Twisted Interest by Nora Kane (best mystery novels of all time txt) 📗

is going down for Lucas, and your client is as good as anybody. I might be able to take his name out of the hopper.”

“That’s what he pays me for. What’s the second reason?”

“According to the log, they left at least an hour before the crime took place yet Heller says he saw one of them while the murder took place.”

Heller looked at his lawyer like he really wanted to talk.

Fred considered what Margot said and said to Heller, “Answer her.”

“They were both here and they definitely didn’t leave an hour before it happened,” Heller said. “They came in to talk to Lucas while I was sweeping the floor.”

“They were together the whole time?”

“No, when I was talking to Bateman and Darius, the fat guy came back.”

“Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Back to see Lucas?”

“Could be.”

“Are you saying Lucas was murdered by an officer of the law?” Fred asked.

“I’m not saying anything of the sort,” Margot told him. She didn’t want to go into why, so she changed the subject, asking Heller, “What did you and Dennis Burns talk about?”

“Don’t answer that.”

“Were you his lawyer at the time?” Margot asked.

“I was.”

‘Why did you let him talk to Burns?”

“Burns was an old acquaintance of Mr. Hellers. It was a social call, not an interrogation.”

“Is that what it was?” Margot asked Heller, “a social call?”

Heller looked at Fred who nodded. Heller said, “Uh, yeah.”

“Thanks,” Margot said, “to both of you.”

Chapter 11

Margot got Cranston’s number from Radcliff and set up a meeting without Anderson. He wouldn’t meet at Layla’s West; apparently, he’d given up drinking and didn’t want the temptation. Instead, they met at a taco shop near the coast.

Margot would have rather had a whiskey on the rocks than a Carne Asada burrito, but she was willing to make the sacrifice.

“You come to turn yourself in? Ready to confess?” Cranston asked her as he unwrapped his burrito.

“No.”

“Then what can I do for you, Margot?”

“Did you know your partner is screwing Phoebe Masterson?”

“What makes you think that?”

“Phoebe isn’t exactly discreet,” Margot said, fudging the truth. Phoebe wasn’t discreet, but she hadn’t shared anything with Margot. If Cranston called her bluff, she didn’t have a second play.

Cranston thought about that a second, “No, she isn’t. I can’t say I blame Anderson, though, I mean look at her. If I was twenty years younger, he would have had to get in line.”

“You good with your partner getting it on with murder suspects?”

“No, but it’s not like that.”

“It’s not?”

“They were seeing each other before. We ran into her one night when we were rousting Harry Lee. She was scared shitless, getting dragged to jail when you’re cheating on your rich husband can do that to a lady.”

“So, Anderson made his move.”

“I know it’s not exactly appropriate, but it isn’t hurting anybody. She needed to feel safe and he wanted to get laid. Everybody’s happy.”

“Unless one of you is a killer.”

“Yeah, funny hearing it from you though. I thought you were on her defense team.”

“I am, but certain things are hard to ignore.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing. Things like motive, opportunity, and physical evidence tend to paint an accurate picture. Once Lucas realized he was going to have to do some time for shooting at the cops, he would have given her up instead of doing the whole stretch by himself.”

“You think they did it together?”

“She was seeing Harry Lee and Lucas was Harry’s driver. They’d met.”

“What did your partner think?”

“Obviously, he likes Phoebe and wouldn’t want to give up a good thing like her, but reality would have set in once Lucas started talking.”

“Worked out pretty well for him and Phoebe that Lucas never got the chance.”

“You implying something, Margot?”

“Why did Anderson go back to Lucas’s room without you that day when you two interviewed him?”

“Who says he did?”

“Are you saying he didn’t?”

Cranston ate some of his burrito and then leaned back and shook his head. “You know, I’ve been a detective longer than you’ve been alive. Do you really think you can interrogate me?” When Margot didn’t answer, he leaned forward and pointed at her. “You were a bad cop, a disgrace who left so we didn’t throw you out and you think you can interrogate me? The fact you even thought that is enough to piss me off.”

Margot considered telling him she’d already manipulated him into admitting Anderson was seeing Phoebe but decided it wouldn’t help. Instead, she told him, “That’s not really an answer.”

“Get the Hell out of here before I kick your ass.”

“Careful, don’t let your mouth write a check your ass can’t cash.”

Cranston looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he wrapped up his burrito and left her sitting there.

Chapter 12

Margot was unlocking her door when Anderson came around the corner. It looked like he’d been waiting for her to come home. She put her hand in her purse. Instead of the gun or the mace, the first thing her hand found was the digital recorder she’d used to document her conversation with Cranston.

Anderson showed her the gun in his right fist and she withdrew her hand from her purse without him asking.

“What the Hell did you say to my partner?” Anderson asked. “He’s practically accusing me of murder.”

“I didn’t tell him anything he shouldn’t have already known.”

“You know what, Margot? I think I’m going to arrest you and then throw your ex-cop ass into the general population. Maybe I’ll whisper in a few ears who you used to be and see how it goes.”

“On what charge?”

“I don’t know yet.  I’ll make something up on the way. Maybe