Murder On Ice

by P. J. Conn

  "I have my camera in my car. Let's get a photo of your eye before we leave with the jail in the background," Joe offered. "Not only were you wrongfully arrested, but you were also abused by other prisoners."

  Once the photos were taken, Stuart climbed into the back seat of Joe's Chevy. "Are you studying law, Mr. Ezell?"

  "No, but I recognize the need to document every single thing for your attorney. Before you meet her on Friday, we're going to sit down and have a very long talk, Stuart. You're going to tell me the truth this time." Joe glanced at him through the rear view mirror so he wouldn't mistake his meaning.

  Leon turned to face his son. "Do you know who killed Cookie Crumble?"

  "No, sir, I don't."

  "Ignorance isn't an effective defense," Leon warned. "That's right, isn't it, Joe?"

  "Yes, unfortunately, it is."

  * * *

  Joe had known Leon must have a spacious home, but the white colonial house was even grander than he'd imagined. They came in the front door and walked by the living room, dining room, and den to reach the kitchen. Elated, Doreen fussed over her son, and shed a few tears over his black eye. Stuart backed out of her arms saying he needed to shower and change his clothes. He ran up the back stairs before she could argue.

  Leon gave Joe a cup of coffee, and they sat together in the breakfast room while Doreen prepared the hearty breakfast she insisted Stuart needed. Joe recognized her flurry of activity for the frantic fear it masked, and hoped she'd fry up a few extra pieces of bacon for him. He took out his notebook and spoke softly so only Leon would hear.

  "When Cookie's body was found, Detective Lynch thought Stuart a possible suspect because he had access to the Thornton's apartment keys. Maybe they left their door unlocked, and the keys could have been on the kitchen counter where anyone could have found them. Stuart admitted he'd seen Cookie at Sherry's, but she'd had lots of fans, so that's a flimsy link. Tom Green bragged about entertaining 'starlets' at his father's parties, which included Cookie, but he didn't invite his fraternity brothers to join him."

  "There's a closer tie to Tom Green and Cookie than to my son, is that what you're saying?"

  "Yes, and I need to ask Brett Wayne if he wrote any scripts for Casper Green. If he did, he would probably have been invited to the wrap party. He also sent flowers to Cookie at Sherry's, so he went there more often than he admitted."

  Leon sat back. "Could he have killed her?"

  "Maybe. We're thinking of what's possible. I'll talk to him today about writing scripts for Casper Green. He loves to talk about his writing, and he won't suspect why I'm asking. We need to add whatever Stuart knows that he's not telling. If he's protecting one of his fraternity brothers, he needs to think of himself first, not them."

  "I don't know what to think," Leon moaned.

  "What you need is a good breakfast," Doreen announced as she brought him a plate heaped with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.

  "Would you care for some breakfast, Mr. Ezell? There's plenty."

  "In that case, I would love to have breakfast with you. It smells too good to miss."

  "There's nothing like the aroma of bacon in the morning, is there?" she nearly chirped on her way into the kitchen.

  "She's so happy we got Stuart out of jail, she's not thinking past this morning," Leon whispered.

  "Let's join her and enjoy the moment of quiet while we can," Joe urged. Doreen brought him a plate, and the eggs were scrambled and seasoned perfectly, and the crisp bacon was beyond perfection. "I can't recall ever having a better breakfast, Mrs. Helms."

  She came to the table with a single strip of bacon and one piece of toast for herself. She slathered the toast with butter and strawberry jam. "Thank you. You've got to catch the murderer, Mr. Ezell. Clearly the police have gone off on completely the wrong track. I didn't like that detective when I met him. What was his name?"

  "Lynch," Joe replied. He'd always considered the name a bad omen. "I'm not impressed with him either."

  Stuart joined them with his hair damp from the shower and ate more than Leon and Joe combined. "Do you think I can go back to USC?" he asked. "I don't want to get behind in my classes."

  Leon and Doreen looked to Joe for an answer. "It might be a good idea to miss the rest of this week and see what your attorney advises when you see her on Friday."

  "All right. I just want out of this mess."

  Doreen had left the table to return to the kitchen, and Joe suggested they go into the den to talk. "I'm not telling you to hide things from your mother, but you'll probably speak more freely if she isn't with us."

  Stuart rose from his chair to lead the way and Leon and Joe followed. The room was painted a deep forest green and the bookcases on three walls were filled with reference books as well as bestselling fiction. The windows on the remaining wall had shades to diffuse the morning light and gave the room a cheerful warmth. Leon gestured for Joe to take a comfortable leather easy chair, pulled his own chair out from behind his desk, and nodded for Stuart to take the wingback chair.

  "We need to get serious," Leon began. "You may be fond of your Kappa Sigma brothers, but if you have even an inkling one of them is guilty of murder, you need to protect yourself rather than him. Do you understand what I mean, Stuart? Murder is no college prank."

  "I know that, and if I knew anything at all, I'd tell you rather than risk spending another hour in jail. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, except that brute Eugene."

  Joe leaned forward. "Maybe you know more than you think you do. Where were you on the weekend three weeks ago when Cookie Crumble died?"

  Stuart focused on the rug beneath his feet rather than meet his father's gaze. "I go to class and study during the week, and on the weekends, there are football games and parties. People are coming and going, and I wasn't paying attention as to who was where on that weekend, or any other. I don't keep a diary the way girls do."

  "You were at Sherry's the Saturday night after Cookie was found and appeared to be in very high spirits," Joe recalled.

  Stuart's head snapped up. "You were there?"

  "I was. Did you spend any time with the strippers after Sherry's closed that night?"

  "No, I never did, but I already told you Tom Green knew Cookie better than the rest of us." Stuart drew in a deep breath. "I'm not accusing him of anything. All I know is that during her act, Cookie used to wink at him like he was someone special. But it has to be more likely one of Mickey Cohen's men killed her. They spend more time at Sherry's than my friends and I did. They probably all have records. Why didn't the police arrest one of them?"

  "Cookie's body was in a refrigerator in our apartment building," Leon responded in a hoarse whisper. "There's no link to Mickey Cohen and our tenants."

  "Maybe there is, and you just don't know it," Stuart argued. "I'm tired. May I go up to my room?"

  "Wait a minute," Joe replied. "Tell me about having lunch at El Vaquero with Tom Green and Cookie, or Alice Reyes."

  Caught, Stuart sat back in his chair. "We were together there only once. I think she'd spent the night at Tom's family home after one of his father's parties. They saw me crossing the street near the restaurant, and picked me up. She loved talking about movies, and thought now that she'd met Casper Green, she'd be starring in one of his films soon. Tom didn't disabuse her of the idea, but he teased her about taking acting lessons so she'd be ready. After lunch, I left for an afternoon class and Tom drove her home."

  "How was she dressed?" Joe asked. If the waiter had recognized her, he wondered if she went around town in her private school getup.

  "In a sweater and skirt I think. She only wore pigtails on stage, and had her hair down in curls."

  "Yet some people recognized her?" Joe continued.

  "Men who'd been to Sherry's would have. She was too pretty to forget, and she flirted with everyone, even the waiters. It was as though she couldn't turn off the charm. Now may I be excused?"

  "You may," Joe replied. "But you need to sta
y real close to home."

  "I understand. I won't go to Sherry's tonight."

  "See that you don't," Leon stressed. He waited for Stuart to close the door behind him before he spoke. "I don't believe he understands the seriousness of this."

  "He's a kid, and of course he doesn't, but we do." Joe stood. "I need to get to work. Would you like me to go with you to meet Gladys Swartz on Friday?"

  Leon walked Joe to the front door. "Would you please? I want to make certain we ask all the right questions, and I'm not sure what they are."

  "See you Friday morning."

  * * *

  Still on Stuart's case, Joe knocked on Brett Wayne's door, and the writer greeted him with a wide grin. "What's up, Joe?" He stood in the doorway and as before didn't invite the detective to come in.

  "I'm trying to earn some extra money for my honeymoon, and ended up playing a very small role in a movie Casper Green is currently shooting."

  "Was it Arizona Sunrise?" he asked, his face aglow. "I wrote it!"

  "Did you? That was just what I'd come to ask. Alice Reyes's brother came with me, and we played a couple of cowboys in the scene with the fight in the saloon. We just stayed out of the hero's way, and probably won't even be noticed when the movie is released."

  "I'll look for you. Sunrise is the third picture I've done with Green. I like writing Westerns with plenty of action, and he likes filming them. I'm working on another script for him right now."

  "Good for you," Joe responded. "I heard Green throws great parties after his films wrap. He doesn't invite extras, so even if I do another film with him, I won't see one."

  "Casper hosts wonderful parties it's true, but he limits the invitations to the stars, a few friends, and pretty girls."

  "Have you been to one?" Joe leaned forward as though eager to hear about it.

  "Yes, I have." Brett's satisfied smile bordered a sly smirk. "We don't see any beautiful girls in swimsuits around here, but Casper's pool teems with them. They aren't interested in me, you understand, no one tries to impress a writer, but I enjoy watching them."

  "Any man would," Joe agreed. "Did Cookie Crumble attend the parties?"

  "I saw her there, but I'm not invited to all the parties, only the ones where I wrote the script."

  "Did she come alone that night?"

  "No, the bodyguard from Sherry's brought her after Sherry's closed. His name's Corky, I think. He sat in a dark corner, kept his eye on her, and sulked. He doesn't appear to be the friendly sort, and I didn't approach him."

  Lily Montell, or Bernice Ross, had failed to mention Corky when she'd told Joe she'd brought Cookie to the parties. While the idea appalled him, he really needed to interview Corky.

  Joe backed away. "I stopped by to ask if you'd written Arizona Sunrise. You won't see my name in the credits, but I'll look for yours. I'll let you get back to work."

  "Sure, come by anytime."

  Brett didn't offer to sneak Joe into the wrap party, which would have saved him the expense of renting a white jacket to pass for one of the catering crew. He needed the truth, however, and that meant another trip to Sherry's to check in with the ladies, and to ask Lily or Ginger Snap to introduce him to Corky.

  Brett's neighbor, Abby Hick's, called to Joe as he started up the stairs to his apartment. "Joe! I've only a minute before my shift begins at the market, but I wanted to tell you I've met a really nice guy. His name is Pete, and he owns a camera store."

  "Isn't that what I told you?" he asked. He'd never admit he had anything to do with their meeting.

  "Yes, you did, but it actually happened!" She waved as she left, and her delighted smile would last all afternoon.

  * * *

  Joe told Mary Margaret he had some business to attend to that night rather than tell her he was going to Sherry's. He felt guilty for not including her, but if things went as he feared they might, he didn't want her to be involved in the resulting brawl.

  Lily saw him coming down the hall and waved him on into the strippers' crowded dressing room. "Did you hear a college student has been arrested for killing Cookie?" she asked.

  "Yes, but he didn't do it, and I helped his family arrange his bail. I came by to ask a couple more questions."

  Ginger Snap was already in her apron costume and primping in the mirror above her place on the long make-up counter. "Sorry, but I'm all out of answers," she explained.

  "I understand." Joe lured Lily out into the hallway. "Did Cookie ever go to a party at Casper Green's with Corky?"

  She frowned trying to remember. "There was a time I left before she was ready to go, and he might have taken her that night. I wouldn't want to be alone with him, but Cookie treated him like a pet, and he adored her."

  Joe looked over her shoulder. "Are the other ladies wary of him?" He watched her eyes widen, and when someone clamped a firm hand on his shoulder, he knew who it would be before he turned to face him.

  Corky's expression was as threatening as his grip. He had cold blue eyes that reminded Joe of the icy waters of a swimming pool where nobody swam. As Corky withdrew his hand from Joe's shoulder, a fresh tattoo of the letters CC showed clearly on his wrist. It was unlikely he'd have his own initials tattooed there, so there was a good chance he'd gotten it to honor the late Cookie Crumble. Touching.

  "You don't belong here," Corky stated in a low, rumbling growl.

  "He's a detective working on Cookie's murder," Lily quickly responded. "Leave him alone."

  Joe slapped a business card into Corky's hand. "I'd hoped to speak with you tonight. Do you have a minute?"

  Corky frowned, clearly confused. "Sure, and I'll use it to throw you out."

  "Let's talk as we go," Joe suggested. "I'm investigating the wrap parties the director Casper Green throws at his home. Were you there with Cookie last summer?"

  "Maybe." The hallway wasn't wide enough for them to walk abreast, and he gave Joe a push to hurry him along.

  "He makes Western movies, and Cookie wanted to star in one. Did she ever talk to you about him?"

  "That's no business of yours," the bouncer responded, his voice still threateningly low.

  "Oh, but it is. Someone who went to the parties may have killed Cookie. I want to see him caught."

  "I want to see you out of here," Corky replied. He swung open the rear exit door and with a forceful shove, sent Joe stumbling out into the parking lot.

  Catching himself, Joe expected a sharp jab to the chin, and held his breath, but Corky slammed the exit door behind him and remained inside. The valets laughed, but now that he had their attention, Joe thought it a good time to question them too.

  He walked up to the valet stand. "I'm a detective working on Cookie Crumble's murder. Were any of you still on duty when she left Sherry's at the end the show? Did you see a man pick her up?"

  The three young men exchanged amused glances. "Yes," answered the one who appeared to be in charge. "She had boyfriends. All the girls do."

  Joe pulled several bills from his wallet. "Names would be appreciated."

  "We park cars, and we're not good with names," the spokesman insisted.

  "Cars will do for a start," Joe encouraged.

  The valets conferred briefly. "There was a young man with his daddy's Cadillac. He took her home sometimes. One man drove a Lincoln, a couple of others had Chevy's, but we didn't see them that often."

  Joe waited, but the men offered no further information. Joe tipped them all and handed each one his card. "If anything more occurs to you, give me a call. A lot of men may have loved Cookie, but we need to catch the one who caused her death." He strode off the parking lot and returned to his car parked down the street.

  The evening had gone better than he'd hoped, and he'd call Mary Margaret when he got home to wish her a good night.

  Chapter 10

  Joe heard his office telephone ringing as he came up the stairs. He yanked his keys from his pocket, opened the door, and grabbed for the telephone before the caller hung up. "Discree
t Investigations."

  "This is Phillip Fitzgerald. I hear you've been looking for me."

  Joe fumbled with the phone. "Yes, I am, Mr. Fitzgerald. Did your wife tell you why?"

  "She claims there's a barber who closely resembles me. Why should that be any concern of mine?"

  He had Joe there. He'd believed Phillip would be as agreeable a man as Fred, clearly a mistaken notion. "He shares your birthday, Mr. Fitzgerald, and is most likely your twin. Did your parents ever discuss your birth?"

  "No, why would they?"

  "Some families enjoy telling those stories. Do you recall the name of your family physician when you were small?"

  "Percival McDowd, but he's long dead. I've gotten along as an only child my whole life, and I sure don't need a brother now. If he's asking for money, he's out of luck. Tell him I won't give him a cent."

  Joe held onto his temper and withheld Fred's name. "He's a honorable man, Mr. Fitzgerald, and would be a credit to any family."

  "Not mine. Good-bye."

  Inspired to go to the restroom to wash his hands, Joe brought back a wet paper towel and wiped off his telephone. He'd seen CC coming up the stairs, and opened his door to speak with him. "I'm taking a quick poll. How would you feel if you discovered you had a twin brother?"

  CC burst into a joyous smile. "Well, now, I'd love to have a twin. Maybe we could go fishing together, or whatever twin brothers do. I sure wouldn't trade places with him to fool our wives. No, sir, that would be playing with dynamite."

  "It sure would, and there's always the possibility the wives would enjoy the switch, and you'd have an even bigger mess. Thanks for your answer."

  "Anytime, Mr. Ezell. You have a nice day now."

  "You too."

  The phone rang again before Joe had a chance to sit down. "Discreet Investigations."

  "I love that name," the woman giggled as though highly amused. "You gave me your card when we were filming Arizona Sunrise. I'm the red-haired dancehall girl."

  "Yes, I remember you. How may I help you?"

  "I called to help you. The wrap party is tonight. I have Casper Green's address if you want it."