QB1 by Pete Bowen Page B

know for a fact,
Liz?”
    “Other than she’s a sociopath, nothing,
that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”
    “Why do you think she was having an affair
with Tony?”
    “She was fucking everyone else, she was
probably fucking Tony too.”
    “You want to back up and tell me a little
more about Lydia Isackson, Liz?”
    Lydia McCormack Isackson was a runner-up for
Miss Utah. A Mormon, she was the oldest child in a big family. She
went to the University of Utah and was the head cheerleader where
she met Paul Isackson. An English major, she was smart and
beautiful. The camera would often show her during football games.
She was active in many charities and was a well known face in the
Bay Area.
    “What went on between you and Lydia, Liz?” I
asked.
    “We got to know each other through the team.
They have various get togethers for the families. I didn’t know
anyone and she was fun to be around. When the games started she
asked me to sit by her and I got to know her other friends. I
started to realize that I had been invited into her clique. It was
like high school all over again only I had been brought into the
mean girls. Did you ever see that movie?”
    “Yes, I know what you’re talking about.”
    “I went along on some charity events she was
a part of. Lydia stays very busy with her social life and
charities. She’s very outgoing. Paul, is the complete opposite.
Lydia likes to have her clique around her, her camp followers. So,
I got to know her and the more I got to know her, the more I
realized what an asshole she was. She didn’t care about the
charities or even football. She just cares about Lydia. She hates
her husband. She thinks he’s an idiot. She has as little to do with
him as she can. As long as Paul gets laid, he’s happy. So she’s out
most nights doing her thing. Smiling in the stands for the camera
during the game. I quickly got to the point where I couldn’t stand
her. One day I was talking to Penny Cochran and the topic of Lydia
came up. I started saying she wasn’t a very nice person and Penny
unloads. Turns out most of the team wives who know her, hate her.
She’s a jerk but because of who she is, she gets away with it.”
    “Okay, but a jerk capable of murder?” I
asked.
    “Capable of anything. I don’t know, Tom. I
was thinking out loud. It just occurred to me. I’m sorry I said
it.”
    I looked at Roger. “See what you can find
out. We can’t let this get out that we’re even thinking about this.
Holy shit, what a mess it would be if she did it. Do you think
you’re capable of being discreet, Roger?”
    “Discreet is my middle name,” said Roger.
    “Yea, right.”
     
    Chapter 18
     
    I called Tierney and told him we had a lead
on Tony and wanted to check it out in San Diego. In 45 minutes he
had a private jet waiting for us at the San Jose Airport. We flew
into San Diego and got a cab to the Marina where Benson had his
boat. No one around at 1:30 AM. I had the combination into the
Marina and the keys to Benson’s boat. I couldn’t see any security
but there were cameras around. Benson’s boat was spectacular. It
could easily sleep 6. We gave Liz the Captain’s cabin and Roger and
I hit some crew bunks for the night.
    Up at 8 AM to coffee and donuts. Liz had been
up early and gone on a food run. I went up on deck to see what I
could see. The Marina was getting busy on a Saturday morning. Liz
and I sat together drinking our coffee.
    “You sleep okay?” I asked her.
    “I would have slept better with you beside
me,” she said.
    “Then there wouldn’t have been much sleep,” I
said. She laughed and snuggled up close to me. “Better be careful.
I don’t want us on the front page of People Magazine.”
    “I can see someone at the office, want to go
talk to them?” she asked. We walked to the open air office counter
that had been closed up tight last night. A guy sat behind the
counter working on a computer.
    “Good morning,” he said.
    “I’m Tom Mullins.