by M. Z. Kelly
Sloan made it sound like dealing with the press was like going in front of a firing squad. Having had my own issues with the media over the years, the analogy wasn’t far off.
If the press was beginning to put together the link between Aster and Brill, it probably wouldn’t be long before they also tried to link their deaths to the disappearance of the girls. Hysteria was already running wild on the small island and I imagined that Brill’s death could push a few people over the edge.
“Have we had any luck getting back to Derek Shaw’s mother on what Josh Robbins said?” Sloan asked Buck.
My partner shook his head. “She’s not returning my calls. We might have to make a trip to the mainland if she doesn’t get back to us soon.”
“What have you turned up on that security screener that Brill represented on his DUI?” Buck asked Spencer and Baxter.
“Brian Green stopped showing up for work the day after the courthouse shooting,” Baxter said. “His supervisor said calls to his residence aren’t being returned.”
“We’re going by his apartment this morning,” Spencer said, adding that nothing else of interest had turned up on the record checks of the other courthouse employees.
“I personally think chasing after Green is a waste of time,” Baxter said. “More busy work while the case is getting as stale as dirty underwear.”
“You speaking from personal experience?” I asked, the pounding in my head giving me little patience for his constant complaining. Buck chuckled as Baxter’s saggy jowls turned red.
“Laugh all you want,” Baxter said. “While we’re out there chasing our tails it’s doing nothing to help those girls.”
“While you’re busy wagging your tails,” Buck said. “I also want you to look at past cases Brill and Aster had in common. Maybe there’s somebody they both represented that had a grudge against them.”
“Jesus,” Spencer said. “This paper pushing never ends.”
“Thanks for the compliment,” Buck said, standing up. “But you can just call me Buck.”
While Spencer and Baxter had a meltdown, Buck ignored them and went over and told Sloan we were going to question Carly Lucia about Brill’s murder.
As we were headed for the door with Bernie, Sloan said, “Everybody listen up for a sec. I almost forgot something.” We turned back to him. “I know the timing couldn’t be worse but don’t forget the policeman’s ball is this weekend at the Casino. All the brass is coming over from the mainland, so I want everyone there. As you probably know the Stardust Acres residents will be there in costume from the roles they once played. I think it’s a little crazy but the brass agreed that you all have the choice to either go in costume as your favorite actor or in black tie.”
On the way to the car I said to Buck, “I think Spencer and Baxter should go to the ball as the odd couple.” He agreed with me. “What about you, tuxedo or Hopalong Cassidy?
He laughed, put on his Stetson. “Time will tell. And you?”
I put Bernie in the backseat. “I didn’t know I was invited, since I’m an outsider.”
“You’re working the case and you live at the Stardust, so of course you’re invited.” He smiled as we buckled up. “Maybe you should think about coming with your friends, you could all come in costume.”
Given their track record, if Natalie and Mo did attend the event, there was no telling what they’d wear. An image of the three of us in costume came to mind. I laughed and said, “I just had a thought. Maybe we could all come as female versions of the Three Stooges.”
He laughed, glanced at my hair which was still in full rebellion from the fog. “I think I’ll just call you Curly from now on.”
I cringed. He had no idea about my battles with my hair, which had a mind of its own since I was a kid. He had unknowingly touched a nerve, but I tried to play it off. “Let’s go catch a killer, Hopalong.”
***
To our surprise we found both Hal Quinton and Carly Lucia at work in Clay Aster’s office. There was no one in the waiting room. Lucia came out and led us into a back room where Quinton was packing legal files into boxes. The conference table was stacked high with files and assorted paperwork.
“Looks like somebody’s moving,” Buck said.
“The office is closing down,” Quinton explained. He sniffed and blinked several times. I wasn’t sure if it was out of emotion or because of allergies. “It wouldn’t be the same keeping the office open without Clay anyway.”
“Where are you two going?” I asked.
“I’ve been hired by another lawyer, Bill Winston,” Quinton said. “He handles mostly civil matters.”
Carly didn’t answer until Buck prompted her. She was wearing a black skirt and low cut blouse that, when she bent over, left little to the imagination. My first thought was that Quinton might be enjoying his morning. My second thought was that the legal assistant might be gay.
“I’m not sure where I’ll go,” Carly said. “I’m keeping my options open.”
Maybe prostitution was her fallback position.
“We stopped by because of what happened to Harvey Brill last night,” Buck said.
They both looked at us with a blank expression. Carly was either a very good actress or hadn’t heard about her ex-lover’s murder and wasn’t involved.
Buck broke the news and said, “I’m going to need to know where you both were last night. Quinton said he was home with his mother.
Through her tears Carly said, “I went out for a while, did some shopping and came home around nine.”
“Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?”
She brushed her tears, shook her head, but then said, “Wait. Mrs. Finegold. She lives downstairs. We chatted for a moment when I got home before I came upstairs.” Her gaze swept over both of us. “I was angry with Harvey for what he did to me but…” Her tears came again. “As strange as it sounds I think I still cared for him.”
I said to Quinton, “We know that Brill embezzled money from Aster while they were partners in the law firm to cover his gambling addiction. Is it possible Brill killed him to end the debt and somebody paid him back?”
Quinton scoffed. “I knew about the debt. They settled it like gentleman, Harvey agreeing to pay Clay back what he owed. They parted as friends, there was no animosity.”
Buck took a seat across from Quinton and Lucia. I sat down next to him after giving Bernie the hand command to settle. “I need you both to level with me,” Buck said. “Were Aster and Brill ever involved in a sex club?”
“What?” Quinton said.
Buck nodded. “A sex club where guys get together and have sex with women against their will. We’ve heard rumors that it’s been going on for years on the island.”
Quinton and Lucia glanced at one another, maybe in silent agreement to keep quiet about what they knew, before Carly finally said, “I’ve heard the rumors about a club but I think it’s just rumor. And, as I told you before, Clay had a lot of relationships. Harvey did too, but I’ve never heard of them being involved in any kind of club or raping anyone. They were both good men.” She broke down again and pulled a tissue from her purse.
“I’ll bet,” I said, ignoring her breakdown. “I’ve seen both Clay and Harvey’s work. If that’s the work of good men then something’s wrong with the world.”
As we’d agreed beforehand, I put my laptop on the desk and inserted a copy of the DVD we’d found in Aster’s secret room. “We found this video in a hidden room in Clay Aster’s house yesterday.” I hit the play button, turning my screen toward them so they could watch.
After a minute of the video, Quinton turned away, telling us he couldn’t watch it. Lucia sat through it, still crying and blotting her eyes.
When it was over I said to both of them, “Do you think the two men in the video are Aster and Brill?”
“Hardly,” Quinton said. “I knew them both well and they would never…” His eyes misted over and he couldn’t go on.
Carly just s
hook her head and said, “No.”
“As you saw, the two men were wearing blue hoods,” Buck said. “Have either of you ever heard the term Blue Hoods before?
Quinton shook his head, apparently still in shock or giving the appearance of distress. Carly said, “It’s nothing I know anything about.”
We spent another hour with them, getting nowhere. I had the impression that they knew something more but weren’t talking. It even crossed my mind that Carly might have had some past involvement in the sex club but it was just speculation. Except for her past as a prostitute and her kinky relationship with Harvey Brill, there was nothing to indicate she knew anything about such a club, if it existed. I also had the impression that Carly was genuinely shocked and upset over Harvey Brill’s death. If she was involved, she was covering it well.
As we were about to leave the conference room a young man walked by, poked his head inside, and said, “Oh, sorry.”
“My son,” Hal Quinton said by way of explanation as the handsome young man quickly left the room before introductions could be made. He had dark hair and looked to be in his early twenties. I decided that maybe the legal assistant wasn’t gay after all. “He helps out with chores around the office now and then, wants to be a lawyer someday,” Quinton added. “Maybe we’ll end up being partners.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
After Buck dropped me and Bernie off at the station to get my car, I told him I’d be in touch later in the day because I had a lunch date. The day was warm and clear as I drove to the harbor where I met my half-sister, Lindsay, as she got off the Catalina Express. The vessel shuttled passengers back and forth to the island from Long Beach and other costal destinations.
“How was the boat ride?” I asked after hugging her.
Lindsay was a younger, slightly slimmer version of me. At twenty-five she still had a girlish look, but we were both tall and shared the same long brown hair and green eyes. There was also something about her high cheekbones that hinted at the beauty of the mother we both shared. Thankfully, there was nothing in her looks that reminded me of her father.
“It was faster than I expected,” Lindsay said, reaching down and nuzzling Bernie. “Only took about an hour.” Bernie did a tail wag and whined. My big dog’s got a thing for girls, no matter what the species.
We walked along the dock where we caught a trolley that offered a short ride into the city. Yesterday’s fog had disappeared. On the hills above us the city sparkled like a jewel in the summer sunshine. Bernie lapped up the clear island air as we travelled in the open air trolley.
“The island is beautiful,” Lindsay said. “I was only here once, when I was little. It seems like such a long time ago.”
“From what I’ve been told, Catalina’s only twenty-two miles long and around eight miles wide. There’s about four thousand residents, most of them living here in Avalon.” I pointed out the Catalina Casino. “The Casino was built in the 1920’s. According to what I’ve read, there’s a theater on the lower floor and a circular ballroom upstairs. It’s the main tourist attraction.”
“I didn’t know there was gambling on the island?”
“Gambling isn’t allowed now but it’s still called, The Casino.” I pointed out some of the clay tiles used to decorate the structures around the harbor. “The Wrigley’s, who developed much of the island, had a tile and pottery factory and produced a lot of the tiles used in the buildings. From what I know, they mined the red clay here on the island.”
As we continued to chat it occurred to me that I barely knew my sister. We’d only talked on a couple of occasions since she’d save my life. I noticed that she was carrying a large bag that probably contained the ashes of our dead mother somewhere inside but I quickly dismissed the thought. I knew that spreading her remains would be difficult for both of us.
We decided to have lunch at a café called CC Gallagher’s on Crescent Street, overlooking the bay. The establishment was a restaurant, bar, and Mediterranean bistro all under one roof. After Bernie settled at my feet, we ordered, and I then asked Lindsay where she was staying.
“I have a friend who I went to school with. She’s allowed me to stay with her temporarily until I can find something more permanent.” She sipped her iced tea. “That’s part of the reason…I’m here.” Her gaze moved off and she inhaled. “I wanted…I want to ask you…”
I touched her hand, already realizing what she was planning to say and seeing how difficult it was for her. “Yes, Lindsay, you can stay with me.”
“Really? How’d you know I was going to ask?”
“Maybe we’ve got sister ESP.”
She reached across the table and hugged me. There were tears in her eyes. “It would only be temporary until I can find something permanent. I’m also thinking about applying to some schools.”
“How wonderful. What are you planning to study?”
She smiled. It made me think I was looking into a mirror. “Criminal Justice.”
I set my glass of Pellegrino down. “You’re kidding me?”
She looked away, shook her head and exhaled, releasing her breath slowly. Her gaze came back to me. “With everything that happened…I mean with my dad and your dad…” She met my eyes. “I feel like I need to make up for things. I need to give something back.”
“You’ve already done so much, Lindsay. Law enforcement’s a difficult career. You need to make sure it’s the right choice for you.”
“That’s part of the reason I want to get to know you better. You can show me the ropes, help me decide.”
I met her eyes, deciding I needed to ask the question that had been on my mind for weeks. “How are you coping…I mean with everything that happened.”
She brushed a hand through her hair, taking a moment before answering. “It’s all a little surreal.” She found my eyes. “I’ve been having some nightmares.”
“Have you talked to anyone? Maybe you need to see a counsellor.”
“I can’t afford it. I think it’s just something I need to work through. It’s probably going to take some time.”
“I’m here to listen if you want to talk…about your father and everything…” I chose my words carefully. “What you did Lindsay…it was…”
“I killed my own father.” Her eyes were unfocused, distant.
“What you did was save my life.” I reached over and took her hand. “Do you want to talk about him—your father?”
She found my eyes again. “He was…” She exhaled, took a moment. “I think he was mentally ill. He had these strange shifts in his personality. One minute he was trying to be nice and caring, the next minute he could go crazy over the smallest thing.” She shook her head. “It was bizarre.”
“I can only imagine.” I released her hand. “What was it like for your…for our mother?”
“She got the worst of it. I remember as a little girl hearing someone crying in the bedroom a lot. I was too young at the time to realize he was abusing her. When I got older I told him I knew what was happening. I stood up to him and suffered for it.”
“Did he physically abuse you?”
She nodded. “Until I got old enough to show him I wasn’t going to take it anymore.” I moved out when I was eighteen. I think that’s when things really got bad for Mom…” Her gaze drifted off, came slowly back. “Then he found out about you from something she had on her computer. That’s when things got really bad. He physically assaulted her, put her in the convalescent hospital.”
“Did he tell you that?”
She shook her head. “He denied it, of course, but I knew what happened. After that, I knew I had to find a way to stop him from hurting you. I even moved back in with him for a few months but he became more and more obsessed with finding you.” She fixed her green eyes on mine. “I made a decision that I was going to kill him if that’s what it took to save your life.” She rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighed. “I never thought it would actually come to that, but, as we both know...”
I squeezed her hand. “You did what you had to, Lindsay.”
She nodded, looked away. “Just so you know…the second shot.” Her gaze came back over to me. “When he was down in the street after the first shot, I shot him a second time.”
“You don’t have…”
“He was going to shoot me.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks. “I had no other choice.”
I reached across the table again and took her hand again. “I know I’ll never be able to say it enough. Thank-you again, Lindsay.”
She smiled and seemed to regain control of her emotions. “After what happened, I’ve decided to take Mom’s maiden name. I’m now Lindsay Madison.”
I returned the smile. “It seems to fit you.” I then took a moment, trying to lighten up the conversation. “I want you to know that you’re welcome to stay with me, but I also need to let you know there’s something, or maybe I should say somebodies, I need to tell you about.”
I went on for a few minutes, talking about Natalie and Mo, and then explaining about Prissy. “He’s transsexual. We live with his great grandmother who’s the landlord.” I paused, trying to think of a way to explain Nana to her. Finally, I just said, “She’s a little eccentric and loud.”
Not to mention she’s taking a sexual rejuvenation drug that’s turned her into a denture chopping horndog.
“They sound like they’re fun,” Lindsay said.
“Fun.” I laughed. “I think you’re going to have to see them all in action to believe it.”
Our plates arrived. Lindsay had sushi while I had soup and a salad. We chatted aimlessly for a few minutes as we ate. When we finished we strolled through the gift shop with Bernie and then went across the street to the ocean. We hadn’t said anything about our mother’s ashes until now.
“Mom…” Lindsay giggled nervously. “She’s in my bag.”
I nodded. “I got that impression.” My gazed drifted out to the harbor, the ocean beyond. “It seems like a beautiful place, a place we can come back to as we get older and remember her.”