by Parnell Hall
“Hey, get over it,” Becky said. “Tell us what you got.”
“Johnny went out to the construction site. Had a talk with the crew. He wasn’t happy.”
“What did he say?”
“I couldn’t get close enough to hear. Not without flashing my press pass and announcing my presence. But I was able to get the gist.”
“Which was?”
“The guys should lay off his sister, she’s underage.”
“That couldn’t have been very popular.”
“It wasn’t. I could see the crew closing ranks.”
“But there was no physical confrontation?”
“No. But it had to shake them up. Particularly if they were involved with his sister.”
Aaron cocked his head and smiled. “So. Do I have to sit on this story?”
“Where’s Johnny now?” Cora said. “You just let him get away?”
“He’s showing a house. I don’t want to see a house. If you’re interested, it’s out on Sunset. I figure he’s through doing anything interesting and has returned to actual work. The police station and the construction site seem to have been his only targets. Unless you got something else I should be looking into, I’m done.”
“We don’t,” Becky said. “Cora’s just cranky because she didn’t spot you.”
“I’m not cranky,” Cora said irritably. “But I’d like to get something done.”
“Like what?”
“Well, how about drugs on the crew? There’s a criminal activity the police are ignoring.”
“You’re telling me to write about it. How would I presume to know?”
“You’re an investigative reporter. You protect your sources.”
“I’m my source.”
“Then I think you’d want to do a good job.”
“It’s a tough story.”
“Why?”
“Well, it’s either connected to the murder, or it isn’t.”
“I would say that’s a safe bet.”
“No, I’m serious. What’s my angle?”
“Oh, for goodness’ sakes, do I have to write your story for you? Drugs are connected to the crew, and both murdered men were on it.”
“He’s just goading you, Cora. You think Aaron doesn’t know how to write a story?”
Aaron’s eyes were twinkling. “It’s hardly fair. I’d never get away with it if she weren’t distracted by Melvin.”
Before Cora could explode, Dan Finley pushed his way through the door. He didn’t look happy.
“Cora Felton. I have a warrant for your arrest.”
Chapter
56
Becky attempted to act as Cora’s attorney, but Cora was having none of it. The concept of the right to remain silent was somehow lost on her. Cora had opinions to express, whether or not they might be used in evidence against her, and she wasn’t about to miss a chance to express those sentiments over something as silly as going to jail.
“What is she charged with?” Becky said, when she was able to get a word in edgewise.
“Fabricating evidence, obstructing justice, interfering with a police investigation, and conspiring to conceal a crime,” Chief Harper said.
Dan Finley had marched Cora into the police station, despite Rick Reed trying to block their way with a camera. It was a small miracle Dan had managed to elude him. It had been one hell of a photo op.
“Chicken feed,” Becky said. “If you’re not going to charge her with murder, I don’t know why we’re talking. Most of my clients are A-list offenders.”
“It isn’t funny, Becky,” Chief Harper said. “This time Cora’s gone too far.”
“She hasn’t gone anywhere. She was sitting in my office minding her own business when Dan came and got her.”
“He didn’t do that on a whim. I have reason and allegation to believe she planted evidence in this case.”
“Why would she do that?”
“In order to get her ex-husband out of jail by framing someone else for the crime.”
“Have you met my ex-husband?” Cora said sarcastically.
“There’s no love lost between them, believe me,” Becky said. “Cora’s more likely to frame her ex-husband for the crime.”
“That’s for show, Becky. You know they like each other.”
“Hey. I’m sitting right here,” Cora said.
Chief Harper wasn’t amused. “The evidence is pretty conclusive, Becky. Peggy Dawson brought in a crossword puzzle.”
“That’s hardly my fault, Chief,” Cora said. “I told her to give it to Harvey Beerbaum.”
“She also brought in a Sudoku.”
“I don’t care if she brought in a copy of Crime and Punishment,” Becky said. “It has nothing to do with my client.”
“Harvey solved the puzzle and the Sudoku.”
“Could you expect less?”
“He also had a theory about what they meant.”
“I’d be surprised if he didn’t,” Cora said. “How does it relate to me?”
“Have you solved the puzzle?”
“I can honestly say that I haven’t.”
“For your information, the theme entry is an enigmatic rhyme that appears meaningless. But Harvey also found entries in the puzzle that could relate to a Sudoku.”
Cora looked up. “Harvey did? I’m shocked.”
“According to Harvey, the puzzle pointed to five numbers in the Sudoku. We examined those numbers for significance. They turned out to be Johnny Dawson’s license plate number.”
“And this is somehow my fault? I assure you, Chief, I didn’t write the puzzles, I didn’t solve the puzzles, I have no idea who came up with those puzzles, but it certainly wasn’t me.”
“You didn’t plant them in Peggy Dawson’s truck?”
“What?”
“It’s been charged that you planted this evidence in Peggy Dawson’s truck in order to implicate her brother and get your ex-husband off the hook.”
Becky inserted herself between Cora and Chief Harper.
“Charged by whom?”
“County Prosecutor Henry Firth. He’s particularly displeased. He’s charged Cora with all the counts I just read.”
Cora put up her hand. “This is all a misunderstanding, Chief.”
Becky cut her off. “Yes, it is. And one that we will straighten out without petty wrangling. I will talk this over with my client, you will talk this over with the prosecutor, a meeting of minds will be reached, and we will be able to point out the error of your ways. I can only say if this is the extent of your evidence, your allegation was premature, to say the least.”
“But it’s not,” Chief Harper said. “You see, there’s a witness.”
“To what?”
“A witness who saw Cora putting the puzzles in the truck.”
Becky laughed and shook her head. “This is just absurd. You also have a witness who saw Melvin putting the murder weapon in his rental car. As well as witnesses who saw Melvin having two separate altercations with one of the murdered men. Who are those witnesses? Men from the same construction crew the victims worked on. Anytime they get in trouble they get together, and, poof, a new witness shows up. I assume you have someone from the construction crew who saw Cora searching Peggy’s truck.”
“I wish it were that simple,” Chief Harper said.
“Why isn’t it?”
“The witness isn’t someone from the construction crew.”
“Well, who is it?”
“Judy Douglas Knauer.”
Chapter
57
“That scheming bitch!” Cora said.
“Easy. Take it easy.”
“Melvin worked his wiles on her, and she’s out to discredit me.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense. Weren’t you ever in love? We’ve got to get you dating. You can’t be a stuffy lawyer all the time. You may make big bucks, but what’s the point?”
“I don’t make big bucks.”
&nbs
p; “Then what’s the point?”
“Cora, you protest a bit too much. You’re also running off at the mouth, so I can’t get a word in edgewise.”
They were in the interrogation room. Becky had managed to muscle Cora in before she blabbed much in front of Chief Harper. It hadn’t been easy. A betrayal by a close friend, a bridge partner, no less, was more offensive to Cora than the actual arrest, and she had a lot to say. Preventing her from saying it was becoming a full-time job.
“Wouldn’t you like to know the details?” Becky said.
“Details? There’s no details. Judy says I planted the puzzle. I didn’t plant the puzzle. End of story. Who you gonna believe, your client or some conniving real estate broker?”
“I thought Judy was your friend.”
“You really have to start dating. You’re starting to sound like a Barbie doll.”
“Cora, snap out of it. You may find it hard to believe, but the whole world is not hung up on Melvin. Assume you don’t know Judy, Judy doesn’t know you, this is just a random stranger making that statement. If she has no agenda, how could she make that mistake?”
“That doesn’t prove she’s got an agenda?”
Becky shook her head. “It’s a wonder you ever solve anything.”
“How can I solve anything if I’m in jail?”
“The other night, when you dropped me off in town, you were gung-ho to hide the receipt for the knife in Peggy Dawson’s truck.”
“And you told me not to, so I didn’t.”
“Because you defer to me in all matters and follow my instructions to the letter.”
“Because I realized it was a bad idea. Not to mention the fact you’d know I’d done it.”
“Before you got all virtuous, how close did you come to hiding it?”
“I was never close to hiding it. It was a stupid idea and I never entertained it.”
“Now I know you’re lying.”
“You’re a lawyer. You’re supposed to believe your clients.”
“Only if I’m stupid. Clients lie. That’s why they’re clients.”
“Since when was I a client? I thought I was your investigator.”
“You’re the one who called yourself a client. If you can’t come up with a better explanation, I can’t get you out of jail.”
“Can you recommend a lawyer who could?”
“Houdini might have a chance.”
“Did he pass the bar?”
“Seriously. Do you have an explanation that will satisfy the chief?”
“I can’t come up with one that will satisfy Henry Firth, and that’s what we’re talking about here. Chief Harper says Ratface isn’t happy. Do you suppose he found out about his wife?”
“Shh! Don’t even think that.”
“Oh, that’s your advice? Hide my head in the sand and hope they haven’t come up with all the damning evidence?”
“That’s not evidence. It’s prejudicial material.”
“Prejudicial enough to make Henry Firth recuse himself?”
“Only if I bring it up and prove it. Can you imagine that hearing?”
“So what’s your plan?”
Becky got up. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“What about me?” Cora cried in exasperation.
Becky smiled. “Why don’t you hang out here?”
Chapter
58
Melvin smiled. “I knew you’d find a way.”
“What are you talking about?”
“To get to see me. When I heard they weren’t letting you in, I said to myself, that won’t last long. Just couldn’t stay away, could you?”
“I didn’t get arrested just to see you.”
“Why not? It’s mild compared to some other things you’ve done.”
“I don’t even want to see you.”
“Well, that’s not true, is it? How could you be denied access if you weren’t trying to get in?”
“I may have asked to talk to you. It wasn’t the end of the world when I found out I couldn’t.”
“You wanted to talk to me. How sweet.”
“I’m working for your attorney, trying to figure out how you got arrested for a crime you didn’t commit.”
“You think I’m innocent. What loyalty.”
“Oh, bite me. The general consensus is you haven’t got the balls to do it.”
“You’d like me to kill someone to prove my manhood?” Melvin grinned. “You know, when Dan marched you in here, I thought you’d arranged for a conjugal visit.”
“Now you’re just being pathetic.”
“Try desperate. You know how long I’ve been in here?”
“It just seems long, Melvin, because you can’t wait to get out. Wait’ll you’re convicted and awaiting execution. The days will just fly by.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Melvin said. “What is it you’re accused of doing?”
“Planting evidence to get you out.”
“That is so nice of you.”
“I didn’t do it, you idiot.”
“It’s all right. I don’t think the cells are wired.”
“I’m not saying I didn’t do it because I think the cells are wired, I’m saying I didn’t do it because I didn’t do it.”
Melvin nodded approvingly. “Excellent. Did Becky tell you to say that?”
“I don’t know why I bother to talk to you.”
“What evidence did you plant?”
“I didn’t plant any evidence.”
“Sorry. What evidence do they think you planted?”
“A crossword puzzle and a Sudoku.”
“That sounds like you.”
“I swear I’m going to rip your face off.”
“And what did this crossword puzzle say?”
“According to Harvey Beerbaum, it gave a strong hint the police should be looking at Johnny Dawson.”
“Harvey Beerbaum said that? Boy, the heavyweights are lining up on my side.” Melvin put up his hand. “That’s not to imply that you’re a heavyweight.”
“It couldn’t matter less, Melvin. No one’s buying it. Everyone thinks I did it. When in point of fact I’d rather frame you for a crime than trump up an alibi to get you off.”
“An alternate killer isn’t really an alibi, now, is it? More like a reasonable hypothesis other than guilt, or however that swimsuit model of a lawyer would put it. So how did the puzzle point to Johnny Dawson?”
“I thought you might to like to know. Unless you’re just trying to make me think you want to know to cover up the fact you already know because you constructed the damn thing yourself.”
“Perish the thought,” Melvin said. “We can’t all be good at constructing crosswords, now, can we?”
Cora felt a chill. There it was. The implicit threat. If she didn’t cooperate, he’d spill the beans. Just the sort of thing he’d say when he already intended to spill the beans and her cooperation had nothing to do with it.
“The puzzle was a nonsense poem about something being a bother. Rather appropriate, don’t you think? If anything ever was a bother, you are. And getting arrested is certainly a bother. And that damn Dawson girl is the biggest bother of them all. I swear, she’s been at me like a gnat, ever since she gave me the first crossword. I swat her away, and she comes right back.”
“You want me to take care of her for you?”
“Aside from the fact you’re in jail and can’t do anything, were you offering to seduce a sixteen-year-old girl or have her whacked?”
“Which would you prefer?”
“It doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t count on going anywhere soon.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Your choice of sleeping companion. I found your alibi witness, Melvin, and it isn’t pretty. Not the woman herself, I suppose she’s fine, but her husband leaves a lot to be desired, particularly when one’s up for murder. I wouldn’t expect to be catching a break anytime soon.”
“Oops,” Melvin said.
“Yeah. Oops. Did you do that accidentally, or for an added kick?”
“Well, now that you mention it.”
“Unbelievable. And what about Judy Douglas Knauer? Does she know you have another woman on the side?”
“Why would she care?”
“I thought you seduced her into a real estate deal.”
“You have a dirty mind. Everything is not about sex. I didn’t seduce anybody into anything.”
“You weren’t having an affair with Judy Douglas Knauer?”
“Absolutely not.”
“So she would have no reason to think you were coming on to her and I stood in her way?”
“Good Lord, no. Why would she think that?”
“I have no idea.”
“But you think that?”
“I don’t think that. I’m just trying to make sense of it all.”
“It seems like you’re making less and less sense all the time. You’re all stressed out. Relax. Take it easy.”
Melvin smiled impishly. “Do a crossword.”
Chapter
59
Judy Douglas Knauer smiled up at Becky Baldwin from her desk in the real estate office. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“I suppose it was inevitable.”
“I hope Cora understands how sorry I am.”
“I’m not sure she does.”
“It is a homicide, after all.”
“And you think Cora did it?”
“Don’t be silly. I think she was snooping around, trying to figure it out ahead of the police.”
“You think that’s what she was doing?”
“So that was her I saw.”
“You’re not sure?”
“I know you can make me look stupid on the witness stand, but just between you and me, it was her. She drove up to the Country Kitchen, parked in the parking lot, walked over to Peggy’s truck, and opened the driver’s-side door.”
“And planted the puzzle?”
“I never said that. I saw her open the door. I saw her reach into the car. It was easy to see, because when she opened the door the overhead light in the cab of the truck came on. She did something on the front seat, exactly what I couldn’t say. Then she closed the door, got back in her car, and drove off.”
“When she closed the door of the truck, did she have anything in her hand?”
“Her purse. You know, that drawstring thing she carries. What she may or may not have taken out of her purse while it was below my line of sight on the front seat, I couldn’t say.”