Paid in Full (22 page)

“To throw the police off. You wrote the name Robert because you thought Michael probably called him by his full name since they were business associates. And after you wrote Bob’s name in blood with Thorndike’s hand, you dragged his body into the living room. You figured that would keep them from noticing the safe.”

“And it did. Not even Bob thought about it. He told me to have the floor guy cover it up, and I’m sure he thought his precious lover did exactly as she was told.” Kristen closed her mouth and stared at Ari. Question and answer time was over. She approached Ari, the gun squarely aimed at her chest. “You know, I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be with a woman.”

“It’s better than being with a man,” Ari said. “Women know what women need. They know each other’s secrets,” she whispered. As Ari hoped she would, Kristen blushed at Ari’s flirtation and looked away. Ari saw her chance. She lunged forward, throwing Kristen off balance and thrusting the knife forward at the same time. Kristen shifted her weight and Ari’s stab glanced her shoulder, the blade barely penetrating the skin.

Still, it was enough to make her cry out and step back. Ari pushed away and lunged toward the hall and the discarded gun, but Kristen tripped her and sent her sprawling. She rolled into the middle of the floor while Kristen screamed as she watched her shoulder bleed. “Bitch!” she yelled.

Ari found her feet and ran toward the hallway when a shot penetrated the air. Then Ari wasn’t standing anymore. She moved her head from side to side, looking first at the living room and then the kitchen. She was going to die not twenty feet from where she’d discovered Michael Thorndike’s body just one week before.

Kristen stood over her, a look of superiority on her face. “Okay, that just pissed me off,” she said calmly, wincing as she touched her shoulder. “And from where I’m standing, I’d say my shoulder looks a lot better than yours.”

Only then did Ari feel the throbbing. Pain flooded through her body, and she was dizzy. Her eyes darted around the room. She was helpless.

Kristen smiled. “No way out, Ari. Or, maybe I should put it in terms you’ll understand. This sale is final.”

Ari watched Kristen point the gun at her and fire.

She imagined herself drifting away, darkness nearby, reaching out to her. She managed to focus long enough to watch Kristen fall backward, the gun still in her hand. But how could that have happened? How could she be watching? She was a murder victim, shot at close range. The sound of quick feet penetrated the ringing in her ears from the gun’s blasts.

“Ari, honey,” a voice called. Someone was standing over her, holding her gun at his side. The voice materialized into Bob, looming over her, his face full of concern. Somehow the situation seemed familiar, and she was filled with déjà vu. “Sweetie, it’s going to be okay,” he whispered.

Chapter Twenty-three

Saturday, June 23

4:48 p.m.

The man sitting in front of Molly wasn’t what she had expected, having spent days literally envisioning his voice and temperament, seeing him as a killer. Bob Watson was polite, intelligent and soft spoken, and Molly now understood why Ari and Sol Gardner had proclaimed his innocence. What had begun as a formal interview had progressed into a pleasant conversation minus the scripted questions Molly had prepared, the chief and the district attorney having already assured Bob that he would not be arrested for any crime, since in the end he helped apprehend the killer and saved the life of a civilian. To take him into custody for his flight would be bad PR.

She was sure Ari had not told Bob about their relationship, but so far he had steered the conversation away from her every time Molly tried to bring it up, like two drivers fighting for control of the same car. After twenty minutes she gave up, unable to slake her thirst for knowledge of the real estate agent. She knew Ari was resting in the hospital and would make a full recovery, but she knew nothing else. When they had arrived at the house, Molly had jumped out of the car, only to watch the ambulance pull away at the same time. During the next few hours they tried to piece together what happened, culminating in the current interview she was having with Bob Watson.

“Of course, I knew that either Kristen or Lily was the killer,” he was saying, “and my money was on Kristen.”

“How did you know?” Molly automatically asked and clicked the end of her pen to take notes.

“She got a fax while I was there. I pulled it off the machine, and it said something about changing the meeting time to seven thirty. When Thorndike was dead the next day, I thought about that fax, and I thought about some of the little things that seemed off about Kristen.”

“Off?” Molly asked.

Bob cracked his knuckles and reached for his chewing gum. “Yeah, it never seemed right between us.” He shook his head. “Just little things,” he added before stopping abruptly. “Let’s just say I thought it was very convenient.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me this in the first place? Why did you run?”

He rubbed his hands together and stared at the floor. “It was complicated. After I drove away, I felt like an idiot for being so blinded by Kristen. I thought she loved me.”

“So why did you suspect Lily?”

“I knew she’d started seeing him again, and I also knew that he wasn’t going to leave his wife, even though he wanted to.”

“Why not?”

Bob smiled. “Two words—community property.” Bob looked down and blushed, very embarrassed. “You see, when I thought that I would leave Lily for Kristen, I wanted the best for Lily. I thought if she had someone, then maybe my leaving wouldn’t be so bad. So I met with him.” He shrugged his shoulders and glanced at Molly for her reaction.

Molly raised an eyebrow. “What did he say?”

“He said he was leaving his wife, but for some woman he’d met through work. They’d had a huge fight when he told her, but she was beginning to accept it.” Bob wiped his face with his hand. “Little did I know his mistress was
my
mistress.”

“Did he say anything about the bribe?”

“Not a word,” Bob insisted. “You know, it was pretty funny. We actually buried the hatchet. The two of us spent fifteen minutes or so joking about divorce and alimony. He asked me about prenuptial agreements and if I had one with Lily. That was a hoot. When Lily and I met, we didn’t have two nickels to rub together. That made me think about how much money Lily was going to get, but I didn’t care. I told him, if he was smart he’d make his new wife sign on the dotted line before he said ‘I do.’ Then he gave me one of those knowing looks, and we shook hands. I still can’t believe it, but I actually shook that poor bastard’s hand.

“The thing is, Michael Thorndike loved money more than anything, and there was no way he would risk losing half his fortune. When he was killed, I suspected he had changed his mind, and his lover had shot him in a jealous rage after he told her. So I confronted Lily, but she told me the truth.” Molly looked at him quizzically. “She didn’t care about marrying him. They could just keep sleeping together.” The pain in Bob’s face was obvious, and Molly felt so sorry for a man who had been through a week of hell in many ways. “But he dumped her anyway for Kristen.” He chewed furiously on the wad of gum and looked Molly straight in the eye. “When Lily left the motel, I knew she wasn’t the killer. And I knew she really had loved Thorndike.”

“I’m sorry,” Molly said.

“It’s okay,” he shrugged. “I’m not so attached to my money. When I ask Lily for a divorce, it will be a relief in many ways.” He shifted in the chair. “Back to the story. So, I thought the murderer was Kristen, but I had to be sure. So I called her and told her where I was, and darned if you people didn’t show up on my doorstep the next day,” he said sarcastically.

“So she was the anonymous tip, and you knew we were coming, so you got out,” Molly concluded. “So where did you go next?”

Bob leaned back and smiled at the loaded question. “I’m taking the fifth on that one. But I did start following Kristen.”

“Please tell me you didn’t stay with Ari,” Molly said quietly, looking Bob straight in the eye.

“No.” Satisfied, Molly put her notebook away and prepared to leave. The room was heavy with Molly’s obvious sadness.

“Have you spoken with her?” Bob asked casually.

She cleared her throat before answering. “No, and I don’t anticipate needing to see her again.”

Bob laughed heartily. “Come on, Detective. You’re probably a good cop but you’re not going to win an Oscar.” Molly looked away, her emotions beginning to swirl. Bob leaned over and patted her knee. “Let me tell you a story, okay?” Still unable to look him in the face, Molly nodded.

“The day that Ari told her parents she was gay, her father disowned her and gave her twenty minutes to pack up and get out. When I got home from work, I found her in our apartment, sobbing in Lily’s arms. We let her stay in the guest room, but Lily sensed that Ari was in deep trouble. Lily was a psychology major in college and she would have been a damn good shrink if she’d ever finished,” he added. “Anyway, what you need to know about Ari, Detective, is that she’s methodical, an incredible planner. The third night she was there, we went to bed, leaving her on the couch watching TV. I remember it was winter, and it was cold. Ari was wrapped up in a blanket, her legs tucked underneath her. She looked so small and fragile.”

He took a breath before he continued. “We said good night and went to bed. I stayed up reading for a while, but by eleven thirty, I was ready to fall asleep. I remember turning the light out and lying in the darkness, but I couldn’t close my eyes. I felt something was wrong, like I’d forgotten to do something like lock the door. It was just a dumb feeling. Anyway, I tried to shrug it off, because I really was very tired, but it kept me awake. I got out of bed and went to check on Ari.” He stopped and stared at Molly, his face solemn. “To this day, I can’t tell you why I got up. I can’t tell you why—I just knew something was wrong.” Molly guessed what was coming. “She was unconscious, Lily’s sleeping pills and my bottle of vodka on the bed.” His voice cracked and he took Molly’s hand. “She was so damn smart. She’d spent two days planning this, finding Lily’s pills. The doctor said she took just the right amount.” He gave a halfhearted laugh. “You know, Ari’s not one to waste anything. If she could kill herself with ten, why take twenty? She almost died, she wanted to die. If I hadn’t gotten up . . .” His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. “She was only twenty-two.”

Molly thought of Ari’s words on her patio. “So she owed you,” Molly summarized.

Bob shook his head. “It’s never been about owing me anything. I’d do it again for her. I’d do anything for her. If she’d told me that I
had
to turn myself in, I would have done it.”

“But she didn’t,” Molly said, both of them fully understanding her point.

Bob let it go and held up his hands for emphasis. “Here’s the thing, Detective. You never stood a chance against me.” Molly’s face colored at Bob’s superior attitude. “Ari has a tough time letting people get close. Everyone she’s loved has abandoned her in one way or another—except me. Her track record with women sucks, and every time she breaks up, it’s old Bob to comfort her. You never stood a chance.”

“Lucky you,” Molly snorted, making no attempt to hide her hurt.

“No, lucky you,” Bob retorted. “Most of her girlfriends were losers, never knew what they had—especially her last one, Trina. That bitch was a golddigger who just wanted Ari’s money. Did you know Ari’s rich?”

“No, we never talked about it.”

“She’ll be a millionaire by the time she’s forty, if she takes my advice,” he said with a wink.

“Good for her,” Molly replied, unimpressed.

“Doesn’t sway you?” he asked, rising to leave.

Her eyes narrowed at the baiting comment. “It offends me. Money isn’t an issue for me in relationships.”

Bob’s eyes twinkled. “Well, then I guess Ari’s lucky that you’re in love with her,” he said, walking out the door before Molly could protest.

The hospital corridor reeked of ammonia and wet streaks lined the linoleum. Molly automatically gripped the vase tighter and checked the floor beneath her. The last thing she needed was to wind up in a hospital bed herself. The repeated ding of the elevator announced its descent. She turned to the information, desk, debating whether to just leave the flowers with a note. She was just about to chicken out when the doors opened and its passengers filed out around her.

“Well, well, Detective Nelson. Imagine meeting you here.” Molly nearly dropped the flowers at the sight of Jane holding open the elevator door with her arm. “Going up?” Molly nodded absently, repositioning her hands around the vase. Jane stared at Molly, her finger perched on the “door open” button, her lips tightly shut. All Molly could do was join her in the moving prison. The doors closed and Jane hit the stop button. The elevator and Molly’s stomach both lurched at the same time. Jane leaned back against the fake paneling, her arms folded across her chest.

“So is this a peace offering?” Jane asked, motioning to the flowers.

“I just wanted to see how she’s doing,” Molly said. Her eyes met Jane’s, and she blinked. The woman’s face was taut, her green eyes on fire.

“I hope you’re planning on apologizing,” Jane said frankly.

“For what?” Molly blurted. Although she was very worried about Ari, her pride wouldn’t allow her to forget that Ari had lied to her.

Jane raised an eyebrow and her lips curved into a smug smile. “Ari’s not the only one who’s hidden something this week, has she, Detective?”

General bewilderment spread across Molly’s face. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I saw you at Hideaway with the redhead,” Jane said.

Molly’s chin dropped to her chest, and she caught a strong whiff of the blooming lilies. “I guess she won’t see me then, will she?” she whispered. Her eyes filled with tears, and she stared at the flowers.

“I didn’t tell her.”

Jane watched Molly’s crestfallen face register the fact. “I’m not one to judge. I was there, too, and I certainly didn’t sleep in my own bed that night.” Molly’s arms tightened around the vase and she closed her eyes. Jane stepped toward her and stroked one of the lily petals with her lacquered nails. “You and I aren’t like Ari.” Molly looked at Jane, realizing how right she was. “Have you been tested?” Jane asked.