‘Even if his discretion sends you to prison?”
“It seems that way. He must know. It was all over the news.”
“You can tell me. I work for your lawyer. It’s confidential.”
“What good would that do if he still won’t come forward?”
“I’d know.”
“What good does that do me?”
“You need someone on your side because you're innocent and not just because you pay them.”
Phoebe thought about that for a long second and looked at Radcliff. “He’s a cop.”
Margot looked at Radcliff, who nodded and left the interrogation room.
Once he was gone, Phoebe smoked for a bit before she blurted out, “Harry Lee.”
“The mobster?”
“He would say misunderstood businessman.”
“How did you meet Harry Lee?”
“Tim knew him through work.”
“Tim worked with Harry Lee?”
“Not how you're thinking.”
“What am I thinking?”
“That Tim was involved in something shady or illegal.”
“Considering Harry Lee’s involvement, it’s not an unreasonable conclusion.”
“No, I guess it isn’t, but Tim wasn’t like that. Harry was looking for legitimate businesses to invest in and Tim had one of those.”
“Harry still an investor?”
“No, Tim’s and his relationship ended.”
“The same way Tim and Derek Helms ended their relationship?”
“Not that I know of and I was sleeping with both of them, so I think I might have heard if they were mad at each other.”
“Do you mind if I talk to Lee?” Margot asked.
Phoebe had to think about this for a minute.
“Are you afraid of him?” Margot pressed.
“I suppose I am.”
“Why? I thought he was a misunderstood businessman.”
“Sure, but I understand him.”
“And that makes you afraid?”
“Yeah.”
“The easiest way for you to get out of this is for him to talk.”
“Sure, but what do I get into after that? He’s not a guy you want to be on the wrong side of.”
Margot, who had some experience getting on the wrong side of guys like that, couldn’t tell Phoebe she was wrong with a straight face. Instead, she said, “Maybe we can back door it. Did you go anywhere public?”
“No, we met at a hotel.”
“Did you walk through the lobby?”
“Of course, but…”
“Then someone could have seen you.”
Phoebe smiled. “Lee wouldn’t have to come in that way.”
“It’s possible.”
I don’t know if anyone saw me though. Part of the deal was keeping a low profile.”
“It’s worth checking out.”
“The Palms off Highway One.”
“That in La Jolla?”
“Yeah, it’s a nice place. They wouldn’t be happy being known as a gangster’s love nest, so I don’t know how cooperative they’re going to be.”
“That’s what you pay me for.”
Chapter 2
Margot and Radcliff left the county jail together. Radcliff had picked her up and given her a ride from her job. Shaw would be glad to see she had hooked up with not only a high profile case but would be working with a law firm that did a lot of their kind of business. In the private detective game, big law firms were the best kind of clients. Normally, a firm like Browers and Associates wouldn’t give Shaw and Margot the time of day, but thanks to Radcliff’s connection to the case—and his ex’s general distrust of how much her lawyers really had her best interests at heart—Margot was in.
They noticed a young woman dressed in black filming them as they made their way to Radcliff’s car. She wasn’t being very subtle about it.
“Excuse me,” Radcliff said to her, “what are you doing?”
“Just getting some footage for my story,” she replied.
“Your story?”
She lowered her phone and reached into a little black purse. Out of habit, both Margot and Radcliff tensed; it wasn’t long ago that dangerous people were looking to harm them. Even though that wasn’t supposed to be the case anymore, it was still in the back of their minds.
The woman in black pulled out a business card. Margot also had her hand in her purse, but she was not reaching for a card. In fact, she had her hand on the short-barreled S&W .40 she kept in there.
“Cassandra Cole, Cassandra’s Coastal Crime Alert,” the woman said as she handed Radcliff her card.
“Coastal Crime Alert? Is that a newspaper?” Radcliff asked.
“Newspaper? No, it’s a YouTube channel. Are newspapers even a thing anymore?”
Radcliff didn’t see any reason to further engage, so he just told her, “Have a nice day, Ms. Cole,” and kept moving.
“You’re not the detective assigned to the Masterson case,” Cassandra said as she followed them.
“We have a media relations division that will gladly answer all your questions.”
“Sure they will,” Cassandra replied before saying, “You’re Margot Harris.”
Margot looked back; she was surprised this girl knew her name.
“Can I ask a few questions, Ms. Harris?” Cassandra asked. Before Margot could reply one way or the other, she added, “Are you working Mrs. Masterson’s defense? Are you employed by Brower and Associates?”
“Even if I was, I wouldn’t tell you,” Margot said. “It’s part of the “private” in private detective.”
“I always thought that just meant you don’t work for the state.”
“It means that too,” Margot said as they kept walking. Cassandra followed.
“You shot and killed two men up in Riverside and then later shot and killed a deputy sheriff. You also shot and killed a still unidentified individual. All these men had connections to the Baja cartel.”
“Is that a question?” Margot replied.
“You also left the police at the same time a man named Malachi Flynn was kicked off the force. Mr. Flynn was believed to have been muscle for hire for several known underworld figures. It is believed his duties included assassinations. He later worked for you when you were an independent private detective in an unofficial capacity.”
They were nearly at Radcliff’s car. Cassandra ran a little so she could get
