Ham Bones (24 page)

From inside came the sound of a feminine shriek and
male curses. Giblet set up a racket barking. I didn't care.
I had to get inside before I turned to ice. I was taking a
risk. If Gabriel was the killer, he could hurt Kristine if
confronted. He could hurt me, too. As frozen as I was, I
wasn't in a position to perform any martial arts action.

The door flew open, and Kristine stood with a sheet
wrapped around her. "Sarah Booth" She looked into the
darkness behind me as if she would be able to see the reason I'd knocked at her door. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you" I tried to step past her, but she
blocked me. Giblet came to the door to investigate, waiting for whatever cue his master gave.

"I need to talk." I made another stab at entering, but
she blocked me again.

"Now isn't a good time."

"Kristine, I need your help, and I need it now. Tonight.
Right this minute."

The urgency in my voice did the trick. She stepped
back to reveal Gabriel struggling into his clothes. What
I'd interrupted wasn't exactly a hostage situation, but it
didn't matter. I had to keep Gabriel occupied while Tinkie
did her job.

"I apologize," I said. I kicked the door closed behind
me as I stepped into the room. I couldn't drag my gaze from Gabriel's naked torso. For an architect, he had a build.
His stomach rippled with muscles, and when he turned to
get his shirt, his back was a work of art. He was one of
the most handsome potential killers I'd ever seen.

"What do you want, Sarah Booth?" Kristine brought
me back to reality. I had to fabricate an excuse for being
there, and I had to do it quickly.

i 'saw you leaving with Gabriel, and I had to come and
check on you" I stepped past Kristine, my gaze on
Gabriel. "This man has a criminal record"

Gabriel stopped with his fingers on the buttons of his
shirt. "I begin to see why Renata despised you"

"Really, Sarah Booth. That's absurd." Kristine shifted
from one bare foot to the other.

"I'm not making this up" I stood with the door at my
back. The tension in the room was thick. Even Giblet was
eyeing me with suspicion. "The only way Renata's real
killer will ever be found involves the truth. All of it. And
I'm here to make sure Gabriel tells you about his past"
I'd thrown the gauntlet down, but Gabriel didn't seem too
interested in picking it up. He looked at Kristine and
sighed.

"I might not have a spotless past, but at least I've never
been charged with murder." He finished buttoning his
shirt. "Say what you've come to say, Sarah Booth. Then
leave. Kristine and I have ... things to talk about"

"Is it true, Gabriel?" Kristine looked queasy.

He nodded. "It's true"

I thought Kristine was going to say something sharp,
but she lifted her chin. "Tell me. Please. I know it can't be
bad. You're so kind and gentle. Just tell me the truth"

Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed. "I was going to tell
you, but things happened so quickly between us. I saw
your love for Giblet, the way that you throw yourself into
things with all of your heart. Renata spoke of you-always in a negative way but I feel I know your heart"

"Cut to the chase and tell her about the drugs" I
sounded heartless and mean, but everyone involved in
this case had danced around the truth more than once.
Gabriel was going to tell Kristine about his past, or I
would tell her.

Gabriel cleared his throat. "When I was in my early
twenties, I hung around with a wealthy pack of LA kids.
We got caught doing cocaine. I pled to a lesser charge,
did the minimum time, and went into drug rehab and
counseling." He gave a sour look. "It was a long time ago.
I was a kid. I changed my life because I saw where I was
headed. I see that Ms. Delaney is grasping at straws if she
thinks some foolishness from my past is going to paint
me as a criminal."

Either he was telling the truth or he had a lot of his sister's talent for acting. "I just wanted to be sure Kristine
knew exactly who she was climbing into bed with. Literally."

Gabriel smiled and shook his head. "I have to hand it
to you, Sarah Booth. You've got a set of brass ones, coming into a hotel room to throw my past in my face."

This wasn't the reaction I'd anticipated. Without Gabriel
to react against, I had nothing more to say. Yet I had to figure a way to keep him occupied. "Are you okay with
this, Kristine?"

"Whatever Gabriel did in his past, he's a good man
now. I don't want to hear anything more. It would be best
if you left, Sarah Booth."

"I don't have a ride." I shrugged. "Tinkie dropped me
off because she said I was acting a fool."

"Tinkie is correct, but I'll take you home" Gabriel
pulled car keys from his pocket. "In fact, I insist on giving you a ride home. I think my sister unjustly accused
you, Sarah Booth. And me, too. I feel I should do my best
to make it up to you" He turned to Kristine. "I'll be back
as quickly as possible."

I plunked into a chair. "I'm not going anywhere. I have
a few more questions."

"Is this really necessary?" Kristine asked, wrapping
the sheet more tightly. "We'd like to be alone, Sarah
Booth" She went to Gabriel and sat beside him. "He
proves to me again and again that no matter what mistakes he made in his past, he's the man I want in my life
right now. And Giblet likes him, too"

The dog gave action to her words and leapt to the bed.
He snuggled down beside Gabriel.

I felt like the worst kind of heel, but I had to give Tinkie time. "Gabriel, what did you know about Robert Morgan, the pharmacist?"

Kristine touched his arm and looked into his eyes. "If
you know something, Gabriel, tell her. This isn't the best
timing I've ever seen, but we have to help her, if we can"

Gabriel gave a long sigh. "Robert Morgan was another
of my sister's weird admirers. She spoke about him like
he was a servant. He ran errands for her, made sure she
had her antiaging creams, prescriptions for her mi graines, and super vitamins. In return, she badgered people into giving him bit roles in Broadway productions. He
was always around, always underfoot" He shrugged.
"Renata collected people like that. They told her what she
wanted to hear."

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that your sister was poisoned and Morgan is a pharmacist?" Was it just me or
was everyone overlooking the obvious?

"He was a friend. He pandered to her ego, but he had
no reason to kill her." Gabriel rose and paced the room,
his face a mask of determination. "Robert Morgan wouldn't
have hurt my sister. In some strange way, I think he loved
her."

"Who would have access to poison more easily than a
pharmacist?" I asked the question quietly.

Gabriel whirled to confront me. "She told me you
were trying to hurt her. Why should I suspect her friend
when she suspected you?"

It was the question that I had to answer-not just to
Gabriel but to everyone. "I don't know why Renata told
you that. I never threatened her. I had no reason to hurt
her."

"Except for a shot at Hollywood and a career as an actress"

I steadied myself. "You don't really believe I hurt Renata.
You've said you don't believe it." I held his gaze and saw
something dark in his eyes. "Who do you suspect, Gabriel?"

A tense silence stretched between us until Giblet
leaped into Gabriel's lap, demanding his attention. He
scooped the dog into his arms.

I pressed on. "When the police searched your sister's
hotel room and dressing room, none of her medications
were found. Do you know what happened to them?"

"I have no idea." His hands stroked the dog, but his
gaze was focused on me. "Renata may have thrown them
out. She was prone to tantrums, you know."

The knock that came on the door made all three of us
jump, and Giblet begin to bark like a maniac. When Kristine opened the door, Gordon stood there.

"Sarah Booth, the sheriff is looking for you. He has
some questions," he said.

"I was just leaving." I stepped through the door and
started toward the patrol car. "You two have a nice
evening," I said.

Gordon got behind the wheel, and I noticed the smile
on his face.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"You're a regular Darth Vader of love, Sarah Booth.
All those two wanted was a motel room and some privacy. Tinkie said you might be in danger." He laughed.
"In danger of killing Cupid."

I hadn't realized the depth of Gordon's humor. "That's
very funny," I said sarcastically.

He eased out of the parking lot. "Where to, Darth?
Maybe we should go up to Opal Lake and roust some
kids parking. With you on the job we might prevent half a
dozen unwanted pregnancies."

Gordon was having way too much fun at my expense.
"Just take me to Harold's, please."

"You got it."

Ten minutes later I got out of the patrol car. Gordon refused my invitation to come in, even though the party was
still in full swing. In all likelihood, I hadn't been missed.
"Thanks for the ride."

"Where is Tinkie?" Gordon's gaze swept the parking
lot for her vehicle.

"She's running an errand"

"Somehow, I don't like the sound of that."

Because I wasn't going to tell him anything else, I
slammed the door and ran up the steps. I needed to thank
Harold for the party and catch a ride to rendezvous with
Tinkie. Just as I was about to hit the front door, my cell
phone rang.

"Sarah Booth!" Tinkie's voice held excitement.

"Did you find something?"

"Renata's will. But Graf already told you Gabriel inherits everything. It's a big estate, and the will is dated
this past December."

"I just don't see Gabriel killing his sister." I hated to
eliminate him as a suspect, but it felt all wrong. The problem with all of my suspects was that none of them
seemed capable of killing.

"That's not all." Tinkie's voice held a secret.

"What?"

"There's a letter from Renata. It basically says that
she's retiring from show biz after this play. She says she's
going to live in Tahiti. Alone."

"But she was going to Hollywood with Graf."

"Not according to this letter."

"Well, grab it and get out of there"

"Don't you think Gabriel will miss it?"

"Not for the rest of the night. Photocopy it and put it
back. Gabriel is busy with Kristine." A mental image of
the couple flashed into my head. I was still amazed at his
body. "I think you'll have plenty of time. I'm back at
Harold's."

As I flipped my cell phone shut, it occurred to me that
Renata had told a different story about her intentions to
everyone she spoke with. She'd set the stage perfectly for
a vanishing act, not a murder.

All of the guests were gone, and I sat in the parlor with
Harold sipping a glass of champagne. Tinkie was coming
to retrieve me, and while I waited, I took the time to talk
to Harold.

"What will you do, Sarah Booth?" He saluted me with
the champagne flute.

"About the murder charge, Coleman's tumor-producing
wife, or Hollywood?" I sipped the bubbly letting the sparkles
dance across my tongue. I generally preferred Jack, but
there was nothing like champagne for a celebration.

"All of the above?"

"I don't know." It was such a relief to admit that to
someone. Tinkie didn't want to hear it. Neither did Cece
or Millie. They expected me to come up with ideas and
solutions, plans and strategies. With Harold, I could tell
the truth. "Someone set me up, and they did such a good
job that I can't figure out who's behind it."

"Who stood to gain?"

"All of us, one way or another." I ran through my suspect list and the things they gained by Renata's death.

"Has Coleman indicated when he'll release the theatrical troupe to go back to New York?"