by Kat Martin
“I’m a lawyer in Westwood. Whether I’m big-time depends on your definition.”
“So what do you want to know?” the sergeant asked.
“I need to talk to you about a Hispanic couple who used to live in a house on my father’s farm. You might remember them—Hector and Consuela Martinez? They murdered a girl up in Fresno. Hector Martinez got the death penalty for it.”
Both men seemed to stand a little straighter. “I remember that case,” Officer Collins said. “Bad one. Most of us followed it pretty close, seein’ as the two of ’em lived here in town a couple of years before it happened.”
“That’s why I’m here. I’m trying to find out if it’s possible they might have committed another murder here in San Pico before the one in Fresno. I was hoping you might be able to take a look at the missing persons files, see if there were any young girls who came up missing in this area between 1967 and 1971.”
“I can tell you right now there aren’t any,” Sgt. Drury said. “We checked our files real good when those two were arrested, checked this whole end of the San Joaquin Valley. Nothing turned up. No missing girls, no unsolved murders, nothing that might point to the Martinezes.”
“How about the sheriff’s office? The house they lived in was on the farm, which is in the county.”
“The departments work together on stuff like this. We traded information, came up with a big fat zero.”
“I imagine it was harder to check the records back then.”
“A whole lot harder,” Collins agreed. “No computers back then, but we did our best.”
“I don’t think we missed anything,’’ the sergeant said. “At least not around here.”
“But they could have snatched someone in L.A.”
“Like Officer Collins said, we didn’t have the fancy computers we’ve got today. We mostly stuck with the San Joaquin Valley. So it’s possible, I suppose. To tell you the truth, bad as those two were, I was surprised no other victims turned up.”
“Well, thanks,” Zach said, “I appreciate your help.”
“No problem.” Drury mustered a smile but it didn’t reach his eyes, and the curve of his lips looked insincere.
Zach walked away, taking a deep breath as he headed down the hall, damned glad to be finished and out of there. He had more than enough bad memories of the place. He would be happy to get outside, even if it was over a hundred degrees.
Making his way to the front of the building, he stepped out into the heat. It was just after noon. He was meeting Elizabeth at Willow Glen at one. He clung to that thought as he strode down the cement steps and crossed to where his Jeep sat waiting in the parking lot.
* * *
Elizabeth sat in the lobby of the Willow Glen Retirement Home. Expecting Zach to walk in, she stood up from the overstuffed sofa only to realize the man shoving through the front door was blond, not dark, his features handsome, but not the sort to make her heart thrum the way Zach’s did.
“Elizabeth.” Carson Harcourt came to a stop in front of her. “I guess I’m supposed to say it’s good to see you. If circumstances were different, I’m sure it would be. I gather you’re waiting for Zach.”
“I’m here because Zach asked me to come.”
Carson frowned, a little surprised it seemed. “I’m sure he’ll be here any minute. We’re both eager to hear what Dr. Marvin has to say.”
“I hope the doctor’s bringing good news.”
Carson smiled. “We all do.”
Zach walked in few minutes later. His jaw tightened when he saw her talking to his brother. Elizabeth gave him a reassuring smile and walked over to greet him. “I got here a few minutes early. So did Carson. He’s anxious to hear what the doctor has to say.”
Zach flashed him a look. “Is Marvin here?”
Carson walked over to the receptionist station and the woman directed them into a conference room in the C wing, where the doctor would meet them as soon as he finished a brief visit with their father.
The room was empty, but as nicely decorated as the rest of Willow Glen, in shades of dark green and burgundy. They sat down at a long walnut conference table, Zach next to Elizabeth, Carson on the opposite side of the table.
Zach reached over and squeezed Elizabeth’s hand. “Thanks for coming.”
“I’m glad you asked me.”
He smiled and something melted a little inside her. Where was the wall she had vowed to resurrect? Instead of pushing Zach away, she was letting him get even closer. She couldn’t afford to let that happen but she couldn’t seem to find a way to stop it.
She glanced his way, saw him stand up as the door swung open and the doctor walked in. Carson rose, as well. Two brothers. One dark, one fair. So completely different.
“Carson. Zachary. It’s good to see you.” Dr. Marvin was perhaps mid-forties, a thin man with sparse brown hair and wearing a suit instead of the white coat she had expected.
“This is Elizabeth Conners,” Zach said, making the brief introduction. “She’s a friend.”
Dr. Marvin’s smile looked sincere. “It’s nice to meet you, Elizabeth.”
The doctor sat down in the chair at the head of the table and both of the brothers sat back down. “I’m glad you all could come. The news I have to share is extremely exciting. It involves an incredible new surgical technique that has recently been brought to my attention.”
“Exactly what sort of surgery are you talking about?” Carson asked.
“It’s an extremely delicate laser technique for surgery in the brain. At this point, it’s been successfully performed enough times that I believe it may be viable as a means of helping your father. Currently it’s being performed by a handful of doctors, two of which I can personally recommend.”
“Go on,” Carson said, leaning back in his chair.
“The procedure uses a new type of biomedical, microlaser technology. The technique utilizes optical energy called photonics. It’s an extremely accurate, far less invasive method that allows precise alterations of patient tissue inside the brain. This new technology allows the surgeon to remove tiny bits of foreign matter that have been embedded in the brain through some kind of trauma.”
“Like a fall down the stairs,” Zach said.
“Exactly. In your father’s case, the technique would be used to remove the bits of bone currently lodged in the cerebrum and cerebellum. These tiny skull fragments are pressing on vital areas, causing much of his memory loss, as well as hampering his motor functions. Once the bone is removed and the pressure is released, there is a very good chance that in time he’ll return almost completely to normal.”
Zach’s hand caught hers again. She saw that he was smiling. “That sounds terrific, Dr. Marvin.”
“What’s the down side?” Carson asked.
“The odds are about eighty percent that the surgery will be completely successful. There is a ten percent chance there will be no measurable improvement or perhaps it will be extremely minimal.”
“And the other ten percent?”
“Any surgery is dangerous. In this case, there is a ten percent chance the surgery could be fatal.”
Carson stood up from the table. “Ten percent is too much. There’s no way I’m taking that kind of risk with my father’s life.”
Zach stood up, too. “What are you talking about? There’s an eighty percent chance Dad could have his life back and only a ten percent chance he might die. There’s no question the operation should be performed.”
“He’s doing all right the way he is. He’s here at Willow Glen and he’s happy. Any risk of dying is too great, as far as I’m concerned.”
“He’s existing here, Carson! That’s all he’s doing. Dad would want to do this and you know it!”
Carson’s jaw tightened. “I’m his conservat
or. The decision is mine and I’m not willing to risk his life.”
A flush rose under the bones in Zach’s cheeks. “This is the chance we’ve been waiting for ever since the accident. There’s no way I’m going to let you deny him the right to live a normal life again.”
Dr. Marvin stood up from his chair at the end of the table. “Gentlemen, please. It looks as if you’re going to need some time to discuss this. I’ve got a patient I need to see. I’ll be back in Los Angeles in the morning. Call me if you have any questions I can answer.” The doctor walked out of the conference room and the door swished closed behind him.
Carson stared at Zach, both men still on their feet. “Like I said, the decision is mine and I won’t be responsible for causing my father’s death.”
Zach’s jaw clenched. “This is bullshit, Carson. And if you think I’m going to sit by and do nothing, you’re dead wrong. I realize you’ve gotten used to your position as head of Harcourt Farms. I’ve never contested your appointment as conservator and I’ve never interfered in any way in how you ran the farm, but this is Dad’s life we’re talking about. Dad deserves this chance and I’m going to see he gets it.”
Carson planted his hands on the table and leaned toward Zach. “You do this and you’ll wind up killing him.” Carson gave Zach the coldest smile Elizabeth had ever seen. “Then again, maybe that’s exactly what you want. With Dad out of the way, you’d inherit half of Harcourt Farms. You’d be able to sell your interest for a very sizeable fortune. According to the latest appraisal, the land and business are worth more than thirty-five million dollars. Maybe you’re willing to kill in order to get your share.”
Carson’s expression went from cold to utterly chilling. “After all, you’ve done it before.”
Zach started around the table toward his brother, his hand clenched into a fist. Elizabeth shot up from her chair and caught his arm.
“Let it go, Zach. Don’t play his game. That’s exactly what he wants you to do.” She could feel Zach trembling, knew how hard he was fighting for control.
He took a deep breath and released it slowly. “This isn’t over, Carson. Not by a long shot.” Sliding an arm around her waist, he urged Elizabeth toward the door of the conference room, jerked it open, and guided her out into the hall.
As the door swished closed, she heard Carson curse.
* * *
“God, I wanted to hit him. If you hadn’t been there…” Zach shook his head. They were sitting in the living room of her apartment, two chilled glasses of white wine on the coffee table in front of them. Though Zach rarely drank, the occasion seemed to call for a little soothing of nerves.
“You’re an attorney,” Elizabeth said. “You’ll find a way to help your father get the operation.”
“You bet I will. I’m calling my partner. Carson will be served with papers by the end of the week. I’ll sue for a change of conservator, either myself or someone appointed by the court who will approve the surgery.”
“It won’t be easy. Carson’s a powerful man.”
“So was my father. He’s still got lots of friends in San Pico. Men in high places. If I’m lucky, some of them will feel the same way I do about Dad having this surgery. Maybe together we can pull this off.”
But not everyone would agree with him, she knew. And Elizabeth was sure Carson would make Zach out to be the bad guy, the way he always had. A man willing to kill his own father to gain half interest in the multimillion dollar farming operation he had no control over now. She prayed Carson wouldn’t be able to convince the town that Zach was the black sheep he had been as a youth. She hoped they wouldn’t believe that a man like Zach, a man convicted of killing a man before, would do it again.
But Carson was a fierce opponent. Elizabeth worried that he might just succeed.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Elizabeth went back to the office after the meeting while Zach made phone calls from her apartment, including one to his partner, Jon Noble, in Westwood.
“I’ve got to tell him what’s going on,” he said, “get the wheels turning to put the lawsuit into motion.” Zach was determined his father would get the surgery that could give him back his life.
By seven o’clock she was back in her apartment, work over for the day, at least for her. Though the sun still beat down relentlessly outside the window, Zach was full of restless energy, worried about his father, worried about Maria and her baby.
“Let’s get out of here for a while,” he suggested, “go get something to eat.”
Elizabeth didn’t really want to go out in the heat again but she could tell Zach needed a break. They decided on The Ranch House. If Gwen Petersen knew Elizabeth was seeing Zach, then Lisa Doyle had probably made sure the rest of the town knew, as well.
Still, Elizabeth didn’t expect to run into the woman as they walked into the restaurant. Lisa was dressed in a tight-fitting red sundress so short it barely covered her very shapely behind, cut so low her bosom nearly exploded out the top.
With a smile fixed on her face, Lisa sauntered up to Zach in that sexy way of hers that made men go a little crazy. She flipped a strand of her long sun-streaked blond hair over one bare shoulder.
“Well, if it isn’t the lovebirds. I heard you two were an item.”
“News in San Pico always travels fast,” Zach said.
Lisa looked over at Elizabeth and gave her that same phony smile. “Interesting combination, you and Zach. But somehow I never thought of you as the bad-boy type.”
“I was the married type until you came along. I thought I’d try something different for a change.”
Lisa laughed, a throaty, provocative sound. She ran a long, manicured nail along Zach’s cheek where a five-o’clock shadow was beginning to darken his jaw. “When you get bored, honey, give me a call. You know how to find me.”
Zach caught her hand and eased it away. “Don’t count on it, Lisa.”
She just laughed, as if she knew he’d be back. As if, after all, she was a far better lover than Elizabeth ever would be and it was only a matter of time.
All of Gwen’s warnings rushed back into her head. Elizabeth suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
“Have a good time,” Lisa said, waving at Zach over her shoulder, rejoining the man she had come with.
Elizabeth glanced over at Zach, whose jaw still looked hard. “I’m sorry. All of a sudden, I’m not feeling very well. Probably the heat, but I’m just not hungry anymore.”
Zach nodded. Resting a hand on her waist, he ushered her back out the door. They didn’t speak on the ride back to her apartment. Zach said nothing as she walked into the kitchen and poured herself another glass of wine.
She took a long, calming sip, but it did nothing to soothe her nerves. Her heart was still pumping, her stomach tied in knots.
Zach came up behind her, settled his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. “I’m sorry that happened. I shouldn’t have taken you there. I know The Ranch House is one of Lisa’s favorite hangouts.”
“It doesn’t matter. It would have happened sooner or later.” She stepped away from him, out from under his touch. She wished she were anywhere but standing in her apartment just a few feet away from Zach.
“What it is, Liz? I know something’s wrong.”
“I told you, it’s probably just the heat.”
“That’s bullshit. You’re upset about running into Lisa, but it isn’t just that. You’ve been acting strange since I got here last night. I could feel the ice field the minute I walked through the door.”
Elizabeth shook her head, moving the shoulder-length dark auburn hair around her face. Something was definitely wrong and apparently Zach had noticed. She thought that he was a man who rarely missed much.
She took a sip of wine, hoping it would help clear her head. �
�I don’t…I don’t know, Zach. Things just seem to be spiraling out of control. Too much is happening. I can’t handle everything that’s going on and try to deal with my personal life as well.”
A muscle jumped in his cheek. “Life happens. We have to deal with it. Eventually, all of this will pass and things will return to normal.”
She dragged a shaky hand through her hair, shoving it back from her face. “I don’t know what normal is anymore. Especially not where you’re concerned.” She looked up at him, willing him to understand. “I never should have gotten involved with you, Zach. I can’t handle this kind of relationship. It’s just not my style.”
His eyes seemed to darken. “What kind of relationship do we have, Liz? Tell me, because I really don’t know.”
“Purely physical. That’s what we agreed on, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”
“It has to be. You know it and so do I.”
“So what are you trying to say? You think we should stop seeing each other?”
“I don’t…know. We’re working together. We’ve made promises to Maria and Raul. And I desperately need your help.”
Zach sighed. “Look, Liz, whatever happens between us, I’m not going to abandon you—or Maria and her brother. Maybe we shouldn’t have gotten involved, but we did. Shit happens.”
He paced over to the window, looked out for a moment, then turned and walked back. “I need to get back to L.A. Now that this problem with my father has come up, there are things I need to do. I was planning to leave in the morning, but maybe it would be better if I left tonight. That would give us both a chance to think.”
She nodded, but her throat felt tight.
“I’ll be in touch with Ian Murphy, the investigator I hired. I’ll call you if I hear from him or if anything new comes up.”
“When…will you be back?” she couldn’t help asking, her insides trembling as she looked up at him. God, she was hurting already and he hadn’t even left yet.
Zach reached out and gently touched her cheek. “I need time, too, Liz. If you want to know the truth, I’m just as confused as you are. I’ve never let myself get in this deep. I’ve never wanted to. Maybe if we take a little time, things will be clearer for both of us.”
