“That’s not the point. They have no case.”
Maybe it wasn’t the point to him, but it certainly was to me.
CHAPTER 23
It was midnight when I got home. The animals were waiting by the door, full of reproach. Even Blondie had come out of her chair to join them. I gave the dogs a run in the yard, and the cats were content with some attention and having a new layer of dry cat food added to their bowls.
What a night, I thought as I flopped on my sofa. Tired was too mild a word for what I felt. Drained, depleted, exhausted. But at the same time, I was too wired to just go to bed. There was so much going around in my mind.
I couldn’t believe that another rehearsal for Sheila had gone sour. Though, like Rhoda had said, at least we’d replaced the image of Delaney’s body with the image of cops rushing in with their guns out.
The phone rang, startling me. Since it was my landline, it had a real ring instead of a disembodied voice yelling at me to answer. There were a number of missed calls on the phone, which I was pretty sure were from Dinah, so I figured she was trying again.
I grabbed the cordless, and the dogs came into the living room and began positioning themselves around me on the couch.
“Sorry I didn’t call before, Dinah,” I said.
“This isn’t Dinah,” Barry said.
“I can’t believe that you’re calling me. What do you want?” I didn’t wait for him to say anything. “You told me the cause of death was inconclusive and you thought it was an accident or suicide, and then suddenly it’s murder and you barge in with your guns out and arrest Tony in the middle of our crochet thing!”
“I’m sorry about that. The housekeeper said he was up there, and we wanted to catch him off guard. We never intended to ruin your event. It’s really all because of you that everything changed.”
“What?” I said, incredulous.
“After you found that gate in the fence along the street, we had a look around there. That’s where we found the victim’s purse and the card.” He started to explain the card, and I told him I already knew. I didn’t mention what Mason said about getting the case thrown out, or anything about my intention to continue trying to figure out what had really happened.
“I only called you because I knew you were still up,” he said. “I’m outside. Could we talk in person?” I agreed, figuring I’d have a better chance of getting more information out of him if he was in front of me.
The dogs raced me to the front door when they heard the soft knock.
Barry looked as he had earlier, only more tired. I imagined I looked the same. By now my no-wrinkle khakis were full of creases. My shirt had come untucked, and whatever makeup I’d had on was long gone.
We didn’t sit on the couch this time but stood facing each other in the entrance hall.
He apologized again, but this time for another reason. “We didn’t mean to put any of you in harm’s way. Like I said, we wanted to catch Tony off guard.”
“You mean you were afraid he would pull a gun?”
Barry nodded and gave me a wary stare. “Then you know he has a gun?” he said. I shrugged in response, not wanting to answer, and Barry continued. “It doesn’t matter—that’s not the kind of information I’m really after.” He seemed a little uncomfortable. “I know your group does a lot of talking when they get together. You probably complain about husbands and boyfriends.” He stopped with as close to a sheepish expression as he could get, which wasn’t much. “You probably bent their ear about me.”
I didn’t say yes or no but let him go on. I had a pretty good idea where he was headed.
“Did CeeCee ever say anything about Tony?” he asked. “He was a star on that soap opera for years, and he has some kind of web show now. All that celebrity works like a babe magnet, doesn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“So then CeeCee was never worried that he had something going on on the side?”
“She never said anything to me.” That was the truth, but beyond that I honestly didn’t know. “I’m guessing you and your other cops have a whole scenario figured out.” His expression was impassive, and he had his arms crossed, but I didn’t let his body language stop me. “You had your guns pointed at us. We could have been shot, and you’re not going to tell me anything?”
Barry looked longingly at the couch. My legs were beginning to get tired of standing anyway. “You might as well sit down,” I said. All of the dogs jumped up between us as we sat, so there was no chance for any replay of the other night, when he’d fallen asleep on my shoulder.
“All right, I’ll tell you,” he said finally. “We think Tony met the victim at the bank. He had recently gotten a business account, and she was the teller that covered the business line most of the time. He’s a dashing TV star whose career has taken a nosedive, probably along with his ego. She’s an adoring fan. One thing leads to another and he gets the idea of them having a roll in the hay together. She comes in that back gate, and he walks over from the house, leaving CeeCee with no clue as to what’s going on. Maybe it becomes a regular thing. Then, maybe Delaney wants more of a relationship or maybe she threatens to tell CeeCee, who appears to be helping bankroll him while he gets his web show going. In other words, CeeCee is his meal ticket right now, and he doesn’t want to lose it. So, he arranges to meet Delaney in the guest apartment. He stuffs some twigs into the vent of the heater before she gets there. He gives her a drink with some pills in it, and when she passes out, he turns on the heat and leaves. Then he waits a few days before giving CeeCee the idea of telling your group about using the space for a studio, so she’ll take you up there and you’ll find the body.”
He seemed annoyed with himself when he finished. “I sure was loose lipped. You were supposed to tell me about Tony, and I just showed you our whole hand. Well, as long as I told you—what do you think of our scenario? Any hint things weren’t going well between CeeCee and Tony?”
I thought of what Rosa had said, implying that Tony was taking advantage of CeeCee. No way was I going to repeat that. I wasn’t going to say anything until I knew the whole story, so I diverted Barry with the case of the missing box of old vent parts, as well as the tracks of dirt on the floor, and the broken lock on the gate.
“Why would anybody want to steal some old vent parts?”
“I suppose your people checked out the vent when it all happened?” I answered his question with a question.
“Of course, we looked it over when it first happened. We took out some twigs and leaves but then saw there was just more of the same below it and let it go. The notes said it looked like a bird’s nest, and it was left at that.” His expression grew wary. He seemed to be having an internal argument. “You’re back sneaking around, looking for clues, aren’t you?”
I rocked my head in what I hoped was a “maybe yes, maybe no” expression. He closed his eyes halfway in frustration. “Don’t go getting all excited about the missing box. Most likely someone, like maybe the housekeeper, came in to throw the box away. She was spooked by the place and hurried out without noticing she’d tracked in mud.” He thought for a moment before continuing. “And the broken lock, that could have been us from last night.”
I figured he’d make a move to leave after that, since he’d blown his chance of getting much information from me by telling me too much. But instead, he stayed put, looking even more uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” he said at last.
He got my attention back when he said he was sorry. Barry wasn’t one to apologize at all, and this was three times in one evening. I gave him my full attention, wondering what was going to come next. “I realize I was wrong, the way I didn’t put you first when we were together,” he said.
“What brought that on?” I asked. As far as I’d been able to tell, when we were together, he’d felt justified keeping his job in the top position.
He looked down at the floor. “I was supposed to pick Jeffrey up after his play today and I forgot.”
“You didn’t,” I said, shaking my head. “Poor Jeffrey. I hope he knows he could have called me.”
“He got home okay, but he really let me have it. He told me I was a terrible father.” Barry blew out his breath. “I’m sure I did that and worse to you. I just want you to know that I’m trying to mend my ways.”
I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to respond, and after a moment, he got up to go. I walked him to the door, and we stood there awkwardly.
“Thanks for stopping by, Detective Greenberg,” I said, trying to lighten the moment.
He shook his head to show me he didn’t think it was funny. “Stay out of trouble,” he said, then he let himself out.
It was only after he left that I began to wonder about the real reason for his visit. Was it to get information on Tony, or was it really about telling me the last part?
CHAPTER 24
The animals were lined up at the door for their good-bye treats when the phone rang. I considered ignoring it, since I had overslept after the late night, but I grabbed it on the third ring and saw that it was Mason.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” he said in an upbeat voice. “I can’t tell you how great it is to have a purpose again.” Felix realized I hadn’t given him his treat and put his paws on my knees as a reminder. “I just wanted to let you know that Tony has been bailed out and is home with CeeCee.” He said something to someone in the room about getting some information, then he came back to me. “Sorry. Brooklyn is helping me out, and I had to tell her something.” His voice dropped as he continued. “Now that Tony is my client, you know the drill. I can ask you stuff, but I can’t tell you anything. Okay?”
I had been expecting as much. “There is something you should know,” I began. I told him about the old vent being there and then not being there. “There seemed to be some bits of damp dirt on the floor, too. And when I went to check that back gate, the lock was on the ground, cut open.”
“Really,” Mason said. I expected him to say more after that, but he seemed to be hesitating. “You have a lot on your hands right now with all the problems with Sheila and starting Yarn University. You don’t have to worry about investigating anymore.”
There was nothing in his tone to say he was being anything but considerate, but could he be afraid of what I was going to turn up about his client? This felt very awkward, which was something I’d never felt with him before. I wasn’t sure what to say or do. Finally, I took the chicken’s way out and just said nothing.
“You’re still there, aren’t you, Sunshine?” he said finally. I let out an uh-huh. “I’ll see you tonight after work. We can work everything out then.”
I agreed but wondered exactly what he meant by that.
“Love you, Sunshine,” he said in a happy voice. He waited for my me, too, before he hung up.
I’d been so busy thinking about what he was saying, I’d forgotten what I was doing. In the meantime, Felix had figured out that if he jumped on the bench by the table, he could get on the table, and then onto the counter where the dog treats were. He had flipped the jar on its side, and dog biscuits were spilling out.
“I hope you were at least planning to share.” I gave the gray dog a stern shake of my head as I returned him to the floor. Then there was just time for a quick cleanup, and I was out the door.
It was cold and damp, and I could smell rain in the air. Already the orange blossom petals were falling away and had become a fragrant carpet at the base of the trees. It seemed that gloom was much gloomier in Southern California because we were so used to the sun. Or maybe it just felt that way after my conversation.
The dark weather must have made everyone anxious to read, as the bookstore was busy when I arrived. I spent most of the day helping customers while trying to avoid Mrs. Shedd and Adele, particularly together. It would be too easy for something to come up about the previous night’s events, which would lead directly to Sheila and her stage fright. When Mrs. Shedd finally cornered me, I was relieved that she handed me the blue pouch and asked me to make the bank deposit.
By now, I’d gotten braver and realized nobody had a clue I had a bunch of cash in my tote bag, though I did keep an eye in my rearview mirror to make sure no one was tailing me. Nobody was taking their time in the parking lot today, as it had started to drizzle. People in Southern California have themselves mixed up with the evil witch in The Wizard of Oz and seem to think if they get hit with a little water they will melt.
I passed several people I recognized from the bookstore as I went in. The fluorescent lights inside seemed particularly harsh contrasted with the gloom outside. By now, I knew the drill and went to the merchant line. There was one person ahead of me.
“I hope you’re not in a hurry,” the man said, pointing at the customer at the teller window. I had to laugh—the tall customer was certainly overdressed for the weather. His raincoat and baseball cap seemed a bit much for the amount of rain we were getting. A blue bag was on the counter, and I watched him take out stacks of bills.
“Whatever business he’s in, looks good to me. I wonder if he’s looking for a partner,” the man said jokingly.
It seemed to be taking the teller forever to count all the bills he had.
“At last,” the man in front of me said, as the customer zipped up the now empty bag and turned to walk away. The hat threw a shadow on his face, but as he walked away, there was something familiar about his profile.
When I returned to the parking lot, the drizzle had turned into a steady rain. The streets were glistening, and the sidewalks had turned a dark shade of dun.
“Mission accomplished,” I said when I walked back into the bookstore and put the blue pouch on the counter. Somehow the rain made the familiar smell of paper and books mixed with the scent of coffee coming from the café more pronounced. I got rid of my rain gear and got Bob to make me a red eye to pump me up for the Hookers’ gathering.
I took the steaming drink back to the yarn department. Between the rain and the events of the previous night, I wondered who would show up. Adele was the first arrival, since she just had to come from the kids’ department.
She flung her tote bag on the table. “Can you believe that Eric was upset with me for throwing his name around the police station? I was just trying to help CeeCee,” she said, eyeing the table while she decided where to sit. “Do you think CeeCee will be here?”
“No. Now that Tony is back home, I’m sure she’s making a big fuss about him.” Adele seemed surprised at the news and grumbled that nobody told her anything.
Dinah had picked up a coffee drink on her way in, too, and set it on the table as she slipped off her burnt orange raincoat and hung it on the back of the chair. Drops of rain were stuck in her short salt-and-pepper hair and had mixed with her hair gel. The light caught in the water and glistened, but her spiky style had gone flat.
Rhoda, Elise and Eduardo came in together. I could hear the two women filling him in on the previous night’s excitement. He let out a sigh. “Poor CeeCee.”
“Tony’s out of jail,” I announced as they found places around the table and took out their projects.
“It was all a mistake, then, wasn’t it?” Rhoda said, looking at me.
“I don’t know.” It was the only answer I could give.
“But you are going to find out?” Elise said.
“I’ll do what I can.” I didn’t want to bring up what Mason had said. “Let’s just crochet for a while.” I glanced around for my tote bag and realized in all the excitement I had forgotten to grab the bamboo cowl I was making for Samuel. He didn’t care that men didn’t seem to wear cowls. He thought he’d start a trend. Luckily, I had my purse project, as I called it. I took out the plastic bag with the worsted-weight purple wool yarn. I started to crochet as Babs came int
o the yarn department with a younger woman in tow.
“Is there any news on Tony?” she asked in a worried voice. Adele was only too glad to share the update that he was out of jail.
“CeeCee must be relieved, but she’s probably a wreck after worrying about him all night. I better bring her some brownies. She told me chocolate is a medicinal food for her.” Babs turned to the woman with her. “Is that true?” Then to the rest of us, she said, “This is my daughter-in-law, Lucille. That’s Dr. Lucille Swanson.” Lucille was an attractive, efficient-looking woman and gave us a friendly smile.
“Remember what I said? No medical questions,” Lucille said. “When I’m off duty, I’m off duty.” She looked at us. “Babs told me all about your group and promised that crochet could lower my stress level. That’s just what I need.”
“I wanted to show her one of your gatherings, and if she likes it, she’s going to sign up for the beginning crochet class.” Adele was out of her seat before Babs reached the period on the sentence.
“You’ve come to the right place. I’m teaching the beginning crochet class. Ask me any questions.”
“I thought I’d just watch for a while,” Lucille said. She and Babs took seats at the end of the table. We went around the table and introduced ourselves and held up what we were working on.
“The crocheting is a stress reliever, but so is the company of the group. You’re a doctor?” Rhoda asked. “What kind?”
“She’s a dermatologist, but please forget I mentioned that,” Babs said and threw her daughter-in-law an apologetic smile.
“As soon as they hear I’m a doctor, somebody always wants medical advice. I can’t even go to a party,” Lucille said.
Babs chimed in. “She was just a guest and they asked her to look at a rash.”
Lucille threw up her hands. “If you’re allergic to wool, you should know better than to wrap your arms around it.”
The mention of the party caught my attention. I remembered Babs had talked about babysitting while they went somewhere on a Thursday.
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