Part 8 (1/2)

Ed pointed to a man sitting alone in a chair. ”This is our friend Simon Aiken. He's also my attorney. Fortunately, he was here when the cops arrested me. He stuck with me during the interrogation and eventually got me out without being charged.”

Simon Aiken acknowledged me with intense dark eyes. He had a raptor's nose, high cheekbones, and dark hair. Instead of biker leather, Aiken wore a gray Italian suit, with a tie of sky blue silk loosened around his neck.

Ed finally introduced me to a young woman, with very long brown hair, wearing gray linen slacks and a blue cotton blouse. The Prius probably belonged to her. ”This is Dana Fremont, Simon's a.s.sistant. Simon has to be in court this afternoon, so we only have these two for a short time. Dana's going to be taking notes.”

Dana smiled and wiggled her fingertips before looking back down at her iPad.

Ed provided a cardboard container of Starbucks coffee and pastries from Eva's European Bakery in a pink box. Next to the pink box sat a white box from Western Donuts with six apple fritters. I glanced up. Crusher watched to see which box I'd choose. I took a fritter. Crusher smiled.

Dear G.o.d.

I took a seat in a brown chair so large that my feet dangled awkwardly above the floor.

”Okay. Let's review the facts.” Simon Aiken took control of the meeting. ”Martha, can you tell us about finding the body and the homeless camp? Then maybe you can walk us through the details of your search for those possible witnesses. Start at the beginning.”

All eyes turned toward me and I put down my coffee and fritter. ”I discovered Dax Martin's body Monday morning behind the Beaumont School ball field on the riverbank. He died where he lay. Looked like he was beaten to death.” I explained my theory about how, since Martin was a bully, he wouldn't have gone outside the perimeter fence alone-unless he knew his attacker and felt safe.

Ed nodded in agreement. ”The guy was a tool.”

I took another sip of coffee. ”You know how the sides of the river back there are covered with stucco? Well, on the far side, the riverbank is overgrown with bushes and small trees. Before I discovered the body, I noticed a couple of bedrolls, a metal pot, and other camping items hidden in the underbrush. I wonder if whoever slept over there witnessed the attack on Sunday night. I learned there were two of them, a man and a woman.”

Simon typed something on his laptop. ”Tell us how you found that out.”

I reviewed my conversation with Hilda and her setting up the ten o'clock meeting with Switch. ”You probably are all aware of what happened afterward.”

Simon circled his index finger in the air in a gesture for me to continue. ”I want to hear it from your perspective. Don't leave out any details.”

”I contacted Yossi and-”

Dana looked up, confused. ”Who's Yossi?”

Crusher s.h.i.+fted in his seat and grunted. ”Me.”

Dana looked at him, raised her eyebrows, snorted, and then bent once more to her typing.

”I contacted Yossi and asked him to back me up. He came up with the plan to hide on the off-ramp while I talked to Switch. I brought my friend's German shepherd with me for protection. Switch told me the possible witnesses were Hispanic, Javier and Graciela. He said he collected rent from them. He also led me to believe he knew where they were. That thief charged me four hundred dollars for the information. Then he grabbed my arm and tried to drag me into the bushes. You know the rest.”

Ed looked shocked. ”You paid him four hundred dollars of your own money? Wait right there.” He briefly left the room and returned with four $100 bills. He kissed my cheek. ”You're really awesome.”

Aiken looked at Crusher and Carl. ”Tell me again for the record what happened.”

Crusher leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. ”As soon as that guy touched Martha, me and the boys went in. Maybe five, ten seconds is all it took us. The dog attacked and Switch cut him. In the scuffle, the little slime ball was disarmed and he got cut too.” Crusher looked around the room, but he avoided my eyes. ”Maybe a few times. Meanwhile, some of his guys came out of the bushes, but we fought them off. Carl's job was to take care of Martha. As soon as she got out safely, we left too.”

Aiken turned to Carl. ”Tell me what you did.”

”Like Crusher said, we got there in only a few seconds. I grabbed Martha's shoulders from behind and dragged her around the other side of her car and told her to go. She wouldn't leave her dog. So I helped her get him inside the car and she laid rubber getting out of there. When those punks saw Switch bleeding on the ground, they ran. That's when we jumped on our bikes and booked.”

Aiken turned back to me. ”Do you have any more ideas about how to find this homeless couple?”

I'd just taken a large bite of apple fritter; the flakes of sugary glaze clung to the corners of my mouth. I held up my hand, stalling a moment to take a sip of coffee and clean my face with a napkin. ”I watched a groundskeeper mow the edges of the field yesterday. I think we should talk to him. Since his job takes him all around the property, he might have observed something. He's one of those anonymous guys who labor quietly in the background. They may be unnoticed, but they still see a lot of stuff that goes on.”

Aiken made another note on his laptop. ”Dana, see if you can get his name and schedule.”

Ed pointed out his living-room window to the field beyond. ”No need. I think he works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. I usually hear his mower then.”

I raised my hand a little. ”Tomorrow's Friday. I can go talk to him. I find people are more likely to open up to a senior-looking citizen than to a biker-looking guy.”

Aiken smiled for the first time that morning. ”I can see why Crusher likes you. You're one fearless little lady.”

Crusher turned redder than normal and refused to meet my eyes.

I actually felt sorry for him.

”I'm pretty sure I uncovered a real suspect yesterday.”

Everyone stopped smiling and looked at me. Even Crusher.

”Out by the field, I came across a young woman standing at the fence, crying.”

I told them about Diane Davis-her previous romantic history with Dax Martin and her possessive, controlling husband, Jefferson. ”This may be farfetched, but if Mrs. Davis had an affair with Martin, maybe her husband killed him in a fit of rage.”

Aiken nodded slowly. ”That possibility could raise serious doubt in the DA's mind and keep Ed from being arrested and charged with murder. It could also raise doubts in a jury's mind if this ever goes to trial.”

Ed slapped his hands together once and pointed at me, arm straight in front of him. ”I told you she was good at figuring things out.”

Aiken turned to his a.s.sistant. ”Dana, see what you can find on Jefferson Davis and Diane Davis. Ed, you told me you uncovered something funny involving the school, the city, and the Army Corps of Engineers.”

Ed talked about the lack of permits, inspections, or an environmental report on file with the city. ”So I tried to get information from the Army Corps of Engineers about the land they lease to the Beaumont School, but they refused to make any doc.u.ments available.”

Aiken scowled. ”They can be compelled to disclose under the Freedom of Information Act. I'll put some pressure on them and see what I can find out. If this baseball stadium was built illegally, we want any future jury to see Ed as a concerned citizen trying to save his neighborhood from the bad guys-not as a villain out to kill a baseball coach.”

He looked at his watch and stood. ”Good work, everyone. Keep digging. Let's meet back here tomorrow evening, say at seven?”

I also stood. Donut crumbs fell from my lap to the floor. ”Not tomorrow evening. I'm having dinner with my uncle Isaac. I'm available Sat.u.r.day.”

”Sat.u.r.day good with everyone?” The rest agreed. ”Okay, let's meet here at ten on Sat.u.r.day morning.” I walked outside and watched Aiken put on his helmet, stow his laptop in a carrier behind the saddle, and ride his Harley toward the Van Nuys Courthouse.

Simon Aiken inspired confidence with his take-charge att.i.tude. I was sure we'd get to the bottom of what went down among the Beaumont School, the city, and the Army Corps of Engineers. If Dax Martin's murder had anything to do with it, we might even discover his killer.

CHAPTER 15.

Before I reached my front door, Sonia Spiegelman rushed over from her house across the street. She wore tan cotton trousers and a loose paisley blouse from India. Thin bangles clattered on her wrist. Her smile was genuine, but her eyes had a certain hungry, wolverine quality. Sonia was sniffing around for news. ”Hey, Martha. I see you have a new guy coming to your house. You know, the big biker. I thought you were dating a cop.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. ”Really? I have all types of friends. Like you, for instance.”

”So I see Ed Pappas is home now. Has your cop friend told you anything new about the murder?”