The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3

by Michele Scott

  "That's not fair. I haven't had a chance to speak with Peters yet, but I definitely intend to. I know that you didn't murder Taber. I won't let you go to jail, I promise you that."

  "How do you plan to do that, Jude, with your boss so hot and heavy to seal my fate?"

  He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I do. Just promise me that you'll stop playing detective for once."

  "No. Not this time."

  "I don't want you hurt. You have to stop this! It's ridiculous!" he shouted.

  "Ironically, if I'm behind bars, who knows what could happen to me? It may be ridiculous, but I don't see another way out right now."

  "That won't happen! Do what you do best: Work with kids, train horses, and I'll figure this out." He put his arms around her.

  She tensed up. His words sounded good, but why didn't she completely believe him? Was there something in his voice that doubted he could help her? To her, he sounded almost helpless and she wasn't buying his pleas to drop her sleuthing.

  "I'll take the tapes with me and get them into Peters's hands. I think you're right, Carolyn Taber seems a likely suspect."

  "Peters hates me, Jude. You can't tell him how I got the tapes."

  "I won't say how I got them. He doesn't hate you. It's his MO to be a hard-ass."

  "MO or not, I'm afraid that Peters will ignore the tapes out of sheer laziness or the mere fact that he sees me as an easy target."

  He cupped his hand under her chin. "Peters won't ignore them. God! I can't believe that you stole those tapes. Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

  There was plenty, like Mario following her, Zach and Juliet breaking into her place, the threat from Carolyn, as well as the bizarre behavior of Paige and Robert Nightingale. And in the moment that he asked her the question, she wondered why she didn't tell him everything. The kitchen seemed to spin as she concluded that she'd made a mistake with Jude. She'd made love with a man whom she wanted badly to trust, to fall in love with, but who admittedly she didn't completely trust. And now she wasn't sure she could fall in love with him. Right now she felt weaker than ever before. She'd fallen into a man's arms because she'd wanted security.

  "No. I've told you everything. You know, I'm feeling kind of tired and want to go to bed."

  "We can do that. We can take our food back to bed with us, and forget all this other stuff for a while."

  "No. I want to be alone."

  "Michaela?"

  "It's been a long week and honestly, I'm feeling overwhelmed."

  He tried to hug her but she pulled away.

  He looked wounded. "I don't understand."

  "I…think we made a mistake," she said.

  She couldn't believe what she was saying. She typically ran from her feelings. They were far easier to hide from rather than confront. And she had to wonder if by treating Jude like this, she was only doing exactly that. Maybe it was easier for her not to try and love and be loved than be willing to open up and take a chance.

  "I'm only trying to protect you. I don't want you getting hurt and I am planning on taking all of what you've told me, plus the tapes, to Peters."

  "I know. But I still need some time to be by myself."

  "Okay." He nodded and tossed up his arms. "If that's what you want."

  As Jude left, tapes in hand, Michaela stared out the front window for a long time, not knowing at all what she wanted.

  THIRTY-TWO

  MICHAELA DIDN'T SLEEP MUCH AFTER JUDE LEFT; the next morning, life seemed even more complicated than the day before. Being wishy-washy wasn't her style, but that's where she was in this game. Wishy-washy with Jude, her theories, everything but her horses. Solid ground would be nice.

  She didn't trust that Peters would interview Carolyn Taber about the videotapes, and she had questions for Tommy Liggett, who might have met Carolyn and could enlighten her further. He might also know something about Sterling and Lucia. The brat certainly wasn't going to talk to Michaela. She needed to chat with Joe about the Sorvinos. Maybe one of his cousins had some information for her. Plus, Tommy could possibly fill her in on what happened in Santa Barbara to Rebecca Woodson.

  She decided to head over to Ed Mitchell's jewelry store and have a talk with Tommy. First, she checked to make sure that the bracelet she'd found at the polo grounds was still in the zippered pouch in her purse. Maybe Tommy could take a look at it and tell her what it was worth and see if she couldn't get it back to the rightful owner. So far no one had called on it. The main reason for going to the jewelry store was because she needed answers; she headed over midmorning, hoping to find Tommy there. The buzzer rang, announcing her entry. The store was upscale, painted in a light gold, and several small love seats stood next to large windows, which looked out onto the main shopping district of Palm Springs. Classical music played through the surround sound. A couple looked at engagement rings, happily trying on possible contenders. Tommy was helping them.

  "Be right with you." Tommy glanced up. "Oh hey, Michaela."

  "Take your time. I'm not in a hurry."

  He nodded. Michaela looked around at all of the beautiful trinkets, with their expensive price tags. There were gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, watches from the finest watchmakers in the world. This store was for the wealthy. She liked jewelry enough, but most of what she owned was simple. Fine pieces like these would never fit into her lifestyle.

  Tommy handed the couple glasses of champagne, and they sat down on one of the sofas, continuing to admire a ring they obviously were considering. He walked over to Michaela.

  "Hey, are you okay? I heard the news." He shook his head. "Everyone at the field knows you would never hurt anyone. One of the detectives questioned all of us, and I told him that there was no way you killed Sterling. I hope they catch the bastard who did it. You don't deserve this."

  "Thank you," she said.

  "What brings you in here?" He rubbed his palms together.

  "I'm not here for jewelry."

  He gave her an odd look. "Okay. How can I help then?"

  "I appreciate you putting in a good word for me. Since you believe that I didn't kill Sterling, do you have any ideas as to who might have done it?"

  He shrugged. "You know that people who met him either loved or hated him."

  "How did you feel about him?"

  A shocked expression came over Tommy's boyish features. "He was my friend. What do you think? I loved the guy. We hung out all the time. What happened to him was wrong. He had his faults, you know, there's no getting around that. Kind of a narcissist and egomaniac, but he was funny…funny as hell. We joked a lot and women loved him, which didn't hurt me at all when we hung out. He could reel them in and, well, I'd kind of get the chicks he didn't want."

  "Ah, the buddy system."

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "Speaking of women, what do you know about him and Lucia Sorvino?"

  "Lucia? She's a kid. He toyed with her a little, but Juliet suspected something was going on and he dropped it."

  "I'm sure that didn't make Lucia happy."

  Tommy shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I don't know her too well. Like I said, she's young, and I actually told Sterling to leave her alone. Her brother is a hothead."

  "Hot enough to kill Sterling?"

  "Maybe, I suppose. I know he can lose it, though, because I saw him yelling at his sister just last week. He laid into her real good. She was in tears."

  "Where was this at, and when?"

  "I had to pick up some menus for Ed because he's planning a shindig at his place next month and Pepe always does the catering. When I swung by, Mario had his sister cornered and cowering like a dog. I don't know what it was about. They stopped, and Mario turned into Mr. Suave when he spotted me and that's pretty much it."

  "Do you think they could've been arguing over Sterling?"

  "It's possible. I don't trust Mario, though. He kinda looks mean, if you ask me."

  "Yeah."

  "Why all the questions about this?" Tommy ask
ed.

  "I'm sorry. You have to realize that I am under a lot of stress with all of the scrutiny. The police don't seem to be listening to all the people out there insisting that I didn't do it. I'm trying to do what I can to find out on my own. I'm trying to clear my name."

  He nodded. "I understand."

  "Thanks. I was wondering if maybe you could tell me about last summer?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Last summer Sterling went to see his family in Santa Barbara, and you went?"

  Tommy nodded. "I went with him for a couple of weeks. Zach came down for a few days, too. We had a great time, but his family…a bunch of uptight jerks, if you want my opinion. We didn't hang out much at their place. That brother of his runs the show. His dad passed away not that long ago and their mom is pretty ill, I heard."

  "How about Carolyn Taber? Did you meet her?"

  "Sterling's sister-in-law? Briefly. She was a snob, too."

  "Did Sterling ever say anything about her to you?"

  "No. He couldn't stand Carolyn or his brother."

  "Really?"

  "Yes. Why?"

  "I have reasons to think that maybe there was more to Carolyn and Sterling's relationship than what he might've let on."

  "No way. He thought she was a total bitch."

  "He never said anything to the contrary, like maybe he wanted to sleep with her? I wasn't born yesterday. I know guys talk like that, and she's an attractive woman. I saw her at the funeral yesterday and, I don't know, there was something that I picked up on that made me think she had more than just a sisterly type of interest toward him."

  Michaela didn't want to tell him about the tapes. She wasn't sure she could trust him yet and she thought she'd let the police see them before she said anything.

  He laughed. "Look, Sterling liked women. He liked a lot of women, but I can guarantee that his sister-in-law was not one of them."

  This line of questioning was getting her nowhere. Obviously Sterling hadn't found Carolyn too off-putting, but he hadn't let on to Tommy that he was involved with her. Or maybe they hadn't gotten together until after the summer, when Sterling's stipend had been cut in half. "How about Rebecca Woodson?"

  "You read some old papers." Tommy frowned. "I met her." He shook his head. "Talk about a wild one. Once she hooked into Sterling, man, she wasn't about to let go."

  "She was not from a well-to-do family?"

  "Not that I was aware of. My impression was that she'd gotten connected with a group of rich kids out there and glommed on to the party scene with them. The rumor was she had some old guy who was keeping her in the cash as long as she was keeping him happy. He was supposedly married, so he didn't have much say as to what she did on her own time."

  "Did you ever get the name of that guy?"

  "No, why would I? I really didn't care. She was a party girl, a kind of…you know…how do you say it nicely? I mean, she put out pretty easily."

  "So Sterling wasn't really dating her?"

  He laughed. "Like I said, she put out. Sterling was a guy. She was hot. Problem was, as soon as they connected and she found out how loaded his family was, I think she saw a better deal than having to pay homage to the old guy. You know, I shouldn't be talking about her like that. It's not cool. If you read the paper, then you know that the poor girl died, too. She drowned."

  "I heard that. Sterling was there that night, wasn't he?"

  "We both were. It was a crazy party out at some mansion on the beach. Tons of people."

  "What happened?"

  "Like I said, it was crazy, you know, like out of the movies. Rebecca and Sterling…well, everyone was drinking a lot. I was super buzzed. There were a lot of drugs, too. I'm not into that, but I had my share of booze. They got into a fight. He wanted her to back off and leave him alone. It was a pretty nasty scene. She left the party, and the next thing we know the police are at Sterling's house the next morning because they found Rebecca washed up on the beach near the party house."

  "Was it an accident?"

  Tommy shrugged. "I think it probably was. She had a bump on her head, they said. Her body was found right off the pier. It looked as though she'd leaned against some old railing, it broke, she fell, hit her head, and rolled into the water off the embankment, then drowned."

  "But the cops thought there might have been foul play?"

  "I know you're trying to clear your name, but why all the questions about Rebecca and Sterling and what happened in Santa Barbara? The police finally closed that case, said that it was an accident."

  "But there's still speculation that it wasn't. And Zach told me that Sterling's family nearly disowned him after this took place, because the girl's relatives brought a civil suit against Sterling, and his folks didn't want the media attention or bad publicity."

  "That's true. But still, why are you asking? I mean, are you going anywhere with this?"

  "Honestly, I'm not real sure. But I have to wonder if maybe someone in Rebecca's family or even Sterling's own family didn't have something to do with his murder, and if it doesn't all lead back to the night that she died. Or is it even possible that the older guy who was paying for her company might not have sought revenge?"

  "Oh. Wow. That's a good point." He nodded. "Yeah, Rebecca's family went berserk. Like I said, I never knew who the old man was that she hung out with. I'm sure some of the kids we partied with might know."

  "Do you know anyone that I might be able to call?"

  "Jeez, I don't know. I'd have to check my book. You know, that was just a party scene. It wasn't like I was making lifelong friends out there. I might, though. I met a couple of girls out there and took their numbers. I can call you if I find them."

  "That would be great."

  "What about Rebecca's family?""I wouldn't know how to get a hold of them. I know that she had a brother who came over a few days after they found Rebecca and tried to beat on Sterling, but he was arrested. I think his name was Ryan. Not sure. It was an ugly scene and I went home that afternoon, actually. Once Sterling was cleared by the police he came back here, and we never talked about it."

  "Excuse me," the woman on the sofa called out. "I think we want to look at the first ring again."

  "I'll be right there," Tommy said. "Hey, sorry, I've got to help these guys out. And then Ed wants me to run some errands."

  "No problem."

  "Hope I helped."

  "You did. Thanks."

  Tommy nodded and went back to assist the customers. As Michaela started to leave the store, her eye noticed a display of bracelets. She peered in through the glass and spotted what looked to be an exact replica of the tennis bracelet she'd found. She needed to ask Camden if anyone had come forward to claim it. It seemed odd that no one had. She could turn it over to the police—to Jude. Maybe not her best option, albeit logical, if she wasn't already in over her head.

  She decided to wait around a few more minutes for Tommy. She wanted to ask him the price of the bracelet.

  A saleswoman approached. "Can I help you with anything?"

  Michaela looked at Tommy. He and the couple were engrossed in their business. She didn't know how long he might be. "Yeah, sure, you could help me. That tennis bracelet: How much is it?"

  "This one?"

  She nodded and the gal pulled it out. "Eight grand. Gorgeous, isn't it? I would love to have one of these."

  "It is beautiful." Michaela reached into her purse and pulled out the bracelet. She'd hadn't gotten a chance to ask Tommy about it, but maybe the woman could help her. "I had no idea they cost that much. Can you take a look at this for me? I'm curious what it's worth."

  "Let me take a look," the woman said. She held it up to the light and then placed it on a black velvet fold and studied it through a jeweler's loupe. "This is a great fake. Excellent really."

  "What do you mean, fake?"

  The woman looked again and nodded. "Yes. These are high-quality CZs. Cubic zirconium. Really nice, though. Didn't you know they weren't r
eal?"

  "No, I didn't. They look like the ones there in the case. I found the bracelet, so no, I didn't know. I placed a classified because I was sure someone would be missing it."

  "I would think that someone would claim it, though. I know they're not real, but they still aren't cheap. Like I said, it's a great fake. That's what is so cool about good CZs. No one would ever know that they're not real, unless you have a trained eye." The woman handed the bracelet back to Michaela.

  "Mitchell's doesn't carry cubic zirconium jewelry then?"

  The woman smiled. "Are you kidding? Have you ever met Ed Mitchell? The man is super particular. Only the best of everything. Best for his store, best food, best clothes, best cars, best for his family."

  The buzzer rang and an older, elegant-looking woman walked in. "Good luck with that," the saleswoman said and turned her attention to the new customer.

  "Thanks." Michaela looked back at Tommy to say good-bye, but he was still busy with the couple.

  THIRTY-THREE

  "I DON'T THINK REBECCA WOODSON'S DROWNING was an accident," Michaela said. She'd called Camden to see if they could meet in town for a late lunch. "Have you found out anything on your end? Did you get a hold of anyone you know in that Santa Barbara jet-set circle?"

  Camden nodded and set her iced tea down. "I talked with this gal whose family owns a big winery up there. She knows a lot of the gossip. She told me that the Tabers are real secretive."

  "No kidding. But there must be someone who knows what they're about."

  "She knew a few things. The scoop is that Charles, Sterling's brother, is a control freak and runs the entire family. After the dad passed away, Charles took over. They are filthy rich and everyone knew that Sterling was the black sheep of the family. Always has been. The thing with Rebecca Woodson was a big deal there last summer, but the Tabers have paid a lot of cash to keep things as low-key as they could. This friend of mine said that the rumor is they even paid off someone in the police department. When her family filed the civil suit, the Tabers settled with them out of court. Sterling came back here, and word was the family didn't want him around ever again, and they stopped giving him money to live on."