“No, it happens all the time. Some nearby resident or passerby doesn’t want to be identified. Maybe the person has an outstanding warrant, sees something, and calls it in.”
“Hey, the cops must’ve canvassed the neighborhood. Did they find anybody with an outstanding warrant, a hold, or anything to hide?”
She speared a crouton, and held the fork in front of her face. “I would’ve told you about it if they did. It doesn’t matter anyway; we have the killer in custody, locked up, with an overwhelming amount of evidence stacked against him.”
Marilee came to our booth with a plug-in phone. “Mr. O’Brien, you have a call. Would you like to take it here at your table? The caller said it’s urgent.”
I looked at Bobbi. “Do you mind?”
“No, of course not.”
Marilee plugged in the telephone.
“Jimmy, I’ve got news. Big news.” Sol, who else? “I know you’re having lunch with the Ice Princess, doubtless she’s at the booth with you right now. True?”
“Yeah.” Muffled racetrack noises echoed in the background. I heard the announcer call, “And there they go!”
“Did the race just start?” If Sol had a bet riding, he wouldn’t talk until it ended.
“I’m not down on this one. Maiden fillies, meshugas.”
I was eager to hear the news, but I didn’t want Bobbi to know I was talking to Sol. I turned my head and said in a low voice, “What’s up?”
“Jimmy, I’ll be brief. I know you can’t talk in front of Miss Rigid Frigid, and they have a policy about phones here at the track. All outgoing calls are taped. Bookmakers, you know-a plague on society, you know.”
“C’mon, tell me.”
“What?”
“You know. What you called me about.”
“Oh, you mean the news I heard.”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Okay, hang on to your seat…” Sol paused for dramatic effect. He always did that. “It seems Senator Goody Two-Shoes Welsh was shtuping the victim, having an affair with her. The info comes from a tipster, whose identity shall remain undisclosed. But I’ll tell you this: the tip came from an extremely reliable source.” Then he whispered, “She was a long-lost friend of Gloria Graham.”
“You just whispered the person’s identity.”
“I wanted you to know.”
“Yeah, but-”
“But, what?”
“You said the phones were tapped. Oh, never mind. But, are you sure she’s on the level?”
“It wouldn’t surprise me a bit. I’ve known Berry Welch a long time. He’s always on the prowl, looking for someone to jump. Maybe it’s an occupational hazard, these power-mad politicians.”
I glanced at Bobbi, sitting across from me. She reached into the butter bowl and removed one of the foil-wrapped pats. With her polished fingernails, she delicately removed the wrapper and put the butter on her bread dish. She pretended not to eavesdrop.
Sol’s news shook me to my core, but I had to play it cool. “Uh huh,” I said to him as he continued to ramble on about Welch’s sexual peccadilloes.
“Jimmy, I gotta go. Angie and Burt just arrived. You know, Burt as in Bacharach?” Sol said. “Their table is next to mine. They’ve got a horse in the Crosby Stakes, and I need some info.” He shouted away from the phone, “Hey Angie, baby-” and the line went dead.
While I was on the phone, a busboy had zipped over and scooped up the dishes, including my untouched salad. I turned back at Bobbi. Her face held a mischievous smile.
“You look a little perplexed,” she said. “Something you ate? Or perhaps it was Silverman’s message?”
“Whose message?” I said.
“Sol Silverman, the investigator. The guy who’s helping you with the case.”
“Silverman? Helping me? Bobbi-”
“C’mon, Jimmy. Everybody knows you retained him. Not a bad move, if I may say so.”
How did she know about Sol so fast? Maybe she had spies too. Maybe everyone had spies. Christ, maybe I was the only one who didn’t have spies.
“You spying on me?”
Bobbi laughed. “You should be so lucky.”
I was a little unnerved that Bobbi knew about Sol and wondered what else she knew about me, or the case. I quickly ran through my mind the jailhouse discussion with Rodriguez. Was there anything we said during the interview that she could use? Not much. Everything we discussed would just help our side.
It would be a violation for the sheriff’s deputies guarding the jail to turn over to the D.A. anything overheard or recorded during a lawyer/client conference. But I knew it happened from time to time. Even if the information gleaned in this manner couldn’t be used in court, it could help the prosecution plan their trial strategy. Sometimes, the deputy D.A.’s had integrity and refused the proffered information, but that was an uncommon occurrence.
Bobbi had beauty and brains, but I wondered about her integrity. Would she play it straight? “Remember, Bobbi, we’re going to be square on this, no tricks. Right?”
“No tricks, he says, and coming out of the gate, he goes running to Silverman.”
“I’m not saying I did, but hypothetically, so what?”
“He knows more tricks than Rex the Wonder Dog.”
“Just a minute ago you said if I hired Sol it’d be a smart move.”
“Jimmy, you’re going to need all the help you can get. But, my friend, I’m still going to pound you into sand.” She flashed a half-second smile. “No offense.”
“None taken,” I said. “But with Rex the Wonder Dog on my side, how can I lose?”
The County picked up the lunch tab. I offered, but Bobbi insisted on paying. She said she had an expense account. We left the restaurant together; she went her way, and I went directly to Angelo’s Fat Burger for a real meal without the pompous bullshit. I asked the fry cook where he got his salt.
“From the bag in the backroom,” he answered.
I figured I’d survive.
C H A P T E R 8
“Gotta go, honey, the boss just came in.” Rita hung up the phone.
“That your boyfriend?” I asked.
“Yeah, how’d you know?”
“Just a guess. Listen, Rita, I’m going to work here a while longer. There’s no need for you to stick around.”
“Thanks, Boss. By the way, a reporter from the L.A. Times called.” She scoured her desk for the message. “Richard Conway. Wants information on the Rodriguez case.” She handed me the slip of paper with the number on it. I knew it would only be a matter of time before the story broke.
“The Los Angeles Times,” I said. “That’s big time.”
“Are we gonna be famous, Jimmy?” Rita winked. “A little publicity for the firm?”
“I don’t know.” The press could be a big help if I could pull it off, but I’d have to be prepared, have snappy one-liners at my fingertips, and know the case thoroughly, backwards and forwards. One slip and the newspapers would crucify me. The trial would be over before it began.
“Shall I get him on the phone for you?”
“Let’s wait on this, if he calls back, tell him I’m not in.”
She placed her hand over her heart. “You want me to lie to the press?”
“Cut it out, Rita. Just tell him I’m not here, okay?”
She looked disappointed. “Seriously, you don’t want to talk to him? The PR could help.”
“Not yet, but I’ll hang on to the number.” I stuffed the pink message in my pocket. “I’m sure we’ll use him before it’s over. I want to be prepared, that’s all.”
I walked into my office and moved to the desk, carrying the Rodriguez file. At this point, I had nothing to offer the media, but I was eager to dig into the file. Perhaps it contained hidden information that would help me point the finger at Welch. Without evidence, speculation about the senator wouldn’t fly. Even Sol’s news couldn’t be used at this point. I’d need more than rumor and innuendo before accusing him in the press of having an affair with Gloria. I’d need hard facts to support my theory that Gloria threatened to go public, and when she did, he killed her.