Web of Evil

your husband. If you had an accomplice in that case, you'd be likely to have an accomplice for this one as well.'

'But I didn't do it,' Ali insisted. 'Mom, Dave, and I went to the house together. That's when we found her.'

'Do you know how many people who discover' bodies end up being the doers?' Victor asked. 'And tell me this. If you went to the house and no one was home, how did you get inside?'

'Through the front door. I rang the bell, but no one answered. Then, since the door was open, we went in.'

'Didn't that strike you as unusual, that the door would be left open like that?'

'I didn't think about it at the time because I thought April was home. With all the people involved in the shoot, there had been people coming and going all day long.'

'Do you still have keys to the house?'

'Probably,' Ali answered. 'Back home in Sedona somewhere, but I certainly didn't bring them along, and I doubt they'd work anyway. I expect Paul would have changed the locks as soon as I moved out. I'm sure I would have.'

'All right,' Victor said. 'Now tell me about the telephone.'

'What telephone?' Ali asked.

'Come on. Don't play dumb. Monique's cell phonethe one you lifted from the crime scene. That's called evidence tampering. When the cops find out about itif they find out about itthey're going to go nuts.'

'The EMTs were busy hauling Monique off to the hospital when I noticed the phone was lying there on the floor,' Ali explained. 'By then I knew April wasn't home. I needed to reach her so I could let her know what was happening. I was sure her cell phone number would be in her mother's call records, and it was. How else was I supposed to find her number?'

'You could have called Ted Grantham back,' Victor pointed out. 'But you didn't. For right now the cops haven't noticed the phone issue. If they end up figuring out you took it, then we'll have to decide how to handle it. Now, what's the deal with Dave Holman?'

'What about him?'

'Are you an item or what?'

'Dave's good friends with my parents, and he's a friend of mine, tooa homicide detective for Yavapai County over in Arizona. But we aren't an item.''

'What's he doing here then?'

'He drove over from Lake Havasu to help out.'

'He should go home,' Victor said simply. 'So should your mother. I have my own team of investigators working on this case. What I don't need is a bunch of peopleamateurs or otherwiseblundering around and muddying the waters. Having your mother and Dave here is going to be more of a hindrance than a help. Anything you say to them is going to be fair game for whatever detectives are doing follow-up on either one of these two cases. They'll ask Dave or your mother what you've said, and they'll end up being required to answer truthfully. So you can't confide in themnot at all. Understand?'

'It's too late,' Ali said bleakly. 'I already did.'

And for the first time in all this, she actually felt afraid.

CHAPTER 9

Victor finally left. For a long time afterward, Ali sat alone in the living room area of April's suite mulling her situation. What if Monique Ragsdale didn't survive? Would Ali really be a suspect in her death as well? Could the cops turn Monique's mere threat of litigation into a motive for murder?

From what Ali had seen, Monique's fall had looked like an accident, but was it really? And speaking of accidents, what about the Sumo Sudoku boulder that had come flying in Ali's own direction? That, too, had appeared to be nothing more than an accident caused by an overloaded wheelbarrow, but what if it wasn't?

Pushing away that worrisome thought, Ali decided to track down how much of the story had surfaced in the media. Rather than switching on the television and possibly waking April, Ali did as she had so often done in the months since she had fled L.A., her former job, and her foundering marriageshe turned to her computer and to her blog and to the cyber support network from cutlooseblog.com that had sustained her through some pretty dark times.

Dear Ali, or I suppose I should say, Dear Babe, When they booted you off the air months ago, I always knew you'd be back on TV here in L.A. eventually. I just didn't think it would be like this.

I saw what they showed on the news the other night when you were leaving the coroner's office in Indio. That young woman they replaced you with was so damned smug as she was reading the story. I wanted to slap her. She didn't come right out and mention you by name and say you were a suspect in whatever had happened to your ex, but people recognized you. I recognized you, even though you weren't wearing makeup or anything. And that big guy, Victor, was there with you. Anybody who follows criminal cases in Southern California knows what he's all about. Why would you need a big-time defense attorney if you weren't a defendant?

All I'm trying to say is there are lots of us out here who are still real fans of yours and who think you're being sold down the river. Again. So be strong. Know that peoplepeople you don't even knoware praying for you every day. I'm one of them.

CRYSTAL RYAN, SHERMAN OAKS, CA

She didn't post Crystal's note, but wanting to say something in replysomething that wouldn't get her in trouble with Victor AngeleriAli penned a simple response that said nothing yet covered all the bases.

Dear Crystal,

Thank you for your support.

ALI REYNOLDS

Dear Babe,

Have you called my nephew yet? From what they're saying on the news, I think you'd better. It sounds like things are getting more complicated all the time.

VELMA T IN LAGUNA

Yes, Ali thought. Things are getting more complicated. No, I haven't called your nephew, and I probably won't.

She sent Velma the same note she had sent to Crystal. That was Ali's best bet for the momentrespond but do not engage. Keep a low profile.

Dear Ms. Reynolds,

After what happened to you, I can't believe you'd do the same thing to my uncle. You should be ashamed.

ANDREA MORALES

Ali studied that one for a very long time. She had no idea who Andrea Morales was, much less who the woman's uncle might be or what Ali could possibly have done to him. In the end, she felt she had to defend herself by sending a response.

Dear Andrea,

I'm sorry, but I'm unaware of who your uncle is or what it is you believe I may have done to him. If it's something for which I should offer an apology, please let me know. I would appreciate it if you could supply some additional information which would allow me to be more knowledgeable about this situation.

Thank you.

ALISON REYNOLDS

The next one, unsigned, was even more disturbing.

Hmmmm. Let me get this straight. Your soon-to-be-ex-husband died unexpectedly without having a chance to unload you by slipping loose from that little gold tie that binds? Too bad somebody didn't warn