The Next Victim (Kali O'Brien series)

by Jonnie Jacobs

  “I still work there,” Joanna said, with a sigh. “We lived in the same dorm, too. We hung out together and stuff. We even, like, talked about rooming together this year. Then she got that job and was going to, like, live in a fancy house. I was totally jealous.” Joanna’s face clouded and her voice grew tight. “But if it hadda been me that got the job, I’d be dead instead of her. And that’s really freaky, you know?”

  Kali nodded. She was reminded again how very young nineteen was.

  “I still have trouble believing she’s gone. Olivia was so alive. You know what I mean?”

  “I’m sorry. I know how hard it is to have someone close to you murdered.”

  Joanna’s chin quivered and she looked at the ground without saying anything.

  “I’ve got a photo of Olivia and a couple of friends,” Kali said. “Are you up to looking at it?”

  When Joanna responded with a wordless nod, Kali showed her the photo. “Do you recognize either of the girls with Olivia?”

  Joanna took the photograph and studied it a moment, shielding it from the sun. “This one”—she pointed to the golden-haired girl—”it sort of looks like Crystal. She has a birthmark just like that.”

  A birthmark, not a bruise, as Kali had initially thought. “Crystal who?”

  “I don’t know her last name.”

  “Do you know where I can find her?”

  Joanna shook her head. “I’m pretty sure she’s not a U of A student.”

  “A high school friend?”

  “No. She’s someone Olivia met a couple of months ago.”

  “What about the other girl?”

  “I don’t recognize her.”

  “What can you tell me about Crystal?” Kali asked.

  “Not much. Only time I met her was at a party. There were a lot of people there. Music, dancing, you know, but not a lot of real talking.”

  “Was she with anyone in particular?”

  Joanna gave an exasperated sigh. “It wasn’t like I was watching her.”

  Sensing Joanna’s growing impatience, Kali moved on. “When did you last talk to Olivia?”

  “A couple of days before she was killed.” Joanna’s eyes had been tracking the students coming and going around them. Now she turned back to Kali. “We hung out together, like all the time last year, but this year, with her living off campus and everything, it wasn’t the same. We didn’t even have any classes together this semester. Besides, her job kept her kind of busy.”

  “Her job?” Kali said. “You mean working for Sloane Winslow?”

  “Well, that too. But she had another job.” Joanna’s face clouded again. “I really miss her. I missed her before she was killed. This year just wasn’t the same.”

  “What other job?”

  Joanna shrugged, let her gaze drift to a group of students exiting the dorm. “I don’t know, but it was better pay and better hours than waiting tables at the River Inn, which is what she was doing before. She hated that.”

  Kali had worked as a waitress for a stint while she was in college. It was hard work and she’d hated it too. “Tell me about Olivia. What was she like?”

  “Smart. She got really good grades without even trying. But she liked to have fun, too.” A hint of a smile tugged at Joanna’s mouth, as she relived some private memory. “She liked nice things, not that she could afford them. But that was part of her dream. With Olivia, you knew she’d get what she wanted eventually.”

  “Does the name Randy ring a bell with you?” Kali almost added that he supposedly had a great body, but she thought the comment might be misunderstood.

  “I knew a boy named Randy in high school.”

  “But no one Olivia knew?”

  Joanna shook her head. A couple of male students passed by on their way into the dorm and waved to Joanna, who seemed suddenly eager to be off.

  “Are we done?” she asked Kali. “I’ve got stuff to do.”

  “That’s it. Thanks for your help.”

  Joanna adjusted her ponytail and followed the men into the dorm.

  Chapter 23

  Back in her car, Kali pulled out her cell phone and debated calling Reed. He’d been willing enough to blame John for his sister’s death when all he had to go on was police theory, but things were different now. It was beginning to look as if John, too, might have been murdered. If Kali explained her growing suspicions, maybe Reed would be open to the possibility that John was innocent. And if she wanted to find out what John had been up to—what his connection was to Olivia—Reed was as likely to know as anyone.

  Kali had found Reed’s home number programmed into John’s cell phone, but when she tried calling him now, she got the answering machine. Without leaving a message, she tried him at work. It was already 5:30, so she wasn’t surprised when the receptionist told her he’d gone for the day. On impulse, Kali asked to speak to A. J. Nash instead.

  “Another couple of minutes and you’d have missed me,” Nash said amiably. “I was just packing up my stuff.”

  “Sorry, I can call back tomorrow. I don’t want to keep you.” Kali opened the driver’s-side door to let in some air. As she did, she noticed a midsized beige sedan several spaces back with its engine running and, no doubt, its air conditioner blasting away. Definitely a better option for cooling off in ninety-degree heat than merely opening the door.

  “Not a problem,” Nash said. “What can I do for you?”

  If only it were that simple. Kali didn’t even know what questions to ask. “It’s about John. I guess I’d just like to talk to someone who knew him.”

  “I understand. I was the same way when my dad died.”

  “There are things about him I don’t understand,” Kali said. “I know that sounds awfully vague, but you said you were a friend of his and I thought—”

  “I’d be happy to talk with you, although I’m not sure I’ll be much help. Are you by any chance free for a drink?”

  “You mean now?”

  “Right. I’ve got time. Are you still staying at John’s? I know it’s a bit of a drive into town, so if you’d rather—”

  “No, now is good. I’m actually near campus at the moment. And I’d love to meet with you.”

  <><><>

  Half an hour later, Kali was sitting across from Nash in an upscale bar sipping the Cosmopolitan he’d insisted she order instead of her usual wine. He was wearing a suit, as he’d been the day she’d met him at Logan Foods, but he’d removed his jacket and tie and rolled up his shirtsleeves, revealing tanned arms and a platinum Rolex watch.

  “How is it?” he asked, referring to the ruby-tinted concoction in her martini glass.

  “Good.” It was, in fact, a little too sweet for Kali’s taste, but far more drinkable than the very dry gin martinis she’d tasted in the past. It was also strong. She’d have to remember to sip slowly. “I hope I’m not putting you in an awkward position with regard to Reed and the company,” she said.

  Nash shook his head. “There’s been no company directive, official or otherwise. Reed, himself, has said very little, in fact.”

  “When I talked to him, he seemed convinced that John was responsible for Sloane’s murder.”

  “From what I hear, the police had fairly convincing evidence.” Nash sipped his drink and regarded her appraisingly over the rim of the glass. “But you’re a defense attorney, if I recall correctly. You’re probably a bit more skeptical than the rest of us.”

  A hint of a smile flickered in his eyes. He was, Kali decided, a good-looking man in an urbane and refined sort of way. Not the kind of guy she usually found attractive—she preferred a less polished look—but with his lean build and hazel eyes, he cut an impressive figure. She hadn’t appreciated that until now.

  “Defense isn’t all I do,” Kali told him. “It wasn’t even what I set out to do initially.”

  “Which was what?”

  Kali laughed. “Make a lot of money. Well, I did work for the DA’s office for a few years right out of sch
ool—no money there. But then I joined one of the hot boutique San Francisco firms and worked my tail off for five years. I was on the brink of making partner when the place went belly up.”

  “So you jumped into criminal defense?”

  “It’s more like I stumbled and fell into it,” Kali said.

  “How’s that?”

  “The short of it is, a friend of mine was a suspect in her husband’s death and I got involved with the case. My personal life was tanking right about then, too. One thing led to another, and before I knew it, I ended up in Silver Creek, where I grew up, with a criminal defense practice.”

  “But you’re back in the Bay Area now.”

  Kali nodded. “But there’s no short version to that switch.”

  Nash leaned forward. The amber flecks in his eyes glimmered in the light from the tabletop candle. “Some day I’d love to hear the longer version of both.”

  She shrugged. “It’s not very interesting.”

  Nash caught the waitress’s eye and ordered another round of drinks and a plate of nachos.

  Kali protested. “I shouldn’t really—”

  “We haven’t even begun to discuss whatever it was you wanted to see me about.”

  And somehow she’d finished the entire Cosmopolitan. “What the heck?” She settled back in her chair. “What about you? How’d you end up working for Logan Foods?”

  “I didn’t have a lot of options, I’m afraid. I went to law school at night—you know the kind of place, accredited but not exactly a name school. It’s worked out well, though. I can’t say that my job’s exciting, but I like what I do and I like the people I work with.”

  “That’s what counts.”

  Nash nodded. “You wanted to talk about John?”

  The noise level in the bar had increased as it had filled with patrons shouting to be heard over one another. The big-screen television over the bar, broadcasting a baseball game, didn’t help.

  Kali, too, raised her voice. “I’m not convinced John’s death was accidental,” she told Nash. “I think someone may have been at the house the night he died.”

  The waitress brought their order. Nash waited until she’d left before responding. “Have you told the police?”

  “They weren’t interested.” Kali scooped a nacho into her mouth, catching the dripping cheese with her free hand. Then she leaned back and sipped her drink. “It’s not like I have hard evidence. But I called John the night he died and I heard a voice in the background. I’m thinking they had a snack. The cleaning woman found sandwich makings on the counter the next morning—and drinks. That could be how John got the drugs into his system.”

  Nash frowned. “Could you make out what this other person was saying?”

  “No. It could have been the television, even. That’s what I assumed at the time. But the thing is, one of the items on the counter was a jar of mayonnaise. John hated the stuff, never ate it. So he clearly made a sandwich for someone besides himself.”

  “Who do you think it was?”

  Kali’s phone rang and she quickly checked the screen. Bryce. With a twinge of guilt, she turned off the ringer and slipped the phone back into her purse. “I was hoping you might have some ideas.”

  Nash shook his head. “I can’t imagine who would want to kill John.”

  Kali hated to even think the words she was about to say next. “I know he and Sloane were having a disagreement about the future of Logan Foods. John might have lost his job if Sloane had had her way. But he couldn’t have been the only one who’d benefit from having her out of the picture.”

  Confusion, and then disbelief, clouded Nash’s face. “Reed?”

  “It’s possible, isn’t it? And there might be others. Some of the directors, maybe. I’m not really familiar with the structure of the company.” And because it wasn’t publicly held, there was no way for her to find out.

  But Nash wasn’t buying any of it. “I can understand it’s hard for you to believe John was responsible for Sloane’s murder, but the police were on top of this. I assume they know what they’re doing. I don’t want to speak out of turn here, but maybe you should let it go.”

  “Let’s put Reed aside for the moment, then,” Kali said. “Are you aware of anything John was involved in that might . . . might put him in a position to be killed?”

  Again, Nash shook his head. Kali thought he was probably beginning to regret suggesting they meet for drinks.

  “I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” he said after a moment.

  “What about women? Sex? That sort of thing.”

  She’d thought Nash might be offended, but instead he seemed amused. “I can see I’d never make it as a defense attorney. I’m not nearly creative enough. John was dating a woman who lived back East. I met her once but I’m afraid I can’t remember her name.”

  “Susan Harris?”

  “Yes, that’s it. She seemed like a nice woman. As for sex”—here Nash actually grinned—”I never asked John about that aspect of their relationship.”

  “Did you ever see him with other women? Much younger women?”

  “Can’t say that I did. Why do you ask?”

  Clearly Nash was not in a position to be of help. The evening had been pleasant, but not especially useful. “Just curious,” Kali said lightly.

  “You must have had a reason to ask.”

  What the hell? Maybe something would trigger a memory in Nash’s mind. “I’m exploring the possibility that Sloane wasn’t the target victim after all,” Kali explained.

  Nash stroked his chin. “Corporate law is looking better and better. At least there’s logic to it.” His tone was light, good-natured. It was obvious he didn’t buy her concerns but, at the same time, didn’t want to appear dismissive. In fact, he seemed more interested in her than in what she had to say.

  She’d been hoping Nash would take her concerns seriously. Now she could see he didn’t. “I need to be going,” Kali told him.

  “You haven’t finished your drink.”

  “Good thing, too. Or I might never find my way home.”

  “I can give you a ride.” His eyes met hers.

  She smiled. “Thanks, but I’m fine.”

  Nash seemed reluctant to have her leave. “Have you ever been to the Desert Museum?” he asked.

  “I’ve heard of it, but I haven’t been there.”

  “Would you like to go sometime? I’m a member, supporting member actually. I’ve got an annual pass and I’d love to take you.”

  Kali remembered the call from Bryce she’d ignored. She felt a little uncomfortable, almost as if he were watching, but that was silly. And Nash’s offer to show her one of the town’s attractions was hardly a date.

  “I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be around,” she told him. “But if it works out, I’d love to go.”

  <><><>

  Commute traffic had thinned out, but cars still crawled along at well below the speed limit. It sometimes took Kali two light cycles to get through an intersection. Which was why, as she neared John’s, she sped up instead of braking when the light turned yellow twenty feet in front of her. She was chiding herself for pushing it, especially after two Cosmopolitans, when she noticed the beige sedan behind her had sped through as well. He’d really pushed it, she thought. Then it struck her that the car was similar to the one parked behind her at the university.

  That was crazy. It couldn’t be the same car. Hadn’t Nash teased her about having a creative imagination? Besides, beige sedans were common. Still, she felt better when the car turned right at the next corner as she continued straight.

  She pulled into the driveway and headed inside.

  “I’m in here,” Sabrina called out as Kali closed the front door.

  Kali followed the sound of her voice to John’s office, where she found her sister seated at the computer.

  “John sure got a heck of a lot of spam,” Sabrina said, scrolling down the screen. “Other than that it’s mostly car stu
ff, except for the e-mails from me and the kids.”

  Kali peered over Sabrina’s shoulder, momentarily speechless. “How did you log on?” she asked finally. “Onto the computer, I mean. It’s password protected.”

  “Well, you know what they say, that people aren’t very inventive. They use their birth date or phone number or pet’s name. It only took me half a dozen guesses.”

  Kali had tried those same things herself, with no luck. “So what was it?”

  “Nippercles.”

  “What?” No wonder she hadn’t gotten it.

  “John’s pet hamster,” Sabrina said.

  “John has a hamster?”

  “Not now. When we were growing up. Don’t you remember Nipper?”

  Now that she’d been prompted, Kali did recall the soft, furry ball of brown fuzz that had been John’s constant companion during junior high. Hercules he wasn’t, except maybe in John’s imagination, but Nipper had morphed into Nippercles and the name had somehow seemed to fit. At the moment, though, Kali was most astounded by her sister’s resourcefulness.

  “I’m impressed,” she said. “How did you think to try that?”

  Sabrina gave her a long look. “Maybe if you’d spent a little time getting to know John, you’d have figured it out too.”

  “No need to get snippy.”

  “I wasn’t. I was merely making an observation.” Sabrina pushed the keyboard away and stood up.

  “Come on,” she said, “let’s eat. I made us a Cobb salad.”

  “Out of what? The fridge was empty.”

  “What do you think grocery stores are for?”

  Sabrina wasn’t someone who willingly spent a lot of time in the kitchen, but when she set her mind to it, she could put together a five-star meal. The salad was an artful arrangement of poached chicken, hard-boiled egg, avocado, and cherry tomatoes on top of a bed of mixed greens. Despite the nachos Kali had had earlier, she was suddenly famished.

  “So what else was on the computer?” Kali asked over dinner. After two Cosmopolitans, she’d decided to stick to water, but Sabrina had her usual vodka and tonic.