Murder and the Museum Page 11

  A little after 4:00 she heard furious growling and barking coming from the garage. A moment later the door to the garage was thrown open and she heard Carl saying, “Marty, come here. Something’s wrong with Patron. He’s going nuts.”

  Marty raced down the hall, followed by Emma, who had also heard the commotion. They ran into the garage and saw a knife on the workbench where it looked like Carl had been photographing it. At the end of the bench Patron was standing with his paws up on it barking and growling.

  “Marty, do something. I don’t know what’s gotten into him,” Carl said frantically.

  Patron saw Marty, left the workbench, and rushed over to her. He physically pushed her out of the room. “Carl, I’m sorry. He won’t let me in the room. Come into the hall and tell me what happened.”

  A moment later he said, “Weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. He slept the whole time I was doing the arrowheads and the spurs. I got the guns out. No problem. I got out the knives, and he was still fine. I realized I’d forgotten one that was in the cupboard and got it out. That’s when he went nuts.”

  “Ms. Morgan,” Emma said. “That’s the navaja, the Spanish knife that Ms. Borden’s daughter-in-law gave her.”

  Patron had stopped growling and barking, but he was standing in front of Marty, effectively stopping her from going into the garage.

  “Okay, it’s official. I’ve got a bad case of the willies, and I’m through for the day,” Carl said. He chewed his lip. “Sorry, but I can’t go back in there right now. I mean if Patron thinks something is wrong and he’s psychic, how do you think that makes me feel? This is just too disturbing.”

  “Okay, Carl, I understand. Emma, would it be alright with you if we left our appraisal gear here?”

  “Yes. That’s not a problem. I will be leaving soon but your husband told me there will be someone guarding the property around the clock. Your things should be fine.”

  “Thanks. Carl, I have an idea. Since a guard is here anyway, I’ll talk to Jeff tonight and see if it would be alright with him if the guard spends some time with you in the garage tomorrow. At least until you finish up with the navaja. I don’t think he’d have a problem with that.”

  Carl heaved a sigh of relief. “Okay, once I get finished with it I’m on to things like barbershop poles, firefighter stuff, spittoons, that kind of stuff. You know, I have some western guns and knives in my collection, but I keep them locked up. After this, I think I’ll get rid of that part of it. Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes, let me get my purse. Patron, come.”

  The big dog very calmly followed her into the living room, all thoughts of the navaja evidently gone.

  CHAPTER 25

  When Marty dropped Carl off at his shop, it was very evident he was still visibly shaken by Patron’s behavior. He and Marty discussed what could have set him off, but Carl was adamant that Patron had been fine up until the moment Carl had removed the navaja from the cabinet. Marty made a mental note to talk to Laura as soon as she got home and get her opinion on what had happened.

  She looked at the dashboard of her car and saw it was only four-thirty. She knew Jeff wouldn’t be home for at least another hour-and-a-half and John typically didn’t serve dinner until around 7:00. She had plenty of time to pick up the maternity shower gift she’d promised Jeff she’d get for one of his employees.

  Marty remembered that someone had told her there was a very nice maternity shop in the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert, not too far from Carl’s store. She thought it was called Motherhood Maternity. She typed the name into her cell phone and got directions to it. It was a bit of a backtrack from her route home, but at least she’d have it out of the way, and Jeff would be thrilled it was taken care of.

  She easily found a parking spot and turned around to talk to Patron. “Sweet boy, you’re going to have to stay in the car. I know it’s a pet-friendly mall, but I can’t have you barking or growling, particularly since there’s a good chance there will be pregnant women where I’m going, and I don’t want you to scare them. I promise I won’t be long. You just take it easy. I’ve put the windows partway down for you. Be good.”

  Marty looked back as she was walking into the mall and saw Patron watching every step she took. She knew when she came out of the mall his head would be in exactly the same spot, his eyes watching for her. When he saw her, she knew his tail would start wagging, and she’d get a sloppy wet doggie kiss when she got in the car.

  As soon as she entered the large mall, she looked at the map of the stores, and started walking towards the Motherhood Maternity shop. Since neither she nor Laura had ever been pregnant, she had no experience to draw upon. Once she was in the shop, she decided to simply see what appealed to her. Marty began walking up and down the aisles, trying to figure out what a mother-to-be would want for a newborn. There was so much paraphernalia, she was amazed. Did babies really need musical everything?

  A few minutes later she heard a woman’s voice that sounded familiar. She hovered behind a rack of baby clothes and looked towards where it was coming from. Leticia Phillips was standing at the counter signing a credit card charge. “Please have this delivered to my home. With an order this big, I’m sure you can handle it. Deliver them tomorrow afternoon. I’ll make a point of being at home.”

  “Certainly, Mrs. Phillips, and thanks for your business. Our deliveryman should he there between 3:00 and 4:00. Will that work for you?”

  “Yes, that would be fine. I have to leave. My brother is coming over to my house for something that’s important, and I don’t want to miss him. Thank you.”

  So, Leticia’s pregnant, Marty thought. That’s interesting. And the dad is a druggie. At least I guess he’s the dad. Wonder what’s so important about her brother coming over? Think I’ll follow her. It’s dusk, and I’m sure she won’t recognize my car.

  Lagging behind, she followed Leticia out to her car which was in the next row over from Marty’s. Marty looked over at her car expecting to see Patron faithfully watching for her. Instead, his eyes were following Leticia as she got in her car, which was completely unlike him.

  Marty unlocked her car and looked back at Patron who was growling, deeply and gutturally. He was sitting very still, the guard hairs along his back fully extended, and when she patted him, assuring him that everything was fine, she felt the tension in his body. His eyes never left Leticia’s car as the younger woman backed it up and headed for the exit.

  Patron continued to growl. Marty knew something was going on with him. She pressed a button on her Bluetooth and called Laura while she fell several car lengths back behind Leticia.

  “Laura, something really weird is going on with Patron, and I don’t know what to do.”

  “Tell me about it,” Laura said.

  “Well, I’m at the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert and Patron’s with me. First of all, he started growling at a knife Carl was appraising, and we had to cut this afternoon’s appraisal short. Then he came over to me and wouldn’t let me go anywhere near the knife. That was the first thing.”

  “Keep going. I take it there’s a second.”

  “Yes. Jeff had mentioned that he needed to get a maternity gift for one of his officers who’s pregnant, and I volunteered to get it for him. That’s why I’m here at the Westfield Mall. The thing is, while I was in the maternity shop looking for a gift, I recognized the voice of a woman who was at the checkout counter. It was Leticia Phillips. She’s pregnant and had bought a lot of things. I decided to follow her when I overheard her say she was going home to meet with her brother about something that was important.

  “When I walked back to my car, Patron was not looking at me coming out of the mall, which he always does. Instead, he was looking at Leticia getting into her car. When I opened my car door, Patron was growling in about the most menacing tone I’ve ever heard. I’m following her now, and he’s still growling. Laura, his body is really tense, and his guard hairs are up.”

  “It has something to do with h
er. Very softly say the word ‘settle’ several times. I’ve had good luck using that word with him. I’ll make sure he’s settled down when you come home.”

  “Okay, thanks for the suggestion. I’ll try it on him and see if it calms him down. See you in a little while,” she said brightly, not wanting to stay on the phone any longer. Otherwise, she was sure Laura would pick up on the fact that she was doing something that could lead to danger, and something that Jeff probably wouldn’t approve of.

  CHAPTER 26

  As soon as Marty ended the call, Laura pressed in Jeff’s cell phone number. A moment later his deep voice came on in the line. “Good late afternoon, Laura. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

  “May not be a pleasure, Jeff. I just got a call from Marty, and she told me she was following Leticia Phillips in her car. She also told me Patron senses something, and she’s having trouble getting him to stop growling.

  “Jeff, I’ve had an uneasy feeling all afternoon which has really intensified in the last two hours. I think you need to drive to wherever she is. I remember you and Marty told us that you’d gotten phone apps which would allow you to know where the other one is currently located.” Jeff could hear the tension in Laura’s voice. “The feeling’s intensifying, Jeff.”

  “I’m on it,” he said into the phone as he ran through the station and signaled for two of his men to come with him. “Grab an empty patrol car and come with me. I’m not sure where we’re going. You drive.” He started tapping the newly installed app on his phone. They should have called it “Find My Wife, he thought grimly. “I need to check out where we’re headed.” They left the station moments later.

  *****

  “Settle, Patron, settle,” Marty said, trying to calm the big dog who continued to growl as she followed Leticia, staying several car lengths behind her. She remembered Jeff saying something once about how that was the usual spacing he tried to do when he was tailing someone in a car. Based on the direction Leticia was traveling and from what she’d said to the store clerk, Marty was pretty sure she was heading home to meet her brother.

  A few minutes later Leticia turned left onto her street and Marty continued on, looping back, and then pulling over to the side of Leticia’s street about two houses down from her house. She watched Leticia walk into her house, noting that Leticia had parked next to another car that was in her driveway. Just then she saw a shadow next to her own car, causing her heart to jump. She realized that Patron had stopped growling. It was Jeff. She rolled down her window.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked in surprise. You scared the life out of me.”

  “Laura called. What’s happening?”

  “I was just getting ready to walk to the rear of the house. I’m pretty sure that car belongs to Leticia’s brother. Something’s wrong. Patron has been growling for the last hour. I think they’re in the back of the house.”

  “Stay in the car, Marty, doors locked. I’m taking Patron with me. Do not get out of the car.” He opened the back door, and Patron jumped out of the car, all growling having ceased. Jeff bent down and spoke to him for a moment, then he motioned for his two officers to follow him. She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but she saw one of them go to the left side of the house and Jeff and the other officer went to the right side of the house. She pressed a button which locked all the door as Jeff had instructed.

  More than anything, she wanted to see what was happening and hear what was going on, but she knew her limits, and thought that if she got out of the car it might be a marriage deal breaker. She was worried sick about Jeff and had to keep reminding herself that this was his job. She just had to trust that everything would be all right. Looking back, she thought the fifteen minutes she sat there, waiting for something to happen, were the longest fifteen minutes she’d ever spent in her life.

  Suddenly a man raced out the front of the house, gun drawn, and ran around the side towards the back of the house. Marty threw open her car door and screamed, “Jeff, a man’s coming. He’s got a gun!” A moment later she heard the sound of gunfire and Patron barking and growling. In the background she heard the wail of sirens. Seemingly out of nowhere, two police patrol cars screeched to a stop in the driveway of the house, and four uniformed officers threw their car doors open and raced to the back of the house.

  Moments later two men in handcuffs were put in the back seat of one of the police cars, followed by Leticia Phillips, handcuffed, and being led to one of the other police cars. Her husband, Austin Phillips, accompanied her, but no handcuffs were on him.

  Jeff and Patron walked over to where Marty was sitting in her car with the window rolled down. “It’s over, Marty,” he said through the open window. “I’ll give you the details later on. I need to go to the station and book them. By the way, Patron saved my life. When Leticia’s second brother came around the corner of the house, I heard your shouted warning, turned and saw Patron take a flying leap at him.

  “The guy fired his gun at me, but it was a wild shot. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Patron. When you get home, give him a big treat. See you later and thank Laura for me.” He opened the door for Patron who jumped up on the backseat and promptly went to sleep.

  EPILOGUE

  Jeff walked through the gate, paused for a moment to pet Duke and Patron, and then joined the other compound residents in their evening ritual. He looked around and said, “Hate to be trite, but I think I’m going to be.”

  “What are you talking about?” Marty asked.

  “Okay, here’s the trite part. You know the saying, ‘All’s well that ends well?’ Well here’s one of the better ones.”

  “It has to do with Austin, doesn’t it?” Laura asked as Patron walked over to the table, seemingly just as interested in what Jeff had to say as the others were.

  “I swear, Laura, you never fail to amaze me.” Jeff smiled at her. “Yes, it does have to do with Austin. The day after the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, also known as the Phillips home, after Leticia had been arrested and charged with murder, he found out she was pregnant. He didn’t know anything about it. He must have done a lot of thinking that night about how his child was going to be born to a woman who would probably get a life sentence for murdering his mother. Anyway, the next day he checked himself into a drug rehabilitation center for six months. He’ll be getting out a short time before the baby is born.”

  “But Jeff, from what I understood, his trust fund is almost gone, and the guy’s never held a job in his life. Even if he gets clean, how can he possibly support his child and himself?” Marty asked.

  “Here’s the kicker. I’ve had real problems with the law firm who drew up Camille’s trust. I think I told you that the lawyer who she dealt with is deceased. He was a sole practitioner. Why she went to him we’ll never know. His wife kept his law files in their garage after she’d unsuccessfully tried to sell his law practice. She’d remarried, so it took a long time for me to even find her.

  “Yesterday I finally got the legal file on Camille from the lawyer’s widow. Turns out Camille made a new trust that superseded the one I had seen. In the new trust she still disinherited Austin, but, and here’s the biggie, if Austin had children, then the full trust would be divided equally among the children, and she named her accountant, Harold Lassiter, as trustee of her estate.”

  Jeff sat back, clearly satisfied with what he had just told them and the outcome of the case. Patron licked his hand and laid down at his feet, as if he’d heard enough. Everyone was quiet for a moment, absorbing what he’d said.

  “That’s incredible,” Marty said. “No one could have scripted that. What about her house and her collection?”

  “Another interesting twist. She specifically instructed the trustee of her new trust that if the museum she hoped to build was unable to be built, she was gifting her home and everything in it to the City of Palm Springs. The trust states she knows her collection is in a state of disarray. She set considerable funds aside for someon
e to arrange her collection, so her things could be publicly displayed. She specified that her accountant was to choose someone familiar with her collection.” He turned to his wife with a wide smile on his face.

  “And Marty, I spoke with her accountant, and he said that since you’re the person most familiar with her collection, you should be the one to prepare them for the public display. She also set funds aside to pay for the house to be open to the public. That would include keeping the utilities on, cleaning, etc. She also specifically directed that Emma be retained by the trustee and paid from the trust funds.”

  “Well, Marty, what do you think about that?” Laura asked.

  Marty smiled in amazement. “Jeff, I have one question. You found out the reason Leticia’s brothers were meeting her at her house the afternoon she was arrested, was because she wanted to give them the murder weapon she’d used to kill Camille. It was a navaja and they were supposed to take it out in the desert and bury it. She’d originally had two of them, but she gave one to Camille for her collection, and that’s what set Patron off. I don’t feel comfortable keeping that in the collection. It has bad vibes, as Patron could testify to if he could talk. How do I get rid of it?” she asked him.

  “Let me talk to the accountant. He’s a very reasonable man, and I don’t think he’d have a problem with it being sold on eBay and the funds going to the trust estate. When you start arranging the collection, you can talk to him about it.”

  It was Laura’s turn to speak. “Jeff, Marty said Camille’s collection is worth nearly twenty million dollars. How will it be protected?”

  “State-of-the-art-security. That was also specified in her trust. Her house will get the same type of security that the top museums have.” He turned to John. “I think I’ve talked enough, and the murder case involving Camille Borden has ended with a very good outcome. I’d even be willing to take everyone out to dinner tonight and save you the trouble.”