L.A. Dead

by Stuart Woods

  Marc turned to the judge. "Your Honor, could we have Mrs. Walters back for a moment to try something?"

  The judge waved both lawyers forward. "Just what do you want to try, Mr. Blumberg?"

  "I'd like for Mrs. Walters to try on a robe for Mr. Cordova."

  "I've no objection, Judge," Ms. Chu said.

  "Go ahead. Bailiff, bring Mrs. Walters back to the courtroom."

  Beverly Walters returned, looking wary.

  "Mrs. Walters," the judge said, "I'd like you to put on a bathrobe for the court."

  Walters nodded, and Stone handed Marc a white terry robe. He held it for the woman, and she put it on.

  "Please put up the hood, step out of your shoes, and face the rear of the courtroom, Mrs. Walters," Marc said. She followed his instructions, and he turned to Cordova. "What about it, Mr. Cordova? Could this be the woman you saw?" He made the woman shape with his hands.

  "Yeah, she could be," Cordova said.

  "No further questions," Marc said.

  Ms. Chu was on her feet. "Your Honor, now I'd like for Mrs. Calder to try on the robe for Mr. Cordova."

  "Any objection, Mr. Blumberg?" the judge asked.

  "None whatever, Judge."

  The courtroom watched as Arrington slipped into the white robe and turned her back on Cordova.

  "Mr. Cordova," Chu said, "could this be the woman you saw?"

  Cordova nodded. "Yeah. I guess it could be either one of them; they look pretty much the same."

  "No further questions, Your Honor. That concludes the District Attorney's presentation."

  "Mr. Blumberg," the judge said, "do you have any witnesses?"

  "Your Honor, we call Isabel Sanchez."

  Isabel came into the courtroom, was sworn, and took the stand.

  "Your Honor, my colleague, Mr. Stone Barrington of the New York Bar, will question this witness."

  The judge nodded assent.

  "Mrs. Sanchez," Stone began, "are you and your husband employed by Mrs. Arrington Calder?"

  "Yes, we are," Isabel replied.

  "How long have you worked for her?"

  "Since she married Mr. Calder. We worked for fifteen years for him before they married."

  "Do you, personally, perform the duties of a maid in the household?"

  "Yes."

  "Do your duties require you to deal with Mrs. Calder's wardrobe?"

  "Yes, I do her laundry-her underthings and washables-and I gather things to be sent to the dry cleaners and an outside laundry."

  "Would you say that you are familiar with Mrs. Calder's wardrobe?"

  "Oh, yes, very familiar. I know her clothes as well as I know my own."

  "Tell me, does Mrs. Calder own a terrycloth robe?"

  "Yes, she does. She has terrycloth robes for the guest house, four of them, for the two bedrooms."

  "What color are the guest house robes?"

  "They are bright yellow."

  Stone held up the white robe. "Is this Mrs. Calder's robe?"

  "No."

  "Of course not, since it was bought yesterday at the gift shop of the Beverly Hills Hotel. Does she own one like it?"

  "No, she doesn't."

  Stone went to the shopping bag and pulled out a bright yellow robe. "Is this the color of the guest house robes?"

  "Yes."

  He handed her the robe. "Take a look at it. Is this one of the guest house robes?"

  Isabel examined the robe and its label. "Yes, it is."

  He held up the two robes together. "These robes are very different colors, aren't they?"

  "Yes, they are."

  "Could you mistake one of these robes for the other?"

  "No, they're different colors."

  Stone held up the white robe. "Does Mrs. Calder own a robe this color?"

  "No, she does not. Mrs. Calder never wears terrycloth, even around the pool."

  "Do you know why?"

  "She doesn't like it; she likes Sea Island cotton or silk. I've never once seen her wear a terrycloth robe."

  "No further questions, Your Honor," Stone said. "And that concludes our presentation of witnesses.

  "Ms. Chu, closing?"

  Chu stood, looking chastened. "We have nothing further, Judge."

  "Mr. Blumberg?"

  "I believe the evidence speaks for itself, Your Honor. The District Attorneys own witnesses have exonerated my client."

  "Mr. Blumberg, I believe you are correct. Your motion for dismissal of charges is granted, with prejudice." He turned to the DA.'s table. "Ms. Chu, I believe you and the police may wish to speak further with Mrs. Walters." He rapped his gavel. "Mrs. Calder, you are free to go, with the court's apologies. Court is adjourned."

  Arrington stood and turned to Marc and Stone. "What does with prejudice' mean?"

  "It means the DA. can't bring these charges against you again. You're a free woman."

  "If it's all right," she said, "I'd like to leave by the front door."

  "I'll tell Manolo to bring the car around front," Stone said.

  She grabbed Stones hand, and they made their way through the crowd of press. He passed Dino. "Follow Manolo in your car," he said. Dino nodded and, with Mary Ann, made his way from the courtroom.

  "Mrs. Calder will have a statement on the front steps of the courthouse," Marc shouted over the din, and the press dutifully followed them outside. Microphones were set up on the steps, and Marc shouted for silence.

  He faced the reporters, apparently relishing the moment. "Justice has been done," he said. "Arrington Calder is a free woman, and I only wish the police and the District Attorney's office had done their work earlier, instead of waiting for us to do it for them. Now Mrs. Calder would like to say a few words."

  Arrington stepped up to the microphones. "I want to thank my attorneys, Marc Blumberg and Stone Barrington," she said. "But I have no thanks whatever for the media, who have made my life a living hell these past weeks. These are the last words I will ever speak to a camera or a reporter. Good-bye!" She stepped back.

  Suddenly, a reporter in the front of the group held up a tabloid newspaper. "Mr. Barrington!" he shouted.

  Stone, who had been about to lead Arrington away, turned and looked at the paper. What he saw was himself and Betty Southard quite naked, covering half the page. Both were looking at the camera, and black bars covered strategic areas of their bodies.

  "Oh, shit," Stone said, involuntarily.

  Chapter 61

  Arrington took one look at the paper and stalked off. Stone followed her as quickly as he could, with reporters shouting questions at him from both sides. He got Arrington into the rear seat of the Bendey, but before he could climb in, she slammed the door and hammered down the lock button. Stone was left on the sidewalk, surrounded by cameras and screaming reporters.

  Marc Blumberg grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the curb as Dino and Mary Ann drove up in the Mercedes station wagon, and they both got into the rear seat. Dino drove away, while reporters scattered from his path.

  "You can drop me at the garage entrance around the corner," Marc said.

  Dino glanced back at him. "Congratulations; you sure nailed Beverly Walters. How did you know she and Vance had an argument?"

  "I figured he dumped her. Everybody dumps Beverly, sooner or later, and I figured she didn't like it. At least, she admitted to an argument." Marc turned to Stone. "By the way, I had a call early this morning from my attorney friend in Milan, about the possibility of divorce."

  "And?" Stone asked.

  "The news isn't good. In order to get a civil divorce in Italy, the two of you have to appear before a magistrate and mutually request the action."

  "Can't I sue?"

  "Yes, but in a contested divorce, you'd have to subpoena her, and you can't do that in the United States. You'd have to serve her in Italy."

  Stone winced. "Good God."

  The car stopped at the entrance to the garage, and at that moment, there was a ringing noise.

 
; Marc took a small cellphone from an inside pocket. "Yes?" He smiled broadly. "Sure, I'll see her. I'll go right now." He closed the phone and stuck it back into his pocket. "That was my office," he said. "Beverly Walters has been arrested for Vance's murder, and she wants me to represent her."

  "Are you going to?" Stone asked.

  "Sure, why not? Since the charges against Arrington were dismissed with prejudice, there's no conflict. Anyway, it's an easy acquittal."

  Mary Ann turned around. "Acquittal? After what was said in court today?"

  "Sure. My guess is that, since she wasn't a suspect, she was never Mirandized, so everything she told the police and everything she said in court is inadmissible. The only testimony against her is Cordovas, and he's already admitted that he couldn't distinguish between Beverly and Arrington in the robe."

  "What about Vanessa Pike's murder?" Stone asked.

  "There's no evidence against her," Marc replied, "or they would already have arrested her. Anyway, she may not have murdered Vanessa."

  That was true, Stone thought, and the other possible suspect was in a mental hospital.

  Marc opened the car door and offered Stone his hand. "Thanks for the fun," he said. "Now I've gotta go see my new client."

  "And thank you, Marc. I'll get you a check tomorrow."

  Dino drove away and pointed the car toward Bel-Air. "Hey, what was all that crowd of reporters after you about?"

  Stone sighed and told them what had happened.

  "Did Arrington see the paper?" He nodded.

  "I'm afraid so."

  They arrived back at the Calder house to find Manolo loading suitcases into the Bentley.

  "Manolo," Stone asked, "is Mrs. Calder going somewhere?"

  "Yes, sir," Manolo replied. "But you better ask her about that."

  "She certainly packed fast," Stone said.

  "Oh, she packed before we went to court," Manolo said. "And on the way home, she called Mr. Regenstein from the car. The Centurion airplane is waiting for her at Santa Monica."

  Stone went into the house, followed by Dino and Mary Ann. Arrington was coming out of the bedroom. He stopped her. "Can we talk?" he asked.

  "I don't think we have anything to talk about," she said. "I'm going to Virginia to be with Peter and my mother, and I don't know when I'm coming back. Why don't you join Betty Southard in Hawaii? The two of you were made for each other. Or, perhaps, you could move in with Charlene Joiner."

  He took her arm, but she snatched it away.

  "Good-bye, Dino, Mary Ann," she said, kissing them both. "I'm sorry your stay wasn't as pleasant as it might have been."

  "Don't worry about it," Dino replied.

  "Something I want to know," Stone said. "The amnesia: Was it real?"

  "It was at first. After I came home from the clinic, everything gradually came back to me."

  "So what happened that evening?"

  "I don't think I'm going to tell you," she said. "You still think I might have killed Vance, don't you?"

  "No, I don't."

  "Sure you do, Stone. Anyway, you'll never know for sure, will you?" And with that she turned and walked out of the house. A moment later, the Bentley could be heard driving away.

  Isabel came into the room. "Lunch is served out by the pool," she said.

  Dino took Stone's arm. "Come on, pal. You could use some lunch, and probably a drink, too."

  Stone followed him outside, and the three of them sat down. Isabel brought a large Caesar salad with chunks of chicken and served them.

  "You did very well this morning, Isabel," Stone said. "Thank you very much."

  "All I did was tell the truth," Isabel replied. She opened a bottle of chardonnay and left them to their lunch.

  They chatted in a desultory way about the events of the past weeks, and Stone felt depressed. He finished his salad and tossed off the remainder of his wine. "Excuse me a minute," he said, getting up. "I have to make a phone call."

  "There's a phone," Dino said, pointing at the pool bar.

  "This one is private," Stone replied. "I'll go inside." He went into the living room and looked around for a phone, but didn't see one, so he went into Vance's study and sat at the desk. Someone had left the bookcase /door to the dressing room open. He got out his notebook and dialed.

  "Hello?"

  "Betty, it's Stone."

  "Well, hello there. I heard about the court thing this morning on the news. Congratulations."

  "Thanks, but Marc Blumberg carried most of the water. Listen, I called about something else, something you have to know about."

  "Dolce's dirty pictures? I probably saw them before you did; it's earlier here, remember?"

  "I'm so sorry about that, Betty."

  "Don't worry about it; it's made me a lot more interesting to people here. I've already had three dinner invitations this morning."

  Stone laughed. "You're amazing."

  "I don't imagine the pictures went down quite as well for you. They must have caused problems."

  "Well, what can I do about it?"

  "Treasure the photographs, sweetie; I will. Bye, now."

  Stone hung up laughing. Then he noticed that something seemed to have changed in the dressing room. He got up and walked through the doorway. The dressing room was empty of all Vance's clothes; only bare racks were left. The chesterfield sofa, where Vance's trysts with Beverly Walters had occurred, was all that was left in the room.

  He was about to turn and go back outside to join Dino and Mary Ann, when he remembered something. He walked to Vance's bathroom, looked inside, then down the little hallway that separated it from the dressing room. He had noticed something odd here before and had forgotten about it.

  He went into the bathrqpm and, with his outstretched arms, measured the distance to the door from the wall of the bathroom that backed onto the dressing room. Holding out his arms, he walked into the hallway and held his arms up to the wall of the little corridor. Then he measured the distance from the wall containing the dressing room safe to the door, and marked that off on the corridor wall. Most people wouldn't have noticed, he thought, but with his experience of remodeling his own house, he had. The wall containing the safe appeared to be about eighteen inches deep, instead of the usual four or six inches.

  He went back into the dressing room, trying to remember the combination to the safe. "One-five-three-eight," he said aloud, then tapped the number into the keypad and opened the door. The safe was about four and a half inches deep; it was the kind meant to be installed in a standard depth wall between the studs. Or it appeared to be. He rapped on the sides of the safe, which made a shallow metallic noise, then he rapped on the rear wall of the safe, which made a deeper, hol-lower sound. Something was very odd here.

  He rapped harder, and the rear wall of the safe seemed to move a little. Then, with his fingertips, he pressed hard on the rear wall. It gave an eighth of an inch. Then there was a click, and the seemingly fixed steel plate swung outward an inch. Stone hooked a finger around the plate and pulled it toward him, revealing a twelve-inch-deep second compartment in the safe. Inside, Stone saw two things: Vance Calder's jewelry box and a nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol.

  "My God!" he said aloud. "Arrington killed him." Then from behind him, a male voice spoke.

  "I thought so, too."

  Stone turned to find Manolo standing there. "What?"

  "When I found Mr. Calder dead, I thought Mrs. Calder had shot him. They had had a big argument about something earlier; there was lots of shouting and screaming. It wasn't their first."

  "What have you done, Manolo?"

  "When I heard the shot and found Mr. Calder, the gun was on the floor beside him, where whoever shot him had dropped it. I thought Mrs. Calder had done it, and my immediate thought-I'm not sure why-was to protect her. So I took the gun and put it in the hidden compartment of the safe, and, so the police would think it was a robbery, I put his jewelry box in there, too, and closed it. They never figured it ou
t."

  Stone took a pen from his pocket, stuck it through the trigger guard of the pistol and lifted it from the safe. "Then it will have the fingerprints of the killer on it. Now we'll know for sure who killed Vance."

  Manolo shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Barrington; I wiped the gun clean before I hid it. I was so sure that Mrs. Calder had done it. Of course, after this morning in court, I don't think so anymore."

  "Does Arrington know you hid the pistol?"

  "No. I never told her."

  Stone put the pistol on top of the chest of drawers, then, weak at the knees, sat down one the sofa. "So we'll never know for sure."

  "I know," Manolo said. "I'm a little surprised that you don't, Mr. Barrington." He picked up the pistol by the trigger guard, put it back in the safe's rear compartment, and closed it.

  "I'll leave it there for a while, then I'll get rid of it and send the jewelry box to Mrs. Calder."

  Stone was beyond arguing with him.

  Chapter 62

  Stone stayed in L.A. for a couple of more days, paying the last of the bills to come to the bungalow and seeing that Vance Calder's estate was released to Arrington.

  After he had packed his bags and was ready to leave the bungalow, Lou Regenstein came into Vance's study.

  "Good morning, Lou."

  "You on your way home, Stone?"

  "Yes, I'm done here. Louise can pack up Vance's things and send them to the house. Manolo and Isabel are still there."

  "Have you talked to Arrington?"

  "No, she isn't speaking to me."

  "I should think she'd be grateful to you for everything you've done for her."

  "Maybe, but there are other things she's not grateful to me for."

  "The business in the tabloid?"

  Stone nodded. "Among other things."

  "Well, I want you to know that I am certainly grateful to you. Arrington is now the second-largest stockholder in Centurion, after me, and together, the two of us control the company. If she'd gone to prison, God knows what would have happened here."

  "I'm glad it worked out all right."

  "Is there anything I can do for you, Stone?"

  "You can have someone drive Vance's car back to the house," he said, holding out the keys.