“I wanted to ask about Marilyn and John Barnet. When we met, you said you thought the relationship was cooling off. Do you remember?”
“I never forget a handsome man, especially when he shows up at my door.”
It was uncomfortable but mildly reassuring that I had pinned her within minutes of meeting her.
“It’s important that I understand the timeline, the arc of their relationship. Can you do that for me?”
“Anything, Detective, believe me, anything you want.”
The sound of a leaf blower came through the phone. “Good. You said that Marilyn was like a schoolgirl when she started the affair with Barnet. Is that accurate?”
“Marilyn was head over heels. It was refreshing to see someone unabashedly enjoying herself.”
“Did she ever mention getting divorced from her husband?”
“Not really. It wasn’t about Gideon. You men never seem to understand; it was about her.”
Was Clermont another woman whose divorce transformed them into a feminist? “Can you clear up ‘not really’? Did she discuss it or not?”
“I took any talk of divorce, which was kinda general, as Marilyn venting. Not a plan, just like a release for her.”
“I get it. Would you find it surprising that Gideon claims she had told him she wanted a divorce?”
“I like to think the two of us were close, so I can’t really imagine her not telling me about something like that. But, in reality, nothing would surprise me, Detective, unless you came over.”
“You mentioned the episode where Barnet allegedly filmed them having sex.”
“It wasn’t allegedly, he did it.”
“Previously, you said you thought it was to spice up their sex life. You thought Barnet was getting bored.”
“It could have been. Marilyn, after she got over being filmed, was concerned about it.”
“After the filming episode, did the relationship begin to fade?”
“Marilyn was angry about being filmed, and for about a week, things were in a funk. But Marilyn, she couldn’t stay mad long. It was one of the things I loved and frankly admired about her. She was a special girl.”
If you were as wealthy as the Boggs, I’m willing to bet you’d also have a hard time staying mad.
“The relationship got back on track?”
“Yeah. Things seemed to be going good for them again.”
“How long did this good period last?”
“A week or two.”
“Then you said something about her was different.”
“She changed, got real quiet and wouldn’t talk about Barnet. Something was bothering her, and it had to do with him. I’m sure about that.”
Chapter 40
Gideon Brighthouse
I tipped my empty bottle over and shook the last drops into my mouth as soon as Gerey got out of the SUV. Just what did he mean by ‘long way to go’?
By the time we were back on 41, the mirage Crowley had created dissipated. I was in trouble. As soon as I got to the island I would have to destroy the mushrooms. Burning them would be the best way; nothing but ashes I could mix into the gulf. I’d have to be careful not to breathe any fumes in; it could fatal. What a twist that would make.
I’d have to get rid of them before the police found them. That couldn’t happen. It would give them physical proof and I’d be doomed. I’d never survive living in a small cell; I’d die of a heart attack the first night. Dealing with the mushrooms was dangerous but they had to go.
When the driver repeated that he was driving as fast as he could, the idea to ask Gerey about how much trouble the mushrooms would be for me popped into my head. Maybe I didn’t have to risk getting rid of them, but would Gerey give me up to the family? There was attorney-client privilege preventing him, but with his bread buttered by the Boggs, he’d find a way to tip them off.
What about Crowley? He was a criminal lawyer, defending all kinds of people, most of whom probably did what they were accused of. He was used to keeping information confidential. I could ask him. That’s what I’d do.
Pulling up to the dock, I realized Crowley was brought in by Gerey and would have to report what I told him to Gerey. The thought of dealing with such a toxic substance brought a tightness between my shoulders that worsened as we climbed onto the yacht. Why hadn’t I hidden a second bottle of Valium-laced water on board?
My heart started pounding as I remembered Gerey telling me to lay off my meds. How was I supposed to get through all this? I was sick. Everyone knew I couldn’t handle this. How long till we get to Keewaydin? I hung my head over the side, but it was nowhere in sight.
As we rounded the corner off Galleon, I could see Nelsons Walk and the northeast tip of Keewaydin. It never looked so good.
Chapter 41
Luca
I read through the report and felt we had gotten the break we were looking for.
The geeks in the crime lab had identified a transaction that Brighthouse had made with a Russian entity called Beatrice Solutions. Russia? Again? When the firm didn’t respond to the lab, they requested assistance from the Russian Politsiya. I was surprised the Russkies responded so quickly, confirming that Beatrice had sold and shipped a lethal quantity of death cap mushrooms to Brighthouse.
This was no longer wishful thinking by Brighthouse. He took action and purchased a deadly poison to kill his wife. Once we found the mushrooms, it’d provide us with physical evidence of his intent. It was something to work with, thanks to the geeks and the Russians, of all people.
Googling death cap mushrooms, I understood why Gideon chose them; they were the deadliest mushrooms and resembled edible types. The death cap grew wild throughout Europe, and its poisonous amatoxins could withstand cooking temperatures.
These mushrooms were nasty. A few hours after consumption a person would experience violent abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Then the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system would begin shutting down, leading to coma and death. What a terrible way to go. Gideon must’ve really hated his wife.
I couldn’t help thinking how the father had set all this in motion with his penalties on divorce. How would the old man feel if he knew this was the way his son-in-law planned to kill his little girl?
I was on the phone when Vargas breezed into the office. She was wearing corduroy pants that really highlighted her figure. She was about to pick up the phone, but I waved her off and finished my call.
Waving the report, I said, “Guess what the geeks in computer forensics hunted down?”
“Brighthouse?”
“Yup. Gideon, snake that he is, bought deadly mushrooms from some Russian website.”
“He took action?”
“Big time. These mushrooms, they’re called death caps, are fatal. You only need a minuscule amount, and they look like ordinary mushrooms.”
“I’ll bet he was gonna put some of it in with the other veggies she juiced.”
I hated to admit it, but I’d forgotten about the juicer sitting on the counter.
“That’s right. Poor woman would never know she’d be mixing her own death cocktail. There’s been a bunch of people, even famous ones, like Pope Clement and a Roman Emperor, who ate them accidentally and bought the farm.”
“Really?”
“It’s a super nasty way to go. Makes me want to nail this guy even more.”
“Is it an illegal substance?”
“No, it grows wild all over Europe. It’s not altered, like ricin is.”
“That’s from the castor oil plant, right?”
“Yeah, the seeds of it. Man, I wish these mushrooms were illegal. If they were, we could haul Brighthouse in here and pressure his ass.”
“Think we can concoct a plan to fool him that he’s violated the law?”
“I like the idea, but I can’t see it getting by Crowley and Gerey.”
Chapter 42
Luca
Walking along the jumping water fountains, I turned
the corner, passed the Louis Vuitton store, and there he was. Seated, arm across the back of a bench, was Barnet. A streak of yellow sock peeked out of the bottom of his white khakis, matching his shirt. Eyes closed, his face was tilted toward the sun. Was he looking to the sun to offset his shadiness?
I studied him for a moment before noticing the red sale banner visible beyond his shoulder. Fifty percent off wines? That was a significant markdown; maybe I could try one of those wines he was so fond of.
“Mr. Barnet?”
Arm sweeping off the back of the bench, he said, “What? Oh, uh, hello.”
“Catching a few rays?”
“Taking a short break. You out shopping?”
“Not exactly. You have a couple of minutes?”
Barnet looked at his watch. “Um, I don’t know. I’ve got an appointment.”
“It’ll be quick.”
Barnet stood. “Can we talk as we walk? Nothing against the police, but it’s not good for business.”
“I understand.”
We headed toward Saks, our eyes following the rears of two package-laden women.
“No shortage of women buying two-thousand-dollar pocketbooks.”
“I’d love to convert them to collectors of Bordeaux.”
“I see you’re running a pretty big sale. Business not so good?”
“It’s not too bad. We need to clean out some inventory.”
“Did Marilyn carry a lot of cash with her?”
Barnet stutter-stepped. “Cash? No, I don’t think so. But it’s not like I went through her bag.”
“You did a significant amount of business with her, didn’t you?”
“I wouldn’t characterize it as significant. But, yes, Barnet’s handled quite a few functions for Marilyn.”
“Didn’t you do all of her functions?”
“I’d like to think. Barnet’s always delivered for her, but you never know.”
It always rubbed me the wrong way when people talked about themselves in the third person. What was up with that? Trying too hard to elevate themselves? I could play along, though.
“We’ve been told there were a couple of times when Barnet’s overcharged for its services.”
“Much as we try, we’re not above making a minor mistake.”
“As I understand it, it was more significant than minor.”
“I’d have to check into the particulars.”
“Did Barnet’s overcharge any client’s other than Marilyn Boggs?”
Barnet stopped, looked both ways, and said, “Detective Luca, I resent the inference that my relationship with Marilyn had anything to do with anything but us making a simple mistake.”
“As I understand it, it was more than one mistake. In fact, people who are familiar with the circumstance believe the overcharges were orchestrated knowingly by Barnet’s.”
“Really? If they have proof, then why not bring charges?”
“You know full well that charities would endanger themselves if they revealed they’d been taken. They’d lose the trust of their supporters.”
“Detective, I have to stop you there. You’re using words that are slanderous to Barnet’s and I don’t appreciate it.”
It was false outrage but no sense having him get too defensive.
“Fair enough. Is there any reason that Marilyn would have fifty thousand in cash sitting in her nightstand?”
He paused, then stroked his Van Dyke. The question was whether it was feigned thoughtfulness or real.
“As you know, they’re extremely wealthy. I can’t see why she would, but I really don’t know.”
“Anything illicit, like drugs, that would have necessitated cash?”
He smiled. “No, not with Marilyn. Maybe she paid the staff in cash. Lord knows, there are enough of them.”
“Did she tell you that some of her jewelry had been stolen?”
“Yes. She was heartbroken, especially about the ring her father had given her.”
“Did she give you any reason to think she was being blackmailed?”
“Uh, blackmailed? No, why do you say that?”
“Just exploring possible motives.”
“That seems farfetched to me. Maybe the money was her husband’s. Did you think about that?”
Nah, who would ever think that? What did this Barnet think─that this was my first rodeo?
Chapter 43
Luca
Sign of the cross made, I held my breath until the wheels touched ground. I got an immediate boost just by getting back home. I’m not sure how it works, but sitting for six hours drains you. And to pile it on, that six-hour ride plus the three-hour time difference killed an entire day. Anxious to follow up on what LAPD Detective Alonzo had dug up, I wondered if this was a case-breaker.
Alonzo, who looked to be in his mid-forties, surprised me. As soon as we met, I put him down as strange and distant. But he proved me wrong and turned out to be a good guy and an even better cop. Alonzo cared, and you couldn’t ask for more than that.
The information he uncovered would go a long way to keeping Morgan off my back. It was surprising he didn’t put up a stink when I mentioned going to Los Angeles. Deplaning, I thought it had to be that he was hoping to pin the murder on an outsider.
Vargas was picking me up. Man, what a difference from LAX, I thought as I made my way through the terminal. Regional Southwest was bright, airy, and had a relaxed feel. It’s not like I’ve been everywhere, but the L.A. Airport had a strong smell of jet fuel to go along with an aging structure. Who knows, the smell might have something to do with their lack of humidity and rain.
Vargas pulled up in a dark blue Explorer. I flung my overnight bag on the back seat and hopped in. She said, “Good trip, huh?”
Nodding, I said, “Glad to get home, though. We have a ton of transplants, but most of them don’t come with their problems. But in L.A.? Everyone out there’s got a story why they went out there. I can tell you, they may have better weather than where they came from, but those clowns still got the same problems.”
“They don’t call it La La Land for nothing.”
I realized I didn’t just miss home, I missed Vargas. “You ain’t kidding, Mary Ann.”
“On the phone you said you’ve got a new line on Barnet.”
“Get this, Alonzo has a sister who was hoodwinked by some Brazilian on Match.com. This guy feigned interest in her and said he was coming to see her. Then at the last minute he gave her some bullshit about a visa and said he needed twenty thousand or he couldn’t leave Brazil.”
“Don’t tell me she sent it.”
I nodded. “Hard to believe that shit actually happens.”
“I know, but it looks like Alonzo had a special motivation to help run this down.”
“No doubt. He went much further than any cooperating officer since I got my badge. This Detective Alonzo, he was a little weird, but he picked up what we were digging for. Anyway, like I had said, Barnet was brought in for filming at least two women he was having affairs with.”
“Arrested twice?”
“Yeah, but the women dropped the charges.”
“Both of them?”
“Yeah, that’s what bothered Alonzo. He could’ve left it at that but instead worked the edges. He tracked down a woman, Nancy Grillo. She’s not in the same category as Boggs, but still has a fair amount of dough.”
“She said Barnet tried to blackmail her?”
“No, but Alonzo thinks something’s there.”
“How come?”
“She and Barnet were a thing for a couple of months, kinda like Boggs. Then, according to one of her friends, Barnet filmed them having sex, just like he did with Marilyn.”
“Okay, but that doesn’t tell me much.”
“Here’s the thing, right after she told her friend about it, she disappears.”
“Disappears?”
“She upped and left. Eventually, she sold her house and all. She would stay in touch with friends but never
say where she was. After Barnet left Los Angeles, she let her friends know she had moved to Vail.”
“You talked to her?”
“No, she’s in Shanghai, not getting back for another ten days. Alonzo thinks she may open up to me.”
“And why is that?
“Hey, can we just say it’s my style?”
She frowned. “If you say so.”
I was hoping she would say something nice. “I’m not with the LAPD. She doesn’t have to worry about getting brought into anything out there or her home turf in Vail.”
“But if we need her to testify?”
“I’m betting if we get something from her we’ll crack Barnet.”
Chapter 44
Luca
I tracked down Sanchez’s lawyer, whose combative approach had softened. Overloaded with cases, he agreed to let me see his client on the condition that I record the interview and immediately send him a copy.
Sanchez was outfitted in zebra-colored prison garb and a scowl. The corrections officer chained him to the gray steel table and retreated to a corner of the room.
“Where’s my lawyer?”
I loosened my tie and opened the first button. “Stuck in court.”
“We got nothing to talk about without him.”
“He agreed to this get-together.” I pulled out the authorization slip his lawyer had signed and handed it to him.
Sanchez looked at it. “How do I know this ain’t no trick?”
“Believe it or not, you see those little cameras up there? Everything is documented, isn’t that right, Officer?
The corrections officer confirmed, and we got underway.
“You and Mrs. Boggs got along?”
“I just worked there. I didn’t know the lady.”
“You only stole a couple of pieces of jewelry.”
“Three rings and a necklace, that’s all.”
“But there were hundreds of pieces of jewelry there. All of them extremely valuable and you want me to believe that all you stole were just four pieces.”
“It’s true, that’s all I took.”
“And why was that? Why did you overlook such a treasure chest? You could’ve been set for life pawning all that jewelry.”
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