Condo Crazies: Murder At The Albatross Read online

  “Lieutenant…Detective Ezuma. I need a crime scene investigator at The Albatross. Yes, sir, same buildin’ with the hate crime calls. No one’s seen this owner for two days, the apartment’s filled with trash and garbage, and her keys and wallet are in her handbag.” She listened. “Yes, sir. Officers Imenez and Whitney are here. Thanks, Lieutenant.”

  She closed the apartment door behind her, drew a deep breath, and turned to the officers. “No one goes in. We got CSI on the way.”

  Her eyes fell on Judge Phoebe, who stood to the side watching and waiting. “Judge, we’re callin’ for backup from CSI. No one’s seen Miz Pruitt for two days an’ her wallet an’ keys are in her pocketbook. You’re not gonna be happy with the condition of the apartment. When we’re done, you’re gonna wanna get maintenance in there.”

  The judge leaned on her cane with both hands, watching the detective’s face intently. “Because?”

  “Littered with trash bags filled with garbage. Really bad, Judge. Health hazard. We’re talkin’ major hoardin’ here.”

  Judge Phoebe’s eyes narrowed. “Trash bags. Anything else?”

  “Yes, ma’am. No electric. It’s stiflin’ in there, an’ mixed with the garbage…” Latasha wrinkled her nose, “I’m thinkin’ as soon as we’re finished in there, it needs to get cleaned out before some infestation sets in.”

  The older woman nodded grimly. “Probably the electric company turned service off. The building manager will be contacted.”

  “An’ if Miz Pruitt shows up, you’ll let me know?”

  “Of course. Detective, there’s a piece of this puzzle we need to talk about. I may have information on those garbage bags. Please call me.” Judge Phoebe turned and slowly strode to the elevators, her cane silent on the heavy carpeting. The doors opened as she reached them.

  She nodded at Kate, who was leaving the elevator, tapped in a floor button and stood facing the doors. An overhead light focused on the retired judge. White sparks seemed to leap from her crown of shining white hair. Latasha looked up just before the doors closed.

  She could be in a movie. That woman’s got star quality. The detective’s attention was diverted to her ringing cell phone.

  Kate motioned a greeting as she passed Latasha, raised a plastic bag filled with Danishes and pointed first to the detective then to Devin’s apartment door.

  Latasha nodded, and walked quickly toward the elevator. Still talking on her cell, she jabbed at the elevator button. She did not expect the milling crowd of residents in the lobby who turned to her as she made her way to the doors to wait for assistance from headquarters.

  “What’s happening? We have a right to know,” someone said.

  “Is she dead?” Valentina gripped her rosary beads tightly.

  “Any sign of Delores?” Chester asked.

  Was that a smirk on Chester Cheney’s face? Latasha turned and faced the anxious residents. “It’s all under control. I suggest y’all return to your apartments and let us get our work done here.” The residents looked at her but didn’t budge.

  Judge Phoebe emerged from the manager’s office, her no-nonsense expression in place. “You heard the detective. Nothing you’re doing here is productive. The matter is being addressed. I will inform you of anything you need to know.” She fixed the crowd with a stern stare. The crowd began to disperse, some going out to the parking lot, the rest headed to the elevators.

  Man. How does she do that? Latasha continued out the lobby door. I gotta get me some of that. An unmarked van pulled up to the lobby doors. For now, she’d focus on the job to be done upstairs, on that mess. An’ people say livin’ in the ‘hood is bad.

  Chapter 23

  “Katherine?” a serene voice asked.

  Kate closed her eyes and forgot to breathe. “Yes.”

  “Stewart.”

  “I know who you are. Why are you calling?”

  “How are you, Katherine? How’s Alexis?”

  “Let’s forego the pleasantries, Stewart. You want to know how Ally is, you speak to her yourself. She’s eighteen and capable of answering that question.”

  Latasha put her cup down, but before she could push her chair away from the kitchen counter, Kate motioned her to stay.

  “I tried, but she must have changed her cell number. I can’t reach her.” His voice took on an impatient whine.

  “If she wanted you to have her number, she’d have given it to you. So what is it you really want?”

  “My shoes.”

  “What?” Kate wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

  “All my shoes. I can’t find them and I’ve looked everywhere in the house. Where did you put them?”

  “Your shoes?” Kate almost laughed at his question. “Have you forgotten when you embarked on your monastic life, you decided you’d never wear shoes again and threw them all out?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “I’m not getting on this merry-go-round with you. That’s what you did. End of conversation.”

  “I don’t remember. What’ll I wear to—?”

  “Stewart, we’re done. We’re done with your shoes, with this call, with each other. Don’t call me again. If I need to change my number so you can’t reach me, I will.” Kate clicked off her cell and stared at it for a few seconds before she turned to Latasha. “My ex.”

  “I gathered that. Can’t find his shoes, huh?” Latasha chuckled. “You hafta admit, that’s funny. Man decides to move on to a new life and can’t find his shoes.” She broke into a laugh. “Man, if that don’t beat all.”

  Kate smiled halfheartedly. “I guess it’s funny. I’m glad you’re here to keep me from banging pots around for an hour.” She reached for the coffee pot and poured them both another cup.

  “Takes all kinds to make up this crazy world. You gonna tell Ally about him callin’?”

  “Probably. I don’t keep secrets from her. I think not knowing what’s going on is a lot more frightening to kids than knowing, even if the facts hurt. Maybe if Stewart ever becomes sane again, she might be able to forgive him for breaking up her family. I give her the facts and she can arrange them any way she wants.”

  Latasha put the last bit of cheese Danish into her mouth. “These sure are good. Chance wouldn’t know his father if he saw him. Octavius took off soon as he found out I was pregnant. Way I look at it, I’m raisin’ my kid better without him than with him.” Latasha slid off her chair. “Gotta get goin’. Thanks for invitin’ me in for coffee. You need any help for your gig on Saturday? I’m off.”

  “I need to get the food to the hall. Soon as this business takes off, I’m getting a van for carting food around. I was going to make two trips. Can you take some of it?”

  “I can probably fit all of it in my wagon. It’s old and big. What time?”

  “Be here at eight. Lunch is scheduled for noon. And when we’re done, can you come with me to see a catering kitchen I want to rent?”

  Latasha nodded. “My mom’s got Chance for the weekend. She and her sister are takin’ Chance and his friend to Orlando, to the Harry Potter Park. Better her than me in those long lines.” She picked up her voluminous tote bag and slung it over her shoulder. “See ya Saturday. I’ll let myself out.”

  Kate cleared the counter as Stewart wormed his way back into her thoughts. She’d tell Ally he called and why. Then it was up to Ally if she wanted contact with him. Kate hoped she wouldn’t. Nothing had changed to turn Stewart back into the man she married, or the father Ally knew growing up. She hoped this was the last she’d hear from Stewart, but she knew it wasn’t going to be.

  Chapter 24

  “Wouldn’t it be cool if your mom and my dad got together?” Carly finished painting her last toenail and inspected her work, satisfied there wasn’t a grain of sand on the polish.

  Alexis laid the Directory of Schools of Veterinary Medicine in her lap, looked at Carly, and buried her own feet deeper into the hot sand. “Together as in…what?”

  “Y’know…dating, goi
ng together, maybe getting married.” Carly smiled brightly at Alexis. “That would make us sisters, Ally.”

  “Yeah, I always wished I had a sister. But both of them just got divorced. My mom says she needs time to find herself before she can find anyone else. You think your dad wants to get married right away?”

  “No-o-o,” Carly said slowly. “I think he likes your mom but she’s not giving him a chance.”

  “I don’t think we should get involved here, Carly.” Alexis tried to change the subject. “Hey, I forgot to tell you, I saw that guy you used to hang with. What’s his name?”

  “Adrian Spaltro. Where?”

  “In the parking lot, sitting in his car. Chester was talking to him. Did he call you?”

  Carly didn’t answer.

  “God, Carly, what’re you thinking?” Alexis warned.

  “Yeah, he called, and no, I didn’t see him. He said he wanted to come up, and I told him my father said he was too old for me.” She paused and looked at her friend. “You’re right, you know, about him using me. Adrian said he still wasn’t working and could I lend him some money.”

  “More like give,” Alexis muttered.

  “I know. He said everything was going great with us until Witch Delores called my dad and messed it up. ”

  “Why do you think he was talking to Chester?”

  “One day when Adrian and I were by the pool, Chester came over to tell us he hoped we weren’t going to make noise.” Carly sniffed. “Like we’re kids. Maybe Chester wanted to know why he was in the parking lot. This place has too many rules.”

  “Maybe, but it’s a nice place to be and maybe rules keep it that way.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m just sayin’.” Carly looked at the directory in Alexis’s lap. “So, did you pick a college?”

  “Florida U looks good. I’d like to be near my mom right now, and I can drive down from Gainesville in four hours. That’s about as long as it would take me to fly down from Princeton, where I really want to go, but it’d cost more, and then there’s getting to and from airports and all. Maybe I’ll transfer there in my junior year.” Alexis saw Chester Cheney limping toward them. She stood up. “Whew, it’s a scorcher. I’m gonna cool off.” She ran over the hot cement and dove neatly into the pool just as Chester reached Carly.

  Six minutes and five laps later, Chester was gone. Alexis climbed out of the pool. “What did he want?” she asked Carly as she shook the water off her hair.

  “He told me Adrian was a good kid and I was stupid for not talking to him,” Carly said, her face bright red.

  “What?”

  “Yeah. Chester said Adrian blamed the witch for my not wanting to see him.” Carly looked at Alexis. “And now she’s missing. D’ya think—”

  “I think that you shouldn’t be thinking about this. Don’t get yourself involved in anything to do with Adrian…or Chester. C’mon, let’s go talk to my mom.” Alexis stuffed the towels in her beach bag and turned to Carly. “And if you ever get the urge to talk to Adrian, promise you’ll call me first? That dude’s bad news.”

  Chapter 25

  “Listen, Port-fo-lio.” Yetta Horowitz shook her finger at the building manager. “Something smells. Really bad.”

  “Por-r-r-firio, not Por-r-rt-folio.” Valentina Lopez trilled, before the man could answer. “Sin palabra.” She rolled her eyes upward.

  “What? What did you call me?” Yetta demanded.

  “I said dumb, and don’t be hurt, Yetta. You’re calling the man a portfolio—a folder—instead of his name, Por-r-rfirio.”

  “So, big deal.”

  “How long do you know this man that you can’t say his name right?”

  “Port-folio, Por-firio—that’s not the issue right now.” Yetta turned back to the manager leaning on the office doorjamb. He was looking at her with a bemused expression. “I tell you, I can smell it in my foyer and I’m on the third floor.”

  “They are burning the sugar cane, Mees Horoweez.”

  Yetta looked at him and turned to Valentina. “So it’s okay if he calls me Horo-wheez? How come you’re not correcting him?”

  “Because,” Valentina spoke slowly as if Yetta were mentally challenged, “it is his accent.” She gave an exaggerated sigh, heaving her ample breasts.

  “Accent schmackcent. So? I’ve got a New Yawk accent. Get over yourself, Valentina.” She turned back to the manager. “I don’t think it smells like burning sugar cane. I’ve smelled that, and, anyhow, when anything smells in Florida—it’s always the sugar cane burning.”

  The elevator dinged softly. Judge Phoebe and Devin emerged.

  Valentina beamed at Devin. “Deveen, good morning. I’m still waiting for your call.”

  “Afraid we’ve been too busy for much socializing.” He backed off, heading to the exit. “Can’t stay to talk. Kate will call you as soon as she gets settled, Valentina. Have a good day, everyone.” Devin waved his brief case and bustled away.

  Chester exited from another elevator, saw the knot of residents and ambled over to them, his usual frown in place. “Man, what smells so bad? Is the witch cooking up her brew?” A smirk replaced his frown.

  “No see Mees Pruitt for days,” Porfirio said.

  The judge silenced them all with a sweeping glare. “If you will all excuse us, Porfirio and I have business to attend to.” She preceded the manager into his office and waved for him to close the door. “Porfirio, have you not noticed a strong odor in the building?”

  “Si, but I theenk it’s the sugar burning.”

  The old lady’s eyes bore into his until his smile vanished. “No, Porfirio, no burning sugar ever smelled like this. And you know that. Good building managers, the ones who want to keep their jobs, don’t make excuses like that. That smell is very strong in the elevators. I want you to raise the elevators to the second floor and then open both elevator doors at this level, so we can see to the bottom of the shafts.”

  Porfirio stared at her. “Judge, the elevator company, they came last month to check out the elevators. They say is nothing wrong with them.”

  “I’m not concerned about the elevators, Porfirio. It’s what’s at the bottom of the elevator shaft that concerns me. Get a flashlight.” She opened the office door and gave a cursory look around the empty lobby. “Good timing. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 26

  None of the residents would question the judge’s directives, and Porfirio was no different. He retrieved a large flashlight and two bright yellow cones and followed Judge Phoebe to the bank of elevators, placing the cones down in front of the elevators as a barrier. From the control panel outside the office, he sent both elevators to the second floor and locked them into place. Elevator Two’s set of doors silently slid open.

  Porfirio kneeled and beamed his flashlight into the pit. He shook his head. “Nothing here. Only dead leezards. See?” He looked at the judge for confirmation.

  Phoebe peered over the edge. “Go across from one side to the other in rows,” she ordered. Apparently satisfied the shaft was empty, she nodded. “Close these doors and go to the next one.”

  Porfirio sighed. It was almost ten o’clock. A sweet bun and hot coffee were tucked into his drawer, waiting for him. Elevator One’s doors slid back. He jerked his head back as a fetid odor escaped into the lobby.

  “Ayyyy, un que hedor!” The manager reeled back on his heels, and covered his face with his arm.

  “Porfirio, flash your light down there, one side to the other as you did before. Slowly.” The judge leaned over the edge, narrowing her eyes as the beam of light settled on a shiny black bag.

  “Mire, un bolso de la basura.”

  “I see it. That is a trash bag, but it’s more than just garbage,” the old lady said grimly, pressing a handkerchief to her nose. “Close the doors and keep Elevator One’s locked down. You may not discuss this with anyone, Porfirio. Remain here and don’t let anyone on Elevator One.”

  ***

  Phoebe turned and walked outsid
e the lobby doors before she drew her cell phone from her skirt pocket and speed dialed a number. “Detective Ezuma, Phoebe Burlingame from The Albatross. I believe we have found Delores Pruitt, and you will need to bring a CSI unit with you.”

  Chapter 27

  A large white van marked Crime Unit pulled up to the lobby doors where Phoebe waited. Detective Ezuma and two women and one man alighted. They spoke quietly with Phoebe about her intuition regarding the odor in the building and the black trash bag at the bottom of Elevator One’s elevator shaft. The judge led the investigators inside in time to see residents cautiously exiting Elevator Two, looking about them as wailing sounds reverberated through the lobby.

  “So what’s wrong that the other elevator isn’t working?” Yetta demanded.

  “What the hell is that all about?” Chester coughed and pointed at Valentina.

  “We drive you from us, whoever you may be, unclean spirits, satanic powers, infernal invaders, wicked legions, assemblies, and sects,” Valentina chanted, her colorful skirt billowing as she sailed around the lobby, sprinkling water from a small bottle and waving a large crucifix.

  “Judge—” Latasha motioned at Valentina and the residents. “We’re gonna hafta clear the lobby, and no one c’n come in ‘til we’re done. This here is a possible crime scene, Judge.”

  “I’m quite aware of that, Detective.” Judge Phoebe looked at Valentina whirling, Chester snickering, and Yetta scowling. “A ship of fools,” she muttered.

  “Retreat, Satan, inventor and master of all deceit, enemy of man’s salvation,” the Latina intoned as she waved her bottle. A sprinkle of water fell on Yetta Horowitz.