by M. Z. Kelly
He placed his hands on his wide hips and his lips twitched. Maybe it was a Mumford smile. “That so?”
“Yeah, and when they slice you open it won’t be any surprise when they find out you’re nothing but the world’s biggest asshole.”
Buck was still laughing when he pulled me outside onto the balcony for some fresh air. When he regained some composure, he said, “Remind me never to cross you.”
I blew out a long breath. “I’m not having one of my better days, just in case you haven’t noticed.”
He glanced inside, seeing that the others were preoccupied. He smiled at me again, fixing those amazing blue eyes on me. “I haven’t noticed because you’re still one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever known.”
I couldn’t help but feel flattered. “Okay, let’s leave things right there.” I held up my phone. “I just got a text from Edna, telling me that the DA officially dropped the charges on Addison Blaine. She’s being processed for release. What do you say we head over there and give her a ride home?”
He put on the Stetson that he was carrying. “Might as well. Not much room here, considering the place has the world’s biggest asshole inside.”
***
It was after four by the time we’d picked up Addison Blaine and stopped at a coffee shop to talk to her. Except for a small bandage on her forehead and a slight limp, she seemed none the worse for her injuries. She’d been surprisingly cooperative, considering the fact that she was no longer facing murder charges. Her pleasant demeanor became a torrent of tears when I told her about Paulina Kristoff’s death.
“There was a suicide note left on the nightstand beside her body,” I said. “She said she was sorry for killing Cole.”
Blaine blotted her tears, took a couple of breaths, and looked at me. “None of that makes any sense. She was in love with Cole.”
“But she was also involved with you,” Buck reminded her.
She dabbed her eyes again. “I know, but that was…it was just sex. She and Cole were about as close to being soulmates as anyone you would ever find.”
“Was Paulina depressed, or did she ever talk about suicide?” I asked.
“Never. It’s completely out of character. Somebody…” She found some composure. “Somebody must have killed her and made it look like a suicide.”
“That was our thought,” Buck said. “Maybe whoever killed Cole.”
I sipped my coffee, then said, “Have you given any more thought to who might have wanted to harm him?”
She took a long moment before answering. “Cole didn’t have many friends. In fact, other than Paulina and me, there really wasn’t anyone he had regular contact with, except for Jimmy.”
“Do you think Jimmy could have killed him?”
She brushed the hair from her eyes. Despite her emotional state and lack of makeup from being in jail, she was a beautiful woman. “I don’t think so. Cole, or I guess you could say I, was Jimmy’s only source of income. He isn’t someone who has a lot of drive. I think he genuinely liked trying to help organize Cole’s work schedule. If he had a motive for wanting him dead, I can’t imagine what it would be.”
“What about the projects Cole was working on,” Buck said. “Do you know anything about them?”
“Not a whole lot. Cole was pretty secretive…no, make that very secretive, about everything, especially his inventions. All I know is there were lots of things in the works, involving different kinds of technology that he was trying to get patents for.”
I decided to move the conversation in a different direction. “When we spoke before, you told us someone, maybe one of the Betas, was stealing money from Cole’s account. How did you find out about the theft?”
“It was only by chance. I happened to be at the bank where Cole had his accounts, and one of the tellers mentioned there had been some large withdrawals from the accounts.”
“How large?” Buck asked.
“Over ten million over a period of about four weeks. I didn’t know about it because someone altered the bank statements.”
“Your boyfriend, or I guess you could say your employer, must have been a wealthy man.”
“Cole was worth several hundred million, so in the big picture it didn’t amount to a whole lot.”
“But you said before that you think someone from the House of Darwin could have been involved,” I said, thinking about the fact that the Princes’ accounts had also been altered. The word “coincidence” came to mind again, something that made a lot of red flags start to wave for me.
“All I know is that my mother said some of the Betas can’t be trusted, especially when it comes to financial matters.”
“But Cole wasn’t involved with anyone other than you and Paulina.”
She started to answer, but hesitated. Her gaze moved off for a moment. “You know about the burns, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Tell us what happened.”
“I noticed them about the same time the money was being taken from his accounts. I asked Cole about them, but he was evasive and refused to let me report what happened to the authorities.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“Just that he was having some disagreements and was having to pay the price.”
“Did you press him for more details?” Buck asked.
She nodded. “Of course, but…you would have to know Cole to understand. He had a way of closing down and closing out the world. If he didn’t want to tell you something, there was no way to get past that.”
“Did you ever talk about his injuries with Paulina?” I asked.
“Yes, a couple of times. She was also concerned, but said it wasn’t a topic that Cole would discuss with her either.”
We spent a few minutes more, talking more about the House of Darwin. Blaine reiterated that she felt someone was using the Betas to get inside the financial holdings of major companies and some of the individuals who operated those companies. She mentioned that her mother probably had more information, but again emphasized that her relationship with her mom was strained.
“You said before when we talked, that you would be willing to go with us to talk to your mother,” I said. “Does that offer still stand?”
She rubbed her brow, not looking at me. Her gaze slowly came up to me. “Yes, but…like I said, I’m not sure how cooperative she’ll be. As I told you before, I was a Beta at one time and left my Alpha under circumstances that my mother didn’t approve of.”
“Who was your Alpha?” Buck asked.
My phone chimed, telling me that I had a text, as Blaine answered. “I’m sworn to secrecy. All I can tell you is that at the time I was assigned as his operative, he was one of the most powerful men in the world.”
I’d checked my phone, then checked it again as Addison Blaine had finished talking. I then looked at her, deciding there was no reason to keep the information I’d just received confidential.
“There’s been a major development in Cole Abrams’ death,” I said. “The murder weapon used to kill him and that was placed in your car was the same weapon used to kill another man several days ago.”
“Who is that?” Blaine asked, her thick brows inching together.
“Bert Prince.”
FORTY-TWO
“Who is Bert Prince?” Addison Blaine asked me.
I glanced at Buck, then back to her. “Have you ever heard of the TV show The Princes of Beverly Hills?”
She shook her head. “I almost never watch TV. Was he some kind of an actor?”
Buck and I took turns, filling her in on the reality TV show, Lady, and her daughters.
“I don’t want to sound like a snob,” Blaine said, “but it doesn’t sound like the kind of thing either Cole or I would be interested in.”
“He ever mention Prince?” Buck asked her.
“Never.”
“What about Paulina, or maybe Jimmy?”
“If they knew him, or anything about the TV show and his family, they never said
anything to me.”
I’d studied Blaine as she spoke and had the sense that she was telling the truth. I decided to tell her what we knew about our victim’s embezzlement of funds from his wife and daughters, knowing we had little to lose.
“Bert Prince took millions of dollars from his family’s accounts over a period of several years,” I said. “He was involved with a woman named Marisha Dole, who may have helped in the theft. It might be a coincidence, but the financial records were falsified to conceal the crime, just like with what happened with Cole’s accounts.”
“You ever heard of Dole?” Buck asked her.
“No. And I know you’re going to ask me, so I don’t think Cole, or Paulina, or Jimmy, for that matter, ever mentioned her either.” Her gaze drifted off and we gave her some time to process what we’d told her. She finally looked back at me. “Remember what I told you about some Betas being involved in taking advantage of wealthy people and corporations? It might be there’s somebody else who was playing dirty behind the scenes with both this Prince guy’s family and Cole that we don’t know about.”
“Any thoughts on who?” Buck asked.
She exhaled. “No, but I’m willing to bet my mother might have some ideas, if she’s willing to talk.”
I reached into my pocket and gave her my business card. “Could you have a talk with her? Maybe try to make it sound as nonthreatening as possible and try to arrange a meeting.”
She took my card. “I’ll try, but there are no guarantees—especially when it comes to my mother.”
***
I got home a little after six. It was a Friday night, but, considering the fact that we now had two murders that appeared to be connected, I expected I’d be spending at least part of my weekend working. The prospect of also trying to talk to Kellen Malone, and then spending time at my family reunion, only further dampened my spirits.
Mo saw my depression as I came through the door to pick up Bernie. My big dog gave me lots of big, wet kisses, bringing tears to my eyes when I thought about the possibility of us never working together again.
“It looks like we got us a Code Ninety-six,” Mo said to Natalie as she handed me a tissue. “Better make it a Triple Salchow.”
“A what?” I said.
Mo was about to answer when Natalie, wearing a miniskirt and a pair of roller skates, came skating into the room, holding a tray of drinks. When she stopped, the drinks slipped forward on her tray. Mo caught one of them as she righted the others.
Mo handed the drink to me as Natalie said, “It’s a drink they serve ice skaters after a long day with the guy throwing his partner in the air, then groping her butt. It’s kinda like a gin fizz, only with more whizz than fizz. It’s guaranteed to flip your frown upside down.”
I took my drink over to the sofa with them. It was against my better judgement, given Natalie’s history of making drinks that resulted in the world’s biggest hangovers, but I took a sip.
“It’s delicious,” I said. I took another taste. “It’s just what I need after the day I’ve had.”
“You wanna give it up,” Mo said, running a brush through her spiky red wig, “or do you want us to drag it out of you?”
I saw no reason not to tell them about Bernie. I told them what Edna had said about Acting Chief Dunbar hating dogs, then added, “It means that Bernie’s probably going to be reassigned, unless I can pull some magic out of my ass.”
Mo regarded my derriere. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s not much room for magic in there.” She met my eyes again. “You gotta be kiddin’ ‘bout Bernie.”
“I wish I was.”
“We can’t let this happen,” Natalie said, slamming down the rest of her drink. She looked at Mo. “I got me a plan.”
My friends spent the next five minutes discussing everything from poisoning the acting chief to protesting in front of city hall. When I’d heard enough, I said, “Let’s give it some time. Buck’s also trying to come up with something.”
Natalie tossed off a skate. “You two sound like you’re getting’ real chummy again.”
“We’re just working together.” I saw her looking at Mo like they had a big secret. “Okay, what gives?”
Mo answered. “Baby sis and me followed that cheatin’ liar of an ex-boyfriend you had. We think he hooked up with that same girl you saw him with the other night.”
“Did Noah’s new squeeze have long dark hair, small tits, and a tattoo that said BITCH on her forehead?” Natalie asked me, obviously feeling the effects of her Salchow.
“That would be her.”
“They was gettin’ pretty friendly, if you know what I mean,” Mo said.
I knew what she meant, but didn’t want to know. “I couldn’t care less.”
“He took her with him to the Tauist Retreat.”
She now had my attention. “You followed them there?”
Mo nodded her red head. “I gotta bad feelin’ she’s involved in whatever bad shit they’re cookin’ up.”
They went on for several minutes, speculating about Noah, the woman, and my dire future. They ended the discussion, with Natalie saying, “Don’t forget, we’re goin’ with you tomorrow when you talk to that Malone bloke. If he tries anything funny, I’ll put the Triple Salchow on him.” She made a judo chop motion with her hands and yelled, “Kiai!”
The thought of Noah, his girlfriend, and my upcoming meeting with Malone only deepened my depression. I held up my empty glass. “I don’t suppose you’ve got another one of these?”
As she went over and made me another Salchow, the doorbell rang. In a moment, Nana and Hermes Krump joined us in the living room, and my depression turned to suicidal thoughts.
Nana came over and regarded me. “It looks like the curse spillover is finally easing. Now you just look like a woman with a funny shaped nose.”
Natalie came to my defense as I sipped the drink she’d brought over. “Kate’s got a beautiful nose. It’s kinda prominent.”
“Prominent,” I said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Something that’s large, protruding, or distended,” Krump said, demonstrating both his command of the English language and complete lack of tact.
“Unlike what you’re carrying around,” Nana said to Krump, slapping him on the shoulder, and laughing.
While Krump sauntered off, apparently worrying about his manhood, Nana filled us in on her upcoming hearing. “Wilhelmina’s permanently out of commission, thanks to Griselda’s curse. The last I heard, her face looks like Freddy Krueger on steroids, but her brother Boris has taken over, and he’s no dummy.” Her gaze wandered over to Krump, who had poured himself a Salchow. “That leaves me with a little problem.”
“And she does mean little,” Natalie said, also looking in Krump’s direction.
Nana looked at me. “I need you to work your magic on him again. Make Krump think he’s a regular Clarence Barrow.”
“You mean Darrow.”
“I mean the world’s greatest lawyer. You gotta deliver for me, or…” Her features hardened and she worked her loose dentures against her lips as her voice came up a notch. “I heard they’ve got a place that’s for rent a couple of units over from yours. We could all be neighbors if things don’t go my way.”
Mo gulped down the last of her drink, her desperation surfacing. “Don’t worry. Kate will turn Krump into a courtroom superman.” She looked at me. “Won’t you?”
I exhaled, feeling the effects of my two Salchows as I looked over at Nana’s lawyer. I saw that Krump was now drinking out of Natalie’s blender. Maybe it was my drunken state, but an idea surfaced. I almost laughed out loud as I considered it. I lowered my voice and said under my breath, “It just might work.”
“What might work?” Nana and my friends said in unison.
I decided not to give up my plan—for now. “I have an idea. I’ll let you know when it comes together.” My gaze wandered over to her lawyer. “But, when I get through with Hermes Kr
ump, I’ve got a feeling he’s going to think he’s the world’s greatest southern lawyer, or maybe even a colonel.”
I stumbled home with Bernie an hour later, after downing a total of three Salchows. I had a bite to eat, took a shower, and was getting ready for bed when my phone rang. I saw the call was from Noah. I thought about not answering it, but then decided that might raise suspicions.
“I thought I’d see how your week went,” Noah said after I said hello.
“It was busy, as usual,” I said, trying to make my voice sound sober and even. “Seems like it flew by. And yours?”
“Same. A couple of surgeries and the usual office calls.”
Not to mention, your meeting with Russell and spending time with your bimbo.
He went on. “I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner tomorrow night. We could go back to our original plan to go to Moonshadows.”
I hesitated, weighing the options. If I said I was busy, it might raise suspicions that I was onto him, but I also had plans to meet with Kellen Malone tomorrow.
“If you’re busy…”
“I’m sorry, Noah. It’s just that I have plans to do some shopping for this weekend’s family reunion, and…” I came up with a lie. “My sister, Amanda, is in town and I wanted to get together with her before then. We haven’t seen one another in years.”
“I understand. Maybe we could try and get together the middle of next week.”
“That sounds perfect. Let’s touch base early in the week.”
After ending the call, I decided things had gone as well as possible. The call had served to help us stay in touch, but not raise any suspicions on his part. At least that’s what I told myself as I got into bed. The reality was, hearing Noah’s voice had brought back the memory of all the good times we’d shared. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered our long walks on the beach in Maui when we’d shared our most intimate thoughts, and then later when we’d made love.
As I pushed those thoughts aside, the real, or imagined conversation—I wasn’t sure which—that I’d had with my deceased love-dad came to mind. In one of my darkest moments, he’d come to me and said something about how when there is a loss in our lives, there is also a gift left behind.
