Lily looked up in surprise. She really was a good-looking woman, he thought, even with a bruised face and snot dripping from her nose. He reached into his pocket and offered her his fresh handkerchief. She looked at it as if she’d never seen such an accessory before, then look it and blew loudly.
“Big Alex trouble,” she said. “He’s in county jail in Santa Carla.”
“Why?”
“Because this afternoon Mr. Smart Guy tried to hock the diamond ring he got off Samantha Lindsay, and the pawnbroker recognized it from the sheriff’s department circular and called the cops. Alex told them he gave me Samantha’s watch, so Detective Shepherd hauled my ass into the substation and told me they’d maybe cut a deal if I’d testify against Alex. So now I’ve gotta put him away, and they’re starting to ask about the other stuff, and Wayne’s gonna kill me.”
Guy shook his head, trying to make sense of her breathless account. “So you’re saying it was Alex who robbed the Lindsay woman’s body?”
“Yeah. He saw her car go off the road. She was dead when he got to her. It’s a bad thing, really bad. He didn’t even report the accident.”
“And what’s this ‘other stuff’?”
“Oh, shit, Mr. Newberry, the abalone poaching! Alex is hooked up with these guys outta Oakland, and what we don’t sell to them we sell to Tai Haruru, that restaurant at Calvert’s Landing Pier, and a couple of other places. Fish and Game and the sheriff’s department suspect what we’re doing, but so far they haven’t been able to prove anything. But now that Detective Shepherd’s got me on receiving stolen property, he’ll keep the pressure on till I spill my guts. And then I’m looking at jail time, plus a fine I can’t pay. All because that asshole Alex couldn’t wait to hock the ring outside the county!”
Lily’s voice had risen and was attracting the attention of the bar’s other patrons. Guy covered her hand with his and said, “If you cooperate, it won’t go so hard on you.”
“Yeah, right. Are you crazy? Wayne’ll be there in the middle of things, making sure we’re both behind bars.”
“According to what Rhoda Swift told me today, Wayne’s not held in high regard by the department. In fact, Detective Grossman’s trying to keep him on the periphery of the cases he’s working.”
Lily thought about that, alternately mopping her eyes and nose and sipping wine. “Mr. Newberry? What you said last night about Rhoda Swift — d’you think she’d listen to me? Maybe convince them to make a deal?”
“I know she’d listen.”
“Then let’s go see her. Right now.”
The thought of returning to Rhoda’s house, where he’d just made a monumental fool of himself, made his blood run cold. “Lily, it’s late, and Rhoda’s had a long day—”
“Please! She might be my only chance!”
Last night he’d felt himself changing when he’d resolved to keep open the lines of communication with Lily and help her if he could. But then he’d gone and kissed a woman who was not the sort one kissed casually. Who was probably right now lying awake and contemplating cutting off his nuts. It was insanity to return to Rhoda Swift’s home tonight bearing the dubious gift of Lily Gilardi.
Insanity, but that was exactly what he was going to do.
Cody’s barking woke Rho from a restless sleep. She sat up in bed, saw the wash of headlights across the window. Shrugging into her long wool robe, she hurried across the room and peered out. Her breath caught when she saw a car that looked like Guy Newberry’s rental.
“Now what?” she muttered, and headed for the door.
When she switched on the porch light it illuminated two people: Guy and Lily Gilardi. Guy looked uneasy but in charge. Lily had been crying and seemed frightened.
“My God,” she said, opening the door, “is it Wayne...?”
Guy shook his head. “So far as we know, big brother’s tucked in for the night. But Lily has something to discuss with you. May we come in?”
“Of course.” She opened the door wider and they stepped into the front room. Immediately it began to feel too small, and when she glanced around its contents seemed drab and shabby. She saw Guy looking around too, his eyes cataloging and assessing.
The hell with what he thought. It wasn’t a New York penthouse, but it was hers and she liked it.
“Sit down, please,” she said and excused herself so she could pull on jeans and a sweater. When she came back she found them side by side on the sofa, Cody sniffing around their shoes. She told the dog to lie down, then looked with concern at Lily’s bruised and mascara-streaked face. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. No, I’m not.”
“Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?”
“Could I have a drink? Some wine, maybe?”
“Certainly. You, Guy?”
He pulled a bottle from his pocket and held it up. Single-malt scotch.
“Trust you to travel prepared,” she said as she took it from him.
In the kitchen she poured their drinks and contemplated the coffeemaker where the dregs of yesterday morning’s brew remained. Then she poured a scotch for herself.
When she was settled opposite the sofa, she asked Lily, “What is it you need to discuss?”
Lily glanced at Guy and, when she saw no help coming from that quarter, said, “It’s about that murdered woman, the one they found off of Point Deception.”
“What about her?”
Another glance at Guy. He said, “Lily wants to help with your investigation, but what she has to tell you may incriminate her. She’s hoping you can guarantee her immunity from prosecution.”
“It’s not in my power to do that. Any deal has to be arranged with my superiors and the county DA’s office.”
Lily half rose from the sofa. Guy grabbed her arm and jerked her back down. He looked both annoyed and protective of her, and the latter surprised Rho.
He said, “If you were to go to bat for her, I’m sure you could persuade them to deal.”
“I don’t have that kind of influence, Guy.”
“I think you do. Detective Grossman’s given you major responsibility for this investigation.”
“Still, I can’t guarantee anything.” She had to stress that, even if it caused Lily to withhold her information.
Guy started to speak, but Lily’s voice overrode his. “The hell with it. They already got me on receiving stolen property. They already got Alex in jail for stealing Samantha Lindsay’s credit cards and jewelry. No way I can lie about that, so why lie about the other stuff? That’s what it was all about with me and Alex — a great big lie. You try to get me some kind of deal, Deputy Swift, but if you don’t... Well, I got myself into this mess, and now I want out.”
Rho nodded approval. “May I tape-record our conversation?”
Lily looked to Guy, who was regarding her like a parent whose wayward child had turned a corner. “It’s okay,” he told her. While Rho searched her desk for her cassettes and recorder, he took Lily’s glass to the kitchen for a refill, patted her shoulder when he returned.
He cares, Rho thought. And not just because he wants to know her secrets. I’ve misjudged him.
“Tell it however you want to, Lily,” she said as she turned on the recorder.
Lily took a big sip of wine. “Okay. I guess you suspect about me and Alex and the poaching. DFG’s onto us. It was just a matter of time.”
Rho nodded.
“Okay,” Lily said, “mostly we passed the abs off to these guys from Oakland, but then things started getting too weird with them. Like they didn’t want me to be involved because I wasn’t Vietnamese and when Alex said he wouldn’t cut me out, they threatened him. So he went around to some of the restaurants here and made his own deal. Anyway, last Friday afternoon around five o’clock we were coming up from Lantern Cove with the day’s harvest, and that’s when we ran into her. The murdered woman.”