We continued at a fast walk and finally perched side by side on the low wall that separated the sidewalk from a kid-size jungle gym planted in a bed of sand. Behind us, on the far side of a chain-link fence, was the kiddie pool, which was usually open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. This year, it would remain closed in the interest of conservation.
The smell of salt water was strong, the air saturated with the pungent perfume of yesterday’s catch: spiny lobster, ridgeback shrimp, sea bass, halibut, and albacore.
He said, “I was going to call you this morning.”
“Hey, me too. This is perfect.”
He loosened his long-sleeved shirt and mopped his sweaty face before he pulled it over his head. I was cooling down rapidly, already longing for a shower despite the two-minute hosing off I’d allowed myself the night before. Henry would look askance if he knew I was taking two showers back-to-back. If the water meter spiked, would I lie to him?
Nash rested his elbows on his oversize knees, his hands loosely clasped in front of him, face turned to me. “So what was the deal with Hallie Bettancourt?”
“For starters, it turns out Christian Satterfield was waiting for a woman named Kim Bass. It threw me for a loop at first. I’d run into her earlier at Montebello Luxury Properties, but I had no idea she and Christian knew each other. It seemed an odd mix.”
I gave him the short version of my round-trip to Beverly Hills, including the fact that the pair I followed had been joined by “Hallie Bettancourt” at the Rodeo-Wilshire Hotel. “Her real name is Teddy Xanakis. Theodora,” I amended.
He frowned in puzzlement. “Are you sure about that?”
“Positive. I can tell you what she had for breakfast Thursday morning if you’re interested.”
“You know who she is,” he said, as though confirming the fact.
“No clue. My landlord said the name was familiar, but he was drawing a blank.”
“She was married to a guy named Ari Xanakis. The two moved to Montebello six or seven years ago. They dominated the social scene until their high-profile divorce. That was a regular knock-down-drag-out fight.”
“Still doesn’t ring a bell. What’s he do?”
“Shipping company. Excellent Portage, only it’s spelled X-L-N-T. There’s XLNT International Shipping. XLNT Courier. Maybe half a dozen other businesses.”
“I see those trucks everywhere,” I said. I thought about the notion of Teddy Xanakis married to a shipping magnate. “You still think she might have been involved in that art-for-ransom scheme? I take it the victim wasn’t her ex.”
“Nope. Someone else, though from what I’ve heard, she’d have enjoyed sticking it to him.”
“Seems unlikely a woman of her social status would steal anything,” I said.
“Let’s not forget she paid you with marked bills.”
“But if she came up with the ransom scheme, why would she sit on the cash for two years?”
“She might have figured it was finally safe to put the money in circulation. Or she might have been hard up for cash.”
“Do you intend to talk to her?”
“Not yet. There’s no point in tipping our hand. If she’s a party to the scheme, let her go on thinking she’s gotten away with it.”
“I’m about to freeze my butt off out here.”
His smile was sheepish. “I’ll let you go.” He stood, all six-plus sweaty feet of him.
I untied the sleeves of my hoodie and zipped myself into it, momentarily warmed. “So what now? I’m not crazy about the idea of Teddy recruiting Christian Satterfield.”
“I’ll bet not. Especially since you were the one who set him up.”
? ? ?
On my way to work, I stopped off at the bank and moved money from savings to my checking account. My alarm system would go in the next morning and I’d have to write S.O.S. a check as soon as the work was done. I continued to the office and parked in the driveway between my bungalow and the one to the right of mine. As Taryn Sizemore had suggested, I unlocked and opened the door with a sense of trepidation. I didn’t actually believe Ned would return to trash the place, but I paused on the doorstep and braced for it anyway. I sniffed. The air was neutral, and a quick peek at my reception area showed nothing out of place. I peered into my office proper, reassured to see all was in order there as well. Nonetheless, I did a cautious walk-about before I sat down at my desk.