by CC Dragon
I was grasping at straws. “The gym is right by the murder scene.”
“So five women lied for Faith to frame your sister? That conspiracy works but you covering for your sister doesn’t? Come on Hel, we’ve got to do it by the book.”
I had to admit that Faith didn’t scream tramp like Carmen did but I felt like I didn’t have the whole story. “It’s a waste of time. She didn’t do it. You’ll find nothing.”
“Good, I hope we find that when we search her dressing room again as well as her car. If we find nothing, it goes that much more to clearing her.” Ricky did his best to sound positive.
“They’ll push and they’ll arrest her on circumstantial crap. They’ll go after the divorce angle. They’ll get Faith to testify on their side and it’ll be an attack on Sonia. The marriage and every dirty detail.” I was pissed. Who else would benefit from Danny’s death?
The celebrity angle added a whole different level of scrutiny on the case. The cops didn’t want to look like they were playing favorites. The public wanted answers and the truth could easily get screwed up in the middle.
“I know it‘ll turn into a war, a celebrity case with all the ugly press. You’re sure she didn’t go to see Danny?” Ricky asked.
My face burned hot and it wasn’t the California sun. “No, she didn’t see or kill Danny. She was hysterical about her dog. You think she could do that?”
“In those adrenaline-filled moments we do things we never thought we could. If they fought and he went after her...maybe he tried to hurt her and it was self-defense.”
Ricky tried to help me change my thought process but I wasn’t fabricating a story. A killer was out there.
“He was stabbed in the back. No one will buy the self-defense angle. Danny did some dumb things in his life. A bit of gambling and drinking, but he never hurt Sonia. His blood alcohol level at the time of death was nothing. If he was drunk you might’ve had a leg to stand on there.”
“They’ve got a second warrant and they’re going to search the house tomorrow. I can’t stop it but I wanted to give you a heads up about the release of Vicky. I’ll help you any way I can.” The subtext of his words was he couldn’t take me along on any inquiries or go along on any more of mine.
“Sorry if I got you in any trouble. Maybe Brian just wanted to get back at his ex? I‘m done with the wild goose chase bullshit leads.” Hanging up on Ricky, I turned the car and headed for UCLA. I wanted to talk to Brian without his mommy.
First I had to warn my sister. I dialed her cell but got the voicemail. Leaving a message, I then tried Jordan’s cell. Another message on voicemail annoyed me so I texted them both for good measure. They should be at work on the set. Not answering their phones was probably work related. One quick trip and I’d resume my bodyguard closeness to my sister.
I strolled through the English department. My pulse pounded in a hurry to shake down Brian but my head prevailed. Good cop, nice cop was what I had to be. According to the online schedule Brian should be having some office hours now. Available for students and me.
I headed down a short and narrow hallway and found the right number. A student was in there and the door stood halfway open.
“Come on, Dr. Conners. I tried really hard on this essay and I thought about you.” The girl’s seductive tone was nauseating.
I couldn’t believe what some people did for grades. I approached quietly and listened.
“I’m sorry Brittany, but that’s your grade. Your flirting won’t change it. You need to dig deeper into the meaning of the poem and not stick to the superficial imagery.”
“I’m not superficial! You’re just too dumb to see when a woman wants you and is looking for an opening.” She stalked out and slammed the door behind her.
My turn. I knocked.
“Come in.”
I opened the door and found Brian shaking his head. “College kids. Not sure I could handle it,” I said.
He smiled at me and stood. “Ms. Morris. This is a nice surprise. Please come in, sit down. Coffee?”
“No thanks.” His mother had whipped some manners into him but he had deeper issues. I sat. “I wanted to talk.”
“Of course. I’m sorry you had to overhear that incident. Some students really think male teachers will do anything for a touch of youth. It’s insulting.”
“I’m sure. But in this town I can’t really blame her for trying. My sister told me the horrors of the casting couch.” Those were the days I was grateful Danny was around. He didn’t put up with anyone messing with her.
“A university is for learning, not getting ahead at any costs. I know my hobby might seem in conflict with this but I teach romantic poetry and literature so it’s all connected. I don’t take grades lightly.”
“Well, I wanted to let you know that Vicky was released today. She was off her meds and on a psych hold to get rebalanced at a local hospital. No way could she have committed the murder.”
Brian exhaled visibly. “That’s a relief. I’m sorry it didn’t solve the murder but I’m glad it wasn’t Vicky either.”
“You know, my sister showed me all the letters you sent to her. It’s really more than your average fan. I know you’ve got an alibi but I wanted to talk about those letters. Did Danny know about them?”
“Not from me. You’d have to ask your sister. There was nothing threatening or intimate in them—it was more courtly love.”
“Courtly? Arthurian?” Maybe he had some issues with reality.
“Exactly. I admired her and my mother does as well. She has that all-American spunk without giving in to the seedy underside of Hollywood.”
“I see. How close were you and Danny?” I asked.
Brian’s face went hard and for a second I thought I’d pushed a button. But something softened and he shook his head. “You’re not the first person to suggest I don’t like women. Single so long and turning down students while watching soap operas with my mother.”
“I hate stereotypes but you’d be amazed how many of those stem from real life patterns.”
“I know, I’ve been hit on by many of my male students as well. They can tell you I turned them down politely.”
“For your job? For your mother? You seem very attached to your mother,” I said casually.
“I dated Angie. She can confirm I’m straight and not a virgin, if you’re curious about how repressed I am. I had no interest in Danny that way. He was a good speaker, friendly, and a nice guy. It gave my students a real life connection to what I was teaching which is hard to find when you’re covering Shakespeare and Scott.”
“Maybe you wanted Sonia for yourself?” I leaned in. “Maybe your mother thought you were a better man for Sonia?”
“I’ve never met her for more than a few seconds at a crowded event. She and Danny represented the ideal of the poetry. Young love, true love, even among the obstacles of Hollywood. The temptations are many. If you’re accusing my mother of anything you’re a very desperate woman.”
I was but I did it to provoke Brian. I knew his mother didn’t do it. “So your ideal of Danny and Sonia was shattered when Danny cheated. Maybe one of your students got a little too into the Arthurian ideal and went to punish the rogue? Maybe you lectured on it in class and got them worked up?”
“No, I never discussed tabloids or scandals in class.”
“You didn’t ask one of your lovelorn students to make an example of Danny?” It was crazy, I knew it. But thinking out loud helped me sort out my suspects.
Brian laughed. “This is a college, not a soap opera. I’d never ask my students to do something like that. You can interview every one of them if you want to waste your time. I like your sister. I know people say things about me. I live with my mother still. I teach poetry. I also know I can have plenty of dates. I don’t want a date. I don’t want a girlfriend. I want the one, the woman who is right. Call me old-fashioned but it can’t be any worse than what society is doing now.”
“Online dating?�
�� I suggested.
“Impersonal, it lacks any chemistry,” he scoffed.
“So you’re just waiting for Ms. Right to drop in your lap?” I asked.
“I believe it will happen.” He stared at me for a few moments. “Fate tends to do that and you’re here. You don’t belong in L.A. any more than I do but we’re both here.”
Suddenly I wanted to be out of his office fast. “I’m here for my sister and if there’s anything else you can think of to help me, I’d appreciate it. You have Ricky’s card?”
“Yes, I kept it. I’m sorry I can’t be of any further help to you and I don’t want to see Sonia go to jail. I know she’s the prime suspect still. Passion leads people to do unorthodox things—Romeo and Juliet, for example.”
“That was fiction.” I stood. “Thanks for your time. I just wanted to be sure we had all the info. Your mother clearly had an issue with Ricky questioning you.”
“She’s a mother. I’m an only child. We deal with the life we’re dealt, Ms. Morris. We don’t get to choose.”
“No, no, we don’t.” I headed for the door.
“Answer one question for me before you go?” he asked.
As long as he didn’t want anything creepy, like my phone number or bra size. “Sure.”
“What’s your favorite Shakespearean play? Obviously not Romeo and Juliet.”
I mentally scanned back to my various lit classes. Only one stood out. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
He smiled. “A comedy, very interesting and a bit romantic for how I envisioned you.”
“Anyone can make war, royalty, or insanity interesting.”
“I’m impressed and I believe you’ll find the killer. I don’t believe love was the trigger in this. The players don’t match that motive. To me this smells of greed.” Brian stood and shook my hand.
“Greed? Sonia is the only one who’d make money off of Danny’s death. She didn’t do it.” The heat of his skin unnerved me. Unfortunately none of this helped me with Sonia.
“I know she didn’t do it. Look deeper at who might profit. Patient criminals may be rare in this day but there is poetry in this murder.”
“Poetry?” I squinted at him. He could be projecting his own fascination and dreams onto the case. “Okay. Thanks for the tip. You wouldn’t be writing any books about my sister or Danny, would you?”
“No. I’m sure someone will but I didn’t know them that well. I liked Danny. I’m not trying to cash in,” Brian said.
“If you hear who is let me know.” As I walked out of the office and down the main hall, my cell phone chirped that I had new texts.
The first was anonymous again.
Heard you chatted with the author of that tell-all last night. Don’t tell Myra too much...
Myra? Maybe the sweet thing was an act? No, my gut said she was sweet but maybe she was in financial trouble and needed to write a book. No doubt there would be a few by people to cash in on Danny. I moved on to the next text.
Call me now! It was from Sonia.
I connected and hoped this time she’d answer.
Sonia answered hysterically. “Hel, they attacked us!”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
I shifted to action mode. “Who exactly makes up we? Who attacked you? Where are you?” I ran to my car and peeled out of the UCLA parking lot.
“Jordan and I went for lunch. We parked behind Emmy’s place. I don’t know who they were,” she shouted into the phone.
“Are you okay?” I headed for Emmy’s at speeds that might induce a chase if a cop spotted me.
“Yeah, Jordan shoved them away. I thought we were safe,” Sonia sniffed.
I knew she was crying. “It’s okay. Call 911.”
“Jordan already called the cops. Just get here, please.”
“I’m on my way.” I needed to tell them about Vicky’s release. Clearly no one checked their phones.
I fought the traffic and arrived behind Emmy’s shop to find my sister’s tires slashed, two squad cars parked there as well, and my sister still red faced.
“Why did you park back here?” I asked.
Jordan shrugged. “We thought it’d be less conspicuous—you know, less press. The paps are still hounding Sonia.”
I turned to Sonia. “Why did you leave the set without me?”
“They made an arrest so I thought I was safe.” She hugged me despite being scolded.
“Vicky was set free when her alibi checked out. Obviously you’re not safe and didn’t get my message.”
I looked around for a cop and recognized the goody-goody from my first day in Hollywood. The one who’d not taken my gun at least. He approached.
“Ms. Morris, we meet again.” He nodded. “We took your sister and her friend’s statement.”
“Any leads or evidence?” I asked.
He shook his head. “They both said the assailants wore gloves and masks. Tires slashed, the criminals grabbed for Sonia. Jordan knocked her loose and the perpetrators fled on foot down the alley. We’ve got two squads circling right now but no sign of them.”
“How long ago?” I asked.
I knew the odds of finding someone were tiny. Ditch the gloves and the masks, grab a new shirt at a shop and they’d be impossible to pin down in a crowd.
“Half an hour. Whoever they were they’re long gone. With no description, I’m sorry.” The officer shrugged. “We’ll write it up.”
“It’s the killer,” Sonia said calmly. “I’m next.”
“No, you’re not.” I tried to sound reassuring. “I’ll take you two home.”
“Ms. Morris.” The officer nodded to me.
I walked toward him, out of earshot of Jordan and Sonia. “What?”
“I know you were over to see Brian Conners earlier.”
“What about it?” This rookie was up to something.
“He’s my cousin and I don’t want you harassing him looking for someone to pin your sister’s troubles on. You were with him when the attack happened and it clearly isn’t Vicky. She was still being processed. You need to find someone else to take the blame. But don’t worry. I’m part of the team serving the search warrant tomorrow.” He winked.
This guy was so very clearly not on my side of things that I wanted to slap him. “I’m not harassing your cousin. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t know anything more after the wild chase he sent us on to San Bernardino.”
“He was just trying to help. Sometimes the answer is staring you right in the face. So simple it’s overlooked. That’s what I’ve found in my time on the force.”
“All two months?” I turned on my heel and strode to my car. I got in and Sonia and Jordan did as well. “You’ve called a tow?”
“Lupe called the mechanic I use. He’ll handle it.” Sonia leaned in. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, but we’ve got a problem.” I pulled out into traffic.
“I know, they’re still after me.”
“And the cops don’t believe you at all.”
“What?” Jordan yelped from the back. “That’s the dumbest thing since chasing OJ down the road at ten miles an hour. They just want the attention.”
“They’re serving a search warrant on the mansion tomorrow.” I didn’t know what impact the information would have.
“Oh.” Sonia sounded defeated.
“They’re running out of suspects and you’ve got the best motive and the worst alibi. The circumstances of the divorce mean you might’ve hired someone to do it. Ricky did his best. I’ve been doing everything I can. But at this point they’ll at least question you again.”
“I told them everything last time. Damn it, Hel, I just got attacked.” Sonia let the tears roll.
“I know—they’ll probably try to say you arranged it to keep up the innocent façade. That’s why they’re still searching for the guy. They want him to turn on you.”
“I didn’t hire someone to attack me or kill Danny. This is insane!” Sonia kicked at the floor mats. “
I can’t go to jail.”
“I know it’s crazy. But you need to prepare yourself. They’re going to search the house tomorrow and take you in for questioning at the same time so you’re not there when they search. You need to hire a lawyer.” At least my sister had money. The right lawyer could get her off.
“Tomorrow?” Her voice went cold.
“Ricky called me earlier. We’re out of luck and options, Sonia. I’m sorry.”
She shook her head. “It’s not your fault. Someone out there is after me and I don’t know who it is. If I hadn’t come to Hollywood this never would’ve happened. I can’t change it now so I have to live with it. Tonight we’re going to enjoy life.”
“No, tonight we’re interviewing lawyers so you don’t get questioned alone. He’ll be at the mansion waiting with you tomorrow. He’ll do the talking. I should’ve had you lawyer up immediately.” I shook my head.
Why was I so stupid? Most of the time the legal system worked but when it came to personal stuff, you needed to play defense early. I thought innocence would be enough.
“I’ll call my lawyer, it’ll be okay. But I want Emmy and Jordan and you over tonight. Food and nails and gossip—I want some fun before hell takes over my life.” It was a statement, not a request.
I parked in the driveway of Sonia’s mansion and we piled out. If it were me I’d be a nervous wreck and having my lawyer there all the time. Reviewing my case, my facts, and my defense. I’d be hunting for the truth, not pretending reality wasn’t coming.
We were so different and tonight Sonia would eat, drink, and be merry—for tomorrow she would probably be arrested. I’d be pretending to enjoy tonight while my brain worked double time to find the lead or angle that could set my sister free.
