A taint in the blood (15 page)

Maybe Oliver Muravieff and Associates had a personal shopper on staff.

In spite of the window dressing, Muravieff brought the aura of a street fighter into the room with him. He was maybe five four, five five, and thick from the neck down. He worked out with weights, Kate would bet money on it, to such effect that his biceps pushed his arms out from his sides like an ape's. Making up for the gimpy leg, Bobby Clark would say. Muravieff moved well, belying his bulk with purpose and strength, if not with grace, his step quick and firm, his movements deft and sure.

Instinctively, Kate slid forward on the couch and pulled her feet in so that her weight would be over them if she had to move fast. The movement caught the corner of Muravieff’s eye and he turned to look at her. His face was square and blunt-featured. He had a long nose with a flat bridge, heavy black brows, and deep-set brown eyes. His gaze was steady and assessing, and he was smart enough not to dismiss her on first sight, even if she was wearing jeans.

"This is Ms. Shugak, Mr. Muravieff," Miss Bracey said in a low murmur, and dropped her voice even further to add, "Your four-thirty."

"Your four-forty-five now," Kate said, and smiled.

There was a brief silence. "Of course," Muravieff said smoothly. "I'm Oliver Muravieff, Ms. Shugak." He walked past the receptionist's desk and opened a door in the wall. "Will you come with me to my office?"

Kate followed him through the door, down a hallway, and through an office with three women in it typing at computers, one of whom pursued him into his office with a document for his signature.

"Have a seat," Muravieff said, nodding at the chair sitting on one side of a vast expanse of teak. He signed the document and shed his jacket, handing both to the woman. "May I offer you some coffee, Ms. Shugak?"

"Certainly," Kate said. "Cream and sugar, please," she said to the woman.

"Black," Muravieff said. "Thanks, Nancy."

Nancy went out, soft-footed. "I apologize for being so late," Muravieff said. "I was held up in court."

"That's quite all right," Kate said, and wondered at the sudden graciousness of her grammar.

"Shugak," Muravieff said. "Any relation to Ekaterina?"

"Why, yes," Kate said.

"I believe my mother may have known her."

"So she tells me," Kate said.

An awkward silence fell, broken by Nancy coming back with the coffee, served on a silver tray in porcelain cups and saucers, with a matching sugar bowl and creamer. Kate doctored her coffee, Muravieff didn't, and they both settled back in their chairs. Muravieff barely sipped his before placing it to one side. "So, Ms. Shugak," he said, "how many I help you?"

"Your sister, Charlotte, has hired me to look into your mother's case."

Muravieff’s expression didn't change. "So Emily has informed me. It was not a wise decision on Charlotte's part."

"Why is that?"

"Because my mother has no case, Ms. Shugak. She was tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison."

"Your sister believes otherwise," Kate said. "She believes your mother was wrongly convicted, and she wants me to find the evidence necessary to prove it."

His eyes went flat, and for the first time Kate saw the pit bull lurking inside every decent trial attorney. "Charlotte is mistaken. My mother even admitted doing it."

"Your mother admitted her guilt?" Kate said.

Oliver nodded. "Yes."

"When? There is no mention of it in the court records."

"Privately, to us, after she was convicted and she knew lying wouldn't keep her out of jail."

"To us'? Meaning Charlotte and yourself?"

"Yes. They took us in to say good-bye to her after the verdict. She told us then. So you can see for yourself, Ms. Shugak, my sister has sent you on a fool's errand."

"That's something you will need to take up with your sister," Kate said, setting her cup and saucer down. "May I ask you some questions?"

"I don't want to talk about that time."

"It was thirty years ago."

"It was yesterday," Muravieff said.

A brief silence. "Well then, did your mother say why she did it?" Kate said.

"What does that matter? She killed her own son. She would have killed me. She admitted as much to me, face-to-face, the last time I saw her."

"You haven't seen her since?" Kate said.

"She tried to kill me," he said. "She told me so. Why would I want to see her ever again?"

Kate regarded him in silence. He met her gaze steadily. "The prosecution held that your mother tried to kill you both for the insurance money."

"Yes."

"Was she really so in need of money?"

"I suppose she was."

"A Bannister? Out of money?"

He said nothing.

"Charlotte told me that you and she went to live with your uncle afterward."

"Yes."

"He or your grandparents couldn't have helped your mother financially, whatever trouble she might have been in?"

"Look, Miss Shugak," he said, "I don't know what her problem was. All I know is what she said. You worked for the DA for five and a half years. You certainly know the difference."

"I do," she said. And wasn't it interesting that he knew of her previous employment. "Did you know your mother has cancer?"

He stared at her. "No," he said finally. "I didn't know that."

Nancy tapped at the door. "Mr. Muravieff, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Mr. Ellefson is on line two."

"Not a problem," Kate said. "Mr. Muravieff and I are done here. Thank you for your time, Mr. Muravieff. May I call if I have any further questions?"

"Certainly," he said, and handed her a card.

Interesting, she thought as she walked out of the building, that Oliver's chosen profession was that of a defense lawyer, a job designed to get criminals off. An Alexander Ellefson had been the second story on last night's ten o'clock news, something regarding a little disagreement he'd had in the parking lot of a local bar, involving three other men and a .38 Special.

She got home to a blinking red light on the answering machine, her first this time in town. She pushed the button, smiling a little, expecting some heavy breathing and a few rude remarks from Brendan.

"Yes, this is a message for Kate Shugak," a pleasant female voice said. "Ms. Shugak, this is Rosemary Watson, secretary to Erland Bannister. Mr. Bannister is having a party tomorrow evening at his home in Turnagain, and he wonders if you might like to attend. Seven o'clock, drinks and hors d'oeuvres—oh, and semi-formal dress, please." Directions were given and the message ended.

Kate stared at the answering machine. It sat on the kitchen counter, squat, black, and unrevealing. She played the message again. Rosemary Watson repeated herself.

"Christ," Kate said.

She went into the kitchen, filled a glass with ice, and poured a Diet 7UP over it. She took it into the living room and curled up on the window seat to watch the joggers go by.

Erland Bannister. Victoria's brother, the president and CEO of Pilz Mining and Exploration, PME Corporation after the post-bankruptcy restructuring. He hadn't been president when Victoria went to jail, but he had been on the way up.

She remembered the response of the man on Brendan's witness list: "Does Erland know about this?" She had the feeling that if Erland hadn't known about her investigation into Victoria's thirty-year-old case he did now.

She went upstairs and climbed back into Jack's shirt and socks. She went back downstairs and stood looking into the refrigerator for a while, as if it might hold the secrets to the universe, which refrigerators sometimes do. She wandered back out into the living room and ran a finger down the spines of the video library.

On impulse, she called Brendan. "What are you doing home on a Monday night?" she said when he answered. "On any night, for that matter?"

"Pining away by the phone, waiting for you to call," he replied promptly.

"You like tequila, don't you?"

He was amused. "Sure, why? You want to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"There are a few bottles rattling around in the cupboards over here. One of them is a bottle of something called
anejo.
You want it?"

"I'll be right there."

He was, in fifteen minutes flat, and Kate fetched the bottle from the kitchen, along with a glass. He immediately slammed back a shot. "All right," he said, looking impressed. He offered her the glass. "Your turn."

She shook her head.

"Right, I forgot, you don't drink. Darn, now I don't have to share this bottle."

She laughed. "I've been calling the numbers on your list."

He leaned back into the easy chair, a big man comfortable with his size, and let his eyes run up the expanse of smooth skin between the bunched top of the thick socks to the tail of the blue plaid shirt. "What about them?"

She smiled. Flirting was the thing Brendan McCord knew best how to do, next to litigation.

"The response has been"—she hesitated—"mixed."

"Getting hung up on by the elite?" Brendan asked.

"How did you guess?"

"Yeah, well, hang on to your hat, because I've got some more bad news for you."

"Great."

"The investigating officer is dead."

Kate searched her memory. "Sgt. Charles Baltzo?"

"Yeah."

"Damn," Kate said with real feeling. "Do you know of anybody else who was around at the time of the murder? Someone who might know something about the case?" She added, "Who is actually alive?"

"I can see where alive would be good," Brendan said gravely.

"Also, is Henry Cowell still practicing in Anchorage?" He raised an interrogatory eyebrow. "Victoria's defense attorney. I looked in the phone book. He's not there."

He thought. "I don't know the name."

"Could you find out where he is?"

He poured himself another shot. "What’s it worth to you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I figured you got your payment in advance."

He looked at the bottle and opened his mouth, and the doorbell sounded.

Kate's pulse scrambled. "Excuse me," she said, and went to the door.

Jim Chopin was on the doorstep, his face like a thundercloud. It seemed that Kate had credited him with more self-control than he actually had.

"Jim," she said, unable to keep a grin from spreading across her face. "How nice to see you again. What’s—"

He stepped inside, shoved her against the wall, and kissed her hard.

"Who is it, Kate?" Brendan said from the living room.

Jim raised his head. "Who the hell is that?" He stalked into the living room, hands knotted into fists. Kate pulled herself together and followed.