Jonathan Kellerman - Billy Straight

He swiped at his eyes, turned his back, and walked several steps. Schick followed him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Balch had offered similar comfort that first day and Ramsey’s response had been to turn on him. But he accepted the attorney’s gesture, nodding as Schick told him something. Petra saw him pinch the top of his nose. He and Schick returned.

“Sorry, Detective Connor. Anything else?”

“Was there any reason for Mr. Balch to be up here recently?”

“Like I said, he comes up to fix things, let in workmen. If there was something to fix, he’d have a reason.”

“But you’re not aware of anything specific.”

“I wouldn’t know,” said Ramsey. “Greg takes care of things.”

“Both houses?”

“Absolutely.”

“Does that include exchanging cars?”

“Pardon?”

“Bringing the Jeep to L.A. for maintenance,” said Petra. “Leaving his own car here.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Mr. Balch did that yesterday, sir. A local deputy saw him exit the property, and Mr. Balch told him you’d asked him to bring the Jeep down for maintenance. He left his Lexus here.”

“Makes sense,” said Ramsey. “The Jeep was for weekends here-Lisa liked it. I rarely use it, so maybe it seized up.”

“But you don’t know that.”

“No, I’m guessing.”

“Where do you take the Jeep for service?”

“Some Jeep dealer in Santa Barbara. I think.”

“Any reason to bring it to L.A.?”

Ramsey shrugged and stroked his mustache. “Maybe Greg switched dealers. Maybe he had a problem with the one in Santa Barbara. Why all these-”

“I just need to get this straight,” said Petra, feigning confusion. “You never asked him specifically to pick up the Jeep.”

“Not specifically-what are you getting at?”

She pulled out her pad, scrawled. “Maybe nothing, sir.” After writing, she snuck in a quick cartoon of Schick. The stupid haircut made it easy.

Ramsey was staring at her. “You think Greg-”

Petra didn’t answer. Next to her, Ron was as still as a machine.

“Oh, c’mon,” said Ramsey. “No way. No, that’s absolutely crazy-”

“How did Mr. Balch and Estrella Flores get along?”

“They got along fine.” Ramsey laughed. “This is totally nuts. If Greg says the Jeep needed maintenance, it did. What’s going on here is probably some kind of psycho stalker. Someone with a grudge against me, so he goes after people… close to me.”

“Mrs. Flores was close to you?”

“No-I don’t know. All I’m saying is these nuts are all over. Look at John Lennon, all the crap people in the industry put up with. Have you checked out anything like that?”

“We’re looking at all kinds of things,” said Petra.

Schick said, “I know someone who can look into it, Cart.”

Ron hadn’t said a word. Petra glanced at him, letting him know it was okay. He said, “In terms of stalkers, do you have anyone in mind, Mr. Ramsey?”

“If I did, don’t you think I’d tell you?” Harder tone with Ron. “Jesus.”

Petra closed her pad. “Thanks for giving the okay to search, sir. It will save us time and paperwork. If you don’t mind putting it in writing-”

Schick barked on cue: “Before we go that far, let’s pin down the details.”

“Let them do their job, Larry,” said Ramsey. To Petra: “Whatever turns up, I guarantee you, it will have nothing to do with Greg.”

Schick made his mouth very small and ran a finger under thick black bangs. Why would a grown man opt for a hairstyle like that? Something to catch jurors’ attention? Maybe the meerschaum was a prop, too.

Reality, fantasy…

Petra said, “I’ll get some paper for you to write on, sir.”

Schick said, “Hold on please, Detective. Cart, you’re upset, and you’re going to get taken advantage of. I’ve seen the things that occur during searches. Breakage, pilferage. I strongly advise you-”

“Let them break stuff, Larry. I don’t give a shit. Like I said, tear the whole place down.” He faced Petra. “You’re just theorizing, right? You can’t be seriously thinking Greg had anything to do with this.”

Schick said, “At the very least, I insist upon being present during any search.”

“Fine,” said Petra. To Ramsey: “One more thing: Greg Balch’s behavior the night of Lisa’s murder. When the two of you returned from Reno-”

“Detective,” said Schick. “There has to be a better time for this.”

Ramsey said, “What about his behavior?”

“Did he act differently in any way?”

“No. The same old Greg.”

“The day we visited your house your Mercedes was gone. Where was it?”

“What does that have to do with Greg’s behavior?” said Ramsey.

“Sir, if you’d just bear with me-”

“The Mercedes was being serviced,” said Ramsey. He’d told her that, but if the redundant questioning bothered him, he didn’t show it. “Too many toys-there’s always something in need of fixing.”

“Did Greg bring the Mercedes in?” said Petra. Ron had turned around, was studying the house.

“Or the dealer picked it up,” said Ramsey.

“What needed to be done to the car?”

“I have no idea.”

“So it was driving okay.”

“Yes, it was fine. Maybe it needed a routine oil change, I don’t know.”

“What Mercedes dealer do you use?”

Ramsey put a finger over his mouth. “Some place nearby-in Agoura, I think.” He laughed harshly. “As you can see, I’m very in touch with my life.”

Petra smiled at him. “The second time I came to your house, the Mercedes was back in the garage. Who brought it over?”

“Same answer: Either someone from the dealer or Greg. I think it was Greg, but what’s the diff-”

“How did Greg and Lisa get along?” Petra said, talking faster, a little louder. If Schick hadn’t been there, she’d have stepped closer to Ramsey, invading his personal space, forcing eye contact. Even with the attorney hovering, it was a silver bullet of a question, and Ramsey’s head moved back.

“Greg and Lisa? Fine-everyone got along fine.”

“No problem between them?”

“No. I can’t believe you’re wasting time on- He’s my closest friend, Detective Connor. We were kids together. He and Lisa got along fine. Hell, he introduced me to Lisa.”

“At the pageant?” said Petra.

“At the pageant, but he knew her before. They-” Ramsey stopped.

“They what, sir?”

“They dated. Nothing serious, just a few times, so don’t go construing. It was over by the time Lisa and I started dating. Greg had no problem with it. If he had, would he have introduced us?”

Why, indeed. Suppositions drag-raced through Petra’s head.

Beauty queen with sights set on the industry. Believing, at first, that Balch was a Hollywood heavyweight-maybe Balch had used that as a pickup line. They start dating, he pours on the b.s., but she sees through it, learns where the real clout is.

Throwing the small fish back, she goes for the whopper.

“Everyone got along,” said Ramsey, but his voice had weakened and he was picking at his mustache.

Schick’s stick face was all adrenaline, but he still wasn’t moving. Same for Ron. It made Petra feel as if the two of them were fading out of view, bit players, spotlighting her and Ramsey.

She said, “Okay, sir, thanks for your help-do you have a key to the house?”

“Here,” said Schick, taking out a ring and fingering a brass Schlage.

Someone else to answer for Ramsey, take care of him.

Being a star, even a minor one, was a return to childhood.

Drawing Ron fifty feet away, under the largest of the oaks, Petra kicked acorns and said, “Anything I missed?”