Phillip Margolin - Wild Justice

I' m talking about something else. I' m talking about ... Cardoni always claimed that Justine was framing him, that she killed the people at the cabin.

Tony shook his head. I just can't see her as a serial killer.

Amanda wanted to tell Tony about the way Justine's first two husbands had died, but her duty to her client sealed her lips.

What makes you think that Cardoni isn't responsible for the killings? Tony asked.

I can't tell you very much. A lot of what I know is confidential.

Have you thought of a way to prove your suspicions?

Vasquez compiled a list of other serial murders with possible similar MOs. I can see if Justine lived in any of these places when the murders were committed.

I' m not a lawyer, but don't you have a duty to Justine? She's your client. Should you be investigating her?

No, I shouldn' t. Amanda sighed. It's just that I feel responsible for what happened to Vasquez and that I should do something.

Tony yawned. Well, I know what to do, he said. We should get to bed. I' m beat and I've got to get up at the crack of dawn.

Let me help you clean up.

Not necessary. Why don't you use the bathroom while I load the dishwasher? It'll only take me a minute.

Amanda walked over to Tony. He took her in his arms, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

It's nice being here.

He kissed her forehead. It's nice having you.

Tony patted her on the butt. Now let me clean up before I fall asleep.

Amanda gave him a quick kiss and went upstairs to the loft. She heard the disposal run as she started to enter the bathroom. It stopped. She opened her valise and took out her makeup case. She was headed for the bathroom when her cell phone rang. It was in her purse, and it took a moment to find it.

Hello?

Amanda?

Justine?

Amanda heard heavy breathing on the other end.

You have to come to my house, now. We have to talk. It's about Vincent. It's ... it's urgent.

Justine was speaking in gasps. She sounded very upset.

What do you

Please come right away.

Justine, I can't

The phone went dead. Downstairs the dishwasher started. Amanda leaned over the loft wall and yelled down to Tony.

What is it?

Justine just called me on my cell phone.

Tony walked to the bottom of the stairs, a damp dishrag dangling from his hand. Amanda repeated the phone call as she descended.

Should we call the police? she asked when she reached the bottom.

What would you tell them? Wouldn't she have called the cops if she was in danger?

She sounded so upset.

Tony thought for a moment. Let's drive over.

He walked to a drawer in the kitchen and took out a pistol. Amanda's eyes widened.

Do you know how to use that?

Oh, yeah, Tony said. The care and use of handguns is one of the things my father taught me. He was a gun nut. I never liked shooting, but now I' m glad I know how.

Justine's Dutch Colonial looked eerie and deserted. The limbs of the barren shade trees swayed in the chill night air like skeletal hands. There were no lights on in the downstairs rooms, but two of the upstairs dormer windows glowed pale yellow like cat's eyes.

Justine should be expecting us. Why is it dark downstairs?

I don't like this, Tony said as they climbed out of the car.

He rang the doorbell as Amanda glanced nervously over her shoulder and to either side. When Justine did not answer after the second ring, Tony tried the door.

It's locked.

The curtains on the front windows were drawn, but Amanda pointed out a small gap between the sill and the bottom of the curtain. Tony slipped through a row of boxwood hedges and squatted so that he could see into the front room. Amanda started to say something, but Tony put his finger to his lips and hurried back to her.

Go to the car and lock yourself in, he whispered urgently. Call nine-one-one. Justine is in there. She's tied to a chair.

Is she

Go now, he said, pushing her away from him. Ask for an ambulance. Go!

Tony disappeared around the side of the house. Amanda ducked behind the car and called 911 on her cell phone. The dispatcher took the information and told her that help was on the way. As soon as she hung up Amanda reached for the door handle, but she stopped when she realized that Tony had the ignition key. If she locked herself in, she would be trapped with no way to escape if Cardoni came for her.

Amanda hesitated for a moment, then followed the path that Tony had taken to the rear of Justine's house, crouching low and listening for any sound. Just as she reached the backyard Amanda heard a shot. She froze, terrified. A second, louder shot followed. Amanda edged along the side of the house until she was able to see through the windowpanes into a large, modern kitchen. Vincent Cardoni was sprawled against the wall next to the refrigerator. Tony stood over him, gun in hand. Amanda opened the door. There was a smell of gunpowder in the air. Tony swung the gun toward her, his eyes wide with panic.

It's me, Amanda yelled, thrusting her arms toward him, hands out.

Jesus! Tony lowered the gun. I told you to stay in the car.

I called nine-one-one, but I didn't want to stay alone.

I could have shot you.

Amanda remembered the first shot. Are you okay?

Tony nodded.

What happened?

He tried to kill me, Tony said, pointing to a head-high hole in the wall next to the back door. He was in the kitchen. He fired when I stepped through the door. Tony shook his head. He looked dazed. I shot him.

Amanda flipped on the kitchen light and knelt beside Cardoni. There was a gun lying near his hand, and blood was spreading across his shirt. Cardoni's eyes were closed, and his head lolled to one side. He was alive, but just barely. Tony took a handkerchief out of his pocket and picked up the gun. Amanda looked at him quizzically.

Cardoni's prints will be on the gun. I don't want the police thinking that I shot him in cold blood.

Amanda suddenly remembered the reason they' d driven to the house in the middle of the night. She took Tony's hand.

It's okay. It was self-defense. Now we've got to check on Justine.

Amanda pushed through the door that led to the living room. As she groped for a light switch she could see a figure silhouetted against the shaded window, and she could smell the rustlike scent of blood.

Amanda stopped searching for the light and crossed the room. When she drew closer, she saw that Justine's arms and legs were secured to a straight-back chair with thick strips of masking tape in a way that made the front of her naked body vulnerable to assault.

Justine, Amanda whispered in a trembling voice.

Justine's head was down and her chin rested on her chest. A lamp sat on an end table near the chair. As Amanda switched it on she noticed a blood-smeared hunting knife resting next to the base.

Weak yellow light illuminated the room. Amanda's back was to Justine, and it took all her courage to turn around. A sob caught in Amanda's throat, and her stomach clenched. She wanted to turn away, but she' d lost control of her body and could only stare with horror at what had once been a beautiful woman.

Tony knelt beside Justine and checked for a pulse. Then he turned to Amanda with sad eyes and shook his head.

Chapter 59

They waited in the kitchen for the ambulance and the patrol cars that were coming in response to Amanda's 911 call. While Tony watched Cardoni, Amanda phoned homicide. Sean McCarthy arrived soon after the ambulance and the first patrol car. While the medics were loading Cardoni onto a stretcher, McCarthy took the couple into the den where Amanda had watched the videotape of Mary Sandowski's torture four years before. The TV and VCR were still there. Amanda could not bring herself to look at them.