The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3

by Michele Scott

  "Right," Dwayne said.

  "I don't get it. And I'm irritated that I can't get a hold of this vet. I'm going to see if Ethan is back from San Diego." She used the office phone to call Ethan's cell, but it went straight to his voice mail. She hesitated but decided to call his house. Summer answered.

  "Oh, hi, Michaela. Are you calling about Friday?"

  "I am. Um, something has come up. I'm terribly sorry, a commitment I forgot about. But I was wondering if I could stop by and drop off a gift for the baby."

  "Sure," Summer replied, and Michaela could have sworn that the woman sounded as relieved as she felt about her nonappearance at the baby shower.

  "Is Ethan going to be home? I need to talk to him about one of my horses the on-call vet saw on Saturday."

  "He should be. He's on his way home from San Diego now. I'm expecting him any time."

  "Okay, I won't be long." Michaela hung up the phone and sighed.

  "You going to see Ethan?" Dwayne said standing in the doorway. Michaela nodded. "That's good. Call me tonight at home if you get an answer. I got to go and check on my girl. I am sorry about Rocky. I'll never do something like that again."

  Michaela hugged him. "It's okay. I understand and I do appreciate it, but I'm a big girl." She pulled away and socked him lightly on the shoulder. "And as far as you and Camden go, I am happy for the two of you. I really am. You're good for her."

  "Thanks. She good for me, too."

  Michaela grabbed the gift for the baby and was heading out the door when the phone rang. She should let it go. She wanted to get over to Ethan's, talk to him about her horse and get home quickly. Maybe it was Joey though, with some word on Bob Pratt. Her caller ID didn't register. Probably a damn solicitor. She grabbed it anyway. The phone crackled loudly. No one seemed to be on the other end, as she didn't get a response when she first answered. She started to hang up, when a man's voice on the other end said, "Is it true?"

  "Is what true? Who is this?"

  "About Audrey?" His voice sounded distant.

  "Who the hell is this? What do you know about Audrey?"

  Again, no answer. "I said, what do you know about Audrey?" she yelled.

  Finally the man said, "Terrell Jardinière." Then the line went dead.

  THIRTY-ONE

  "OH, MICHAELA, WE'RE SO GLAD YOU COULD COME by," Summer said, a little too unconvincingly as she opened her front door in all her pregnant glory. She still had her perfect ivory skin and shiny red hair sleeked back in a ponytail. On top of all her perfectness she had that pregnancy glow, and she hadn't gained a ton of weight, except for her tummy. It seemed as if there were a perfect basketball resting inside her. "I'm only sorry that you won't be able to make it Friday night. Why don't you stay for dinner this evening?"

  "That sounds lovely, but really I can't."

  Ethan appeared next to Summer, his rugged, chiseled features quite the contrast to his wife's delicacy. "Hey Mick, what's this I hear you can't come on Friday?"

  "I'm sorry, it's, well, I have to…"

  Ethan interrupted her, sensing her panic. "I know, if I remember right, I think you said you were doing something with Joe Pellegrino's little girl."

  She nodded. "Yes. Gen. It's a party at Joe's and since I'm her riding instructor and am going to be working with more of the kids in her group, I thought I'd better go."

  She smiled at him, secretly thanking him. He'd saved her. That was Ethan. She knew he understood that it was not easy for her to be at a baby shower. She was sure he didn't quite grasp the fact that it also had a lot to do with the fact that it was his and Summer's baby shower, but that was okay. He understood enough. He'd been there through the years when she'd tried to get pregnant to no avail while married to Brad, and he knew how badly she wanted a child.

  "That's great," Summer said. "Ethan mentioned that you were working with her. She's autistic, right?"

  Michaela nodded. "Yes, and Joe and his wife, Marianne, have asked me to run a riding program for other autistic children. I plan to take that on soon. I'm getting a great horse from Hugh Bowen—should be here in a day or two—and I placed a call to the Humane Society today. They picked up Audrey's animals, and I'd like to adopt the horses. I think she had quite a few that would work out well for this program."

  "That's terrific, Mick. Man, I am so sorry about Audrey. I just can't believe it."

  "Me either."

  Summer smiled. "Oh, I'm sorry, can you excuse me for a minute?" She glanced at Ethan. "I'm making one of Ethan's favorite's—veal cutlets in a lemon caper sauce and au gratin potatoes."

  "Sounds and smells delicious," Michaela said, somewhat jealous, knowing that her culinary expertise didn't extend much past barbequed chicken on the grill—with sauce from a jar. She could make a mean hamburger, too, though.

  "Thank you. I'll be back in a jiff." She scurried into the kitchen.

  "Oh, here," Michaela said when Summer walked away, and handed Ethan the baby gift.

  "Thanks."

  "No, thank you, for covering for me."

  "That's what friends are for. I know it isn't easy for you, and as much as I want you to be here on Friday, I understand why it's hard."

  "You're not upset?"

  "No. I am kind of upset that you didn't tell me about Audrey. I know what she meant to you. I had some cop call me—a Detective Merrill—and ask me if she'd been down on the track right after Halliday had the break. I was in shock to hear the news, but no, I didn't see her on the track."

  "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but I knew—know—that you have a lot on your plate right now. With Summer getting ready to have the baby, and your new job, all of that has to be on your mind. The last thing I wanted was to burden you."

  He took both of her hands. "Shut up. You've been my friend for what? Almost thirty years? And you think by telling me about what is going on in your life and the pain you're dealing with is a burden?"

  She shrugged. It might not be a burden to him. She knew that. But what she didn't want to do was come between him and his wife. He was married to Summer and she respected that his wife was not super keen on their friendship, even though it had been one from childhood.

  "You or what you're going through is never a burden. Got it?"

  She nodded. "Got it."

  "Now, Summer said that you needed to talk to me about a horse. What's up? Come on in and sit down."

  She followed him into the family room, which was floral, feminine, and delicate in pastel shades of green, rose, and yellow. Michaela almost laughed seeing Ethan plunk down on the rose-patterned sofa. To recall what his bachelor pad had looked like! This was all so Summer.

  "Talk to me," Ethan said.

  Michaela explained to him about the vet coming out to see Rocky, what the labs had shown, and how she'd been having difficulty getting a hold of Dr. Burton for further explanation.

  "She's new. A little overwhelmed. I'm trying to get her to take on more, since I've taken on the track appointment, but it's been difficult being in San Diego so much. I'm going back down on Thursday morning to check on Halliday when they change his cast and then hurry home to help with the preparations for the shower. I'm sorry to say that I have not seen Rocky's labs, but when I get into the office tomorrow, I'll take a look."

  "Do you have any idea by what I'm saying as to what it might be?" Michaela asked.

  "Not without examining him. He's six now, and it's possible that he could have some type of degenerative heart thing going on. The one thing I do find kind of interesting is that from what you're telling me, the initial labs that were reported are sounding similar to Halliday's labs."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Come on. I'll show you what I have in his file. I brought it home with me to go over again. It's up in my office. First, I want to show you the baby's room. I finished painting it a few days ago."

  "Sure." They walked up the stairs of the very formal, almost museum-like home, passing his and Summer's bedroom, all done up
in peach and gold. Puke. But when she took a second look, it really wasn't barf material at all. It was as tasteful and beautiful as Michaela figured it would be, though she didn't get a sense that it would be easy to relax in all that perfection.

  Next door was the baby's room. "Oh my gosh! This is amazing! You did all this?" she asked. He nodded, a huge grin across his face. Was he blushing, too? Ethan was obviously proud of all he'd done.

  "I didn't paint the horses. Summer had a pro do that. But I set up the crib, and painted the background colors. I even helped sew the curtains."

  Michaela crossed her arms. "Look at you."

  "I know. I can't wait for this kid to be born."

  Michaela gave him a hug. "I'm so happy for you. And for Summer. You two will make great parents." She was happy for him. She knew how much Ethan wanted to be a father. His own dad had abandoned him before he was born and only recently had he even discovered the true identity of his father. She knew that he felt a certain obligation to be the best father ever, and she was sure he'd live up to that. The room was painted a light tan with an amazing mural of wild horses running through the desert; the ceiling was a blue sky with billowy clouds, and the drapes and baby's comforter were red with a cowboy pattern on them.

  "Thanks. We're excited."

  She followed him to another museum-quality room with some of his degrees up on the wall. He went up to an ornate mahogany desk, grabbed a file, and handed it to her. "Look at this and tell me what you think."

  She opened the file. "I'm not a vet, Ethan."

  "No, but you know quite a bit. Remember all the times you've helped me study? And it's not like you haven't had your fair share of illnesses on the ranch. Plus, I'm looking to see if any of this sounds like what you or Dwayne has seen going on in Rocky."

  "I'll try." She studied the results. "His testosterone and cortisol levels are high, like what we're seeing with Rocky, and it looks like he has a spike in blood pressure after meals. Might be a thyroid problem. I meant to bring you a sheet that Dwayne has been keeping on Rocky. It resembles this almost to a tee, with his pressure rising after meals. Do you think it could be steroids in Halliday? I know it isn't in my horse, but it's a possibility with a racehorse."

  "He was tested prior to the race and he didn't have any steroid, bute, nada, in his system."

  "Maybe they were masking it somehow."

  "Maybe. I am concerned though. I noticed this afternoon that his heart rate and blood pressure were up again, this time not after eating. First we suspected an infection. I don't know. I had him started on a course of antibiotics because you can't be too cautious after a leg break like the one he's suffered."

  "Could this diminish his chances for survival?"

  "It might."

  "Oh no."

  "Ethan?" Summer yelled from downstairs.

  "We better go down. She hates to climb stairs if she doesn't have to these days. I'll let you know what happens."

  "Okay. Did Kathleen Bowen ever turn up at the center?"

  "Nope." He shrugged. "Maybe she figures since you're footing the bill that she can ignore him. I still think you need to reconsider that."

  "I know you do."

  "You know what, I almost forgot." Michaela smacked herself on the forehead. "Did Audrey call you and leave you a message about a file that Bob asked her to give to you?"

  "Yeah, she did. She called me last week. I called her back and we played phone tag. Then I got busy and forgot about it. Now that you mention it though, I remember. I have no clue why she would have one of his files. Especially one that he thought I might need. I have to think about and look at some of my cases. I know that we've conferred on some things together, but I can't recall anything lately. But I've had a lot on my mind. How did you know about it?"

  "Audrey mentioned it to me the other day. She thought it was strange that he asked her to give it to you, but apparently he said that it was because the two of you were in close vicinity and he thought you might get it faster from her. They'd had dinner last week together."

  "Huh. I still don't know what it's about."

  "I have the file."

  "You do?"

  "I think I do, anyway."

  "Michaela?"

  "I took something from Audrey's desk that was in an envelope that came from Bob."

  "You did what?"

  "I figured that it was for you."

  He rubbed his chin. "Okay. Where is it?"

  Thank goodness he didn't press her on it. She didn't want to admit that she'd left Audrey's ranch with the file right underneath the nose of one Officer Garcia. "I left it at home. I meant to bring it with me tonight, but was kind of in a rush to get over here." She didn't want to tell him that the reason she'd lost her focus was the mysterious phone call she'd received before leaving. "I'll get it to you."

  "Ethan," Summer called again.

  "Come on."

  They walked down together. Summer stood at the bottom of the landing, frowning. "What were you two doing?"

  "I was showing Mick the baby's room."

  "It's gorgeous. You two have done a wonderful job," Michaela said.

  "Thank you," Summer replied. "It's time to eat. Are you sure you can't stay?" She smiled sweetly at Michaela, but there were daggers in Summer's eyes aimed right at her heart.

  "No, but thank you."

  Michaela left their place with a ton on her mind, from Halliday's and Rocky's conditions to Audrey's murder, and of course, to the very strange phone call she'd received before heading over to Ethan and Summer's house. Had it been a prank call from someone who knew that she and Audrey were close? If so, that was sick. Terrell Jardinière. That's the name the caller had said. Who in the hell was Terrell Jardinière? Michaela didn't have a clue, but she knew she'd be up late into the night trying to figure out who this guy was, or if he was anyone at all.

  THIRTY-TWO

  EVEN THOUGH SLEEP HAD ELUDED HER MUCH OF the night, Michaela rose early the next morning. She'd worked the Internet for about an hour after getting home from Ethan's and found out a little about Terrell Jardinière, a guy living in Los Angeles—a boxer who'd had a stroke but had survived. It wasn't much, and it felt like a dead end, but when she and Joe finally hooked up after Gen rode that afternoon she passed on that information, plus everything else she'd learned about Bob Pratt.

  "Getting info can take some time," Joe said as they sat on Michaela's porch watching Gen hold Booger's lead line while he chewed on a patch of grass.

  "I understand. I feel like there is no way Bob did this horrible thing." She felt her throat tighten. "Even if something bad has happened to him, I want to know. It seems as if Audrey wants me to get to the truth and vindicate him, find justice for her."

  Joe patted her on the back. "You may have to accept that it might not happen. The cops seem focused on Bob, and you vindicating him might not be in the cards."

  "You're going to keep helping me though, aren't you?"

  He nodded.

  She had told Joe about discovering Francisco, and then the story about Olivia and her odd behavior afterward at the coffeehouse. "There is more to this than that Bob went nutso. And how would it tie into Francisco being killed at Audrey's? Doesn't it make sense that both of the murders have some kind of connection?"

  "It does seem like that."

  "Can you do something for me?"

  He laughed. "Mick, if I had a dollar every time you asked me that question, I'd be able to send all my kids to private school."

  She went inside and brought out the envelope she'd found in Audrey's office when she'd gone back the day after Francisco had been killed. "I've had this for two days now. I think it's something that was meant for Ethan, but I'm not sure. I don't know what's inside, or if it's even important, but it does have Bob's address on the return."

  "And you want me to open it."

  "Would you?"

  "Girl!"

  "I know, Joe. Please."

  "Mail fraud. Or tampering or something l
ike that. What the hell." He tore it open.

  Michaela had not been able to bring herself to do it, and with everything else that had been going on, she'd left it in the truck, but now she knew she needed to find out what was in the envelope. She wouldn't give it to Ethan until she knew it was meant for him.

  Joe pulled out a file, opened it. "Don't know what it is. Here's a note on it though." He handed her the file.

  She read the note. Dear Sis, Please give this to Dr. Ethan Slater, as I asked. Love, Bobby. Michaela studied the sheet on the inside. Names that appeared to belong to horses, and all sorts of numbers, percentages. They were labs. Huh. No big deal. It made sense that they would be sharing lab information. "I'll get these to him. He did say that they conferred on cases from time to time."

  "Okay. I'll keep on seeing what I can learn. Get some rest. You look tired."

  "Thanks."

  After Joe left and Michaela finished up for the day, she sat down at the kitchen table and looked over the labs again. The phone rang. She could see from her caller ID that it was from Jude. She'd let it go.

  The machine came on. "Michaela? Where are you? I've been calling and you're not returning my calls, then I got this message that we're not on for Friday. What is up? Please call me. And how about Katie? She's asking to come for a lesson. Can you at least call me about that?"

  She reached for the phone, but he'd hung up. She knew it wasn't right to treat him this way. But what if he was playing her? What if Garcia was right about Jude being a womanizer? She'd been down that path with her ex-husband. She hadn't seen the signs at all. She didn't want to make that same mistake. But she did owe Katie her time. Definitely. She'd call tomorrow, after the girl was home from school.

  She put her dinner in the microwave and the labs on her kitchen counter. Okay, so it was normal for vets to pass information, especially because they were both track vets. But why would Bob have sent the labs to Ethan?

  Without taking her food out of the oven, she grabbed the files and once again drove to Ethan's place.

  Luckily he was the only one home. Summer was out shopping for the shower. She explained to him how she'd come into possession of the file.