Malice In Wonderland (Book 6) Read online

  “I think you should call the cops,” Hank said. “You probably should have done that before you called me. And be prepared to be asked a lot of questions. You’re in the thick of it now, and there’s nowhere to go.”

  “Lovely,” Agatha said. “I knew it was a mistake coming here. What about Buck’s wife? Should I tell her?”

  “No,” Hank said flatly. “Would you want that news from the ex-wife’s best friend?”

  “I guess not,” Agatha said with a sigh. “I really wish you were here.”

  “Send the address, and I’ll grab Coil. We’ll be there before you know it.”

  The fist that had clamped around her insides loosened a little. It was nice loving someone who was always there for you.

  “Thank you, baby,” Agatha said softly and then hung up. She made her way back over to Heather, who was sitting in a chair outside the bathroom.

  “Where’d that chair come from?” Agatha asked.

  “Buck never changes anything about this place. There’s a whole sitting room in the bathroom, so I stole a chair. Like people are going to want to congregate and watch whoever is taking a dump. Let’s just say that that settee in there probably has more stains than a pay-by-the-hour motel.

  “That’s something I didn’t need to know,” Agatha said, squenching her nose.

  “What did Hank say?” Heather asked while taking the drink in both hands. “Am I going to the pokey?”

  “Did you kill him?”

  “Of course not,” Heather said, gasping. “I loved my little Buckleberry.”

  “Then you don’t have anything to worry about. We’re going to call the police and let them do their jobs. And we’ll answer their questions. Remember you can always have an attorney with you. It’s your right.”

  “But I didn’t do anything wrong,” Heather said, tears starting to well in her eyes again. “Buck said he needed to see me about something important. I just did what he asked, and now he’s dead. What am I going to do?”

  “I don’t know, but Hank and Coil are on the way.” Agatha sucked in a deep breath when a dispatch operator picked up on the other end of the call.

  “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” the voice asked.

  “I’m calling to report a dead body.”

  Chapter Three

  Agatha waited patiently with Heather as they watched the chaos unfold. Since Buck’s address was high society, they didn’t just send one squad car to check out the claim. They sent a fleet—all with lights and sirens. It was dark now, and the fireworks had started. Agatha had a feeling a whole other kind of fireworks were about to begin.

  Agatha and Heather stayed in the shadows and watched Candy sprint toward the patio’s gate to intercept the cops. She didn’t look happy for them to be interrupting her party, but the two uniformed officers that approached her had obviously told her why they were there because all the color drained from Candy’s face. And then Candy’s gaze turned toward them, and if looks could have killed…

  Candy said something to the officers and pointed to Heather, and they all turned and looked in their direction. Agatha had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as two middle-aged men walked out of the bedroom where they’d been inspecting the scene.

  They walked in tandem to Candy, and she gave them the same earful she’d given the uniformed officers. They both wore plain clothes, their detective’s badges visible on their belts and their weapons at their hips.

  It didn’t take long for their focus to land on Agatha and Heather. They looked hard. Agatha had spent enough time around cops to recognize the look. But she couldn’t tell which was supposed to be the good cop. They both looked mean as the devil. She’d spent her career avoiding cops like these two, but it looked like she didn’t have any choice in the matter.

  “Heather Cartwright?” the lead detective asked.

  He stood just under six feet tall. His black shoes were so polished Agatha could see her reflection. He wore navy slacks, his white button-down shirt was crumpled at the waistline, and his tie hung loosely around his thick neck. His complexion was ruddy, and he had heavy jowls and a shock of orange hair that refused to be combed down.

  Agatha pointed to Heather. “She’s Heather.”

  “I’m Detective Ritzo, and this is my partner, Detective Kraken. DPD Homicide Division.”

  “I’m Heather Cartwright,” Heather said, southern manners taking hold automatically. She extended her hand, expecting the detective to take it, but he just stared at her coldly.

  “We gathered that from your friend,” Kraken said, raising a brow. “Why do you feel the need to have a mouthpiece speak for you?”

  “I beg your pardon?” Agatha asked.

  Detective Kraken was Ritzo’s complete opposite in appearance. He was tall and lean. A vein bulged at his temple and she could see the rhythmic throbbing timed with his heart. His eyes were a muddy hazel and bloodshot. His royal blue polo was pulled snug across his broad chest, and he was preening for the crowd that had gathered around.

  “I’m not her mouthpiece. I’m her friend. I assume my first amendment right still stands since, surely, you’ve only come over to ask us what happened, and you can clearly see my friend is traumatized by the event.”

  Ritzo snorted with derision. “Must be a lawyer. Or maybe you helped your friend kill someone and you’ll both end up in jail.”

  Agatha instantly regretted her comment, but they were both so arrogant. No way was she going to be intimidated. She had done nothing wrong. This was America, for Pete’s sake.

  “Name,” Kraken demanded.

  “Agatha Harley,” she said.

  “Why did you kill him?” he countered.

  “I didn’t.”

  “What if I say you did?” Kraken asked.

  There was pure evil in his eyes, and it took Agatha off guard. If he wasn’t wearing a badge, she never would’ve thought he was a cop. Something was very off. She turned on her phone recorder before she spoke.

  “Then I’d say you better read me my rights, and you and my attorney can have a very nice conversation down at the station. And then you can explain to your chief, when he gets my lawsuit, why you’re harassing an innocent citizen who you could be asking pertinent questions to so you can solve a case. Unless you’re not concerned with solving the case?”

  Agatha’s mind was racing as she tried to figure out why they stirred such a visceral reaction within her. She didn’t intimidate easily, but these two detectives made her feel like her future was completely in their hands. Not a comforting thought.

  Ritzo motioned for a uniformed officer to join them. The woman looked to be in her early twenties and still eager to do the job. Ritzo whispered in her ear, and her cordial expression shifted to a somber glare that teetered on the edge of angry.

  “I’ve instructed the officer to take you into custody if you continue to impede our work,” Ritzo said.

  “You asked me my name and I gave it to you,” she said. “What exactly are you going to arrest me for?”

  Ritzo took a step toward her, but she stood a few inches taller than him. She lifted her phone to make sure her recorder was in a good position, and the female officer quickly stepped behind Agatha. This guy was a lunatic. He was actually going to have her arrested.

  “Are you her lawyer?” Kraken asked.

  “No.” Agatha’s lips were dry, but she didn’t bother licking them to show her nerves.

  “Then shut up.”

  Heather gasped. “Why are you being so rude to my friend? We know lots of cops, and none of them act like you two.”

  Kraken’s scowl made Heather take a step back in fear. “Big deal.”

  “It is a big deal because they’re good, honest cops,” she continued, “Nothing like either of you. And they sure would never talk to us the way y’all are.”

  “Maybe you should date real cops instead of mall cops,” Ritzo said. “Crybaby socialites think they can get away with murder because they’re sleeping with a st
ripper with a fake badge.

  “Are we suspects?” Agatha’s concern tainted her words.

  “I don’t know, should you be?” Kraken replied.

  Agatha wasn’t concerned about Ritzo. He was Kraken’s errand boy. It was Kraken that worried her. She’d known cops just like him. Deviant public servants who wouldn’t blink at the idea of tossing someone in prison because he wanted to teach them a lesson about disrespecting him. She knew Hank and Coil were still about twenty minutes out, so she decided to cool it with the confrontation.

  “Detective, do you need me to hang around?” The uniformed officer asked. “My Sarge is calling for me to stand perimeter.”

  “Tell your Sarge to hold on for a moment. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with these two just yet,” Kraken said.

  “Now, which one of you was married to Mr. Hazard?” Kraken asked.

  Heather raised her hand like a kid who knew the answer to the teacher’s question. The hand shook nervously, and she hurriedly crossed her arms over her ample chest.

  “Were you the last person to see him alive?” Kraken asked.

  “No,” Heather said, shaking her head. “He was dead when I was with him.”

  Agatha closed her eyes and let out a slow breath.

  “Detective Ritzo,” Kraken said. “Why don’t you escort Miss Harley outside to get some fresh air. She looks like she’s going to be sick. I’m going to have a little chat with the ex-wife.”

  “Agatha,” Heather said, looking at her with panic in her eyes. “Are you in trouble?”

  Ritzo reached out to grab her, but Agatha was quick enough to seem startled by his gesture and she pretended to trip. She grabbed Heather around the shoulders as if to steady herself.

  “You okay, sugar?” Heather asked, patting her gently.

  Agatha hugged her close and whispered in her ear. “I’m okay, but if you say another word, you’re going to be in trouble I can’t get you out of.”

  “What?” Heather said, gasping.

  Agatha shook her friend and wanted to knock her upside the head. “For goodness sake, Heather. Just shut up.”

  “Let’s go,” Ritzo said, jerking Agatha away from Heather and toward the back patio.

  All Agatha could see was the terrified look in her friend’s eyes and Kraken started in on her.

  Chapter Four

  Agatha decided the best course of action was to ignore Ritzo and keep a close watch for Hank and Coil coming up the drive. They needed to hurry. She’d never felt so powerless in her life. Kraken was giving Heather the third degree, but Heather kept shaking her head in denial, and her mouth was getting tighter and tighter.

  The fireworks hadn’t stopped just because of a dead body, and colorful explosions reigned in the night sky while cops and the medical examiner’s team moved around the party-goers, who seemed torn between watching the fireworks and the live version of CSI. Since everyone was a potential witness, getting statements from attendees was going to take a while.

  Agatha felt her panic start to rise as Kraken turned Heather around and cuffed her.

  “Looks like your friend isn’t so innocent after all,” Ritzo said with a sneer. He turned his back on Agatha and headed to meet his partner.

  “Oh, no,” Agatha said, running toward them as they pulled Heather through the crowd and out to the waiting squad car. By the time she reached the driveway Kraken had slammed the door behind Heather, and the look he gave Agatha was smug and evil all at the same time.

  The look Heather gave her was desperate and filled with fear, and Agatha was helpless to save her. She watched them speed down the long driveway just as Coil’s oversized, unmarked police truck drove around the barricade that had been set up.

  She was running toward Hank before he even got the door open, and he barely caught her as she threw her arms around him.

  “Was that Heather in the back of a squad car?” Hank asked.

  “Yes,” Agatha said on a sob. “This has been a nightmare. I don’t even know what just happened, but if I ever get my hands on those no-good cops that carted her away…”

  “Whoa,” Hank said. “Slow down, sugar. Heather doesn’t need a cellmate.”

  Agatha felt her muscles tense in frustration. Coil was talking to the uniformed officer Kraken had ordered to arrest her, and Agatha noticed she was a heck of a lot more friendly with Coil than she’d been with Beavis and Butthead. Though she didn’t know many women who were impervious to Coil’s charm.

  Coil gave the woman his movie star smile, and Agatha almost rolled her eyes as he started walking toward them, but his smile disappeared into a thin line.

  “Sorry we couldn’t get here sooner,” Coil said. “I wanted to check in and find out what’s going on with Heather. I sure hope she can keep her mouth shut.”

  Agatha winced. That wasn’t Heather’s strong suit.

  “What’s up with the no-good cops?” Hank asked. “What happened?”

  “Detectives Ritzo and Kraken,” Agatha said. “Both of them are the most worthless excuse for cops I’ve ever seen.”

  Hank let out a long slow whistle. “No wonder you’re so mad. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard their names. I’m surprised they still have badges.”

  “They know the right people in the right places,” Coil said. “They’re dirty through and through and everybody knows it. But they’re handy to keep around for certain high-profile power players.”

  “They only care about closing cases with an arrest,” Hank said. “The actual conviction means nothing.”

  “I’m not going to lie,” Agatha said. “I was scared down to my toes. It’s like they hated Heather and me on sight. Do you think Heather’s in danger?”

  Coil hesitated before he answered, and it didn’t make Agatha feel any better. “Only if she didn’t kill her ex-husband.”

  Agatha looked back at Hank. “How do you know Ritzo and Kraken? You were all the way in Philadelphia and I’m assuming they’ve always been in this area.”

  Hank nodded. “I first ran into them while I was on the FBI task force, tracking that serial killer through Texas. It was around the same time when Coroner Sweet and I became friends. He was just a rookie cop back then, but those two crooked cops had their sights set on him as a suspect. If it hadn’t been for me being Sweet’s alibi, he’d probably still be in lockup, and for sure wouldn’t be the Tarrant County coroner.”

  “You think they’ll remember you?” Agatha asked.

  Coil laughed. “I’m thinking they probably have Hank’s picture taped to their dartboard. Ever heard of the Innocence Project?”

  “Sure,” Agatha said, frowning slightly.

  “Hank made it his mission to work pro bono for them on any cases that Ritzo and Kraken were involved where there were prison convictions. Needless to say, Hank’s involvement has paved the way for a lot of innocent people to get out of jail.”

  “Lovely,” Agatha said. “So, what you’re saying is Heather might never get out of jail.”

  The uniformed officer approached and had eyes only for Coil. She put a little extra oomph in her walk, and Agatha felt Hank choke on a laugh as he pulled her closer.

  “Sheriff Coil,” the woman said.

  “What’s up, Perez?”

  “You’re cleared to check out the crime scene. It’s pretty crowded in there. Don’t touch anything.”

  “I appreciate it,” Coil said, tipping his cowboy hat. Perez beamed and went back to her post.

  “How in the world?” Hank asked.

  “She really hates working with cops like Ritzo and Kraken and asked if the Bell County sheriff’s office would be hiring soon.”

  “Are you?” Agatha asked.

  “We’re always looking for good public servants,” he said, winking. “Now if I could just get the budget to agree with my looking.”

  Agatha snorted.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” Hank said. He pulled his phone from his pants pocket, and Agatha noticed he still hadn’t
gotten his screen fixed. He’d cracked it after it had slipped out of the holder on his Harley Davidson a few weeks back.

  “Switch phones with me so I can take photos,” Hank said to Agatha.

  “But what if Heather calls?” she asked.

  “Then I’ll tell her to hang up and call a lawyer,” he said.

  “Not helping,” she said.

  He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “I’ll answer it if she calls. Don’t worry.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Agatha asked.

  Coil looked around the patio area and nodded toward a group of partygoers. “Why don’t you get friendly with the guests. Maybe they know something.”

  “Try to play nice with the rich folks, Aggie,” Hank said, giving her a wink.

  She narrowed her eyes. “I feel like you’re enjoying this just a little too much.”

  “I enjoy the thought of getting to take down Kraken and Ritzo once and for all. See you in a little while. Stay out of trouble.”

  Hank fumbled with the buttons on Agatha’s newest model smartphone before activating the record feature. He documented as they walked through the ornate foyer and toward the hallway to Buck’s private wing.

  Buck Hazard may not have been loyal to his wives, but he sure was loyal to Texas. There were stars, flags, and Texas memorabilia everywhere in his private wing. That was one of the things Hank noticed after moving to Rusty Gun. He’d never seen a group of people prouder of their state. From bumper stickers to tattoos to Lone Star flags in their front yards, Texans loved Texas.

  What he and Coil had to figure out was who hated Buck enough to kill him. There was no way it was Heather. She was selfish and entitled and flaky on occasion, but she didn’t have an evil bone in her body. She couldn’t kill a man in cold blood. Not to say that she couldn’t do harm to someone if the circumstance was right. But not murder. She wasn’t one of Hank’s favorite people, but she was Agatha’s friend, and he’d do what he could for her.

  Coil lifted the crime scene tape in front of the door and Hank ducked beneath it. The bedroom matched the rest of the wing. This was clearly Buck’s space. It looked like the Architectural Digest’s version of The Old West.