phone back to him.
“Let me know if anything shakes loose,” he said.
“I will,” I said, and was pleased he hadn’t told me not to get further involved with
the investigation.
Jack got in his Land Rover and drove away. I stood in the parking lot thinking about
everything I’d just learned about Cady.
True, her behavior was odd, weird, and more than a little suspicious. But having an
affair, arriving at Cady Faye Catering only to leave on foot and then return in a
different vehicle was a long way from committing a murder.
I dug my keys out of my purse as a car pulled into the lot and swung into a space
near the rear entrance to the law firm. Molly got out juggling her purse, a bundle
of mail, and a tray of coffees from Starbucks.
I walked over. She didn’t look so happy to see me.
“I have to get inside,” Molly said, and hurried toward the building’s rear entrance.
I didn’t see any reason to finesse this conversation, so I asked, “Why did Jeri think
Cady Faye Catering would go out of business?”
“She just did, that’s all,” Molly said.
Then something hit me.
I stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop and said, “Horowitz is handling Cady’s
divorce, isn’t he?”
“We’re not supposed to talk about those things,” Molly said, and ducked around me.
“Jeri was your roommate. You mentioned it to her, right?” I got in front of her and
put my hand on the door as if I was going to open it for her, but didn’t. “Right?”
“Yes, okay, fine,” Molly told me. “I mentioned it to her. We’re handling Jeri’s boyfriend’s
divorce. I knew Jeri and Cady worked at the same place. I thought Jeri had told her
to come here.”
“But Jeri hadn’t referred her?” I asked.
“No,” Molly said. “And she was really upset when I told her what was going on.”
“It had something to do with the terms of Cady’s divorce?” I asked.
“Don’t you think I feel bad enough about this?” Molly demanded. “I shouldn’t have
said anything to Jeri about what was going on. Now she’s dead.”
Molly pushed past me and disappeared into the building.
I headed back to my car, my mind whirling.
Cady’s divorce had riled Jeri big-time and had caused her to predict the catering
company would go out of business. But had that somehow evolved into a murder?
Maybe.
I got into my car and Detective Dan Grayson popped into my head. I considered telling
him what I’d just learned from Molly, the possible motive I’d uncovered. But I didn’t
know if he already knew about it.
No way did I want to look like an idiot by announcing my fantastic break in the case
if it was old news to him. Yet, if he didn’t already know about it, I really didn’t
want him to find his way to the law firm, question Molly, and learn that I’d already
been there getting info that I hadn’t told him about.
I dug through my purse, found the business card he’d given me, and called him. His
voicemail picked up so I left a message.
* * *
The Brannocks’ home was in an older neighborhood off Fairfax Avenue, on a street with
small, well-maintained houses in the million-plus dollar range. Parking was always
at a premium and today was no exception. As I drove past the house I saw that the
street parking was all taken, and the Brannocks’ driveway and was jammed with a florist’s
delivery van and trucks from the construction crew. A Cady Faye Catering van was just
pulling up; I was relieved to see they were here on time.
I’d already been here once today, this afternoon when I’d come by to make sure everything
was on schedule. The Brannocks wanted an outdoor party so I’d worked with Webber’s
Florist and Lyle, the guy who owned the construction company that L.A. Affairs often
used for this sort of event, to transform their backyard.
Green, orange, and white—the colors of the Irish flag—had been used in all the floral
arrangements. Lyle and his crew
“Let me know if anything shakes loose,” he said.
“I will,” I said, and was pleased he hadn’t told me not to get further involved with
the investigation.
Jack got in his Land Rover and drove away. I stood in the parking lot thinking about
everything I’d just learned about Cady.
True, her behavior was odd, weird, and more than a little suspicious. But having an
affair, arriving at Cady Faye Catering only to leave on foot and then return in a
different vehicle was a long way from committing a murder.
I dug my keys out of my purse as a car pulled into the lot and swung into a space
near the rear entrance to the law firm. Molly got out juggling her purse, a bundle
of mail, and a tray of coffees from Starbucks.
I walked over. She didn’t look so happy to see me.
“I have to get inside,” Molly said, and hurried toward the building’s rear entrance.
I didn’t see any reason to finesse this conversation, so I asked, “Why did Jeri think
Cady Faye Catering would go out of business?”
“She just did, that’s all,” Molly said.
Then something hit me.
I stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop and said, “Horowitz is handling Cady’s
divorce, isn’t he?”
“We’re not supposed to talk about those things,” Molly said, and ducked around me.
“Jeri was your roommate. You mentioned it to her, right?” I got in front of her and
put my hand on the door as if I was going to open it for her, but didn’t. “Right?”
“Yes, okay, fine,” Molly told me. “I mentioned it to her. We’re handling Jeri’s boyfriend’s
divorce. I knew Jeri and Cady worked at the same place. I thought Jeri had told her
to come here.”
“But Jeri hadn’t referred her?” I asked.
“No,” Molly said. “And she was really upset when I told her what was going on.”
“It had something to do with the terms of Cady’s divorce?” I asked.
“Don’t you think I feel bad enough about this?” Molly demanded. “I shouldn’t have
said anything to Jeri about what was going on. Now she’s dead.”
Molly pushed past me and disappeared into the building.
I headed back to my car, my mind whirling.
Cady’s divorce had riled Jeri big-time and had caused her to predict the catering
company would go out of business. But had that somehow evolved into a murder?
Maybe.
I got into my car and Detective Dan Grayson popped into my head. I considered telling
him what I’d just learned from Molly, the possible motive I’d uncovered. But I didn’t
know if he already knew about it.
No way did I want to look like an idiot by announcing my fantastic break in the case
if it was old news to him. Yet, if he didn’t already know about it, I really didn’t
want him to find his way to the law firm, question Molly, and learn that I’d already
been there getting info that I hadn’t told him about.
I dug through my purse, found the business card he’d given me, and called him. His
voicemail picked up so I left a message.
* * *
The Brannocks’ home was in an older neighborhood off Fairfax Avenue, on a street with
small, well-maintained houses in the million-plus dollar range. Parking was always
at a premium and today was no exception. As I drove past the house I saw that the
street parking was all taken, and the Brannocks’ driveway and was jammed with a florist’s
delivery van and trucks from the construction crew. A Cady Faye Catering van was just
pulling up; I was relieved to see they were here on time.
I’d already been here once today, this afternoon when I’d come by to make sure everything
was on schedule. The Brannocks wanted an outdoor party so I’d worked with Webber’s
Florist and Lyle, the guy who owned the construction company that L.A. Affairs often
used for this sort of event, to transform their backyard.
Green, orange, and white—the colors of the Irish flag—had been used in all the floral
arrangements. Lyle and his crew
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