'Phony psycho job on Herbert,' he said. 'Phony mugging for Ashmore.'
'He was Herbert's boss. Owned the computers and had done a toxicology check on Chad Jones. It was logical to think he knew whatever Herbert did. Even if he didn't, whoever killed her might have taken care of him, too, just to be careful.'
'Why would he be involved in blackmail? He was independently wealthy.'
'He invested in real estate,' I said, 'and the market's sliding.
What if he was leveraged to the hilt? Or maybe he hadn't quit gambling, as his wife believed. Lost big at the tables and needed some cash. Rich folk can get poor, right? The L.A. shuffle.'
'If Ashmore was in on it-and I'm just playing along at this point why would he want Herbert for a partner?'
'Who says he did? She could have found out on her owngotten hold of his computer data and decided to free-lance.'
He said nothing. Wiped his lips with his napkin, even though he hadn't eaten any chicken.
I said, 'One problem, though. Ashmore was killed two months after Herbert. If their murders are related, why take so long to eliminate him?'
He tapped his fingers on the table. 'Well... another way to look at it is, Ashmore had no knowledge of what Herbert was up to at first, but found out later. From data she'd stashed in the computer.
And he either tried to capitalize on it, or told the wrong person.'
'You know, that dovetails with something I saw the other day.
Huenengarth-the head of Security-removing Ashmore's computers the morning after Ashmore's murder. My first impression was he was getting hold of Ashmore's equipment. But maybe what Huenengarth was really after was in the machines. The data. He works for Plumb-meaning he really works for Chuck Jones. Guy's a real corporate henchman type, Milo. Plus, his name came up yesterday when I was speaking to Mrs. Ashmore. He was the one who called to offer the hospital's sympathies.
Was coming by with the UNICEF certificate and the plaque. Strange job for head of Security, wouldn't you say? Unless his real intention was to learn if Ashmore kept a computer at home and, if he did, to get it out of there.'
Milo looked down at his plate. Finally ate. Quickly, mechanically, without much apparent pleasure. I knew how much food meant to him and felt bad for ruining his dinner.
'Intriguing,' he said, 'but it's still one big z/' 'You're right,' I said. 'Let's give it a rest.'
He put his fork down. 'There's a basic flaw with all of it, Alex. If Grandpa knew about Junior andlor Mrs. Junior killing Chad, and cared enough about hushing it up to pay blackmail money and hire a killer, why would he allow Cassie to be brought back to the same hospital?'
'Maybe he didn't know, until Herbert andlor Ashmore put the arm on him.'
'Even so. Why not send Cassie somewhere else for treatment?
Why run the risk of dealing with the exact same doctors who'd treated Chad and having them make the same connection the blackmailers had made? It's not like the family wouldn't have been justified. Cassie isn't getting any better-you yourself said Jones Junior's talking about medical errors. No one would blame them for getting a second opinion.
Also, it's one thing to say the parents are abusers and Grandpa's protecting them, even to the point of eliminating a blackmailer. But if Grandpa knew Cassie was being poisoned, wouldn't he want to step in and stop it?'
'Maybe he's no better than they are,' I said.
'Family of psychos?'
'Where do you think it starts?'
'I don't know-' 'Maybe Chuck Jones was an abusive father and that's where Chip learned it. The way he's tearing down the hospital sure doesn't make him Mr. Compassionate.'
'Corporate greed is one thing, Alex. Watching your granddaughter get messed with to the point of epileptic
