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CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Who killed Deborah?

‘Molinaro’s told us everything,’ said Martinez, looking round at Latto and Koning. They were all sitting outside Latto’s room at the Ocean View Motel.

It was ten o’clock in the morning. Latto and Koning had got back some time before. Martinez had joined them for breakfast at Casey’s. Now they were sitting in the sunshine talking about what had happened the night before.

‘So was it Ray?’ asked Koning. ‘Did he kill Deborah?’

‘Yes,’ said Martinez. ‘He says Crocker ordered him to do it, so we’re holding Crocker for murder too.’

‘But Molinaro gave her the Cloperoxomine?’ Latto asked.

‘Yes,’ replied Martinez. ‘The scientists are going to have another look at Deborah Spencer’s body. But from what Crocker told you I don’t know whether they’ll find anything. However, Molinaro has told us everything. He put the drug in some milk in her fridge. It was just a matter of time before she drank it.’

‘You know, I can’t believe that Ray could do that,’ said Koning. ‘He was such a caring doctor. His patients really liked him.’

Martinez looked at Latto. ‘We think it was Max who tried to kill you the same way. It seems that your detective work wasn’t so good after all. Molinaro saw you when you followed him down to Salinas, though only as he arrived at Keiffenheim Laboratories.

He told Crocker, Crocker phoned Max, and Max came round here and put Cloperoxomine in your orange juice. I haven’t heard back from the scientists yet, but I’m sure that’s what we’ll find in it.’

‘But why did Crocker agree to meet me?’ asked Latto. ‘He thought I would soon be dead and he thought I had a CD of the book. With me dead, all he had to do was come here and get the CD.’

‘The problem was he didn’t know when you would die,’ explained Martinez. ‘He really believed you had the CD when you spoke to him on the phone. He didn’t want the police to find you first and take all your things to the police station - including the CD.

He wanted it. With Deborah Spencer it was easier. Again Crocker didn’t know when she would die. But once the police had finished at her house, he could send Max round later to get her laptop.’

‘So Crocker ordered Deborah’s death so that he could steal her book and save his company millions of dollars,’ said Latto.

‘That’s about it,’ said Martinez.

‘Poor Deborah.’ Koning put her hands to her face, sad at the thought of her friend’s death. ‘How can people think money is worth more than a person’s life?’ she asked. Nobody answered.

They sat quietly for a few moments.

Then Latto asked, ‘What about Becker?’

Koning looked questioningly at him and he quickly explained how Crocker and Martinez’ boss knew each other.

‘He’s in the clear at the moment,’ said Martinez. ‘I know Crocker said something about him out at the arboretum, but it was after we’d stopped recording. And Crocker’s not saying much at all now. You have to remember that Becker’s my boss. I have to be very sure before I say anything against him.’

Then he laughed. ‘But I’m watching him very carefully now.’

When Martinez had gone, Latto and Koning stood and looked down towards Casey’s and the ocean.

Latto put his arm around Koning’s shoulders. He tried to put his feelings into words. She really hadn’t known what Crocker and Molinaro were doing. Martinez had been wrong and he had been right.

After what she had done out at the arboretum, Latto felt happy, thankful and very close to her. He looked down at her and said, ‘Tell me - why exactly did you follow us out to the arboretum?’

Koning smiled. ‘I told you I had three brothers. I know what boys get up to late at night. It usually means trouble.’

Latto laughed.

‘I know it might not seem like it after the last three days,’ said Koning, ‘but Santa Cruz is really a great place to be.’ She looked up at him. ‘And, even though I’m not Deborah, I can still show you some new ways to help people with Parkinson’s Disease.’

Latto smiled. ‘Great,’ he said. ‘In fact I was hoping you’d say something like that. But remember, Deborah also made sure I had some free time in my programme.’

Koning looked into his eyes, then she stood on her toes and kissed him softly.

‘Perhaps we ought to make a start with some free time,’ she said.