J. Jance - Failure to appear

"Are you going to arrest her?" I asked.

"You just don't understand, do you, fella? You just don't comprende the words MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. Let me put it another way. Stay the hell out! I may not arrest Tanya Dunseth today or tomorrow or even next week-but I will eventually. In the meantime, I'll be watching her very closely. I wouldn't want Little Miss Porno Flick to slip away.

"I'm not booking her today, and not because I think she's innocent, either. I'm what you might call a fiscally responsible cop. I don't want the city of Ashland to have to pay room and board on her until it's time-until I've built an airtight case. When I do get around to arresting her-and you can count on it that I will-then you can bet I'll make it stick. Watch yourself, Beaumont, or some of her crap will land on you."

"Wait just a minute. What if Daphne Lewis and Martin Shore were in on something together? What if they were trying to blackmail or discredit Tanya Dunseth?" I asked. "Why else would that video show up here after all this time?"

"So what if they were?" Fraymore agreed. "Blackmail's no reason to rub people out. That's not the way it works. Maybe you should take Tanya Dunseth aside and explain the facts of life. That's why we have courts of law in this country, so people don't have to go around killing other people just because they've got their noses out of joint."

"Is there a connection between Shore and Daphne?"

Fraymore shrugged. "You tell me. I'm looking. I haven't found one yet, but I will. I'm that kind of guy."

The hospital door opened, and Ralph Ames emerged. He's from sunny Arizona. Unlike the rest of us, he keeps a pair of sunglasses in his pocket at all times. He slapped them on his face before taking two steps into the glaring sunlight.

"I understand that guy's your attorney," Fraymore growled, watching a tanned and fit Ralph Ames stride confidently toward us across an expanse of grassy lawn. "What's he doing here?"

"He came for the wedding."

"Not because you had some idea you might need him?"

"No, because he's a friend of the family," I replied.

Nodding sagely, Fraymore stood up. "Sure he is, and I'm a goddamn monkey's uncle. Do me a favor. Tell this ‘friend of the family' that he should stick around for a day or two. If I get lucky, he may wind up doing some legal work after all."

Fraymore walked away then, leaving me alone. The emotional turmoil of the past few days had taken its toll, but I wasn't in such a fog that I didn't recognize a barefaced threat when I heard it. The oversized detective crammed his bulk into the Lumina and slammed the door, speeding away in a spray of gravel.

As I watched him go, a very real sense of apprehension settled over me. I didn't worry that he'd find any evidence linking me to Tanya Dunseth. There wasn't any. Not yet. But, given sufficient imagination and vindictiveness, damning evidence could easily be manufactured. From the way he acted, the things he said, I knew for sure that Gordon Fraymore was a vindictive man-vindictive and probably jealous as well.

He was a moderately successful detective on a tiny police force. In terms of official rank, we were on much the same level. But there are hazards connected with being a big fish in a very small pool.

Not only that, the guy drove a damn Chevy. It's both laughable and sad, but the American male has not yet escaped the mental trap of believing you are what you drive. A Lumina doesn't stack up very well against a Porsche 928. I had given away a Bentley for the hell of it as well as for a sizable tax deduction, while Gordon Fraymore would most likely never even touch one.

With someone like him, an old-fashioned, piss-in-your-soup-type threat can be ignored only at your own peril.

Sure as hell, Tanya Dunseth wasn't the only one in what the Laredo Kid would have called deep caca. So was J.P. Beaumont.

Ames joined me on the concrete bench, nodding in greeting. "What was that about?" he asked. Your friend Fraymore looked distinctly unhappy when he rumbled out of here."

"He's no friend of mine, and don't let appearances fool you. He's happy as can be. He just threatened to throw me in jail."

"Well," Ames returned mildly, "in that case, it's a good thing I'm here."

I scowled. "Funny, those were his very words. You two must be on the same wavelength."

Ralph grinned. "How come he wants you behind bars?"

"For interfering in his investigation."

"Oh," Ralph said. "Too bad, but that being the case, I could just as well go tell Alex it's no deal." He got up and started away. I couldn't figure out what was going on.

"Wait a minute," I said. "What's no deal? What are you talking about?"

Ralph stopped in midstride and turned back. "I've decided to look into Tanya Dunseth's situation. Alex thought maybe you wouldn't mind riding along out to the farm to make introductions. But it's not necessary, certainly not with Fraymore on your tail. It isn't worth it."

"Hold on. Are you saying you intend to drop everything and hang around here to personally handle whatever criminal charges Fraymore may lodge against Tanya Dunseth?"

Ames nodded. "If there are criminal charges, yes."

"You'd do that for someone who A: You don't know and B: Is probably guilty as sin?"

"That's pretty much the size of it," he replied cheerfully.

I decided the man had gone off his rocker. "How can you, when you don't even know what the charges are?"

"No problem," Ralph smiled. "Fraymore will tell me eventually. He has to, you know."

Usually, I appreciate Ralph Ames' droll sense of humor. Sometimes I even enjoy it. This was not one of those times.

"But, Ralph…"

"Don't ‘But, Ralph' me," he interrupted. "I'm a member-in-good-standing of the Oregon State Bar. After years of practicing glorified accounting, of doing nothing but reading and analyzing corporate balance sheets and annual reports, I'm ready for a change of pace. It'll be fun to try my hand at criminal law. I was damn good at it once upon a time, and I believe I still am. Actually, I'm looking forward to it."

Dumbstruck at the whole cockamamie idea, I tried to dissuade him. "Listen, Fraymore as good as told me it's only a matter of time before he places Tanya under arrest. He claims he has physical evidence linking her to both murders. He told me all that minutes ago."

Ralph remained adamant. "So what? She's still entitled to the best possible defense. That's exactly what I intend to provide."

I tried hitting him in the pocketbook. "Come on now, Ralph," I reasoned. "I happen to know your services don't come cheap. I may be able to pay, but Tanya Dunseth is a twenty-something single mother who can't even afford her own apartment. Defending her is going to require a hell of a lot of time, effort, energy, and money. How is she going to pay you?"

"She isn't," Ralph replied. "Nobody's asking her to. I wouldn't take money from her even if she had it. I haven't done pro bono work for a long time-years, in fact. I meant to all along, but I'm always so busy that I never quite get around to it. I've made up my mind. This time I am."

The voice of sweet reason wasn't going to convince him otherwise. Ames may have decided, but I suspected Alex Downey of behind-the-scenes manipulation. "How'd she do it?" I demanded.

Ames frowned in assumed innocence. "How did who do what?"

"How did Alex flimflam you into this?"

Caught in a classic case of gotcha, Ralph Ames was sheepish but not the least remorseful. "Never mind," he said. "Since you're not going to be involved, it doesn't matter."

"It does, too. Let me guess. Alex has spent the entire afternoon playing amateur detective. With her vast background of policework experience, she's convinced Tanya Dunseth is an innocent victim who's being railroaded by the justice system. Somehow or other, she's suckered you into believing it, too. Don't feel like the Lone Ranger, Ralph. For a while, back when Martin Shore was the only victim, Alex almost had me believing it, too. Now I've changed my mind. Fraymore brought me to my senses."