Character Witness (40 page)

''
I've brought this month's time sheets, Jenny.''

He walked past Kathleen and deposited the paperwork. When he retraced his steps he paused beside her, his expression quizzical. Kathleen began to perspire.

''
I was just leaving,'' she whispered, standing and offering the only explanation she could think of. ''I needed to change the beneficiary on my insurance policy. I mean, now that Gerry's dead. Tax information. You know. Thanks again, Jenny.''

Kathleen glanced at her new friend who looked a little sick. Kathleen hoped the woman wouldn't catch it for talking to her. When she looked behind her, she saw that Richard Jacobsen had already left accounting. He had no interest in Jenny. He was standing in the hall looking thoughtfully after her.

Kathleen clutched her coffee mug with two hands, letting go of it only when she reached her office. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her purse and her briefcase and walked out the door, down the hall and through the lobby. Eyes forward, afraid to look around in case Richard was there watching her, Kathleen waited for the elevator. She stepped in, let the doors close and then collapsed into the corner sure that, at any moment, the emergency trap would open and Richard Jacobsen would be staring down at her, quietly informing her that she was about to die.

Richard would never go to such lengths to terrorize Kathleen Cotter. When Richard Jacobsen encountered a problem he took care of it simply and swiftly. Picking up the phone he called the one person who understood this predicament.

''
It's me. I think there's a problem with Kathleen Cotter. I know, I know. I thought it would be all right now that the old man is gone. It won't be.''

Richard listened. He objected. He listened again and finally was convinced.

They would meet that evening. They might never make it to bed. Once this was over, though, everything would be as it had been and they would take to bed for a week with no worries. That was really all he wanted. He hung up the receiver just as Kathleen Cotter was picking one up outside at a pay phone. She told Michael the news.

Michael redialed. He called Sarah and Louise. They were all waiting when Kathleen got home.

CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN

Michael was on the couch, his head propped up on one end, his legs on the other. Kathleen sat under his legs. She used his flat midriff as a desk and dinner table.

''
More pizza?''

Sarah stood up and offered to refill their paper plates. All they had to do was tell her whether they wanted vegetable or pepperoni. They both shook their heads.

''
I'll have pepperoni,'' Louise held out her plate. ''Hey, look at these. Oh, Sarah, these came out great. I really should have been a photographer. I bet I would have been a fashion photographer if I hadn't gotten married so young.''

Sarah handed Louise the pizza and Louise gave her a stack of photos - double prints, glossy finish. Sarah settled herself. Then she tried to settle again. Louise had taken it upon herself to make-over Sarah Booker. The result was less than attractive to everyone but Louise. Sarah's hair was pulled into a side pony tail; her eyes were shadowed in a midnight blue that made them look muddy. Half her mascara was on her lashes, the other half was smudged under her eyes. Red wasn't her color and her chest couldn't hold a candle to Louise's yet she gamely had donned one of Louise's halters. Over it all she'd thrown her gray sweater and it was that she pulled around her for comfort while she looked at Louise's pictures.

''
This one is really good.'' Louise leaned over, beaming at Sarah's compliment. The nail that delightedly tapped the photo was lavender, The Artist Formerly Known as Prince, was illustrated in all his pouty lipped glory.

''
Yeah, doesn't that just look like something you'd see in the Enquirer? It has that look, you know, like he's done something really bad and he doesn't want anyone to know about it. What a slime. Him and that Richard guy. Show Kathleen and Michael. They haven't seen this batch.''

Sarah did as she was told, offering Kathleen the stack with a shy smile. ''They really are good you know. Louise has a real talent.''

Kathleen took them and almost put them aside until something caught her eye. She shuffled the three inch glossies like a deck of cards.

''
Kathleen. Look here.'' Michael handed her a sheet of paper. ''This one matches the file Lionel had given Sarah. It's from the office supply division at Tysco. So far I've found two divisions and one subdivision in on all this. No wonder Carl Walsh looks like a God to the voters. If you add up everything that's been misdirected in billing and put it back where it belongs, the city budget would skyrocket.''

''
Can I see?'' Sarah put her hand out. Kathleen passed them over. She'd look at them later. Now it was the photos that had her intrigued.

''
Poor Lionel,'' Sarah mused.

''
Yeah,'' Louise pulled her knees to her chest. Her chest pushed up almost to her chin but she managed to rest her chin on her knees. Her palazzo pants were purple, her peasant blouse white eyelet. She looked fetching. ''I feel bad that I've been after money when that's what did him in. I feel just like one of those slime balls.''

Michael turned his head and looked at Louise. As often as he saw her he never quite got enough of her. Louise was a piece of art, a work in progress. He looked back to his paperwork.

''
I know where I've seen him. I know now.'' Kathleen had paled. Michael watched her carefully. She handed him the photo.

''
Jules Porter. I have to laugh when I think about him telling me that things fall through the cracks like it was just business as usual. He was the one making the cracks. I can't wait to find out who's been forging my signature to approve these.'' Michael held up recent invoices that had been initialed with an MC that looked close to his actual signature. ''I hope they made a heck of a lot of money 'cause the gravy train is coming to a halt.''

''
No, I didn't see him at Tysco. I saw him at Gerry's.''

''
Gerry's? You mean the office?'' Louise rocked back, raising her eyebrows.

''
No, his house. The night he had his accident. This man was across the street, getting in a car.''

They fell silent. Everyone knew what that meant. Gerry had been helped along with that slip in the tub.

''
Oh Lord,'' Sarah breathed. ''Oh, Kathleen, I'm sorry.''

The lump in Kathleen's throat came up fast but she fought with that thought. She wasn't going to think the worst now. If she did she would fall apart. Instead, she lifted Michael's legs off her lap and poked through the hundreds of pictures Louise and Sarah had taken during their seemingly ridiculous surveillance. She picked out two, three and finally five pictures of Jules Porter.

''
He was at the funeral, too.'' She laid her fingers across the top half of one picture. ''I recognize the suit. It was hard to miss. And that ring. He was in Richard's car at the funeral.''

''
Hah!'' Louise scampered up, as best she could with the yards of fabric that swathed her legs. She went through the photos like a whirlwind until she found what she wanted. ''Wait 'till you see this!''

Kathleen looked and when she saw the photo in Louise's hands, everything went out of her head. Nothing but a flash of white-hot light remained. That and the full complete and painful realization that she had been stupid and ignorant and unworthy of Gerry at the moment she put Richard Jacobsen above him. When she focused again, she was able to look at that photo with clear eyes and she saw Richard and Jules Porter. Richard's arm was around the man's shoulder, like a father telling secrets to a son. They were two men with a great deal between them. At the very least they were guilty of misusing her and Gerry, Michael and their positions as powerful men; at the worst their sins included fraud, duplicity, possibly murder. And for what? To elect a man senator?

''
What, Michael? What did they want from all this?''

''
I don't know, Kathleen. I don't think like them, I can't conceive of what drives them.'' He moved closer and took the photo from her hand then wove his fingers into hers. She put her head on his shoulder. Sarah watched silently. Even Louise didn't disturb the moment. It hadn't just been Lionel who had died because of these man, but Gerry too, more than likely. A part of Kathleen went the same way, now that she knew.

''
What do we do now?'' she asked of them all.

''
What do you want to do?'' Michael asked.

''
Get them,'' she answered without hesitation. Sarah nodded. Louise did too. The women moved closer together. ''What do we need so that we can get them?''

''
Billing records from any one of the suppliers. We need to talk to Marlene and ask her to reassess the autopsy with the idea that Gerry didn't fall. We need to go to the police and get the investigator's report the night Gerry died,'' Michael said.

''
I'll call Marlene tomorrow afternoon. I'll subpoena Richard's phone records to see if he called Greischmidt at home. It will take time, so what else until then. Sarah?'' The young woman sat up straighter. ''Will you sign a request to have Lionel's body exhumed?''

''
Yes.''

''
Michael. Will you come with me to the police?''

''
You didn't even have to ask.''

''
Okay. Then there's only one thing left that I need to do.'' The three people around the coffee table strewn with pictures and pizza looked at the tall blond with the very, very serious expression. She looked at each in turn. They were a funny collection, yet they were closer than any family could be, tied together by a man Kathleen had never met. She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. ''Since we have to prove that the Tysco billings aren't just clerical errors, and we need to prove that there was a conspiracy that could implicate men in high places, and we need to make a case that these fine, upstanding citizens were fearful enough of detection to kill a Tysco auditor who was asking too many question,'' Kathleen paused, a tiny, cold shiver gripping her. It didn't last long. There was no other decision she could make. ''Since we need to do all that, I'm going to have to get the Tysco billing from Shay, Sylvester & Harrington. I better do it soon, because I don't think I'm long for that place.''

They all had their jobs. Michael was going to take on Jules Porter. Sarah and Louise were off to city hall to ask the mayor a few questions during the afternoon city counsel meeting and Kathleen was headed into the office to see her new best friend in accounting. God knew how she was going to wangle the Tysco billing, but have it she would by the end of the day, even if she had to steal it.

''
Morning, Kathleen.''

She stepped into the elevator and smiled at Doreen. Rude though it was, she turned her back and watched the numbers slide by as the elevator took them to the office. Kathleen didn't have an ounce of small talk left in her. When the doors open, she stepped out, thought twice about her silence and realized later it could be construed as odd behavior. She waved at Doreen.

''
Have a good one.'' Kathleen managed a smile that she hoped looked somewhat normal. But nothing was normal, nothing felt right. She had dressed as usual and put on her face as usual and it all seemed like a poor disguise. Kathleen wished she could throw it off and run to the Marina. She'd make Michael take the boat out. She'd throw her head back and let the sun bake her. She would be renewed, reborn and she would choose every step she took after that with such great care that she would build the life she wanted, not live the one she thought she wanted.

But that would be later. Now, she had chosen to do this thing. It was right and just and Gerry would have done it himself had he been there. So she smiled at the receptionist as she went by. The woman smiled back then did a double take.

''
Oh, wait, Ms. Cotter. Come back.''

Kathleen hesitated. She didn't want to be out in the open or noticed. She just wanted to be in her office, biding her time until she could make her move. But two other associates were headed her way and she was blocking the door that led to the offices. She had no choice but to retrace her steps.

''
What is it?'' She asked, resisting the urge to bolt for the elevators and run.

''
Here. Mr. Blanco left this for you. He said you weren't even to have a cup of coffee, but to meet him there as soon as possible. I really thought you'd be in earlier so make sure you tell him that I gave you this as soon as I saw you.''

''
Sure. No problem.''

Kathleen ambled away, hitching her briefcase and opening the note with one hand. Harry Blanco was second seat on the suit the government had brought against her client. Harry Blanco was a good guy, but he sure had lousy timing. The request for on-site investigation had finally come through and she was on call to follow up.

Kathleen looked toward the door knowing she had no choice. To refuse would be suicide. There would be questions, perhaps asked before she had time to get the back-up she needed. Checking her watch, she saw that it was already inching toward nine-thirty. San Pedro was forty-five minutes away. Two hours with the guy max and she'd be back by mid-afternoon. Maybe it was better. Everyone was focused in the afternoon. There wouldn't be many people roaming around looking for coffee or poking their noses into her business. Kathleen went to the phone in the reception area and dialed Michael.

''
I won't be able to finish that business until this afternoon,'' she said, hoping she sounded as if she were just filling in a client.

''
No problem. I got stonewalled when I called Jules this morning. I'm going to do some housekeeping around here and head in a little late.''