Web of Evil by Jance J. A

Author:Jance, J. A. [Jance, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, thriller, Suspense, Crime, Adult
ISBN: 9781416537076
Amazon: 1416537074
Goodreads: 91374
Publisher: Touchstone Books
Published: 2007-01-09T08:00:00+00:00

{ CHAPTER 12 }

Eddie Duarte stayed on the porch for several minutes after Ali returned to the car and while she was giving Dave a brief summary of what had transpired.

“You gave Jesus Sanchez Victor Angeleri’s card?” he asked incredulously. “Who’s going to pay the bill? I’d hate to think what his hourly billable rate is.”

“She didn’t take it,” Ali said. “But I’ll pay for whatever attorney they do hire.”

“So now you’re setting out to save the world?”

“Only the parts of it I’ve screwed up,” Ali responded.

“Excuse me,” Dave returned. “As far as I can tell, you had nothing at all to do with the fact that Monique Ragsdale took a header down those stairs.”

“No, but if it turns out she was pushed—”

“She was,” Dave interjected.

“You know that for sure?” Ali asked.

Dave nodded. “I have a source who confirmed it as a suspected homicide while you were busy with Clemencia.”

“Then whoever’s responsible is probably connected to me as well,” Ali asserted. “And if Jesus is being wrongly blamed for what happened to her? Well, I’m connected to him, too.”

“I hope your husband left you a ton of money then,” Dave said. “It sounds like you’re going to need it.”

Eddie Duarte approached Ali’s side of the car and tapped on the window. She rolled it down.

“What did Clemencia say after I left?” Ali asked.

Eddie frowned. “She told me that you’re as evil as your husband.”

That revelation hurt Ali’s feelings. Personally, she had to agree about Paul—he was evil—but Ali didn’t like being tarred with the same brush.

“I told her I knew you were a good person,” Eddie continued. “And that if you said you would do something, you would do it. I’m not sure she believed me, though.”

Why would she? Ali thought. “Thank you for saying that, Eddie, and thank you for coming,” she added. “I really appreciate your help.”

“Not that it did much good,” Eddie said dejectedly and, offering a good-bye, returned to his car.

“Where to now?” Dave asked. “Back to the hotel?”

Ali nodded.

“How did you find out Monique’s death is now classified as a homicide?” Ali asked. “Who told you?”

“Ken Nickerson is one of my good old buddies from the Marines. We served together in Iraq. Now he works for LAPD.”

“Ken’s the one who got you Andrea Morales’s address information?” Ali asked.

“That’s right. While you were talking to Clemencia, I called him up and asked him straight out if they had autopsy results back on Monique Ragsdale, and they did.”

“Already?” Ali asked.

Dave nodded. “Preliminary,” he said. “It may be Sunday, but since it’s a high-profile case, the guys over on North Mission Road really got their rears in gear on this one.”

“And?” Ali asked.

“Bruising on her arms and on her back. Defensive wounds and definite signs of a struggle. No sexual assault. They took scrapings from under her nails. There could be identifiable DNA found in those. The real problem for Jesus Sanchez is that the cops found something at the crime scene that links him to Monique’s death.”

“I know,” Ali said.

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