Knot in My Backyard (A Quilting Mystery) (25 page)

All the way to hell, I’m guessing.

“You sent Lawanda Price to try to intimidate me. In case you don’t know, along with conspiracy, fraud, bribery, and embezzlement, stalking is a serious crime. I have a photo of Price in the act last night. Time to call off your dogs.”

Hardisty shuffled some papers on her desk. “You’re just a hysterical nobody who wants to feel important. Why don’t you go back to your quilting bee?”

It irked me Hardisty knew about the quilts because her spy, Price, watched us give them away to the homeless.

I put my hands on the back of a chair and leaned forward. “I’ve got two words for you—Dax Martin.”

She looked up warily. “What about him?”

“Why was he killed? Did he know too much? Was he trying to blackmail one of you? Did he get greedy, like you?”

Hardisty busied herself rolling up a topographical map. “I don’t know who killed the poor man, and I don’t know why. I had nothing to do with his death.”

“Oh no? When the police come after you, let’s see which one of your high-level friends is going to risk an indictment in order to protect you. The higher up your so-called friends are, the more they’ll have to lose if they do.”

I swept my hand toward the bank of dull file cabinets. “Take a look around. Is this the office of someone who’s valuable? You’ll be thrown under the bus so fast—you won’t know how you got there.”

Hardisty’s face reddened. “Get out of my office.”

I couldn’t help myself. I thought about my friend Hilda, the Acevedos, and all those poor, displaced homeless people. “You destroyed one of the few places homeless people could find refuge in this city. Jason and Emily, your kids. Where will they find refuge when both of their parents are in jail? I doubt the Beaumont School will still want them around. Don’t worry. They won’t be homeless. The state will split them up and place them in foster care. Good luck to them with that.”

Barbara Hardisty stood behind her desk and shrieked, “Get out! Get out of my office now!”

I narrowed my eyes. “Grab a parachute, lady, because you’re going down!”

Hardisty tried to hide her shaking hands.

Crusher and I waited until the elevator doors closed and we were alone before we bumped fists.

“Maybe I said too much. Do you think I said too much?”

Crusher shook his head and laughed. “What’d I say before? Stones of steel.”

We arrived at the first floor and Detective Kaplan flashed a badge on his way through security, followed by a couple of uniforms. Beavers must have checked out my evidence and clued in his partner, because Kaplan appeared to be coming after Hardisty.

I might have been able to hide myself among the people in the lobby, but Crusher was impossible to miss. Kaplan did a double take and then barreled his way toward us.

“What are
you
doing here?”

Crusher crossed his arms. “It’s a free country.”

Kaplan looked at me. “If I find out you’ve interfered in police business—again—I won’t hesitate to throw you in jail—again. I don’t care who you’ve been sleeping with.”

Is it that obvious Crusher and I had sex last night?
Then I realized Kaplan was referring to Arlo Beavers. Kaplan didn’t know Beavers and I weren’t together anymore.

I lowered my voice and spoke confidentially. “Detective Kaplan, we just spoke to Barbara Hardisty and she says she has friends in high places in this city. Are you sure you’ve got enough authority to go after her?”

Predictably, Kaplan planted his thumb in his chest. “Of course I’ve got authority. I don’t care whose friend she is. I’m taking her in for questioning.”

“Wow. Okay, then. Good luck, and I mean it.”

Kaplan smirked and swaggered toward the elevators.

Crusher muttered,
“Putz.”

Back in the truck, we hopped on the 110 Freeway north and transitioned to the 134 west to Encino. My confrontation with Hardisty left me elated, which meant I was also hungry. I checked the digital clock on the dashboard, relieved to find it was lunchtime.

“I’m starved. How about some lunch?”

Crusher let his eyes slide down my body and grinned. “I know what I want for lunch.”

You betcha!

I struggled for control. “How about a falafel instead?”

Hilda wasn’t in her usual spot near Rafi’s on the Boulevard, nor was she inside. I hadn’t heard from her since Monday and wondered if she was okay.

“She take recycle this morning like always, but then she leave,
chik-chok.
” Rafi slapped his palms together. He pointed to a padded banquette seat running the length of one wall. “I let her sleep there.”

He looked at Crusher and half-smiled. “You not from Health Department? You do not shut me down?”

“Oh, sorry, Rafi. This is my friend Yossi Levy.”

Rafi grinned and stuck out his hand. “Levy?
Atah medaber Ivrit?
” (“You speak Hebrew?”)

Crusher took his hand and smiled.
“Ketzat.”
A little.

Was Crusher just being modest? After all, he quoted Torah, chapter and verse, during Shabbat dinner last week. There was so much I didn’t know about Yossi Levy, but what I did know I found intriguing and attractive. Unfortunately, I wasn’t ready to let go of Arlo Beavers.

After lunch, Crusher drove back to my house. “You can just drop me off, Yossi. I don’t need a bodyguard anymore. All of Hardisty’s financial secrets are out, so she has nothing left to hide there. If she’s protecting the killer, the police will find out. Either way, I’m the least of her worries. With Hardisty in custody, I doubt I’ll see Lawanda Price again.”

He cut off the engine and turned to me. “You’re forgetting one thing, babe. The killer. The tall guy in the baseball cap with the funny voice—he’s still out there.”

“Why should I be worried?”

“Maybe he’ll want revenge for blowing the whole fraud-and-conspiracy thing wide open.”

“I don’t think so. My money’s still on Jefferson Davis. He had a double reason to want Dax Martin dead—one, for having an affair with his wife and two, for blackmail. The first motive we know for sure. The second one we’re just guessing at. Either way, Davis has no reason to come after me.”

Crusher appeared to agree I was probably safe. It was also clear how much he wanted to get me in bed again.

“Are you sure? I just don’t feel right leaving you alone.”

“I’m positive, Yossi. What happened between us last night was out-of-this-world, but it might never happen again. You have to give me a chance to figure things out on my own.”

“Is this still about Beavers?”

“That’s one part, yes.”

He reached over and took my hand. “The other part?”

I smiled at the only man in the world who could make me feel like a size four. “You called me
neshama.
”

Crusher, aka Yossi Levy, closed his eyes and pressed his lips into the palm of my hand.

I got out of the truck and walked to the door without looking back. As soon I was inside the house, his engine started up and he drove away. I slumped against the door and breathed a sigh of relief mixed with a most sincere regret.

CHAPTER 37

Simon Aiken answered on the third ring. “Yeah.”

“Simon, I want you to know, last night I was officially questioned by Detective Beavers. I had to tell him everything.”

“I know. Crusher called me this morning. He said you did fine. He even said you protected your sources. Nobody could ask for more, Martha. Is he there?”

“No, I’m by myself.” I told Simon about my little talk with Barbara Hardisty. “On our way out, we ran into Detective Kaplan. He showed up to take her in. What’s happening with Ed?”

“The DA still seems determined to go forward. I’m prepping for the preliminary hearing. With all this new information we’ve uncovered, along with a dearth of evidence against Ed, I’m presenting a motion for dismissal.”

“What about the pressure from the US Attorney’s Office to prosecute?”

“They’ll probably back down. They’ll have their hands full defending the Army Corps of Engineers. The press has really jumped on the destruction of the wildlife reserve. We just learned the funds transferred to Valley Allstar Construction were misappropriated. They were federal relocation dollars specifically earmarked to help the homeless move from publicly owned lands to low-cost housing. Both Barbara and Lowell Hardisty are now in custody. Hopefully, the police will find out if they were also involved in Dax Martin’s murder.”

“I hope the Hardistys get what they deserve. What about the conspiracy to get the Beaumont Stadium built?”

“That’s going to be a little tougher to prove, since the corruption involves so many sitting officials, but someone at the
Times
is working on it. Eventually the public will know about the scandal.”

“So, does Ed still have to stay in jail?”

“Yes, at least until the hearing or until the real killer is found.”

I bristled at the unfairness. “Dax Martin’s memorial service is tomorrow at the baseball stadium. I’m sure Jefferson Davis will be speaking. I know he fits the physical description of the killer. I’m going over to check him out. I want to hear his voice.”

“Be careful, Martha. They know who you are. Take Crusher with you.”

“He’s too easy to spot. I want to walk unnoticed through the crowd.”

“Don’t go alone.”

“I’ll take my friends with me. Nobody will pay attention to three old ladies.”

The smile came through Simon’s voice. “Maybe your friends fit that description, but I know one big dude who definitely doesn’t put you in the same category.”

I was glad he couldn’t see me blush.

I called my best friend next. “Lucy, are you busy? I need to talk.”

“Just reading a cozy mystery, hon. Come on over.”

Fifteen minutes later, I sat in my friend’s living room, holding a frosty glass of iced tea. The aroma of roasting meat, garlic, and oregano came from the kitchen.

Lucy wore a shade of green today that complemented her orange hair: a grass-green denim jumper, with big pockets, over a short-sleeved white T-shirt. Apple jade circled her wrist and punctured her earlobes. I was amused she owned matching green open-toed flats. She reminded me of a carrot in Mr. McGregor’s garden.

“What’s up, hon’? You look like something big is on your mind. Arlo?”

Bless Lucy. She reads me like a book.

“Yes and no. On Sunday, after you dropped me off, I went to visit Arthur in the veterinary hospital. When I got there, Arlo was leaving the hospital with Arthur’s pretty young doctor. She was wearing a sexy little dress.”

“No! What did you say?”

“They didn’t see me. I managed to park far enough away so I could watch them. He kissed her, Lucy. Then they drove off together.”

“I’m so sorry, hon. That must really hurt.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Yeah. I was right not to trust him. He didn’t take very long to find someone else, once he broke up with me.”

She came over to hug me. “I’m sorry. You seemed so good together. Can you try to talk to him?”

“I already have, sort of. At one point, I admitted to Arlo I’d fallen in love with him. He said we should talk about it, but I know what he wants to say. He wants to dump me for that sexy blonde. Then last night, he came over to question me while Yossi was there. He was really hostile.”

“Do you suppose Arlo’s reaction had something to do with seeing that particular man in your house again? Why don’t you call him and suggest the two of you meet alone? Maybe you can patch things up.”

I took a deep breath. “The thing is, after Arlo left, I kind of slept with Yossi . . . a little bit.”

Lucy’s eyes popped out of her head. “You did
what
?”

“I never meant to. I was so pissed and sad, and Yossi was incredibly sweet. It just happened. The problem is, Yossi’s already making noises about sticking around after this thing is over.”

“Dang it, Martha. I can’t leave you alone for five seconds. What do you even know about this man?”

“Well, he’s a businessman, kind of like Ray, only he repairs Harleys, not cars.”

Lucy tilted her head. “He’s also an ex-con. Did you ever find out why he went to prison?”

“Not yet. That doesn’t prove anything. Arlo called him an ‘outlaw,’ but they don’t seem to have ever arrested him. Whatever he did in the past, he seems to be straight now.”

“What else do you know?”

“He’s a leader in the Valley Eagles motorcycle
club
—not
gang.
He’s a loyal friend. He’s a lot deeper than you’d suspect. He’s smart, knows Torah, and speaks some Hebrew. He’s really scary to look at, because he’s so big and tough, but he can be very gentle.” I gazed in the distance, remembering all the different ways he’d been gentle with me the night before.

“You’re smiling, girlfriend.”

I looked at my friend. “Oh, Lucy, it was so good. I think I’m going to hell.”

Lucy put down her glass of tea and leaned forward. “You have a decision to make, Martha Rose, and soon. If you want Arlo, you have to go after him and try to mend fences before it’s too late.”

“And wait until the next time he gets angry and leaves me for someone else? I can’t live like that.”