Read Online The Valentine's Day Murder by Lee Harris - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lee Harris
Ads: Link
Carlotta, they’re a good couple. They’re good together. And I think Matty and Annie were, too. Annie likes to flirt a little, but I don’t think she means anything by it. She’s got a real good heart.”
It was hard to tell whether Bambi was being honest or saying nice things because she thought it was the right thing to do. She struck me as a genuinely good person—but I’ve been wrong before.
“Does Clark have brothers and sisters?”
“No, there’s just him. Maybe that’s why he always felt the guys were like his brothers. A person needs a family. I’ve got a big one, and it’s helped a lot, especially since the accident.”
“Bambi, when did the three men become friends?”
“It must have been at Bennett High School. That’s in Buffalo. It couldn’t have been later. Val went off to one college and Matty went to another. Clark went to UB for a semester and then dropped out. So if they hadn’t known each other in high school, they would never have met. They were all in different places after that.”
“So they all went to Bennett?”
“I think so. Clark did. He told me.”
“Was he living with his parents then?”
“He must have been. I’m not sure when they died, but I don’t think it was that long ago. I mean, he was finished with school by that time.”
“Bambi, I’m staying with Carlotta. You can call me there if you want to tell me anything. If you don’t want her to know you’ve called, I’ll give you my phone number at home. Leave a message on my answering machine or tell my husband, Jack, you want to talk to me.”
“OK.”
I wrote the number and my name on a slip of paper and gave it to her. “If Val wanted to disappear, do you have any idea where he would go?”
“Val’s dead, Chris. You don’t walk away from an accident on the ice. Don’t you know what that red scarf meant? Clark was pulling Matty up with it after Matty was shot. The double weight must have broken the ice under Clark, and he dropped in the water, too. Matty must have let go of the scarf. That’s how come they found it. It was very light, cashmere or something. But they all went down. You’re not going to find Val alive. It’s all over.”
I thanked her for her time and her help and drove back to Carlotta’s house, mulling over her theory of the scarf.
* * *
Carlotta was sitting in a leather chair in Val’s study, three desk drawers stacked beside her. She looked up as I entered the room. “Success?” she said.
“Yes. She talked to me. She thinks Matty was the man with the gun.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say the same thing. So she thinks Clark took the gun away from him?”
“In a fight that started between Matty and Val.”
“Over what?”
“Jealousy. Val had everything, Matty couldn’t make it in the world of business.”
“She’s got it right there, but Matty never seemed jealous of anyone. Quite the reverse.”
“It’s just a theory. Have you found anything in the desk?”
“Nothing to explain that insurance policy. But I’ve learned something very interesting. I called the company and tried to find out whether the policy was still active. The agent gave me a little lesson in insurance. If Matty died before Val, no one inherits the million. And if both of them died in the accident, before Annie could inherit there would have to be proof that Val died first.”
“That is interesting. So if Val is alive, Annie doesn’t inherit. And even if Val’s body is found, it’s a tough case to prove.”
“Exactly.” I noted a little triumph in her voice.
“Is there a date on the policy, Carlotta?” I sat in the other leather chair.
“Yes. He took it out about a year before I met him.”
“Maybe Matty was in financial trouble and Val wanted to see to it that he was taken care of.”
“Maybe,” she said, but it was clear she wasn’t convinced.
“Carlotta, what we’ve learned in the last few hours is that there was something unusual about the relationship
It was hard to tell whether Bambi was being honest or saying nice things because she thought it was the right thing to do. She struck me as a genuinely good person—but I’ve been wrong before.
“Does Clark have brothers and sisters?”
“No, there’s just him. Maybe that’s why he always felt the guys were like his brothers. A person needs a family. I’ve got a big one, and it’s helped a lot, especially since the accident.”
“Bambi, when did the three men become friends?”
“It must have been at Bennett High School. That’s in Buffalo. It couldn’t have been later. Val went off to one college and Matty went to another. Clark went to UB for a semester and then dropped out. So if they hadn’t known each other in high school, they would never have met. They were all in different places after that.”
“So they all went to Bennett?”
“I think so. Clark did. He told me.”
“Was he living with his parents then?”
“He must have been. I’m not sure when they died, but I don’t think it was that long ago. I mean, he was finished with school by that time.”
“Bambi, I’m staying with Carlotta. You can call me there if you want to tell me anything. If you don’t want her to know you’ve called, I’ll give you my phone number at home. Leave a message on my answering machine or tell my husband, Jack, you want to talk to me.”
“OK.”
I wrote the number and my name on a slip of paper and gave it to her. “If Val wanted to disappear, do you have any idea where he would go?”
“Val’s dead, Chris. You don’t walk away from an accident on the ice. Don’t you know what that red scarf meant? Clark was pulling Matty up with it after Matty was shot. The double weight must have broken the ice under Clark, and he dropped in the water, too. Matty must have let go of the scarf. That’s how come they found it. It was very light, cashmere or something. But they all went down. You’re not going to find Val alive. It’s all over.”
I thanked her for her time and her help and drove back to Carlotta’s house, mulling over her theory of the scarf.
* * *
Carlotta was sitting in a leather chair in Val’s study, three desk drawers stacked beside her. She looked up as I entered the room. “Success?” she said.
“Yes. She talked to me. She thinks Matty was the man with the gun.”
“If I had to guess, I’d say the same thing. So she thinks Clark took the gun away from him?”
“In a fight that started between Matty and Val.”
“Over what?”
“Jealousy. Val had everything, Matty couldn’t make it in the world of business.”
“She’s got it right there, but Matty never seemed jealous of anyone. Quite the reverse.”
“It’s just a theory. Have you found anything in the desk?”
“Nothing to explain that insurance policy. But I’ve learned something very interesting. I called the company and tried to find out whether the policy was still active. The agent gave me a little lesson in insurance. If Matty died before Val, no one inherits the million. And if both of them died in the accident, before Annie could inherit there would have to be proof that Val died first.”
“That is interesting. So if Val is alive, Annie doesn’t inherit. And even if Val’s body is found, it’s a tough case to prove.”
“Exactly.” I noted a little triumph in her voice.
“Is there a date on the policy, Carlotta?” I sat in the other leather chair.
“Yes. He took it out about a year before I met him.”
“Maybe Matty was in financial trouble and Val wanted to see to it that he was taken care of.”
“Maybe,” she said, but it was clear she wasn’t convinced.
“Carlotta, what we’ve learned in the last few hours is that there was something unusual about the relationship
Similar Books
