Nancy Stein on cable TV? This is the kind of thing she likes to beat into the ground night after night. I’m not saying this to scare you; I just want you to know what you’re looking at. If this gets the media attention I think it will, then the RCSO and the DA will be more determined than ever to catch you. They don’t want to look bad and if you ‘escape,’ so to speak, it won’t look good for the sheriff or the DA.”
“What if I change my identity and get a new life? I really don’t have anything else to keep me here without Scott. Mom is dead, and I have no other family. I mean, why not run?”
“Well, that’s an option. But do you really want to be on the run all your life?”
Neither spoke. Keller was surprised at her strength and resolve. The time was right for him to press the issue.
“You said Scott planned on taking the insurance money and start a new life with you. That was part of the plan I assume, that he’d divorce his wife and marry you?”
Lisa nodded.
“Well, as I told you the other day, the policy was for $2 million, not $500,000. Now, that could mean a lot of things, so don’t jump to any conclusions about his motive for lying to you.”
“I know,” she said. “And if he lied about the money maybe he never was going to leave his wife. He used me to kill his partner, and now I’m worried I could be next. I wish I could tell them everything I know and hang his ass for good. But he’s not worth going to prison for. You don’t think he’d come after me, do you?”
“ I won’t let that happen,” Keller said.
“I think I should take my chances and disappear.”
It could work, Keller thought. But Lisa would need help.
NINETEEN
M ia arrived at Mick’s a few minutes after seven. As she pulled up the gravel driveway, the memories and emotions came rushing back. She loved this house and the man inside.
Mia drove around to the back and saw the garage door was open for her arrival. A collection of wildflowers in a vase was sitting on the workbench inside. She pulled her car into the garage, picked up the vase of the flowers, and headed toward the house. Mick saw her coming up the walk and opened the door as she stepped up onto the porch.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you so much, Mick.”
Mick gave her a big smile and took her hand.
“You’re welcome. I’m hoping the flowers make up for dinner.”
They went through the den and into the kitchen.
“The place looks great, Mick.”
“Thanks, I’ve done a few things since you were here last. I put in some hardwood floors upstairs, and I put in an oversized shower in the master bedroom. Room for two,” he said with a smile.
“Aren’t you handy?”
“Can I get you a glass of wine? I’ve got a really good Pinot if you’re interested.”
“That would be great, thanks.”
Mick walked to the wine rack and pulled out a bottle of Parker Creek, a wine from a local winery.
“I found this at a wine tasting a few months back. Hope you like it.”
Mick popped the cork and poured two glasses. He handed one to Mia and lifted the other in a toast.
“To the honorable Judge Don Green, who has authorized a wiretap for us on the Lombard case.”
“Great news! So the DA agreed with the strategy?”
“He took a little convincing, but it worked. We need to get one of our electronic surveillance guys with the DA’s people to get everything set up, but we should have things in place within the next couple days.”
“So, if the wiretaps work, and we catch Sullivan and Lennox communicating, do you think that will give us enough to arrest and file on them both?” asked Mia.
“It depends on the conversations. If they talk about the murder, we’re good. If they communicate but don’t directly implicate themselves, then we’d need to see what the DA thinks. Personally, I think we’d have enough, but you know how cautious prosecutors are—they want it to be airtight before they file, especially in a case like this with all
“What if I change my identity and get a new life? I really don’t have anything else to keep me here without Scott. Mom is dead, and I have no other family. I mean, why not run?”
“Well, that’s an option. But do you really want to be on the run all your life?”
Neither spoke. Keller was surprised at her strength and resolve. The time was right for him to press the issue.
“You said Scott planned on taking the insurance money and start a new life with you. That was part of the plan I assume, that he’d divorce his wife and marry you?”
Lisa nodded.
“Well, as I told you the other day, the policy was for $2 million, not $500,000. Now, that could mean a lot of things, so don’t jump to any conclusions about his motive for lying to you.”
“I know,” she said. “And if he lied about the money maybe he never was going to leave his wife. He used me to kill his partner, and now I’m worried I could be next. I wish I could tell them everything I know and hang his ass for good. But he’s not worth going to prison for. You don’t think he’d come after me, do you?”
“ I won’t let that happen,” Keller said.
“I think I should take my chances and disappear.”
It could work, Keller thought. But Lisa would need help.
NINETEEN
M ia arrived at Mick’s a few minutes after seven. As she pulled up the gravel driveway, the memories and emotions came rushing back. She loved this house and the man inside.
Mia drove around to the back and saw the garage door was open for her arrival. A collection of wildflowers in a vase was sitting on the workbench inside. She pulled her car into the garage, picked up the vase of the flowers, and headed toward the house. Mick saw her coming up the walk and opened the door as she stepped up onto the porch.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you so much, Mick.”
Mick gave her a big smile and took her hand.
“You’re welcome. I’m hoping the flowers make up for dinner.”
They went through the den and into the kitchen.
“The place looks great, Mick.”
“Thanks, I’ve done a few things since you were here last. I put in some hardwood floors upstairs, and I put in an oversized shower in the master bedroom. Room for two,” he said with a smile.
“Aren’t you handy?”
“Can I get you a glass of wine? I’ve got a really good Pinot if you’re interested.”
“That would be great, thanks.”
Mick walked to the wine rack and pulled out a bottle of Parker Creek, a wine from a local winery.
“I found this at a wine tasting a few months back. Hope you like it.”
Mick popped the cork and poured two glasses. He handed one to Mia and lifted the other in a toast.
“To the honorable Judge Don Green, who has authorized a wiretap for us on the Lombard case.”
“Great news! So the DA agreed with the strategy?”
“He took a little convincing, but it worked. We need to get one of our electronic surveillance guys with the DA’s people to get everything set up, but we should have things in place within the next couple days.”
“So, if the wiretaps work, and we catch Sullivan and Lennox communicating, do you think that will give us enough to arrest and file on them both?” asked Mia.
“It depends on the conversations. If they talk about the murder, we’re good. If they communicate but don’t directly implicate themselves, then we’d need to see what the DA thinks. Personally, I think we’d have enough, but you know how cautious prosecutors are—they want it to be airtight before they file, especially in a case like this with all
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