“I keep hearing about what a dangerous place Darwin Gardens is,” Billy said. “So how come you’re the only who has taken a shot at me?”
“Somebody shot up your station,” Mandy said.
“While it was empty, and I’m pretty sure that was Timo, acting on his own,” Wade said. “Duke is giving us safe passage while we look into those dead women.”
“Because it serves his interest,” Mandy said.
“And because, so far, I’ve only been arresting junkies, sheriff’s deputies, and liquor store robbers. I haven’t taken a run at him yet.”
“You shot up his sign,” Billy said.
Wade nodded. “And since he hasn’t retaliated, that tells me he’s showing restraint to see how our murder investigation goes.”
“What happens after that’s over?” Billy asked.
Wade shrugged. “It’ll be interesting to see.”
Mandy put her hands on her hips and looked down at Billy. “Can I get you anything from the kitchen?”
“One of those big Injun doughnuts would be great.”
Mandy turned to Wade. “You really shot him?”
“I did,” Wade said.
“I don’t blame you,” she said, then looked back at Billy. “One fry bread coming right up.”
“We’ll take it to go,” Wade said, closing the file.
“Where are we going?” Billy asked.
“Havenhurst.”
Billy looked confused. “Why? When Glory was killed, Seth was on a county work detail out on the highway, under constant supervision of deputies, and his dad was in a room full of lawyers, so they’re both off the hook.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Even without their kick?ass alibis,” Billy said, “you haven’t established a credible motive for either one of them.”
“So I’ve been told,” Wade said. “Why do you sound so lawyerlike all of a sudden?”
“I watched Lesbian Legal 7 last night. It’s the DVD I found at the station. It’s like Boston Legal, only with lesbo action.”
Wade took the file and slid out of the booth. “I’ve got to grab some stuff at the station. Meet me there in five minutes.”
“You want to borrow the DVD?” Billy asked.
“No, thanks.” Wade walked away.
“Your loss,” Billy said, calling after him. “It really makes you appreciate our legal system.”
Chapter twenty three
Billy parked their patrol car beside Seth’s Escalade in the Burdetts’ motor court. The night?lights were still on and the shades were drawn. Wade figured either they were getting a late start or they weren’t home. There was only one way to be sure. He got out, carrying a paper bag that looked like he’d brought along a sack lunch.
A young couple jogged past, slowing to a walk when they saw the police car. A neighbor across the street stood at the end of his driveway in his bathrobe and slippers. He’d come down to pick up the morning paper but then spotted the police and found it more interesting than reading about what the president was doing to curb the deficit.
Wade walked to the front door and rang the bell. It sounded like a symphony orchestra had been awakened into service to play the few notes.
“That’s some bell,” Billy said.
“It’s what you get when you buy some house,” Wade said.
Ethan Burdett opened the door, dressed for a game of golf.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” he said.
“Good morning, Mr. Burdett,” Wade said. “May we come in?”
“No, you may not. Now, get the hell out of here,” Ethan said. He started to close the door, but Wade stopped it with his foot.
“I’m going to be parked right in your driveway until we talk. We can do it now, inside your home, or we can do it out here, in front of your neighbors, whenever you get around to it. Makes no difference to me. But we will talk.”
“I’m going to call my lawyers,” Ethan said, “who are going to call the district attorney, who is going to call the chief, who will order you to get your ass off my property.”
“But I won’t,” Wade said.
Billy smiled. He was loving this. Ethan Burdett, however, was not. Far from it.
“He’ll send officers to drag you out.”
“Wow,” Wade said, looking back and smiling at the man in the bathrobe and the two joggers, “looks like your neighbors are in for quite a show this morning.”
Gayle stepped up behind her husband and tugged at his arm.
“Ethan, please, everyone in Havenhurst is probably already wondering why the police are here. The faster we get them out of here, the better.”
Ethan reluctantly stepped aside and let the officers into the dimly lit entry hall. “You are way off the reservation.”
Wade was sure Ethan’s choice of cliche was intentional, given that the majority of those arrested in King City were minorities, specifically Native Americans.
“My badge is good all over this city,” Wade said.
“Enjoy the feeling,” Ethan said, closing the door behind Billy, “because you won’t be wearing it much longer.”
Seth Burdett trudged down the stairs in loose sweats and a tank top that showed off his tats. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed. His hair was askew and his eyelids were heavy.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“I got the autopsy report on Glory Littleton this morning,” Wade said, “and I thought you’d all be interested in hearing the coroner’s findings right away.”
“Why would you think that?” Gayle asked. “She was our maid, not our daughter. We hardly knew her.”
“Somebody knew her well,” Wade said. “She was two months pregnant.”
None of the Burdetts were very good at hiding their shock, although it flashed across their faces for only an instant, long enough for Wade and Billy to both spot it. The Burdetts showed an awful lot of interest for people who claimed to have none.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Ethan said. “But I fail to see what that has to do with us.”
“Glory did a Lewinsky,” Wade said.
“A what?” Billy asked.
“As in Monica Lewinsky,” Wade said.
Billy shook his head. “Is that someone I should know?”
“Lewinsky had a sexual encounter with President Clinton and saved her semen?stained dress as a memento.” Wade reached into his paper bag and pulled out a plastic evidence bag containing one of Glory’s pieces of lingerie. “Glory did the same thing, saving this in her locker at Mr. Burdett’s building. I guess so she’d have no trouble proving who the father of her unborn child was.”
Ethan was stony faced, but Wade couldn’t have gotten a more horrified expression from Gayle if he’d pulled a decapitated head out of the bag.
Seth had an entirely different reaction. He let out a sound that was as much a growl of rage as it was a cry of pain and marched right up to his father, getting nose to nose with him.
“You were fucking my woman?” Seth asked, his fists balled, but his eyes filled with tears.
Ethan took a step back, holding his hands up in front of him. “I didn’t know about the two of you, but it wasn’t what you think. She threw herself at me one night at the office.” He looked pleadingly at his wife. “I’d had too much to drink, she was all over me, and I couldn’t control myself. I’m so sorry.”
Seth shoved his father hard in the chest, nearly knocking the man to the floor. Billy took a step forward, but Wade put out his hand, motioning him to stay where he was.
“Bullshit!” Seth said. “You made her fuck you. Because you can’t let me have anything. You have to control it all.”
“No, no, that wasn’t how it was at all,” Ethan said, scrambling back. “She was using us, don’t you see? All she wanted was our seed so she could get at our money.”
“Is that why you killed her?” Seth asked and launched himself at his father, pummeling him like a child instead of throwing punches, Ethan offering little resistance.
Gayle stepped back, watching the clash with a bitter smirk on her surgically wide?eyed face, her arms crossed under her stony breasts. It was almost as if she was pleased to see the fight. Wade nodded at Billy, who pulled Seth off his father without much effort.