Lethal Legacy (18 page)

Amy and Jed shook the man's limp hand, said the proper amenities, and seated themselves
on a brown tweed couch.

Fenwick buzzed the front desk, asked Daphne to page Kim, and set down the receiver.
“Would anyone care for a glass of fresh carrot juice?"

“I just had breakfast,” Amy said.

“Loaded with vitamin A,” he said, and honed in on Jed. “Sharpens your eyesight."

“No, thanks.” Jed removed his glasses and tucked them into his case.

“You interested in lifting weights, MacManus?” His gaze shifted to Amy. “Women go for
hard-bodied men. Don't they Doctor?” Without giving her a chance to answer, he went on,
“We're offering a mid-winter special. Since you're a friend of Dr. Prescott's, I'll even
give you a discount on
that."

Jed thrust out his jaw. “Not interested."

Fenwick shrugged, smiled at Amy, and tilted back his chair.

A tap sounded on the door and Kim walked in. He smiled broadly when he saw Amy. “Ah, you
are one of our little mothers.” His large expressive eyes shifted to her abdomen and
back to her face. “Are you in good health today?"

The elaborate pompadour his permed hair created made him appear effeminate, Amy
thought.

“I'm fine,” she said. “Kim, I'm Amy Prescott and this is Jed MacManus, Dr. Nguyen's
attorney.” When the two men had shaken hands and Kim had taken a chair, she said, “My
father and I are investigating the death of Mai Nguyen. Did you know her?"

“I met her only once,” he said, his face somber. “She came here with Dr. Nguyen.” He
wagged his head. “So sad for one so beautiful to die so young."

“Did you ever visit Dr. Nguyen at home?"

“Oh, no.” Kim crossed one crisply creased trouser leg over the other and arranged his
slender hands in a graceful manner. “Employees do not socialize with patrons.” He smiled
at Fenwick. “Boss says, you break rule, you're outta here."

“I see.” Amy jotted a few words in her notebook. “How long have you lived in
Wheeler?"

“Almost a year."

“Is your family here?"

“I have what you call,” he frowned, “cousins, I think."

“Dr. Nguyen had a friend named Chea Le. Did you ever meet her?"

“Chea Le,” he said slowly. “I have never heard this name before."

Amy studied his fingers, thought she detected a faint yellowish stain on his index
finger, and felt a chill. “What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?"

An amused smile twitched Kim's lips and he flashed his eyes at Penwick. “Boss does not
allow smoking."

Amy folded her arms and contemplated him in silence for a moment. “But you
are
a
smoker, aren't you?"

He met her question with a bland expression. “I quit when I came to America. Your
cigarettes cost too much."

Amy frowned and glanced at Jed. When he remained silent, she said, “That's all, Kim.
Thank you for meeting with us."

He beamed and dipped his head in a slight bow. “Most happy to be of assistance.” He stood
up and started for the door.

Amy waited until he was halfway across the room before she said, “Did you know Taun
Keo?"

Kim stopped and slowly turned to face her. “Never heard this name before.” He pulled his
full lips into a tight line. “Will that be all. Dr. Prescott?"

“Yes, thank you."

When the door closed, she regarded Ivan Fenwick. “Did you tell him I was a doctor?"

“Let's see...” He rubbed his nose. “I may have, why?"

Amy shrugged. “No matter.” She noted the time. “Is Mr. Samphan waiting?"

“Should be.” He buzzed Daphne.

In a short time the door opened again and a man slightly taller man Amy stalked into the
room. “You page me?"

“Victor, this lady would like to ask you a few questions,” Penwick said.

Amy stood up. “I'm Dr. Prescott.” She paused to take in his acne-scarred skin, his
rumpled hair and clothing. “But you already knew mat, didn't you, Mr. Samphan?"

“You're the bi,” he halted and glanced at Fenwick, “woman who was bugging my wife.” His
lip curled. “I don't like people messing in my affairs."

Amy met his angry gaze straight on. “I don't like being followed, but that hasn't stopped
you. Has it, Mr. Samphan?"

“Don't answer that.” Elliott Osgood levered himself out of his chair. “There'll be no
accusations made here, Doctor."

Victor smirked and leaned against the wall, his fist braced on his hip, his chin in the
air. “I don't know what the hell you're talking about, lady."

“What brand of cigarettes do you smoke?"

“Camels."

Amy sank down on the couch. “Did you know Mai Nguyen?"

Samphan glanced at Osgood. “Do I gotta answer
that?"
When the attorney nodded, he
said, “Yeah, I knew her.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Known the schitzy dame
all my life."

“Schitzy?” Jed asked. “What's that supposed to mean?"

Victor jerked his head at Jed. “Who the hell is he?"

“Nguyen's lawyer,” Fenwick said in a bored voice. “Answer the question and get this over
with. I got a business to run."

“She always acted like she was better than everybody else."

Amy sat forward. “Why'd you call her schizophrenic?"

“She used to make up things."

“What
things
are you referring to?” Jed asked.

“In high school, she was always running to the teacher."

Jed stroked his chin as he studied the man across the room. Finally, he said, “Did she
get you in trouble?"

“Mr. MacManus,” Mr. Osgood said. “What are you insinuating?"

Samphan gave Osgood a dirty look.
"Sheeit,
mister, don't get your balls in a knot.
I don't give a rat's ass who knows."

Osgood screwed his sharp features into a pained expression and began to clean his
nails.

Samphan squinted at Jed. “Yeah, she did. So what?"

“Was that the last time the two of you had a run-in?"

“Nah, she was always making up lies about me. Told her husband I was hittin' on her."

“How long ago did this happen?"

“Four or five years ago, when they first got married."

“What did Cam do?"

“Threatened me.” He sneered and flexed well-developed muscles. “I creamed him."

Amy ran her finger down a fist she'd made. “Did you know Tuan Keo?"

“Who?"

“How about Chea Le?"

His eyelid twitched. “Nope."

“You ever see the Honda they pulled out of the river before?"

He licked his lips. “Not before yesterday."

“You knew Mai Nguyen's father was killed by a hit-and-run driver, right?” Amy fastened
her gaze on him. “Do you know why someone would want to kill him?"

Samphan drew up his shoulders in an elaborate shrug. “The old guy acted like a fu,” he
gave Fenwick a cautious glance, “like a friggin banker. Loaned everybody money. Maybe
somebody didn't want to pay him back."

“Any gut feelings?” Amy asked as she and Jed made their way back to
their cars.

“Victor Samphan's a hothead, that's for sure, and Kim is,” he made a face, “peculiar.
God, I don't know. What was your impression?"

“Nothing definite. If you're not in a hurry to get back to Ursa Bay, how would you like
to take a ride?"

Jed's eyes took on a wicked gleam. “Now you're talking my language."

Amy smiled and unlocked her car door. “No, I'm afraid not"

“Ah, Amy...” Jed slid into the seat beside her.

“Remember, you promised J.T. and J.B."

“Who?"

“The twins."

“They caught me in a weak moment” He reached across the gear shift, took her hand, and
brought it to his lips. “Honey, you don't have a man and I don't have a woman.” He ran
the tip of his tongue along her forefinger. “What's a little sex between friends?"

“A good way to ruin a friendship, that's what.” She withdrew her hand, started the car,
and pulled out into traffic.

“Where are we going?"

“To Victor Samphan's place."

“Hey now, hold it, that guy is a loose cannon. I'm not about to tangle with him."

Amy slowed the car. “Then I'd better let you out. Cause that's where I'm going."

“You are not."

Amy pulled over to the side of the road. “Jed, let's get something straight. I'm an
investigator. At times, that involves taking risks. I cannot let someone tell me what I
can and can't do."

“All right, all right, goddammit” Jed slashed the air with his hands. “I'm with you."

Amy smiled at him and started off once more. “I hoped you would be.” She wrinkled her
nose at him. “I'm not as brave as I sound."

“That's out and out coercion. It's a good thing I'm a mild-mannered person, or I might be
tempted to swat you one on that cute ass of yours."

Amy laughed. “Mild-mannered! That'll be the day."

This time, although she had no difficulty finding the way, she encountered stretches
where the roadbed had nearly been washed out. The station wagon pitched and bucked as
she crawled through in low gear. At last, she caught sight of the river and again slowed
to a crawl. She tried three byways without success.

“Tell me you're searching for a lover's lane,” Jed said with a twinkle in his eyes. “And
I'll forgive you for exposing me to all this,” he swept out his arm, “rusticity. I have
a long list of country phobias I'm plagued by."

“Sorry.” Amy glimpsed a break in the trees ahead.

“I'm looking for the place where that blue Honda might have gone into the river."

“It wasn't near the bridge?"

She shook her head. ‘Too many big rocks. My guess is, the current pushed the car to where
the men found it."

“You think the car might not have been found if the river hadn't flooded."

“That's right” Amy stopped the car near an area of graded earth, got out and showed Jed
where salal, fir seedlings, and wild lily-of-the-valley had been mashed down. “A vehicle
went through here.” She fingered the plants and inspected the ground beneath. “I
wish..."

In squatting down beside her, Jed disturbed wild ginger leaves that scented the air. “You
wish what?"

That my friend, Nathan, was here. He could tell us exactly how long ago."

After cautioning him to walk on the untrampled side of the trail, she moved along the
potholed course until the river came into full view. “The vehicle got mired in the
mud."

“Looks that way.” Jed regarded the shrubbery-enclosed trail they'd taken. “No one would
have seen it from the road."

She proceeded with even greater care. About seventy feet from the swirling brown water,
she exclaimed gleefully, “We're in luck!"

Jed crowded close. “What did you find?"

Amy broke a bracken fern, plucked off the leaf blades, and used the smooth, hard stalk to
touch an impression. “Barefooted print. Notice how the toes dig in?"

Jed leaned closer. “Yes."

“He's pushing something. And since his print over lays the car track, it must be
the
car.” She pointed farther along where no vegetation grew. “Up there you
get the full picture. A person on each side of the car."

“Both are shoving."

“On the river bank, you notice they're no longer straining."

“The car tracks go right into the river. Jesus, Amy, what do you do now?"

Take plenty of pictures. While you set up the tripod and video camera, I'll mix up some
dental stone to cast the foot and tire impressions."

“Why bother to put it on video?” Jed asked as they walked back to the station wagon.

“We've found it pays. If every move you make is recorded on film, no one can claim you
didn't do a procedure correctly."

Amy unlocked the back of the station wagon and took out the gear she thought she'd need.
As she was about to close the hatch, Jed grabbed a tarpaulin and a rolled blanket.

She observed him with a half smile. “You going camping?"

Jed pretended wide-eyed innocence. “You never know when you might need a blanket.” He
glanced up the road. “Where's Samphan's house?"

“Down that lane.” She pointed to a sign post about thirty yards from where they
stood.

Jed gave a low whistle. “You'd better get your car off the road. He might pass that way
and see it."

Not wanting a confrontation with Victor Samphan any more than Jed did, she got in and
started the motor. After she'd backed down the trail as far as she dared without running
the risk of getting stuck, they loaded up and trudged back to the river.

While she contorted her body into knots trying to get the camera angles she wanted, Jed
meandered among gigantic cedars and Douglas fir. Sunlight worked its way through the
cloud cover, heated layers of leaf mold, and white vapor threads drifted in among the
tree's sweeping boughs.

“I could get to like this,” Jed said as he rejoined her, no longer carrying the tarp and
blanket. He moved close to where Amy was placing a ruler alongside a footprint, leaned
over, and kissed her on the back of her neck. “Mmm, you and me all along in the
wilderness."

Amy frowned and pointed to the video camera. “Get to work. Maybe it'll keep you out of
trouble."

He gave her a suggestive look and picked up the camera. “Don't count on it."

With an exasperated snort, Amy fitted a metal form around the clearest tire track, took a
Ziplock bag of premeasured dental stone from her supply case, and added water.

Jed watched her squeeze the plastic bag this way and that to mix the lemon-colored
concoction inside. “What's that stuff."

“Calcium sulfate hemihydrate. It's a form of gypsum, the same as plaster of Paris, only
dental stone produces finer detail and isn't so easily broken."

She moved uphill, opened a corner of the bag, and let the thick, creamy mixture flow
slowly into the tire impression.