My Private Detective Read online

  “I know he’s supposed to be with you today, but under the circumstances, how would you feel about letting him spend the day with me? It’ll give us a chance to talk things over. We didn’t have enough time last night.”

  “That’s fine with me, as long as you make sure he doesn’t have a reaction like this again.”

  “I can’t promise that, Fay.”

  “Then Kevin was right.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He says you’re going to marry her.”

  The way he felt about Heidi Ellis, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

  “I don’t know that yet.”

  “Well, well. This is quite a surprise.”

  Gideon supposed it was.

  He let out the breath he’d been holding. Since their divorce, he’d known that Fay maintained the fiction that he’d never remarried because no woman had ever measured up to her. Kevin’s revelation must have dealt her ego a significant blow.

  She loved their son, but he realized she wasn’t as shaken up by Kevin’s present condition as by Gideon’s finally finding a woman who, in Fay’s mind, was her equal. She must’ve been consumed by curiosity.

  Marriage meant Kevin would have a stepmother. No one was more competitive than Gideon’s ex-wife. Her next comment confirmed his thoughts.

  “When things get back to normal, you’ll have to bring her to the house for cocktails.”

  “It’s early days yet, Fay. Right now my concern is for Kevin. Tell him I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  A half hour later Gideon arrived at St. Anne’s. Fay and her husband were standing outside the cubicle. The curtain had been pulled aside.

  “Frank.” Gideon nodded at him, then Fay, then hurried in to see his son, who was sitting on the edge of the exam table fully dressed.

  “Hi, Dad,” Kevin said in a tremulous voice. The glittering anger had gone from his eyes, thank God.

  A lump swelled in Gideon’s throat as he moved to embrace his little boy. Except that Kevin wasn’t a little boy anymore. He was well on the way to manhood. That was the reality. It changed the way Gideon would have to deal with him from now on.

  Kevin’s arms went around him.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean all those things,” he said quietly, burying his face in Gideon’s chest.

  “And I’m sorry you felt so ill. How’s your stomach now?”

  “A little better.”

  “That’s good. How would you like to spend the rest of the day with me?”

  Kevin lifted his head. A glimmer of light had returned to his eyes. “Will Mom let me?”

  “I already cleared it with her.”

  “Great,” he said shyly. He slid off the table and ran out to give his mother a goodbye hug. Gideon followed at a brief distance.

  “I’ll have him home in plenty of time for bed,” he told her. “Okay, Kevin. Let’s go.”

  They left the emergency room and walked through the doors to the parking lot. Closer to the car they heard barking.

  “Pokey!” Kevin’s face broke into a smile, the first Gideon had seen since Friday. “You brought him!”

  “He knew you needed cheering up.”

  Kevin climbed into the front seat and hugged his dog, who greeted him with unbridled enthusiasm.

  Halfway to Ocean Beach his son appeared to be back to his normal self. Before they reached the house, there were things that needed to be discussed. Depending on the outcome of this conversation, Gideon would know what to say when he phoned Heidi.

  “Kevin? I need to talk to you about something.” His son flashed him a wary glance. “Do me a favor and listen without interrupting until I’m finished? Then you can ask all the questions you want.”

  “Okay.”

  “Thank you.” Taking a deep breath, Gideon began. “Heidi Ellis’s best friend, Dana Turner, is in prison for a murder Heidi claims she didn’t commit.”

  Kevin’s brown eyes widened in surprise. So far, so good.

  “She and Dana grew up next door to each other. They’re more like sisters than friends. Even though the case is closed, Heidi is so certain her friend is innocent, she’s determined to find new evidence that will set her free.

  “She signed up for Daniel’s class in the hope of enlisting his help. Instead, she got me for a teacher.

  “From the very first, we both felt an attraction. It wasn’t something either of us planned. I have no idea if my feelings for her will grow or die. But so far, I like being around her very much.

  “One day you’ll grow up and fall in love. You’ll get married and probably have kids. But your family—your mother and I—will still be part of your life.

  “I’m at a stage where I’d like to find a woman who’ll share my life, too. Maybe Heidi’s that woman. Maybe she isn’t. But my feelings for her are strong enough that I need to find out.

  “Today I’d planned to drive her to the prison in San Bernardino so I could meet her friend. I’ll be honest with you. I made those plans mostly because I wanted to be with Heidi. But I also wanted to talk to Dana. If my instincts tell me something’s wrong, then I’m going to conduct my own investigation to see if some critical evidence was overlooked.

  “Now, having said all that, would you like to drive to the prison with us? We’ll bring Pokey. You can take him for a walk while I’m in the prison.

  “If you don’t want to come, I’ll call Heidi and tell her I’ll go to the prison with her another time. What’s important to me is that you and I be together today.

  “Before you answer, keep in mind that if you come with us, you can get to know Heidi a little better. It’s very important to me that you two get along. If you don’t like her after you get to know her, then we’ll talk about it.”

  He stared at his son. “That was a long speech, probably the longest you’ve ever had to sit through without saying anything. Now it’s your turn.”

  A long silence. Finally Kevin said, “I’ll go to the prison with you.”

  Gideon expelled the breath he’d been holding. Clearing his throat, he said, “You know what? I think you’re a pretty terrific son.”

  Kevin eyed him steadily. “She probably hates me after the way I acted.”

  “Not at all.”

  “Frank doesn’t like me.”

  “He thinks you’re great. But he’s scared of you.”

  “Scared?”

  It was time Kevin understood the truth about a few things. “That’s right. He’s afraid that if he does anything to upset you, your mother won’t love him anymore.”

  Kevin blinked. Obviously that was something he’d never considered. He remained silent until they reached the house.

  AS SOON AS HEIDI saw the Acura from the window, she locked her apartment and ran out to the car, carrying her briefcase. While she’d been in the shower, Gideon had left a brief voice message. As planned, he’d be by at ten. With Kevin.

  She realized that whatever happened today would set the climate for the future. Knowing this, she was terrified of making a wrong move around Kevin.

  If she tried to act like a pal, he’d ignore her. If she tried to mother him, he’d take offense. Acting like a schoolteacher would only annoy him. That didn’t leave any options, because she’d be wrong no matter what she did. All she could do was follow his father’s lead.

  Gideon had to be twelve or thirteen years older than she was. The age difference didn’t matter. But the fact that there was a fourteen-year history with his son did.

  If Kevin never grew to like her, that animosity could taint a relationship with his father, even kill it. For personal reasons she had very real fears about the outcome of today’s trip.

  As for Dana, five minutes with her would convince Gideon that her friend wasn’t capable of murder.

  Gideon was just climbing out of the car when he saw her. Kevin immediately got out, too, holding a dog in his arms. No doubt his father had told him to sit in the back, the first of many things his son would
naturally resent.

  “Hi, you two.”

  “Good morning,” came the deep, familiar voice. Gideon’s eyes did a slow inventory of her face and figure—and she found herself doing the same to him. The dog barked, distracting her.

  “So this is Pokey. Is he friendly?”

  Kevin nodded.

  She stroked the beagle’s head and was rewarded with a lick on the hand. “He looks like Snoopy.”

  Her comment produced a faint smile.

  She glanced in Gideon’s direction. “Do you mind if I sit in the back seat? I need to spread my things out so I can record test scores in my roll book. Might as well get the drudge work done now.”

  Gideon sent her a private message that said he knew exactly what she was doing and he approved. He opened the back door and held her briefcase as she climbed inside.

  She trembled from the brush of his hand against her thigh as he handed her the case. The effect was electrifying. He felt it, too. Their eyes met again, and the longing in his took her breath away.

  He shut the door and moved around to the driver’s seat. She decided to wait until they reached the freeway to take out her papers. For now she was content to gaze at the houses speeding by as they drove through the treed residential neighborhoods.

  At one point she caught Gideon studying her in the rearview mirror. “You’re awfully quiet back there.”

  She smiled at him. “I do too much talking in class. It’s heavenly to just relax and be chauffeured around—even if it’s by the police.”

  He laughed outright, and she felt ridiculously pleased.

  “It’s funny, isn’t it?” she went on. “When you’re Kevin’s age, you think how exciting it’s going to be when you can drive a car. Then after you get your license and you’ve been driving for a while, you realize what a luxury it is to let someone else do the work.”

  More laughter on Gideon’s part. Heidi had no idea whether Kevin was paying any attention to her comments. More important was that he not feel she was ignoring him completely.

  When they reached the freeway, she opened her briefcase and pulled out the tests she’d corrected. In another compartment she found her roll book and began the monotonous procedure of transferring grades.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blond head turn her way. “How come you don’t use a computer for your grades?”

  Pleased that Kevin had been curious enough to ask, she paused in her work. “I do. But last year a student hacker broke into the teachers’ computer files and changed a lot of the grades just before report cards were printed. It was a real nightmare, and I learned a good lesson about keeping my own hard copy up-to-date.”

  “Oh.”

  They drove another ten miles before he turned around again. This time Pokey’s head popped up, too.

  “What class are those for?”

  “My ninth-graders. Geography.”

  “I’ll be taking geography next year.”

  “What’s your favorite class right now?”

  “Earth science.”

  “With the right teacher that can be exciting.”

  “Mr. Harris is fun. He went to Mexico and brought us back chocolate-covered insects to eat.”

  “Mmm. Delicious. What did you choose?”

  “A grasshopper.”

  “And you’re still alive…. Congratulations.”

  Kevin forgot not to smile. It provoked the same response from his father, who glanced at her in the rearview mirror once again.

  They made several gas-station stops en route. Kevin took Pokey for walks on his leash and let him drink from his water bowl. When they reached San Bernardino, Gideon decided they’d get hamburgers at a drive-through so the dog wouldn’t have to be left alone in the car.

  Everything remained pleasant and very low-key.

  After lunch they left the city and headed into the San Bernardino mountains. A few miles out there was a turnoff for Fielding Women’s Prison.

  Heidi had been enjoying herself so much that seeing that sign was like being hit in the stomach with a baseball bat. She couldn’t help feeling guilty that her life was this wonderful while Dana was locked in prison.

  The outer perimeter of the building was surrounded by a concrete parking area, searchlights and an electric fence. There wasn’t a tree in sight. Armed guards did sentry duty at the main gate. A huge sign had been posted:

  Fielding Women’s Prison Visiting Hours, Saturday and Sunday, 9 to 3.

  Five visitors at a time. You must pass through the visitor processing center to be searched.

  Requirements: No wigs, no sandals, no bandannas, no transparent blouses, no bra tops, no spaghetti straps, no blue, brown or forest-green clothes, no key chains, no Polaroids. Buy food and cigarettes inside. Forty dollars maximum is allowed in five-dollar increments.

  Gideon showed his ID to the guard who’d asked him to state his business. Heidi had to give him her official permission slip. She was continually making applications to see Dana. They had to be submitted in writing five weeks ahead of each visit.

  The electric gate opened to allow them through. There were dozens of cars parked near the processing center.

  The Turners saw their daughter every Saturday. Though Sundays were the busiest days for visitors, Heidi always came then; she wanted to spread out the visits so Dana’s week wouldn’t seem so long. More often than not Heidi’s parents accompanied her.

  After Gideon pulled to a stop, Heidi started to leave the car when he said, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go in first.”

  Surprised—and a little chagrined because she’d wanted to tell Dana she’d brought an unexpected visitor—Heidi checked her movements and sat back again. “Of course. That’s fine with me,” she said quietly.

  “Good.” He smiled at Kevin. “I’ll be back soon.”

  The shift in Gideon’s mood was subtle, but it was there. The detective, not the man, was about to come face-to-face with a woman who’d been sent to prison for murder. Except for Heidi’s assertions of her friend’s innocence, he had no reason to believe there’d been a miscarriage of justice.

  She watched him reach the building in a few swift strides. When he disappeared inside, she closed her eyes tightly.

  What if, after talking to her friend, he decided there was no case? What if this had all been for nothing? Dear God. Poor Dana…

  Hot tears slipped beneath Heidi’s lashes and trickled down her cheeks. A sob welled in her throat. Soon she was crying uncontrollably.

  Until she heard the dog moan in humanlike fashion, she’d forgotten she wasn’t alone.

  “Ms. Ellis?”

  “Uh-huh?”

  Embarrassed to have lost control in front of Kevin, she wiped away her tears with both hands, then lifted her head.

  “Do you want to take a walk with Pokey?” he asked solemnly.

  She cleared her throat. “If we can all go together.”

  “Sure.”

  While he and the dog climbed out of the front seat, she got out of the back.

  “Dad told me about your friend. Were you crying because of her?”

  “I’m sorry, Kevin.” She gulped in a breath. “I do this all the time over Dana’s situation. Today I…suddenly felt this terror that your father won’t feel there’s anything he can do for her. It certainly won’t be his fault.

  “He was kind enough to come to the prison in the first place, but the chances of turning up something that will reopen her case are slim to none, as they say.”

  Kevin didn’t respond. She didn’t expect him to. They started walking. Pokey took the lead, straining at his leash. Kevin went where he led; she followed.

  GIDEON SAT IN FRONT of the glass while he waited for Dana to be brought in. He knew he’d taken Heidi by surprise in reversing the order of their visits. But since Dana didn’t know about him, he wanted the chance to catch her off guard and had purposely asked the prison matron to withhold his name and title.

  Since he had only the facts f
rom Heidi’s synopsis to go on, this first meeting was crucial. Over the years Gideon had discovered that a surprise visit to an unsuspecting inmate or witness often allowed him a glimpse into the other person’s psyche.

  Many crimes were solved on a hunch, a premonition, an instinct. Gideon didn’t plan to overlook anything. Clearly any hope for a future with Heidi was jeopardized as long as Dana’s life hung in the balance.

  In his desire for an advantage in this meeting, he hadn’t counted on being thrown a curve, but that was what it felt like when a tall, beautiful brunette came slowly toward him. Though she was underweight, she made the denim-blue prison shift look like a fashion statement.

  It wasn’t until she sat down that he noticed the gauntness of her face. Her gray eyes lacked luster. There were shadows and lines that shouldn’t have been there, not on a woman who was only in her mid-twenties.

  Heidi was right; her friend’s fragility was shocking. Prison life had definitely taken its toll. Gideon had the grim conviction that Dana Turner would not survive long behind bars.

  He picked up the phone receiver and waited for her to do the same. As soon as she sat down, he said, “Hello, Dana.”

  “Hello,” she said in a tremulous voice. She sounded like a frightened child rather than a woman capable of murdering her sister in cold blood. “Are you one of the attorneys from Mr. Cobb’s office?”

  “No. My name is Gideon Poletti. I’m a criminal investigator with the San Diego Police Department.”

  She stared at him as if he were an apparition.

  “Through an unusual set of circumstances,” he went on, “I was asked to teach a night class in criminology for the adult-education department. It’s being held in Heidi Ellis’s room at Mesa Junior High. She joined the class. That’s how I learned about you.”

  Suddenly tears spurted from her eyes. In the next breath she covered her face with her free hand and started to sob. Those sobs came straight from her soul and they tugged at his emotions.

  “I-I’m sorry,” she said a few moments later when she’d regained control of herself. “It’s just that Heidi said she’d have something good to report the next time she came. She’s been my guardian angel, but I never expected her to hire a det—”