by Dana Moss
“From Blake’s will probably. That’s almost as good as a confession, isn’t it?”
“Or someone wants us to think that.”
“A fake suicide?”
“I don’t know. All the puzzle pieces seem to fit neatly around Lorne now. But too neatly. I’m not sure why I think that. The chief is really losing patience with me.”
“You didn’t find a suicide note or a confession letter or anything like that?”
“I think that would have been too obvious. If it’s meant to mislead us.”
“So you don’t know if he intended to kill himself, died accidentally, or if someone else succeeded in offing him?”
“I suppose his debtors could have gotten here quicker than I think possible, but wouldn’t they have been a bit more violent? Knee cracking and finger snipping and all that?”
“Eve will do an autopsy, right?”
“If I order it, but I’ll have to get the chief to agree.”
Taffy had been shocked to hear of Lorne’s death. He’d not been her favorite person, but she’d never wished him dead.
* * *
Taffy parked across street from the police station and then cautiously up the steps to the main doors. Maria met her on the other side. “Don’t worry. The chief is playing golf with the mayor, and Malcolm and Lucy are out. Zoe promised she wouldn’t snitch on us.”
Zoe gave Taffy a small wave from her perch at the counter, and then she went back to focusing on her computer screen.
Maria led Taffy to her office.
“Before I found out about Lorne this morning, I’d pulled his videos to review.” She waved to a pile of data keys. “And I was also going over Eve’s final report on Blake, which I only got yesterday.” She tapped a file on her desk.
“Why?”
“Because you mentioned sushi last night. That triggered something from Blake’s toxicology report. Eve confirmed that there wasn’t any cocaine in his bloodstream. Even though it was in the room and around his nostrils, as if someone wanted it to look like he’d snorted some that night.”
“That’s weird.”
“What’s weirder is what else she found. A substance called tetrodotoxin.”
“What even is that?
“Apparently, it’s produced by a handful of poisonous sea creatures and—”
“The sushi?”
“But not from the resort. This wasn’t ingested orally. It was a lethal amount, intended to kill. And we think it was injected. Eve found a needle prick on his thigh. She assumed it was for the vitamin B shots that Blake’s doctor said he self-administered on a regular basis.”
“But now you think it’s for this tetra-tada-something?”
“Tetrodotoxin. Yes. But who would be trafficking in such a rare poison? And know how to use it?”
“Lorne did have a lot of drug contacts…” Taffy sat up straighter, her eyes bright. “And Veronica knew the owner of that fancy sushi restaurant in New York… Wait, I think I have a card from that place. Kyla said there was one on the West Coast too. What do you wanna bet it’s in Monterey? If we could prove Veronica picked it up…” Taffy dug around in her purse and found the card. Maria took it. She looked skeptical.
“Okay, maybe there’s a connection, but… I don’t know… I’ll follow up on this. But how does Lorne’s death relate to all of this?”
“If he killed himself because of—”
Zoe rapped on Maria’s open door. “Detective Salinas? I just found this in the mail.” She brought over a letter to Maria’s desk. The thick, cream-colored envelope bore the logo of the Castle Rock Resort and Country Club. It was addressed to “the detective and her dog, Lassie.”
Maria motioned for Zoe to drop the envelope onto her desk. Then she pulled out a pair of latex gloves.
Taffy stared wide-eyed. “You don’t think?…”
“We’ll see.” Maria opened the letter. “Yep.”
Inside was a note from Lorne apologizing for the mess he’d made, confessing to killing Blake, to being jealous, to wanting to ruin Macy’s life because he was jealous, but he said the guilt got to him. He couldn’t live with himself anymore.
“It’s too easy,” Maria said, reaching for an evidence bag.
Taffy glanced at the handwriting. It had a funny slant to it. “Left-handed writer?”
“Could be.”
“But you don’t think it’s his writing?”
Maria sighed. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“What about an autopsy?”
“If the chief agrees, but when he sees this letter, he might want me to wrap up the case and move on.”
“Call Eve. Get her to do it before he sees it. While he’s still at the golf course.”
Maria glanced at the clock. Then she picked up the phone.
Eve wasn’t busy, and she said she could get started right away, but they’d still have to wait awhile.
Maria leaned back and chewed on the end of her pencil. “I have a funny feeling that Lorne’s death was only meant to look like a guilt-ridden suicide.”
“You’re starting to sound as suspicious as I usually do.”
Maria nodded thoughtfully. “It’s almost convincing. Just like Blake’s death would have looked convincingly accidental…”
“Had there not been any knife wounds?”
“Exactly. He has a heart condition, appears to take cocaine—whammo, the grim reaper shows up…”
“Meanwhile, that tetra-pak stuff has stopped his heart, guaranteed…”
“But it looks like something else… Elegant really.”
“But something went wrong…”
Maria leaned forward. “I’m starting to think two things went on there that night. First, someone wanted to make it look like Blake died of natural causes.”
“And then someone else walked in and attacked him? But why?”
“I guess only one man would have known the answer to that, and now he’s dead.”
“So then let’s assume Lorne killed Blake, and let’s say he did it for Veronica, but then he also freaked out and took some sort of vengeance?”
“You’re the one stuck on Veronica. It’s hard to connect her, especially if only Lorne’s testimony would sufficiently link her. He could have easily done it for Macy, too, right?”
“And then point the finger at her? It doesn’t make sense.”
Maria stuck her pencil between her teeth again, and then she sighed. “I feel like I’m forcing it to fit when it doesn’t.”
“What if Veronica killed Lorne to shut him up? What if he was about to confess and implicate her?”
“She was across the country at an event attended by hundreds who could vouch for her whereabouts. Including you.”
“But she was talking to someone that night, I’m sure it was Lorne, and she seemed mad… or at least irritated. And maybe it was Lorne. Maybe he killed himself after talking to her? I didn’t hear the whole conversation. But she did say something about planting some necessary evidence. I got some of the conversation recorded. I could call Mitch and confirm the numbers from the phone I lifted that night.”
“By all means, call him. The more information the better. But even you could support her alibi at the gala. So she’s not responsible for Lorne’s death.”
“Or at least not directly,” Taffy conceded. “But she might have been the one to drive him to suicide.”
“We can’t arrest her for that.”
Zoe dropped by again and said she’d brewed a fresh pot of coffee.
Taffy began to look through Lorne’s videos while Maria reviewed the notes in her notebook.
Taffy didn’t have the stomach to examine Lorne’s illicit footage in detail, but she spent some time scanning the innocent stuff—the daily boat antics, meal prep and eating, suntanning on deck, making goofy faces for the camera. Taffy saw the one of Macy slicing the watermelon and of Anya making crepes one morning and what looked like ceviche one evening.
“You’re sure
it wasn’t Macy, right?”
Maria was studying Eve’s report, but she lifted her head to say, “After Tessa’s psych evaluation, and all the other strange details that have come to light, I can’t see her being capable of this. You were right about that.” Maria offered a conciliatory smile. “I’m sorry I doubted you.”
Taffy shrugged. “You were just doing your job.” After seeing some of the videos, and the photos from the crime scene, Taffy understood better why Maria had kept Macy in her sights.
“I know you think the suspects for Blake’s murder are limited to those who were on the boat that night. But what if someone else went out to the boat?”
Maria pushed a few things around on her desk and then handed Taffy some additional computer file keys. “These are the recordings from the dock security cameras. No one approached the boat all night.”
Taffy frowned. Then she had an idea. “What if somebody swam out there?”
“Like who?”
“Well, what if we could place Veronica in Abandon that night?”
Maria shook her head. “Can’t be done.”
“But let’s just say we could. She swims out there, kills Blake, and swims back.”
“And Lorne, meanwhile, was oblivious on the top deck?”
“Keeping an eye on Macy and Cher while the deed was done?”
Maria leaned back in her chair, her fingers drumming the ends of her armrests.
“That’s about as far-fetched as I’ve ever heard you get, Miss Belair.” She could barely hide a smirk.
Even though everything lined up against Lorne now, even a confession letter, Taffy couldn’t understand how Lorne could wound his friend like that. Unless it was vengeance for Veronica. And if he did do all of that terrible stuff, maybe it was true he couldn’t live with himself anymore. But…
“I remember talking to Lorne in his room one day. He was upset about Blake’s death. Thought it was a terrible shame. And I remember him saying he’d never have the courage to kill himself. Like he’d hit rock bottom many times and had wished to do it before but never could…” She then remembered him saying that Veronica didn’t come around much after Blake bought the boat. Because she couldn’t swim.
“And you’re right. My swimming theory is pretty far-fetched. Forget it.”
But Taffy was sure there was some connection to Veronica. She could feel the puzzle pieces coming together. The edges were getting closer but not quite touching yet.
And then all of a sudden a name popped back into her mind. Mitch’s client. Snelldrive. She’d heard the name before, and just now she’d remembered where.
She turned back to Maria. “But let’s just entertain this swimming idea for another minute. Of our suspects, Veronica and those connected to the boat, who else is a swimmer?”
Maria tapped her chin. “Well, there’s Cher, because she was swimming with Macy that night. Anya, I guess. She’s been using the resort pool. But she was in her room having a massage with Alice, who could testify to that. And then there’s Einer—”
“Bingo! He’s been around the sea his whole life. He’s a swimmer for sure.”
“And his confirmed alibi?”
“Just hear me out. I think I’ve found the connection.”
Maria waited, eyebrows raised.
“Whitman Snelldrive.”
Maria waited for her to say more.
“I first heard the name from Einer, who used to work for him. Called him Witty Snelldrive. He used to own the Moonbeam.” Taffy was getting excited now. “And Einer came with the boat.”
“So?”
“I also heard Veronica refer to a man named Whitman the other night at the gala. He’s one of her investors! Or was, until recently.”
Maria’s brow furrowed as if she were having a hard time following.
“Snelldrive is the name of Mitch’s client!” Oops, she’d just broken that confidence. “I think Veronica brought Snelldrive and Blake together for the boat sale… and it’s not Lorne she’s in cahoots with, it’s Einer. He could have swum out to the boat that night. Maybe they’ve been planning this for a long time… And he may well have been behind Lorne’s death. For some reason Snelldrive and Veronica are no longer associates, because he’s hired Mitch to collect evidence to bring down her businesses. I don’t think she knows that yet… But maybe through Mitch, we could get Snelldrive to make a connection between Einer and Veronica!”
Maria had been jotting down notes as Taffy shoved puzzle pieces together. She looked up from her notepad and said,
“And Einer’s alibi?”
“What if Mimi was paid off?”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to pay Mimi another visit to double-check his first alibi.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Maria drove while Taffy called Mitch. She explained about Snelldrive and how they might be getting close to a breakthrough in Blake’s case and needed his help.
“Can you send me the list of phone numbers from Veronica’s cell phone the night of the gala? I want to see if we can make a match.” She was sure that the call from the ladies’ room was either to Lorne or to Einer. Mitch agreed to get back to her with some information but also told her he was getting close to his own breakthrough and to keep him updated on her developments.
A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Mimi’s Massages and More.
Maria had been there before for questioning, but this was Taffy’s first time.
The interior of the massage-parlor-cum-brothel was dimly lit and tastefully decorated, though, in Taffy’s opinion, it included a bit too many red, pink, and gold details.
A pert assistant ushered them in to an outer office, where a door to another room opened and a fiftysomething, fit, and heavily made-up bottle brunette swept in trailing a cloud of vanilla and spice. Her silky top and wide-legged pants billowed around her purposeful stride.
“Thank you, Tina,” said Mimi. “That will be all.”
Mimi shook hands with Maria but only gave Taffy a cursory glance.
“This has to do with that dead millionaire?”
Maria nodded. “I need to ask you a few more questions about Einer.”
“I am certain that he was here during the night in question.”
“I realize you have no reason to cover for him, or at least I don’t think so, but we’re looking for actual proof, not just your word.”
Mimi narrowed her eyes. “The chief knows you’re here?”
Maria glanced briefly at Taffy and then nodded. So Maria was a white liar, too.
Mimi sighed with resignation. “Then you have to promise me you’ll never breathe a word of this to anyone.” She glanced at Taffy and then looked back to Maria. “Does she have to be here?”
“You can trust her.”
Mimi raised a doubtful eyebrow. “You have to assure me that this is off the record. If any other cops come here, I’ll deny ever having said this. I do not speak about my clients.”
Maria nodded. “Understood.”
“Thank you.” Mimi crossed her arms. “In this day in age, with so much slander and blackmail, we protect ourselves in ways we aren’t very proud of.” She grimaced as if she didn’t want to go on. “I’ll never admit this publicly, but… we videotape our clients in the act.”
Taffy couldn’t help but blurt, “Really?”
Maria gave her silencing glance.
Mimi said, “Remember, that’s off the record, detective. We don’t normally watch them—they’d be far too boring—but we have them ‘just in case,’ and we destroy them every five years or so.”
Maria nodded again. “So you’re saying you have footage of Einer during his, um, ‘massage’?”
“Yes. Do you need to see it?”
Maria seemed to be weighing the moral, psychological, and practical costs of logging this into the case record.
Mimi added, “If it helps at all, as an off-the-record eye witness, I can report that he’s quick, but he goes more than one round.” She winked.
“So you’ve seen the video?”
“When you asked for a second meeting, I figured it might be along these lines. I simply prepared for all eventualities.”
“If it makes any difference,” Taffy said. “He once told me he’d waive all discretionary protection if it would help our case.”
“Really,” Mimi said, giving her a sidelong glance.
Maria said, “You’d swear in an affidavit?”
Mimi nodded confidently. “If you need the proof, I’ll get Tina to copy the file—after you provide a warrant. That’s not a threat. I just want Ts crossed and Is dotted.”
Taffy said, “Can I just ask one question?”
Mimi arched her eyebrow and waited.
“Einer’s just a yacht engineer, not some hotshot businessman or politician.” Or chief of police, she was thinking but didn’t say. “Why the special treatment?”
“I don’t judge my clients if they have the money to back up their requests, particularly if they have a referral from someone high up the ladder, so to speak, and this man did.”
“Who was he referred by?” Taffy didn’t think Mimi’s brow could arch even higher, so she added. “Off-the-record, of course.”
Mimi’s eyes slid toward Maria and her open notebook. “A man by the name of Whitman Snelldrive. Will that be all now?”
Taffy nodded, satisfied.
Maria said, “Just one more thing. Do you know where Einer was last night?”
Mimi shook her head. “He was last here two nights ago.”
Maria made a note and then flipped her notebook shut. “Thank you, Mimi.”
“Well then.” Mimi turned on her heel, her garments swirling about her figure as she moved toward the inner door from whence she’d emerged. “Ta-ta.”
When Maria and Taffy stepped out of the moody boudoir-styled house into the bright light of day, they lingered on the sidewalk. Maria said, “It was a long shot anyway, trying to place him on the boat the night Blake died.”
“I guess he didn’t swim out there.” Taffy was disheartened by this dead end that mere moments ago had appeared to be the missing piece that would join everything together. “But he must know more answers than he’s yet divulged. He steered me wrong about Macy, and we don’t know what he got up to last night.”
