he replied, amused.
“My age and size are actually an advantage. People tend to underestimate me. As it happens, I’m good at detective work. Folks tend to open up to me and part with information they’d hold back when questioned by the authorities. I have an un-muddled mind and can solve puzzles with logic. And most important, I’m stronger than I look and an excellent shot.”
He cleared his throat and said, “If you can find us another plausible suspect, more power to you.”
“You don’t think that’s possible?”
“Anything’s possible, and we’re only in the early stages of discovery, but it looks bleak for Rachel. Although I will argue that the evidence against her is circumstantial, there is no denying that the prosecution has a strong case.”
“Do you believe that she is guilty?”
“It doesn’t matter what I believe; I’ll defend her to the best of my ability.”
Huber gave him an intense stare, but he kept a poker face.
She said, “I learned only the main facts from Dr. Lighthart; there is plenty more I need to know before I can start my investigation.”
“Go ahead.”
“I forgot to ask what Rachel does for a living.”
“She is a speech therapist.”
“Do you know the name and profession of the other woman?”
“What other woman?”
“I mean the person who had an affair with Steven Moretti.”
He fingered among his messy pile of papers in front of him, grabbed a folder and looked inside. Then he gave a brief smirk and said, “An affair is an overstatement. Her name is Jasmine Dewitt and she works at Club Marzipan as a stripper.”
“Interesting.”
“She’ll be the prosecution’s key witness.”
Huber asked, “May I trouble you about giving me names of the victim’s close family, business associates, as well as friends that could have an impact on Rachel’s case?”
He laughed now outright and said, “You want it all, don’t you!” Then he got serious and continued, “Since we are on the same team, I’ll give you the info under one condition: You report back to me as soon as you have a lead.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll have my secretary send you a list of potential witnesses.”
She reached into her purse and, handing him her business card, said, “I appreciate it, thank you.”
“Anything else?”
“Who discovered Steven Moretti’s body?”
He gave her a puzzled look and then replied, “I guess the paramedics. They tried to revive him, but were too late.”
“I take it that he was alone when he died. Did somebody report him missing?”
Wachterman replied, “He called 911 himself.”
And peeking at the file in front of him he added, “This is what we know. Moretti called 911 on Sunday, April 8, at 6:30 in the evening, telling the dispatcher that he felt extremely ill. He complained of nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which had started hours earlier. He first thought that he suffered from the 24-hour flu, but then got progressively worse. His heart had been racing, and when he made the call, he felt drowsy. By the time the paramedics got to him, he had apparently had a seizure, ending in a coma that led to his death.”
Huber said, “That report definitely puts me in the picture. I presume that the authorities found oleander leaves mixed in with Steven Moretti’s loose leaf tea he drank that day. Correct?”
“That is so. The poisonous leaves had been cut down to the same size as the tealeaves and were found blended in with the tea in the canister where Steven Moretti kept it. The police also discovered the used substance in the victim’s trash. And of course, the autopsy revealed oleander in his stomach.”
She asked, “Had Mr. Moretti made a will?”
“None came to light as far as we know. I will point out to the jury that the two had not been married yet, so Rachel Penrose is not inheriting Moretti’s money. And I’m sure the prosecution will claim that this was not a murder for gain, but rather a passion crime.”
He looked at his watch and asked, “Anything else?”
“No, I think that’s it. I’ll see Rachel Penrose to start with, and then I’ll go from there.”
“Good luck. I hope you’ll get through to her.”
“Why do you say that? Is she uncooperative?”
“Unapproachable is more like it.”
“How do you mean?”
“You’ll see for yourself.”
CHAPTER 4
Peter and Regula Huber ’s longtime home stood in a town called Merida, located in the San Fernando Valley at the foot of the Angeles National Forest Mountains. Merida, in spite of its population of barely 10,000, boasted a variety of excellent restaurants, their favorite being Chez Tante Jeanne. On Wednesday evening, the couple opted to have dinner there.
Maurice - - owner, host, and maître d’ all in one - - came to greet them at the door and escorted them to their table, saying, “So nice to see you both!”
R. A. Huber decided on trout amandine and her spouse chose osso buco. They savored their respective meals and only after they had finished and ordered coffee did they start to converse.
Peter said, “So what’s the occasion for dining at a fancy place in the middle of the week during a recession?”
She smiled and replied, “I had two reasons for suggesting it. Number one, I wanted to cheer you up.”
“Who said I need cheering up?”
“Come now, Peter, you’ve been down in the dumps for days. Forget the not-so-favorable review of your latest book; after all, it’s the opinion of just one person.”
“Not-so-favorable? It was a horrendous review! My integrity as a writer came under attack.”
“Okay, so the reviewer made some disparaging remarks, but like I said, it’s only his opinion. Your book is a good read and you’ll soon get positive feedback from your fans.”
“I hope you’re right. Thanks for the pep talk; I needed it. And to show you what a good sport I am, I’ve decided to take the reviewer ’s criticism to heart and learn from it.”
“That’s the spirit!”
Seated across from him, she glanced
