchen clock, and although it was only 7:00, she knew Sean often went into the office early to make up for the times he left the office in the afternoon to coach his nephew’s soccer team. Sean had two loves in life: his work and the soccer team. He was still searching for a woman who could become his third love, or maybe even his first, but so far, he was scoreless in that department.

  She reached for her phone and pressed in Sean’s number, smiling when he picked it up. “Morning, Sean. I took a chance and thought I’d see if you were at the office this early. Guess I made the right decision.”

  “You did. I’m leaving the office early today. My team has a big game, so I thought I’d come in and take care of the daily grind. Liz, whenever you call this early, I’m guessing this is not just to say hi and see how I’m doing. Would that be correct?”

  Liz laughed. “That it would. A situation has come up that needs your expertise. Let me give you the background and the names of the players. I’d like any information you can find out about these people.” She spent the next few minutes telling him about Michelle’s situation and the list of possible suspects.

  “When do you need this, Liz? I’m actually pretty open this morning. I have a meeting at 1:00 with one of the partners regarding a high-profile divorce. Seems like the husband might have been supporting not one, but apparently two mistresses. He can well afford it, but the wife wants to use whatever I can find out to help her get the best settlement she can. At least that’s what her family law attorney told me.”

  “Sean, I hate to ask, but Roger may not have the luxury of a long time to prepare the defense in this case, if it comes to that. Considering the stress Michelle is under, and don’t forget, I mentioned she was carrying twins, I’d like to get started on this as soon as possible, and I know Roger would too. By the way, to save both you and Roger time, in addition to telling me whatever you find out, would you make sure that he gets the information as well?”

  “Sure, that’s not a problem. It’s only a little after 7:00 right now, so I can probably have something for you by 10:00. Is that soon enough?”

  “That would be wonderful, and it will give me a chance to get tonight’s dinner organized for Gina in case I have to go into the city.”

  “Well, if you do, you know you’re always welcome to come to one of our soccer games. This evening we’re practicing for tomorrow’s game. That’s for the league championship, and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited this team of twelve-year-old boys is.”

  “Sounds to me like the coach is, too.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Sean said. “Talk to you later.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Liz spent the next two hours preparing and assembling that night’s dinner in case she had to go to San Francisco. She wrote out instructions for Gina and thought how very lucky she was to have someone who could handle the dinners when she couldn’t be there to do them herself.

  Winston may have been an excellent guard dog, highly trained to voice and hand signal commands, and a gentle giant, but he was still a dog. And this dog did what most dogs do when their owner is opening up the refrigerator and working in the kitchen. He simply stayed as close to her as he could, hoping that an errant crumb would find its way to the floor, and he would be the one to discover it. It was a game he and Liz played almost every day, and both of them knew the rules well.

  True to the game, Liz “accidentally” allowed several choice morsels to fall to the floor. And if a stranger were to witness the game, they might be amazed that the morsels that fell to the floor were always of interest to Winston, not something mundane like celery or brussel sprouts. “Okay, Winston, the game is over for today.” Liz washed her hands quickly with warm water and soap. “My phone’s ringing, and I can see from the name on the screen that it’s Sean.”

  “Sean, you’re true to your word. It’s 10:00 straight up. I assume you have some information for me.”

  “No, Liz, not some information. I have a lot of information for you. Where do you want me to start?”

  Liz sat down at the kitchen table. “How about with Michelle? She’s kind of the main player here.”
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  “Okay, your call. She was bounced around between a number of different foster homes when she was growing up, and although I didn’t find any information alluding to foster fathers overstepping boundaries with her, the fact that she left the last one when she was only sixteen sure could be a factor. From what I found out, she was a beautiful young woman, and from recent photos of her with Bernie, she is still drop-dead gorgeous nearly twenty-five years later.”

  “Yes, I’d agree. She is a stunningly beautiful woman,” Liz said.

  “According to my research, a modeling agency picked her up, and she spent a couple of years working for them in Europe. Some of the countries there aren’t quite as restrictive as the U.S. is about underage girls working. She quit modeling when she got married for the first time. Husband number one was a Brazilian soccer player, and although he was quite well known for his exploits on the soccer field, he was equally at home in the beds of a number of other women. He spent money lavishly, to the extent that when Michelle divorced him, she left the marriage with very little.”

  “I see,” Liz said, glad to see that Michelle hadn’t been accepting of her husband’s philandering. “What happened with husband number two?”

  “Her second husband was the heir apparent to become the president of one of the top perfume companies in France, or at least that’s what he told her. What he didn’t tell her was the company was about to be bought out by an American company, and he was no longer the heir. In fact, once the acquisition was complete, he was out of a job. Evidently he decided to take a proactive approach and rather than slink away into the sunset, he announced his intention to join a Buddhist monastery in Thailand. Their divorce soon followed.”

  “Wow! What a background. I knew nothing about either the first marriage or that one. Go on. Shock me with husband number three.”