Chapter 6
Paula Waters
After Ricardo, Sonia and Emilio left, Paula went back to her office and called Bart.
“I heard you got the bond you wanted?” Bart said.
“Yeah. Was Rutledge pissed?” Paula asked.
“Uh huh. Pretty much.”
“Well, good. Hopefully, I’ll continue to ruin his life.”
“That a girl.”
“So, what are you up to?”
“I’m working on a jury charge.”
“Will you be home on time?”
“Should I be?”
“Yes. I was fantasizing about a shower and a massage. Then we could dress up for a night on the town. It may be our last opportunity to spend quality time together before I get bogged down in this case.”
“I will be home on time then,” Bart promised. “See you at five-thirty.”
“Good, don’t be late or you’ll miss the shower.”
“I wouldn’t think of it,” Bart said with a smile in his voice.
Paula hung up and got up to find Stan. She wanted to know if he had learned anything from Emilio that might be helpful. Stan was on the phone when she walked into his office, so she sat down across from him and waited. When he finally hung up he smiled.
“So, I see you got Ricardo out on bond,” Stan noted.
“Yes. Everything went well, but now the hard part begins. So, I was hoping you had some good news for me.”
“I do. It seems that two Highland Park developers have been very anxious to acquire Emilio’s restaurant location. Apparently he’s in a hot area for high end development. They’ve offered a substantial premium to sell, but he refuses.”
“Why? Couldn’t he relocate?”
“He could, but he won’t. It’s partially sentimental, I’m sure, but it looks to me like he’s just being stubborn. You know how people can be.”
“So, you think one of these developers hired Ricardo to kill off a few customers to ruin the business?”
“More likely, they laced the Parmesan cheese knowing Ricardo would serve it and then planted the money in his apartment.”
“Thank you. That definitely gives me an avenue to explore. Do you have the names of the developers?”
“Yes, and I have already ordered a company profile to give you a head start. You should have it in a few days.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Yeah. One other thing. Emilio fired an employee a few weeks ago for laziness and gross negligence. The employee, Raul Marcus, didn’t take the firing very well. It’s possible he might have laced the cheese as retaliation for the firing.”
“Boy that’s hard to believe, but who knows in this day and age. There are a lot of crazy people out there.”
“I can check out Mr. Marcus, if you like.”
“Sure, that would be great.”
“I’ll let you know when the reports come in on Wilkinson Investments and Midtown Properties,” Stan said.
“Great,” Paula said and stood up. “I’m really tired. I think I’m going to go home early and take a shower.”
“Yes, you should. You’ve been working awfully hard and you’ve got a tough few months ahead of you. Say hi, to Bart.”
Paula gave Stan a wry smile. He knew her like a book, she thought, and for a moment wished things had been different between them. She had loved Stan once, but it wasn’t meant to be and she’d finally got over him and married Bart. But she still had lingering fantasies that just wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she tried to dispel them.
When she got home she immediately got in the shower and was soon joined by her loving husband. Bart was a gorgeous hunk who came with magical fingers that quickly eased the built up tensions in Paula’s neck and shoulders. Then he eased the tensions that had been building all day beneath her panties. She loved shower sex followed by a massage with body lotion applied by strong sensual hands.
An hour later they were getting dressed for dinner and a night of dancing. Despite all this marital bliss, Paula couldn’t help but wonder why Bart put up with her. She’d played hard to get when they first met and slept around at the DA’s office. Then there was her obsession with Stan that she couldn’t shake. Bart knew about all this but he hung in there until Paula was ready to settle down. She didn’t deserve him, she knew it. She’d been unfaithful on more than one occasion since they were married too, but Bart looked the other way and then when it came out publically, he forgave her. No. She didn’t deserve him and she feared one day she’d go too far and lose him. But tonight, their relationship was safe and they would enjoy the evening like everything was perfect.
The next day she was up early to go to work. On her agenda was a meeting with her client to find out exactly what he knew. They had talked briefly at the jail, but she needed to know everything about him and understand his relationship with the people around him. If there was any chance he was guilty, she needed to know it. She wasn’t one of those lawyers who didn’t want to know if their client was guilty. She wanted to know because, if he was guilty, then her strategy wouldn’t be to get him off, but to get him the lightest sentence possible. In this case with three people dead that would be life in prison rather than the death penalty.
Ricardo and Sonia came in at ten and Paula met with both of them for a moment and then explained she had to talk to them separately since Sonia and Ricardo were not married and there was no spousal immunity between them. Before she began with Ricardo, she had Maria escort Sonia to the library to wait.
“Sorry about that,” Paula said. “But if Sonia overhears what we talk about we could blow attorney-client privilege.”
“Sonia understands.”
“Good. Well, let’s get started. Tell me about yourself. I’m afraid I don’t know much about you.”
“Well, I was born here in Dallas. I have two sisters and a brother and my parents own an alteration shop. My father is a tailor and my mother a seamstress.”
“I see. So, where did you go to high school?”
“Adamson.”
“Did you graduate?”
“No. I had to quit school when my sister got sick and help out with medical bills.”
“So, your parents didn’t have any medical insurance?”
“No. They couldn’t afford it.”
“What is wrong with your sister?”
“She has leukemia. It’s in remission now.”
“That’s good. So, when did you go to work for Emilio?”
“After I quit school following my junior year.”
“What do you do at Emilio’s?”
“At first I was a bus boy but now I am a waiter.”
“Do you like your job?”
“Yes. Emilio has been good to me.”
“You haven’t had any problems with other employees?”
“No. Nothing serious. There is a little competition between waiters for overtime, but that’s about it.”
“So, Emilio gives you overtime occasionally?”
“He gives it to the waiters he thinks deserve it.”
“Have you got a lot of overtime?”
“Yes.”
“Because of your sister?”
“Uh huh.”
“So, does that make some of the other waiters mad?”
“Yes. I’m not very popular with some of them.”
“Hmm. Do you think any of the other waiters could have put something in the Parmesan cheese knowing you’d be serving it?”
“It’s possible.”
“Do you think that is what happened?”
“No. I doubt it. I don’t think any of them are murderers.”
“Who are the other waiters?”
“Randy Winters, John Stapleton, and Howard Thornton.”
“How well do you know them?”
“Not well. They are older than me.”
“So, that would even make them more resentful.”
Ricardo shrugged. “I suppose.”
“If one of them was invol
ved in this, who would be the most likely one?”
“John. He’s been there the longest and complains the most when I get the overtime.”
“I see. So, tell me about the night of the incident. It was a Friday night, I believe.”
“Yes. A good tip night. We are always busy.”
“So, when did you get to work?”
“At 3:00 p.m. I work from three to midnight with thirty minutes for dinner and two fifteen minute breaks.”
“Okay, did anything unusual happen when you came on your shift?”
“No, except John was late.”
“He was? Did he say why?”
“He claimed his battery died and he had to get a jump.”
“Okay, so how late was he?”
“Twenty minutes.”
“I see. Anything else happen unusual?”
“No. Not that I remember.”
“What do you do when you first come on?”
“We set the tables and get ready for the dinner crowd.”
“Are you assigned specific tables in the restaurant?”
“Yes. The manager gives us our table assignments when we come in.”
“Do you usually get the same table assignments on Friday night.”
“Uh huh, unless someone is absent.”
“But nobody was absent, right?”
“Correct.”
“So, who directs the customers to a specific table?”
“Julie or Tiffany, our hostesses.”
“So, they would know where to send someone if they wanted you to be the waiter?”
“Right.”
“How well do you know Julie and Tiffany?”
“Tiffany I know pretty well. She’s been there the longest. I don’t know Julie too well.”
“Are they nice girls?”
“Uh huh. Very nice.”
“So, did you know any of the victims?”
“Not by name, but they had been in before.”
“Do you know if they asked for you to be their waiter?”
“I doubt they did. Most of our customers don’t ask for a specific waiter.”
“So, tell me what happened as best you recall,” Paula asked.
Ricardo took a deep breath and thought for a moment. “Well, they came over and sat down. It was two couples who knew each other pretty well. They were talking about a play they were going to see later that evening. I brought them bread and took their drink orders. They got a bottle of wine and I opened it for them and poured each a glass. Then I took their orders. The blond, Donna, I think was her name.”
“Right. Donna Rice.”
“She ordered lasagna and her husband, Bill, ordered spaghetti with meatballs. The dark-haired lady, Sandy I think was her name.”
“Yes, Sandy Richmond.”
“She ordered Seafood Alfredo and her husband, John, ordered mushroom ravioli.”
“Okay, so what happened next?”
“I served them some more bread and then when their orders were ready, Tom, one of the cooks helped me bring them out. After that it is customary to offer them Parmesan cheese so I made the rounds and they all asked for it.”
“How did you dispense the cheese?”
“The cheese is in a bowl on the table. I picked it up and applied it with a spoon.”
“Who fills the bowls?” Paula asked.
“A new bowl is put out when the table is set.”
“But, who fills them?”
“The cooks sometimes, but if they are busy the waiters do it.”
“Who filled the bowl that was on the table?”
“I don’t know. I just picked it off of a tray in the kitchen and took it out to the table.”
“So, anyone could have switched the bowls or added the poison while you weren’t looking?”
“Yes, when I was on break or cleaning the bathrooms.”
“Was anyone there when you took it off the tray in the kitchen?”
“Tom was close by. I don’t know if he noticed me take it.”
“So, did anything else happen before everyone began reacting to the poison?”
Ricardo shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Okay Ricardo. Let me talk to Sonia for a minute and then you can go. If you think of anything else, let me know right away, okay?”
“Right.”
Ricardo left and a minute later Sonia walked in and sat down. Sonia was petite with long black hair and a cute smile. Paula wondered if she was even eighteen yet.
“So, how long have you and Ricardo been going together?”
“About a year. We met at the Richardson Medical Center where his sister was being treated. I’m a blood tech there.”
“I see. So, I understand Ricardo’s been having financial problems due to his sister’s medical expenses.”
“Yes, it’s been very expensive for him.”
“How has he been holding up?”
“He’s a little depressed at times, but he knows there is nothing he can do about it.”
“What about bankruptcy? Has he discussed that possibility?”
“No. He is proud and wants to pay his debts.”
Paula nodded. “Right. That’s admirable. Is anyone harassing him about a debt he might owe them?”
“There is one creditor who calls all the time. Ricardo argues with him a lot.”
“Has he threatened him?”
“He’s threatened to have him arrested and to cause him trouble on his job.”
“Who is this guy?”
“He works for a payday loan company.”
“How much money is involved?”
“Eight hundred dollars I think.”
“Anybody else?”
“No. Ricardo’s phone was disconnected so now he only gets letters but he just throws them in a box and says he’ll deal with them when he has some money.”
“Does he have a plan for getting money to pay everybody?”
“No. Not really. We buy a lot of lottery tickets.”
Paula laughed. “So, were you at the restaurant the night of the incident?”
“No, I was at the hospital.”
“At the hospital?”
“Yes, on the weekends I work the three to eleven shift so Ricardo and I have the same schedule.”
“So, nobody was at the apartment?”
“No.”
“Do you have any idea how the shoe box full of money got under Ricardo’s bed?”
“No. I was surprised when I heard about it.”
“Were you home when they searched his apartment?”
“Yes. They showed me the warrant and just started tearing the place apart.”
“Did you see them find the money?”
“No. They made me stay in the living room.”
“How secure is your apartment? Do you have a deadbolt or security system?”
“No. It’s just a simple lock with chain inside if you are at home.”
“Alright Sonia. Thanks for talking with me. If you think of anything that might help prove Ricardo innocent, let me know, okay?”
“Sure.”
Sonia and Ricardo left and Paula added Tom, Julie, Tiffany, and John Stapleton to her list of people to interview. Then she thought about the victims. She needed information on them in case one of them was a target of the killer. A smart murderer might kill several people so it would be difficult to determine a motive for the crime. She went to her computer and did a search for Bill Rice in Dallas, Texas. A website for the Rice Insurance Agency popped up and Paula quickly learned that Bill Rice had been a full service insurance agent for a variety of companies. Review of other hits indicated he was an alumni of Texas A&M University and a Dallas County Grand Juror. Paula thought about that a moment. A grand juror could be the target of someone who had been indicted and wanted a little revenge. It was a stretch but something she had to consider. When she searched under Donna Rice on Google she discovered she had been a member of the Junior League, an officer in th
e Highland Park High School PTO, and an officer in Friends of the Dallas County Library. Finally she ran a criminal check on both of them and found out that neither had a record.
Not finding anything particularly interesting about the Rice family she turned to Sandy and John Richmond. She didn’t find out anything on Sandy Richmond, no search hits and when she did a criminal background check it too came up clean. But when she did a search on John Richmond she hit pay dirt. Mr. Richmond had been an oil and gas operator and there were several SEC complaints against him and over a dozen pending lawsuits. A criminal background check also showed he had been convicted of statutory rape and was on the sexual predator list. Paula felt a ray of hope for the first time in her investigation. John Richmond definitely could have been the prime target and the reason three innocent diners died at Emilio’s restaurant.
Paula got up and walked to Stan’s office to advise him what she had found out, but Stan wasn’t in so she asked Maria where he was.
“I don’t know. He ran off an hour ago and didn’t say when he’d be back.”
“Really? That’s odd. Did he have a meeting on his calendar?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Huh.”
“He’s been doing that a lot lately,” Maria said.
“What do you mean?”
“Disappearing without letting me know where he is going and taking two hour lunches.”
“Two hour lunches? He usually eats at his desk and if he goes out it’s not for more than 30 minutes.”
As they were talking Jodie walked in. “What are you two conspiring about?” she asked.
“Stan’s strange behavior,” Paula replied.
Jodie paled. “What do you mean?”
Marie repeated what she’d told Paula.
“Ah, well I overheard a conversation that might explain it.”
“What conversation?” Paula asked.
“I was coming to see Stan in his office and I overheard him arranging a liaison with a woman.”
“What!” Paula gasped. “You’re talking about my partner, Stan Turner?”
“Yes. I’m afraid so.”
“That’s impossible,” Paula said. “He’d never have an affair.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me. He said he couldn’t wait to get inside her. That could only mean one thing.”
Paula’s mouth opened and then closed without a word coming out.
“Who do you think it is?” Paula finally asked.
“I don’t know. He flirts with the travel agent downstairs,” Jodie said.
“He flirts with a lot of women,” Paula said. “That’s just his nature. He likes to hang out with pretty women but that’s all he does.”
“Well, I bet it’s his new bankruptcy client,” Maria said. “She is all over him.”
“Is that the one whose husband deserted her after she had twins?” Jodie asked.
“Yes, I think she’s looking for someone to support her now that she’s alone and with two new babies and no money.”
“Stan would never have an affair with a client,” Paula said. “It’s got to be someone else. I just can’t believe he’d cheat on Rebekah. I tried for years to get him to do that with me but he’s always stubbornly resisted.”
Jodie smiled. “After my divorce I used to come to work in short skirts and tight blouses hoping he’d make a move on me. But he never did. I caught him taking in the view more than once, but he never touched me. It was so infuriating.”
“Infuriating?” Paula said. “When we first became partners I offered to buy a little love nest across the street where we could go to let off steam, but he wouldn’t go for it. He said it would not only destroy his marriage but also our partnership.”
Maria shook her head. “You two are terrible. Poor Rebekah. Did she know what you two were up to?”
“She figured it out,” Paula said. “She even invited me to lunch once with a gun in her purse. When I saw it I had to do some fast talking to convince her I wasn’t a threat.”
“I’d have shot you had it been me,” Maria interjected.
“Yeah. I’m sure she would have had I not said the right things.”
“So, what are we going to do?” Marie asked.
Paula shrugged. “Find out who it is first, I guess. Then we’ll decide.”
“We should stay out of it,” Jodie said. “It’s none of our business.”
“Maybe not, but I promised Rebekah I’d watch her back,” Paula said.
“You can’t tell her,” Jodie said. “Stan would never forgive you.”
“I know,” Paula agreed. “It would be the end of our partnership. At the very least we’ll have to wait until this murder case is over. We wouldn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize our client.”
They all agreed there was nothing they could do at that moment, but the next time Stan left for an unscheduled meeting somebody would follow him. They had to know the identity of this mystery girlfriend so they could assess the threat she might pose to Stan and the firm.