Conflict of Interest

by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg

  “She killed Gary in self-defense,” Ian said, craning his neck around. “She did it for me. She’s never done anything wrong. People think she’s a prostitute, but she isn’t. She’s an actress. Her father pays her rent.”

  “Tell me how this happened,” Eli said, gently rolling Ian over again and repositioning his pillows. “I can’t be here when the ambulance comes. I need to know the truth in order to help you.”

  “I found the gun,” Ian said. “That gun that looked like a cell phone.”

  “Where is the gun now?”

  “I don’t know about the gun Gary had,” Ian said. “But Trudy’s father gave her a gun a long time ago, right after she moved out on her own. He’s a gun collector.”

  “What happened the night you were shot?”

  “After I found the gun,” Ian told him, “I knew Gary and Tom had robbed the Quick-Mart. Before then, I was stupid. They had convinced me two other men had pulled off the robbery, that they were just inside the store buying beer at the time. The night I got shot, Gary and I were fighting in the motel room. Tom pulled Gary off of me, and then they started going at each other. I saw the gun on the floor near a stack of money. Because I didn’t know it was a gun, I was going to use it to call my mother. Gary and Tom both started shouting at me.” He winced in pain. “They were afraid I was going to shoot them.”

  “Slow down,” Eli said, handing him a glass of water. He picked up a bottle of pills off the nightstand, glancing over at Trudy. “What are these?”

  “Codeine,” she said. “The dentist gave them to me when I had my wisdom teeth extracted. I gave him a pill about four hours ago.”

  Eli opened the bottle and poured out two pills, handing them to Ian. “Take these, then keep talking.”

  “I put the gun in my pocket, but Gary got it away from me,” Ian said, handing back the glass of water after he’d swallowed the pills. “We all three left in the Chrysler. Gary said they were going to take me home. I told them they had to take the car back to my mother’s business. When we took it, they said we were only borrowing it. We drove into the lot and got out of the car. Gary said something to me. I think he said he saw my uncle Carl in the office. When I turned around to look, he shot me in the back.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I passed out,” Ian said, reliving that awful night. “When I came to, I thought I was in a coffin. Then I must have been delusional or something because I imagined I was with Trudy at my apartment. I came to again because the car was bouncing around. That’s when I realized I was in the trunk. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but the car suddenly stopped moving. I waited, thinking they were just going to leave me there and not come back. I finally found a tire tool and used it to pry open the trunk. As soon as I got out, I saw Gary and Tom inside the office. I closed the trunk and crawled several aisles over, hiding underneath another car.”

  “Didn’t they see you?

  “No,” Ian said. “They were inside the office. When they came out. they started arguing again. Tom drove the Taurus over where the Chrysler was parked. When Gary opened the trunk and saw I was gone, he went nuts. Tom just left him there and drove off. I saw a police car pass by, but the officer didn’t stop. Gary must have seen the cop car too. He got into the Chrysler and left.”

  “How did Trudy get involved?”

  “I managed to walk to the office,” Ian explained. “They had left the door unlocked when they went in to get the keys to the Taurus. I was afraid to call the police because I knew that Gary and Tom had robbed the Quick-Mart. Since they shot me, I had no idea what kind of crimes they might have committed. Gary and Tom told me no one would ever believe that I didn’t know that they were committing crimes, and the court would send me to prison. I was afraid to call my mom because her phone might have been tapped. I didn’t know who else to call, so I called Trudy.”

  Trudy spoke up, “As soon as I got to the storage lot, I wanted to call the police and an ambulance, but Ian refused. I helped him to the car and brought him to my apartment. The place where he was shot didn’t look that bad, and the bleeding had almost stopped. I thought if I put antiseptic on it and took care of him, he’d be alright.” She stopped speaking and coughed. “I think I’m getting sick. I don’t feel well.”

  Eli was trying to put the pieces of the crime together in his mind. “I still don’t understand how Gary Rubinsky got buried in Valencia.”

  “We heard on TV that the police thought Ian was dead and that they were searching over by Magic Mountain,” Trudy said. “Then we heard that Tom had been arrested. Gary called Sunday night, wanting me to let him stay here. I couldn’t let him stay here because of Ian.”

  Eli recalled the phone call he’d made to Trudy from the jail. “Why didn’t you just hang up on him?”

  “Gary knew where I lived,” Trudy said, sucking in a deep breath. “I knew if I didn’t do something, he’d show up on my doorstep. He sounded like he was high on drugs. He told me something had happened and he had to get out of town or find a place to hide where no one would find him. He tried to hit me up for money also. I agreed to meet him at a Denny’s restaurant on the outskirts of L.A.”

  “Where exactly did you meet?”

  “Near the 405 and the Interstate 5 Interchange,” Trudy told him, wrapping her arms around her chest. “We never went inside the restaurant. Gary insisted that we talk in my car,” she said. “He told me he’d traded the Chrysler for Willie’s Jeep. I was confused because the Jeep used to belong to Gary and Tom. My radio was on and the news report said a man named William Crenshaw had been murdered that morning. I knew Gary had killed Willie. I could tell by the way he was acting. I told him to get out of my car.” She paused and placed her hands over her face. A few moments later, she continued, “He pulled out this funny looking thing that looked like a cell phone. Ian had already told me about the decoy gun. I have a license to carry the Ruger. My dad didn’t want anyone to hurt me. He wanted to make sure I was safe. I usually keep the gun in the side panel of my car. Since all this happened, I’ve been carrying it in my purse. I know how to use it because my dad used to take me to the firing range.” She paused and gulped air. “I knew Gary was going to kill me. I was terrified. He told me to start driving. We got on the Interstate 5, and then he told me to get off on one of the exits on the other side of Magic Mountain. As soon as Gary told me to stop the car, I pulled out my gun and shot him in the chest. If I hadn’t shot him, I’d be dead.”

  “And then you buried him?”

  “Yes,” Trudy said. “I knew the area we were in was close to where the police had been searching for Ian. I thought the police would find Gary and think Willie, Tom, or someone else had killed him. I pushed Gary out of the car, then I dragged him as far from the road as I could.”

  “You’re not that big,” Eli said, rubbing his chin. “Gary was a big man.”

  “Let me tell you something,” Trudy said emphatically. “After you kill someone, you’re wound up enough that you could carry a horse. Not only that, I’m stronger than you think. I lift weights at the gym. Besides, I didn’t drag him that far. The ground was soft, so I just dug out a spot with my hands, then kicked a lot of dirt over him.”

  “I wanted to call my mother,” Ian said, adjusting a pillow behind his neck. “Trudy didn’t think we should take a chance. She said I should wait for things to calm down, particularly because my mother was so involved with the police.”

  “Incredible,” Eli said, picking up the phone to call both the police and an ambulance. “You’ll both be okay,” he continued, once he had made the calls. “The hospital will remove the bullet, sew Ian up, pump him full of antibiotics and before you know it, he’ll be as good as new.”

  “What about me?” Trudy said, pointing at her chest. “They’re going to send me to prison, aren’t they?”

  “You killed Gary in self-defense,” Eli said. “Not only that, you saved Ian’s life. You may have to sweat it out for a few days. Burying the guy and not rep
orting the crime may cause you some problems. Eventually, you’ll be cleared.”

  Trudy chewed on a fingernail. “How do you know that?”

  “Because your story will match up with the facts,” Eli said. “All you have to do is give the police the same statement you just told me. Your picture will be plastered in all the newspapers, and you’ll probably end up starring in a TV series.” He stopped and smiled at Ian. “Just don’t forget about your friend.”

  Trudy walked over and stroked Ian’s cheek. “I love Ian,” she said. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me. We made a pact. If either of us has to serve time in jail, we’ll wait for each other. All the other guys liked me for the way I look. Ian loves me for myself. Even if I got old and fat, Ian would still love me.”

  Ian Decker pulled Trudy’s hand to his mouth and kissed it, his face glowing. “When this is all over, we’re going to get married.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Eli said, ducking his head as he walked out of the bedroom and disappeared through the front door of the apartment.

  THIRTY-TWO

  Sunday, February 18, 2001, 3:15 P.M.

  DREISER CALLED Joanne, wanting her to go to dinner with him. “I can’t,” she said. “I’m going to take Mike and Leah to see their father tonight.”

  “What brought you to this decision?”

  “Because I think it’s the right thing to do,” Joanne said. “Come over now, if you can. We can go for a walk on the beach. It’s a gorgeous day.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Approximately thirty minutes later, Joanne and Arnold were strolling near the water’s edge. Joanne had her jeans rolled up several inches, and was darting in and out of the surf, laughing and playing like a kid. Arnold squatted on the sand, smiling as he watched her. He’d never seen her this relaxed. She was more lovely than he had ever imagined. His cell phone rang. He was inclined to ignore it, but habit forced him to answer it.

  “This is Eli,” a deep voice said. “I hope you’re not the kind of man who goes back on his word. You owe me ten grand, Dreiser.”

  “You found Ian Decker’s body?”

  “I’ve got even better news that,” Eli boasted. “Ian is at Good Shepherd Hospital in Los Angeles. All they need to do is a little patch-up work and he’ll be fine. He took a bullet in the back, but it doesn’t look as if it did any serious damage. That decoy gun doesn’t have a scope. It’s hard to site a target.”

  “Ian is alive!” Dreiser shouted to Joanne. She rushed over and placed her head next to Dreiser’s in order to listen in as Eli continued telling them what had transpired.

  “The only outstanding issue is the decoy gun,” Eli said. “The girl claims she doesn’t have it. Everything she and Ian told me seemed to be the truth. Somewhere down the line, I guess the gun will surface.”

  “The police already recovered the gun,” Joanne told him, taking the phone out of Dreiser’s hands. “When this Gilbert girl buried Rubinsky, she must have buried the gun with him. Maybe it got caught up in the folds of his Jacket. The crime lab also found a piece of green fabric from the motel room stuck on one of Gary’s fingers. Since the curtain was ripped when they first searched the room, and the fabric has both Ian’s and Gary’s prints on it, they must have struggled over the gun. Both of their hands were probably sweaty. We’ll know more once the lab completes the DNA testing.”

  “All that’s left then is for us to settle up,” Eli said after Joanne had handed the phone back to Dreiser. “I’m itching to get out of here.”

  “You’ve earned the money fair and square,” Dreiser told him. “You’ll have to wait until tomorrow if you want cash though.”

  “No problem,” Eli said. “Oh, the police have already notified Elizabeth. When I called the hospital to get an update on Ian’s condition, they told me his mother and sister were already there.”

  “Where do you want to meet tomorrow?” Dreiser was ecstatic. “Same place and time?”

  “Always,” Eli said, disconnecting.

  Joanne wrapped her arms around Dreiser’s neck. Seizing the opportunity, he clasped her tightly and kissed her. “When will you be home tonight?” he asked. “We might not be able to have dinner, but we could meet somewhere for a drink.”

  “Come now,” she said, standing and taking his hand. “I want to introduce you to my children. I’ll call you as soon as we get back from Los Angeles. We’ll meet right here. I’ll leave a note at the gate to let you in just in case I’m late. The moon will be out tonight. I’ll bring a bottle of wine, and we’ll celebrate.”

  Dreiser stopped walking, anxious about meeting her children. “I should go to the hospital now and see Elizabeth.”

  “All I’m asking for is ten minutes,” Joanne said, falling serious. “This is a big thing for me, particularly since I’m taking Mike and Leah to see their father tonight. We’re going to have to leave right away. I don’t want to take a chance on getting stuck in traffic.”

  Dreiser thought he understood. She didn’t want her children to develop false hopes that she might reconcile with their father. By bringing a man into their home, she would be making a strong statement. “I’m not the token boyfriend, I hope.”

  “No,” Joanne said, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight, “you’re the only boyfriend.”

  Joanne parked to the rear of the Los Angeles County jail, and Mike and Leah walked beside her to the visitors’ entrance. No matter how old or new a detention facility was, there was always a depressing squalor to it. Leah stayed close to her mother, walking with her head down. Joanne saw Mike looking up at the barred windows.

  Inside the building, they had to stand in a long line to register. Babies cried, toddlers squirmed in their mother’s arms, rough-looking men and women slouched in the plastic chairs, waiting to visit friends or family members. The longer a person was incarcerated, Joanne speculated, the fewer visits they received from friends. Most of the people assembled in the visitors’ waiting room had come to see fathers, sons, sisters, mothers, uncles, aunts. They had the weary look of obligation on their faces. After Mike and Leah had signed in, they found three chairs and sat down. “You’ll have to go in separately,” Joanne explained. “Your father will be behind the glass. There will be a phone…”

  Mike cut her off. “We’ve seen it on TV, Mom. We know what to expect.”

  “Are you going to see Dad?” Leah asked anxiously.

  “No,” Joanne told her. “I didn’t put my name on the list.”

  “I think you should,” Leah continued. “I know you’re not married to him anymore. And I’m not asking you to forgive him. Something about him must have been right. You married him. You had two children with him. It’s not like you can forget about him completely.”

  Joanne felt as if she couldn’t breathe. The room was too crowded, and there wasn’t enough ventilation. She wondered if she was experiencing a panic attack. She stared at the clock on the wall, listening to the minutes tick off inside her head. Finally they called Leah’s name. She looked over her shoulder at her mother as she walked to the door.

  “She shouldn’t have asked you to see him,” Mike said, leaning forward over his knees. “Maybe you bringing that guy to the house today made her mad.” He saw the perspiration on his mother’s brow. “She upset you, didn’t she?”

  “I’m fine,” Joanne lied. “Will you be okay if I step outside and get some air? I won’t be long. Listen for your name.”

  “Go on. Mom,” Mike said, patting her on the shoulder. “No one’s going to hurt me inside the jail.”

  When Joanne stepped outside the door, she found herself in a group of smokers. She didn’t want to get too far away. She decided she could breathe better inside. By the time she returned, Leah was already back. She must have been outside longer than she thought. Mike’s name was called next, and he shuffled to the door.

  “Dad looks pretty bad,” Leah told her, pulling out a tissue and blowing her nose. “All he did was keep telling me how much he loved me.
He said once this trial is over, he’ll be moved to Ventura. Then we can visit him more often. I’m glad I didn’t tell him about what happened last night.”

  Joanne rested her head against the wall. The events of the past two days were taking their toll. She doubted if she’d feel up to a romantic rendezvous with Arnold, but it was nice to know he would be waiting for her to call. There would be other days and other nights. “Are you feeling alright?”

  “I’m still a little weak,” Leah said, sighing. “I learned my lesson.”

  They waited in silence. Approximately fifteen minutes later, Mike came out and they left. The boy didn’t mention anything he’d discussed with his father, and Leah reached over and turned on the radio when they got into the car. Halfway to their house, Joanne couldn’t stand the oppressive atmosphere inside the car. “Turn the radio off,” she told Leah.

  “Is something wrong?” her daughter asked.

  “No,” Joanne said. “I just want to tell you something. Your father has been charged with a multitude of felonies. None of them involve violence, which falls in his favor. The prisons are overcrowded. Most of the judges tend to be fairly lenient with white-collar offenders, particularly if they have no previous criminal history. Because I love you, and you love your father, I’m going to speak to the district attorney in Ventura. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’m willing to withdraw my complaint on the child-stealing charges.”

  “Does that mean Dad won’t go to jail?” Leah said excitedly.

  “All it means is that he might be discharged on those particular charges,” Joanne told her. “I’d appreciate it if you don’t mention this conversation to your father As long as a crime was committed, the state has the right to prosecute even if the victim withdraws their complaint.”

  “Why are you doing this?” Mike said from the backseat. “We had a great life and Dad ruined it. Both Leah and I believed the things he told us about you. How do you think I felt when Dad told me my own mother wanted to be with some guy more than she did her own kids? How do you think I felt when you never called, not even on my birthday? I used to lock myself in my room and cry. I thought I’d done something terrible and caused you to hate me. Tonight, for the first time, Dad admitted that none of that stuff was true.”