Deadly Stakes

by J. A. Jance

  “It’s good for me, too.” Dave grinned. “The county attorney has been going after Sheriff Maxwell in a big way. One of his metrics is our closure rate, which has taken a big step up today. I think you could say the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department is currently batting a thousand.”

  “Does A.J. get to keep the money?”

  “As far as I can tell. There’s one more thing you probably haven’t heard. I finally got James Sanders’s autopsy results today. The official one. Two weeks ago he got a cancer diagnosis—pancreatic, stage four. Scott Ballentine had stayed in touch with him. Said he owed James a huge debt for taking the fall on that counterfeiting rap years ago. Ballentine said he had told James over the years that he had more money than sense, and if there was ever anything he could do for him, to let him know.”

  “Let me guess,” Ali said. “He took him up on it exactly twice—once a year ago, so he could get A.J. a car for his sixteenth birthday, and again last week, so the kid could have money to go to school.”

  “You’re pretty smart for a girl,” Dave said. They were both laughing when the door to the interview room swung open. A plainclothes cop came out, escorting a lush blonde who looked to be fifteen years younger than the real Molly Handraker.

  “We’ve got a name on this one now,” the cop said, speaking mostly to Dave. “Candace Kestral. We’ve got a car outside that’s going to transport her to the jail in Kingman. If you have questions for Ms. Kestral, that’s where she’ll be. We’ve been in touch with Las Vegas PD. Turns out that earlier this evening, someone contacted an outfit called Minnesota’s Most Wanted with an anonymous tip, letting them know that Barry Handraker, one of their top fugitives, was living it up in a unit at Turnberry Towers. It turns out Ms. Kestral lives there, too. Las Vegas PD was in the process of obtaining a search warrant when all hell broke loose over here. Turns out Handraker has been on the lam for months, but they got the tip and we got Handraker at almost the same time. Odd how it all came together, isn’t it?”

  Dave Holman glanced in B.’s direction and then turned back to the other detective. “It’s odd, all right,” he agreed.

  The Mohave County detective examined Ali, taking in her torn and bloodied clothing as well as the bandages on her feet. “Today’s kidnapping victim, I assume?” he asked.

  “One and the same,” Dave said. “Her name’s Alison Reynolds.”

  “Very good,” the detective said to Ali. “Just let me get this one sent off to the slammer, Ms. Reynolds. I’ll be right back to take statements—Mr. Brooks’s statement first and then yours. Do you need anything while you’re waiting? Something to eat or drink? It’s not too late to order pizza.”

  Until he said that, Ali hadn’t thought about being either hungry or thirsty, but she realized she was famished. “Pizza sounds good.”

  “What kind?” the detective asked.

  Now it was B.’s turn to interject. “When it comes to pizza and the lady, there’s only one kind, and that’s pepperoni.”

  There was a considerable delay before the detective reappeared. While he was out of the room and they waited for the pizza delivery, Ali went over to the couch, where Leland Brooks was sitting apart from the others.

  “While we were in the ER, B. told me what you did,” she said. “That he had asked you to bring him the phone, but you insisted on coming along. To hear him tell it, you practically hijacked the helicopter to be allowed on board.”

  “I wasn’t about to be left out of all the excitement,” Leland said. “When we saw the situation on the ground, I told Mr. Simpson that it made sense for me to be the one dropped off to make contact with the enemy. After all, I’ve had some actual training in hand-to-hand combat. I’m afraid Mr. Simpson’s experience is more of the video-game variety, which is good as far as it goes, but when it comes time for cracking heads, I say go for someone who understands how to get the job done.”

  Pizza and sodas came and disappeared. It was almost two o’clock in the morning before Ali finished giving her statement. B. had asked the helicopter to hang around long enough to give Leland Brooks and Dave Holman a lift back to Sedona. Only after they flew away did Ali and B. head for the barn.

  The room in the Lake Mohave Resort was far humbler than the one in the suite in the Ritz-Carlton in Phoenix, but the king-size bed was spacious, the sheets were clean, and the nonsmoking room smelled fresh. Even had the room not been comfortable, it was unlikely Ali Reynolds would have noticed.

  She was far too intent on cuddling up to the warmth of B. Simpson’s long bare back and falling fast asleep.

  36

  When Ali awakened the next morning, her body felt like it had taken a beating.

  “It did,” B. said when she complained to him about it over breakfast in the resort’s dining room. “After a day spent throwing yourself into ditches, dragging yourself through piles of broken glass, and spending hours crammed in a trunk? I’m surprised you can walk.”

  “You know what was nice about that whole thing?” Ali asked.

  “What?”

  “Bullhead City is the end of the known universe as far as the media is concerned. No reporters.”

  “You’re right,” B. agreed. “Considering High Noon’s somewhat illicit involvement, I think it’s advantageous.”

  They drove B.’s Enterprise rental back home to Sedona, taking their time. When they got as far as Williams, B. turned off and headed for the Grand Canyon.

  “Why?” Ali wanted to know.

  “Because I want to,” B. said. “Because yesterday, while you were out risking life and limb, I was figuring out what was important. I almost lost you, Ali. It’s one way of getting a guy’s undivided attention. So now I’ve got some debts to repay, except they’re mostly not repayable.”

  “Stuart Ramey, for one?” Ali asked.

  “Yup,” B. said. “You’ve got it. He went way out on a limb yesterday, and if it hadn’t been for his working like crazy in the background, there’s no way we would have found you in time for Leland Brooks to knock Barry Handraker senseless before he managed to finish you off.”

  “What are you going to do about it?”

  “You mean what are we going to do about it?” B. asked. “Stu’s already earning top dollar. I’ll no doubt give him another raise, but what’s he going to do to enjoy it? The man spends his whole life—morning, noon, and night—sitting in front of a computer screen. I asked him, if he could go anywhere on the planet, where would it be? And guess what? He said he’s always wanted to go to Paris, to the Louvre. So I’m sending him on a compulsory vacation. Three weeks. First class. All expenses paid.”

  “Does Stuart speak French?” Ali asked.

  “Not a word, so I’ll be making arrangements for him to have his own personal guide.”

  There was another short pause. “Let me guess,” Ali said. “The next debt is to Leland Brooks.”

  “Yup. Big-time.”

  “What’s your idea there?”

  “You told me about his invitation to that family reunion. I can understand after so many years of being separated from his family, his reluctance for the initial contact to be at a huge cattle-call family event that has the potential for turning into an over-the-top circus. So how about if, sometime between now and Christmas, you use my frequent-flier miles and take him across the pond? That way he’ll have you there to rent a car and do the driving. I have it on good authority that UK car-rental companies won’t rent to anyone his age, so he’ll have a nonfamily member there to run interference for him. If his relatives turn out to be a bunch of homophobic bigots, you can drag him out of the fray and bring him home.”

  Ali nodded. “And making contact now will put him in a lot better place to decide whether he’s going to the family reunion come next summer.”

  “Exactly,” B. said.

  They fell quiet after that, lost in their own thoughts. Ali was thinking about how, the previous day, B. and Stuart Ramey had risked everything they had worked for over the years in
order to save her from what was, essentially, a bit of her own foolishness. She never should have gone to see a homicide suspect on her own. But B. and Stuart had stepped up. Together they had put everything on the line. Yes, Stuart had been the one with his fingers on the keyboard, but he had done it with B.’s full knowledge and encouragement.

  Given all of that, her previous objections to marrying B. Simpson seemed downright petty. Maybe, she thought, after turning him down so many times, I’ll have to do the proposing.

  Those were the thoughts running through her head as they headed north toward the Grand Canyon, but she didn’t say any of them aloud. When they got to Bright Angel Lodge, Ali was surprised to learn that on this supposedly spur-of-the-moment side trip, they had a luncheon reservation. As B. helped her from the car to the door, Ali worried that her bandaged bare feet would consign them to the “no shoes no service” side of the universe. It didn’t happen. Their reserved table next to the restaurant’s massive windows gave them a spectacular and unobstructed view of the canyon.

  When it came time for dessert, Ali tried to turn it down, but B. insisted on sharing a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Halfway through, Ali’s fork ran into something surprisingly solid. When she pulled out the offending item, it turned out to be an amazing diamond solitaire.

  “How did you manage this?” she asked, dipping the ring in her water glass and rubbing it clean with her napkin.

  “I already had the ring picked out,” B. admitted. “I called the jeweler in Flagstaff first thing this morning and asked him to drive it over. I was going to give it to you for Christmas, but that’s too far away. Yesterday I almost lost you. I couldn’t believe how much it hurt. If you had ended up in a hospital somewhere, badly hurt or dying, I wouldn’t even have had the right to see you. Please marry me, Ali. It’s time.”

  For a moment she didn’t answer him. She was too busy fussing with the ring. When it was properly dried, she slipped it on her finger.

  “You’re right,” she said. “It is time.”

  “So that’s a yes?”

  “Yes,” she said with a smile, leaning over to give him a light peck on the cheek. “That’s definitely a yes.”

  Afterword

  By the time they got home that evening, they had decided on and arranged for a Christmas Eve wedding in Las Vegas. Stuart Ramey would be the best man. Sister Anselm would be the matron of honor. The twins, Colin and Colleen, would be ring bearer and flower girl, respectively.

  Back at home, still feeling more than a little stiff, Ali put her Googling skills to work and located Scott Ballentine at his office in Newport Beach, California. She used the old freelancer ruse to get past the corporate gatekeepers.

  “You’ve heard what happened?” she asked once Ballentine knew who she was and why she was calling.

  “Yes,” he said. “I heard he was murdered, and most likely over the money. Jimmy told me he was ill and that he didn’t have much time, but I feel sick about it. I don’t know what I should do. I thought about sending Sylvia and A.J. a sympathy card, but I’m not sure how it would be received.”

  “Let me make a suggestion,” Ali said. “Sylvia called late last night. They’re going to have a private service at a funeral home in Phoenix on Monday of next week. She invited me to come, and I’m inviting you.”

  “You don’t think she’ll throw me out?”

  “No,” Ali said. “I think she’ll be glad to see you, and I think A.J. will be delighted to meet one of his father’s friends.”

  “I’m willing,” Scott Ballentine said. “But do me a favor. Check with Sylvia first. Make sure it’s okay with her. I’d rather not be an unwelcome surprise.”

  Which was how, on Monday of the following week, Ali and B. accompanied Scott Ballentine to James Sanders’s very small and very private funeral. Among the twenty or so people in attendance, Ali was introduced to several, including A.J.’s vivacious girlfriend, Sasha, her parents, and her three sisters; Maddy Worth, Sylvia’s lifelong friend and A.J.’s boss; two of A.J.’s teachers from school; and a number of people from Sylvia’s workplace. When Ali introduced Scott Ballentine to Sylvia, she didn’t hesitate. She grabbed the man, hugged him, and said, “Thank you. I thought all of James’s friends deserted him. I’m so glad you didn’t.”

  In those few words, Ali heard a world of forgiveness.

  Beatrice Hart had sent Ali a message asking her to stop by, and after the funeral was the first opportunity to make that visit.

  When Ali rang the bell, Lynn Martinson was the one who answered. She smiled broadly as soon as she saw Ali and B. standing there. “Hey, Mom,” she called over her shoulder. “I believe the woman of the hour has arrived. Come on in. Mom’s making spaghetti. You’ll never guess who’s coming to dinner.”

  “Who?”

  “Chip and his mother.”

  “How is Doris?”

  “Amazingly better,” Lynn said. “I know about the Alzheimer’s now. But it turns out you were right. Molly had been dosing her with scopolamine for months, so her Alzheimer’s hasn’t progressed nearly as far as Chip feared. Her big problem right now is dealing with her husband’s death. Now that she’s detoxed, she’s having to deal with the grief of losing him. She’s also grieving for Molly and Gemma and her beloved house. It’s tough. My heart goes out to her.”

  “Chip’s helping her with all that?” Ali asked.

  Lynn nodded. “He’s got an attorney working on dragging the money back from Belize. He’s also made some progress on retrieving some of Doris’s keepsakes, things that were stolen and pawned.”

  “The missing necklace, for instance?”

  “Yes,” Lynn said. “That was one of the first items he found. He isn’t as focused on getting back things like oil paintings and china, because there won’t be any place to put them. He’s taking the insurance settlement on the house and using some of that to move Doris into an upscale assisted-living place that specializes in the care of Alzheimer’s patients. There are gradually increasing levels of assistance, so as Doris’s symptoms worsen, she won’t have to move on to some other place.”

  Beatrice came into the living room, wiping her hands on an apron and beaming. “There’s going to be plenty of food,” she said. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

  “No, thank you,” Ali said. “We told people we’d be back home for dinner. We’re having company.”

  That’s a white lie, Ali thought. Leland is only expecting us, and he’s grilling lamb chops for two. “Let’s get the official business out of the way,” she added, holding out a file folder.

  “Your written report?” Beatrice asked.

  Ali nodded.

  “Excellent,” Beatrice said. “The check is written and waiting.”

  She bustled over to a nearby table and retrieved a personal check. It was made out to the Amelia Dougherty Scholarship Fund in the amount of ten thousand dollars.

  Ali looked at it and attempted to hand it back. “Thank you, but this is far too generous.”

  “No, it’s not,” Beatrice Hart said with a smile. “You gave me back my daughter. You also gave Lynn back her shot at happiness. As far as I can see, I’m still in your debt, and I’ll probably be making another contribution next year.”

  “Thank you, then,” Ali said. “I thank you, and lots of deserving students will be thanking you as well.”

  Ali and B. left soon after that. “Yes,” B. said as he buckled up and put his new Audi R8 4.2 in gear. “Dave Holman got it right the other night.”

  “Dave got what right?”

  “When he said you’re not bad for a girl.”

  Ali reached over and gave B. a playful whack on the shoulder. “And you’re not bad for a boy,” she said. “So I guess that makes us even.”

  Deadly Stakes Reading Group Guide

  Introduction

  When Lynn Martinson and her boyfriend Chip Ralston are arrested for the murders of Chip’s gold-digging ex-wife, Ali Reynolds is contacted to clear two innocent names.
As a former reporter with police academy training, Ali is more than equipped to unearth the facts that underpin the increasingly complex case, especially with her connections in and outside of the police force. But danger may be closer than she thinks—and the cost of her involvement with the case could be deadly.

  Discussion Questions

  1. In Deadly Stakes, Ali has to trust her gut instincts in order to untangle the tangle of lies that surround Gemma Ralston and James Sanders’s murders. For instance, Ali has met Lynn Martinson only once before, but she feels convinced of her innocence. What were your initial impressions of Lynn Martinson? Molly Handraker? A.J. Sanders? How accurate were your first judgments, and how did they change throughout the book?

  2. Why do you think that Ali is so hesitant to get married to B. Simpson? In your opinion, what was the most important factor in making her change her mind?

  3. Whom did you suspect murdered Gemma Ralston and James Sanders? What were your reasons for these suspicions?

  4. Ali had to break a few rules in order to investigate the murders of Gemma and James. What kind of tricks did she use? Did her less-than-conventional methods change your impression of her character?

  5. Ali demonstrates that it helps to have friends in high places. What do Ali’s relationships reveal about her character?

  6. Forbidden relationships are a recurring theme in Deadly Stakes. Compare and contrast AJ’s relationship to Sasha with Lynn’s relationship to Chip.

  7. Can you identify with A.J.’s reasons for deciding not to tell anyone about his growing relationship with his father, James? How do you think his story might have unfolded differently if he’d trusted Sylvia with the information earlier? What impact would it have had on his father’s case?

  8. Something makes Ali return to Molly Handraker’s house for further questions. Why does Ali sense that there’s something more?

  9. Molly plays a primary role in the murders, but Barry appears to call the shots. How much of an influence do you think Barry had over Molly? What was Molly’s breaking point? Do you think she would have ever acted on her own?