Perri O'Shaughnessy - Presumption Of Death

Megan said, “Debbie overheard the men talking night before last. Our husbands conspired to start a fire on the Green River land. George, Darryl, Sam, and Ted. They hired a man to do the job and they each put in twelve hundred fifty dollars as a down payment. David Cowan paid the same amount too.”

“A total of six thousand two hundred fifty dollars,” Nina said. “The amount in Coyote’s bank account. A down payment.”

“This man-Coyote-did the job, but he went farther than he was supposed to and burned down the model home completely. The men got scared. Then, Coyote decided on his own to burn down the new café in the Village. The men got even more scared and mad, and they decided not to pay the rest of the money.”

She stopped and waited for Nina to react. Puzzle pieces were falling into place in her mind. “Go on,” Nina said. “So the six thousand two hundred fifty dollars was just a down payment.”

“Yes. They were each supposed to put in another four thousand dollars apiece after the job was done. But they told him no, that’s all you’re getting.

“So, what we think happened then is, he started taking revenge on the men, one by one. First he went after Ted. He set the fire on the ridge because that’s where our construction site is. He almost burned it but the wind changed and the fire came down the mountain instead.”

Nina nodded slowly. “I think he had another purpose also the night of that fire. Anyway, go ahead.”

“Then he hurt Britta, to get David.”

“He’s cruel and vicious,” Debbie said. “We think he killed Ruthie in her car because she might identify him.”

“Yes,” Nina said. “Yes, I think you’re right, Debbie.”

“We don’t know why he would kill the artist.”

“I do. His cover was blown and he needed money. It was a robbery-murder.” Debbie started to ask more questions, but Nina said, “Let’s hear the rest of what you need to tell me.”

“He told the men he’d take the children if they don’t pay. This was night before last. He gave them forty-eight hours. The men couldn’t agree what to do. Debbie heard them talking about all this. Finally Sam said he’d call and say they needed more time, but that they would pay the money. Is that right, Debbie?”

Debbie said, “David wanted to go to the police, but the rest of them wouldn’t do it.”

“Then what?”

“Then we met and decided we needed to talk to a lawyer as soon as we could.”

“What did you think I could do for you?” Nina said.

“Tell us what to do,” Megan said. “These are our families we’re talking about. The men are in jeopardy of going to jail or maybe getting killed. Our kids aren’t safe until Coyote is found.”

“Where are your children now?”

Jolene said, “George picked up the girls at noon at the bus stop. They had an early day today. Britta’s kids are at a day-care center in Carmel. Debbie’s kids are in Los Angeles. Tory’s kids are-where are they, Tory?”

“My sister’s place on El Hemmorro. I told her not to let them out of the house.”

“That’s not good enough,” Nina said. “He’s too dangerous. That’s not enough protection. You can’t just watch the children and pray for somebody else to resolve this. Do you understand that?”

Jolene sighed. “I think we all know that. But if we call the police, our husbands are involved in all these terrible things. They’ll be put in prison. We need them, but, more importantly, we-well, we love them.”

“You could talk to them.”

“Not one-on-one,” Debbie said.

“I agree,” Nina said. “It would be better for them to come forth as a group. Why can’t you talk to them as a group?”

This got responses from everyone. “They’ll just say to butt out,” Jolene said.

“They’ll be so humiliated that we know, they might do anything,” Megan said.

“They’ll refuse to go to the police and get us to agree not to go either. Then we’ll all be conspirators,” Debbie said.

Tory asked, “Would you do that for them, Nina? Talk them into surrendering and helping to catch Coyote?”

“Do you think they would hire me to handle their surrender? I’m not at all sure I could represent all of them together in any other way, but I could represent them for that purpose,” Nina said. “I could smooth the way for them. I would consider it part of my representation of Wish Whitefeather, because it would be a way of resolving his case.”

“Can you keep them out of jail?”

“I don’t know. It would help if they started cooperating fully right now.”

“What about just paying the money ourselves?” Megan said. “We did talk about that.”

“The men are going to be arrested soon anyway,” Nina said. “Detective Crockett will figure out the money trail. And there has been a change in the case you don’t know about yet. The police have been hunting the wrong man.”

“What do you mean?” Jolene felt in her pocket and said, “Excuse me. It’s George.” She pulled out her cell phone and went into the corner.

“Let’s not worry about that right now,” Nina said. “It’s still not certain. Anyway, here is what I can do. I can meet with the men. If they choose, I can arrange the circumstances of their surrender and represent them in the questioning process. I have to say that their interests as individuals are not precisely the same and I doubt I can represent them as a group any further than that.”

“Can’t we hire you to represent them without them knowing?” Debbie said.

“No.”

“I’m so afraid.”

Megan said, “We’ll handle it, honey. Now then. We’ll have the men on the deck at six tonight. Can you make it, Nina?”

“Court usually adjourns by five at the latest,” Nina said. “I think I can.”

Jolene came back to the table and leaned on it, her face drained of color. “Callie didn’t get off the bus.”

“Oh, no! No!” they all cried.

“April told a crazy story. She said-she said Danny took Callie for a ride in a Jeep and didn’t bring her back. George told her Danny’s dead-there’s no such thing as a ghost-”

“He’s not dead,” Nina said bluntly. “He killed Coyote and assumed Coyote’s identity. He stole a Jeep from the artist in Cachagua.”

“Oh, my baby,” Jolene moaned, and Debbie rushed around the table to hold her.

“It’s Danny?” Tory cried. “But he’s our neighbor! How could he!”

“It’s Danny.” As Nina said this, watching their stricken faces, she thought, How can they be anything but Furies, the way they have been betrayed? But instead they were still trying to save the situation, and in time, Nina knew, they would absorb some of the guilt. It is an ancient role of Woman.

“But the kids all know him. They like him. They wouldn’t go with a stranger, but-”

Megan said, “What shall we do, Nina?” She looked Nina right in the eye and Nina thought, It’s all on me, is it? She didn’t want to take on this crushing responsibility.

Then she thought, Well, if not me, who?

“Megan, help Debbie and Tory get home right away. Collect all the children and keep them at your house, Debbie. Don’t let them leave the deck. Tell them Danny is dangerous and to watch out for him. Debbie, call your kids in L.A. and tell them what’s going on. Jolene, you come with me. I’m taking you over to the police station right now and we’re going to make a report about Callie. All of you. Do not tell anyone about the conspiracy until after the men have their opportunity to obtain legal representation tonight.”

They all got up. Debbie was crying. Before she left with Debbie and Tory, Megan took Nina’s hand and said, “Thank you. At least it’s clear. We couldn’t see straight. I don’t know why. But you made it clear.”