A Dead Nephew

by Anna Celeste Burke

  “Mahalo,” I replied, thanking him. “Is that where you’re from?”

  “That’s where I grew up. I left there for Vegas to find a job, and then ended up in Cathedral City when I got an offer to work at the casino in Palm Springs. I feel at home with other indigenous people, so I was happy to work for the tribal authorities. Even in Vegas, I didn’t fit in as a manager.”

  Maybe Frank and I should elope to Maui, I thought after a few sips of ice-cold tea, with a light tropical flavor.

  “What is it you want to know?” Sammy said after he’d downed an entire glass of the tea.

  “I want you to go through everything that happened between you and Billy Castro from the time he arrived here until hospital security hauled him into a back room for an interview.”

  “He sure thought he was somebody, didn’t he?” Sammy belted out a belly laugh like the one I’d heard when I walked in. “Even when I had him on the floor, he didn’t shut up.”

  “Trevor, the security guard who took me upstairs to see Louie, told me that. He said Billy Castro took a swing at you, and when you laid him on the floor instead of knocking him out, he kept talking. Trevor thought he heard him say something to you about blackmail being a stupid idea.”

  “As in a stupid idea because it can get you killed,” Sammy responded. “Billy’s a crook, and he figures everyone else is too. A man like him can’t imagine a man like me keeping his word to a friend. That’s why he couldn’t believe that if Sacramento had given me the letter and asked me to mail it for him—that’s what I would have done. Besides, who would I blackmail?”

  “That’s what I hoped you might be able to help me figure out. Can we go over everything from beginning to end? Maybe there was some clue in what he said about who wants the letter or why. Also, did Billy Castro say anything about a report or an environmental impact study—anything at all about the environment or a development project?”

  “You wouldn’t ask that question if you knew Billy Castro. He hardly ever talked about anything other than getting drunk, chasing women, or winning a bet he’d placed. He used to throw his weight around at the casino in Indio, pushing people around, and helping himself to a little of this or a little of that. He wasn’t going to get away with that here.”

  “I’ve heard he’s well-known as a crook. How does he get away with it?”

  “He and his evil twin, Timothy Ridgeway, do favors for the people who run things, and everyone else looks the other way. When I agreed to run this place, I made it clear it was on the condition that I could do it my way. That included the fact that I don’t want them, or anyone like them, around here. Guys like them can eat up your profits and cause all sorts of trouble. I don’t want any of that here since we’re the new kids in town. Sacramento backed me up and offered to work as Assistant Manager-in-Training only if his dad agreed to my conditions. He told him the same thing I did. You don’t mess with the marines—even when they’re on tribal land—and you don’t attract attention from the Gambling Control Commission. Maybe I’m paranoid, but I’m betting we get extra attention already since we’re new, and they’re just waiting for us to screw up.”

  “I trust your gut, Sammy.” He roared.

  “Given its size, you’d better trust it, beautiful lady. As for Sacramento, he was always talking about the environment. He was on his dad’s case, arguing that even if, like any white man, he believes he owns the land, he doesn’t have to destroy it.”

  “Were they quarreling about a specific piece of land?”

  “I don’t know. Sacramento was serious about the idea that most of the reservation land should be kept as a preserve. Maybe Sacramento agreed to take the job here to have more of a say about what happens to the land around the casino. There’s lots of it, that’s for sure. Most of the reservation is in this area, and there’s almost nothing on it. Nothing made by people, anyway.” Sammy paused and stared at me. “Do you know something I don’t know about plans for a specific piece of land?”

  “Hm, I have more homework to do before I can answer that question.” I stabbed the ice in my cup.

  “So, let’s do what you want. I’ll start at the beginning and will tell you every word that crazy coyote howled at me.” I listened very carefully to the blow-by-blow description I got from Sammy. Until he got to the exchange with Billy Castro while he was on the lobby floor, I didn’t hear anything new. Then I almost missed it.

  “Whoa, stop! What did you just say? Who did what to his lady friend when she tried to pull a fast one?”

  “Billy was setting me up, trying to get me to bite the hand that feeds me,” Sammy replied. “That’s not my style, either.”

  “So, whose hand was he trying to get you to bite? John Lugo’s?” I asked.

  “It might as well have been. He was talking about John Lugo’s blood brother. I don’t trust the man, but my boss does.”

  “Who’s that?” I asked again.

  “I like you, Jessica, but this is putting me in a bad position,” Sammy said, squirming in his seat.

  “I didn’t put you in a bad position. Whoever killed Sacramento and framed Louie for it did that. One way or another, I intend to find out if the letter Billy Castro asked you about has anything to do with what happened to those two young men.”

  “All I can do is spread a little tittle-tattle.” Even though I was becoming exasperated, I tried not to smile at the big man using the word tittle-tattle. “Billy may know something, but I don’t. Besides, I don’t want you to go after me in public like this if I get dragged into court. It’s not smart to lie under oath.”

  “Whatever you have to say will be strictly off-the-record.”

  “Nope. Sorry. Can we move on now?”

  “How about this? Do you have any cash on you—a dollar even?” Sammy laughed and shook his head, probably wondering what it would take to get rid of me.

  “Sure. Why?”

  “Hire me. If I’m your lawyer, I can’t divulge any of the information you give me. It’s protected by attorney-client privilege.”

  “Why not? I don’t know what I need a lawyer for, but if I ever do, you’re it.” He handed me a dollar. I tore off a sheet from a notepad in my purse and wrote him a receipt.

  “Don’t lose that. It’s proof of our professional relationship if the police ask questions. Now, spit it out.”

  “Then will you go?”

  “Soon, but I also came here to ask if you’re the one who told Sacramento el hombre limpio was a killer.”

  16 A Growing List of Oddities

  Minutes later, I was on my way to the Coachella Valley. I decided to cut through Joshua Tree National Park to get back to the Coachella Valley. The back exit isn’t far from I-10 and, although the speed limit in the park is slow, the route is shorter. There isn’t much traffic, either.

  As I drove through the amazing sights in the park, I had time to stew about my meeting with Sammy. Sammy and I parted on good terms. He gave me another of those big bear hugs and made me promise to tell Louie that he had a job for him once his troubles were behind him.

  He’d finally told me that the man Billy Castro was referring to was Lenny Morgan and that the “lady friend” wasn’t his wife. The “tittle-tattle” Sammy had hesitated to share was that Lenny Morgan didn’t always handle his problems with women well. Supposedly, on at least one occasion, the girlfriend had to get dental work after he mishandled a problem with her.

  I could understand why passing along information like that made Sammy uncomfortable. I’m not sure about “blood brothers,” but Lenny Morgan and John Lugo were close. Apparently, close enough to share the same philosophy about fidelity. Even repeating something negative someone else had said about Lenny Morgan might not go over so well with Sammy’s boss, John Lugo. When Sammy said he had no idea who Lenny Morgan’s girlfriends were, I didn’t believe him. He was more convincing when he told me he hadn’t told Sacramento anything about el hombre limpio.

  “Are you kidding, Sistah? I’m trying to learn
a little Spanish, but I don’t know enough to spit out Spanish words like that. I read that Auntie Agnes told the police some guy she called the Cleaner Man killed Sacramento. The only person I ever heard mention the Cleaner Man besides Auntie Agnes was Sacramento’s pal, Manny Ortiz. That was after Manny had a few drinks, so I didn’t pay much attention to what he said. Later, I heard he got into trouble after helping himself to a stack of gambling chips. Manny works for a different band of Indians now.”

  *****

  “You made it in time!” Amy exclaimed when I walked into my office just as she was leaving for lunch. “I’ll be back from lunch to welcome your first client. Jerry wants you to call him when you can. It’s nothing urgent, so anytime this afternoon will be fine. Ellen’s taken her client to lunch, which will probably take most of the afternoon. Phil says thanks for the help with the contract, and he’s going to sit in on the closing. Meg has a custody hearing, so Kim’s the only one here. She’s excited about some information she has for you. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this before you get to your office. It’s all in the note I left on your desk.”

  “I’m glad to hear Kim has news for me. My morning interview with Sammy Keanu left me with more questions than answers. Louie Jacobs is doing well, though, so that’s good.”

  “That is good. He’s been through such an ordeal.”

  Nothing like life in prison for murder at Calipatria if we don’t get his conviction overturned, I thought. Amy stood there, waiting to see if I had more to say, I guess.

  “Go! Go! Enjoy your lunch!” I urged Amy and hustled down the corridor to my office. The swaying palms in the windows behind my desk gave me the urge to turn my desk around, but I doubt my clients would appreciate being shown into my office with my back to them.

  “I’ve downloaded all the photos I can find of Belinda and Leonard Morgan at that charity event,” Kim said, popping into my office as soon as I was settled in. “The mystery woman pops up in another one, see? Unfortunately, it’s not any better than the one we already had.”

  “That’s too bad. Here’s another angle for you to explore. John Lugo’s partner, Lenny Morgan, has a girlfriend—maybe more if he cheats on his wife with more than one woman at a time. Maybe you can identify the woman by checking events where Lenny is present without his wife.” I shook my head. “What is wrong with men? Belinda Morgan is beautiful, and from what Auntie Agnes says, she’s kind. She tried to be helpful to Sacramento and his parents.”

  “Maybe her husband didn’t appreciate her helpfulness, especially if it extended to Sacramento’s ‘extracurricular activities.’ Did Louie recognize Belinda Morgan?”

  “Not as the woman leaving the casino, but he said she could have been the woman who dropped Sacramento at his house off. He couldn’t see her well, though, because she was sitting in a car, wearing oversized sunglasses. From what Sammy said, if Lenny Morgan was unhappy with his wife’s behavior, she might not have been as beautiful anymore.” Then I briefly summed up my rather disappointing conversation with Sammy, including his “tittle-tattle” about Lenny Morgan’s problems with women.

  “Maybe this time Lenny Morgan decided to vent his rage on the man involved with his wife and ordered Ridgeway to kill Sacramento.”

  “That’s possible, but Auntie Agnes was sure there wasn’t anything secretive about the relationship between Belinda and Sacramento. Other than Louie, Auntie Agnes knew Sacramento better than anyone else did. If he had a crush on Belinda Morgan or was involved with her romantically, I doubt he could have kept that hidden from his aunt.”

  “You’re probably right,” Kim responded. “I find it hard to believe he’d have an affair with a married woman since he had to know how much his dad’s infidelity hurt his mother.”

  “According to Sammy, Auntie Agnes is right that Ridgeway and Castro are no good. He called them evil twins and gave me a few reasons why they deserved the label. They’re both personae non grata at the Soaring Hawk Casino.” I explained the deal he’d made with John Lugo before accepting the position as manager. While I did that, I continued to examine the pictures Kim had given me.

  “If our mystery woman was lurking in the background because she was one of Lenny’s girlfriends, we sure don’t have much to go on. She has expensive taste in clothing. That’s a four-thousand-dollar wool crepe jacket she’s wearing, made by an Italian designer if I’m not mistaken.” Kim gave me an odd look. “What? I told Father Martin I’d cut back on buying designer clothes, not looking at them. I’ll bet the fabric has a scrumptious feel to it. I’ll shut up before I start drooling and ruin the photo.”

  “I’ll go back into cyberspace and see if she turns up elsewhere,” Kim reached for the photo.

  “Hang on a second.” I grabbed a magnifying glass from my desk. “I knew it! That’s a Cartier Love Bracelet—pink gold, with at least four diamonds from what I can see. A pricey bauble that’s sold just down the street. Before I go home, I’ll drop by my favorite jeweler and see if he’ll refer me to someone who bought one recently.”

  “Will he do that?” Kim asked. I arched an eyebrow and gave her a look. “Okay, okay. Wrapping shopkeepers around your little finger is another of your superpowers. Will he expect you to buy one?”

  “He might. I’d gladly give him ten thousand dollars for a bracelet if it would help us find Sacramento’s killer.” Kim gave me a look—as if she was about to faint and plopped down in the chair nearest to her. “Besides, I’ll need a wedding gift soon.”

  “You can’t mean that!” Kim gasped. “I couldn’t accept a gift like that. Ten thousand dollars is more than Brien and I intend to spend on the entire wedding.”

  “Keep trying to identify the woman. If you can figure out who she is, I’ll call and invite her to lunch so she can tell me if she thinks it’s worth what she paid for it.”

  “A Love Bracelet doesn’t sound like a trinket she bought for herself,” Kim said. I shrugged.

  “You’re probably right. Let’s hope she’s the talkative type after a glass of wine or two. Or there’s a reason the man in her life bought her an expensive bauble like that. Even if they kissed and made up, she may not have completely forgiven him for whatever he did. I’ll figure out something if you can tell me who she is.”

  “While we’re on the topic of shopping, I insist on buying you a trousseau as soon as you and Brien decide when and where you want to get married. You’re both going on a honeymoon too, so Brien might need to upgrade his wardrobe.”

  “That’s not necessary, Jessica. Brien’s talking about getting away for a few days to go surfing.”

  “On your honeymoon?” I asked. “Are you okay with that?”

  “I like the idea of a honeymoon on the beach. What’s wrong with letting him imagine he’s going to have time to surf?” Kim grinned.

  “Why you little devil you. I can do plenty to help you with that when we shop for your trousseau. It’ll be fun to buy sexy girlie things rather than the guy stuff Tommy picked out.”

  “Let me think about it. You’ve already done so much for both of us. Even meeting Brien was because you helped us get our lives on track.”

  “There’s no point in thinking about anything except where you want to go and for how long. If you don’t want the bracelet, fine, but I’m paying for the wedding and the honeymoon. I’m never going to take no for an answer, so don’t waste time arguing about it.”

  I set my jaw and folded my hands in front of me, hoping to appear unmovable. Kim nodded in a kind of indecisive wobble-headed way. That was good enough for now. I suddenly remembered another point Louie had made.

  “Now, that we’ve settled that, let’s get back to less pleasant matters. Louie said Sacramento was holding a blue folder in his hand when he saw him get out of the woman’s car when she dropped him off at his house. That could be the report we found in Sacramento’s hiding place. Finding out more about the report could be as helpful as learning the woman’s identity.”

  “I had no trouble finding
the report that’s on file. The Los Angeles Public Library has a database of EIRs—environment investigation reports. It was filed in anticipation of developing a large section of tribal land in the high desert. Something along the lines of what’s been done here in the Coachella Valley for years. A resort, golf course, and residential housing, so not a big, industrial initiative or a power plant. I wish we’d made a copy of the entire report because I already found several discrepancies between the one on record and the few pages we have.”

  “Maybe Sacramento’s copy was a draft,” I suggested.

  “It could be, but there are changes in key pieces of information in the front matter. Both the parcel numbers and the location of the parcels are different in the report on file from those in the photographed pages. Doesn’t that strike you as a little odd?”

  “Yes, it does,” I replied. “Those decisions had to have been made before a study could have been done. Is it possible two studies were done?”

  “The rest of the information, including the study number, is the same.”

  “Great. Now what?” Before Kim could answer, there was a knock on the door leading into the waiting room.

  “Amy must have forgotten her key,” I said as Kim and I hurried to the door. When we were in the lobby area, I suddenly had an uneasy feeling. “Hang on a second.”

  After a nasty incident that had occurred here during a previous investigation, Peter had installed surveillance cameras. I made a quick detour into Amy’s cubicle and peeked at feed from the surveillance camera that faced the entrance to our office.

  “It’s okay! It’s Laura.” We rushed to open the door for her. Both of her hands were full.

  “Hummus, bagels, and Keto veggie chips,” Laura said, holding up one bag. Then she held up the other one. “Ice-cold diet colas.”

  “You brought us lunch! How sweet is that? Come in,” I said. I still felt uneasy and locked the door as soon as she was inside, even though there was no one else around. I followed Kim and Laura to the small lounge area.