Pretty City Murder

by Robert E. Dunn

  “James, there is more to this story.”

  “It’s simple. She brought him the money from the vault. What employees do affects the hotel. I don’t give a damn what they do with their personal lives, but when it affects the hotel, I move on it. I’ve been a rat too long to be screwed by a mouse.”

  Varton came out of the interview room. “What’s going on out here?”

  O’Hara shouted, “Chase should be arrested. Why did you let her go?”

  Larry said, “We gather all the facts before any action is taken. It’s standard police procedure.”

  “Where’s the interview? It’s supposed to be for two o’clock” He looked at Varton and said, “Are you Varton?” He faced Larry again and said, “Glad I came. Found out what that foolish girl did.” He looked around for something to spit in, walked over to the water fountain, and coughed.

  When Larry reached his office, he realized he had left Hieu behind. He returned to the interview room and found Hieu just before he entered. “Are you staying for the interview?”

  “Is that all right?”

  “Sure, why not.”

  Half an hour later, Varton walked into Larry’s office. “Didn’t learn much from O’Hara. Does he have any children?”

  “No.”

  Varton peered out the window and said, “That’s my only regret, not having children. Parents divorced when I was fifteen and never saw much of the family. Didn’t care. Too busy with football and baseball.”

  “Well, you may not have missed much, not having children.”

  “Anyway, the wife takes care of my mother. What a bargain I got with Aioki, not like the first wife. Hmm. Suppose you’re thinking about retirement. How’s that Russian River home?”

  Varton admired the two rings on his fingers. The rings sparkled like sugar under Larry’s florescent light.

  “When did you join the Marines?” Larry asked, but he knew the answer.

  “Twenty.”

  “Didn’t you think about college?”

  “Two years in junior college. The most gullible people in the world are college graduates.”

  “Some people would describe them as idealistic.”

  “Gullible.”

  “Where’s Hieu?” Larry asked.

  “I sent him back to his office.”

  “I need him in here. We have a lot of work to do, and I’m not thinking about retirement, Joe.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about the investigation. I’ve got things under control. Just sit tight. I’ll be looking at the video to confirm Chase’s story.”

  “Joe, I think I know who it was that called telling me to stay away from the Greenwich.”

  “Who?”

  “Bud Fletcher.”

  “How do you know?”

  “He’s O’Hara’s flunky.”

  “He’s scheduled for an interview. We can interrogate him about that. While I’m here, I have some questions about Cornelius.”

  “What do you want to know?”

  “You have this special relationship with the MacKenzie clan. Tell me why Cornelius had an apartment at the Greenwich. Isn’t that an odd arrangement?”

  “No. You have to understand a few things about Cornelius. He needed a lot of help. He only graduated from high school because he was in a special program and had private tutors.”

  “What was wrong with him?”

  “He managed. Father Ralph, O’Hara, they all protected him.”

  “So, he had the IQ of a turnip, and they all protected him, up until he got himself killed. Someone wanted him dead. What else can you tell me about Father Ralph and his relationship with Cornelius?”

  “Father Ralph looked after him. Phone calls, visits...that’s why he found the body.”

  “Wasn’t a bit late for a priest to be visiting his brother?”

  Larry stood up abruptly. “Not if you knew the family and their love for Cornelius!”

  “All right. Calm down Larry. What was the priest doing there? Was he soused?”

  Larry pulled out his white handkerchief and wiped his face.

  Joe sat back and said, “We need clear heads and a calm approach.”

  Larry was aggravated. “Let me try this again. Cornelius got the apartment when he was promoted. He learned the job and worked his way up. Henry MacKenzie, Cornelius’ father, made O’Hara and me promise to protect Cornelius.” Larry sat down. “It’s my opinion that Father Ralph and O’Hara were well-meaning, but they left Cornelius vulnerable.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “A few years ago, Cornelius recommended a man for a bellhop position. The hotel did a background check and discovered the man’s arrest record. Cornelius told O’Hara that the priest in charge of St. Anthony’s Dining Room had said that all the man needed was a fresh start. O’Hara reluctantly agreed, and the man was hired.

  “Six months later, he found his way into Cornelius’ apartment and stole his childhood collection of baseball cards. The police investigated, and the man was fired. Father Ralph spoke to O’Hara, and they took Cornelius aside and had a talk with him about helping others.”

  “Sounds like he was a child.”

  “Not long after, maybe, a couple of months, Father Ralph confided to me that Fletcher had asked O’Hara why Father Ralph visited Cornelius so often. O’Hara’s answer was, ‘They are brothers.’ The Topaz Lake home was purchased and Cornelius...”

  “What’s that got to do with anything? The murder occurred in San Francisco.”

  “You asked me for background.”

  “Just stick to the facts surrounding what happened at the hotel. Why does O’Hara keep so much money on hand? His hotel is a two-bit joint.” He picked up a pencil from Larry’s desk. “I wonder what he’s doing with all that money.” The tip of the pencil disappeared into his mouth. Joe leaned forward. “All right. Keep your ears to the ground and keep me informed.”

  “If you’re lucky,” Larry murmured.

  “What’s that?”

  “Nothing.”

  Joe gave Larry the pencil out of his mouth.

  “Ask Fletcher why he failed to escort Cornelius to his apartment.”

  “I will.”

  “When’s his interview?” Larry asked.

  “I’m working on that. By the way, I asked O’Hara if there was any other trouble at the Greenwich. He asked me what I meant. I asked if there were any pending lawsuits against the Greenwich. He said there was one in Sonoma County involving an adoption agency. It’s all in his statement. Have a look.”

  That was a smart question.

  He heard the rapping sound of Varton’s cowboy boots moving down the hall and thought there were more hornets in this nest, but for now it was time to take a snooze.

  It’s tiring explaining things to someone who doesn’t listen.

  Better read O’Hara’s statement first.

  Larry found the spot. It read:

  “The agency had some land to sell. I made an offer, and everything seemed to be going fine. During the negotiating phase, information came to me that the adoption agency had some dealings with Cornelius MacKenzie and Maureen Daley. I determined that the agency was not dealing honestly and had kept the information from me. I sued the agency for nondisclosure of all relevant matters affecting the sale. At this time, I cannot provide more information, because the lawsuit is pending.”

  Before closing his eyes, he thought about getting lunch and about Mark and heard the squeals of baby seagulls on the roof.

  Maybe, one of them is a male bird about to fly away from the nest, for good.

  Varton’s boots were on the move again.

  He’s number two, not far behind me, and has won Dempsey’s favor. What if I don’t get that promotion? How will Lauren react?

  Chapter 7

  Friday, July 5

  Leaning over an eighteenth-century rosewood desk, a platinum-blond woman hastily withdrew a pencil from her mouth, leaving orange lipstick on the end she was chewing.

  O’Hara
swung around in his chair.

  Mm.

  He liked the picture, stacked, curvy, and clueless, just the image he wanted outside the double doors to his office. The inner sanctum was weighted with Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak, paneling usually reserved for ships.

  She has a hellava lot more than five fingers and five toes.

  “How long have you been my secretary?”

  “This is my fourth week.”

  “Good. You’re a keeper. Hang up the smoking jacket. It’s over there.” O’Hara pointed to a black leather sofa in a corner of the room. In front of two matching black leather chairs, a brown and white English bull dog lay on a red Persian Heriz rug with a medallion design. “Don’t be afraid of him. If he howls, give him a tidbit. They’re in my bottom drawer.”

  O’Hara lifted a fresh cigar from the humidor. “Know what that is?” He pointed. She looked confused. “Just stand there and answer my question.”

  “It’s where you keep your cigars?”

  High, broad windows behind his desk gave the oak walls luster, and the same streams of light shone on Ms. Keck’s fuchsia-pink high-heels.

  Smelled, fondled, and rolled over, the dark wrapper of a Padrone Maduro lightened as it was lifted from its tight resting spot.

  He heard the outer doors open and shut. “Get out there and see who came in.” He watched her cross the floor in a straight line with notepad and pencil swinging beside her rear-end, and, as she left his office, he thought he recognized the voice in the outer office.

  Ms. Keck asked a question, and the familiar voice answered, “I’d like to see Mr. O’Hara.”

  “Do you have an appointment, sir?”

  “I’m Inspector Leahy and this is Inspector Trang. It’s important we see him.”

  O’Hara sat still and enjoyed listening to Leahy plead. His intercom buzzed. “Tell them I’m busy.”

  He heard Leahy say, “Miss, let me take care of this.”

  His intercom buzzed again, and O’Hara pressed down on the lever. “Through the doors in front of you, Larry.” Larry’s round face appeared.

  O’Hara stood up. “Who’s that?”

  “This is Inspector Trang. I want to talk to you about Cornelius.”

  Ms. Keck shut the door behind them.

  O’Hara extended an arm and said, “All right, but I thought we said all we needed to say yesterday.” He raised his eyebrows. “Sit down, sit down.”

  Their suits looked rack bought, but he cast another gander at Trang.

  Nice looking Chinese. He’s stepped on scraps in the back of a shop.

  O’Hara was amused by the look on their faces and wanted to say, “No, there aren’t any trapdoors in my office – under your chairs or anywhere else.” Instead, he said, “Care for a cigar, Leahy, Trang, or are you on the clock?”

  “No thanks.”

  Larry looked at Hieu.

  “No thanks.”

  “No problem. Good-looking secretary I’ve got, huh? She’s new and expands office appeal with that rack.” He lifted the San Francisco Business Times, walked over to the leather couch in the corner, and threw the newspaper onto its smooth seat. The bull dog raised his fat head a millimeter off his paw.

  My dog looks almost as good as I do in the light from the window.

  He observed them looking at him from their chairs. From the corner, he bellowed, “So, Larry, before you start, I have something for you.”

  He walked back to his desk and opened the top drawer. Lying on top of a contract for the hotel’s seismic retrofitting was a thick, seafoam-green envelope. He handed Larry the envelope and waited for a reaction. When Larry smiled, O’Hara said, “Twelve days in Ireland. Airfare, transfers, and hotel in Dublin are paid for.”

  Larry ran a hand over his bald head and had a peculiar look on his face. He stood up and offered O’Hara his hand. O’Hara stood up, his thighs shoving the drawer shut, and accepted Larry’s hand.

  “So...whadda you think?”

  “Um, I’m not sure what to say? I’d like to take a trip to Ireland, but...”

  “It’s not a bribe, Larry, just something I’ve planned on doing for a very long time. I’ve never really treated you to anything, and you need something rewarding in your life, seeing as how little you get.”

  The peculiar look on Larry’s face reappeared. “Thanks.”

  “Enjoy yourself!”

  The two men sat back down.

  Silence followed.

  “How’s Maureen Daley?”

  “I’m having a late business lunch with her in a few minutes. We have to make this quick.”

  “Your man said he never walked Cornelius to his apartment. What happened?”

  “He did.” He buzzed Keck and said, “Get Fletcher up here.”

  He stood up, studied Larry and Hieu, placed a hand on his chest, turned, and looked out the window. Then he sat down again.

  They waited.

  O’Hara lifted his heavy, black-framed eyeglasses and placed them back on his nose. “Let me get a closer look at you, Trang.”

  Hieu shifted in his seat.

  O’Hara wondered where their guns were. The cigar shifted from one side of his mouth to the other. His observations drifted downward, and he wondered what stuff Hieu was made of. He might be impressed by the surroundings, but he didn’t move a muscle and seemed to possess the belligerent face of a raccoon, as if to say, “Got a problem?” Larry looked more human.

  The humidor has more substance than most men.

  O’Hara adjusted his eyeglasses to get a better look at Larry. “You promised a round of golf, Larry, so when will it be? I’ve been waiting two years.”

  “You’ve got plenty of partners. Where’s your security man?”

  “Dammit, Larry, you’re not up to a challenge. My man will be here.” His Rolex caught some beams from the green hurricane lamp and gave O’Hara the urge to tip the light onto Larry’s face and have a closer look.

  The trip will renew our rapport.

  Smoke drifted toward the ornate crystal chandelier above his desk.

  The intercom buzzed.

  O’Hara leaned forward and pressed down.

  “Mr. Fletcher is here.”

  “All right.”

  “Should I send him in, sir.”

  “Yes, of course, woman!”

  “I heard your car dealership failed,” Larry said.

  O’Hara looked at the double doors. “It was an investment. Not one of the managers knew what the hell he was doing.” The doors opened. “Fletcher, get in here.”

  “So sorry, sir, for being late.”

  “Never mind. Now, answer some questions from Officer Leahy.”

  “You told me you did not escort Cornelius MacKenzie to his room the night he died. Is that correct?” Larry asked.

  “That’s right,” Fletcher said, his gaze transfixed.

  O’Hara was enjoying the look of fear.

  Fletcher’s waist, which had grown moderately in middle age, shifted back and forth beneath his biscuit-colored shirt and dull brown suit jacket, and one trembling finger rubbed a bulbous nose covered by creeks of broken capillaries.

  Larry glanced over at O’Hara and lowered his voice. “You said to me that Mr. O’Hara told you not to escort Cornelius. Correct?”

  Silence.

  “Didn’t I give you specific instructions to check in with me?” Larry grabbed his notepad from the pocket inside his jacket and waved it in front of Fletcher.

  O’Hara sat forward and stared at Fletcher.

  “May I ask what is going on?” Fletcher asked.

  “No, you may not,” O’Hara shouted.

  “Well....” Larry said.

  Hieu spoke up. “Mr. Fletcher, did your plan for Cornelius change during the night?”

  Fletcher said, “Yes!”

  “Get out.”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. O’Hara.” Fletcher backed all the way to the double doors and bumped into them. O’Hara laughed, and Fletcher quickly shut the doors behind
himself.

  O’Hara readjusted himself in his chair and looked around the room.

  “James, do I have to remind you of the promise we made years ago? We promised to look out for Cornelius.”

  “I’m the sole owner of this hotel now, and I’ll do what’s best for the hotel, and that means I can handle all employees the way I want. It’s your job to find the guilty, whoever they are. If you ask me, you should look at Pepper Chase. I told you I caught her in Cornelius’ room the day he died. I heard her express undying love for him. I forbade her from entering his room again. Did she comply? It doesn’t look that way.”

  “I think you should reconsider your decision to fire her.”

  “Why should I? She stole $50,000.”

  “I did some research. She has no criminal record, and she was in love with Cornelius. You said so yourself. I saw the e-mail from Cornelius telling her to bring the money.”

  “Only a criminal would do what she did. I can’t trust her.”

  “How long has she been at the Greenwich?”

  “What difference does that make?”

  “Doesn’t she have a spotless record?”

  “I can find out. I’ll call HR.”

  “Hasn’t she had regular pay increases?”

  “All my employees do. I’m a very generous employer.”

  “And you’re a very understanding employer. No one else knows she took the money and hiring her back would have no impact on the operations of the hotel. In fact, if you don’t change your mind, you’ll have to hire a replacement.”

  What’s Larry after?

  “I like what you said. I am generous, and I am fair. Her aunt called me this morning and begged me to take her back. I already called Pepper and told her she can return. However, Larry, do not interfere anymore with my hotel and its employees. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but the hotel is going to be run the way I see it, and nothing, including this investigation, will interfere.”

  “Right decision. As for the investigation, interference will come only from your side. I have a job to do, James. Don’t stand in my way.”

  O’Hara looked around the room again. “You told me at the last reunion that you would join me at the Olympic Club. I’m waiting. Don’t tell me you’ve crawfished a way out?” His head bent forward as he looked out over his eyeglasses at Hieu, and said, “You look like an educated boy. Isn’t that what you call it when you renege on a commitment?”