Chapter Thirty-six
My champagne haze burned off in a flash fire. “What the hell’s going on?” I asked, my voice rising an octave by the last word as I saw two police officers escorting Ava in handcuffs to the car by her front door. She looked up at us, her denim outfit looking tawdry now. The light from my headlights glinted off her wide, round eyes. Red and blue light bathed the entire scene.
“Maybe you should stay in the car. I’ll see what’s going on,” Bart said. He put the Pathfinder in park, but by then I was already out, slamming the door to keep Oso inside as he hurtled from the back seat to follow me. I ran toward Ava as an officer put his hand on the top of her head and another helped her into the back seat. One man’s hand was too close to her tush and the other man’s hand was too close to the side of her breast.
“Excuse me, excuse me, that’s my roommate, what’s going on?” I said, too loud, panting.
One of the officers turned to me. “Stay back, miss. Official police business.”
“Yes, I understand, but—” I tried to say, but was cut off.
Jacoby stepped toward me out of the shadow behind the cruiser. “I’ve got this,” he said to his fellow officer.
“Jacoby?” I asked. If it wasn’t so dark, they could have seen my jaw hanging open wide enough that one of Jacoby’s huge fists would fit inside.
He stepped in close to me. “Ava is under arrest for the murder of Guy Edwards,” he said in crisply perfect English.
I backed up and he closed the gap between us again.
“What’s going on? This is nuts,” I hissed. “You know it’s crazy.”
His eyes bored into mine, the whites shining in the reflection of the red and blue flashing lights. “I’m not sure I know anything anymore,” he said. He glanced at the other cops, who were absorbed in whatever Ava was doing in the back seat of the car. “We have two witnesses.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“At least tell me what they think they have on her.” I closed my eyes for a two count. “Please.”
His voice dropped. “Mrs. Edwards confronted Guy about his affair with Ava. Eduardo Chavez set up a meeting for Guy with Ava. Eduardo said Guy was going to tell Ava it was over, so he could save his marriage. Eduardo said nobody else knew where Guy would be.”
“Nobody except Eduardo,” I said.
“Eduardo said he was helping Mrs. Edwards with the plans for a campaign fundraiser. His alibi checks out.” Jacoby looked back at his fellow officers again. One motioned for him to return.
“It doesn’t matter, Jacoby. She didn’t do it.”
Jacoby lapsed back into Local for a moment. “She have motive, she have opportunity.” He spat on the ground by my foot. “Sometimes a woman make bad choices, and she pay for it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He started walking toward Ava’s house. My self control slipped. I yelled after him. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Jacoby stopped, and he raised his arm and pointed at me. “I suggest you don’t become part of the problem, Ms. Connell. Now stay out of the way. We gonna search the house.”
A search. That changed things. “I’m her attorney, Jacoby. I’ll need to review the warrant first.” I thought about the promise I’d made to myself. No more criminal cases, ever. These days, never wasn’t as long as it used to be.
He chuptzed me, so softly I wondered if I’d imagined it. “You’re her attorney? The star of YouTube? How’d that work out for your last client?” At my startled look, he said, “What, you think we don’t have the internet in the islands?” He cackled, an ugly sound. “Yeah, I watched you on there. Zane McZillion. He’s a pretty good ball player. Nice job, lawyer lady.”
I bit down hard and kept biting. “The warrant. May I review it or not?”
“Be quick about it, then.”
“I’ll be right back. Please don’t set foot in that house until I return.”
He didn’t answer, just walked back to the cluster of officers in the front yard.
The siren on the police cruiser with Ava inside sounded once, then the car made a three-point turn with its lights still on and headed out of the driveway around the remaining two police cars and Bart’s truck. Bart was leaning against his Pathfinder with one arm around Emily and the other restraining a whining Oso. I hadn’t seen Emily earlier when I’d dashed onto the scene. Her face was pale and she had black circles under both eyes. But she stood up straight as I approached, and stepped toward me, asking question after question before I could answer. “How is Ava? What’s going on?”
I let her hug me, then comforted my dog, then filled them in on what was going on. “They’re going to search Ava’s house, and I need to stay for that. It could last a long time, and I expect they’ll tear her house apart. I think you should check into a hotel, Em.”
I was much more familiar with what came next than I wanted to be.
Emily pursed her lips, thinking. “I could stay, if you need me.”
I couldn’t drag Emily any further into this mess. “Thanks, but there’s no need. I’ve got it under control.”
Emily accepted my lie. “God, this is awful. Poor Ava.”
She didn’t ask if Ava had done it. I’m sure she was wondering, what with me bringing her down here and putting her up in the house of an accused murderer and all. But she didn’t ask, God bless her. Bart was still leaning against the truck, looking a little out of place as the drama unfolded.
“Ava is in for a tough time,” I answered. “No matter how this plays out.”
“What do you want me to do about my bags?” she asked.
“I doubt they’re going to let us take anything from the house until they’re done. Sorry. I can bring you a bag tomorrow, though.”
“I’ll drop Emily at a hotel on my way home,” Bart said, sounding firm and confident.
I grabbed his hand, glad now that I’d stayed loose tonight, that I hadn’t torpedoed whatever this was with him. “Thank you. Take her to the Peacock Flower.” I looked at Emily. “Text me the details when you’re safely in your room, but don’t wait up for me. I’ll just spend the night here when they’re done. I suddenly have a lot to do, and tomorrow will be more of the same. Relax, read a magazine. Enjoy yourself. The spa there is fabulous, and they’ve got three swimming pools and two beaches.” I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “I’ll call when I can.”
“Do what you need to do.” She kissed my cheek back and searched my eyes. Whatever she saw must have satisfied her, because she walked to the passenger side of Bart’s SUV.
Bart put his arms around me and pulled me close. He kissed my forehead. “Anything else I can do?”
Take me with you. Go pick up Ava and bring her home. “Call Rashidi. Other than that, no, thank you. You’ve been great.” On impulse, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth, quick and hard. I didn’t wait to see his reaction. I spun around and marched into the house with Oso loping to keep up. Katie Connell, criminal defense attorney-at-law, reluctantly resurrected.
~~~
Saving Grace (What Doesn’t Kill You, #1): A Katie Romantic Mystery Page 38