22
L
ouise's cell phone rang as she was driving home from Sarah's. It was Marty Corbin, returning her call.
“Hi, Marty. Thanks for getting back to me.”
“Hey, Lou. I've been keeping track of you through the TV and the newspapers. You and Bill must be feeling pretty low. Bad luck to find that guy, of all people, buried in your garden.”
“Definitely bad luck. But here it is, three days later and I'm getting used to the bad news. I'm sure they'll clear me in short order.” She pulled the car into the driveway and was glad that she was off the road, for she didn't like the tone of her producer's voice. It was too cool, too removed. Marty, a big man with curly brown hair and warm brown eyes, most of the time was one of the friendliest people she'd ever known.
“Look, Lou, we've got some considerations here. According to the GM, it's not exactly the best publicity in the world for our station when you get in these scrapes.”
She sat stunned. “Sorry about besmirching WTBA-TV. But I had no control over the fact that some murderer left a body in our yard.”
“No, no,” he hurriedly said, “I'm not accusing you of anything. You're not to blame, of course, not at all. I'm just saying there's quite a bit of notoriety left over from some past things you've gotten yourself into... .”
Louise slumped in the front seat. “And now this, huh? Well what do you want to do about it, Marty?”
“I thought of a solution. It'll ease the pressure on you, too. You probably don't feel like traveling out on location anyway right now. In ten days, we tape the first of four fall showsâ”
“I know the schedule, Marty, and I have input for that show, and the ones followingâ”
“I thought we'd get your sidekick to step in and host at least the first two of 'em.”
“John will love how this is working out.”
“John's been very nice about it,” said her producer. “He understands the situation.”
Louise could picture her cohost John Bachelder, he with his dark-fringed brown eyes, handsome face and athletic thirty-six-year-old body perfected with the help of a personal trainer, positively gloating over the chance of doing two shows on his own after a season of being cut from show after show. The fact that John was younger than she was no longer insignificant. Now it was she who would be left on the cutting room floor. No, it was worse than that. She wouldn't even be in the tape. Obviously, Marty had talked with John, and John had agreed. The deal was done.
“The deal is done.”
“Essentially, yes.” Then he returned to his more familiar tone. “Forgive me for this, Lou. I feel real bad about it, but there's pressure from on high. The GM, that is. Now, if you want to drop by some day and give me your input on those shows ...”
The air in the closed car was getting intolerable, so she opened the car door to let in some air from the overheated garage and held it open with a sandaled foot. “What will you do when the police discover who the killer is?”
“Then all the pressure will be off, Lou. You can climb right back in the saddle and get back to work. Is that detective friend of yours helping much?”
“You mean Mike Geraghty? He's not heading the investigation, but he's doing what he can. In fact, he's probably the only reason I'm not already in jail. Lots of evidence points to me as the killer.”
“Damn!” said Marty Corbin. “I'm sorry to hear that. The papers haven't said that, though the suggestion is there because of your past link with the guy.”
“Don't I know it. The whole sordid story of the mulch murder, how Hoffman attacked me back then, how he copped an insanity plea and got four years, how we had a fight after a neighborhood party ... All the viewers and readers have to do is draw their own logical conclusion: âThat woman had plenty of reason to kill him.' ”
Marty's voice was low and solemn. “You did have a lot of reason, Lou. I wouldn't blame you if you'd buried that guy in your garden.”
She could hardly believe her ears. Her producer wasn't totally convinced of her innocence. She wondered how many other people felt the same wayâneighbors, friends, maybe even relatives, like Bill's mother. Her mother-in-law's imaginationâor was it lack of imagination?âhad always made her suspicious of Louise's detecting adventures. When Bill phoned his parents and told them of this recent discovery in the Eldridge garden, his mother, Jean, had been horrified. In contrast, Louise had been gratified at the way her own dad and mom had not only believed in her, but even offered to come to Washington and offer their support in person. She'd declined the offer, saying that she and Bill would be in the Chicago area soon enough for Martha and Jim's wedding activities.
Marty was saying something. She could hardly process it. He was trying to retrench, adding words to soften his harsh message. Now he was saying good-bye to her. “Just get some rest for a week or so, Lou.”
“Good-bye, Marty,” she responded, pressed the “end” button and got him out of her life.
It was urgent now. She had to do something to get herself out of this mess. Her job was in jeopardy, and the world was beginning to believe that Louise Eldridge, TV garden show host and fierce protector of all things organic in gardening, was a cool, calculating murderer. What was almost worse was that people would believe that she'd screw up her wild azalea garden by stashing a body underneath it!
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Because Louise's mind was so overloaded with thoughts, her drive downtown was on automatic pilotâup GW Parkway through a hoard of cars, into the curving wave of traffic that led to the bridge over the Potomac, into the white-knuckled driving competition in the District of Columbia. It hardly registered. On a couple of occasions, when she had swerved out of her lane, she noticed fellow drivers looking anxious and tacking away from her, like sailboats flitting out of the way of a predatory powerboat. In what seemed like only a few minutes, she was at her destination, parked in a lot a few blocks from Wilson and Sterritt. Her dentist was in the neighborhood too, but there was nothing wrong with her teeth; she had no intention of stopping there.
Mort Swanson's office was where she was heading, but if she was lucky, she might also look in on Mike Cunningham. Knowing these were two men who would rather not talk to her at all, she'd taken pains to at least look good. She'd worn a pale green linen pantsuit that brought out the hazel in her eyes, put on her makeup with great care and brushed her hair into a gleaming pageboy. Granted, the suit was wrinkled already, but that was impossible to avoid on such a hot day. She blended perfectly with the other people, men in summer suits, women in stylish cottons, in this low-key but exclusive part of the nation's capital.
The tenth floor opened to the quiet splendor of Washington's top law firm. Summoned by the receptionist, Mort Swanson walked into the reception lobby in shirt sleeves, busily rubbing at his horn-rimmed glasses with his handkerchief. He smiled at her. Other than the dark circles under his eyes, he looked quite in charge, like a partner of the firm should. “What a pleasant surprise,” he said. “Of course I have time to talk to you, dear friendâa little time, at least.” He squired her past an administrative assistant opening mail and into his corner office. He seated her facing him across a big desk, so that she looked through slim blinds into the sunshine of the nation's capital.
Mort's glasses were halfway down his nose, and from over them he sent her an avuncular look. “I'm guessing you're here because you need legal representation.”
Of course he would guess that, thought Louise, with deep relief. It took a load off her shoulders, for she hadn't known how she would approach Mort Swanson without offending him mightily. She couldn't have come in and announced:
Your wife Sarah is desperately worried that you might be mixed up in Peter Hoffman's murder.
“IâI might need a lawyer,” responded Louise. “I thought I'd wait until I was actually charged. But one must be prepared.”
“Louise, if you need me, I'll be there for you.”
“Thanks, Mort. In the meantime, what do you think of all this? Knowing Peter Hoffman as well as you did, have you any idea who could have actually killed him?”
Mort leaned back in his executive chair and swung halfway around, so that he could see the Capitol Building and the Washington Monument in the distance. “I was his close associate for some years, during those expansion years of Hoffman Arms. But that changed, Louise ...”
“You mean after he murdered Kristina Weeren?”
Swinging around again to face her, he said, “Absolutely. That's when Cunningham took over the criminal case. Peter thought it would be simpler if Mike did everything for him from that time on. Oh, I'll admit that occasionally I was asked for my input on various decisionsâ”
“Such as?”
The attorney stopped and looked at her in surprise. “Come on, Louise, you're expecting too much of me.”
“I need information. In case you hadn't heard, the police think I might have been the one who killed Peter Hoffman. Unless other evidence turns up, they intend to arrest me at the end of the week.”
“I'm sorry.” Louise could see his tired eyes reassessing her, finally figuring out that she hadn't come here to hire him as her lawyer. He sighed. “Louise, this is turning into another of our verbal sparring matches. Of course my sympathies are with you, but all that attorney-client information is confidential. You should know that.”
She flipped her hand in a careless gesture. “Don't mind me, Mort. I don't know the etiquette of lawyers at all. Not to be repetitive, but do you know anything specifically about the sale of Hoffman Arms? Bill and I've been thinking that the sale might be related to the murder.”
Mort Swanson was now at attention, sitting straight in his chair, looking a bit impatient, as if this unexpected visitor had taken up her allotted time. “I will repeat that attorney-client communications areâ”
“Come on, Mort, give me something that isn't sacrosanct.”
“I do know some details, but not all of them. The sale was pretty standard. Hoffman took half the proceeds in stock in Lee Downing's corporation, the other half in cash.”
“Who inherits from PeterâPhyllis?”
“Damnit, Louise. Again, it's Mike who handled all thatâPeter's business, Peter's estate. The police can find out all about it. The sale of the business is in the public record, you know. You could dig out the information yourself, if that's how you want to spend your time.” He made a point of looking at his watch. “Speaking of time, I really should get back to these.” He patted a pile of tan folders sitting on his desk.
“Of course. It's good to know that you'd represent me if worse comes to worst.”
“I'd do that, because I have great respect for you and Bill.”
Louise rose from her chair. “I had lunch with Sarah today.”
“That's great.”
“Your wife's a little worried about you.”
“I know. This liver stuff ...”
“No, besides your liver. She's worried about whatever else is bothering you, Mort.”
She could hear him breathing heavily. Looking down at the thick gray carpeting instead of at her, he said, “I know you and Sarah are good friends, Louise, so I forgive you for your forwardness. But you should let this alone. I swear there is nothing I am able to tell you about Hoffman's demise. If I could, I would.”
He escorted her back out to the lobby, and instead of the cool handshake she'd expected, he put his arms around her and gave her a hug. She hadn't realized what a big man he was, and how strong. His arms felt like iron bands. The hug was not just a hug, but almost a warning. Without another word, he turned and went back to his corner office.
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Louise stood in the lobby of Wilson and Sterritt, wishing she could just cruise down the halls and find an office marked with the name of “Michael Cunningham” and barge in. She gave the smooth-looking young receptionist a glance and decided that was not a good idea. Instead, she said, “Is Mike here, by any chance?”
“Mikeâ” the young woman prompted. “There are two âMikes' here.”
“Mike Cunningham.”
“Oh, downstairs at the moment in the sweet shop, probably having a sundae.” She smiled. “Go down and join him. He loves company when he's blowing his diet.”
“I don't mind if I do,” said Louise. “Thanks.”
Cunningham sat at the sweet shop counter, his sundae almost consumed. Louise had arrived just in time to catch the man. “Doesn't that look tasty,” she said, sliding onto the counter stool beside him. “I'll have what he had,” she told the waitress.
“Well, well, Mrs. Eldridge.” Mike Cunningham looked down on her with an air of suspicion, his big but attractive face made a little less attractive because of the sneer on his lips.