That La Jolla Lawyer

by Robert Rogers

  “We’d better get there early. It’s always filled,” she said.

  He’d pick her up early Friday evening, one of her days off.

  Chapter 37

  Matt found a place to park near the corner restaurant and they walked. Both wore casuals; Matt a blue pullover, khaki pants and tennis shoes; Denise a blousy tunic, embossed with delicate multicolored embroidery, that hung over the top of her blue jeans. She turned heads as they strolled into the restaurant. Her dark brown hair, center parted, brushed her shoulders. All told, totally seductive, Matt noted with a smile he kept to himself.

  “You look like a movie star, Denise,” Matt told her. “Well, I guess you are a star.”

  “Thank you Matt. You are always so sweet.”

  “That reminds me of something the girls in high school used to say. It became a kind of cliché. ‘You’re cute and sweet and I like you a lot, but I’m not going to sleep with you.’”

  She laughed. “Well, you’re not that sweet. Besides, I think we’ve moved past that part anyway.”

  Matt’s turn to laugh. “So true and such a pleasant move.”

  They were early enough to get a table by the window with a view outside for people watching. They ordered wine and the halibut. She ordered something white. Matt, not a real wine man, ordered his favorite, White Zinfandel.

  “Am I embarrassing you … with the wine?” he asked her.

  “No. You should order what you like. Who cares what the purists think?”

  “My sentiments exactly, Matt answered. “So, you’re now the ANN anchor. More money. Bigger office. What else?”

  “My very own parking space with my name on a brass plate.

  I also get a clothes allowance and a bonus.”

  “I think you’re important.”

  She smiled. “I try not to think like that. It wasn’t so long ago that I was Sarah’s gofer. But, that’s what Nico says too. Speaking of sayings, he told me what his mother used to tell him. ‘It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good.’ I don’t think like that. Sarah was my best friend.”

  “I had kind of the same thought. You were born out of her ashes. And, you have done so well. You were like a flower waiting to bloom. And, you did.”

  “I sent Mom and Dad a DVD with some of my newscasts.

  They’re so proud they had a party and played them for guests,” Denise said.

  “Wow! That is proud.”

  “Nico is flying over next week in his company’s jet to pick me up and fly me back to Vegas for a night on the town. He says he’s going to introduce me to all the stars. I’m so excited.”

  “I bet,” Matt agreed with a smile.

  “I’ve told him about you. All that you’ve done for me.”

  “Thank you, but to be fair, Denise, you’ve done it yourself.”

  “Well, without you, I wouldn’t have made it. Allister says

  that too. Nico … not so much. I think he’s kind of jealous. He may be going to ask me to marry him again. Just a hunch but flying over, shows, introduction to stars, has to be something at the end.”

  Matt’s eyebrows raised. “I’d say that was a given.”

  “You think I should turn him down?” she asked.

  “Let me think about it. I may have a thought or two.”

  They enjoyed dinner. He told her he was opening an office in La Jolla.

  “I’ll be back in court,” he said. “And, I can’t wait. I never thought I’d say that but here I am.”

  She leaned over the table and kissed him on the cheek.

  Matt smiled and said, “I hope that’s the gentle rustling of leaves signaling the coming of a pleasing breeze.”

  “You can read minds.”

  “Speaking of minds, how is Allister?” Matt asked. “He’s doing well. We go out now and then. He’s a good

  friend. I enjoy his company.”

  The waiter recognized her after staring and staring and made an informal announcement to the other dinner guests. He also took a picture of Matt and Denise to hang on the wall. Denise was beaming when they left the restaurant.

  And, the dinner was comped. Matt beamed about that.

  He took her home. The next morning, he enjoyed a cheese Danish and coffee with her.

  “I’m totally relaxed Denise. What an evening.”

  “I can say the same thing, Matt.’

  “Thank you for everything. You’ve helped me pull myself out of my deep rut. But, uh, I need to ask you a favor.”

  “What?” she asked, her tone one of concern.

  “You’re not going to like it, but here it is,” he said with reluctance.

  He told her what he wanted her to do and why.

  She didn’t like it. “I don’t know Matt. You’re asking me to shoot myself in the foot.”

  “That’s right. If you don’t want to, I’ll understand.”

  “No, I don’t think I have a choice. I’ll do it.” She’d call him.

  Driving home, he wondered if he had just ruined a good friendship. But, like she said, I don’t think I had a choice. If I’m making a mistake, it won’t hurt. If not, well, how much will it actually hurt? Hmm, I hope not much.

  *****

  A few days later, Denise called to say she had done what he asked. “I wouldn’t have done it if you hadn’t been such a good friend, Matt. I hope you don’t ever ask me to do anything like that again.”

  “I apologize Denise. I wouldn’t have done it if there had been any other choice. I think it’s the right thing to do. I’ll let you know. I hope.”

  “God! Don’t say that Matt. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

  Matt did what he felt needed doing to get ready but he didn’t change his regular routine. He went to Denny’s then came home and had a beer out back.

  He did some work on his computer and resolved to get a new one when he moved into his new offices. That’d be in two weeks’ time. A printer, networked to all office computers was provided with the rent. It was an exciting time for him. Almost like the first time he opened an office, right after he’d passed the bar.

  But all that would have to wait, just as he was waiting to see if he’d made a gross judgment error. And, what really worried him was involving Denise in his last push to nail down, once and for all, the person who had killed Sarah.

  Maybe I already have and just don’t know it.

  Asking for her help seemed the right thing to do even if it had upset her. Hell, it had crossed my mind that she might have killed Sarah. After all, she might have decided that Sarah was a roadblock in her path to success.

  “Ridiculous,” he said and cursed himself for being so damn cynical and suspicious. Too many years being a criminal lawyer.

  Too many guilty clients.

  It seemed to him like a deadly silence had settled over his house. No birds sang. No dogs barked on the beach and he heard no laughter coming from frolickers.

  Maybe I’m losing it.

  He took a beer from the fridge and sat out back to enjoy it, as he often did. There were frolickers and dogs and children. He just hadn’t heard them. Too busy listening for things that weren’t there. He saw no one watching him.

  An hour passed. The daylight changed to evening gloom and soon that was replaced by the darkness of night. And, all the beachgoers packed up and went home. His neighbors were still not at home. Most of them worked late. One neighbor was an absentee owner and only showed up on weekends, when he showed up at all.

  About eight, the doorbell rang. Well, well. Is this it?

  He took a deep breath and walked to the front door.

  He opened it and asked. “Oh, Nico, come in. I’ve been expecting you.”

  Nico stepped back half a step and frowned, but came in. He wore casuals, short sleeved shirt and jeans.

  Matt offered the man a chair in the kitchen.

  “This is a dump,” Nico said with a glance around.

  “Yes. It is.”

  “Denise says you’re going to marry her,” N
ico said.

  “I asked her and she’s thinking about it.”

  “You don’t have shit to offer her.”

  “I think she has to decide that. Love conquers all, you know,” Matt said.

  “Bullshit! Money conquers all! And, I have money. Denise is my woman. Do you understand that?”

  “I know you killed Sarah so Denise could move out of her shadow and maybe blossom into an anchor at ANN. You assumed she’d be her own woman and owe it all to you. Am I right?”

  He laughed sarcastically. “Why didn’t you tell Denise what you suspected? I know you’ve been searching for the killer.”

  “I’ve been waiting for the right moment. I also decided that you sent those goons out to shut me up. Twice. And, to kill Carter.”

  “You don’t have a fuckin’ bit of proof! I flew them in in by

  private jet. Flew them out the same way.”

  “I thought as much.”

  Nico stared hard at Matt and said, “You’re a wise ass, Dawson. Denise had told me you were looking for the girl’s killer. I knew about your reputation, before you went nuts, and figured I’d be better off with you dead.”

  “You flew in to kill her and flew out the same night. Is that

  it?”

  He gave a quick shake of his head. “No way in hell can

  anybody connect me to her murder. Just like nobody can connect me to yours. Perfect crimes. I don’t give a shit how the cops see it. It won’t be traceable to me.”

  “And there’ll be nobody standing between you and Denise.

  She doesn’t love you, you know.”

  “You don’t know shit about love. You fuckin’ shyster

  lawyer!” He took an automatic out of his jacket pocket and pointed it at Matt.

  “You hit Sarah over the head first,” Matt said. “Why didn’t you shoot her?”

  “I figured you’d be the perfect fall guy for it. A down-and- outer, washed up lawyer. Wanted to get laid. She turned you down and you killed her. Heat of passion, picked up a bookend, hit her and finished her off with a pillow.”

  “Now, you’re using a gun. Won’t that look suspicious?”

  “Right now, I don’t give a shit what it looks like. I’ll have an alibi and you have lots of enemies. I want Denise and you’re standing in my way. With you gone, she’ll marry me. I know it.

  Hell, I can give her things you could only dream of. I’ll make her happy.”

  “I can give her love. You can’t give her that. She sees you as kind of an uncle.”

  “I’ve bullshitted with you long enough, Dawson. It’s time for you to shut the fuck up, permanently.”

  He raised his automatic and pointed at Matt. “Goodbye.”

  That was when Carter came out of the bedroom behind him and hit him over the head with the heavy frying pan Matt’s grandmother had given his mother. He’d inherited it and had kept it kind of as a reminder. That was the first time it had been used.

  Nico went glassy-eyed. He dropped the gun and slumped forward.

  “We get it all on tape?” Matt asked.

  “Every word.”

  “I’ll call Triplett. This ought to brighten his day.”

  He did. Triplett came out with a squad and took Nico into custody along with the tape Carter had set up.

  “You’re lucky to be alive, Dawson. Best if you don’t meddle in police business again,” Triplett said.

  “You’re welcome, Detective.”

  “What is it you said, say la va sans dear?”

  “Close enough,” Matt said, suppressing a laugh at the way Triplett butchered the French quip about how it goes without saying.

  Triplett strode out the door with Nico in custody.

  “This calls for a beer, don’t you think?” he asked Carter. “It does. I never spent so much boring time in my life, waiting around in that damn bedroom. I was beginning to wonder if you’d finally lost it.”

  “Yeah. Me too.”

  “I’m thirsty.”

  “First let me call Denise.”

  He told her what had happened.

  “I thought you were wrong, Matt. You were going to embarrass me big time. Nico was good to me.”

  “He wanted to marry you,” Matt said.

  “I know. I hated to tell him I was going to marry you. Not that I would mind so much, but I knew it’d hurt him. I didn’t think he’d want to kill you. And, I never thought he killed Sarah for me.

  You can’t know how that makes me feel. I might have caused her to be killed. Deep down though, I think Nico’s a good man. I thought he was anyway,” Denise replied, tears in her voice.

  “I’m sorry, Denise but you never know. Carter and I had been looking for a Vegas connection. We never, well, I never tied it to Nico. I just took it for granted he was who you thought he was.

  But, when I ran out of suspects, it dawned on me. Old Nico was

  from Vegas and he had reason to kill Sarah. He loved you.”

  “I know. That’s what made it so hard for me to tell him I loved you.”

  “It turned out to be the right thing.”

  “It did. But, that doesn’t make it feel any better,” Denise

  said.

  “Not that it’ll help, but dinner’s on me for the next year. Oh

  yeah and cheese Danish on you for the same period,” Matt said with a laugh.

  “I won’t hold you to the dinners, Matt. And, you may have to arm wrestle Allister for the cheese Danish. He sent me flowers today. Wants to take me to the Hard Rock Café for a hamburger.

  You don’t figure he’s killed anybody do you?”

  Matt laughed and hung up. She sounded down. If I had to guess, I’d say Allister will be enjoying her cheese Danish from now on. Doing old Nico in had to leave a bitter taste in her mouth. Just as well. I was always too old for her.

  “Out here,” Carter called. “I have beers with me.”

  Cat purred and followed him out for his evening prowl.

  Matt and Carter drank beer and stared at the dark ocean and shadowy figures jogging on the wet sand. One slapped the other on the butt.

  Carter laughed and pointed. “Some things never go out of

  style.”

  “Probably a good thing.” Matt stared without seeing. His

  mind was elsewhere. “Took us too long to figure it out,” Matt said. “Sarah’s killer. It had been there all the time.”

  “You know what they say. Can’t see the forest for the trees.”

  Matt got up for another round. Usually he limited himself to one, but it was a special occasion. The melodic and wistful music of the Second Waltz followed Matt out the door.

  Carter nodded at him with a smile. “Never give up your dreams, Matt.”

  “Mine gave up on me, Carter but I still like the music. On the plus side, I have a new dream, a criminal defense case. Man killed his boss. Eyewitness saw it. Client doesn’t have a pot as far as

  money.”

  “You’ll think of something. Right up your alley.”

  “Yep. Also, I might have a wrongful death case against Nico Marino. I’ll be sending the Bushes an email in the morning.

  California has jurisdiction over him and his valuable plane is probably in one of the local airports. I could get a judgement against him and levy against the plane then go to Nevada to collect the rest.”

  Hell, Mrs. Padgett might need a lawyer to file against Warner, wrongful death as well. He probably has a few assets. Jurors won’t like that Padgett was trying to blackmail Reid. I’ll have to come up with a story about that. ANN apparently hasn’t tried to hedge on his benefits. That’d be a deep pocket I could go after if they do. I’m assuming she’ll call me. Has to. I’m probably the only lawyer she knows.

  “Matt, where are you? You look like you’re lost in space.”

  “Thinking about the cases that might come out of all this. I

  can be busy for a couple of years.”

  “You’ll need a good investigator for
all those cases.”

  “Yep.”

  “I guess I’ll be busy too,” Carter said.

  “Yep,” Matt said.

  “I think I’ll sleep better tonight,” Carter said.

  “I think I will too.”

  He looked at Carter and said, “You know what I just realized?”

  “What?”

  “This thing we’ve been in has been a big-assed love story.”

  “You know what I said a while back? Love is an incurable addiction.”

  “And people kill when they have it, or get terribly depressed.”

  *****

  Triplett told Matt that Warner confessed to viewing Sarah’s computer and looking at her Reid notes before wiping the hard drive clean with a huge magnet. Sarah noted having seen containers with Adderall pills in Reid’s office; saw him taking pills while on the road and in particular during the San Francisco event before his speech and even heard him, in San Diego, asking to meet someone about picking up “his usual.”

  She also had two notes. One asked, “Addicted?” The second was “Will it cost him the election?”

  Padgett called Warner and threatened to make Sarah’s notes public unless he was paid two hundred thousand dollars. According to Warner, they argued and exchanged blows before Padgett stumbled and fell down the side of Mt. Solidad. His attorney bargained for a reduced sentence and got it.

  The last Matt heard, Stone and his attorney were in a plea bargain negotiation.

  And, the word in legal circles was that the DA viewed the case

  as an “old one that no one cared about anymore. It was tried once at great expense. He was reluctant to go down that road again. It cost his predecessor his job.

  Matt figured Stone might very well end up with probation. “So be it,” he said. Jennifer’s check was good and she had been paying regularly.

  “Your threats to sue didn’t hurt one bit,” Carter told him.

  “She’d had enough bad publicity for one life,” Matt replied.

  “Any more on Denise’s Pulitzer?” Carter asked.

  “No but she has what it takes. She’ll get one sooner or later.” .

  The End