Marcia Muller - The Tree of Death

“The reason I ask is that I’m interested in ancient art, and I know it’s difficult to get one’s hands on, given the restrictions a lot of countries have placed on their national treasures.”

The woman looked around. Satisfied there was no one else in the gallery, she said, “Is it difficult, yes. What did you have in mind?”

I thought back to the boxes I had found in the cellar. “I have a small collection of Aztec figurines. They’re inherited, museum quality. I don’t doubt I could sell them for a fortune, but there’s sentimental value attached.”

“I see.”

“In order to complete the collection, however, I need the earth goddess Coatlicue. But with these silly restrictions…” I spread my hands wide.

“They are a problem to the serious collector.” Her eyes were calculating. “I could check for you, Miss…?”

“Could you? I’d be so grateful. I’m staying at the Biltmore, but I’m in and out so much… Do you have a card?”

She nodded and went to a small desk. The card she handed me confirmed she was the gallery owner, Gloria Sanchez.

“Ms. Sanchez,” I said, “you could be the solution to all my problems. I’ve been looking-”

“Gloria,”‘ a familiar voice called from the rear of the showroom.

Gloria Sanchez turned, a frown of annoyance creasing her brow.

“Gloria,” the voice said, “is this all of Frank’s stuff?”

The door at the rear opened, and Robert De Palma entered, carrying a red plaid bathrobe. His mouth dropped when he saw me, and he made a frantic effort to stuff the robe underneath the jacket of his tight black suit. He got about a quarter of it hidden, and there the rest of it hung, looking silly.

“Hi, Robert,” I said. “Tying up loose ends?”

His eyes bugged out even more.

Gloria Sanchez looked from one of us to the other. “You are acquainted?”

“Sure,” I said. “Not well, but we know each other. Roberto and I met in a bar the other night. What was it called- the Bus Stop?” I smiled maliciously.

Robert reddened. The Bus Stop was the worst pickup joint in town.

Gloria Sanchez grinned slyly. “Why, Roberto!”

I crossed the room and took a firm hold on Robert’s arm. “As a matter of fact, I owe Roberto a drink. I’ll send him back in a while.” I steered him out of the gallery.

Robert didn’t speak until we were several stores away. Then he said indignantly, “What are you doing here? And why did you tell her that-about the Bus Stop?”

“Don’t act so self-righteous. And take Frank’s bathrobe out from under your coat. It looks ridiculous.”

“Where are we going?”

“As I said, I’m buying you a drink.”

Somewhat mollified, Robert took the bathrobe and stuffed it into the first trash can we passed. I steered him to a table in the courtyard and ordered us both wine.

“So Frank and Gloria had a thing going?”‘ I asked when our drinks had come.

Robert gulped at his wine. “Listen, Elena, Frank’s dead. You don’t want to ruin his reputation.”

“On the other hand, since he’s dead, he has nothing to lose.”

“But Rosa, and the kids-‘’

“Relax, Robert. Unless Gloria killed him, it’ll never have to come out.”

He choked in mid-swallow.

“What was it with Gloria and Frank?” I asked.

Robert looked at me as if I had gone mad. “What do you mean?”

“What did they have going?”

“Elena, you’ve seen her. She’s a pretty lady.”

“So’s Rosa.”

He dismissed Rosa with a wave of his hand. “Rosa was Frank’s wife. Besides, she’s gotten kind of lumpy.”

Madre de Dios! Was it only my culture that was plagued by men like Robert? Or were they everywhere? A statement like that was enough to make me swear off the creatures for life. “How long had Frank been seeing Gloria?”

“Ever since she bought the gallery. Five years, I guess.”

“How often?”

“Two nights a week.”

“Did Rosa know?”

“I guess.”

“You guess?”

“She knew. But that’s the way it is. That’s a wife’s lot. Rosa had her kids; she never wanted for anything-Frank saw to that.”

Hadn’t she? I remembered the hard, defiant look in her eyes that morning as she praised her hypocritical husband. She had her kids; she had her pride. But what else?

“Besides,” Robert said defensively, “what were you doing snooping around the gallery?”

“Just that, snooping.”

“Why?”

“Somebody killed Frank. He had a mistress. Don’t the police always tell you to look for the woman?”

“Gloria wouldn’t kill him!”

“How do you know?”

“Well, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t.”

“Why couldn’t she?”

Robert reddened.

“Why not, Robert?”

“Because I was… I was with her that night.”‘ A boastful expression fought with his embarrassment.

“All night?”

Boastfulness won out. “Yes, all night.”

I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. It could be their way of giving each other an alibi. Besides-rotund Robert? Sleek, attractive Gloria? One never knows, does one? At any rate, I couldn’t prove it either way.

“You and Frank made a fine pair,” I said sourly.

Robert finished his wine and stood up. “I suppose you gave her some story to hide why you really were there.”

Belatedly, I realized that the tale I had told Gloria about wanting to buy an Aztec figurine might tip her or Robert off to my knowing about the embezzlements. “No, actually it was the truth.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. I’m adding to my personal collection, and I thought she could help me out. But it was a convenient excuse to talk to her.”

Robert wasn’t too bright, but surely Gloria would see through my story when he told her who I was. Unless she didn’t know about the figurine in the museum cellar. How much did she know about the artifacts her lover and his cohorts had brought into the country?

I had the feeling things were veering out of my control. I only hoped I could hold them together until tomorrow night, after the opening.

Robert seemed satisfied for now with what I’d said. Mumbling grudging thanks for the wine, he ambled away from the table and back along the passageway toward La Galeria. I wondered if he would rescue Frank’s bathrobe from the garbage can.

The waitress came by, and I ordered another glass of wine. I was in no hurry to go home to my empty house. Usually I enjoyed the solitude, but tonight it would only be depressing or, worse, frightening. I sat at the table, sipping Chablis and listening to conversations eddy around me. Most of the people were tourists, talking of Mission Santa Barbara, winery tours, and bargains in art goods.

Art goods. I stared moodily at a gallery across the courtyard. It was closed, but its windows shone through the night. This gallery was more touristy than Gloria Sanchez’s, and its spotlights beamed down on ceramic trees of life, more tasteful than Isabel’s gift, but still brightly colored.

My mind began replaying my interview with Lieutenant Kirk: cerebral hemorrhage. .. fingerprints … including yourself … ceramic and terra-cotta.

I sipped wine, willing the echoes to go away. I was sick of Kirk, sick of thinking about Frank’s murder, sick of thinking about embezzlement and finding out my friends and colleagues were not what I had thought they were. Most of all, I was sick of trying to figure out how the killer left the museum and reset that alarm. I wanted to forget for a while…

Ceramic and terra-cotta. …

I jumped, almost upsetting the wineglass. Now I knew what had struck me as odd in the folk art gallery the morning I’d found Frank’s body. The little terra-cotta tree of death had been gone.