Cicero's Dead Read Online Free PDF

three a.m. and caters to the early crowd: cops, working men and insomniacs
drinking coffee, eating eggs, hash browns and Abel’s legendary blueberry
pancakes. The booths were half-full, mostly tradesmen and a few homeless types
nursing cups of coffee.
    Brad asked, “What if Jade turns out to be the bad
guy?”
    “We’re all bad guys.   It’s only a question of degree.”
    It was 5:00 a.m. when we got back to my office.
It’s pretty basic but it does have a few good features. Some soul with
foresight had installed a hot plate, a small refrigerator and a shower. I asked
Brad to answer the phone and check my email.
    I took a long, hot shower, trying to rinse off the
mounting layers of weariness. About 15 minutes later, I dressed and went into
the office.
    “You’ve got three emails. One is from a woman
named Audrey, who says you need therapy. She also says to call her immediately.
The second is from Tony, who says something stinks.”
    “And the third?”
    “It’s from Bobby Moore, the guy you want to
introduce me to. He wants to know when you’re coming over.”
    I called Audrey. She sounded sleepy but as soon as
she recognized my voice, she perked up.
    “Sorry to call so early. I had a long night
prowling around Hollywood, got back to the office and saw your email.”
    “That’s all right. Ramona is still asleep and
Tim’s in the shower.”
    “How did your meeting go?”
    “I didn’t connect with Miss Jade until 10 last
night. She claimed that they’d put her on a rush case at Waldrop & Hemsley,
and kept her working ‘til nine.”
    “Do you believe her?”
    “Not exactly, but I don’t understand why she works
at all though if she’s so wealthy.”
    “Maybe she’s industrious.”
    “Maybe. Anyway, I met her at her condo on
Wilshire. During the course of our conversation, I made several specific
observations. One, Jade is beautiful. So beautiful she brings out the lez in
me. I’ve got some lez you know.”
    “We all do.”
    “Two, she dresses very well. And not just the
usual designer stuff. The girl has taste.”
    “I’m aware of that.”
    “I’m not so sure you are. I don’t believe you can
tell Ann Taylor from Dolce and Gabana.   Three, she probably spends more money in a week than I make in a year.
How much was the retainer?”
    “$10 K. But I guarantee you there’s more where
that came from.”
    “Nice. Can I have a raise?”
    I grinned.
    “Right. Number four; I feel she’s all right. She
really does love her brother, and she may have even loved her parents. She has
that stricken, helpless look and five, they’re very, very rich and no, Richard
doesn’t use credit cards. He did have one of Jade’s, but she took it back once
he’d maxed it out. So now he’s allowed to draw up to $30K a month.”
    I whistled softly. “That’s as much as some people
make in a year.”
    “Exactly. So about my raise--“
    “--Who makes these decisions?”
    “The administrator, James Halladay. He’s their
lawyer, but Jade is the trustee. Do you know him?”
    “I know of him. He used to represent ‘made guys’
way back in the day, and now probably represents their replacements. Did she
say anything about having a boyfriend?”
    “There’s no one currently, but I haven’t got to
the best part. There’s something weird about her father’s death. Maybe her
mother’s death too, but that’s harder to figure. When Cicero Lamont was run
down, Jade was on vacation with her friends in the Austrian Alps and here’s the
odd part, she wasn’t informed until three days after his death. She flew back
immediately, just in time for the memorial service, which was at Forest Grove.
Apparently Jade’s mother had Halladay’s office make all the arrangements. It
was a small service, family and close friends only.”
    “Who contacted her?”
    “Halladay.”
    “Why not Richard or her mom?”
    “You tell me. And, they had the body cremated
because it was mangled beyond recognition.”
    “That’s