Paid in Full (3 page)

It amazed her that Bob’s manhood remained intact when three months into the relationship, she confessed her suspicions about her sexuality. Most guys would have thrown a fit, blamed her, or played it cool. Instead of destroying their bond, Ari’s announcement actually brought them closer, as Bob transformed from boyfriend to counselor. They stayed in touch during college, even though they went to different schools, and Bob married Lily during his senior year. The true proof of friendship, though, came two years later. It was Bob who offered Ari his guest room the night her father disowned her, and it was Bob who had saved her from the biggest mistake of her life.

Chapter Two

Sunday, June 17

6:38 p.m.

Ari accelerated and pulled ahead of the Sunday traffic winding around the base of Camelback Mountain. She was speeding, consciously rushing to Bob before the police could get there. Detective Nelson would not be pleased, but Ari needed to talk to him, not to warn him, but to read his initial expression before he had time to create any facade or erect his defenses. She was Bob’s oldest friend, and if anyone could tell if he was lying, it would be Ari.

She glanced in her rearview mirror. The sun was finally setting, and the mountain was awash in red and yellow. This was her favorite time of day. It was still light out, but the burning heat had retreated. The afternoon still didn’t seem real, finding Michael Thorndike’s body and now Bob possibly accused of murder.

And then there was Molly Nelson, complete with the typical tough cop demeanor Ari thought most of the female cops wore like armor. She had so much to prove and had to be twice as good, probably more so if she was already a detective. Ari admitted she was drawn to her, and she tried to bat the feeling away, but like a pesky fly it kept circling, and she found herself thinking about the tall blond for the third time in an hour. It wasn’t just a physical attraction, although Molly was very much Ari’s type. No, Ari was drawn to powerful women. She didn’t mind that Molly had spoken sharply to her, in fact she knew she deserved it. She got the feeling Molly didn’t take any crap from the male officers, but there was something else—she’d seen it in the way the woman had smiled at her when they were alone. There was another side to her, or perhaps many sides and Ari loved women who were complex.

As the SUV drew within a mile of her destination, her thoughts drifted to Bob, a friend who had been there for her during the absolute worst of times. She needed to focus on him, not on her love life.

She turned right on Weatherview and entered the exclusive Arcadia area. Sprawling ranch houses that covered large lots filled with citrus trees, these stately homes were usually owned by doctors, lawyers or CEOs. They were well preserved with manicured yards and good schools—all factors necessary for a quick sale. The competition for these high-priced listings was brutal; everyone who lived there knew a real estate agent and had two or three others soliciting them per week. Obtaining a listing in Arcadia, one of Phoenix’s oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods, was quite a coup. Ari had been fortunate to sell a few of these homes during her career, but she knew it was basically a matter of luck and nepotism.

That was how she’d landed Bob and Lily. They already knew her, and they knew they wanted to live in Arcadia, both for the view of Camelback and the status that the name implied. Ari remembered the day Bob and Lily had purchased their house. It had been a series of firsts for both of them—they were her first clients, and this was their first home, bought with Bob’s first million. Now, twelve years later, there had been many more millions for Bob, who had a chain of copying centers all over Phoenix.

She wound around the long circular drive, which almost seemed like a trip through a desert garden, and parked next to Bob’s Porsche. The woman who answered the door was slim and muscular, her jeans and Oxford cloth shirt outlining her slight frame. “Ari, what a surprise! Please come in,” Lily Watson said, flashing a sincere smile.

Ari could hear the NBA commentators as they entered the family room. Bob was glued to the Suns game and didn’t notice them at first. “Look who’s here, Bob!” Lily announced, her voice competing with the big screen TV.

Bob’s attention drifted from the game. When he saw Ari, he lifted his huge frame from the recliner and gave her a bear hug. At thirty-seven, while most of his contemporaries were going to seed, Bob still had the body of a twenty year old. Only his receding hairline betrayed his age. In a moment of vanity on his thirtieth birthday, he’d gone to a hair implant center and asked for plugs. Ari and Lily had arrived just in time, convincing him he would wind up looking like a Seventies lounge lizard. “So, do you have a contract on my parents’ house?” he asked playfully.

Ari paused. There was no easy way to say this. She wanted to be sensitive but there wasn’t time. “No, Bob. In fact there’s a problem. I had a showing this afternoon, and when I walked in, there was a dead body on the floor.”

“What?” Lily shrieked.

Bob laughed heartily. “You’re joking, right, Ari?”

“No.” She watched them closely. They both looked genuinely shocked, unable to process the information. Lily covered her face, and Bob started pacing, his trademark sign of nervousness.

Finally he looked up and asked, “Was it anyone we knew?”

Ari shrugged. “I don’t know if you knew him or not. The victim was Michael Thorndike.”

Lily gasped and Bob exploded. “Jesus! What the hell is this, Ari?” Her eyes widened in surprise. Lily attempted to rest her hand on Bob’s shoulder, but he pushed her away. “What was Michael Thorndike doing in my parents’ house?”

Ari shook her head. “I don’t know. Is he a friend of yours?”

Bob shot his wife a look of contempt. “Not likely.” Silence filled the room and the blaring TV seemed to mock the situation. Bob grabbed the remote and clicked the off button. “I hate that guy. I was going to put a Speedy Copy in this great downtown location, but he caused some major problems and nearly convinced the partnership to lease the property to one of my competitors. If Russ hadn’t worked some of his magic on Thorndike, we would have lost the deal.” Ari knew Bob’s business partner, Russ Swanson, to be extraordinarily diplomatic and level-headed, a nice contrast to Bob’s hot-tempered personality.

As if reading her thoughts, Bob added, “That SOB.” His face shifted as he realized he was defaming a dead man.

“Bob,” Ari interjected, “there’s more. Thorndike used his own blood to write your name on the living room wall before he died.”

“Oh my God,” Lily cried, sinking to the couch.

Total bewilderment covered Bob’s face. “Jesus Christ!” Bob boomed. “Why the hell did he do that? The police are going to think I killed him.” Bob leaned against the stone fireplace for support, wiping his face with a huge hand. “I just can’t believe this!” With one sweeping motion, Bob cleared the mantel, sending pictures, candles and knickknacks to the floor. Lily cried out as glass shattered against the tile.

Ari stepped back, suddenly afraid of Bob’s rage. For a moment, all she could see was his size and how easily he could overpower someone like Thorndike. She watched as he turned slowly around, his fists clenched. He stared at the floor, reached down and picked up his wedding photo, the glass cracked in half. Using every ounce of composure he could find, Bob placed it gently back on the mantel. His back still to her, Ari watched the huge man’s shoulders move up and down with each breath. She was no longer afraid. He was Bob again.

She moved to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Let’s try to figure this out,” Ari suggested. Bob nodded and Ari motioned for him to sit next to Lily on the couch. Lily moved closer and locked her fingers in his. “Bob, the police are going to ask you for an alibi. The coroner estimates that Michael Thorndike was killed between eight and ten last night. Where were you last evening between those times?”

The couple glanced at each other, and Lily answered. “I was at a charity event. I didn’t get home until around eleven. Bob was out at his Tempe store dealing with a problem.”

“Were you with anyone?”

“I went out there around six thirty. Kristen was there until eight thirty. She’s one of the employees.”

“Did anyone come into the store, or did you answer any phone calls after she left?”

Bob searched his memory, but shook his head no. “I was all by myself. I left around ten thirty and came home. No one saw me, and I didn’t stop anywhere. That’s bad, isn’t it?” he asked nervously.

Ari’s expression remained neutral. “It would have been helpful if your employee had stayed the entire evening or if someone had seen you during the time the murder was being committed.” Bob looked at Lily, whose eyes studied the floor. There was tension between them, but Ari couldn’t pinpoint the cause. “You’re sure about the times?”

“Yes,” he said sharply, aware of the implications. If Kristen had left at eight thirty, Bob still could have driven to central Phoenix and killed Michael Thorndike before ten.

Ari took a deep breath and borrowed one of Detective Nelson’s questions. “Besides the two of you, who else has access to the house?”

Bob and Lily shook their heads. “We’re the only people with keys, except for my parents.”

“Who else knew you were selling the house?”

Bob sighed. “God, I probably mentioned it to a lot of people. Some just in passing, but there were a few of my business acquaintances who I thought might want to buy it. And you sent a bunch of faxes over, so probably everyone in my office knows, and most of our friends too.”

“And I mentioned it to several people at the club and my charity groups, hoping to find a buyer,” Lily added.

Ari exhaled. From what they were telling her, many people knew about the vacant house. “When was the last time you saw Michael Thorndike?”

Bob bristled at the name and looked upward trying to remember. “Probably six months ago, when Russ and I went before the League to propose the downtown store. That bastard nearly cost me a fortune.”

“Why did he dislike you so much? What did you ever do to him?” Bob glanced at Lily before looking away. When neither of them answered, she knew instantly that Bob had a motive to kill Michael Thorndike and she started to feel sick. “In a little while, the police are probably going to be here. It might be easier to tell a friend first.”

“Michael and I had an affair,” Lily said softly. “It wasn’t very long, but it wasn’t just a one-night stand.”

“I can’t listen to this again,” Bob growled. He stalked out of the room, slamming the front door as he exited. The women heard his Porsche revving before he drove away.

Pain swept over Lily’s face and tears welled in her eyes. Ari reached for a tissue on the end table and handed it to her, still stunned by Lily’s announcement. They sat silently until Lily composed herself enough to continue.

“Bob was working long hours, and I never saw him. I was lonely. Oh, Ari, this all sounds so trite. Bored housewife looking for affection. I wonder now if we should have had children. Maybe I should have pressed . . .” Lily’s words faded away with the thought. “Michael and I worked on the same charity committee. He was charming and handsome. I’d heard he could be ruthless in business, but he was so sweet to me. We became close, and I think we had a lot in common. Both of us had spouses who were inattentive. Bob lived at work and all Deborah wanted to do was play tennis at the club. I’d actually met her on several occasions, and we’d been doubles partners a few times. She was definitely a cold one. Anyway, somewhere along the way Michael started to pursue me, and I . . . I responded.” Lily’s eyes met Ari’s. “The truth is, he was the most romantic man I’ve ever met. I’ve never told Bob that part,” she quickly added with a blush. “I was head over heels in love, Ari,” she concluded. A dreamy smile crept on her face, and Ari knew she was reliving the fantasy.

“I take it Bob found out?”

Lily nodded slowly but didn’t speak for several seconds. “In the worst way possible. He caught us in bed.”

Ari excused herself after asking a few more questions, feeling both dirty and stupid. Granted, she was not a busybody and didn’t seek out confidences from friends, although when she was trusted with a secret, it remained just that. She felt as if she’d been plunged into the dark corners of a closet and shown truths she really had no desire to know. Lily and Bob were her friends, and while she was upset to learn that Lily had cheated on Bob, neither had chosen to tell her. She only remembered good times—Bob telling off-colored jokes, Lily’s exuberance and friendliness to total strangers at parties and the devotion they seemed to have for each other. That was the image they had projected to Ari, and she was content to see what they wanted her to see.

By the time she got home, she was angry and disappointed that the idyllic picture of the Watsons was ruined. Her thoughts floated to her father, the man who had disappointed her more than anyone else ever could. Ironically, he probably felt she had done the same.

Already feeling the familiar depression creep into her heart, she made a cup of tea and headed straight for the balcony, her retreat from the world. She gazed out at the lights and saw the silhouette of South Mountain in the distance. The view always lightened her mood. She was an urban animal, soaking in the sounds and frenzy of the city, and she loved the fact that she was right in the middle of it, in the heart of central Phoenix, soaring above most everyone on the fifteenth floor. Her chaise lounge was a VIP seat for all the annual parades that marched down Central Avenue, the Fourth of July fireworks at Bolin Plaza, and on a daily basis, the sunsets, which had fascinated her since she was a child. Nothing was more magnificent or humbling.

She sipped her ginseng and contemplated the climactic moment of Lily’s story. When Bob burst in on Lily and Thorndike, he pulled the man from the bed and threatened to kill him. Then he stormed out, refusing to come home. It took Lily three months and countless therapy sessions to get her husband back. She shouldered the full blame, not ever mentioning how inattentive Bob had been before the affair. Their marriage improved, and now it seemed rock solid. But was Ari missing the truth now as she obviously had missed in the past?