Part 25 (1/2)
For those who aren't paying attention, their argument wasn't really about a package of gum.
She took a deep breath. ”I've answered your questions; now I have one for you.” Fallon turned her attention to yours truly. ”Where's Zippy?”
Funny how some people were hardwired to be concerned about an animal's welfare. ”Last I knew he was still with Gia, on the way to the police station.”
”Not for long.” Fallon spun around, and with her ”Save Our Wieners” picket sign, she marched off into the evening.
”Where'd she go in such a hurry?” Betty asked.
”Where do you think?” I glared at her. ”Next time, I'm not telling you anything.”
She huffed. ”How was I supposed to know you didn't tell her about Gia?”
I pointed at her mouth. ”You've got loose lips.”
Betty puckered. ”Nope. These are smooching lips.” She mimicked noisy kissing sounds.
I rolled my eyes. ”Let's load up and get out of here.”
”THE NEXT TIME you beg me to set up a vendor booth, remember this experience because my answer will be no.” I lifted the last plastic storage container off the table and headed toward the Jeep. Again. Betty tagged behind, jabbering about her plans with Raider.
”I think the first trick I'm going to teach Raider is to play dead.”
”I think he needs to learn to sit. Stay. Down would be a good idea. Call Caro first thing tomorrow.”
My fondness for Betty was the only reason I suggested she reach out to Caro. Sure there were other pet behaviorists in the area, but Caro was the best.
”Hey, there's that s.e.xy reporter.” Betty whistled to get his attention. ”Mr. MacAvoy, yoo hoo,” she sang out at the top of her lungs.
I looked to my left. Sure enough, Mr. TV was heading our way, with his cameraman. ”Seriously, would you leave him alone?”
”But what if he wants to interview us for the late night news? Don't you want to be on TV?'
”No.” I heard someone, probably MacAvoy, call out my name. I picked up my pace.
”Slow down, Cookie. I can't keep up.”
Liar. Against my better judgment, I slowed down anyway.
”Melinda, do you have a minute?” MacAvoy raced up next to me and quickly fell into step.
”Where's your cameraman?” I didn't slow down. The Jeep was within view.
”I sent him to wait in the van. With your aversion to cameras, I thought it was best.”
I sighed. I stopped and set the tote on the gra.s.s. I was so close to a clean getaway. ”I have somewhere to be so make it snappy.”
”I'm sorry you had to find Stephanie dead.” Betty lunged for a hug. I could tell by her soft moan she was enjoying herself. Watching Mr. TV's discomfort suddenly made the delay tolerable.
He cautiously patted Betty's back and then stepped away. ”Who?”
”The filmmaker. We didn't know her name so we gave her one,” I explained.
His flashy smile was conspicuously missing. ”Olivia. Her name was Olivia Benedict,” he said softly.
Odd. Malone mentioned no one knew her name. ”Did you know her?”
He nodded. ”We worked together many years ago. She was a freelance journalist back then.”
Well, well, well. Someone was keeping secrets. Look who was withholding information now? The pieces started to come together. ”You knew who she was and what she was doing the entire time.”
Betty glared at me. ”Cookie, if you had been nicer to him, he could have gotten my gun back.”
”Your gun?” he asked.
I covered Betty's mouth with my hand, keeping her quiet momentarily. ”This is all off the record. You can't use anything she says. Your word as a journalist.” Not that I held much stock in that, but he seemed to.
He threw his hands in the air. ”That seems to be the theme of the day. Agreed. What gun?”
”You already know about Betty's public argument with Richard? She may have pulled out a gun as protection. Stephanie-Olivia-s.n.a.t.c.hed the gun.”
”She said I could get into trouble waving a gun in public.” Betty pouted.
We caught a glimpse of a real MacAvoy smile. ”That doesn't surprise me.”
”What will happen to her movie?” Betty asked.
I still wasn't convinced there ever was a dogumentary. ”Was there a movie?”
He nodded. ”She'd been working on it for a while. She traveled from race to race throughout California. It was during the filming here that she uncovered an illegal gambling ring. She was using the film to gather evidence. For the authorities.”
”And now she's dead.”
”And her camera is missing.” MacAvoy had to have the last word. Not that a missing camera is more important than a murder, but if that camera happened to contain evidence that might help solve the crime . . . well, it trumps the dead body every time.
”Do you think whoever killed her took the camera?” I asked.
He nodded.
That's what I thought too. ”How do you know all this?”
”Olivia and I had dinner last night.”
Since he was in a chatty mood, I continued my questions. I tried to keep my tone and phrasing conversational. ”Is Hagan really behind the gambling ring?”
”I have my theories, but no evidence.”