My Private Detective

“I realize this changes the way we’ll spend Wednesday and Friday nights for a while. But I couldn’t say no to Daniel when he asked me this favor, could I?”

“No, I guess not. Can I bring Pokey?”

“Do they let you have dogs at school?” Gideon countered.

Kevin let out a deep sigh. “No.”

“I tell you what. On Wednesdays I’ll get off duty early and pick you up at school. We’ll go to the park or the beach and play with Pokey until we have to leave for my class. How does that sound?”

“Okay, but what about Fridays?”

“I can’t get off early on Friday. But since we have the whole weekend together every other week, you can still come with me. We’ll have a late dinner after class on those nights.”

“How come Daniel had to ask you?”

Kevin, Kevin. “I think you already know the answer to that question.”

He lowered his head. “Yeah. He’s a good friend. I just wish Mom would let me live—”

“We’ve been over this ground before, son. And it’s not like we won’t be together. Besides, this will give you a chance to find out what I do for a living.”

“I already know,” the boy said glumly.

Kevin was going through a stage of worrying constantly that Gideon might get killed on the job. It was one of the fears family members harbored when a parent worked in law enforcement. But Gideon had assured his fourteen-year-old that being a detective was safer than being a street cop. Still, anxiety remained.

“Do you want to hear my students’ stories?” Gideon decided a little distraction right now was more important than insisting that Kevin finish his homework. His son could do that back at Fay’s.

“What stories?”

“My students are mystery writers.” Except for one, who had an entirely different motive for attending the class. Heidi Ellis presented a mystery in her own right. One that wanted solving…

“Mystery writers?”

“That’s right. They want to learn how to write what happens at the scene of a crime from a detective’s point of view. I’ll take them through the procedure step by step.”

“That ought to be interesting.”

The light had returned to his son’s eyes. Thank God.

AT ELEVEN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, Heidi finished correcting her students’ homework and reviewing her own and prepared for bed. While she was brushing her teeth, her phone rang.

Hoping against hope, she rinsed her mouth, then dashed into the bedroom to answer it. Caller ID was blocked.

“Hello?” she said anxiously.

“Ms. Ellis? John Cobb here.”

Filled with relief, she sank onto the edge of her bed.

“Thanks for calling me back. I know you’ve been out of town and I hate to bother you at home, but I’m desperate to help Dana. She’s barely hanging on.”

“I got your message earlier today and I’ve already made a call to her doctor and to the judge. We’ll get an order to the prison so the doctor there will give her the medication she needs.”

“Oh, thank you,” Heidi breathed.

“Let me assure you that I’m as eager as you are for some new evidence in this case so I can take it to the district attorney.”

She gripped the phone more tightly. “That’s why I’m calling. I’m going to get that evidence!”

There was a brief silence on his end. “It would have to be compelling. Ron Jenke, the prosecuting attorney, has a formidable reputation for winning cases. What he presented appeared to the jury to be an airtight case. Since you and I know Dana’s not guilty, that means we need a whole new approach to her case.

“Unfortunately the private detective the Turners retained after the trial never came up with anything I could use. He’s given up.”

“I know,” Heidi murmured. “When I visited Dana last Sunday, she told me there was no hope. But I told her she was wrong and promised that the next time she saw me, I’d have something good to report.” Visits to inmates had to be applied for weeks ahead. Even though Heidi knew there’d be Sundays when she couldn’t go, she’d already made application for six months’ worth of Sunday visits.

“Ms. Ellis, I’m sure you’re aware that her case will require the best criminal investigator around. He needs to be someone who’ll look at it in a completely fresh way. Someone who won’t be intimidated by Jenke or persuaded by the evidence that put Dana behind bars in the first place.

“There are investigators like that, but it’s hard to find them, let alone convince them to take a case that’s already been settled.”

Since the class, Gideon Poletti’s image had never left her mind. “I-I’ve found someone who’s a detective’s detective. Given a little more time, I may be able to persuade him to take Dana’s case.”

“Good for you! I’ll work with you any way I can. We’ll pray for a different outcome. Dana’s an innocent woman.”

“She is. I won’t rest until she’s back home. Under the circumstances, my parents and I would like to formally retain you as our attorney to help Dana. We’ll let the Turners know what we’re doing. They’re so deep in despair right now, maybe this will give them some hope.”

“They’re more fortunate than they know to have someone like you on their side.”

“Dana and I grew up next door to each other, Mr. Cobb. I’m an only child and I couldn’t love a sister more than I love her. As for my parents, they love her like a daughter. No matter how long it takes, I’ll fight to get her out of prison.”

“Be assured I’ll do everything in my power to help make that happen. Call me when you’re ready to meet.”

“Thank you very much. Expect a retainer in the mail in the next few days.”

“Let’s not worry about that right now, Ms. Ellis. Good luck. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.”

Heidi hung up, more convinced than ever that a man with a reputation like Daniel Mcfarlane’s would’ve made sure he sent the best detective in the business to replace him.

If Detective Poletti couldn’t come up with new evidence, no one could.

But Mr. Cobb had hit on one major problem. Her teacher was a human being with a personal life and a career that might make it impossible for him to take on Dana’s case.

As Heidi saw it, she’d have to make him care about her friend. The way to do that was to be certain her synopsis was the masterpiece he’d alluded to.

“DAD, THERE’S MAX!” Kevin started waving.

Gideon turned his head in time to see his closest friend walk through the crowded dining room of the Jolly Roger. Their friendship went back eighteen years or more. Gideon could honestly say he’d never seen Max this happy. Marriage had transformed him. The news that he was going to be a father soon kept a perpetual smile on his face.

“Hey, Kev, how’s it going?” The tall, dark-haired man patted Kevin’s shoulder before sitting down in the booth next to him.