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“He’s a bright son-of-a-bitch, calculating, plays the poor me I’m sorry rather well. I don’t like him and above all I don’t trust him. How about you?”
“I have no use for him. I thought he started to lie when he said he wanted to protect her and that her husband would be devastated.”
The doorbell rang and actually startled me. Whitey caught that and snorted just before he opened the door. Robbie, holding a key, stepped inside and placed it on top of the tapes. “I really apologize for this again. It was wrong.” Either he was a superb actor, or he was sincere.
He stepped back to the door and stopped. “You said her accounts were checked. Why didn’t you mention that the first account is virtually closed? She bought a two hundred fifty thousand dollar cashier’s check. Where did that money go?” With that he exited once more. I found that interesting. He left on his terms.
“I believed him there.” I walked over and picked up the key and offered it to Whitey.
He pulled out a small leather lock-picking holder and opened it quickly. “No need. I’d lose it anyway.”
Five minutes later we were walking into the station to meet with Sam. “I’ll fill him in about the Robbie conversation. He won’t be too pleased he wasn’t there. I know he doesn’t care for the prick either… wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t want to press charges on the tapes. Two hundred fifty big ones… I do wonder where that went.”
Five steps through the door Sam was leading us into an office. “The guy’s name is Torgerson, Frank. He goes by Tuffy. Tuffy Torgerson. Retired or semi-retired land developer… money up the ass.”
Just then a call came. Sam put it on speaker. “Detective Gray.”
“Detective Gray, Tuffy Torgerson. What a way to meet. Let me get right to it. I have a child’s lock on my gun cabinets. What that means is I don’t lock them. They have a hook that a youngster couldn’t reach and they’re in my den or study if you prefer. The people that come into my home are my guests. And, like I told someone before, I haven’t looked in those cabinets for years and was surprised that someone I allowed into my home would feel it was their right to take.”
“Do you have any thoughts as to who it could be?”
“Well Detective, I deal in real estate development that most would say is speculative, but I am a deductive thinker. One my pistols landed in Los Angeles and the others are still missing. My thoughts are in that connection. My daughter Kathy graduated from USC and visited us with friends a dozen times and each was a different friend.”
We shared a look of instant wheels working.
“Tuffy, you’re on speaker and listening in are Detective Boyle and Harlan Saltz, both involved in the case. So, if they have any questions I’m going to ask them to please jump right in… if you don’t mind. And this is being recorded… if that’s okay.”
“That’s all fine with me Detectives and Mr. Saltz.”
Whitey spoke immediately. “Tuffy, this is Detective Boyle, but please call me Whitey. How old is your daughter?
Barbara Ann is thirty-eight, married, two kids and a joy to her husband and me. And, she’s on with us Whitey. This is a conference call and I’m also recording it. If that doesn’t turn your turnip.”
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Whitey had a shit-eating grin as he spoke. “Allow me to paint the picture. LA attorney questioned in murder of former mistress/employee… sex tapes possible motive. Concise and to the point, don’t you think?”
“We can talk, but off the record.”
This entire scene was borderline surreal and I felt it would forever affect my maturity. I would always be more… growth through tragedy… and that is usually a piss poor feeling. I was determined to keep my mouth shut and listen.
Whitey took the helm. “When you were alone how did you get in?”
“With a key, and I’ve explained that to Harley. Teri had a spare key. I made another and used it once.” He looked directly at me. “That was wrong and I apologize.”
As I suspected, Robbie was more than he appeared. He was smart. He was pulling me in a little. I almost wanted to say that it was alright and we all make mistakes, until I put it in perspective. The SOB entered my home and stole from me.
“Teri told me that you two made another tape just days before her wedding. That hit me hard, affected me and made me weak. I couldn’t let you keep it.”
His words seemed absolutely truthful and stream of consciousness until he leaned forward with forearms on legs, fist in hand. His behavior seemed now uncomfortable with fist changing to interlocking and rubbing fingers and if calculating. I sensed he was about to be creative with the following.
“If her husband somehow saw that tape he could annul the marriage and I knew she would be devastated.”
Whitey perked up. “How would he know when it was made?”
“She was wearing that huge engagement ring.”
That left little doubt that he watched it, which struck my anger chord and I huffed. Whitey’s subtle eye glance told me to take it easy. I followed instructions and grabbed a piece of celery, dipped it in peanut butter and chewed.
Robbie didn’t look at me but continued. “I wanted to protect her, so I took the tapes.”
“You also could have used them to blackmail her, couldn’t you?”
“Yes, and I know how that looks.”
“Well, it doesn’t look good Robbie. The police finally gained access to her banking records. Do you know anything about that?”
“Yes. I’m aware of something. She had two large deposits in two different accounts, one bearing her maiden name and one as Teri Mitchell Kramer. Both amounts were for two hundred fifty thousand dollars. They were gifts from Harris, one before the wedding and the other after. I’m the attorney for the business and authorized the checks. He wanted her to not want.”
I was astounded, but said nothing.
“Tokens of love, right?”
Robbie caught the significance of large deposits of money before and soon after her marriage. “Harris had no problem affording that.” He straightened up and spoke in a more formal tone. “This I know. I am the attorney for the business here and in South Africa. That is why it is imperative that my stupid and hopefully forgivable actions not be pursued.” Whitey’s deliberate analyzing stare made Robbie’s shoulders slump and his eyes drift toward the floor. After several seconds he focused on me. “Please.”
Whitey stood and held his hand out as if I was going to speak. “Mr. Baron, we’re not going to make charges about the theft of the sensitive material at this time, so feel good about that. However, if you become a suspect in her murder then that theft would certainly land on the prosecutor’s desk.”
Robbie stood and looked fairly relieved. “Thank you.” He walked toward the door, stopped at my desk and opened his case. He set down the two tapes. “Sorry.”
Whitey jumped on that. “So you didn’t destroy them… to protect her as you said.”
“No. I couldn’t. They weren’t mine.”
“Who do you think could have killed her?”
“I don’t know. I have no idea.”
“Have you had any vandalism happen to you, or anyone you know, recently?”
“No, why do you ask?
Whitey shook his head and gestured indicating for no reason. We both watched Robbie walk out.
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That comment provided a glimpse of clarity and I jumped on it. “She made you feel like a stud.” He gave an almost imperceptible shrug of agreement and I could understand that so well. “She let you be you.” This time he acknowledged with a definite nod. “You didn’t have to hide with her.” His response was an unblinking stare that in seconds almost delicately drifted off. He just told me his secret.
Our conversation was interrupted by the ring of my cell phone. I read the caller ID… Whitey, so I picked up. “This is Harley.” I took the conversation out to the deck.
“Yo… ballistics was able to pull a full serial number off that twenty-two. Amazing what they can do today. Sam ran a check and it turns out it was registered… and reported missing a few months ago. But, the owner said he hadn’t looked for it for several years. As a matter of fact, the last time he recalled having it was eight years ago at a Rod and Gun Club tournament in Wyoming. He won with it and wanted to go out a winner and retired from competition. He put his energy in fishing.”
“He didn’t miss his winning pistol?”
“The man has forty-seven registered pistols and keeps them in several cases built as wall heating registers. He said they looked so real that he forgot the guns were in them. Turns out that six were missing… a 38, a 9mm glock, a 10mm and two 45’s.”
“That’s a lot of guns.”
“Yeah, and who knows when they were stolen, but the good thing is they’re all registered and we know one of them made it here. Seems like a nice guy according to Sam… agreed to a conference call in a couple of hours. Just curious if you want to sit in on this too.”
“I’d like to, but right now I’ve got company.”
“Why you whispering? It’s not Angel Eyes?”
“No. Male… guess.”
“Goddamn it Harley is it someone about this case?”
“Yeah.”
“If it’s not the husband it’s the lawyer.”
“Yep.”
“Five minutes I’m there.” He hung up and I walked back into the apartment.
Not to alarm Robbie I adlibbed some lines to the dead phone. ‘I’ll email you a copy. It won’t be until tomorrow. Just let me know you received them. So long.’ I put my phone on my desk and stalled for time by pouring more coffee. I didn’t know what I was doing in this conversation with Robbie and was happy that Whitey was coming and it couldn’t be soon enough.
I told Robbie that I had to eat something and sliced an entire stalk of celery and placed it in a water filled Tupperware container, then searched the refrigerator for peanut butter. I figured I consumed about four minutes and by the time I was placing it on the trunk near Robbie Whitey was at the door.
“Yo, I was in the neighborhood. Oh, you got guests.”
“That’s alright.” I introduced Whitey to Robbie and gave a little breakdown on each ending with: “We all have something in common, Teri.”
Robbie stood and uncomfortably moved toward the door. “I’ve taken up enough of your time Harley.”
Suddenly I felt the reason for him to be there… clarity. “No, you haven’t Robbie and I suggest you sit back down and talk to Whitey. That is if you want me to not pursue the theft of my sensitive material. Robbie sat and Whitey looked at me with wide eyes indicating to continue. So, I filled him in on everything Robbie talked about including having a key to my apartment.
Whitey then took over. “Actually he could deny any of that conversation and he knows that. And the reality is we should include Sam.”
Robbie blurted out. “I met with him an hour ago and I don’t want to again. The only problem I have is here in this apartment. And I want to clear it up now.”
“Whitey put on his surprised look. “Oh. Well, do you have any problem with me taping this conversation?” Before Robbie could answer Whitey was placing his pocket tape recorder on the trunk. “How about you Harley? Do you have a problem with this?”
Part of me had a major problem with it, however my trust of Whitey was more powerful and I opened my arms in a ‘not that I can see’ gesture. So Whitey continued.
“Mr. Robbie Baron, attorney how did you gain entrance to Mr. Harlan Saltz’s apartment the time of the missing tapes, aka sensitive material involving Harlan and Teri Mitchell Kramer?”
Robbie stood up, shook his head and walked toward the door. Whitey read the situation immediately turned off the tape player.
Robbie eased up a bit. “I’ve already discussed this with Harlan, so don’t play interrogator with me Mr. Whitey. You don’t have any facts to base anything on here. I’ve been here several times with Teri who lived here. I’ve touched things. Just because my prints were on the sensitive material doesn’t prove theft. You cannot prove that I was here alone.”
“You’re right. So, why are you here now?”
“Because I know how it could look.”
Whitey had a shit-eating grin as he spoke. “Allow me to paint the picture. LA attorney questioned in murder of former mistress/employee. Sex tapes possible motive. Concise and to the point.”
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“Is that supposed to be an insult for me?”
“It’s reality. If you found that insulting you are the only one who cares. Now why are you here?”
“You know I loved her, too.”
“No you didn’t Robbie. You used her. You wanted a beautiful companion. Or, as we’ve colloquialized… a trophy. When you love it’s all about giving… concern. Did you worry about her Robbie? That was rhetorical. I worried about her Robbie. I worried about her when she would work for you. She wanted so much to be on your level and it took only one party and one lunch for me to know that she would never be able to reach that plateau with you. She would always remain some kind of a pet for you. Yet, she didn’t mind taking your fifteen bucks an hour to be able to at least be in the arena and have six, seven hours a day to do her nails or research stuff on the computers. She loved finding dirt and I think she was in a perfect place for that. So, how does this feel? She used you too.”
Robbie’s eyes indicated surprise at my little jab and that gave me pleasure. However, a touch of my attitude toward him was somehow shifting. Perhaps it was because he seemed reduced and vulnerable. Years ago I wrote If compassion were to become a being it would surely be me for my heart’s deepest angers slowly shake my head with forgiveness. That was true once. Maybe it’s returning.
“So why don’t we be right up front here Robbie? What’s on your mind?”
“I was in your apartment.”
“When?”
“It was always on Tuesday during your writer’s group. The last time was right after Teri’s wedding.”
“I haven’t had a writer’s group in months.” I was trying to sound matter-of-fact.
“She didn’t tell me that.” He had a look of absolute horror from probably thinking that I could have come home at any moment and caught him.
“She didn’t know.” That old teenage in your face confrontation was biting at my soul, but I reined it in. “How many times have you been in my house Robbie?”
“I met with Teri three or four times.” He sounded like he wanted to continue but something held him back.
I helped him along. “The last time you were here you were alone, right?”
He nodded and I continued and I must say I was enjoying getting answers. “How did you get my key?”
“She had a couple and I took one of them and had another made. You have to understand… she used to talk about you all the time. Little Babies this and Little Babies that. She was probably trying to piss me off and it did. One Tuesday she showed me a tape the two of you made. Showed me how you had it hidden calling it Parenting.”
The thought of them watching that made me feel sick. Why would she do that?
“I’m an attorney Harley and there’s evidence here that I touched those missing sex tapes. That could be interpreted as motive… jealousy. A case could be built from that. He loved her and saw her screwing her old boyfriend even a week before she was getting married. So, he hired someone to kill her. People have gone to prison on weaker motives.” Robbie looked depleted and childlike.
“Did you kill her, Robbie?”
“No, of course not. I loved her.”
“Don’t go there. You didn’t love her.”
“I thought I did at one time, or at least I tried to.” He averted eye contact, took a beat, exhaled and continued. “When she was in college and we hung around. She would visit and I took her places and she thought I was someone important and listened to me. And, she used to do things to me… what I mean is she was wild, open.” He now looked at me. “Come on, you know what it was like. She made me feel like a man.”
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“So explain.”
“A Detective Gray called and asked if I would meet with him and implied he was assigned to Teri’s murder investigation.” Questions seemed to suddenly fill Robbie’s face. “Do you know him?”
I nodded.
Robbie nodded as if in acceptance. “I went there thinking he would be asking me about Teri. You know, her past… personality… friends… anything that might help them discover a suspect. And, we did that. We talked about that and then he brought up you. They asked if I had ever been here, at your place. I told them I didn’t recall and if I had it certainly wasn’t when you were here.”
I had to admit, the SOB was telling me what he told Sam and I had the feeling that I was about to hear what he didn’t tell him… the rest of the story.
“When Detective Gray asked me if I’d been here, I told him I didn’t recall… I left that answer dangle so it could be truth. I just didn’t finish my thought… avoided answering it. If I had I would have said something like, I don’t recall… exactly when I was there… the hour or what day it was. I’m telling you this so you realize that I didn’t really lie to the police… not that you’d know, but you could find out.”
I couldn’t take it any longer and had to respond to his rambling. “You support my philosophy of truth.” Now it was Robbie’s turn to look. “The truth is often a creation. It’s often made up. It’s about how you think. It doesn’t remain absolute. It meanders.”
