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“That was Dolores on the phone just now, telling me your wife is talking to Joshua Curtis, and probably being told by the guy that he’s innocent, and asking her to try and prove it.”

“You don’t think…”

“Yes, I do.” He let drop a pregnant pause. “I think we can’t afford to let Odelia know what we know, since she’ll probably tell Curtis, and he’ll use it to stage a defense. So from now on, not a word about this case to your wife, you got that? At least as long as she’s willing to go to bat for the killer.”

“You mean…

“As much as it pains me to say this, we’re obviously working on opposite sides of this thing, Chase. Your wife is working for the suspect—against us!”

Just then, Dooley popped his head up again, and I could hear Uncle Alec utter a curse word, and when I glanced up surreptitiously, I found myself looking into the Chief’s eyes, his face so close to mine on the other side of the window, I was momentarily startled. But then I smiled and gave him a little wave. Futile, of course. First of all because humans can’t discern those subtle expressions we display, so he probably missed my smile by a mile. And my conciliatory little wave? That only seemed to solidify his utter annoyance.

“Will you stop spying on me!” he yelled, a clear indication he wasn’t happy with us.

“Yes, Uncle Alec!” I yelled back.

But of course he couldn’t understand me.

Chapter 15

“I thought I’d find you here,” said Chase when he came upon Odelia, who was patiently waiting in his office.

Odelia was in Chase’s swivel chair, and had taken the time to think about her recent interview with Joshua Curtis. Somehow she still had the feeling that he hadn’t told her everything, though why he would lie to her she did not know. Unless, of course…

“Do you think he did it?” she asked her husband.

Chase took a seat in front of his own desk and gave his wife a look of appraisal.“You know that your uncle has forbidden me from discussing this particular case with you?”

“He has? But why?”

Chase shrugged.“He seems to think we’re on opposite sides. You’re in the killer’s corner and we’re in the victim’s.”

“So you think Joshua is guilty.”

“Guilty as hell,” Chase confirmed.

“So you must have proof, right? To back up that claim?”

“Sure we have proof. But like I said, I’m not allowed to discuss it with you, since the Chief is afraid you’ll just turn around and supply that information to Curtis, helping him stage his defense.”

“I would never do that,” said Odelia, shaking her head. “If he’s guilty, that is.”

“Well, it sure looks like he’s the one that did it, babe.”

“But why? What makes you so sure?”

Chase heaved a deep sigh. It was probably bad for him to deny his wife the kind of information that would help her crack this case, knowing she was probably as excellent and determined a detective as he was.“Look, if I tell you, you have to promise me not to tell your uncle, all right? Cause if you do, I’m in deep doo-doo.”

“Scout’s honor,” she said, holding up two fingers.

“And I don’t need to remind you not to tell the suspect anything we’re about to discuss.”

“Absolutely. Frankly I have a feeling he hasn’t been entirely honest with me. Even though he says he’s told me everything, I still feel he’s holding out.”

“You bet he is. Did he tell you that he and Melanie Myers used to be an item?”

“No, he did not.”

“They weren’t together long, but the guy is still carrying a torch for the woman.”

“That, I noticed. Though I thought he was mostly looking out for his friend.”

“I doubt that. I think he was jealous, and couldn’t stand that Melanie was seeing Harrison. So he killed him and tried to make it look like an accident by setting fire to the place.”

“How did Harrison end up a squatter?”

“Well, turns out that Franklin Harrison has a brother named Marvin, and from what I understand Franklin was the bad boy and Marvin the responsible one. Franklin was always the rich kid with the gazillions of friends, partying all the time, and getting into all kinds of trouble, while Marvin’s main focus was the family business.”

“Real estate, right?”

Chase nodded.“Commercial and industrial real estate, mainly. Herbert set up the company and turned it into a goldmine, and hoped his sons would take an interest. Only Franklin decided he was too busy spending daddy’s money to bother with the business.”

“And dating married women,” Odelia added.

“Exactly.”

“So while Marvin minds the family store, his brother is living it up.”

“Only at some point Daddy must have had enough, and decided to cut him off. So Franklin found himself without funds, and living as a squatter in the dump he died in.”

“And what about those two other guys?”

“Took us some time to identify them. They were both badly burned.” He glanced down at his little notebook. “Aldo Kali and Tomio Iberia. Both well known in connection to multiple drug-related incidents. Been arrested multiple times the last couple of years.”

“Drug dealers.”