Deadly Intersections

by Ann Roberts

  She smiled pleasantly at Glick. “We appreciate you taking the time to see us, especially on such short notice.”

  He nodded and returned the smile. “You’re welcome.”

  “We’re here because Mr. Wertz saw your home and instantly fell in love with it.”

  “I see. I hope you’re not here to make a sales pitch since I have no interest in selling Serendipity. This place belonged to my brother, and it’s the only memory of him that I have. While I could certainly make a fortune on its sale I just couldn’t leave.”

  “Sentiment aside,” Wertz interjected, “I don’t understand why you’d keep a place that’s driving you deep into debt.”

  Ari shot him a glance, and Glick turned bright red. Obviously Wertz knew something she didn’t.

  “My financial affairs are none of your concern,” Glick said evenly.

  Wertz smiled smugly. “Oh, but they will be soon. Let’s get down to it. You don’t own the building that houses your little company, do you, Mr. Glick?”

  He shifted in his seat and frowned. “No, we’ve been trying to buy it. I’m sure we’ll be successful—eventually.”

  “Ah, but you see I already was.”

  Wertz removed a folder from his briefcase and held out a copy of what Ari assumed was a contract. “This contract indicates that I am now your landlord.” He shook his head woefully while Glick read the document. “I just don’t think I can let you stay when your lease expires in two months. I’m sure we could work something out and under certain circumstances, I’d be happy to sell the property to you at quite a bargain.”

  Glick studied the contract, his anger visible. When he glared at Wertz it was with a fury that made Ari shiver.

  “How in the hell did you do this? I’ve been wrangling with the owners for over a year!”

  Wertz shrugged slightly. “I’m a good businessman, and I made them an offer that was too good to pass up. I guess you didn’t do that.”

  Glick crumpled the contract and stared at the floor. “I’m sure you know it would be impossible for me to find a place to house my business, not to mention the difficulty of moving all of the equipment.”

  “Hmm. Those would be two of the hurdles you’d obviously face,” Wertz agreed. “There are definitely pitfalls to owning a dry cleaners. All those nasty federal regulations, too. This is quite the dilemma.”

  “You’re a diabolical bastard, forcing me to choose between my home and my business!” Glick shouted.

  Wertz feigned shock. “I’m doing no such thing. I’m merely offering you a way around your financial woes. I’d think you’d be grateful.”

  Glick jumped to his feet and yelled, “Get the hell out of my house! Right now!”

  Ari was moving before he’d punctuated his sentence, but Wertz strolled behind casually glancing at the walls, imagining where he’d hang his artwork.

  “Would you like to tell me what just happened?” she asked once he’d joined her in the car.

  He twisted his head in her direction, his publicity face perfectly restored. “Ari, darling, life is full of choices. We’ll give Mr. Glick some time to really think about my generous offer. And now I believe you owe me a dinner. I know I said you could pick, but I do know a wonderful place. Why don’t you let me show you?”

  She felt sick to her stomach. “Not tonight, Stan. Please take me back to my car.”

  They meandered down the driveway toward the lights of the city. She craned her head around to get one final look at Serendipity. Jacob Glick stood in front of an enormous picture window with his arms folded, watching them descend the mountain.

  They said nothing on their way back into Phoenix, but Wertz whistled most of the way. It was clear to her that he was capable of blackmail—but could he kill a man to get what he wanted?

  His cell phone rang, and he greeted Candy. His expression shifted and he frowned. When he hung up, he didn’t whistle again. He was clearly upset, and she was relieved he didn’t want to talk.

  Yet as he returned to the Day Arbor neighborhood and pulled up to her SUV, the nearby streetlight illuminated his pleasant expression. Maybe he’s bipolar.

  “Please come by my house around ten tomorrow. I believe we can finish our business then. I’m certain Mr. Glick will be ready to sell. And although I’ve done most of the dirty work, I’m still willing to pay you a commission.”

  She knew he expected her to be grateful and say thank you, but as she turned away he roared into the driveway. She didn’t care and couldn’t wait to be rid of him.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The phone awoke Molly from her drunken stupor. She glanced at the clock. It was Andre or Ari. No one else would call this early.

  “Nelson.”

  “We got a lead on Selena Diaz. They’re out in Gila Bend staying with a friend.”

  “How do you know?” she said, reaching for the aspirin.

  “Came in through the front desk early this morning. I just got here when Brewster waved me over. Somebody dropped the tip on his desk while he was in the can. It gave an address and mentioned the name Diaz, written in a woman’s handwriting. That’s all anybody knows.”

  “That’s really fishy, Andre. It could be a wild goose chase.”

  “I don’t think so. Whoever left that note wanted to make sure Brewster found it. I’d say it’s somebody with inside information, and we should check it out.”

  She closed her eyes, certain that he was right and wishing she’d skipped her evening at Hideaway.

  “Okay, I’ll be there in twenty.”

  They spent the fifty-mile drive to Gila Bend discussing the 6815 address and the mole. Andre had cruised past both of the possible addresses the day before but noticed nothing suspicious.

  “They all looked alike,” he said. “They’re those typical suburban stuccos with red-tile roofs.”

  “Just like my parents’ place,” Molly added, thinking of the cookie-cutter community she visited twice a month for dinner.

  “I didn’t see anything unusual, and the neighborhoods are decent. Lots of Toyotas and trucks in the driveways.”

  Molly sighed, wondering if it was a dead end. Andre must have sensed her frustration as he reached over and squeezed her shoulder.

  They said little else as they motored down the highway passing the Lewis Prison. Gila Bend was the halfway point between Phoenix and Yuma and often a stopping point for tourists and travelers on their way to San Diego.

  Andre slowed to thirty-five as the highway suddenly became the main drag of the town. Just past the McDonald’s they turned into a residential area and searched for the house. The neighborhood reminded her of South Phoenix. She realized how easy it would be for the Diaz family to blend in with the migrant workers that populated the town.

  “I’m wondering if Hector Cervantes didn’t do a little detective work for us,” Andre said absently.

  Finding the house proved difficult since none of them had visible numbers. “How the hell does the mailman deal with this?” she muttered.

  “He’s probably been on the job for thirty years,” he replied.

  They pulled up in front of a run-down ranch house on a corner lot. Three cars were parked in the driveway, including a pickup like the one owned by Jose Diaz. A man emerged from the side of the house wearing a dark hoodie. Andre quickly pulled up behind the truck, startling the man.

  “Jose Diaz?” Andre shouted.

  “Who wants to know?”

  She noticed the man’s right hand went to his jacket, and she was sure his fingers were wrapped around the butt of a gun.

  Andre held his revolver at the man’s chest. “Police. I suggest you slowly put your hands in the air.”

  Jose Diaz did as he was told. Andre searched him and withdrew a Beretta from his jeans.

  “What do you want?” Diaz asked. “I didn’t do anything. That gun is just for protection. It’s registered.”

  Andre stepped away with the gun. “Give it a rest, Jose. We just need to talk to Selena
.”

  Panic turned to confusion. “Selena? Why?”

  Molly stepped forward and joined her partner. “Mr. Diaz, my name is Detective Nelson and this is Detective Williams. Your daughter may have witnessed something that’s important to our investigation. We need to interview her now. She’s not in any trouble.”

  Diaz glanced at the house and shuffled his feet. “How did you find us?”

  “We got an anonymous tip,” Andre said. “And that means somebody knows where you are.”

  Diaz shook his head. “I didn’t tell nobody. We just left and came out here. Friend of mine has this empty rental.”

  “Look,” Molly offered, “You let Selena help us, and we’ll tell the Gila Bend PD to keep an eye on you, okay?”

  Diaz nodded in relief. “She’s inside. We’ve been trying to make it look like no one’s here.”

  He led them through the back door into the kitchen. A woman sat at the table breast feeding an infant and studying a large textbook that lay open in front of her. She looked up, surprised.

  “This is my wife, Bonita.” Molly and Andre nodded at the scared woman. “It’s okay, honey,” Diaz said. “They’re police officers and they need to talk to Selena.”

  “This is about Maria, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Molly said. “She may have some information that will help us catch Maria’s killer.”

  Bonita Diaz’s expression remained serious as she weighed the ramifications of involving her daughter in police business. “She’s in the back bedroom watching TV,” she told her husband.

  Diaz disappeared down the hallway, calling for Selena. There was awkward silence as Bonita Diaz covered herself and burped the baby.

  Molly’s eyes drifted to the open book and the small print and charts that covered the pages. “Studying?”

  Bonita’s expression softened, and she nodded. “I’m about to take my nursing tests next week.”

  “Wow, I’ll bet that’s hard,” Molly offered.

  Bonita sighed and rocked her baby. “It is. I already told Jose that he’s got to get past this nonsense with Big Paddy. I’m going back for my exams with or without him.”

  Molly smiled at the woman’s determination. Bonita didn’t have any problems standing up to the thugs her husband knew, and no one was going to keep her from her dream. Feet shuffled and Selena Diaz stood in the kitchen doorway, her father’s protective arm wrapped around her shoulder. She wore a pink nightgown that fell to the floor and billowed around her slight frame.

  Sensing her daughter’s hesitancy, Bonita Diaz smiled with confidence, hiding her own concerns about the family’s troubles. “It’s okay, baby. These detectives are trying to find out who killed Maria, and they need your help. They think you know something.”

  Selena’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. Molly crouched down and looked sympathetically into her eyes. “Selena, I know how much you cared about Maria. It’s really hard to lose your best friend. I know because I lost mine.” Molly paused and Selena stared at her. “It’s true. My best friend was a policeman and a bad man killed him.”

  “Did he die?”

  “Yes. He was shot during an arrest.”

  “Maria was shot,” Selena whispered. “I told her I thought she was in danger, but she said I was stupid.”

  “Why did you think she was in danger?”

  “Because of what she told me.”

  “What did she say?”

  Selena glanced at her parents, who looked surprised. “Something happened when we went to the science center, but I promised not to tell.”

  Selena looked at Molly with hopeful eyes. Molly gently smiled. “Selena, I understand secrets between friends, but Maria’s dead now and you may be the only person who can help us catch her killer.”

  “She told me about a bad man.”

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  Selena swallowed hard and bolted toward her mother. She fell into Bonita’s arms and buried her face in her chest. Still cradling the baby, she gently smoothed her hair and whispered softly in her ear. Selena nodded and turned to face Molly.

  “What did Maria say about the bad man?”

  “We were at the science fair and she went back to the bus. When she came back to the group she was really scared. She said a man had chased her.”

  “Why?”

  “Because she saw him hurt somebody.”

  “Did she tell you about that?”

  “Uh-huh. She’d gone back to the bus in the parking garage. She heard yelling and looked out the window. There was a guy pushing another guy against a wall and he told him if he didn’t listen, he would be sorry.”

  “Maria saw this?”

  Selena nodded. “She said the one guy was really scared and he was begging the mean guy not to hurt him. Then the bad man stepped away like he was trying to be his friend.”

  “And then what happened,” Molly coaxed.

  Selena paused and cocked her head to the side. “Maria said it was weird. They got into the car for a little while and then the car horn went off and the bad man got out and looked around. That’s when he saw Maria watching him.”

  “So what did he do?” Molly asked, already knowing the answer.

  “He got really angry and started to run at her. So Maria ran out of the bus and back to the front of the science center where we were eating lunch. She was out of breath and talking really fast. That was when she told me.”

  “Why was she on the bus?”

  She fidgeted in her seat. “I’m not supposed to tell.”

  Molly leaned close, and put her hand on the kitchen table. “Selena, you can tell me. I won’t say anything. I can keep a secret.”

  She looked at her mother, who nodded at her daughter. “Raul asked her to go back to the bus with him. They sneaked away from the group.”

  “Why did Raul want Maria to go back to the bus with him?”

  Her cheeks reddened and she smiled slightly. “He wanted to kiss her.”

  Molly took a deep breath. “I see. So they liked each other.”

  “Well, I think Raul liked her more than she liked him. He was her boyfriend, but nobody knew that except me. She let him kiss her once but then when he wanted to keep doing it, she told him no and he got mad and ran off the bus.”

  “So after Maria told you about the man did she tell an adult?”

  Selena shook her head. “Uh-uh. She just pointed at the guy.”

  Molly’s heart lurched. “You actually saw the bad man?”

  “Yeah. He ran out of the garage and he looked around like he was trying to find Maria.”

  “And did he see Maria?”

  “Yeah. When he looked over at her, he stared at her and she just folded her arms. She wasn’t afraid of him.”

  “What did he do next?”

  “He just walked away. The teacher was lining us up.”

  “Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”

  Selena nodded. “I know who he is.”

  Molly and Andre exchanged glances. “Who, Selena?” Andre asked.

  “That man on TV. The Hometown Grocery guy.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ari meandered through traffic thinking about what she would say to Stan Wertz. He’d called at eight to confirm their ten o’clock appointment, gloating about his victory over Jacob Glick. As he’d predicted, Glick was willing to sell Serendipity for an outrageous price. She’d spent the entire conversation fuming over his tactics but realized there was nothing she could do. She rationalized that she’d earned her commission simply by tolerating his advances and enduring his sliminess. She’d write the contract, take it to Glick for his signature and file it. Then she would be done with Stan Wertz.

  She’d almost cancelled on him, but there was no hard evidence to suggest he’d done anything sinister. She’d share her suspicions with Molly that night, although the thought of ruining Valentine’s Day didn’t appeal to her. He was probably guilty of nothing more than ruthless behavior,
and while that was certainly unethical, it wasn’t illegal.

  Her cell phone rang. Biz. She took a deep breath and answered with a casual, “Hello?”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, gorgeous.”

  She felt her cheeks flush. “Is there something I can do for you, Biz?”

  Biz sighed. “All business. I get it. Now that I’ve signed on the dotted line you won’t have anything to do with me.”

  She sounded pathetic, and Ari pushed away the guilt that instantly surfaced. “Biz, we don’t have a personal relationship, remember?”

  “What about that kiss?”

  “That was business, too!” she said, much louder than she intended. Biz was clearly under her skin, and what she needed was distance—particularly on Valentine’s Day. “Look, I’ll call you next week. Right now I’m on my way over to Stan Wertz’s for the last time. He’s found a house, and we’re writing a contract. I’m almost done with him.”

  There was a pause—she was sure Biz was thinking.

  “Are you sure this isn’t dangerous, Ari? Given our suspicions about him and Edgington?”

  She shook her head. “There’s nothing to be suspicious about. He knows nothing, and as you said yourself, it’s probably all coincidental. Gotta go.”

  She hung up before Biz could respond and reached for the air conditioner. It was February and she was hot. You’re more afraid of Biz than Wertz.

  When she pulled up to the house, that same wonderful feeling came over her again. She loved this house. She couldn’t believe it had only been five days since she’d walked up the path with Lorraine. She was shocked when she rang the bell and Stan himself opened the door to let her in.

  “Ari,” he said warmly. “Please come in.”

  He gestured toward the living room and shut the door behind her. She noticed the stillness that surrounded them. “Where’s Dora?”

  “Today’s her day off, and I must make do myself,” he said dramatically, leading her into the living room.