The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3

by Michele Scott

  He shrugged. "Business is business. I'm sorry about your friend, but you are delusional. Now get the hell out of my office before I call security. And if you ever bother me again with your bizarre accusations, I will have you arrested."

  "On what grounds? I wasn't accusing you of anything."

  "Trespassing and harassment. I have a lot of pull in this town."

  "I'm shaking." Michaela walked out of his office, baffled and if she admitted it, a bit shaken. She didn't trust Friedman at all. She also found it awfully strange that Olivia, who had been disgusted by the prospect of being his client the night before, would have signed that contract.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  MICHAELA HAD JUST ABOUT STOPPED SHAKING when she got into the truck and her cell phone rang. It was Joe.

  "I got some more info on your friend Bob Pratt."

  "What did you find out?"

  "I worked the Betty Ford angle."

  "The treatment center?"

  "Yep, and it paid off. I got a list of people he spent time with there at the BFC."

  "How did you do that?"

  "I got a cousin who has a friend whose wife works in the cafeteria there."

  "Of course. I should have known."

  "I did some research on Bob and Audrey and who they are associated with. The name Bowen ring a bell?"

  "It does."

  "Uh-huh. We're gonna have to have a powwow, so I can learn what else you know about this guy, if you want me to help you the best that I can."

  "I'll be home tonight. Late. Or you can come by tomorrow."

  "I'll call you after I get the kids to bed. Maybe I can swing by; otherwise I'll stop by your place in the morning. You need to be thinking about everything that you know about this Pratt dude. Everything."

  "I will. Promise." She sighed. What had she really gotten herself into?

  "Deal. Check this out. What would you say if I told you that Bob Pratt and Mrs. Bowen spent some time together in rehab and they got pretty close there?"

  "Bridgette?"

  "The one and only."

  A lightbulb moment happened as Michaela tied in the idea that Bob and Bridgette were in treatment at the same time. It could give Bridgette even more motive to want Audrey dead. Maybe she was afraid of what Bob might share with his sister. Not only that, what if she had done something to Bob? What if Bridgette was hiding something horrible that she'd confessed to Bob, and once out of rehab with some time to ponder, Bridgette knew she needed to get rid of them both? "What do you mean by close?"

  "Hard to say. My cousin's friend's wife didn't know if there was any hanky-panky going on. Those types of places really frown on fraternization, plus Mrs. Bowen was already married."

  "What was Bridgette Bowen in Betty Ford for? Alcohol, too?" She already knew the answer to that one, but wanted to see if Joe could confirm it.

  "Nope. She had a problem with the white powder."

  "Cocaine?"

  "Yes, ma'am.

  Michaela didn't respond.

  "Mick? You there? You okay?"

  "I'm here. Just thinking, is all."

  "Want me to see if I can find out anything else about the little scenario at rehab?"

  "Would you?"

  "You know I will. You was right when you said that I loved this stuff. But have you called that gal over at the autism center?"

  "No. I'm sorry. I will, though. I promise. I think I may have some new horses coming in soon for the center." She thought about Audrey's horses. It was likely there were a few in that group that might work for the kids. She'd have to make a call to the Humane Society, too.

  "Get on it, Mick, or I'm gonna stop this Colombo business for you."

  "Thanks, Joey, you're the best. I'm on it."

  Michaela turned off her phone. Bridgette Bowen and Bob Pratt? Tight? Odd combo. Looked like Michaela would be having a discussion with Hugh's wife. Should she come right out and confront her about what she'd seen at Shutters? And then ask her about her time in rehab with Bob? What if the woman was a cold-blooded killer? Oh dammit. Then, there was Callahan to consider. He'd been with Bridgette when she found the body. Maybe the two of them had something to do with Audrey's murder. And what about Callahan anyway? She wondered if he was okay and if Bridgette was responsible for him being in the hospital.

  It was after three and she wanted to know if her trailer was ready. Juan had suggested she call after four. She was already in Century City. Cedars-Sinai was within a couple of blocks. She'd never guessed when she started out that day that it would become a fact-finding and info-gathering trip. A part of her almost felt like she was being directed to do this. Was Audrey somehow guiding her through this maze of lunacy and lunatics? She'd always believed in angels. It somehow comforted her to think that Audrey might be one, and that she was watching over her, helping her to find the justice she so deserved. Maybe it was a silly notion, but it comforted her all the same. If only she could also find out what had happened to Audrey's brother.

  Even with the hospital nearby, the afternoon Los Angeles traffic made it difficult to maneuver through the surface streets in her truck. She graciously received the middle-finger salute by some kid whipping around her in a battered Honda.

  She was happy that she made it to the hospital in one piece, and although she didn't know Callahan from a hole in the wall, she was relieved to learn that he was in good condition and able to see visitors.

  She walked into Callahan's hospital room; he looked half asleep, but sat up when he saw her. "Well, hello. And, who may I ask is calling?" he sputtered. "Do I know you? Wait." He snapped a finger. "Miss April 2003? Great photo shoot, wasn't it, love. You were divine. Roses draped over you. Ah, what a dream. I am right, aren't I? I still have my memory intact."

  She tried not to laugh as his toupee was askew and to the side of his head. "Keep dreaming. I am hardly Miss any month, nor do I intend to be."

  "You break an old man's heart."

  "Looks like someone else already took care of that."

  He shook a finger at her. "She's funny, too. I should have had an affair with you. What are you, a reporter? I thought my assistant was keeping you fiends away."

  "There was no one outside your room."

  "I knew I should have fired that moron long ago. Doesn't do a damn bit of good to have an assistant if they can't even keep the vultures at bay. But you're so lovely, I may talk to you. Maybe when I get out of this place we can have dinner together or something."

  "I'm not your type. Trust me."

  "Oh, baby, you're all my type."

  Michaela moved the newspaper that had been left on the chair next to Callahan's bed. She handed him water from his tray.

  "Why are you being so nice? I already told you that you could be in my magazine. Give up the tabloid reporter gig and make some real money. Come pose for Pleasures. I can make you a star."

  Michaela sighed and took a seat. "Listen, I'd love to tell you that I'm here as a reporter, but I'm not, and I'm not here to land my ass in your magazine. I feel terrible about what's happened to you though, and I want you to know that." Maybe a little sympathy would go a long way with him.

  "Gee thanks, sweet cheeks, I think." He laughed. "Can I ask you, if you're not with the paper and you aren't a nurse, then what are you doing here? And, how did you find out I was here? News couldn't have spread that fast."

  Another sticky situation. Hell with it. If she could get through the Marshall Friedman thing earlier, she could handle a sick old man lying in a hospital bed. "Don't ask how. But I saw you at lunch today with Bridgette Bowen. I saw you go up in an elevator with her at the hotel. I also saw Steve Benz come and go, and then I watched as the paramedics wheeled you out shortly after Bridgette Bowen took off, which wasn't too long after Benz made his getaway."

  "Not with the tabloids, huh? Because I could sell you the story for a ton of money. You do seem to know all the players."

  "I don't want money. I don't plan to take your story and sell it or anything. I
want answers. I was a good friend of Audrey Pratt. Does that help make my reasons for being here any clearer?"

  "Audrey?"

  Michaela nodded. "I think there is a lot more to what happened to her than that her brother may have killed her after drinking too much over some sibling issue, and made his way out of town. I knew Bob Pratt and he and Audrey might have had issues like most siblings, but they loved each other. And I don't know what to think after what I saw today. I had to wonder if Benz and Bridgette hadn't poisoned you."

  He laughed, then placed a hand on his chest. "Oh dear, no. It was nothing like that. Bridgette didn't try to kill me and neither did Steve. I was being a foolish old man, doing things I have no right to be doing at my age. Then I felt a burning in my chest. Thought I was having a damn heart attack. Turns out I shouldn't have eaten the Mexican shrimp dish I had for lunch. Just some acid reflux is all. At the time I didn't know what the hell it was. Bridge called the emergency crew and I told her to get out of there before her presence raised any questions."

  Smith had been right about that observation. He'd mentioned that might have been the case. Callahan obviously had a soft spot for Bridgette. "And Benz. Why did he pay you a visit?"

  He clucked his tongue. "You are an inquisitive one. I think we should let it all die down."

  Michaela shook her head. "I wish I could. But my friend is dead on a cold slab at the morgue waiting to be buried properly, her brother is missing, and there are a lot of people around her who I simply find crazy. Sorry to say, but you're one of them."

  He smiled. "I like you. You've got spunk. Are you sure we can't just do some test photos? Being a Pleasures girl can do a lot for you."

  "Mr. Callahan—"

  "Frederick, please."

  "Fine. Frederick, I don't want to go to the police with what I saw, because I seriously doubt that you are a killer. I do wonder if you know who killed Audrey, though."

  He took another sip of water. "Benz came to our room to give us some party favors."

  "Drugs."

  "Yes. I know, it's very stupid to do, and I do know better, but Bridgette can be quite persuasive and she was feeling upset, so I indulged her."

  Another point for Smith. He'd been right about Benz being a supplier. "Why was she upset?"

  "Isn't it obvious? She and I have been fooling around. It's what we were doing at the races, out in one of the stalls, way on the back forty. Afterward, she left first and came upon Audrey. I ran when I heard her scream and soon after a crowd formed…Wait a minute, you were there. That's where I saw you."

  She nodded. "So Bridgette was upset that the two of you might get caught. Don't you think that this will all come out? I'm sure that I'm not the only one who saw you two at the hotel. You weren't exactly discreet. And it's possible you were spotted at the races."

  He laughed. "I suppose we weren't too careful. Sometimes that's a part of the thrill. I probably do owe Hugh a phone call, before the shit really hits the fan."

  "Probably so. He's been through a lot. Can I ask you, why Bridgette? You have lots of women in your life. Why choose Bridgette Bowen?"

  "You've seen her. She's damn gorgeous, and for the record, I didn't choose her, she got her hooks in me and wouldn't let go."

  "She pursued you?"

  "Does that surprise you? Look, I've seen Bridgette's type around and if you ask me, I did Hugh a favor and in time he'll see that. Bridgette is one of those women who are opportunists to the nth degree. She had a wealthy, wonderful husband in Hugh, but when he started paying more attention to other things, she became angry or sullen like a spoiled child. Men like us are busy people. To get his attention back, or to get any attention at all, she looked to another man. These women typically look to other men who have more money or power than the one they're with. I happened to be that man."

  "Looks are one thing, but aren't you and Hugh friends?"

  "Men like us don't have friends. It's healthy competition."

  Michaela raised a brow. "Healthy, huh?" She scanned him up and down.

  "Not this go-around, I suppose. And, maybe I deserved it. Little scare to knock some sense into me, I suppose."

  "No comment. You mentioned that Hugh had other interests besides his wife. Do you mean the horses and his businesses?"

  He laughed. "You are such a treat. Is that naïve streak in you for real? Or do you like to play coy?"

  She rolled her eyes at him. "I actually like to think the best of people. See, in my world, it's not totally common for people to go around screwing other people's spouses behind their backs." Okay, so that wasn't completely true. Her own ex-husband had played around on her, but Callahan did not need to know that. Maybe she was naïve. Hell, she'd rather live in a rose-colored-glasses world than this seedy place she found herself in currently.

  "It's in everyone's world."

  She felt her face heat up. "What is this about Hugh and other interests?"

  "Hughie boy had his own love on the side, but his was a bit more serious than just a fling."

  Michaela uncrossed her legs and leaned in.

  He nodded and for a second, as he gazed outside his hospital window, his face took on a faraway look. "I was in love once. Beautiful emotion."

  Okay, there was no time to go down memory lane with Mr. Pleasures. "Who was he in love with? Who was Hugh seeing?" Michaela knew the answer, but wanted to confirm it with Callahan. If he said who she thought he would say, then that meant there were more people who were aware of Hugh's real feelings. Could Hugh's feelings for Audrey have caused someone else to murder Audrey other than Bridgette?

  "The woman he's always been in love with. The one he should have married. Audrey."

  She still couldn't find any words for a while. "How do you know this?"

  "I think almost everyone knew. Back in the day when Hugh opened his place in Malibu and we would all hang out, I'd see the way Audrey would look at Hugh, but he missed the signals. Everyone knew they should have been together. Everyone but Kathleen…or if she did, she would make certain it didn't happen for them. Kathleen Bowen gets what she wants, and she wanted Hugh. And Kathleen was a gorgeous woman, too, back then, before the bitterness set in. She came on to Hugh like a mare in heat and didn't let go. Audrey, being as gracious as she could, stepped away. But that love never died and when Hugh realized the mistake he'd made, he tried to set it right."

  "What did he do?"

  Callahan started to cough. Michaela stood and gave him a sip of water. "Thank you. How would you like to be my personal nurse?" he asked and winked at her.

  "You are bad."

  "So they say."

  "How did Hugh try to make things right?"

  "Recently Bridgette came to me in tears. Said that she'd found a ring."

  "A ring?"

  "She found it in Hugh's private safe. The naughty vixen got into the safe. Don't know how she did that. But there are many things she does that I haven't been able to figure out how." He smiled.

  Michaela wished he'd stop with the innuendos and memories of his sexual escapades with Bridgette Bowen. It was pretty disgusting.

  "The ring wasn't just any ring. It was a princess-cut diamond and on the inside of the band it was inscribed To Audrey, my forever love."

  "Oh."

  "Oh, ho!"

  "An engagement ring?" The ring that Hugh had mentioned to her. It was all true, then. Hugh and Audrey had been deeply in love for years.

  "It does look that way now, doesn't it?"

  Michaela took a minute to absorb what Callahan was telling her. "Do you think Bridgette would have killed Audrey out of jealousy, or worry that she wasn't going to get the payday I'm sure she'd expected from Hugh?"

  "No. Bridgette may have a naughty streak, but she's no killer. A killer in the sack, sure, but no. She may not have had a prenup, but if Hugh had left her, he would have treated her right. She was dumb to keep pursuing me, but maybe she saw a bigger payday where I was concerned. Hell, though, I wouldn't have married her. She
is what she is—an expensive whore, plain and simple. She was playing all the angles. Crapshoot if you ask me, and the stakes were high. I'm pretty sure Bridge has lost it all by now. If Hugh doesn't know what was going on yet, he will. Sad thing is Hugh would have treated her right, though, if she'd just kept her cards a bit closer to her chest or not even ventured outside the house. Like I've already told you, I'm never one to turn away a hot piece of ass. But Bridge didn't off Audrey. No, if anyone killed Audrey out of jealousy it wouldn't have been Bridgette. It would have been Kathleen."

  "What?"

  He waved a hand at her. "You bet. The woman always had this competition thing going with Audrey."

  "They were friends."

  "Friends! That's a joke. Maybe Audrey thought they were friends, but Kathleen espoused the idea of keeping your friends close but your enemies closer."

  "Okay, say that's so, then why bother after Hugh left Kathleen for Bridgette and not Audrey. Why keep up the charade then?"

  "Control and power."

  "Excuse me?"

  "Oh, that damn Kathleen is a control freak. She likes to have control over anyone she knows, and she lost it with Hugh. Look at the way she treats her daughter. The kid doesn't blink an eye without asking Mama, and I think Audrey was the same way. And Kathleen enjoyed that. Kathleen plays the beaten mouse, but trust me, there is a monster lurking inside and if she winds up being arrested for killing Audrey, I won't be a bit surprised."

  "That's horrible."

  "Life isn't always nice, sweet thing."

  "You're saying then that it's possible Kathleen killed Audrey because she was jealous that Hugh was always in love with her."

  But if Kathleen murdered Audrey, could there be other reasons for the savage brutality? Could it have been more about Olivia than anything else? Maybe Audrey did know about her drug problem and wanted to help Olivia. Maybe Kathleen didn't want to take the risk of having Hugh involved, and silenced Audrey before she had a chance to go to him.

  He nodded. "There's that fine line between love and hate. For Kathleen, I think that means something."

  "You're filled with all sorts of clichés, aren't you?"