Capital Crimes (14 page)

“That silly boat ride. Why anyone would subject themselves to bumping and…” Lucille checked herself. Finished her second drink. “Could Davida and Jane have had a
thing
? Oh, yes, definitely.”

Sitting back and enjoying the look on the detectives’ faces.

Amanda said, “Definitely.”

“I know it for a fact, dear. Not that either one would tell me. But I’m able to recognize love when I see it. Davida always loved Jane. It just took Jane twenty years and all those ridiculous marriages to decide she loved Davida.”

21

E
xcusing herself, Lucille left them alone in the parlor. Barnes steadied his hand with more bourbon.

Amanda drank water and said, “Well that was earth-shattering.”

“Jane and Davida. Just like the old days. I told Jane about the gonorrhea when we met up a couple of nights ago. She was pretty casual about it, suggested Davida had gotten it from Minette. Now I’m thinking she was out to make a point: this has nothing to do with me.”

“Maybe a diversion, but maybe also the truth, Will. No matter what Mother says, Davida could’ve been flinging with a Y chromosome.”

“We’ve gone over all of her e-mails for the last three months—personal and business—haven’t found anything hinting at a secret male lover.”

“Nor have we found anything linking Jane to Davida.”

Barnes conceded the point. “Maybe Jane’s still in denial about her own sexuality.”

“Or Lucille has it all wrong.”

“It’s not just Lucille, it was Alice Kurtag, too.”

Amanda’s turn to concede. “Jane wanted the relationship but wasn’t ready to come out.”

“Mandy, what if Jane was all thrilled about hooking up with Davida and Davida wanted to go public? Jane wasn’t ready for that. She goes to Davida’s office to beg her to hold off on any announcements, but Davida refuses.”

“She visits with a shotgun in hand?”

“So they drank together and had an argument. Jane left and returned to do the deed. Donnie Newell told me that Jane freaked out big-time after they did a threesome. If Davida threatened to out her, she could’ve freaked out again.”

“Maybe Newell was taking the heat off himself and directing you elsewhere. And we know he owns shotguns.”

Barnes gathered his thoughts. “Okay. You win. I’ll go back and round up Newell’s guns.”

Amanda applauded silently.

Barnes said, “That doesn’t mean that Jane is off the hook.”

“All this time, you’ve been saying the crime had a masculine quality to it. Then we get a decent male suspect and/or his eagle-eye shootin’ wife and you switch to Jane Meyerhoff. Does Jane even know how to shoot?”

“Never saw her actually do it but she grew up on a ranch—okay, enough of this, I’ve been blabbing so much I might as well run for city council. We’ll get the guns and we’ll talk to Jane, see if we can’t get her to admit to the affair.”

“How do we crack her?”

“Lucille figured it out, it’s useless denying it.”

“Lucille’s a lesbian with a lesbian daughter. She could be accused of overactive gaydar. Jane denies it, it’s her word against Mother’s.”

“Then we lie, tell Jane that
Davida
told Lucille about their affair in no uncertain terms, and Lucille told us. Then we sit back, no judging, and watch how she reacts.”

“Ah, the suspense,” said Amanda. “I love my job.”

Lucille’s visitors had thinned, but the mansion still buzzed with latecomers. After mingling for a few minutes, Amanda and Barnes found Jane in the kitchen, placing cucumber, cress and egg salad finger sandwiches on a silver tray. She looked up and resumed her work.

Barnes said, “We need to talk some more.”

“About what?” Forced lightness in her voice.

Barnes placed a hand on her arm. Immediately, Jane’s eyes watered. Barnes whispered, “Lucille told us.”

Tears etched a meandering trail through Jane’s foundation. “Told you what.” No question mark in her inflection.

“About you and Davida.”

Jane stared at the refrigerator.

Barnes said, “She told us.”

“What does an old woman know?”

“Davida told her everything.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Lucille wants to make it public.”

Jane’s face infused with color. More than a blush—the deep hue that comes from a hard slap. “But why would she want…” She shook her head. “Can’t we discuss this later?”

“I’m afraid not,” Amanda said.

Barnes said, “The only way we’re going to get your side of it is if you tell us.”

Jane wiped her hands on a napkin and picked up the tray. Amanda took it from her and placed it out of reach. The gesture—being deprived of her task—made Jane sag.

“My side of it.” Sick smile.

Barnes said, “How long have you been involved with Davida?”

“Please, Will.” Jane’s eyes were pleading. “Can’t you just let things be? My
mother
is here. She
doesn’t
know and I really don’t see the point of her finding out now that Davida’s gone.”

“I’m not talking to your mother, Janey, I’m talking to you. How long have you been involved with Davida?”

Jane’s eyes skittered between Amanda and Barnes, then trailed back to the fridge. Amanda followed her gaze. Nothing to see on the old Sub-Zero. No cutesy, kitschy magnets, no personal touches. The kitchen was as sterile as an operating room.

Jane said, “Since I filed for my divorce.” Her shoulders lowered another inch. “Parker went crazy, started doping more heavily, became an absolute psychotic
shit
! I called Davida for support because…I don’t know why…she’d always been there when I was down…before all those men, and she did it again, became my main source of support. Because
Mother
had zero tolerance for my complaints against Parker, sometimes I think she preferred Parker to me—never arguing with her, dressing right. Then he goes and turns into such a
shit
! But it’s my fault, spoiled Janey whining about another man gone bad. Parker played it. Horrible to me but courtly to her. Mother is not only a gossip, she is also the most superficial person I know. Makes Minette look like Gandhi—if Davida hadn’t been there for me, I would have had a total breakdown!”

She stopped talking abruptly, gasped for breath. Cried and didn’t bother to wipe her face.

Amanda got a napkin and did it.

Jane didn’t seem to notice the kindness.

Amanda said, “Were you two planning a future together?”

“We weren’t planning anything! Nothing was planned, it just happened! Even after we continued to see each other I told Davida I wasn’t sure. Davida certainly didn’t push me. She was a busy woman. She had things other than sex on her mind.”

“You know about the gonorrhea. I assume you’ve been tested.”

Jane looked down at her feet. “I am currently on medication. Apparently, I was asymptomatic.”

“Do you know who gave it to you?”

She laughed bitterly. “That could be a bit of a list…including my ex. Among his many other transgressions, the man got around. Of course, Mother doesn’t know anything about that. She thinks the divorce was another one of my quote unquote impulsive follies!”

Barnes said, “Janey, did Parker know that you and Davida were intimate?”

“I don’t see how he could’ve. I haven’t spoken to the asshole in over seven months.”

Amanda said, “How do you think he’d react if he found out that you not only left him, but you took up with a woman?”

“How would he find out?”

“Lucille knew,” Barnes said. “Alice Kurtag also suspected there was something between you two. Even Minette wondered about the two of you being more than friends.”

“Word gets around, Jane,” Amanda said. “So please answer the question. How would Parker react if he thought that you left him for Davida?”

Jane licked her lips. “When he’s threatened, Parker can be an extremely violent man. Over the past seven months, I’ve heard his drug use has gotten out of hand.”

“What does he take?”

“Weed, coke, pills.” Bitter smile. “An eclectic man.”

“Does he know how to shoot a shotgun?” Barnes asked.

Jane blanched. “Parker loved to hunt. Loved guns—I never let him keep any of them in the house. He was too unpredictable.”

“Where’d he keep them?”

“In storage. I couldn’t tell you where.”

Amanda said, “Where can we find Parker?”

Jane licked her lips again. “We owned a cabin near the river, about an hour from here. As part of the divorce settlement, I agreed to let him buy me out at a bargain price. Even with that, he hasn’t paid me. Lord only knows where he’ll get the money. Among Parker’s other wonderful traits is a congenital inability to keep a job.”

“The deed’s still in your name?”

“It is until he comes up with the cash.”

“So the cabin is yours but he lives there?”

“He might,” said Jane. “For all I know he’s in Timbuktu. I always hated the place. Dirty, lousy plumbing—roughing it was his idea.” Her eyes softened. “When Davida and I were on the river, roughing it seemed fine—”

Amanda broke in: “Do we have your permission to enter the property, including the interior of the cabin?”

“Sure, why not—” She gasped. “You really think he—oh, God, oh, God.” Rising to her feet, hands fisted. “Go. If it was him, go and
kill
him. I’ll draw you a
map.
”

Barnes floored his Honda. The car balked, tried to tackle the grade, kicked back, finally slipped into gear and chugged along.

Blackness all around. Amanda rechecked her gun and wondered if the backup they’d called would get there. Rural sheriff, claiming to be understaffed. He hadn’t sounded too impressed to begin with and “Berkeley” had caused him to grow silent.

That’s unincorporated land, not really our jurisdiction.

Whose is it?

Good question. I’ll see what I can do.

The tiny car continued to labor up the mountain road. Why did a big man like Will drive such dinky wheels?

Up here in the boonies, small things like insufficient acceleration mattered. Jane’s scrawled map was helpful to a point, then everything started to look the same and landmarks vanished in the darkness. The GPS Amanda had attached to her handheld computer had been rendered useless ten miles back, reception blocked by massive oaks and giant redwoods.

“What’s wrong?” said Will.

“With what?”

“You’re fidgeting. Like you do when you have serious doubts.”

“If we really suspect this joker of blowing off Davida’s head, we could be making a big mistake by going in alone.”

“Davida was sleeping. We’re wide awake.”

“Mr. Macho.”

“Hey,” he said, “it’s a social call. We’ll ring the guy’s doorbell and act nice and polite.”

“It’s almost ten
PM
and we didn’t clear it with Torres.”

“We tried. Is it our fault he’s at a fund-raiser?” Shaking his head. “Community gardens, there’s a law-enforcement issue for you.”

Amanda went silent.

Five miles later, Barnes said, “You know, maybe it’s a good idea for you to wait in the car, especially if Parker doesn’t cotton to women.”

“I should just sit by and watch as Parker plugs you in the gut?”

“If you hear rat-a-tat put the pedal to the metal and get the hell out of here. You’ve got someone to go home to.”

“Not funny, Will.”

Barnes smiled. Wondering if he’d really been aiming for humor.

He slowed to five per, had Amanda shine a flashlight on Jane’s map, drove another ten miles and forked left. “Nothing is going to happen to me or to you. We’re just paying the guy a visit, that’s all.”

Amanda shook her head. “Just make sure your gun is drawn.”

They came to a dirt lane marked by a small wooden sign, nearly overtaken by vines and suckers.

RISING GLEN NO TRESPASSING.

A chain-link gate sagged on its hinges. Barnes got out. No lock, the clasp wasn’t even set in place. Swinging the gate inward, he got back in the car and coasted down on a rutted dirt lane.

Amanda said, “It’s so dark I can barely see my hands.”

Barnes stopped, had another look at the map, clicked off the flashlight. “When we come to a pond, it’s fifty yards to the right.”

Moments later, Amanda spotted a pinpoint of light.

A sliver of moon breaking on water. She pointed. “Over there.”

Off in the distance, another dot of illumination. Amber, like the lit end of a cigarette.

They watched for a while. The dot never moved.

Barnes said, “Probably a porch light.” He aimed the Honda at it, driving carefully along the curving surfaces of the pond bank.

A small structure came into view. More of a lean-to than a cabin, fashioned of rough planks and topped with tar paper. Low-wattage porchlight, no illumination through any of the windows.

Parked to the side was a Chevy Blazer, long unwashed, tires so underinflated they were perilously close to flat.

Barnes said, “Guy treats his wheels like that, he’s not taking care of himself.”

Amanda said, “I’m sure he’ll love getting woken up.”

Barnes killed the headlights, switched off the engine. The two of them got out of the car, just stood there. Something small and frightened scurried into the brush. An owl hooted. A burble sounded from the pond.

The air smelled pure, herbally sweet.

Amanda said, “Is that the theme from
Deliverance
I hear wafting through the piney woods?”

Both detectives checked their weapons and headed for the cabin.

Barnes whispered, “You hear anything, save yourself and the young’uns and take the wagon back to Laramie.”

Amanda said, “Let’s get this damn thing over with.”