My Private Detective

by Rebecca Winters

  “The tumor was responsible for the headaches. It all fits.”

  Max nodded. “The girls said she bought the expensive South American powder that comes in from the East Coast. The guy who sold it to her promised it was ninety-eight percent pure. Apparently he charged her a fortune for it.”

  “The autopsy showed acute morphine intoxication. That substantiates what the girls told you, because Carlos found no puncture wounds. Who’s the supplier?”

  Max looked at him. “A forty-two-year-old custodian at the drama school the girls used to attend. His name is Manny Fleischer. They only know him as Manny. Another student introduced them. Obviously he’s found this a lucrative sideline.

  “If that isn’t interesting enough, remember the phone number you asked the department to track down? The one on the Turners’ phone bills that weren’t accounted for?”

  Gideon nodded.

  “It’s Fleischer’s cell-phone number. He lives in an expensive apartment in Sherman Heights. A custodian’s salary alone wouldn’t support that lifestyle. Most of the students at that school have money—a constant source for ol’ Manny. Like Amy, Kristen and Stacy come from affluent families. But they’re so terrified of being linked with Amy’s murder, they’re willing to help us set up a sting.”

  By now Gideon was on his feet. “How do they connect with him?”

  “The routine is to call him early in the morning. He sets up the time they’re supposed to come to the school. While students are shuffling between classes, the girls pass by his office and the transaction occurs.”

  “Let’s move on it tomorrow!”

  “I’m way ahead of you. The girls will be expecting us at their place early in the morning. As a precaution, I asked Crandall and Snow to tail them.”

  “Good. That leaves us free to focus on Fleischer.”

  “Well, gentlemen,” their boss broke in, “it appears my presence is superfluous. Gideon? Congratulations on cracking this case so fast. I’d say you’ve got more than enough new evidence for her attorney to file a notice of hearing.”

  “Thanks, Lieutenant.”

  “How come you don’t look happier about it?”

  “The truth?”

  “Always.”

  His hands formed fists. “I wanted Kristen or Stacy to testify that Amy planned to kill herself.”

  The lieutenant stood up. “I’ve been thinking about that. If she hoped to pin a murder rap on her sister, there’s only one person she might have told—if she was desperate for a lethal dose of heroin.”

  Gideon stared at his boss. “Manny.”

  The older man nodded. “He’d be a safe bet. Drug dealers are like dead men. They don’t tell tales.”

  “Unless they’re faced with the prospect of life in prison,” Max declared. “Come on, Gideon. We’ve got our work cut out.”

  He shook the lieutenant’s hand. Gideon followed suit.

  “How do I thank you for giving me this week?”

  “Invite me to the wedding.”

  “There’s nothing I’d like better.”

  “But?”

  “Something tells me Heidi won’t walk down the aisle with me unless Dana Turner’s the maid of honor. She can’t do that when she’s locked up in Fielding Women’s Prison.”

  “You mean to tell me your redhead isn’t prepared to marry you this afternoon?”

  He’d hit a nerve. “I don’t know.”

  The older man squinted at him. “Shame on you, Poletti. For such a good detective, I’m surprised you haven’t found the answer to that question yet.”

  “The boss has a point,” Max said when they’d left the office and were making their way down to the underground garage.

  “You know me. I like all my guns spiked first. However, it might interest you to know that after a conversation with Kevin at one-thirty this morning, I’m making progress in that direction.”

  “What happened?”

  Gideon proceeded to tell him about the conversation. The comment concerning Frank provoked a volley of laughter from Max. Several cops turned in their direction.

  “I swear it’s all true. Before Kevin said good-night, he promised to be nice to Heidi.”

  “Good!”

  “It’s better than good, Max. He meant it.”

  “Then I don’t see a problem.”

  “Once we’ve dealt with Manny Fleischer, maybe I’ll agree with you.”

  “Follow me home so I can change clothes. If you’re worried about Kevin with all this going on, he can sleep at our house tonight. I’ll ask Gabriella to leave work early and pick him up after school. She’ll love the company.”

  “If it won’t put her out, that would be terrific. I’ll phone Heidi and tell her about the change in plans. Maybe she’s still with her folks.”

  Gideon’s heart kicked into high gear at the thought of hearing her voice.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  HEIDI HAD JUST FINISHED putting the silverware in the buffet drawer when her cell phone rang. It was Gideon! She was so excited about seeing him again, she felt almost sick to her stomach.

  “Hello, Gideon,” she said after the first ring.

  “Where are you?”

  “I was about to ask you the same question.”

  “I’m still at Mom’s. Can you come over here, or do you want us to meet at my apartment? What would be easiest for you?”

  The slight hesitation on his part immediate dampened her spirits. “Max and I have business that’s going to take us well into tomorrow or even the next day. I may have to cancel class.”

  Her hand tightened on the phone. Don’t you dare let your disappointment show, Heidi Ellis.

  “Does this have to do with Kristen and Stacy?”

  “Yes. I’ll tell you all about it when I see you.”

  He was being too mysterious. “Please don’t do anything dangerous,” she said anxiously.

  “What we’ll be working on is strictly routine.”

  Gideon was a pro at downplaying everything. “I’m beginning to understand Kevin’s fears. Loving someone who fixes computers or works on teeth is quite a different proposition from loving a man whose career is in law enforcement.”

  “Heidi…” His voice was so deep and husky she hardly recognized it.

  “I love you so much, Gideon, you can’t imagine.”

  “Do you have any idea how long I waited to hear those words?” he asked. “What a hell of a time you’ve picked to tell me!”

  “I didn’t pick it,” she said. “The words just came out.”

  “Thank God,” he whispered. “I think you know I fell in love with you the first night we met.”

  A sob caught in her throat. “I hoped…even before I knew whether you were free.”

  “I’m not free now,” he asserted with the bold honesty that was such an innate part of him. “You’ve got me snagged so hard and tight you’ll never be rid of me.”

  “Do you think I’d ever let you go?”

  “You don’t mind that I come with a fourteen-year-old son?”

  “Mind? Gideon! You’re talking to an only child who always wanted a full house! I’m sure it’s what drove me to become a teacher. Make no mistake—I fell in love with you and Kevin. He’s part of you. You’re both wonderful!

  “Will you let me pick him up after school, Gideon? I’ll take him to your house and spend both nights with him, if necessary. We need time to learn we can be friends. It’ll work, because our common denominator is you.”

  For a moment there was silence. “Heidi?”

  “What?”

  “Please tell me I’m not dreaming this conversation.”

  “You’re not,” came her tremulous response. “I’ll be outside his school at three o’clock, exactly the way we were yesterday. As soon as I’ve hustled him into my car, we’ll call you to prove that everyone’s very much awake—not dreaming at all—and waiting for you to come home.”

  His voice sounded ragged as he said, “After all these years of
wondering if my ideal woman would ever materialize, you couldn’t possibly know how good that sounds to me. I love you, Heidi Ellis.”

  “And I love you, Gideon. Take care.”

  She turned off the phone and ran in her stocking feet to the living room, where her parents were talking.

  “Guess what?”

  They both broke into laughter.

  “What?” Heidi smiled.

  Her father shook his head. “Oh, honey. We know.”

  “We’ve known for several weeks,” her mother added.

  “I’m so happy I feel like I’m going to burst. You’ve got to meet Kevin! While Gideon’s winding up Dana’s case, I’ll be taking care of his son for a few days.”

  “Bring him over. We’ll go fishing.”

  “I’m sure he’d love that! Uh-oh, it’s already ten after two. Where are my shoes? I’ve got to get going. I’ll see you later. Thank you for everything. I could tell Gideon was crazy about you.”

  “We’re crazy about him for putting the light back in your eyes. There was a time we wondered if we’d see it again.”

  “I didn’t know a man like him existed. He’s…selfless.”

  “The Turners said the same about you, honey. Of course, your mother and I already knew that about you. I’d say you and Gideon are both very lucky to have found each other.”

  Her father’s words stayed with her all the way to Kevin’s school. She arrived with ten minutes to spare. Two school buses were lined up in front. She parked behind them, but the euphoria she’d been feeling earlier had worn off. Nervousness had replaced it.

  It was one thing to sound confident when she’d told Gideon she’d take care of Kevin. But it was quite another to be confident when he was about to come out and find his father’s girlfriend waiting for him.

  If worse came to worst, he’d ask her to drive him to his mother’s place of work. Heidi was prepared for that, but she hoped against hope he’d give her a chance.

  Once the bell rang, the school started to empty. She got out of the car and went over to the flagpole, where she’d be sure to see him. Several minutes passed before she saw him, walking with another boy, who looked familiar. It had to be Brad, his friend who’d had the birthday party.

  When they were close enough that she didn’t have to shout, she called to him. Both heads turned in her direction.

  “Hi!” Kevin seemed surprised, but she didn’t see any hostility in his eyes. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s working. I offered to pick you up. Do you mind?”

  He adjusted his backpack. “No.”

  On a stroke of inspiration she said, “How about your friend? Brad, isn’t it? Would you like a ride? I’d be happy to drive you.”

  “That’s okay. I was planning to take the bus.”

  “Come on,” Kevin urged him.

  “Maybe you’d like to come home with us. I have a cell phone. You could call your mom and see if it’s all right. Tell her we’re going out for pizza and hot-fudge sundaes first.”

  “Do it!” Kevin’s enthusiasm encouraged her as nothing else could have. The boys had a brief powwow. She heard Brad say something about Kevin’s mom never letting his friends stay for dinner on a school night. There was more whispering.

  Finally Kevin said, “He’s going to come with us. Let’s go!” They ran to her car and were already inside before she could even slide behind the wheel.

  “Here.” She handed Kevin her cell phone. “Your dad wants you to call him. Why don’t you do that first, then Brad can phone home?”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  Soon she could hear him talking to Gideon. He sounded happy, animated, the way a healthy young man should. After a couple of minutes he handed her the phone. “Dad wants to talk to you.”

  There were more hushed whispers in the back seat as she put the phone to her ear.

  “Gideon?”

  “So far so good?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “I told him I might not be home for a couple of days, and that you’d offered to stay with him. He took the news very well, indeed.”

  “I’m so relieved. What if I ask Brad to sleep over tonight?”

  “Are you willing to do that?”

  “I think it might make Kevin feel more comfortable, considering it’s his first night alone with me.”

  “Your instincts are obviously reliable. Sure, go ahead. I just wish I could join your slumber party. I can guarantee you wouldn’t get any sleep.”

  “Gideon!” Heat crept over her face.

  “That’s what happens when two people who are madly in love go on their honeymoon. I did understand you right, didn’t I? You are going to marry me, aren’t you?”

  She couldn’t believe he was proposing to her while the boys were hanging on her every word.

  “Yes!” To her embarrassment, it sounded more like a squeak than a word.

  He let out a delighted chuckle. “Fine. We’ll talk about wedding plans the next time I hold you in my arms. If I’m moving too fast for you, I refuse to apologize.”

  “I don’t want you to apologize. I want what you want. As soon as possible.”

  “You do choose your moments, don’t you, Heidi? Let me warn you, so do I.”

  The line went dead.

  GIDEON MARVELED that he could be at the jail at any time of the day or night and the place teemed with life, but never more so than on Saturday mornings. It was a holding tank for arrestees like Manny Fleischer, who often became violent, so it was a particularly ugly underworld.

  He’d made a call to John Cobb at five-thirty that morning. The attorney had said he’d meet him there at seven. Gideon sat in a chair with his head against the wall, trying to catch a little sleep while he waited.

  Yesterday afternoon with the help of the girls, he and Max had been able to make a successful arrest at the school. But it had taken until this morning for the smarmy custodian to agree to talk.

  Gideon had sent Max home to Gaby hours ago. The thought of home held a brand-new meaning for Gideon. Heidi had left a message on his voice mail saying that she and Kevin had spent Friday night at her parents and were planning to go fishing today.

  Though it thrilled him that the relationship between Heidi and his son was going so well, he couldn’t wait to be alone with her again. There was so much to tell her he hardly knew where to begin.

  “Detective Poletti?”

  He opened bleary eyes to discover the well-known criminal attorney standing a few feet away. Impeccably shaved and dressed in a suit, the man’s appearance reminded Gideon he hadn’t had a shower or shave in two days.

  “Mr. Cobb.” He rose to his feet and the two men shook hands. “I’m sorry to have woken you so early. Thanks for coming down here.”

  “Call me John and don’t apologize. Ever since Heidi Ellis phoned and told me she was determined to get Dana’s case reopened, I’ve been eager to meet with you.

  “In my career I’ve only lost two cases where I knew in my gut the person was innocent. Dana Turner’s one of them.”

  Gideon nodded. “I felt the same thing during my first visit with her at the prison.”

  “Her parents came to my office on Thursday afternoon,” John said. “Because of the evidence you’ve uncovered, I had my paralegal prepare notices of hearing. Before the day was out, a courier delivered them to Ron Jenke and Judge Landers.

  “To my surprise I received a call from the judge yesterday afternoon. He’s cleared his calendar to hear the case on Tuesday.”

  Three days from now. Thank you, Daniel.

  “It’s unprecedented and has put Ron in a tailspin,” John continued. “But he isn’t fighting it, because even he understands that the results of the autopsy have changed the entire case.

  “He knows we’re armed with a lot more ammunition that challenges the jury’s finding on the circumstantial evidence.” He shook his head. “Still, it’s a damn shame the Turners wouldn’t permit an autopsy the first time around.”

&
nbsp; “I agree.”

  “After we finish here, I need you in my office. My staff has agreed to work overtime. We’ve got a case to prepare. I’ve instructed my secretary to clear my calendar through Tuesday so we can work nonstop.”

  “I’ll dash home to clean up, then join you.” Gideon’s reunion with Heidi and Kevin would have to wait a little longer.

  “Good.”

  “John, Kristen and Stacy are willing to testify that Amy talked about her hatred of Dana on many occasions. But there’s one piece of evidence missing.”

  “You mean testimony that Amy planned to kill herself?” The other man nodded. “I’m well aware of that. Let’s go and see what we can get out of Mr. Fleischer.”

  WATCHING A FEMALE police officer escort a handcuffed Dana into the courtroom made Heidi thankful she hadn’t had to witness the painful sight the first time. She was overwhelmed by the indignity of Dana’s treatment, the humiliations.

  How had her friend stood the horror of it?

  Swallowing a sob, Heidi, who sat between both sets of parents, clung to the hands of her mother and Christine.

  All eyes were focused on Dana, whose pallor gave a translucent quality to her lovely face. She was wearing a skirt and blouse Heidi recognized, but the clothes hung on her thin body.

  She moved gracefully as she took her place at the table, where Mr. Cobb sat with Gideon and Dr. Diaz. The other witnesses who’d been called in to testify, among them Kristen and Stacy, sat in the row behind them.

  Max and Gaby sat a few seats away with Kevin. Unbeknownst to Heidi until a half hour ago, he’d begged his father to get him excused from school so he could watch the proceedings.

  Because Gideon had been forced to work with Mr. Cobb all weekend, Heidi had ended up spending Sunday with the boy. In those three days she felt he’d learned to trust her. They were comfortable around each other now. He made a little motion with his hand when their gazes met. The gesture warmed her heart. She waved back.

  On the other side of the room sat Mr. Jenke with his legal team. He appeared innocuous, but she’d learned enough about him to know he could be a pit bull in court.