No One Left to Tell (11 page)

‘But I don’t know them. And I’m not talking to them.’

‘That’s obstruction of justice,’ Grayson said severely, but she looked unimpressed.

‘This morning I was interviewed by Detective Perkins. A few hours later, Morton, who discovered the murder weapon conveniently hidden in Elena’s winter boot while her partner was questioning Ramon, shows up saying Perkins has been “reassigned” and threatening to “nail me to the wall” if she finds out I’m withholding information. Why would she even think I was withholding information if she didn’t know it existed?’

‘She found out you were a PI. You had last contact with a woman before her murder. Those dots aren’t hard to connect, Paige.’

‘Fine. Let’s say she made the leap because I work with Clay. A few hours later, somebody tries to kill me. You might connect the dots differently, but I’m taking no chances. I want to do the right thing, but I’d like to live to see my next birthday.’

‘All you know is that a sniper wanted Elena Muñoz dead. Maybe he knew about this alleged evidence. Maybe he came back to make sure you didn’t tell anyone.’

Her eyes narrowed. ‘If that sniper wanted me dead, he’d have killed me back at my apartment. I was standing there like a statue for several seconds after he shot Elena. He could have shot me walking out of the courthouse or from anywhere in that garage. A knife to my throat is up close and totally personal. He didn’t have to risk it.’

That point was more valid. ‘You’ve obviously thought this through. I still don’t buy that Liz Morton is involved in any way. Goes double for Bashears.’

‘Bully for you. Either way, I’m not telling her what I told you. I told you because I had to tell someone. Because I had to trust someone. I assume she’s here because I got attacked and I’m happy to answer her questions about that. Only that.’

‘And if I tell her?’

Her eyes flashed. ‘Then we part ways. I’ll thank you for saving my life, you’ll go back to your office. And I’ll get hauled downtown in cuffs for obstruction, but I won’t tell them anything.’ She started to walk toward the doors, toward Morton and Bashears.

‘Wait,’ Grayson said, and she stopped, hands clenched at her sides. ‘You said you came to the courthouse to see if you could trust me. What had you decided?’

‘I still didn’t know. Your saving my life tipped the scales in your favor.’

‘And if you hadn’t been attacked? Where were you going?’

‘Back to my place to find a defense attorney who’d handle this information properly and represent Ramon,’ she admitted. ‘I guess I’ll still be contacting one. For me.’

Paige was right, this did suck. He thought about Elena’s insistence that her husband had been framed. Her fierce determination to get evidence to prove him wrong.

And then he thought about her brains, blown all over the interior of her minivan.

Someone had wanted the woman silenced. Someone had wanted Paige silenced.

Paige had come to him to do the right thing, but suddenly Grayson wasn’t sure what the right thing was. ‘I want to see this evidence you say got Elena killed,’ he said.

She didn’t blink. ‘I’m more than happy to turn it over to you.’

‘I’ll probably end up taking it to the cops.’

‘I know. And I hope the ones you take it to are trustworthy. Look, I want Elena to be wrong, but I have to proceed believing she was right.’

He looked over his shoulder. Morton was no longer in Clay Maynard’s face, but the tension outside the double doors was still obvious. ‘Even if I say nothing, Morton and Bashears aren’t stupid. They’ll suspect something when they see us together.’

‘Let them speculate. Or tell them. It’s up to you,’ she said and walked away.

Morton’s eyes narrowed when she saw Paige. She entered the lobby through the double doors, followed by Bashears and Maynard. ‘Miss Holden.’ Her gaze flicked to the bandage at Paige’s throat. ‘I trust you’re okay.’

‘I gave my statement to Detective Perkins.’

‘I know,’ Morton said. ‘I have follow-up questions. Let’s find a private place to talk.’

‘Detective,’ Paige said with an overly patient smile, ‘I’m tired and now my throat hurts like a bitch. Please just ask your questions and let’s be done.’

Morton’s jaw grew tight. ‘I could take you downtown. We could talk there.’

‘Let’s take this outside,’ Grayson said calmly. He rested his hand against Paige’s lower back, surreptitiously urging her forward. ‘Not so many cellphone cameras.’

Once outside, Paige angled her body so that she could see both Bashears and Morton without turning her head. This put her closer to Grayson who couldn’t stop himself from drawing a deep breath. Despite everything she’d been through that day, her hair still smelled really good. And despite being tall and lean, she was soft against him. His brain churned through the complications, but his body cut right to the chase.

He wanted her. He’d wanted her from the moment he’d seen her on the TV screen. He wanted her more now. This was dangerous.
She
was dangerous.
I need to keep my head clear. Be able to make the right call, even if it means she walks away
.

And if it put her life at risk? He couldn’t let that happen. There had to be a way. He lifted his eyes to find Liz Morton giving him a distrustful glare.

‘I didn’t know you two knew each other, Mr Smith,’ Morton said. ‘I was very surprised to read your name in the first responder’s report.’

‘Detective,’ Grayson said, ‘Miss Holden narrowly escaped with her life. She’d like to get home and I’d like to get back to work. Can we move this along?’

Morton gave a stiff nod. ‘Certainly. Tell me what happened, Miss Holden.’

Paige sighed, then repeated the story she’d told Detective Perkins.

‘And you can’t describe his face?’ Morton asked, her skepticism clear. ‘Really?’

Paige didn’t try to hide her irritation. ‘Really, Detective. I’m a black belt, third dan. I’ve been competing in tournaments for years. I’ve fought dozens of opponents in the ring and most of the time I can’t describe their faces either. I can tell you if they’re male or female, short or tall. Brown hair or blond. But eye color? No. Features? No.’

‘So, what
can
you describe, Miss Holden?’ Morton asked.

‘Their hands. Their feet. Whatever is coming at my face at striking speed. I can tell you what kind of knife the man used today, down to the pattern on the hilt. But I cannot describe his face and I resent your implication that I’m lying.’

She’s good
, Grayson thought.
Really good
. Morton’s cheeks had gone a dull red.

‘Why do you think he attacked you?’ Bashears asked kindly. Grayson hoped that he and Morton had planned the good cop/bad cop routine. If they hadn’t, Morton was a real bitch. Of course she’d nearly lost her old partner, for which she blamed Maynard. And by association, Paige. Grayson decided to cut Morton some slack.

‘I don’t know why,’ Paige said, and he watched her visibly relax. She seemed to be good at calming herself. Being shot last summer had apparently given her lots of practice.

‘Did he say anything when he grabbed you?’ Bashears asked.

‘No, not a word. He wore gloves so I doubt you’ll get prints off the knife.’ Paige bit at her lip, considering. ‘He was a trained fighter, though.’

‘How do you know that?’ Bashears said, surprised.

‘He didn’t anticipate my first move. I surprised him enough to avoid getting my throat slit in the first five seconds. But after that, it was like kicking an iron post. I wasn’t going to get away.’ She swallowed. ‘His knife was inches from my gut and he had a good hold on it.’

‘But you kicked it away,’ Bashears said. ‘It landed under your truck.’

‘Only because Mr Smith stunned him. If he hadn’t . . .’ A genuine shudder shook her and Grayson ran his hand halfway up her back and down, to soothe.

Maynard noted the touch and frowned. Grayson ignored him, keeping his eyes on Morton who watched him like a hawk. He wasn’t buying that Morton was a dirty cop. But she was a pain in the ass. She’d taken bad cop too far.

‘Which brings us to you, Mr Smith,’ Morton said, her temper restrained, but still evident. ‘What were you doing there, in the garage with Miss Holden?’

‘Right place, right time.’ Which was not untrue, he told himself. ‘Maybe it was karma. Miss Holden provided assistance to the gunshot victim this morning and I was able to provide assistance this afternoon.’

‘Had you met each other before the incident in the garage?’ Morton asked.

‘No. I saw her on TV, so I knew who she was as soon as I saw her in person.’

Morton appeared unconvinced. ‘You’d have us believe that you were attacked at random, Miss Holden? That it had nothing to do with your Good Samaritan actions this morning or your relationship to Elena Muñoz?’

‘I never said they were unconnected, Detective,’ Paige said, her patience strained. ‘My face is all over the goddamn Internet. People know exactly where I live, thanks to reporters and people making videos. Crazies are bound to come out of the woodwork.’

Morton smiled. ‘You said he was a trained fighter. Not a crazy.’

‘I did, because he knew how to fight. Doesn’t mean he was sane. Or rational. People find out you’re a black belt and they want to prove themselves against you.’

‘That’s happened before?’ Bashears asked, not unkindly.

Paige clenched her jaw. ‘Yes. You know it has. I know you’ve looked me up. And if you haven’t, you’re not doing your damn job.’

Seems like everyone knows her story except me
. Grayson opened his mouth to speak when his cell phone began to buzz in his pocket. ‘I’ll be right back,’ he murmured, then stepped aside to take the call just as Bashears did the same.

Maynard took Paige’s arm and led her to a bench, positioning himself between her and Morton, silently daring the detective to say another word.

‘This is Smith,’ Grayson said, not looking away from Paige to check the caller ID. Only family and a few friends and co-workers had this number.

‘It’s Stevie.’ And she sounded worried. ‘JD and I were the only ones not on the sniper so we got sent out on a fresh one. Vic’s name is Denny Sandoval. He owns a bar in a Latino neighborhood. He was found hanging in his bedroom.’

Grayson felt a shiver slide down his spine. He’d seen that name this morning while combing through the Muñoz file. Sandoval owned the bar that Ramon had given as his alibi, but had sworn under oath that Ramon had not been there.

The bar owner lied
, Paige had said.

Grayson cleared his throat. ‘Why are you telling me about a suicide?’

‘Because he left a confession note,’ Stevie said. ‘He says he killed Elena Muñoz because she’d cheated on him and he’d attacked her in a rage. He says he shot her when she slowed down for a traffic light. He says he got scared and finished her off with his rifle. He couldn’t live with what he’d done so he hanged himself.’

Elena had alleged new evidence and one of the most damning witnesses for the prosecution had confessed to her murder.

And now that witness was dead. ‘Did you find the weapons?’ he asked.

‘Not all. We found a .22 under the seat of his car, same caliber as the torso shots on Elena. The pistol’s on its way to Ballistics. No sign of the rifle. You asked me about Elena this morning. You never ask unless it’s important. I thought you needed to know.’

You have no idea
. ‘Are you working this case?’

‘We’re handing it off to Bashears and Morton. It closes their case. The brass are so damn relieved it’s a murder-suicide and not a serial sniper that they’re all rushing to do a news conference.’

Grayson looked over at Bashears, who was intent in his own phone conversation. Presumably being told the same news. ‘When did the victim die?’

Stevie hesitated. ‘Why, Grayson?’

‘I need to know.’

‘ME estimates time of death at between eleven-thirty and one. The guy’s still warm.’

Not a lot of time to attack Paige and get back to his bar, but just possible on the tail end of the time frame. ‘How tall was he?’

‘Five-ten. Grayson?’

Definitely not Paige’s attacker. ‘Is CSU there?’

‘Should they be?’ she countered.

Hell, yeah
. ‘Yes. I have to go.’

‘Don’t you dare hang up on me,’ she snapped. ‘What the hell is this?’

‘I’ll tell you when I can,’ he said. ‘I’m not where I can right now. I’ll call you soon.’ He hung up in time to hear Bashears tell Morton that they had to leave.

Morton gave them all a severe look. ‘You know there are no coincidences. Miss Holden knows something. I just hope it doesn’t get her killed next time.’

‘Thank you for your concern,’ Paige said politely.

Bashears gave her his card. ‘If you have any questions or remember anything that might be useful.’ And with that, Bashears and Morton were gone.

‘What was your phone call?’ Maynard asked. He’d been watching, his eyes sharp.

Grayson debated, then shrugged. ‘Denny Sandoval is dead.’

Paige sucked in a stunned breath. ‘Oh my God. How?’

‘Suicide. He hung himself.’

She turned her body so that she was looking at Maynard. ‘He’s the bar owner.’

Maynard appeared to be considering. ‘Interesting.’

No
, Grayson thought.
Not interesting. Bad, very bad
.

Could it be true? Could Muñoz have been innocent? If he was, that weapon had to have been planted. Who could have done it? The cops, as Paige thought?

Ramon Muñoz might have been innocent. What have I done?

Nothing. You didn’t convict him
, he told himself.
A jury of his peers did
. Based on the evidence available. Which might be false.
Oh God. What have I done?

Don’t assume. See the new evidence. Then figure out what to do
.

‘Ramon’s alibi-buster is dead,’ Grayson said quietly. ‘Ramon’s wife is dead, Paige gets attacked, all in the same day. We really need to talk.’

Tuesday, April 5, 2.25
P.M
.