by Nora Kane
“I’m not doing anything on the shady side. I promise.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
“I want to ask you something about Anderson.”
“Anderson? What about him?”
“I saw him somewhere I shouldn’t have.”
Ames was quiet for a moment before he said, “Did he come on to you? Did he show up at your place?”
“Why would you ask me that?”
“Just curious. I know you and he had a thing…”
“We never had a thing. He asked me out, I said no.”
“He doesn’t exactly look at it the same, but I’m not surprised.”
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“He has a bit of a reputation.”
“For what?”
“I’d rather not say.”
“You sounded concerned when you asked if he came to my place.”
“Concerned? Nah, that's just me being abrasive.”
“Anderson have some issues with women?”
“Issues might be a strong word.”
“Tell me.”
“You get to keep secrets, but I don’t?”
Margot thought on that for a second and then said, “I thought the shooter might have been Mal.”
“Mal? Why?”
“You’re going to have to give me something first.”
“Alright, but understand this is mostly just gossip.”
“Bullshit. If it were just gossip, you never would have brought it up.”
“He’s been inappropriate with some females who came his way on the job.”
“Inappropriate how?”
“Nothing criminal.”
“That leaves a lot of possibilities.”
“He’s had affairs with victims and possibly suspects. Nothing not consensual, but it raises questions.”
“Someone complain?”
“Just one who thought he was hitting on her. It didn’t go anywhere since it was a “he-said, she-said” kind of deal, but even without the complaint, he had the reputation. As you well know, it happens. It shouldn’t because we catch people at their most vulnerable, but it does.”
“I’m not very vulnerable right now, but you were worried about me. You sure you’re telling me everything?”
“I’m telling you everything I know, but I know he had a thing for you and he might see you as more vulnerable than you see yourself. He could put you in jail and he could do things that could threaten your license.”
“Has he done anything like that before?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“But you wouldn’t put it past him?”
“I don’t put anything past anybody. Did he try something?”
“Not with me, but I saw him when I was visiting Phoebe’s.”
“That could be a problem. I don’t suppose he said or did anything while you were there?”
“He did a lot of leering since Phoebe was wearing a very small bikini, but that’s what I’d say she was going for.”
“Hardly illegal. Even if he’s doing more than just looking, as long as she’s consenting, it might be wrong, but it’s not illegal. Now, tell me why you thought your old boyfriend tried to kill you.”
Margot hesitated, she didn’t want to be a rat and felt like she was betraying Mal, but she decided he made his own choices and she couldn’t be responsible for the outcome of those choices.
“Dennis Thorn, which was the name Mal used working undercover, visited Conner Heller before the murder.”
“Mal visited Heller?”
“I think so,” Margot said, finding herself hedging on the truth and offering a little protection even though she shouldn’t be.
“Think?”
“No, I know it. I emailed him asking about it. I didn’t even know if he still checks his email.”
“Then he takes a shot at you thinking he doesn’t want you to spread this information around?”
“Exactly, but it wasn’t him.”
“How do you know?”
“He told me. Don’t ask where he is or why he might be talking to Conner Heller. I don’t know the answer to either one.”
“I’d say he was working as a middle man to whoever wanted Lucas dead.”
“I thought the same thing, but he said no.”
“And you believed him?”
“He told the truth about everything else.”
“You know I have to give this to Anderson.”
“I know and I don’t have a problem with it. I’m done helping Mal.”
“That’s actually really good to hear.”
He may have liked hearing it, but Margot didn’t like saying it.
Chapter 10
Even though Margot wasn’t an actual police officer, Heller’s lawyer insisted he be there when she talked to him. Margot ran into him heading into county jail. He didn’t drive a Porsche or wear a watch or a tailored suit like Thad. He was definitely not Browers and Associates caliber, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a good lawyer.
“Frederic Nolan, but you can call me Fred, if you’d like,” he told her as they walked in together.
“Margot.”
“Nice to meet you. I can tell you this is a waste of time. He’s not talking until he gets a deal. He’s not going to be intimidated either.”
“Do I look like I’m here to intimidate him?”
Fred shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time some high-level gangster sent a private eye to make the muscle work look more respectable.”
“Muscle work?”
“They call you Viuda Negra, which I believe is Spanish for the black widow, don’t they?”
“No, they don’t. You shouldn’t believe everything you see on the internet. I’m not here on behalf of any gangster either.”
Fred shrugged like he didn’t believe her and then they were both quiet as they went through the process of being let into the facility.
Conner Heller was a droopy-eyed guy who probably wasn’t that much bigger in height or weight than the diminutive Lucas. He didn’t look like the kind of person someone would hire to kill somebody, but Margot knew looks could be deceiving when it came to violence. Unlike the more likely suspects staying at the jail, he had the opportunity.
“Well, Margot, if you’re not here on behalf of the unnamed gangster, why are you here?” Fredric asked.
“I want to talk about Lucas Lau.”
Heller looked at his lawyer. “I thought you said not to worry about that?”
“I did, and I was right. They won’t be charging for that. I’m not sure why she brought it up.”
“Why won’t they be charging you for Lucas?” Margot asked Heller.
Before Fred could tell him to shut up, Heller said, “I was with Bateman and Darius when it happened. The doc saw us and told us to get to work.”
“She doesn’t need to know any of that,” the lawyer told him.
“But if it’s true…” Heller began.
“Then we don’t want to give anyone a chance to spread lies,” Fred interrupted.
“Hell, that fat cop can back me up…”
“Conner, please stop talking. In fact, don’t say another word unless I give you permission.”
“But I was…”
“Do you want me to quit being your lawyer? Do you want to go back to the public defender?”
Conner opened his mouth but then closed it and nodded his head.
Margot looked at Heller and thought about something he’d said. She decided to put off asking about Mal for a little bit and asked him instead, “You said ‘fat cop’? Was that Detective Anderson?”
Heller looked at Fred, who shook his head no.
“They keep records of who goes in and out. I already know they were here that day.”
“Then why are you asking him?” Fred told her.
“Two reasons. First, he said fat cop, I noticed he didn’t say old cop or cops. If who I am talking about was here, he’d be here with a partner
. He didn’t mention a partner.”
“So?”
“So, it might be important.”
“To whom?”
“To all of us. We both know someone is going down for Lucas, and your client is as good as anybody. I might be able to take his name out of the hopper.”
“That’s what he pays me for. What’s the second reason?”
“According to the log, they left at least an hour before the crime took place yet Heller says he saw one of them while the murder took place.”
Heller looked at his lawyer like he really wanted to talk.
Fred considered what Margot said and said to Heller, “Answer her.”
“They were both here and they definitely didn’t leave an hour before it happened,” Heller said. “They came in to talk to Lucas while I was sweeping the floor.”
“They were together the whole time?”
“No, when I was talking to Bateman and Darius, the fat guy came back.”
“Where’d he go?”
“I don’t know.”
“Back to see Lucas?”
“Could be.”
“Are you saying Lucas was murdered by an officer of the law?” Fred asked.
“I’m not saying anything of the sort,” Margot told him. She didn’t want to go into why, so she changed the subject, asking Heller, “What did you and Dennis Burns talk about?”
“Don’t answer that.”
“Were you his lawyer at the time?” Margot asked.
“I was.”
‘Why did you let him talk to Burns?”
“Burns was an old acquaintance of Mr. Hellers. It was a social call, not an interrogation.”
“Is that what it was?” Margot asked Heller, “a social call?”
Heller looked at Fred who nodded. Heller said, “Uh, yeah.”
“Thanks,” Margot said, “to both of you.”
Chapter 11
Margot got Cranston’s number from Radcliff and set up a meeting without Anderson. He wouldn’t meet at Layla’s West; apparently, he’d given up drinking and didn’t want the temptation. Instead, they met at a taco shop near the coast.
Margot would have rather had a whiskey on the rocks than a Carne Asada burrito, but she was willing to make the sacrifice.
“You come to turn yourself in? Ready to confess?” Cranston asked her as he unwrapped his burrito.
“No.”
“Then what can I do for you, Margot?”
“Did you know your partner is screwing Phoebe Masterson?”
“What makes you think that?”
“Phoebe isn’t exactly discreet,” Margot said, fudging the truth. Phoebe wasn’t discreet, but she hadn’t shared anything with Margot. If Cranston called her bluff, she didn’t have a second play.
Cranston thought about that a second, “No, she isn’t. I can’t say I blame Anderson, though, I mean look at her. If I was twenty years younger, he would have had to get in line.”
“You good with your partner getting it on with murder suspects?”
“No, but it’s not like that.”
“It’s not?”
“They were seeing each other before. We ran into her one night when we were rousting Harry Lee. She was scared shitless, getting dragged to jail when you’re cheating on your rich husband can do that to a lady.”
“So, Anderson made his move.”
“I know it’s not exactly appropriate, but it isn’t hurting anybody. She needed to feel safe and he wanted to get laid. Everybody’s happy.”
“Unless one of you is a killer.”
“Yeah, funny hearing it from you though. I thought you were on her defense team.”
“I am, but certain things are hard to ignore.”
“Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Things like motive, opportunity, and physical evidence tend to paint an accurate picture. Once Lucas realized he was going to have to do some time for shooting at the cops, he would have given her up instead of doing the whole stretch by himself.”
“You think they did it together?”
“She was seeing Harry Lee and Lucas was Harry’s driver. They’d met.”
“What did your partner think?”
“Obviously, he likes Phoebe and wouldn’t want to give up a good thing like her, but reality would have set in once Lucas started talking.”
“Worked out pretty well for him and Phoebe that Lucas never got the chance.”
“You implying something, Margot?”
“Why did Anderson go back to Lucas’s room without you that day when you two interviewed him?”
“Who says he did?”
“Are you saying he didn’t?”
Cranston ate some of his burrito and then leaned back and shook his head. “You know, I’ve been a detective longer than you’ve been alive. Do you really think you can interrogate me?” When Margot didn’t answer, he leaned forward and pointed at her. “You were a bad cop, a disgrace who left so we didn’t throw you out and you think you can interrogate me? The fact you even thought that is enough to piss me off.”
Margot considered telling him she’d already manipulated him into admitting Anderson was seeing Phoebe but decided it wouldn’t help. Instead, she told him, “That’s not really an answer.”
“Get the Hell out of here before I kick your ass.”
“Careful, don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash.”
Cranston looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped up his burrito and left her sitting there.
Chapter 12
Margot was unlocking her door when Anderson came around the corner. It looked like he’d been waiting for her to come home. She put her hand in her purse. Instead of the gun or the mace, the first thing her hand found was the digital recorder she’d used to document her conversation with Cranston.
Anderson showed her the gun in his right fist and she withdrew her hand from her purse without him asking.
“What the Hell did you say to my partner?” Anderson asked. “He’s practically accusing me of murder.”
