“Yes.  Especially after I decided to go into clinical work.”

“All right, so you stayed in touch, became friends.  You were supposed to meet her for lunch last Friday.  I still don’t see how that might implicate you in her murder.”

“Oh God.  Fine.  She called me and asked me if I’d help convince someone to be a sperm donor because she wanted to do in vitro.  I thought she must have been talking about you, since we’d both dated you.  But she’d called me Friday morning and told me who it was.  I thought she was crazy.  Not clinically mind you, just nuts, you know?  She wanted me to help her approach your brother Tony.  She knew the way the two of you broke up that you wouldn’t do it.  Your fiancée is Lane Parker, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Dear God, Carol Anne wanted his brother to be a sperm donor.  What, so she could have a Bellini baby?

“Carol Anne was almost obsessed with your relationship with Lane.  She said it was why you broke up.”

He didn’t want to discuss this with Liza. It had nothing to do with her. “So, Carol Anne wanted you to help her approach Tony.  Let’s forget trying to figure out why she chose Tony.  Why would you have any influence with him?”

Liza shook her head.  “I’ve gone out with Tony a few times over the years.  Nothing serious, but Carol Anne thought I might be able to introduce them and she’d take it from there.  I’d agreed to meet her for lunch, but the more I thought about it, I came to realize she really was a bit unbalanced, so I blew her off.”

Ben was the oldest of five children.  He had three brothers and a sister.  Tony was number two of the five of them.  He was 15 months younger than Ben.  He’d been two years behind Ben in school.  He was the head chef at the family restaurant, Bellini’s. And apparently he’d been dating Ben’s ex-girlfriends.  The Bellini brothers all looked very similar.  Tall, between six feet three inches and six feet four inches tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, olive complexions. Any one of them could have been George Clooney’s younger, better looking brother.

But Liza thought Carol Anne was unbalanced and she’d been dating his brother.  It sounded a bit like the pot calling the kettle black. He couldn’t imagine dating the sister of any of his exes, but apparently the Bellini brothers were interchangeable.

“That’s all very interesting, but I still don’t know why you think you might be implicated in the murder.”

“I don’t know that I will.  I just want to know that, if and when I have to talk to Detective Crane, that I can call you and you’ll come with me as my attorney.”

“Liza, a defense attorney doesn’t normally ask this, but did you do it?  Did you kill Carol Anne?”

She shook her head from side to side. “No.”

“Yeah, sure.  Call me.  I’ll accompany you.”

He was remembering why he’d broken it off with her after only two weeks and a handful of dates.  She was manipulative and needy.  He needed to talk to Tony, but there was no rush.  Hell, if Tony was having a good time with her, then more power to him.

He walked Liza to the door of his office.  She leaned as if she were going to hug him, but he extended his hand.  He handed her off to Stephanie, hoping that Lila would never call Liza in for questioning.

“Liza, you’ll probably have to testify if Rochelle goes to trial over the incident at my house.  You don’t need legal representation for that, and I couldn’t represent you anyway.  Our agreement is only good for Detective Crane questioning you about Carol Anne’s murder.  Are we clear on that?”  He waited until she nodded then he closed his door.

He called Lane as he walked to his car.  “I’m on my way home.  I’m going to stop at my house and change before I come over. Do you need me to stop anywhere, bring anything?”

What had he told her when he proposed?  He loved her more than the air he breathed.  She was his heart, his life.  He’d wasted the last three years with every wrong woman he could find and now Jess wanted him to what, rip his heart out and stomp it.  He’d promised Lane a month ago that she wouldn’t lose her best friend by dating him.  What the Hell was he going to do?

“It’s Thursday, so I’m just going to heat up the left overs tonight.  It’ll be just Jamie and me.”

Which is what it was most nights since Jess was at UCLA and Jake had bought his house and moved out.  That wasn’t quite right.  Since she and Ben had started dating three months ago, it was the three of them: Ben, Jamie and Lane.  She looked at the engagement ring on her finger.  He’d been her best friend for three years and soon he’d be her husband.  How had she gotten so lucky?

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you.  See you soon.”

When Ben pulled into his driveway, Mickey McGuire was waiting.

“Rochelle Jones copped a plea and the DA’s cutting her a deal involving treatment.  I don’t believe she killed Carol Anne.  By the way, the gun she had wasn’t even loaded.”

“Yeah, I wondered.  She didn’t threaten me with it exactly, but you know it’s never wise to agitate crazy.  You want to come in?  I’m just here to change.”  Ben walked through the garage.

“She said that I only date pretty, rich, famous women like cheerleaders and radio personalities.  Did you know her therapist is Liza Conrad?  She’s an ex and a former cheerleader.  Carol Anne Woods is an ex and a radio personality.  It was weird, you know?”

They walked into the kitchen.  Ben motioned toward the table.  “Have a seat.  I’ll be right out.”

Ben was back in less than five minutes.  Amazing how fast Bellini could change without Lane in the closet with him. Mick shook his head.  “I got the impression that there’s some tension between you and Lila Crane.”

“Tension.  Can I tell you something Mickey?  I went out with her a couple of times in May.  Just before Lane and I got together.  She seems to be pissed that I quit returning her calls, even more pissed that it’s because of Lane.  You should have seen her executing the search warrant.  I walked into Lane’s bed room and found Lila going through Lane’s night stand.  Not the way a cop would search it, the way a jealous woman would go through it.  And to top everything off, she was really there to look for a set of golf clubs.”  Ben shook his head.  “I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to do about her.  I just hope that Lane and I can ride out the investigation and that afterward we never have to see her again.”

“Yeah, talk is she has a temper and holds a grudge.  Glad I’m not in your shoes.”  Well, at least in his shoes as far as Lila was concerned.  He’d gladly step into Bellini’s shoes if he got Lane in the process.  “Look, I won’t keep you.  You said you were only home to change.”

“I’m heading over to Lane’s for dinner.  I think we still owe you one.  I know she won’t mind if you come along.  But I can call her and check.”  Ben held his phone up.  Mick remembered being in Lane’s kitchen.  He was there questioning her the day after she found a body in a movie theater.  That day, she’d choked on her Diet Dr. Pepper and spewed it out all over him.  It was a mess, but still better than the night she found the body, she’d had a headache and had projectile vomited all over him.

“Sure, I’d enjoy that.”  Lane wasn’t a suspect in his murder investigation any more, but Lila Crane had Bellini and maybe Lane in her sights.  He didn’t mind sticking close to Lane Parker at all.  While he didn’t want to see her hurt, he wanted to be sure he was well positioned to pick up the pieces when the inevitable happened.

“Hey, Red.  I found Mickey in the driveway, and I’m bringing him over for dinner. Sure I know, but it’ll be all right.  Are you sure I can’t stop and pick up anything on my way?”

“Okay.  Love you.  See you soon.”

Ben looked at Mick.  “No problem.  You know the way.  I’ll see you there.”

Chapter 22