She hesitated, then straightened her back, lifted her chin.
“No. Actually, my husband was inside.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “He’s dead.”
Anthony’s face dropped, mouth opened. He reached out and touched her arm. “Victoria, I’m…I’m so sorry.”
She looked down, saying nothing.
“Um, do you need anything?” He shook his head. “I’m sorry… I’m not quite sure what to say.”
“No, no, that’s fine. There’s really nothing you can say.”
“Do you have a place to stay?”
“Yes, I’m at a hotel now, and then I’ll figure it out.”
He dropped his arm. “Okay. What caused it?”
“They think a gas leak.”
“They think?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, there’s a lot of thinking right now and not a lot of facts.”
“They should know the facts soon enough.”
“I hope so.” She crossed her arms. “Then they’ll stop bugging me.”
“Bugging you?”
“The lead cop on the case thinks there’s more to it than a gas leak.”
He crossed his arms. “Oh, really?”
“Yes. And he’s bugging the hell out of me about it. I wish I knew what made him suspicious.”
“May I ask who?”
“Lieutenant Dabrowski.”
“Hmm.”
She cocked her head. “Hmm, what?”
He looked down. “Well, maybe I could help.”
Intrigued she asked, “Help, how exactly?”
“Help get information…figure things out.”
“Assuming there are things to figure out?”
“Yes, assuming. That way, you could be fully informed on everything as well.”
She narrowed her eyes. “And how would you get that information?”
He grinned. “I have my ways.”
She looked him up and down, sizing him up. “How can a criminal defense attorney help get details on my house fire and husband’s death?”
He hesitated. “I used to be a PI. I still dabble…for a price.”
“A private investigator?”
“Yes. That’s what I did before going to law school.”
She stepped back and raised her eyebrows. “How much to retain your services?”
He smiled and stepped forward, closing the space between them. “For you, Mrs. Henry. I’ll dig for free.”
“Nothing’s for free.”
He laughed. “You’re right. If there ends up being a lot to this, then I’ll give you a price. But, I’ll do the initial dig for free.”
“Aren’t you in town only temporarily?”
“I’ll be here a while longer.”
She didn’t like the idea of anyone digging around in her life. But, it was already happening regardless with Lieutenant Dabrowski.
She shrugged. “It would be nice to know exactly what makes Dabrowski think my house burning down was no accident.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” His face dropped. “I really am sorry, Victoria.”
“Thank you.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a card. “Here’s my information.”
He smiled. His eyes lingering on hers. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
She smiled back. “Have a good evening, Mr. Ramos.”
Chapter 8
“Dabrowski here.”
“Hey, it’s Jenny.”
“What’s up?”
“Autopsy’s done on the ravine dude.”
Danny took off his reading glasses and laid down his pen. “John Mortin. Give it to me.”
“Died from a blow to the head, presumably on the tumble down.”
“That’s it? No heart attack?”
“No heart attack. Healthy as a horse.”
“Fall asleep at the wheel?”
“Nope.”
Danny picked up his pencil and started tapping it on his desk. “Hmm.”
“I don’t have time for your hmms.”
“Okay, send me the official report when you can.”
“Will do.”
Danny hung up and glanced at the clock. Damn it, he was late. He pushed back his chair, rushed down the hall, and knocked on his boss’s door. “Chief Mason.”
“Danny, come on in.”
“Sorry I’m late, was on the phone with Jenny.” He took a seat across from the chief.
Chief Peirce Mason was in his late sixties and had worked in law enforcement his whole life. He was a straight forward, tell-it-like-it-is kind of man. He and Danny had a great working relationship and immense respect for each other. Peirce had been grooming him to take his spot since Danny joined the force.
“What’d she have to say?” Always straight to the point, no small talk, which Danny appreciated.
“The ravine guy, John Mortin. Died from a blow to the head, clean tox.”
“Well, then, close the book and move on, Danny. You know I shouldn’t have approved the autopsy on that one.”
“I know.” He paused. “Something just doesn’t smell right, Mason.”
“How so?”
“He was the CFO at King Chemicals. Healthy, drug free guy ran off the road, hauling ass.”
“So what? Could’ve fallen asleep.”
“He didn’t. Then, the next day, William King, CEO of King Chemicals’ house burned down while he was inside.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’re here.”
Danny leaned forward.
“I understand you’ve already taken this stance, but I want you to be the lead on that case, until we get William King’s autopsy back and we can officially close it.”
“Will do.”
“The media’s swirling around it. It’s just a matter of time before they start drawing their own conclusions.” He leaned back and narrowed his eyes. “And there’s nothing that leads us to believe the fire was suspicious, correct?”
Danny paused to make a point. He had nothing other than his gut instinct to presume that the fire was suspicious, and that John Mortin’s death was also somehow connected. But, Chief Mason was only interested in facts.
“Correct.”
“Okay then, let’s keep it that way.”
“Yes, sir.” He stood and turned to walk out the door.
“Danny?”
“Yes?”
He sighed. “When are you going to take my chair?”
“Sir?”
“Don’t play dumb. I’m tired, Danny, you know that.” He leaned forward on his elbows. “I’m ready to retire and I want you to step up.”
Danny stepped away from the door and turned to fully face the Chief. “I’m too young. Sir.”
“Ah, bullshit. I’m too old.” He leaned back. “You’re the only person I trust to fill this seat. You’ve got everything it takes.”
“Thank you, sir.” He shifted his weight. “I just don’t want to push a pencil all day and deal with the bureaucracy. I like to be in the line of fire, so to speak.”
“Once a SEAL, always a SEAL, I get it.” He stood up from his desk. “Let’s get this King case over with and then I seriously want to talk to you about it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Danny left the room feeling a bit uneasy. Did he want the position? How could he turn it down? It was a natural progression for him, but he liked being a Lieutenant. Not as much as a SEAL, of course, but it filled the hole for him, partially at least.
His stomach grumbled and he realized he’d skipped breakfast. He took a pause, glancing into his office to make sure there were no messages, then grabbed his keys and walked out.
He was halfway down the steps when he saw her. His stomach hit the floor.
She smiled that smile that made him melt.
“Hey, you.” She sauntered over to him in skin tight leggings, a red silk top and high heels. For a split second, he felt excitement in his pants. It had been too long. He made a mental note to get laid, immediately.
His excitement
quickly faded, though. “Crissy.”
She crossed her arms and cocked her hip. “You haven’t been returning my calls or texts. Ever.”
Yeah, well you fucked my best friend, he thought, but didn’t say it. “I’ve been busy.”
She glanced behind him at the station. “Are we really just never going to talk again?”
Irritation swept over him, he felt sweat beading on his back. “What do you want, Crissy?”
She stepped closer. “I’d like to take you to lunch.”
He glanced around the parking lot. “I have some things to do.”
“Can’t you put them off?”
“Nope.”
“Look.” She shifted and looked down. “I just want to spend some time with you again. I have no doubt you’ve read my million emails apologizing for what happened. You know I’m sorry, and I miss you.” She looked up and her puppy dog eyes met his.
For a moment they just stared at each other. A swift cool breeze blew a strand of her blonde hair across her face. She looked like she did the day he met her. He did love her once, hell, he had been head over heels for her. Until she ruined everything.
His irritation grew to anger and he narrowed his gaze. “That ship has sailed, sweetheart.”
Her eyes grew big, surprised at his curtness. “I’ll do whatever it takes. What do you want from me, Danny?”
“I want you to stay the hell away from me.”
She threw her hands up. “But I still love you! I can’t get over you!”
He stepped closer to her, face-to-face. His jaw clenched and he looked her dead in her eyes. Gritting his teeth, he muttered, “You should have thought about that before you fucked my best friend.”
Wide eyed, she looked down at his clenched fists and took a step back.
Peeling his eyes away, he side-stepped her and walked to his truck without looking back. He climbed in and hit the steering wheel with his fists. What the hell was wrong with him lately?
He took a second to look around the parking lot to make sure no one had seen them. The last thing he needed was a bunch of his fellow officers seeing the lovers’ spat. He’d never hear the end of it.
She was already gone and a pang of guilt washed over him. His short temper had been an issue all his life, but he believed it was just an unfortunate side effect of his intense passion to succeed and to be the best man he could be. Ying and yang. But, Crissy never saw it that way. She had a way of bringing the temper out in him and then turning it around on him. Like most women. Like most, sneaky, conniving women.
He needed some air, a quick break to clear his head. It was too early to drink so he drove to his apartment, threw on his running clothes, clipped on his phone and jogged back down his steps.
Inhaling the fresh fall air, a calmness swept over him. The temperature was in the low seventies, with a light, cool breeze. The sun was hidden behind cloud cover, which was prefect for running.
About a half mile in, he surprised himself by thinking of Victoria. Victoria Henry. He thought of the way she looked, standing in her front yard gazing at the rubble of her house. He thought of the shape of her body, the alluring curves and full breasts. He thought of her long dark hair and red lips.
He picked up his pace.
Just as he hit his second mile, his phone buzzed. He halted and took a minute to slow his breath. He glanced down at the number from the fire station and answered.
“Dabrowski.”
“Hey, it’s Cartwright.”
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Wanted to let you know we’ve confirmed that the fire at the King house was a gas leak, no arson suspected.”
“Give me more details.”
“King accidently ignited the fire…could have been a lighter, or hell, maybe static electricity. He lit up like a firework.”
“What a way to go.”
“Yep. Has the body been autopsied yet?”
“Working on it.”
“Keep me in the loop.”
“Will do, buddy.”
Danny hung up and dialed The ME’s office.
“Jenny Tomlinson.”
“Hey, it’s me again.”
“Damn it. What?”
“Burn vic, William King, have you worked on him yet?”
“Uh, hang on.” Danny heard muffled voices and the phone being scraped against something. “We’re working on him now.”
“Who’s we?”
“What? You think I do everything by myself down here?”
“I’d probably prefer that.”
“I’m sure you would.”
“When should you be done?”
“Hang on again.” More muffled voices.
“Maybe by the end of the day.”
“Call me as soon as he’s done.”
“Yep.”
Click.
Danny slid his phone back in the holster and began jogging where he left off.
* * * *
Victoria picked up her buzzing phone.
On my way up.
She tossed it across the room, laid her head back on the Jacuzzi tub and took a deep breath. Glancing at her pruned fingers, she realized she’d been soaking for over an hour. It was already seven thirty in the evening.
As if she was stuck in thick mud, she pulled herself up, stepped out and wrapped herself in the lush hotel robe.
The door chimed.
Victoria padded across the suite and opened the door. Natasha pushed past her carrying a bag of Chinese food and a bag full of clothes and toiletries in one hand and a vase full of flowers in the other. “Oh my God, Vee, how are you?” She sat her load on a coffee table and opened her arms for a hug.
“I’m… okay.” They embraced.
“Can you eat? Have you even eaten?”
Victoria motioned her over to the sitting area. “Yeah, I’ve eaten.” She rubbed her eyes. “I’m still in shock, I think.”
Natasha put her hand on Victoria’s leg. “I’m sure you are…what an awful, awful thing. Have you been to the house?”
“I went today, but still couldn’t walk the grounds. I’ll go back tomorrow.”
“Is anything salvageable?”
“Yes, almost half the house is still intact. The fire started in Will’s office, so our bedroom and everything is completely destroyed. Basically, everything personal I own is gone.”
“I’m so sorry, honey. What’s mine is yours, you know that.”
“Thanks.” She took a deep breath. “There’s so much to deal with. Insurance, attorneys, the funeral.”
“Well, let me know how I can help. I’m here for you.” She grabbed the food. “Let’s start by getting some food in your system.” She looked around. “And alcohol… where’s the mini bar?”
Victoria motioned to the corner.
Natasha opened the bar fridge and scowled. Displeased with the selection, she walked back over. “Not even enough for two dirty martinis. Do you want to go down to the bar for a bit? I think it would be good for you to get out of here for a while.”
Victoria glanced at the greasy bag of food. “Yeah, a stiff drink sounds good. We’ll eat after.”
“Good, here, let me grab you some clothes.”
Ten minutes later they were seated at the hotel bar sipping dirty martinis decorated with blue cheese stuffed olives. The bar was quiet and not too crowded, which was exactly what Victoria needed. She’d only received a few pitied glances since they’d arrived.
Victoria filled Natasha in on some of the details since the fire, and on the conversation with Lieutenant Dabrowski. She left out the part about her surprise meeting with Anthony Ramos and had no idea why. She trusted Natasha completely but decided to keep that information to herself.
After ordering another round, they sat in silence for a few minutes sipping their drinks. That was a sign of a true friendship–being able to sit comfortably in total silence, just being there for one another.
Eventually Natasha leaned over. “What are you thinking
about?”
“That damn cop.”
“The Lieutenant guy?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“I just don’t like him. The way he questioned me.”
“Yeah, what an insensitive asshole.”
“It’s not just that. He obviously thinks something is suspicious with the fire. And it makes my skin crawl that he questioned me as if I had something to do with it.”
“He’s a dick. And you’ve already talked to your attorney, right?”
“Yes, he said to call him immediately if it happens again.”
“Good. Don’t respond to him if he comes at you again.”
“I just can’t stop thinking about if it wasn’t just a fire. If someone killed Will.”
The two sipped their drinks. Natasha trailed the tip of her finger along the top of her martini glass. “Vee?”
Sensing something in her tone, Victoria leaned forward. “Yeah?”
No eye contact. “I’ve got something to tell you.”
She straightened her back. “Okay.”
Natasha blew out a breath. “Oh man. Well, um…” She squirmed in her seat.
“Natasha, what is it?”
Natasha gulped the last of her martini. “Remember that blonde chick we saw Will talking to at the exhibit last week?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, the day of the fire…I saw them together.”
Victoria’s stomach sank. “Where?”
“At a park, close to my apartment.”
“What were they doing?”
“Arguing.”
“Arguing?”
“Yeah, intensely.”
“Could you hear what they were saying?”
“No. But she was really upset, and he just looked mad. Very mad.”
Victoria rubbed her arms. “Did you watch them? How long were they there?”
“I was coming out of a coffee shop across the street. I saw them when I crossed the street to my car. Vee, I almost walked over there and slapped him across the face.”
“Thanks. Then what?”
“Well, I ducked in my car and watched them through the trees. I don’t know how long they’d been there, but I watched them for about five minutes. Eventually, they both walked off together and that was it.”
“Are you sure it was the girl we saw?”
“Absolutely. One hundred percent.”
Victoria took a deep breath. “What time of day was it?”
Lethal Legacy Page 7