CHAPTER 40

Amanda had a tough time reconciling the colorful flower beds and emerald green lawns that encircled Sally Pope’s mansion and the clear blue sky above it with the bloodshed that had taken place inside. It seemed impossible that life could go on as if nothing had happened, when a tragedy of this proportion occurred, but violent death had been a large part of Amanda’s life long enough for her to know that it did. Even so, she was a little disoriented when her father parked in front of Sally’s home.

Moments after Frank rang the bell, the door was opened by a thick-chested man with unkempt red hair, who looked more like a lumberjack than a writer of literary fiction. He also looked exhausted and terribly sad.

“Thank you for coming,” Liam O’Connell said. “I would have gone to your office but I don’t want to leave Kevin alone. He’s very fragile and I need to be close by.”

“Don’t think about it,” Frank said. “It was no trouble for us to drive out.”

“Let’s talk in the den. I can’t go in there,” O’Connell said, nodding in the direction of the living room.

Amanda couldn’t help casting a quick glance toward the place where Sally Pope had died and she had sat sipping a cold drink and enjoying Sally’s company so recently.

“Do you know about Sally’s will?” the Irishman asked when they were seated in the den.

“No,” Frank answered.

“Jimmy Pavel drew it up. He told me that Kevin inherits everything but Sally named me his guardian.”

“That makes sense,” Frank said. “I visited her while you were in Berkeley. She told me Kevin is very fond of you.”

“It’s mutual. He’s a great kid.”

“On the phone you said you had a problem you wanted to discuss that involved the will,” Frank prodded.

“One of Arnold Pope’s lawyers called me. Pope wants custody of Kevin.”

“What exactly did the lawyer say?”

“There were condolences. Then there was some patter about how difficult it would be to raise a teenage boy by myself, given that I travel so much for my books and my teaching. All very sympathetic but I could see where he was going, so I told him it would be no trouble and I thanked him for his kind thoughts.”

“I’m guessing that the conversation didn’t end there,” Frank said.

“Oh, no. It went on some with a heavy emphasis on Mr. Pope’s concern for me and his grandson and the financial benefits that would accrue to me if I let Mr. Pope raise Kevin.”

“I bet the amount the lawyer mentioned was substantial,” Frank said.

O’Connell nodded. “And it grew as we discussed the matter.”

“What happened when you turned down the offer?”

“Ah, that’s when the threats commenced, all very subtle but unmistakable.”

“What type of threats?”

“A custody battle that would certainly be hard on the poor lad and which I, not being blood kin or even married to Sally, could not possibly win.”

“How did you respond?”

“I told the lawyer that Mr. Pope would be responsible for any psychological harm Kevin endured if he brought the suit and that his attempts to intimidate me or make me feel guilty had failed completely. Then I hung up.

“Fortunately, Sally foresaw the possibility of Pope trying something like this. There’s a provision in the will that specifies that under no circumstances may Arnold Pope Sr. be allowed to have any contact with Kevin. The will permits Kevin’s guardian to use estate funds to protect Kevin in case of a lawsuit, which brings me to my reason for asking you here. Sally had great faith in your legal abilities. She told me how you saved her when she was accused of murdering her husband and she told me how you stymied Mr. Pope’s first attempt to get custody of Kevin. I want you to stop him again.”

“It would be my pleasure, Liam. I can’t think of anything more harmful to Kevin than living with Arnold Pope Sr. I’ll do everything in my power to prevent it.”

O’Connell flashed a smile of relief and the tension that had bunched his shoulders dissipated. “Thank you, Frank. I knew you wouldn’t let Kevin down.”

“Or Sally. I know how much she detested Senior.”

Frank opened his attaché case and took out a legal pad. “If we’re going to prevail, we’ll have to convince the court that there’s no reason to overrule Sally’s wishes. Senior is going to go after you unmercifully, so you’ll have to tell me how he might attack your character and how we can defend it.”

“Mr. O’Connell,” Amanda interjected. “I came here with my father because I’m representing Charlie Marsh. What happened here may impact his case. I’d like your permission to talk to Kevin while you two are conferring.”

The Irishman hesitated.

“I know how badly he’s been affected. But Charlie Marsh is facing the death penalty and Kevin might know something that can help him. I promise I won’t push Kevin. I’ll back off as soon as I see the first sign of a problem. But I’d really appreciate the chance to try to find out if he knows anything that will help clear Charlie’s name.”

O’Connell sighed. “Kevin spoke with the police yesterday. He seemed able to handle it. Go ahead, but please be gentle. This has been awful for him.”

KEVIN WAS LYING on a chaise longue at the side of the pool, dressed in a swim team T-shirt and khaki Bermuda shorts. He had a paperback science fiction novel with him but it was lying facedown across his thigh and he was staring across the water and into space.

Amanda took off her flats and walked barefoot onto the pool deck. The sun was behind her shoulder. Kevin squinted at her then shaded his eyes. Amanda sat next to him on the edge of another lounger.

“Hi, I’m Amanda Jaffe. I was out here about a week ago but we didn’t get a chance to meet.”

Kevin watched her but he didn’t say anything.

Amanda pointed at the T-shirt. “What’s your stroke?”

“The fly,” he answered without enthusiasm.

“Are you varsity?”

Kevin nodded.

“You on a club too or do you just swim for the high school?”

“I work out with Tualatin Hills,” he said, this answer no more animated than his others.

“I swam for them and Wilson High. My best distance was the two-hundred free.”

Kevin looked Amanda in the eye. “Who are you?”

Amanda smiled. “Tired of my small talk?”

Kevin didn’t answer.

“I’m a lawyer. I’m representing Charlie Marsh. Do you know who he is?”

“He was charged with killing my father but he ran away.”

“That’s right. Charlie is the man who came to your house the evening your mother was murdered. You tried to warn him.”

Kevin looked away at the mention of his mother’s murder.

“He’s very grateful, Kevin. A lot of people would have been too scared to try to warn Charlie but you risked your life to do it. That’s the important thing.”

“He still got shot.”

“Sometimes events are out of our control and the best we can do is try.”

Kevin looked away and sobbed. “It’s not fair. She was so good.”

Amanda wanted to say something to comfort Kevin but she knew Sally’s death was too recent for anything she said to help. After a while, the tears stopped. Kevin lay quietly with his eyes shut and his chest heaving.

“Can you tell me what happened in your house?” Amanda said when Kevin’s breathing eased.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I know you don’t, but someone has made two attempts to kill Charlie. The police are certain he’ll try again. The person who murdered your mother is the man who is after Charlie. You may know something that will help the police catch him.”

“I told them everything I know.”

“Can you tell me?”

Kevin closed his eyes. Then he took a deep breath. “He came into my room. It was dark and he had a mask on, so I can’t tell you what he looked like.”

“That’s okay.”

“He put tape over my mouth. That’s what woke me. I tried to yell, to warn Mom, but I couldn’t.”