Detective Reyes-Gonzales turned from me to Rhonda Attwood. "How did you come to be aware of your son's suspicions about Mr. Beaumont here?"
"He called me last night and told me."
"You mean the night he died?"
Rhonda nodded. "That's right. It's tomorrow already, isn't it."
"What was the purpose of his call?"
"He wanted to hit me up for some money."
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. I used to lend him money all the time, but then I stopped because he never paid any of it back."
"So his calling you was unusual?"
"Yes."
"How much did he want?"
"Ten thousand dollars. He said he was planning to leave the state, but that was probably a lie."
"Did you give your son the money he asked for?" Detective Reyes-Gonzales asked.
Rhonda shook her head. "I don't have that kind of money, at least not at one time. Even if I had it, I wouldn't have given it to him. I learned the hard way. My son was a liar and a cheat. I quit lending him money years ago. I thought it would help him grow up and learn to stand on his own two feet."
"Mrs. Attwood, do you believe your son was involved in drug trafficking?" Detective Reyes-Gonzales asked the pivotal question gently.
"Yes," Rhonda replied.
"According to what I've seen so far, he got sent up on a Minor In Possession, an MIP. I can't find anything official that links him to drugs."
"Keep looking," Rhonda said grimly. "It's there."
"How do you know?"
"Because he told me. He told me JoJo had gotten him off."
"JoJo?" Detective Reyes-Gonzales asked.
"James Rothman, his father, my ex."
"And you believe that's possible?"
"Where JoJo is concerned, anything is possible."
Detective Reyes-Gonzales nodded. "All right. I'll do some more checking into that end of it. By the way, in his discussion with you, did your son every mention someone by the name of Michelle Owens?"
"No," Rhonda returned decisively. "Not that I remember."
Detective Reyes-Gonzales continued. "Michelle's young, only fifteen, a girl your son met while they were both in treatment at Ironwood Ranch. She told us Joey was in the process of ‘working some deals' and then they were planning on running away together."
Rhonda Attwood laughed. "Run away?" she asked.
"As in elope," Detective Reyes-Gonzales replied seriously. "When I talked to her this morning, the girl showed me a ring. She claims they were engaged." Reyes-Gonzales paused for just a moment before adding, "Michelle Owens is pregnant, Mrs. Attwood."
For the first time in the entire interview, Rhonda Attwood looked stunned.
"Pregnant?" she said. "Joey got a girl pregnant?"
"Eventually you may want to confirm it with a paternity test, but for the time being, we're taking the girl's word that your son is the father."
Rhonda sat perfectly still, her face ashen. I'm sure that, like me, Detective Reyes-Gonzales had assumed that someone else had given Rhonda the news. "I'm sorry. You mean you didn't know?"
"No," Rhonda answered weakly, almost in a whisper. "I had no idea."
"It's just that your husband-"
"I don't have a husband," Rhonda cut in.
"Excuse me, your former husband seemed to know all about it, and I thought you would too."
"My former husband and I aren't exactly on speaking terms," Rhonda said testily. "Thank you for telling me." Abruptly, she stood up and turned to me. "Can we go now, please? I'm not feeling well."
To my surprise, Detective Reyes-Gonzales didn't object. "Of course, Mrs. Attwood. I'll be happy to finish going over all this with you some other time."
"Thank you," Rhonda murmured and fled from the room. Without moving, Detective Reyes-Gonzales watched the door swing slowly shut behind the departing woman.
"So that's it?" I asked.
"For right now," she replied. "If I have any more questions, I can ask them tomorrow."
Being this close to the action and at the same time being totally shut out of it was driving me crazy. I decided to try a direct approach. What did I have to lose?"
"How about your answering one for me, then?" I asked.
"Such as?"
"Yesterday when you were interviewing me in Louise Crenshaw's office, something happened. Somebody came to get you, and you got up and left me, just like that."
A curtain of wariness fell across the detective's face. "What about it?"
"What was it? Why did you leave?"
"A lead," she answered coolly. "I'm not at liberty to say what kind."
"Just tell me one thing. Was it something to do with Joey Rothman's murder?"
"You're not listening, Detective Beaumont," she said, standing up. "I can't say anything more without jeopardizing my investigation. Won't," she added.
"But you do have a suspect?" I insisted.
I had turned the questioning tables on her suddenly enough that I caught her off guard. An affirmative answer flashed in the lucid brown eyes before she could properly mask them. Yes, she did have a suspect.
"Who is he?" I asked, pressing my luck. By then, Detective Reyes-Gonzales was back in control. She ignored my final question as though it had never been asked.
"I understand you're no longer staying at Ironwood Ranch." It was a statement not a question, and I didn't answer.
"Do you have any idea where you will be staying? For the time being, I would prefer your not leaving the state of Arizona."
I had seen that request as a distinct possibility. "I'll probably stay with my attorney, Ralph Ames. In Phoenix. His office is in Phoenix but he lives in Paradise Valley." I gave her Ralph's telephone numbers and addresses.
"What about my car?" I added.
"Oh, that." She shrugged. "A minor detail. Have the rental agency call us. Better yet, have them call me personally. The car is still impounded, but you won't have to pay any charges from the time we took it into custody. At least that's my understanding of how it's supposed to work."
The detective got up and escorted me to the door. We found Rhonda Attwood pacing up and down the hallway. Pacing and seething.
She stopped as soon as she saw us, her face still contorted with anger. The change was remarkable. This new woman barely resembled the one with whom I'd spent the past few hours.
"I take it you spoke with my former husband at some length?" Her words were clipped and staccato, while the question itself reeked with sarcasm.
"Why, yes, as a matter of fact, we did. We were able to reach him early on during the day, long before the deputies were able to locate you."
"And while you were chatting with him, he didn't happen to mention when the services for Joey are scheduled, did he?"
Detective Reyes-Gonzales frowned. "That depends on the autopsy, but I believe he said something about Monday. Somewhere in Paradise Valley, I believe, but I can't remember where or what time. When you talk to him-"
"I won't be speaking to JoJo Rothman," Rhonda said icily. "I haven't spoken to him since before the divorce, and I see no need to change that now." With that, she turned and stalked away down the hallway. I started after her, but Detective Reyes-Gonazales stopped me.
"What's going on with her? Are you two involved in some way?"
"You mean romantically? No."
"But you came here with her. She brought you along into my office like you were an advisor or a close personal friend."
"I never met her before tonight. She offered me a ride out of Wickenburg, that's all. The road is closed going the other way, remember?"
"And that's all?"
"Of course that's all," I answered, exasperation creeping into my voice.
Detective Delcia Reyes-Gonzales smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Let me remind you, Detective Beaumont, that you are now in Arizona, not Washington. Yavapai County, not the City of Seattle."
"In other words, butt out and mind my own business."