“I’m sure everyone was glad when that happened,” Marty said. “He can be a little intimidating.”
“You got that right. Anyway, the people who are here include some big guy, he’s the one who brought the dog, your sister, and the husband of the woman we arrested for the murder of Melissa Ross. All of these folks, plus the dog, are inside the station in the viewing room. That’s where we’re going.”
A minute later the detective unlocked a side door to the police station and led them to a room where the others were waiting. Patron was growling as he stood on his hind legs in front of a window, his guard hairs erect. Marty had been in the viewing room on prior occasions with Jeff, and she knew that the window was a one-way window. Laura was kneeling beside Patron, calming him. When Marty walked over to him he turned and sat down beside her for a moment before resuming his stance at the window.
Prior to Marty and Isabella entering the viewing room, Jeff and the other detectives had taken Rhonda Taylor to an adjoining room that was visible through the one-way window. Four other female employees of the police department were also in the room. The other women were generally similar to Rhonda in physical appearance, were dressed in civilian clothes, and were about the same age as Rhonda.
The five women were asked to stand with their backs to a wall that faced the one-way viewing window. Each of them was directed to stand under a number that was painted on the wall behind them. Rhonda was standing under the number 3 that was painted on the wall behind her.
Detective Bryant escorted Isabella over to the one-way window and asked her to look at the five women who were standing against the wall in the adjoining room. He asked Isabella, “Do you recognize any of the women in the line-up as being the person you saw who murdered Miss Ross?”
Isabella looked at the five women in the adjoining room, turned to Detective Bryant, and said, “Yes. It is number 3. That is the woman who murdered Miss Ross.”
Detective Bryant was holding a tape recorder in his hand and said, “Let the record reflect that the witness has identified the person standing in position number 3 in the line-up as the person she saw murder Melissa Ross. The person standing in position number 3 in the line-up is Rhonda Taylor. Miss Lopez, I want to be sure that I understood you correctly. Please say it again.” He held the tape recorder about six inches away from her.
“The woman who is standing in position number 3 in the adjoining room is the woman I saw take a needle out of Miss Ross’ arm, after she’d dropped to the floor. It is her. I am certain. She is the one who killed Miss Ross.”
Isabella started shaking and began to softly weep. “I am so scared,” she said. “I just know something bad is going to happen to me. That woman is going to come after me for what I’ve told you. Maybe she will kill me, too. What am I going to do?”
Detective Bryant turned off the tape recorder and said, “Miss Lopez, you can trust me. I promise nothing will happen to you. However, I do need to ask you a couple of questions, but first I need to tell Detective Combs that you identified Rhonda Taylor as the killer.”
“Si.”
When Detective Bryant returned from telling Jeff that Isabella had positively identified Rhonda Taylor as the person she saw murder Melissa Ross, he questioned Isabella for several moments regarding where she was when she saw the woman, how the woman had gotten into the house, how she knew Melissa Ross was dead, and other questions that would be part of the criminal case against Rhonda Taylor.
When he finished, he put his hand on her arm and said, “You did very well, Miss Lopez. Without your positive eyewitness identification, that woman might have gone free and murdered someone else.”
Dr. Taylor spoke for the first time and said, “The someone else who might have been murdered is the woman I’m in love with. The woman I plan on making my wife. Rhonda is a very sick woman. I’m just sorry I didn’t do something about it when I first suspected she was going insane. I will have to live with the fact I could have prevented a murder for the rest of my life.”
Marty turned to the doctor. “Dr. Taylor, if it’s any consolation, I met with your wife yesterday, and there was absolutely nothing that led me to suspect she was capable of murder. You might have thought she was having problems, but neither you nor anyone else could have predicted that a jealousy over something like being the foremost collector of art and antiques in Palm Springs would lead to murder. Please don’t beat yourself up about it,” she said.
“Thank you for those kind words, but the fact is assessing people’s mental states is what I do for a living. It’s ironic I missed that in someone I’d been living with for years. I guess the marriage was so dead I never really saw or realized what she had become. My personal distaste for my wife was such that I simply ignored her.”
Marty looked through the one-way window and saw Jeff and several other detectives standing in the adjoining room where Rhonda Taylor had been taken. A smartly dressed man entered the room and walked over to Rhonda. They began to talk as Jeff and the other men left the room. A moment later, Jeff walked in the room where Marty and the others were.
Detective Bryant said, “Sir, as I told you, the lady, Isabella Lopez, identified Rhonda Taylor as the woman who murdered Melissa Ross. I have it all on tape. Here, you can listen to it.”
Jeff walked over to a corner of the room, rewound the tape, listened to it, and then said, “Nicely done, Ricky. She’s talking to her attorney right now. He’s the guy who just walked in. I’m going back in there and will probably be interviewing her for the next hour unless her lawyer tells her not to answer my questions.” He turned to Marty and said, “Why don’t you take Miss Lopez home after she signs a few papers stating that we have the right to use this recording, if necessary, at the time of Rhonda’s trial?”
“Jeff, I need to talk to you for a moment,” Marty said in response. “Let’s go over in the corner and talk.” She told him about Isabella and Tomas and how she’d promised Isabella she’d never have to see Tomas again or have anything to do with him. When she was finished, Jeff pulled his phone out of his pocket and made several phone calls. When he was done, he turned back to his wife.
“Okay, Marty. We have a place for her. It’s very nice and quite a distance from where she lived with Tomas. When I get through with Rhonda Taylor, I’ll start the paperwork on getting a restraining order against Tomas that will prohibit him from contacting or being anywhere near Isabella. Then we can begin the process of helping Isabella get a job and everything else that goes with something like this.”
Detective Bryant walked over to them. “Sir, I couldn’t help but overhear what you were saying,” he said. “As you may have guessed, I’m very active in my church and helping women in Isabella’s situation is one of the things my church is very good at. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but it probably has more resources than the police do.”
Marty and Jeff exchanged a glance as Ricky continued to talk. “And as far as jobs, we have several very wealthy women in our church who are always willing to have women work for them who have problems like hers. As a matter of fact, we have a beautiful fully staffed high-security building for women who are in a situation like Isabella’s. I’d be happy to make the arrangements for her and take her there.”
Jeff looked at Marty for approval, and she nodded slightly and grinned. She was a sucker for burgeoning romances, and she sensed she was on the ground floor of one just taking off.
“Ricky, please go ahead with it,” Jeff instructed him. “Marty, would you talk to Isabella and make sure that this is all right with her? It would free me up to make sure that all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed in connection with Rhonda Taylor’s arrest.”
Next, Jeff walked over to speak with Dr. Taylor. “Doctor, you can leave and rest assured that your lady friend will be free from any future threats of harm. I know that you’re going to have a lot of decisions to make regarding your house and everything else, but I think you can get started on making those decisions whenever
you want, because your present wife won’t be coming back home, period.”
Wes Taylor shook Jeff’s hand. “Thanks, Detective. This is a lot for me to process, but for the first time in a long, long time I feel hopeful about the future. I still feel somewhat responsible for Miss Ross’ murder, and I always will, but I’m sure time will help. By the way, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with your detective about his church’s ability to help women. If it’s the one I’m thinking of, they’re the best around. As a matter of fact, I think that church is the only one that has a facility like the one he mentioned. I’ve sent a number of my patients to them, and the support that was given to them amazed me. I’m confident Miss Lopez will receive the best help that’s available.” With that he nodded, got up, and walked out the door.
Jeff turned back to his wife with a quizzical expression on his face. “Marty, what is with everyone hearing what I was saying? I was speaking very quietly.”
“Jeff, hate to tell you, but very quietly to you is a yell for anyone else. I just hope you don’t talk when you’re on a stakeout, or your days as the head of the detective branch of the Palm Springs Police Department might just be numbered.”
Jeff’s face fell. “I didn’t know that. I’ll make it a point to be even quieter in the future.”
“Sweetheart, some things are impossible. I think that’s one.” She looked over to where Ricky was quietly talking to Isabella in Spanish and saw that Isabella was nodding her head in assent and even smiling occasionally. “Patron, Les, Laura, think it’s time we headed for home. Laura, do you have to go back to the office or can you take the rest of the day off?”
“I think I need some time to decompress,” Laura said, pressing her palm against her brow. “Between ghosts and psychic dogs, I’m exhausted. Meet you at the compound.”
EPILOGUE
TWO WEEKS LATER
“John, I invited two people to join us for dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind,” Jeff said as he strode out to the large table in the middle of the courtyard with Marty at his side. “You always have more than enough food, but I am going to put out some iced tea along with the wine. The young man I invited doesn’t drink.”
“Fine by me, Jeff.” John grinned. “I love to feed people, and yes, I know I probably cook too much for us, but I’ve never heard any complaints about the leftovers,” he said as he added two more place settings on the table.
“Nor will you,” Jeff said, grinning. “Ever.”
Marty turned to Jeff in surprise. “You didn’t tell me you’d invited anyone to dinner. When did that happen, and who did you invite?”
“At work today. John’s food is so good, I thought it would be nice to invite Ricky Bryant to eat with us at our compound out here. He’s the young detective who was really instrumental in helping me solve the Ross murder case. Thought it might make him feel special. He readily accepted and asked if he could bring someone. I said sure, and then I asked who it was. Turns out he’s seeing Isabella Lopez.” Jeff raised an eyebrow and one of the glasses of wine John had poured for them at the same time. “You just never know, do you?”
“I didn’t know that.” Marty accepted the other glass of wine which Jeff handed to her. “I’ve called Isabella a couple of times to see how she’s doing, but she never said anything about seeing Ricky. That’s a nice outcome to a horrible situation.”
“I think it might be serious,” Jeff went on. “Ricky mentioned something about how they’d been seeing a lot of each other, which led me to believe they might be thinking of a future. He also told me she’s working for a very wealthy woman who happens to have a number of antiques in her home, and was pleased to have Isabella work for her, because she wouldn’t have to explain how careful she had to be with them.”
“That’s perfect,” Marty said, taking a sip of her wine. “I’m really happy for her. She seems like a really nice person who got involved in a bad relationship with a totally unsuitable person and was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The bell on the gate jingled, announcing visitors. Duke and Patron scampered towards it, eager to see who was there, followed by Jeff and Marty.
“Welcome,” Jeff said as he led Ricky and Isabella, whose hands were entwined, into the courtyard. Jeff and Marty watched in amazement as Patron walked over to Isabella, sniffed her shoe, and then wagged his tail.
Marty shared a smile with Laura, who looked relieved, and then said, “Isabella, I think you’ve just passed an unwritten ‘doggie likes you’ test. Ricky, Isabella, I want to introduce you to my friends, including the best chef in Palm Springs.”
RECIPES
BACON AND EGG BREAKFAST SANDWICH
Ingredients:
3 slices bacon, cut in half, widthwise
1 egg, beaten
1 hamburger bun (I like Sweet Onion Sandwich Buns by Van de Kamp’s.)
2 very thin slices of onion (If you have a mandolin, use it to get these extra-thin.)
2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray’s.)
Cooking spray
Directions:
Lightly toast the bun. Place 2 paper towel sheets on a microwave-safe plate. Put the bacon on it and cover with 2 more paper towel sheets. Microwave on high for 6-7 minutes until crisp. Remove and place 3 pieces of bacon on each half of the bun. Lightly spray a 4” round ramekin with cooking spray and pour the beaten egg into it. Microwave the egg on medium for approximately 30-40 seconds, until slightly firm. (Be careful not to overcook. You don’t want it to blow up!) Place the cooked egg on top of the bacon, add the BBQ sauce and sliced onion. Close the sandwich with the other half of the bun that has bacon on it.
NOTE: Microwave times vary, so keep a close eye on it!
CHOCOLATE TASTING PLATE
Ingredients:
6 chocolate bars (2 dark, 2 milk chocolate, 2 white chocolate)
2 small ramekins or bowls of dried fruit such as apricots, raisins, figs, etc.
1 small bowl of sliced green apples or other palate cleansers
Directions:
Break each chocolate bar into several pieces. Arrange the bars, dried fruit, and the apples on a large serving tray. Depending on the number of people you will be serving, you may wish to have a couple of trays.
ONE DISH SAUSAGE PASTA
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sausage (I prefer the Jimmy Dean brand.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. pasta (I like to use penne or fusilli.)
2 cups chicken broth (I prefer Better Than Bouillon.)
1 cup diced onion
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ cup half and half
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
Add olive oil to a deep skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and sausage and cook until the onions and sausage are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
Add the chicken broth, pasta, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the half and half and simmer until it is warm. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the cheese and stir until melted. Sprinkle with the green onions and serve. Enjoy!
SOUTHERN JACK AND COKE CAKE
Ingredients:
3 ¾ sticks butter, cubed (Always use unsalted. If you want it a little saltier, you can always add salt later.)
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ cup Jack Daniel’s whiskey or any other good bourbon
2 cups flour
1 ½ cups Coca-Cola
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed down
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
extract (Don’t use imitation!)
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ chopped pecans
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Cooking spray
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” Pyrex glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup of the Coke into a large saucepan. Add 2 sticks of butter, ¼ cup cocoa powder, and whiskey. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, both sugars, baking soda and salt together. Stir the cocoa mixture into the dry ingredients and blend. Pour the buttermilk into a small bowl, stir in the eggs and vanilla, add to the batter, and combine. Stir in the pecans. Spread the batter in the baking dish. Bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Ovens vary, so it may take longer.) Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter with the remaining Coke and cocoa powder over medium heat. Beat in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Pour the frosting over the cooled cake and smooth with a frosting spatula. Let the cake cool completely before serving (I like to refrigerate it until about ½ hour before serving.) Enjoy!
STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Ingredients:
16 large white mushrooms
½ tbsp. butter
3 slices bacon, finely chopped
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup soft breadcrumbs
¼ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. Herbes de Provence
¼ tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop. Remove the gills from the mushrooms and discard. Fry the bacon until crisp. Let cool and cut into small pieces. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium heat. Place the mushroom stems and onion in the pan and sauté until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute. Remove from the burner and add the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Spoon approximately 1 tsp. of the combined mixture into each mushroom cap. Press down gently with your fingers and shape the top into a small dome.
Murder and Mega Millions: A High Desert Cozy Mystery Page 13