Cora picked the avocado out of Sherry’s salad and savored every piece. “God, I love avocado.”
No one noticed. Sherry was busy cooking, Aaron and Sherry were busy not attacking each other verbally (no small accomplishment, in Cora’s opinion), and all three were busy watching the evening news.
On the small screen of the kitchen TV, Rick Reed was waxing eloquent. “Murder in Bakerhaven,” he proclaimed. “Two unique but similar crimes.” If that concept tripped him up, Rick didn’t show it. “One might ask, how can that be?”
“I was just about to.” Cora ate another piece of avocado.
“Well, the police believe the first body was dumped, since no murder weapon was found at the scene of the crime. But channel eight has it on good authority that a samurai sword figured in the second killing.”
“That ‘good authority’ wouldn’t happen to be my column, would it, Rick?” Aaron said sarcastically.
The newscast cut to a shot of Chief Harper. “No comment …”
Back on Rick. “ … Was all Police Chief Dale Harper would say. But the police have picked up a suspect. No one is making any accusations and no charges have been filed, but the police are reported to have questioned Japanese publisher Hideki Takiyama. Mr. Takiyama had no statement, but he has hired hotshot Bakerhaven attorney Rebecca Baldwin to look out for his interests.”
Becky Baldwin’s face filled the screen. “This is a most unfortunate incident. My client is cooperating fully with the police, but he has little light to shed on the matter, as he knows absolutely nothing about it.”
“And there you have it. The decedent, Lester Mathews, a New York private eye. What was he doing in Bakerhaven? And what did he stumble on that caused him to be killed? This is Rick Reed, channel eight news.”
“Good lord,” Cora said. “I just watched that news report and I know less than I did before.”
“That’s Rick’s trademark,” Aaron said. “Incredulous stupefaction. You wind up scratching your head thinking he couldn’t really be that stupid, and you miss the whole newscast.”
“There’s nothing to miss because he doesn’t have anything. He doesn’t know about the Social Security number. And he’s
alluding
to the arrest of the
wrong
Japanese publisher. Not even realizing there is a
right
Japanese publisher. No wonder he’s so far off the mark.”
“Not that far off the mark,” Aaron said. “I know there’s a right Japanese publisher, and I can’t report it either.”
“That’s because it isn’t news. What you know and I know is worthless. Until someone acts on it, it might as well not exist.” Cora smacked her lips. “This is a great salad. What’s in it?”
“There
was
avocado in it,” Sherry said. “Until you picked it out.”
“Well, you could have used more. That’s the only complaint I have about the salad. Insufficient avocado.”
“I used a whole avocado.”
“It’s gone.”
“You ate a whole avocado?” Sherry looked in the salad bowl. “Oh, my God!”
“Shoot me. I told you we should have eaten earlier.”
“I told you we should have ordered out.”
“This isn’t New York.”
“There’s pizza.”
“Girls, girls,” Aaron said. “Talk about the dinner later. Right now I want to know more about the stuff I can’t print.”
“That’s the spirit,” Cora said. “See, Sherry, the guy’s a prince. I’m sorry I have to withhold so much from him.”
“Hey!” Aaron said. “What are you withholding?”
“Not a damn thing you can print. I just happen to have been retained in the case.”
“Becky Baldwin hired you?”
“No, she didn’t.”
“Hideki hired you directly?”
“Not directly, no. Not indirectly, either, if that was your next question.”
“Tell him,” Sherry said. “You know he won’t print it.”
“Tell me what?”
Cora gave Aaron a rundown of her talk with Reiko.
Aaron was incredulous. “You’re representing Aoki? But you haven’t heard his story because his wife doesn’t want you to talk to him?”
“That’s it in a nutshell.”
“I can see why this would be hard for me to write.”
“Yeah. Glad we’re all on the same page.”
Aaron tasted the stew on the stove. “Needs a little salt.”
“Get out of there, you!”
Sherry started tickling him, and the two of them began roughhousing around the kitchen.
“I don’t want to ruin the mood,” Aaron said, “but can anyone tell me briefly what Dennis wanted this afternoon.”
Sherry scowled.
“Moron,” Cora said. “You don’t want to ruin the mood, and then you drop the D-bomb. He was here because he trusts me to figure this out before the cops.” She jerked her thumb at Sherry. “Aside from thinking she’s pretty neat, it’s probably the only bright idea the guy’s ever had.”
“But what did he want?”
“He just wanted me to know he remembered something about the night of the murder.”
“Really? And what was that?”
“He thought he was being followed.”
Aaron dropped his spoon. It clattered to the kitchen floor.
Sherry looked around accusingly. “I told you to stop tasting that.”
“Sorry.”
“It was just an impression,” Cora said. “He was still pretty drunk.”
“But you don’t think he killed him?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Same reason you don’t. He wouldn’t have the nerve.”
The TV came back from commercial.
“This is Rick Reed, with late-breaking news in the murder case of New York private detective, Lester Mathews. I am standing here in front of the Bakerhaven police station, where the police have just made an arrest. Details are sketchy, but we have it on good authority the suspect is not a local resident. I hope to have more on this story shortly—” Rick broke off, glanced to his left, reached out of frame. “I have just received confirmation on the identification of the suspect. The man under arrest is a Japanese publisher in town on business.”
Rick paused for effect. He might have been announcing the Oscar winner. “Mr. Aoki Yoshiaki!”
Cora Felton sized up the diminutive attorney. He looked like a kid playing dress up. His suit was two sizes too big for him, and he had a runny nose. “You’re Aoki’s lawyer?”
The little man snuffled. “That’s right.”
“You’re a criminal attorney?”
“No.”
“What’s your specialty?”
“I’m an entertainment lawyer.”
“You handle movie contracts?”
“And TV. And books.”
“What do you know about criminal cases?”
“Not much.”
“Don’t you think Aoki should have a criminal attorney?”
“That’s what I told him.”
“What did he say?”
“He wants me.”
“Why?” Cora waved her hand. “No offense meant.”
“None taken. I wouldn’t choose me, either. It may be a cultural thing: it would not be honorable not to use his attorney.”
“Why don’t you ask him if it is?”
“It might not be honorable to ask.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake. Can I talk to him?”
“His wife employed you?”
“That’s right.”
“He didn’t.”
“She employed me to represent his interests.”
“Now, that’s a distinction I’ve come up against in the course of my entertainment career. It usually gets thrown out of court.”
“This is not the same thing.”
“No, but it could be. How do I know my client’s interests and his wife’s aren’t opposed?”
“I give you my word.”
“And you know this how?”
“I’m guessing.”
The little attorney smiled. “You don’t mince words, do you?”
“No. I’ve been hired to help the guy. If you don’t want me to, that’s fine. But it’s a rather curious attitude. What have they got on your client?”
“They think he tried to frame his rival with a crossword puzzle and a sudoku.”
“That’s absurd.”
“Tell me about it.”
“That’s not enough to hold him. What else have they got?”
“Fingerprints on a sword.”
Cora’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m not.”
“Any sword in particular?”
“Seems it killed someone.”
“You don’t think Aoki needs a better lawyer?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell him.”
“Let me.”
It took a little doing, but a half hour later Cora found herself sitting across from Aoki in the interrogation room.
“This is ridiculous,” Aoki declared. “I did not kill anyone.”
“I’m glad to hear it. You mind telling me how you touched the sword.”
“Yes, I do. My lawyer has told me not to talk.”
“Your lawyer reviews book contracts. You want a legal opinion, get a criminal attorney.”
“The only one in town is taken.”
“Yes. By your rival. Ironic, isn’t it. If you hadn’t tried to frame him, you’d have had a lawyer to use.”
“I didn’t try to frame him.”
“Someone did. Can you think of anyone with more motive than you?”
He rubbed his head. “This makes no sense.”
“I agree. Unfortunately, that’s not a plea that lets you out of jail. At the moment you got two people on your side. An entertainment lawyer, and me. Your choices are somewhat limited. You can let your lawyer sell your story as a TV movie of the week, or you can tell me what you know.”
“You know what I know. It is a misunderstanding.”
“Let’s go back to you touching the sword.”
“It was on my car.”
“On
you car?”
“You know. On the door. I open the door, it falls down.”
“Outside your car?”
“Yes.”
“It’s leaning against the door of your car, you don’t see it, you open the door, the sword falls to the ground?”
“Yes.”
“So you pick it up. You see it’s a samurai sword.”
He raised a finger. “I do not think it is an authentic samurai sword. It is Japanese, but to qualify as a samurai—”
“Save it for
Antiques Roadshow.
What did you do with it?”
“It was not mine. I leaned it up against the fence.”
“What fence?”
“In the parking lot.”
“What parking lot? This will go a lot faster if you realize I don’t know what you know, and you fill me in.”
“I am sorry. The restaurant parking lot. The Country Kitchen.”
“What time was that?”
“It is afternoon. I have a late lunch.”
Cora considered that. “Tell me about the private detective.”
“I know nothing about the private detective.”
“You didn’t hire him?”
“No.”
“You didn’t hire a private eye to keep tabs on your wife?”
“Tabs?”
“To spy on your wife. To follow your wife. Your English is excellent. When you pretend you don’t know what I mean, you’re stalling. It makes me wonder why. Did you hire the private eye to follow your wife?”
“No.”
“Either
private eye?”
“Either?”
“There were two private eyes. Both wound up dead.”
“I understand.”
“And you didn’t hire either one?”
“No.”
“And you didn’t kill either one?”
“No.”
“Did you meet either one?”
“No, I did not.”
“Do you do sudoku?”
“What?”
“Sudoku puzzles. Can you do them?”
“Everyone can do them.”
“Not everyone. Too bad you can.”
“Why?”
“Tell me about Hideki.”
Aoki’s face clouded. “He is not a nice man.”
“He’s your rival.”
“So?”
“You want to beat him.”
“I would like my business to succeed. I would like him to stay out of it.”
“And yet you came here to sign me to a contract.”
“I think the book will sell.”
“I certainly hope so. The point is, Hideki came here to sign me to a contract, so you came here to sign me to a contract.”
“I was first.”
“Oh?”
“It was my idea. Hideki came because I was here.”
“Hideki spoke to me first.”
“Uninvited? In a public place? Without an introduction? I called you at home.”
“Which was the proper thing to do?”
“Of course.”
“You went out and had drinks with my niece.”
“Yes.”
“You didn’t tell her you were married.”
“Why would that matter in a business deal?”
“You were having drinks. Where was your wife while you were having drinks with my niece?”
“She was at the room. How do you say, the bed-and-breakfast.”
“Are you sure?”
“What do you mean?”
“She wasn’t out with Hideki?”
“Of course not.”
“How do you know?”
“Reiko would not do that.”
“I’m pleased to hear it. Where were you born?”
“Born?”
“These aren’t tough questions.”
“I was born in Tokyo.”
“So you’re Japanese.”
Aoki looked confused. “I do not understand.”
“And Hideki isn’t. Hideki was born in the United States. He’s an American citizen.”
“Is that important?”
“It was to you. You brought it up. In front of witnesses.”
“Witnesses?”
“One witness in particular. Me. The person who could make the deduction.”
“I do not understand.”
Cora nodded. “That’s probably a good line to take. I’m not sure how proficient entertainment lawyers are at murder strategy, but ignorance and bewilderment is most likely the way to play it.”
He frowned. “I am not playing anything.”
“Yes. And that’s what I don’t get. You hire the private eye to watch your wife. You prepare in advance the sudoku and the puzzle, to frame Hideki for the crime. Hideki, as you know he will, spots the private eye, confronts him, tells him to go to hell. At which point you step in, kill the unsuspecting gumshoe, and leave the clues that will lead me to Hideki. In all the confusion, you leave a fingerprint on the sword, ruining the perfect frame.”
“You are wrong. My wife does not go near Hideki. I do not go near Hideki. Nothing you say is true.”
“Nothing I say is true? Interesting. I say you hired the detective to follow your wife. If that isn’t true, what is?” Cora studied him narrowly. “Suppose you hired the detective for another reason. Suppose you hired the detective to follow
Hideki.
If Hideki goes near your wife, the detective will report it. If Hideki doesn’t go near your wife, the detective will report what he does. I like it. I like it much better. Hideki could catch the detective following him, and kill him with
the sword. That would be good for you. Of course, it would mean admitting hiring the PI.”
Aoki said nothing, stared straight ahead.
“On the other hand, it could be just as I said before. Hideki confronts the PI and roughs him up. Perhaps with some karate move that totally incapacitates him, but doesn’t leave a mark. You come along and perform the coup de grace. You like that better?”
Cora raised her arms over her head as if holding the hilt in both hands, then plunged an imaginary sword into the table with such force that Aoki slid backwards in his chair.
Aoki looked up at her, his eyes wide, his mouth open. “You are a very frightening woman.”
Cora cocked her head.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”