False Prophet (40 page)

“Maybe I took a bite or two—”

“But not dinner,” Decker said.

“Maybe I ordered just to be polite—”

“Kelley, shut up!” Ness growled.

Decker glared at her. “Ms. Ness, unless you’re sure of exactly what you’re saying, don’t buy yourself a heap of trouble.”

Ness said, “Leave her alone. She’s trying to help me. She doesn’t know squat about anything.”

“What’s anything, Mike?”

“Damned if I know. What’s this about? Are we back with Lilah’s rape? I thought you guys arrested Totes this morning for that. What do you want with me?”

“How old are you, Mike?” Decker asked.

Again, Ness eyed him warily. “Twenty-eight.”

“Twenty-eight?” Decker asked. “You’re sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. What? You wanna see ID or something?”

Oliver grinned at Decker. “That would be nice.”

Ness closed his eyes, then opened them and smiled. “Clever. So you must have found my wallet. Why didn’t you just ask me if I lost it? Why all the subterfuge?”

Nobody spoke.

“Well, that’s a relief!” Ness said. “I couldn’t get through to cancel my credit card. Now I’m glad I didn’t keep trying. Where’d you find it?”

Casual, Decker thought, natural. The kid was good.

“Where’d you lose it?” Oliver asked.

“Hey, if I remembered where I lost it, I would have retrieved it myself.”

“Funny, you being here all day and the wallet was found far, far away from here, Michael,” Decker said.

Ness shrugged. “Where was it found?”

Decker shrugged. “At a murder scene.”

Kelley gave an involuntary gasp. Ness stared at her, then at Decker.

“Got any answers, Mike?” Oliver asked.

“I don’t know what you’re
talking
about!”

“Want to hire a lawyer?” Decker said.

“A law — Why would I need…?”

“Up to you,” Decker said.

“Michael, don’t say any more.” Kelley stood. “
I’m
going to hire a lawyer.”

“But I don’t need a… I don’t know how my wallet got to a murder… what… whose murder are we talking about?”

“Good question,” Oliver said.

“I don’t know
what
you’re referring to.”

Decker said, “How many murder scenes do you know about, Mike?”

“You mean Kingston Merritt?”

“Michael, shut up!” Kelley ordered.

Ness said, “Hey, everyone close to Lilah and Davida knows about Kingston being killed last night. It’s terrible, but
I
didn’t have anything to do with it. I don’t know how my wallet got there. Jesus, I just met the man a few days ago. We had a little run-in. Hey, your lady detective was there when it happened. Maybe Merritt got mad at me and stole my wallet.”

“Kingston Merritt stole your wallet?” Oliver said.

“I don’t know.” Ness began to pace. “I don’t
know
, okay?”

Decker recognized panic in the kid’s voice. The old gut told him that Ness was involved. Now it was just quibbling over the extent. “Where were you yesterday, Mike?”

“Is he being officially questioned?” demanded Kelley.

“If you’d like, ma’am, I can read him his rights,” Oliver said.

Kelley said, “This is totally
absurd
!”

“No, Ms. Ness, it’s the law.” Oliver Mirandized Ness. “Okay, let’s go down to Booking—”

“Booking?” Kelley shouted. “You’re not serious!”

Ness said, “I swear I don’t know a damn thing about… I wasn’t there… I mean, my wallet…” He buried his head in his hands. “Look, you want to book me—”

“Michael, shut up!” Kelley screamed.

“Kelley, get me a lawyer. I’ll meet him at the station—”

Kelley jumped off the bed and blocked the doorway. “I won’t let you go with them, Michael! You
can’t
!”

“Kelley—”

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Expecting anyone?” Oliver said.

Ness closed his eyes and said, “No one.”

Decker opened the door, surprised to see Justice Ferris and Don Malone. The Burbank detectives were flanking a light-skinned black man with his arms drawn behind his back, secured with nylon handcuffs. Donnie was in standard-issue detective’s wrinkled brown suit. Justice was garbed in black suit, black shirt, black lizard boots, and a white tie. He looked like a Hollywood producer or a pusher.

“Who’re you?” Ferris asked Oliver.

Oliver said, “Devonshire — Homicide.”

Again, Kelley gasped aloud, then covered her mouth as she backed into the wall.

Nice, Decker thought, she was involved too. Her hands were shaking, her forehead suddenly sheened with sweat. Decker looked at Ness. Kid’s face was contorted with rage.

“You fucking
bastard
!” Ness spat. “You
set me up
!”

“It wasn’t like you think, Mike!”

“Shut up, Eubie!” Kelley screamed.

Jeffers clamped his lips together. Decker made the necessary introductions and asked what was going on.

Malone said, “Mr. Jeffers here has just been Mirandized for the murder of Kingston Merritt. He has willingly come forth with some important information. Seems he had a partner—”

“You
bastard
!” Ness repeated.

“I had to, Mike,” Jeffers whined. “But it isn’t like you think!”

“Eubie, shut up!” Kelley barked.

“What do you want with Mr. Ness?” Malone asked Decker.

“Murder one—” Oliver said.

“What!”
Ness said. “I didn’t
kill
anyone!”

“So what was your wallet doing at the murder scene?” Oliver asked.

“
I
wasn’t there. My
wallet
was.” Ness pointed a finger at Jeffers. “This fucking asshole took it and set me up!”

“I did not!” Jeffers protested.

“Wallet?” Ferris asked. “What wallet?”

“We’ll swap notes later,” Decker said to Malone. “You have enough to bring Ness in?”

“Enough for a twenty-four-hour hold based on Jeffers’s statement.”

Kelley stepped forward and proclaimed in an orator’s voice, “Mike didn’t kill anyone and neither did Eubie!”

“Kelley, shut up!” Ness said.

She ignored her brother and faced Malone. “I don’t know what you have against Eubie, but I do know Eubie fingered Mike just to protect me—”

“What?!”
Ness said.

“Michael, I’m so sorry!” Kelley said, “I was going to tell you, but…” She looked down at the floor, then up again. “Eubie asked me to help him remove a body from Kingston Merritt’s office—”

“You got my
sister
involved in this, you
fuckhead
?” Ness shouted.

“Mike, please!” Jeffers pleaded. “I couldn’t do it by myself—”

“Shut your fucking trap! You make me fucking sick!”
Ness turned to his sister and lowered his voice. “As for
you
…”

“I
did
it, okay?” Kelley shouted over him.

“I’m going to read you your rights, Ms. Ness,” said Oliver.

“I
removed
the body, that’s
all
I did—”

“Wait until I get this out, ma’am,” Oliver said, pulling a card from his pocket.

“I
can’t
!” Kelley turned to Decker. “
Listen
to me,
please
! Both Dr. Merritt and Russ… Russ Donnally was the other body… both were dead when Eubie and I arrived. You must believe me! All Eubie and I did was carry Russ out of Dr. Merritt’s office. He was already
dead
!
Both
of them were
dead
!”

“Why’d you gasp when we mentioned homicide, Kelley?” Decker said.

Kelley wiped tears from her eyes. “I burned Davida’s limo.”

“With Russ inside.”

“He was already
dead
.”

“Then why’d you burn him, Kelley?”

Kelley looked downcast. “Maybe someone would think it was a drug bust gone sour. Russ was a speed freak and a head.” She lowered her head. “It might have been okay except I dropped my brother’s wallet—”

“What were you doing with your brother’s wallet?”

“I dressed myself in Michael’s clothing. If anyone saw me, they’d think I was a man and be looking for two guys. Unfortunately, I had to choose the
one
jacket that had Mike’s wallet. I didn’t even know I had it until Mike told me it was missing.”

Ness said, “For Christ’s sake, why didn’t—”

“Michael, please!” Kelley took a deep breath. “Look, you’d better have clear-cut evidence that links Mike to the crime other than his wallet and Eubie’s say-so. Eubie was just naming Mike as his accomplice to protect
me
.” She glanced at her brother, then dropped her gaze. “Eubie and I are lovers.”

Ness’s face lost all expression. Slowly, his mouth drew upward in an off-balance rendering of a smile. “Dead meat, Jeffers!”

“Mike, please,” Jeffers begged. “I needed
help
.”

“Dead… dark… meat!”

Ness lunged so quickly, he caught everyone off guard. The impact of his charge at Jeffers knocked Malone forward. Ferris managed to catch his partner before he hit the ground. Decker was on top of Ness within seconds, pulling Ness’s hands off Jeffers’s throat. After he’d freed Jeffers’s neck, Decker had no trouble subduing Ness, forcing him spread-eagled on his stomach, hands across his back.

“Stop it!” Kelley yelled as she pounded Decker’s back.

Oliver pulled her from Decker.

“Leave my brother alone!” shouted Kelley as she struggled in Oliver’s grip.

“You wanna help your brother, just
back off
!” Oliver shouted.

The room fell still. Decker tied Ness’s hands behind his back with his belt, keeping him prone on the floor. All that Kelley had spilled was inadmissible because she hadn’t been advised of her rights. But at least they’d know how to question her.

Malone said, “Who’re we taking in to book?”

Decker lifted Ness upward, keeping a solid hold on Ness’s arm. He looked at Jeffers. “You want to press charges against him for assaulting you?”

“Leave him alone,” Jeffers whispered.

“Answer the question, Eubie,” Decker said. “Do you want to press charges?”

“No.”

Decker jerked Ness around. “You gonna behave yourself?”

“I’ll behave myself.” Ness glared at Jeffers.

“I mean it, Mike,” Decker said. “Don’t you even fucking
look
at Eubie, ’cause if you make the wrong move, your ass is gonna be a plaything for some real big boys tonight. Get what I’m saying?”

“Yes.”

Decker dropped his grip on Ness and said to Malone and Ferris, “You’ve got evidence against Jeffers; take him in along with the girl.”

“They were both dead when I got there!” Kelley shouted. “They must have shot each other—”

“Kelley, shut up!” Ness said.

“I’m gonna read you your rights, Ms. Ness,” Oliver said. “Meantime, kindly listen to your brother.”

“I never admitted to a
murder
,” she babbled, “just to removing a dead body and burning it—”

“Shut up, Ms. Ness and let me read you your rights.”

Oliver pulled out his card once again. After she was Mirandized, Decker said, “I just have a teeny question for both of you. Who ordered the removal of the body?”

Kelley glared at Eubie, then lowered her head. “No one.”

Oliver said, “We’re talking about
murder
, Ms. Ness—”

“Kelley, don’t
do
this!” Ness interrupted.

“Mike, I
have
to do this!” Kelley softened her voice. “I
have
to. It’s okay. All I did was remove a body.”

“Who asked you to do it?” Decker said.

Kelley was silent.

“You just decided to go burn a dead body, Ms. Ness?” Malone said.

Kelley said, “I went to see Dr. Merritt for a personal reason. I… it was horrible. I saw…” She paused. “The image of the spa is very important to me. Russ was a louse. No one would miss him. Why involve the spa? I did it on my own.”

“You’re lying,” Oliver said. “Who are you protecting?”

“No one.”

“Why did you go to see Dr. Merritt?” Decker asked.

“Female problems.” Her eyes turned hard. “Not an abortion, I assure you.”

She had returned to her old stubborn self. It must have served her well in the past. Brother and sister were exchanging glances — an unspoken language. Decker wondered just
what
those two were hiding? He looked at Jeffers. “Do you have anything to say about this?”

Jeffers whispered, “She’s the boss.”

Malone said, “Let’s go.”

Ness shouted, “Kelley, don’t you or Eubie open your mouths until you’ve both talked to lawyers.” He pivoted to Decker. “Maybe you’d like your belt back. Right now, it’s not doing either one of us any good.”

Decker regarded Ness’s face. Pure defiance. Forged from anger or fear or both? He unknotted his belt and slipped it around his waist.

Ness rubbed his wrists. “So I’m free?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call you
free
, Mikey.” Decker smiled. “You’re just off the hook… for now.”

Marge’s Honda resting
in the driveway meant sleep was still on hold. Decker flicked his wrist; the LCD digits on his watch read twelve noon instead of midnight. He never had figured out how to change the red dot from
A.M
. to
P.M
., and after being up twenty-one hours straight, who gave a good goddamn about meridians anyway.

He parked the Plymouth, got out, and peered inside the Honda’s window. Marge’s head was all the way back, her mouth open, her eyes shut. She looked dead, but he’d seen her asleep before — lots of long drives at crazy hours doing their duty. He rapped on the passenger door and her head jerked forward. She yawned, stretched, then stepped out of her car. She was carrying a briefcase.

“Is it good morning or still good night?”

“We’ve crossed the barrier, Detective Dunn.” Decker unlocked his front door, quieted the dog, and turned on one of the living-room lamps. “Come tell Uncle Pete your problems.”

Marge closed the door behind her, eyes adjusting slowly to the light. She scratched Ginger’s scruff.

“Coffee?” Decker asked.

“Not tonight. My stomach feels like it’s swimming in acid. Maybe I’m getting an ulcer.”