4 A Dead Mother

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “It’s all too awful to believe, especially since no matter what she told Leslie, Beverly Windsor was no fool. Ruth St. Armand must have been closer to the mark than Leslie was when it came to sizing up the situation between Beverly and Cedric. Beverly sent those materials to her accountant a couple of weeks before Leslie killed her, and then her laptop showed up at his office.” I shook my head not able to understand how apparently normal people could have done the unthinkable.

  “Marcia Garrett had warned her, too, remember? From the timeline the accountant gave us, it couldn’t have been long after she and Leslie had those shouting matches that Beverly became concerned enough about Cedric Baumgartner to send David Madison those documents.”

  “Why didn’t Beverly just tell her daughter she’d done that? Something Leslie said must have sunk in.”

  “Beverly was a proud, stubborn woman, Laura. I don’t think she wanted her daughter and Donald Herndon to control her life any more than Cedric Baumgartner.”

  “You’re probably right, Bernadette. She must have felt like everyone was trying to bamboozle her,” Rikki responded, sighing deeply. “What a waste.”

  “She made the right decision about Cedric Baumgartner,” I said, trying to focus on a sensible moment in the last crazed weeks of Beverly Windsor’s life.

  “So true! We took a page from Peter’s handbook and kept a copy of the recorded video saved on Beverly’s laptop before the Feds took it. We found a snippet of video that shows Cedric Baumgartner in Beverly’s master bedroom, monkeying with her laptop while she’s in the shower. That wasn’t too long before she shipped it off to David Madison. She must have reviewed that video, and then sent her laptop to David Madison while she figured out what to do next. Maybe that’s what she planned to discuss with you at the meeting she’d scheduled for later in the week.”

  “If she’d brought any of this up over the phone, I would have had Peter on her doorstep that day.”

  “Who left that scary get out of town note at David Madison’s condo in San Bernardino?” Tommy asked.

  “Matthew Whitaker did at Donald and Leslie’s instigation. That note wasn’t even about the laptop. Leslie had another bout of paranoia that her mother might have said something to David Madison about reallocating her assets and making provisions for Cedric Baumgartner. She didn’t want him talking to anyone about anything.”

  “Was it Matthew who shot at the dude out there in the woods?”

  “We don’t have proof, but I’m fairly certain that was Matthew Whitaker’s doing. He’s not willing to give us information that might involve him in another crime. Maybe the Feds will interview him and he’ll own up to it. I suppose Donald Herndon or Leslie Windsor could also have done it. They were well on their way to becoming Bonnie and Clyde by then.”

  “That wouldn’t surprise me. It’s the Cat in the Hat syndrome all over again,” Brien interjected. All eyes were on him. “What? I’ve told you before, that’s what criminals do—they try to clean up one mess and just make another one.” Rikki just sat there, saying nothing. She blinked a couple of times and then spoke.

  “That’s not a bad explanation for their behavior.”

  “Did we lead the shooter to that cabin?” I asked.

  “Indirectly, maybe. Since we were both treating Leslie Windsor more as a grieving family member than as a suspect, she knew way too much about what was going on with Cedric Baumgartner and the accountant and other details about the investigation. I’m sure I told her that David Madison was on the run and we thought he was hiding out nearby.”

  “I’m the one who brought up Cedric Baumgartner’s crooked past and his involvement with that shady investment firm.”

  “I doubt much of that was news, Jessica. If anything, she was feeding you information to make Cedric look guiltier. Not that he needed help in that regard. You spotted Matthew and his mother in that Chevy Impala in your neighborhood. They must have been keeping an eye on you. Maybe they followed you to the cabin. Who knows at this point? The San Bernardino police haven’t located the bullets from the gun used by the shooter at the cabin. If they do, that might also help.”

  “My guys can have a look for the bullets if you want,” Peter offered.

  “Sure. If you take a CSI with you, or someone who can vouch for the chain of custody, why not?”

  “Geez, I asked Leslie about that car, too! Once she knew we were searching for it, she must have had them ditch and burn it. From now on, everyone’s a suspect.” I raised my hand as if taking an oath. If Anastasia had been at my side, she probably would have offered me the doggy equivalent of a high-five. I’d left Anastasia inside given that our conversation was laden with the mention of Leslie and Beverly’s names. Anastasia seemed no worse off from the ordeal at her old home, but why take a chance of putting her through more stress?

  “Now you sound like a cop. Welcome to my world.”

  “Okay, so Cedric Baumgartner is going to get his. Matthew Whitaker’s told you how he and his mother sold their souls for money. How did Susan Whitaker end up dead?” Kim asked.

  “More of that Cat in the Hat cleanup effort. Leslie lured Susan Whitaker to Lucy Daniels’ place, setting her up to take the fall for Beverly’s murder as a co-conspirator with Cedric Baumgartner. She pushed her way into Dr. Daniels’ home and called Susan and her son to the house that morning. She told them she had wonderful news for them. She’d negotiated a deal with Lucy Daniels’ to sell the Veterinary practice to them and stay on as the vet.”

  “They fell for that?” Bernadette asked. “Bah! Idiotas!”

  “I’m sure they were still reeling from the trauma surrounding Beverly’s death and weren’t clearheaded. Besides, those two had already let greed get them in deep, so why not fall for a line about being rewarded with a big payoff? Part of the story Leslie made up about what happened at Lucy Daniels’ place was true. Susan and Matthew believed they had a claim on that business before the Lucy Daniels came between them and Dr. Higgins.”

  “Wishful thinking and greed make an intoxicating combo,” I observed.

  “Oh, yes. When they arrived at Lucy Daniels’ house, Susan Whitaker went inside. I’m sure Leslie was waiting with a gun, a fight started, not too different from the one Leslie described to us.”

  “Except Leslie was the perpetrator and not the victim.”

  “Yes. The forensics investigators might have sorted that out. Anyway, Matthew, who’d lingered behind his mother, took off on foot when he heard a gunshot inside. He didn’t get far, though, before Donald Herndon picked him up and forced him into his car at gunpoint. He deposited Matthew at Beverly Windsor’s house for safekeeping. It’s no wonder we couldn’t locate him.”

  “What was their end game?” Peter asked. “I don’t see how they were going to get out of this mess.”

  “Well, they tried one last gambit. They left that note on Jessica’s windshield. Leaving those fake documents, they hoped to set Cedric Baumgartner up as the mastermind behind Beverly’s murder. I’m not sure what other plans they had to tie him to Susan and Matthew Whitaker since Leslie had already claimed they admitted killing her mother.”

  “I understand. Poorly played, though, since Jessica spotted the trail they’d left at Beverly Windsor’s house. Those practice pages she found in the garbage should have been left in Susan Whitaker’s house,” Peter commented. “What do you want to bet Matthew Whitaker would have turned up dead? Leaving a confession behind claiming he’d been put up to it by Cedric Baumgartner could have provided the tie-in.”

  “Matthew told us he was worried about it, which is why he ran for it even though Donald Herndon had a gun pointed at him.”

  “Maybe Leslie Windsor had those drugs with her, intending to give them to Matthew and ended up taking them instead,” Betsy suggested.

  “That’s possible since Leslie acted as though she was still trying to keep up appearances when she invited you to return Anastasia to her, Jessica.”

  “I’m sure if she could have ma
intained her charade long enough, she would have taken every penny she could from the settlement of her mother’s estate,” I groused. “After the way Leslie behaved that day, even before I found those practice papers in the garbage and Donald Herndon turned up with that gun, I knew she wasn’t who she appeared to be.”

  “Leslie may have preferred to get her hands on more of what she regarded as her father’s legacy, but she also knew they were running out of time. She was cashing out and moving money as fast as she could to an offshore account. In the end, their plan was to run for it.”

  “For a while there, Susan Whitaker sure appeared to be guilty,” I said.

  “That’s for sure. Not just the fingernail and hair evidence, but she owned the car seen near Desert Park Preserve in the surveillance footage. She’s the woman captured on the video breaking into Beverly’s house, too. Donald says Leslie began to worry that her mother might have started working on a change to her will or had put something in writing that she planned to bring with her to that meeting with you, Jessica. They sent Susan to go through her mother’s papers. They didn’t know it until you all found those nanny cams, but that just meant there was more evidence to make Susan Whitaker look guilty.”

  “I think their best chance was to run for it,” Peter mumbled.

  “Leslie Windsor escaped in another way, didn’t she? I guess she meant to take Donald Herndon with her to the netherworld before she killed herself.” Laura folded her arms across her chest in a defiantly protective gesture. “Ultimately, these folks who ‘break bad’ are self-destructive, aren’t they?”

  “True—suicide by cop’s a real thing,” Rikki said. “Not easy on the cop, though. Donald Herndon’s going to pay for his part in all the destruction. How much it’s going to cost him isn’t clear yet. The DA’s holding off on filing formal charges until he’s recovered from taking a bullet from Leslie Windsor.”

  “It’s too bad they take so many other people with them when they break bad,” I said.

  “Well, Lucy Daniels is going to make it. Some of the victims Cedric Baumgartner left in his wake will get to see justice play out. That long list of names you gave me at the beginning wasn’t wasted effort. It’s proved useful in identifying other illegal transfers of money. Not just the three women he’d cozied up to before Beverly either. All the residents of Araby Oasis are going to be spared the worst that could have happened to them. Cedric Baumgartner had helped his crooked chums gain access to the HOA accounts, too.”

  “See there, Jessica. Father Martin told you not to feel like a failure and take the good you can get. Hundreds of people might have been hurt by Cedric Baumgartner if we hadn’t tried to fight.” Bernadette put up her dukes.

  “That’s good advice. I’ve learned to accept that I’m not going to save everyone,” Rikki said.

  “You know what Martin Luther King said, ‘Only in the darkness can you see the stars,” Betsy added. “We’ve got to bask in the light from the small victories when we see those stars shine.”

  “To small victories!” I’d agreed that night.

  Tonight, weeks later, we were finally going to celebrate my divorce and those other small victories won in the past year. I vowed to set aside stewing about another murder among the rich and famous who turn all the good in their lives to grime. Would I ever develop better judgment when it came to people? Maybe I should seek a career in some field other than law since, so far, my clients had turned out to be in more trouble than I could address with my legal skills. Tommy interrupted my reverie.

  “Earth to Jessica! You should register Anastasia as a service dog. You’re really relaxed around her, aren’t you? Despite all the hell you’ve gone through, I haven’t seen one new outfit. No new chachkies, either.” He had a point. As he spoke, the lovely Anastasia was standing beside my chaise resting her head on the arm of my chair as I stroked her soft poodle fur.

  “She deserves a medal for that bunny hop takedown that stopped Donald Herndon from killing anyone,” Jerry added.

  “Here, here!” I cried getting a lively response from Anastasia when I rose to my feet. “Let the party begin,” I said.

  “I’ll second that!” I turned in response to that comment and my eyes met Frank’s. My heart leapt for joy. He’d been mostly absent during the past few weeks, and I’d almost taken it for granted that he’d be a no-show again tonight. Wearing a deep gold-colored turtleneck and a big smile, he closed the distance between us and embraced me. He whispered in my ear.

  “They’re making a move tonight and the French Connection will be a thing of the past. Thank goodness!” He grinned. I frowned.

  What had he been up to when he logged all those extra hours of duty? I wondered. Did I really want to know? In the end, his grin won out. It was a huge relief to have the old Frank back. I kissed his cheek and whispered. “Welcome back.”

  “Gather round, Cat Pack members. I come bearing news. Jerry and Jessica are likely to hear about this shortly anyway.” The cat herd that had been meandering about, pouring drinks, filling plates with food, arranging chairs on the patio to take advantage of the sunset all stopped. I must admit, it was an eerie thing to see them all still at once.

  “I have it on good authority that an arrest is going to made tomorrow morning in the murder of Marty Hargreaves.” You could have heard a pin drop as Frank paused and took a swig of beer for dramatic effect. “They found the murder weapon and the fingerprints on it mean the she-beast will have to do her beastly best from behind bars from here on out!” Gasps escaped from everyone including me. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

  “I can’t go into all the details, but the guy the nanny saw at the house was trying to do Cassie and himself a favor by ditching the murder weapon. You know, anything to make the homicide investigation more difficult. He says he saw her use it on her Cousin Marty, before she kicked the living daylights out of him.”

  “He should have just taken it with him, rather than…” I realized I might be saying too much and stopped.

  “It never occurred to him that he was under surveillance.” All eyes were on us. “When the story breaks, I’ll let you in more about what’s been going on. For now, Cassie Carlysle-Harper is officially being charged with Marty Hargreaves’ murder.”

  “Caged at last! Orange is not her color. Wait ‘til her hair grows out and she’s got two-tone hair to go with that prison jumpsuit,” Tommy wailed.

  “I knew it all along,” Bernadette said. “She-beasts have killer instincts.”

  There were more snide comments from my sweet, silly friends. Somehow, I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. There was a lot more to caging the beast than an arrest, though, as Brien pointed out right away.

  “Uh, she-beasts are crafty. If there’s a way to keep out of the slammer she’ll find it,” Brien cautioned.

  “There’s no doubt about that. She’s got the world’s craftiest lawyer, too,” Bernadette said speaking with a tone of authority. “Carlotta Dunaway’s probably already got a few angles she’s working. She’s gotta know by now what kind of beast she’s got for a client. A tiger by the tail! I bet she didn’t bargain for that.”

  “It happens to the best of us,” I muttered thinking about how often I’d been misled by well-disguised beasts.

  “There’s going to be a whole new circus if this goes to trial,” Laura added.

  “I can handle that,” I said. “At least she won’t be running around on the streets shrieking and chasing people with her cane.”

  “Or pummeling her personal assistants until they fall on the ground and she kicks them like she did to Marty Hargreaves,” Kim added.

  “You do know what this means, don’t you, Jessica?”

  “What?”

  “Rodeo Drive is safe again! We can shop ‘til we drop and we won’t have her to kick us around. Woohoo!” Tommy was doing a jig.

  “So much for supporting my show of restraint with the shopping binges, huh?” I asked.

&nb
sp; “Just think how good you’ll look on Rodeo Drive. This time you’ll be the one with a poodle. If you really want to celebrate your divorce, that’s the place to do it. Please, please, please?” I looked around at all the expectant face waiting for my answer.

  “Why not? Let’s do it. Either I treat everyone or the deal’s off. Frank, you can bring Evie and Frankie along. It’s time Evie took full advantage of my tutelage at Alexis’ feet while they were planted firmly at the center of the shopping world. I still have much to teach her.”

  “Come on, Cousin Frank, please say yes,” Tommy pleaded. Frank shook his head, but he was in too good a mood to object.

  We spent a good part of our evening together trying to find a weekend when everyone could participate and making other decisions about our getaway. I was overwhelmed with happiness at the thought of an extravaganza. I don’t know when it happened, but at some point, Frank had reached out and taken my hand in his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Anastasia had settled in on the patio between us in as close to a Norman Rockwell scene as my life ever seemed to come. Was that the path that a life with Frank would lead? A quiet, peaceful life with a ready-made family and even a dog.

  I slept in the next morning. Anastasia must have been one pooped pooch since she hadn’t made a sound. She often served as my alarm clock these days. This morning my phone woke me. I struggled to find it in a semi-conscious state.

  “Jessica, is that you?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s Evie.”

  “Good morning, Evie.”

  “No, it’s not.” Then she began to weep. “Some men came to the house to see dad. He used our secret word that means I’m supposed to hide. They took him away.” My heart raced. I couldn’t breathe. Somehow, I flew into action anyway. No, no, no! Not Frank! Not Evie!

  “Are you alone?”

  “Yes. Frankie spent the night with friends. Dad and I were going to pick him up and take him to breakfast.”