A Dead Husband (Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery)

by Anna Burke

  “I’m doing that now, Mr. Hargrove, but I’m sure I’ve seen her in here before. It all checks out. Okay, I’ll ask.” She looked up at Jessica again.

  “I don’t mean to inconvenience you, but do you have another form of identification?”

  “Of course, and it’s no inconvenience.” Jessica pulled out her California driver’s license and handed it over. She looked at Jessica and the photo on the I.D., finally convinced the woman in the photo and the one standing in front of her were one and the same. Given what her face must look like at the moment that was a relief. The helpful sales clerk punched the driver’s license numbers into the computer, too then, handed both the AMEX card and the driver’s license back to Jessica.

  “That checks out, too.” She said to Mr. Hargrove. She was tapping her toe, maybe worried that Jessica was going to get annoyed and bolt. Or maybe she was wondering what kind of “accident” had left Jessica’s face in its current shape and why she was shopping for dresses to wear to a funeral. It looked like Jessica was going to get her shopping fix, so she was feeling less anxious than she had all day.

  She had a duty to fulfill. The privilege of a black AMEX card required that you spend, and pay off, of course, 250 thousand dollars a year. She and Jim had no trouble doing that as a couple. In the world of private equity and venture capital, entertaining was routine and expensive. It cost a lot to keep up with the lawyers who served Wall Street and the investment banks, whether on the west coast or on their own turf in Manhattan.

  Once Jim’s career advanced and he added bespoke clothing to his wardrobe of off the rack designer jeans, hoodies, and high-end athletic shoes, he could make a lot of progress toward the annual minimum with one shopping trip to Madison Avenue. He didn’t even have to go that far to run up the tab. A dozen shirts from Anto’s in Beverly Hills or any number of items from his favorite tailor in San Francisco could make a significant dent in the annual minimum.

  The amount of money it took to make money was sometimes staggering. In the rarefied world of start-ups and IPOs, the pay offs were also enough to give you vertigo. There was a heady difference in the capacity to spend by the merely rich and the ultra-rich that Jim found intoxicating. Despite her shopping ‘jones’, Jessica was less enthralled than Jim by the prospect of buying-to-impress, but she did her part. Her work with community development agencies didn’t require the sort of demonstration of status that the Wall Street crowd expected. Nevertheless, she got pulled into the whirlwind of a charity circuit that had her chasing down designers to create one-of-a-kind gowns she’d only wear once or twice. It took a lot of money to raise money for worthy causes, too. Until she signed the divorce papers, Jim was on the hook for half the tab she ran up on the AMEX card, so what the heck.

  Amelia hung up the phone. “Okay Ms. Huntington-Harper, it’s all taken care of. Let’s get to work.” As she spoke she waved at a younger version of herself who looked like she was closing out her register. She motioned for her to join them.

  “We should find the dresses first, then the shoes and bags. While we’re doing that, though, I’d like you to tell Courtney what you want in the way of loungewear, swimsuits, and lingerie. If you can give her sizes, colors, styles, she can hunt down some things while we’re searching for the right dresses and the casual wear you need.”

  Jessica presumed Courtney would have said something in protest if she had a hot date or some other pressing engagement and objected to being kept past closing. This was a slow time of the year and since at least part of their compensation came from commissions on sales, the extra time was going to be well worth it to both Courtney and Amelia. Once Jessica gave her the information, Courtney went happily on her way with the promise to meet them back at Amelia’s register in 20 minutes with a selection of items.

  Jessica followed Amelia across the store toward the designer dresses. On the way, they passed the cosmetics counter and Jessica paused. “Do you need cosmetics or personal care products?”

  “Please,” Jessica said.

  A clerk in a white smock had been tidying up and restocking items in the area. She moved toward them from behind one of the nearby counters as Amelia explained.

  “Monica, Ms. Huntington-Harper needs you to pull a few things together for her. I’ve kept my register open. When you’ve got them, key in your associate number, ring her up and I’ll cash her out for you when we’re done elsewhere.” Monica nodded assent. Toiletries were always kept on hand for guests at the house, but Laura had asked Jessica to pick up her makeup bag and other products that were in the master bath that was now off limits, for the time being, as part of the new crime scene. Jessica knew a lot about what Laura liked from their recent visit to the spa together and similar retreats over the years. Monica made note of the things Laura needed. She also recommended several things that were on sale for bath and shower, and a good line of hair care products. When they had settled on the list of items the associate agreed to pack them in cosmetic bags after ringing them up. The one exception was a Chanel no. 5 gift set for St. Bernadette. Jessica asked her to keep that separate. The woman was indeed a saint and was likely to have to prove it again and again over the next few days.

  It seemed like Saks had about a thousand little black dresses. If Jessica hadn’t been under time pressure, she would have found that entertaining. Under the current circumstances she wanted to get this done. She wanted something classic, not too short, and in a cut and fabric that wouldn’t kill them if it was a hundred degrees outside during the funeral. In a matter of minutes, much to her surprise, they found a simple St. John cap sleeve dress made from fine spun Italian wool. Amelia assured Jessica that the light wool was perfect, insulating the body and keeping it cooler than would synthetic fabrics. Jessica soon found a sleeveless Boss black tropical wool sheath for herself. Jessica stopped to linger a moment, gazing at the cut and drape of the fine Italian fabrics.

  They picked out a pair of Jimmy Choo black patent leather pumps for Laura, not too shiny with high heels, but not stilts. Jessica chose a pair of black peep toe pumps for herself with an even lower heel. Jessica already owned at least a half dozen pairs of designer pumps in black, but that little pair of peep toes called to her.

  Jimmy Choo also made a gorgeous soft black leather shoulder bag in black, and a clutch. She wasn’t sure which Laura would prefer so she took both. Jessica could use the one Laura decided against. They also had a great sale on Cole Haan sandals in two different neutrals, and Repetto lambskin ballet flats in black that Jessica knew were wonderfully comfortable to wear, since she had a couple pairs buried in her closet somewhere. A Marc Jacobs buttery leather tote in a medium brown would be great for Laura to use with her more casual clothes and the sandals. Jessica picked out one of his cross-body bags in the same luscious buttery leather for her own use. On sale the bag was irresistible. She ran her fingers over the handsome leather bag before surrendering it to Amelia who added it to the items that were going home with Jessica. Caressing that bag had unleashed a flood of endorphins, a runner’s high without all the sweat and battered joints.

  For casual wear they went with a great pair of Vince stretch leggings in khaki, with a loose fitting silky stretch crew tee to go with them. A pair of Eileen Fisher organic cotton ankle pants in white and Elie Tahari pants in black, along with two pair of stretch cotton knit jersey leggings, one cropped and the other full length, went into the ‘to go’ pile. A couple button-down blouses, an oversized boyfriend shirt, and half a dozen tees in assorted styles and colors were added. Laura would have plenty of outfits to choose from even if it took another week, or longer, to get the horrifying scene at her house straightened up. With luck, her homeowners insurance would get a check to Laura soon after she filed a claim so she could go out and replace whatever else was destroyed by the maniac in her closet. This was a good start!

  Jessica couldn’t resist adding a few items for herself. After all, she was going through clothes at a pretty good clip these days, thinking about the outf
it she had trashed earlier in the day. She chose skinny ankle-length Tahari pants in black and a cropped pair in a deep indigo blue shade. Two Boss cotton stretch button down shirts, one in white and a pale blue would look fabulous with those pants. She picked out several other delectably soft tops: an Elie Tahari jersey knit shirt in cobalt blue; and Armani stretch jersey tops in black and white. Of course, the purchases more than made up for the clothes lost to an unanticipated scuffle at a crime scene, but who was counting?

  By the time they had hauled everything to the register, with Monica’s help, since she had decided to stick around too, Courtney was back. In addition to basic undergarments Jessica had asked her to get for Laura, she had a selection of sublime pajamas and loungewear. The items exuded comfort and relaxation, exactly what Jessica had asked for and Laura needed immensely. They would offer small consolation for all she was going through, but Jessica hoped it was better than nothing.

  They were so inviting Jessica wished she could go straight back to the house, put on a pair and climb into her bed. Or maybe she’d sit by the pool and finish the margarita she had left behind in one of the cozy-looking lounge sets or plush robes. The dilemma was not what to put back, since she was going to take them all. It was more about how to divvy them up between herself and Laura. In the mix, Courtney had a found a stunning Natori robe in bright colors that had Bernadette’s name written all over it. She could see the look of delight that the riot of color and silk would bring to her beloved Bernadette’s sweet face.

  Jessica chose a couple pajama sets for herself and took the other three for Laura. French terry sweatpants, decorated with lace cuffs and matching tops were too sweet to resist, too. She got a set for each of them but in different colors, as well as black knit pajama shorts and with matching tank tops for herself and for Laura. There was a short white waffle weave robe like you’d find in any spa in town and a longer, super-soft jersey robe in a heather grey. Jessica took them both for Laura. She also selected two of the more conservative one-piece swimsuits Courtney had picked out for Laura, including a beautiful Karla Colletto in garnet with a matching cover up. One in black too, along with a white hooded cover up in a lacy soft woven knit. Given that Brien had offered his services as bodyguard, Jessica thought Laura would be more comfortable in suits that were not too revealing. She had Courtney get a second of the black swim suits in one size larger for herself, an absolute necessity given how serious she was about working out. She also had her retrieve a couple more of the jersey robes in whatever colors she could find, one for herself and one to be put in a gift box for Laura’s sister Sara. Courtney had dutifully brought along several pairs of zories that could be used poolside, large Hollywood film-star sunglasses, one pair in black and one in a turtle shell, as well as a gorgeous floppy hat that Laura could use to stave off the sun.

  Jessica looked at the stacks of clothing and other items that she had to get into her car. She asked Courtney to bring back a garment bag, a large suit case, and an overnight bag to pack the items for Laura. That way Laura could take them home with her whenever it was safe to return to whatever place she might eventually regard as “home.” Courtney sped off to get the luggage and other items while Amelia began ringing things up at the register. Jessica kept her own things and the gifts for Sara and Bernadette separate.

  When the transactions were complete and the goods stowed in the trunk and back seat of her beemer, or more properly her “bimmer,” as a diehard BMW enthusiast had pointed out a few months ago, it was nearly six. Despite the stress of the day, bone-deep fatigue and pain from her wrestling match with the intruder at Laura’s house, Jessica felt good. She wondered if this was how mothers felt when they went shopping for their kids’ school clothes. She enjoyed shopping for others as much as she did for herself.

  At this point, she hoped Laura would be okay with the whole idea of letting Jessica help her. Not just accepting the clothes and other items, but by agreeing to move in with Jessica. She had started the engine and was waiting for the air conditioning to catch up with the heat of the day when the phone rang. “Uh oh,” Jessica thought, recognizing the phone number.

  CHAPTER 12

  “Uncle Don, I was just about to call you,” Jessica said, lying through her teeth.

  “What did I tell you Jessica about getting into things? I just spoke to Hernandez, for the second time today, I might add. He said you got into a whole lot of trouble at Laura’s house. He says you were in a bad way when he got there. Sounds like you could have been killed messing around in this thing. What did you think you were doing?”

  Jessica tried to remain calm and hang onto that nice post-shopping-binge endorphin rush, but was taken aback by his abrupt tone. She was a professional, after all, with responsibilities to her client, not to mention the need to help out a friend.

  “Look, Uncle Don, I’m sorry you’re upset about this. It wasn’t my fault. My colleague and I were in the right place but just happened to be there at the wrong time. The police were done at the scene or I wouldn’t have gone in there. I had to get documents for Laura so she can begin to get her life back on track. She has a dead husband to bury, a house that’s uninhabitable at the moment, and didn’t even have a change of clothes. What did you expect me to do?”

  “Well, you could have had an officer meet you there.”

  “Why would I do that? I had no reason to believe some creep would be there. And, I didn’t go there alone. The investigator I brought along was with me most of the time. Look, he feels bad that he didn’t check the master bedroom before I went in there, but none of the other doors had been jimmied in the rest of the house. How could we have guessed a maniac was hiding in the closet? Besides, Uncle Don, we were there for almost an hour before I went in the bedroom to get some things for Laura. We didn’t hear a sound or see anything out of the ordinary, for a crime scene anyway. The idiot must have been stuck in that closet the whole time we were there. And, for the record, I almost got the bastard. Even though he got away we have information that might help identify him later. This has got to give the police something to think about before they jump to the conclusion that Laura killed her husband. Looks to me like Roger had something somebody wanted, bad enough to break into a crime scene and maybe, bad enough to kill for.” She was getting winded from ranting, so she just shut up.

  “I get it, Jessica. You’re just damn lucky this didn’t go terribly wrong, that’s all. Your parents would never forgive me if something happened to you. I’d never forgive myself. What I’m trying to say is I want you to run from danger, not toward it. Hernandez is good at what he does and he’s not the kind of guy to rush to judgment, especially when we’re talking about homicide. The County has put their CSIs on the job so they’re on top of things. You’ve just got to be patient. Nobody’s going to railroad Laura into getting charged with something she didn’t do. I won’t let that happen.”

  “I hear you Uncle Don. Detective Hernandez seems like a straight shooter. I’m sorry if I worried you. It was a freak thing, you know? What are the odds? Why would he be there at that hour when he could have waited until after dark with much less risk of being spotted? I can’t figure out how Roger could be mixed up with a guy who looks like a thug, jailhouse tattoos and all. I suppose he could have hired toughs as day laborers to do demolition work, hauling or clean up. But at this point I haven’t been through his files so I don’t even know what projects he had going, much less who was working for him. If this day will ever wind down I plan to start sorting that out. Right now I’m on my way to Laura’s sister’s house. She doesn’t know it yet but I’m going to insist that Laura stay with Bernadette and me so she’ll at least have a gate and rent-a-cop or two between her and anyone who might think she’s got something they want.”

  “Hernandez is going to want to talk to her about this latest incident. I don’t think she ever signed off on her statement about discovering Roger’s body, right? So you can tell her she’s going to be hearing from him.”

 
“I know, Uncle Don. I’ll be there with her when she speaks to the detective. I already gave her a heads up that there was more trouble at the house today, and I’m on my way to fill her in now. I don’t want to traumatize her further but I do plan to get her to take this seriously enough to get her to go home with me.”

  “That’s all I want you to do too, Jessica. Take this seriously, and back off, or for God’s sake, or at least be more careful.”

  “I hear you, Uncle Don. Thanks for caring so much.” It took a lot of will power to speak calmly, even more to thank him for chewing her out. She could hear the concern in his voice and didn’t want the old guy to stroke-out on her.

  “Look, call Detective Hernandez tomorrow and set up a time for him to meet with Laura. He said he’s going to have the preliminary reports from the scene on Saturday and from the coroner’s office available for you sometime tomorrow. It’ll be another day or two before they can pull together a report about what went on today, but of course you already know a lot more about that don’t you? Did you really try to stop the guy by yanking on the pantyhose he was wearing? Sheesh, what were you thinking? They had a good laugh about that one. From what I heard it, wasn’t that funny, especially given the shape you were in when they found you.”

  “I’m glad I was able to bring a little levity into the lives of first responders everywhere. I did get in a couple blows of my own, by the way, and I hope the bastard looks as bad as I do. Try not to worry, Uncle Don. I gotta go. I promise I’ll get to Detective Hernandez tomorrow first thing. Bye, Uncle Don. And thanks.”

  “Sheesh, who says sheesh anymore?” Jessica muttered as she checked her rearview mirror, backed up the car and headed to Cathedral City. Uncle Don had a point about upping the ante on self-protection. She should at least be carrying some pepper spray or something. Not to mention brushing up on her self-defense moves. She had been a little slow to respond to her predicament earlier in the day and he was right that it was sheer luck that things had gone as well as they had.