My Private Detective

“She didn’t kill Amy!” Heidi blurted

Tears sprang to her eyes. “Dana’s family lives next door to mine. We grew up like sisters. I know her as well as I know myself. She’s dying in that prison, Gideon.” Her voice trembled. “I’ve got to get her out of there or my life’s not going to be worth living, either.”

“Lord,” she heard him whisper.

“When I found out that a famous detective from San Diego’s homicide division was teaching a criminology course in my classroom, I considered it a godsend. That’s wh—”

“You don’t need to explain,” he interjected.

“You’ll never know how grateful I am that you let me join the class. I’ve already learned so much. I know vital evidence was overlooked in her case.” Heidi gazed up at Gideon. “The other night I phoned John Cobb, Dana’s attorney.”

“He’s one of the best around.”

She took a deep breath. “I hope you’re right, Gideon. He believes in Dana’s innocence, but he said that unless we come up with compelling new evidence, he wouldn’t be able to get the case reopened.”

“That’s because he knows how difficult it is.”

“But surely it’s not impossible….”

He reached out to squeeze her hand. “No. Nothing’s impossible if you want it badly enough.”

Dear Reader,

Recently I saw a documentary about a retired newspaper reporter who happened to be at a local library doing some genealogy and came across a twenty-year-old article about a murder that had been committed in the town where she lived. Being curious by nature, she made enquiries and found out the case was still open.

Intrigued, she started to dig around, talk to the police, interview people who knew the victim. Within a few months she’d solved the crime. There was a trial and the culprit was imprisoned.

When she was asked how she was able to do what no detective had managed to accomplish, she chuckled before answering. “I don’t know why. Perhaps it was a fresh eye, a new look at an old problem—the answer just seemed obvious to me.”

By the time the documentary was over, I had plotted My Private Detective, a romance novel in which a good cop, Gideon Poletti, brings a fresh eye to a closed murder case—only to fall madly in love with the convicted woman’s friend…who might know more than she’s telling.

Happy reading!

Rebecca Winters

P.S. If you have access to the Internet, I hope you’ll visit my Web site at http://www.rebeccawinters-author.com

My Private Detective

Rebecca Winters

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER ONE

“MR. COBB REALLY TOLD YOU there’s nothing more he can do?”

“Yes.”

Heidi Ellis felt her heart plunge as she stared at her best friend through the Plexiglas partition at Fielding Women’s Prison outside San Bernardino, California.

Dana Turner had always been a tall, dark-haired, vibrant beauty. But seven and a half months of confinement had already taken their toll.

Haunted by the pale, fragile-looking creature, who’d grown even thinner since her last visit, Heidi feared her friend wouldn’t last the year in this place, let alone thirty more. She was in prison for the murder of her sister—a murder she didn’t commit.

Heidi gripped the phone receiver more tightly. “I don’t believe that.”

“You have to,” Dana said in a dull voice. “He’s supposed to be one of the best criminal attorneys in Southern California. I’m resigned to the fact that this is my life from now on.”

“I’ll never be resigned to it!”

“You don’t have a choice. I told Mom and Dad the same thing. They’re so devastated that every time they see me, they age another year.”

That wasn’t surprising. They’d lost Amy, and now their older daughter was wrongfully incarcerated for her murder.

“I think it would be better if no one came to visit me anymore. It can only drag everyone down further than they already are.”

None of the Ellises—neither Heidi nor her parents—had been subpoenaed to testify at Dana’s trial. In fact, Dana had asked that they not attend. It had made Heidi feel so helpless. She still felt that way, but anger had begun to replace her fears.

“You know me better than that, Dana. I refuse to just sit by. There has to be a way to reopen your case and get it heard again. Someone else killed your sister. Whoever committed the crime is running around free while you’re…”

Her voice trailed off because she was afraid she’d dissolve in tears in front of Dana. That wasn’t going to help her friend. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she said, “I’m not sure how to go about it, but I’m going to find a way to get you out of here, no matter what I have to do!”

Dana’s sweet smile tore Heidi’s heart to shreds. “I love you for being so loyal. But there’s a time to quit, and this is it.”

“No! As soon as I leave here, I’m going to call your lawyer and ask him exactly what I have to do in order to get the court to take another look at your case.”

Her friend shook her head sadly. “He’s worked tirelessly on my behalf. If he says it’s all over, then it is.”

“He’s only one person, Dana. No one’s infallible. I’m thinking of hiring someone else and starting from scratch. Dad’s attorney knows a trial lawyer in Los Angeles who has the same kind of reputation as Mr. Cobb. If your attorney can’t help, then I’m phoning this other attorney as soon as I get home this evening.”

Dana frowned. “Don’t you dare use your money to try to help me. You’d be throwing it away. I couldn’t bear that.”

“My mom and dad love you, too, Dana. They told me they want to contribute because they believe in your innocence. They’ve known you all your life!”

Dana’s lovely face crumpled, and she broke down sobbing.

“I’m going to get you out of here. As long as you’re behind these bars, I’ll never be happy again.”

“Don’t say that. You’ve got your own life to live.”

“What life would that be? We’re like sisters! When you bleed, so do I. You’d stand by me no matter what, so let’s not resume that discussion. When you go to sleep tonight, be assured that I’ve already made phone calls to get the process started.”

“You mustn’t ruin your life for me!” Dana cried, burying her face in her hands.

“That’s my decision. In fact, the sooner I leave here, the sooner you’ll be freed from this place. So I’ll say goodbye for now. The next time you see me, I’ll be bringing good news. Hold on, Dana. Just hold on.”

She replaced the receiver and stood up. Dana followed suit. They pressed their hands together against the glass. Her friend’s ravaged face was the last thing Heidi saw before she turned sharply away and left the building; the last thing she heard was the horrifying sound of doors locking behind her.

To some degree, Dana had always suffered from claustrophobia. Heidi could just imagine how much worse that condition had become since she’d been here. The prison doctor refused to give her medication for it. That was another injustice that needed to be corrected.

As soon as Heidi got into her car, she pulled out her cell phone and called her parents. Fortunately they were home. She asked them to call the Turners and find out Mr. Cobb’s home phone number, then call her back.

Halfway to San Diego, she heard from her father, who gave her the number. She phoned immediately, and it didn’t surprise her to get the attorney’s voice mail. On a late Sunday afternoon he could be anywhere.

“Mr. Cobb? This is Heidi Ellis, Dana’s friend. I’ve just been to the prison to visit her. She needs medication for her claustrophobia. Surely something can be done to help her with that. But more importantly, we’ve got to get her out.” Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“Dana doesn’t belong in there. She’s not going to last very long. I’d like to reopen the case. If you’d get back to me at home and tell me what has to be done to make that happen, I’d be very grateful.

“I’m going to be frank. If you feel you can’t do any more for her, please let me know so my family and I can retain another attorney.

“Please call me as soon as you can. I don’t care how late it is. Thank you very much.”

Heidi gave him the number at her apartment and ended the call.

It felt good to have done that much, but when she hadn’t heard from Mr. Cobb by the time she’d returned to San Diego, she was frantic.

Unable to concentrate, she drove to her parents’ home in Mission Bay. Decisions needed to be made as soon as possible. Every minute that passed drained more of the life out of her friend.

IT WAS TEN AFTER NINE Thursday night as Gideon Poletti approached the nursing station. “Can you tell me which room you’ve put Daniel Mcfarlane? He asked to see me.”

The registered nurse on the oncology wing at St. Anne’s looked up from a chart. “He’s in west-160. Please keep your visit short. He has surgery in the morning.”

“That’s what I heard.”

While he’d been following up a lead in a missing person case, Gideon had received a phone call from Ellen Mcfarlane. Her husband, Gideon’s former boss, was in the hospital with prostate cancer.

Last year everyone in local law enforcement had gone through a hard time accepting the retirement of the brilliant, shrewd head of the San Diego Homicide division. The city had lost a great warrior.

Though another qualified detective with years of service in every department had been installed to head the division, it would be impossible to fill the older man’s shoes.

Gideon had always been good friends with Daniel, both on and off the job. But the older man had made himself scarce since his retirement, and Gideon hadn’t seen him in several months.

Following the arrows to the west wing, he found the room in question. Ellen was at her husband’s bedside. For a man about to undergo surgery, Daniel appeared as vibrant as ever. Unlike a lot of men in their late sixties, he still had most of his dark hair, which was finely streaked with silver.

“Gideon!” He sat up in the bed. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“I came as soon as I could.”

He hugged Ellen, who excused herself so the two men could talk. Then Gideon shook Daniel’s hand before pulling up a chair next to the bed.

“I’m sorry to hear about your illness.”

“So am I.” The older man chuckled. “But the doc assures me the surgery’s routine and I’ll be my old self in no time. I’ve decided to believe him.”

“I believe it, too, Daniel. Now, what can I do for you?”

A sheepish expression crossed the older man’s face, something Gideon had never seen before. He had a premonition that his friend was about to ask him an unusual favor.

“If you can’t or don’t want to help me out, all you have to do is say so. It would mean some sacrifice on your par—”

“Daniel,” Gideon interrupted him. His curiosity had reached its peak. “What is it?”

“All right. As soon as I retired, I was besieged with requests for speaking engagements, teaching seminars, interviews, you name it. I was even offered a university position.”

Gideon nodded. “I can imagine.”

“I turned everything down because of a promise I made to my wife. We’ve spent most of this year traveling or vacationing at our cabin in Oregon.

“Then a few weeks ago I got a call from the local school district asking me to teach an adult community education class on criminology. My daughter, Kathie, is a teacher serving on that board, and she put them up to it. I think she’s worried that her old man’s missing the department.”

“I think she’s probably right.”

Daniel smiled. “Yes and no. I’m working on a book, which I’m enjoying very much. But I won’t lie to you. There are times I miss the old adrenaline rush.

“However, that’s not the point. Because of Kathie, I said I’d teach one class. The first session was last night. But this morning my doctor phoned the house with the results of some tests taken last week. He said he wanted me to come in and have the surgery immediately.”

Gideon could see where this was headed.

“Tomorrow night’s the next class. The spring quarter runs for six weeks, and the classes are on Wednesday and Friday evenings from seven to nine. If all goes well, I’ll be able to finish up the last six classes or so. But I need someone to fill in for me for the rest of April and part of May. You’re the man I want to take my place.”

“I’m not a teacher, Daniel.”

“Neither am I,” Daniel said with a grin. “All you’d have to do is pretend you’re investigating a murder. Proceed as if you were in charge of the crime scene. Just verbalize the steps so they’ll know what you’re thinking and doing. Emphasize forensics—the class is particularly interested in that. That’s it!”

“Not quite. I’m not the legendary Daniel Mcfarlane.”

Daniel ignored that comment. “Before you say no, Gideon, hear me out. My daughter’s built me up to be some kind of paragon, which I’m not. However I do know a man who is, and that’s you.”

“Come on,” Gideon scoffed.

“It’s the truth. The day you resigned from the NYPD to move to San Diego and join the force was our good fortune. Right from the start you were the officer who stood out from the rest. Over the years you’ve distinguished yourself again and again. The way you helped bring down that Russian Mafia ring last fall was damned impressive.”

“Don’t give me the credit, Daniel. My friend Max Calder is the one who deserves it.”

“I agree it was a team effort. Nevertheless, because of your undercover work with the FBI, the powers that be were considering you to take my place. But they don’t like to promote any detective to that position until he’s at least forty-five.”

By now Gideon was on his feet. “I would never want your old job. Not only could no one else ever measure up, Kevin needs me around on a regular basis. Serving on that special task force took a year out of my life and made it difficult to spend enough time with him. He’s been much happier since I went back on regular assignment.”

“That’s the beauty of this class. If it’s Kevin’s night for visitation, he could go with you and do his homework at the back of the room.”

Gideon grunted. “You’re a sly old fox, Mcfarlane. Go on. I’m still listening.”

“You’d be teaching ten mystery writers, most of them women.”

His wink didn’t fool Gideon, who’d been divorced for ten years now. Daniel had been after him to get married again. But Gideon had his own ideas about that. His ex-wife’s betrayal had caused a lot of damage.

Finding out he wasn’t Kevin’s biological father until Fay asked him for a divorce had killed something inside Gideon. Though he eventually started dating again, he was content with his bachelor status. His son meant everything to him.

“A couple of these writers are already published,” Daniel explained. “Several seem to be on the verge. Kathie’s counting on me, so I want the best detective on the force teaching this group. How about it?”

There was no way Gideon could turn Daniel down. They’d been friends and colleagues for too long.

“I tell you what,” Gideon said. “I’ll check with the sergeant to make certain I’m free on those nights. When he hears that you’re the reason for the request, I’m sure I won’t have a problem. The important thing is for you to get well.”

“Thanks, Gideon. They’re a nice group. Tomorrow night they’ll be bringing their latest ideas for a mystery. I gave them an assignment. They’ll each have two minutes—no more—to present a synopsis they’ve been working on. I told them I’d pick the one that intrigued me the most, and we’d start there.”

“Where’s the class?”

“Mesa Junior High in Mission Beach.”

“I was there last year for one of Kevin’s soccer games.”

“Just go to the main office a few minutes before seven. Larry Johnson runs the adult-education classes. He’ll have an attendance roll and room key.”

“All right. I’ll take care of it. Now I’d better leave. The nurse told me to make this brief. I think I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

The older man smiled his thanks. “I owe you for this. Naturally you’ll be compensated.” He sighed in obvious relief. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

Gideon knew. This class might seem a minor obligation to most people, but Daniel took his commitments seriously. So did Gideon.

He got to his feet and grasped Daniel’s shoulder firmly. “I’m glad to help out. Take care and mind the doctor. I’ll check back with you tomorrow.”

The two men shook hands once more, and then Gideon left the room. Daniel’s wife was coming down the hall.

“Don’t worry about anything, Ellen. I told him I’d take over his class until he’s on his feet again.”

“Bless you,” she murmured as they hugged goodbye. “Daniel thinks the world of you. He wouldn’t even consider anyone else.”

“That’s nice to hear. Your husband’s tough. He’ll pull through this and he’ll be better than ever.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I know I am. I’ll call in the morning for an update.”

“Please do. His surgery is scheduled for 6:00 a.m.”

“Good. It’ll be over before you know it.”

Gideon left the hospital and headed for his house in Ocean Beach. En route he phoned his supervisor to see what could be arranged.

Since the divorce when Kevin was three, Wednesdays had been set aside for the boy’s midweek visitation with Gideon. The decree also allowed visitation every other weekend, every other holiday and six weeks every summer.

It had never been enough for Gideon, but Fay had remarried within months of their divorce. Because of her desire that Kevin bond with his new stepfather, she’d refused to deviate from the stipulations set by the court.

Not wanting to cause any more trauma to their son, Gideon had accepted the situation. He believed children needed their mothers. But now that Kevin was in eighth grade, he was begging to live with Gideon full-time.

Kevin didn’t dislike his stepfather, but he’d never developed any real affection for him. Of course, the boy loved his mother, but she and her husband were both busy stockbrokers. Kevin had been raised by a series of nannies until he started junior high. Then there’d been a string of baby-sitters.

That was the problem.

According to Gideon’s attorney, Kevin was now old enough to choose which parent he wanted to live with. But Fay would be impossible if Kevin moved in with Gideon. She would heap enough guilt on their son to traumatize him.

In the long run Gideon felt it was better to leave things as they were.

Gideon had explained all this to Kevin, who’d cried quietly, then clung to him, vowing that the day he turned eighteen he was going to come and live with his father.

They were father and son, no matter that Kevin’s biological father was some high-powered stockbroker from New York who had no idea he had a child.

Unbeknownst to Gideon, Fay had slept with her boss while she was engaged to Gideon. Afraid to tell him the truth, she’d passed the baby off as Gideon’s. After almost four years of marriage, she got involved with another stockbroker in San Diego and then asked Gideon for a divorce.

Though he’d known his wife was always striving for something he couldn’t seem to give her, he hadn’t realized she’d gone as far as to have an affair.

Shocked by her refusal to try to keep their marriage together through counseling, he sued for custody of Kevin. That was when he learned about her previous affair. A DNA test confirmed that Kevin wasn’t Gideon’s son.

When the judge heard the case, he decreed that Gideon was Kevin’s father in all the ways that mattered and granted him the most liberal visitation rights under the law.

Unless Fay softened, which would probably never happen, there was nothing to do but go on making the best of a situation Gideon would never have wished on an innocent child. He certainly wasn’t about to tell his son he was another man’s child. It wasn’t information Kevin needed to know. Gideon had consulted several counselors at the time of the divorce, and they all agreed.

There was a bright side to Daniel’s request for help. Gideon would take his suggestion and bring Kevin to class on the visitation nights. His son had always been curious about Gideon’s work. He could do his homework and listen at the same time. They’d have dinner either before class or after and make a special night of it.

Once school was out at the end of May, Kevin would be spending the first half of the summer with Gideon. This year they were going to vacation in Alaska for a couple of weeks and do some salmon fishing with Max and his wife, Gaby.

Since his marriage, Max had resigned from the FBI and was now a detective in the same division of the San Diego Police Department as Gideon. It was a little like the old days, when the two of them had been rookie cops together in New York. Only this was much better because those dark days of pain and lies were behind them both.

Fortunately Kevin had always been crazy about Max. Now he was equally crazy about Gaby, who was expecting a child in August. Already Gideon’s son had volunteered to baby-sit. Kevin’s happiness was all that mattered to Gideon these days.

BY FRIDAY MORNING Heidi had reached an all-time low. Mr. Cobb’s office had indicated that he was out of the country and wouldn’t return before Sunday night. On Thursday she’d taken a personal-leave day from school to spend time with her parents while they discussed what to do about Dana’s situation.

After much soul-searching, Heidi decided she’d have to wait until she could talk to Mr. Cobb before she asked her father to get hold of that other attorney. It was the only honorable thing to do. But it was hard to wait when she knew a week with no news was like a year to Dana.

When Heidi arrived at school on Friday morning, she felt emotionally exhausted. Without much enthusiasm, she went through the stack of mail and flyers that had accumulated in her teacher’s box over two days. After scanning each piece, she tossed most of them in the wastebasket, then hurried out of the main office to her room at the end of the west hall.

The first bell at Mesa Junior High in Mission Beach wouldn’t ring for half an hour. She breathed a sigh of relief to know she had thirty more minutes to get the room ready for class.

Six years of teaching had taught her to present new geography units to her ninth-graders on Thursdays. That way, the kids who thought the weekend started on Friday morning couldn’t use the excuse that they’d missed the initial presentation. But she’d had to make an exception and stay home yesterday because Dana’s problems had superceded anything else.

Now that fourth term of the school year had started, it was time to cover the Middle East, an area so foreign to most of her students they had no clue it wasn’t another neighborhood in San Diego.

Her classes included a pretty-equal mix of Asian, African-American, Hispanic and white students. Her goal was that by the time school was out, they could each, on a map of the world, place the oceans, continents, countries and major cities.

After she’d unlocked the door to her room, the first thing she noticed was the writing on the front board.

Rule 1. Never assume anything!

She frowned. The information she’d put on the board for the substitute had been erased. Why?