4 Arch Enemy of Murder

by Vanessa Gray Bartal

  “Don’t,” he interrupted. “Just don’t. I don’t want to hear what I already know. I just…I have to go.” He stood and fled the restaurant while Lacy stared after him in open-mouthed surprise.

  “Hmm, you’re right. He is sensitive,” Riley said.

  Lacy turned furious eyes on her. “How could you do that to him? How could you hurt him that way? He’s kind and gentle and sweet, and you hurt him.”

  “No, you hurt him. I was just stating the truth.”

  Lacy couldn’t deal with her at the moment. She had to try and catch Tosh, to somehow make things better. She tossed money on the table at the same time that Michael finished his last song and came over to their table. “Not now,” she snapped as she eased by him.

  Behind her, he began to play “The Flight of the Bumblebee,” as Lacy sprinted for the exit and Travis stood and dashed toward the bathroom.

  Chapter 6

  The phone rang, propelling Lacy from a fretful sleep.

  “I need your help.”

  “Tosh?” Was she dreaming? She had tried to call him, had walked to his house, had pinned a message to his door, and hadn’t heard a word in reply. And now he was calling at—she squinted at the clock—two in the morning? “What’s wrong? How can I help? What can I do? What do you need?”

  Those were a lot of questions, but she was eager to show him he could count on her for anything. She felt horrible, consumed with guilt on too many levels to count. For the first time, she was beginning to understand how much she had hurt Tosh, even though not hurting him had been her first priority.

  “It’s Pearl.”

  “Pearl?” Lacy repeated. “Is she sick?” Pearl was a large woman, and she was older—prime material for a heart attack or stroke.

  “No, she’s in jail.”

  “Oh.” There was no surprise in that answer. Pearl was one of those women who Lacy had someday expected to use her car as a weapon and plow into an unsuspecting crowd for no good reason.

  “Don’t you want to know why?” Tosh asked. He sounded more than a little annoyed.

  “Sure. Why is Pearl in jail?”

  “Murder.”

  Lacy had been expecting many answers; murder wasn’t one of them. Had one of her neighbors let a dog use the bathroom on her lawn? Because with Pearl, that would be enough to set her off in a murderous rage. For Tosh’s sake, she tried to muster surprise and sadness. “No way. What did she do?”

  “Nothing, she didn’t do it, obviously.”

  Lacy rolled her eyes. Tosh had a soft and blind spot for Pearl. He was that way with anyone on the fringes of society. Pearl was definitely on the fringe of something. “What do the police think she did?” she amended.

  “They think she shot her husband.”

  “Oh. Oh?” Suddenly she remembered Jason’s case, but she couldn’t say anything because she wasn’t supposed to know details. “What happened? I didn’t even know she was married.”

  “Neither did I. Apparently it was an abusive marriage and they were separated for some time. He decided he wanted her back and was coming to get her when he was shot.”

  “What do you need from me? Bail money?” Tosh had plenty of money to pay the bail on his own, but perhaps his trust was tied up and he needed quick cash.

  “No, I need you to come to the sheriff’s department with me.”

  Lacy was heartened that he needed her for moral support, even though he was angry and hurt. “Of course. Let me throw on some clothes, and I’m ready to go.”

  “I’m in your driveway.”

  “I’ll be out in five,” Lacy said. She threw on the first available clothes and gathered her hair in a loose bun on the top of her head. Because she had been so upset, she had fallen asleep with her makeup on. She wouldn’t have to go out in public bare-faced, but it was no doubt smudged and running by now. She would use Tosh’s car mirror to repair it as best she could.

  She grabbed her purse and tossed her phone inside. Who knew how long they might be there, and she wanted money in case she had to buy food from the vending machine. The short drive to the jail was silent as Lacy smoothed out her ruined makeup and Tosh concentrated on the road. He was still upset with her, but not as much as before. They would be okay. They had to because what would she do without Tosh?

  They arrived at the jail and walked inside. “It’s nice of them to let her have a clergy visit so soon,” Lacy said. They didn’t usually make exceptions, but maybe they sensed Pearl’s instability and thought it best to get help right away.

  “Um, about that. There’s sort of something I have to tell you.”

  “What?” They stopped in front of the jail door and faced each other.

  “I’m not the one who’s visiting with Pearl; you are.”

  “What? Why me? She hates me.”

  “No, she doesn’t.”

  “Tosh.”

  “Okay, she does, but she asked for you.”

  “Why would she ask for me?”

  “Because she thinks you can solve murders. She wants you to figure out who killed her husband.”

  “What?” Lacy yelled. The night guard, Trent, looked up from his post. She waved at him and lowered her voice. “What are you saying? Why does she think I can do that?”

  “Because you did it before.”

  “But they’re not going to let me visit her. We’re not family. They don’t let just anybody back there.”

  “There is someone they let through,” Tosh said.

  Unfortunately, Lacy knew exactly what he meant. “No, oh, no, Tosh. Pearl’s a little off her nut, but there’s no way she’s that crazy.”

  “She wants you, Lacy. She’s scared and alone back there, and you’re her only hope.”

  “I can’t do this,” Lacy said. “This is crazy, even for Pearl.”

  The jail door opened. “You can go back now, Lacy,” Trent said.

  Lacy glanced at him before giving one more pleading look at Tosh. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Look, I know how you feel about Pearl, but you’re doing this for me. She’s my secretary and a friend. She needs us.”

  “But,” Lacy tried to interrupt, but he gave her the look, the one that reminded her of all the transgressions she had committed during the course of their friendship, the one that promised that if only she would do what he wanted, then he would be willing to forgive her. “Okay,” she capitulated.

  “Great. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”

  “It’s really not, but I’ll do what I can,” Lacy said.

  “Thanks, Lacy.” He pulled her into a quick crushing hug before letting her go and turning her toward the door. “Give Pearl my best.”

  Lacy nodded in a dazed kind of way. No matter how many times she entered the jail, she never got used to the fear and claustrophobia that accompanied passage through the heavy metal door. “Interview room one,” Trent called. Lacy nodded. She was a little sad that she knew exactly where that room was.

  She entered and saw three people: Pearl, Detective Arroyo, and Jason. No one looked as surprised as Lacy felt. Pearl stood and gave her a bone-crushing hug that had her fighting for air by the time it was over.

  “Enough. Sit,” Detective Arroyo said.

  “Lacy, what are you doing here? You can’t be here,” Jason said.

  “Actually, I can,” Lacy said. “Apparently I’m Pearl’s counsel for the time being.”

  “You’re not a lawyer,” Detective Arroyo said.

  “You don’t have to be; you simply have to be willing to represent in court. Which I am not,” she added to Pearl. “Seriously, Pearl, you need to hire a real lawyer. I don’t know what I’m doing. You could get in some real trouble here.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Pearl insisted. “And since Eddie died, there aren’t any good, honest lawyers anymore.”

  Ed McNeil had been the smarmiest, most dishonest lawyer in town, but Pearl thought he walked on water—a clear sign of her insanity. Lacy couldn’t
help but dart a glance at Jason after this comment. He gave her a look and she nodded her agreement. Yes, Pearl is not playing with a full deck.

  “If you’re serious about this, then we can’t proceed until we fill out an attorney-in-fact form and have it notarized. I’ll go get one of the dispatchers to type it up,” Detective Arroyo said. He left and Lacy turned to Pearl.

  “What happened?”

  “Don’t say a word until Detective Arroyo gets back with the form,” Jason warned Pearl.

  “I didn’t do anything wrong; I have nothing to hide,” Pearl insisted.

  “Nonetheless, we’re doing this by the book. Not a word.”

  Pearl pressed her lips together and glared at him. To his credit, he didn’t react. Pearl’s glare was a scary sight to behold, and Lacy was glad it wasn’t trained on her for once. But soon another glare was headed her direction.

  “Lacy can I see you outside for a minute?” Jason asked.

  “No,” Lacy said.

  He had already started to stand so that when he paused to look at her, he was mid-crouch. “Why not?”

  “Because you’re going to yell at me.”

  “I really need to talk to you,” he said.

  “Do it here, in front of this witness.” She pointed to Pearl.

  Jason spoke through gritted teeth. “I can’t talk to you in front of a suspect. Step outside, woman, before I pick you up and move you myself.”

  Pearl clucked her tongue. “You sound just like my husband.”

  Lacy hunkered down in her chair. Jason stood fully upright and took a step closer. She thought better of defiance and scrambled to get to the hallway before he reached her. By the time he stepped outside the door, she was leaning against the wall, striking a casual pose.

  “What’s up?” she said.

  “What are you doing here?” he whispered as he closed the door behind them.

  “I have no idea.”

  “I thought you didn’t like this woman.”

  “She terrifies me.”

  “Then what are you doing here?” he asked.

  “She requested me,” Lacy said.

  “So what? Clearly, her wheel has stopped turning and the hamster is dead. You should have said no.”

  “I couldn’t,” Lacy said.

  “Give me one good reason,” Jason said.

  “Tosh asked me to help,” she said.

  Jason’s jaw popped.

  “He doesn’t think she did it, obviously, or he never would have asked me to get involved,” Lacy said.

  “I suppose it never occurred to him that if she didn’t do it, then someone else did and he would be involving you in a dangerous murder investigation.”

  She stopped short, mouth ajar. “He probably didn’t think of that,” Lacy said.

  “Of course he didn’t,” Jason muttered.

  “Does that mean you don’t think she did it?” Lacy said.

  “If I didn’t think she did it, she wouldn’t be here. Unlike my predecessor, I don’t bring people in without just cause.”

  “I know you don’t,” Lacy said. He was so angry. Her lower lip quivered and she bit it to make it stop.

  He took a deep breath and released it. “I’m sorry. My frustration has more to do with lack of sleep and work stuff than you. And I’m worried you’re in over your head here.” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She could only imagine what it looked like as it slowly sprung free from the haphazard bun. “Geez, you look good for the middle of the night,” he said.

  “Clearly sleep deprivation has made you delusional. Did you sleep at all today?”

  He shrugged. She took that as a no.

  “Someday your lack of sleep is going to catch up with you. You’re going to crash and sleep for days.”

  “I can’t sleep without my teddy bear.”

  “You have a teddy bear?” she asked, sure he was teasing her.

  He nodded. “She has red hair and green eyes. Killer lips.”

  “My hair is strawberry blond,” she said.

  “Who says I was talking about you?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, and he smiled. “I think I hear Arroyo. Let’s go back in and pretend I haven’t been flirting on the job.”

  He opened the door. They scooted inside and sat just as the other detective returned. “Mrs. Merleputter, you do realize that this form gives Ms. Steele your power of attorney,” he said as he placed the form in front of Pearl.

  “Power of attorney?” Lacy echoed. “I don’t want that.”

  “You have to if you want to represent her; it’s the law,” Jason said.

  “Pearl, don’t sign that. You should never give anyone your power of attorney,” Lacy said even as Pearl picked up the pen and signed. “And, by the way, your last name is Merleputter? Pearl Merleputter?"

  “That’s my married name. I go by my maiden name,” Pearl said. She slid the signed form across the desk toward Jason.

  “What’s your maiden name?” Lacy asked.

  “Clutterbuck,” Pearl said.

  Lacy clamped her jaw shut and faced forward. She dared not look at Jason who was doing his best not to look at her. He cleared his throat and pulled out a digital recorder. “Let’s begin.”

  “Wait,” Lacy held out her hand and everyone looked at her. “Pearl, you really shouldn’t say anything without your attorney present.” That much she had learned from television.

  Detective Arroyo tapped the form Pearl had just signed, the one that made Lacy Pearl’s attorney of note. “Oh,” she said. “Right. Go ahead, I guess.”

  “Let’s start at the beginning,” Jason said. “You and your husband were estranged, is that correct?”

  “Yes,” Pearl said. “I left him a while ago. I wanted a divorce, but he wouldn’t give me one.”

  “Was there a reason you left him?” Arroyo asked.

  “He was abusive. Physically, verbally, and emotionally. If I didn’t do exactly what he wanted when he wanted, then he would hit me. He berated me constantly. It took years for me to gather the courage to leave. I was terrified he would come after me, but he let me go. At least for a while. Something must have changed his mind, and he decided he wanted to reconcile.”

  “Did you know he was coming to town?” Jason asked.

  “Yes,” Pearl blurted at the same time Lacy said, “Don’t answer that.”

  “How did you know he was coming to town?” Jason asked.

  “He sent me a letter,” Pearl said as Lacy again said, “Don’t answer that.”

  “This letter?” Arroyo asked. He held up a piece of paper with chicken scratch writing on it.

  “Yes,” Pearl said while Lacy said, “La, la, la, la.”

  The two men paused and looked at her. “What are you doing?” Arroyo asked.

  “She wouldn’t listen to me when I told her not to answer, so I thought I would try talking over her. Can I not do that?”

  “No, you can’t do that,” Arroyo said. “Will you read the letter out loud for us?” He slid the paper to Pearl.

  “’Pearl, I’m coming to get what’s mine, and you better be ready, woman. It ain’t right for married people to live apart like this when you’re not doing your rightful duty. You better not give me any trouble about it if you know what’s good for you. I’ll be there Tuesday. Have your stuff packed because I don’t want to have to stay any longer than I have to in your stink hole. Oh, and you can’t keep your cats. They’re going to the shelter. Jonah.’”

  Lacy regarded Pearl with a pitying glance. Perhaps her odious husband helped to explain some of Pearl’s outlandish behavior. Though she didn’t seem like a shrinking violet to Lacy, she had apparently been abused for many years. When the mess was over, she decided to try and be nicer and more understanding toward the woman. “I’m sorry, Pearl,” she said. Tentatively, she reached out and patted Pearl’s shoulder a couple of times before quickly jerking her hand away. She didn’t yet trust Pearl not to smack it away or punch her in the
face for offering up good will. Pearl didn’t respond beyond a shrug. She folded the letter and slid it back across the desk to the men.

  “You knew he was coming Tuesday, the night he was killed,” Jason said.

  Pearl nodded.

  “Out loud, please,” Jason said.