Stuart Woods - Short Straw

They shook their heads simultaneously. "You'd have to speak to the detective in charge," he said, "and he's going to be busy inside for a while."

Vittorio thanked them and retraced his steps toward the lobby, this time taking another path leading in that direction. He went past the large swimming pool and into the garden restaurant, and then he saw a familiar face. He walked over to the table. "Good morning," he said.

"Good morning, Vittorio," Eagle said. "Have you met Susannah Wilde?"

"How do you do?" she said, smiling at him.

"Very well, thank you."

"Sit down," Eagle said. "What brings you here?"

"I saw a television report that said two people had been murdered here," Vittorio said.

"That's true," Eagle said. "And right next door to us. Our suite shares a front courtyard with another suite, next door. I've stayed in both many times. I'm glad the shooter didn't mistake us for the people next door. We didn't hear a thing."

"May I speak with you alone for a minute, Mr. Eagle?"

"Sure. I'll be right back, Susannah." He led Vittorio a few yards away, then stopped. "What is it?"

"Maybe it was the other way around," Vittorio said.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe the shooter thought she was shooting you and Ms. Wilde."

"She? What makes you think that?"

"You remember I told you that Barbara shot me when I entered her cottage in La Jolla?"

"Yes."

"The gun she used was silenced."

Eagle blinked. "I don't think she'd go that far," he said.

"Then you're in denial, Mr. Eagle. She shot Cupie Dalton in Mexico City; she pushed me off a ferry in the middle of the Gulf of California; and I know for a fact that she and/or her sister cut up a man in Puerto Vallarta some years ago. He was the nephew of a police captain there, and they're still looking for her."

Eagle shook his head. "I don't know."

"Tell me, Mr. Eagle, do you have any insurance policies?"

"Yes, but…"

"Have you changed the beneficiary since Barbara absconded?"

Eagle's face dropped. "I'll do it this morning."

"Good idea," Vittorio said.

"But Barbara doesn't know I'm in L.A…"

"My guess is, she does. I don't know how, but she knows. But, as bad as this is, there's an upside."

"And what is that?"

"Now you can go to the police. We know where she's staying, and we know she has a silenced gun. They'll be all over her, and she'll be out of your hair. Your divorce may take a little longer to accomplish, but so what?"

"You're right," Eagle said, taking out his cell phone.

"Don't bother with that," Vittorio said. "The officer in charge of the investigation is still in the suite next door to yours. Make your excuses to Ms. Wilde, and let's go talk to him."

Eagle went back to the table and Susannah and handed her the car keys. "You go ahead to your place and pick up whatever you want to take back to Santa Fe. If you can get it into the car, we can probably get it into the airplane."

"All right. What are you going to do?"

"I have some business with Vittorio to take care of. I'll see you later. I'll be on my cell, if you need me." He turned to Vittorio. "Let's go see that man," he said.

EAGLE WALKED QUICKLY ALONGSIDE VlTTORIO TOWARD his suite. Vittorio had been right: he had been in denial. He had underestimated Barbara at every turn, but now she had gone too far. The police could take it from here.

Vittorio stopped as they were entering the large courtyard with the fountain. "You don't need me for this," he said. "And I have something else to do. I'll check with you later."

Eagle nodded and continued toward the gate guarded by two policemen. "Good morning," he said to them. "My name is Ed Eagle, I'm an attorney, and I occupy the suite next door to your crime scene. Please tell the investigating officer in charge that I wish to speak with him, that I have information that may be helpful."

"Just a minute," one of the officers said. He went inside for a moment, then returned. "Please go in, Mr. Eagle, and ask for Lieutenant Charles Vickers. And don't touch anything."

Eagle thanked the man and entered the suite. He recognized Vickers immediately as a detective who had testified in a case he had tried in Los Angeles some years before.

Vickers came over and shook his hand. "Morning, Mr. Eagle. What brings you to see us?"

"I think we'd better sit down, Lieutenant; I have a lot to tell you, including, I believe, the name and location of your perpetrator."

The lieutenant led him to a chair in the suite's living room. "All right, let's hear it." He produced a notebook.

"I have reason to believe that your perp is my ex… my estranged wife. She's traveling under the name of Barbara Wood-field." Eagle gave the detective a summary of her background, her prison record and her absconding with his money, while Vickers took rapid notes in shorthand. "I believe she's staying at Chateau Sunset."

VITTORIO PARKED IN FRONT of Chateau Sunset and walked into the lobby to the front desk. He flashed a wallet that contained his California carry license and an LAPD badge he had bought from a badge catalogue years before, which bore the rank of sergeant and the number 714. It was Joe Friday's Dragnet badge, but nobody ever noticed. "I need to speak with your guest Barbara Woodfield," he said. "Just give me her room number and don't call her."

"I'm afraid Ms. Woodfield checked out a couple of hours ago," the desk clerk said.

"Do you have a forwarding address?"

"No, and she didn't say anything about her destination."

"How was she traveling?"

"Well, she turned in her rental car, and someone picked her up."

"A limo service?"

"No, I believe it was a gentleman in a BMW, black. Seemed to be a private car. She got into the front seat."

"Has her suite been cleaned yet?"

The man consulted his computer. "No."

"Then I'd like to see it, and keep the maid out until I'm done."

"Of course, Sergeant." The clerk gave him the room number and a key card.

Vittorio went upstairs and opened the door to the suite. It was a mess, with empty shopping bags from Rodeo Drive shops and wrapping paper everywhere. He went over the place quickly, looking for anything that might give him a clue to her destination, looking particularly for hotel notepads that might contain airline flight information or other information. There was nothing.

He returned to the front desk and gave the clerk the key card. "Thank you," he said. "There'll be other officers here soon." He returned to his car.

BARBARA GOT OUT of the BMW, and a bellman took her bags. "Jimmy, you're a sweetheart to drive me," she said, giving him a kiss.

"Glad to do it, sweetie. As I said, I have business down here anyway. I'll pick you up at seven for dinner; you're going to love this place. And I won't mind at all if you wear that red suit again."

"Maybe I will, baby. See you then," she said, closing the car door.

EAGLE FINISHED GIVING his account of Barbara's activities and watched as Vickers issued a stream of orders to his colleagues. He tried to relax. This was all going to be over soon, though he would, no doubt, have to testify at her trial. The police would have her in custody within minutes, and she wasn't going to get bail from any judge in his right mind.

Vickers came back to where Eagle was sitting. "I want to thank you Mr. Eagle," he said. "The victims were a man named Ippolito and his girlfriend, from New York. He had serious Mafia connections, and without your help, we would have been chasing mob leads all over the place, wasting our time. And I'm glad Ms. Woodfield didn't find you."

"So am I, Lieutenant." Eagle gave the man his card. "Let me know if you need me again. I'll be here for another night, then I'm headed back to Santa Fe." He put Vickers's card into his pocket and went back to his own suite.