Hollywood Taken Read online

  Wade cut his eyes to me as we waited behind a line of cars to pay the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge. “Do you think Darren Larsen was telling the truth?”

  “I get the impression, Larson’s someone who has his own version of the truth. Time will tell.”

  “Even so, it sounds like we’ve uncovered one of those nuggets of yours.”

  I smiled. “It’s better than going down a rabbit trail.”

  “When we’re finished with Jack, I thought we could have a chat with that lawyer Joan Clausen said he was involved with.”

  “Claudette Maxwell?”

  “Yeah, and, just so you know, she has a reputation as a ball buster.”

  “Luckily, I don’t have to worry about that.” I smiled. “And, I’ve got your back.”

  He laughed. “I’m beginning to think this will be a pretty good working relationship.”

  “So, tell me about your life in Napa,” I said. “You said you and your family live with your father?”

  He smiled. “Maybe I should have been more specific. We live in his barn.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No reason to be. Gina, she’s my wife, calls it our barndominium. It’s got a loft with a couple bedrooms and a bath. Our daughter Emma loves it. She gets to go downstairs with me every day and feed the horses.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “I’m very lucky. What about your life in Hollywood? I doubt that you live in a barn.”

  “Actually, I live in the Bobby Craven House.”

  He glanced at me, his brows inching together. “Wasn’t he that kid that killed his family?”

  “You got it. I live there with my friends Natalie and Mo, who are staying with me at the winery, along with the ghost hunter, I mentioned earlier.”

  “I’ll bet it’s never a dull moment,” he said as my phone chimed.

  I saw that the call was from Natalie and excused myself, answering it.

  “How are things?” I asked.

  “Me and Mo got us some news on that missing woman case you’re working.”

  I wasn’t happy about their meddling. “You two need to stay out of things.”

  “Too late for that. We went into the city this morning and asked around ‘bout her husband, Jack. It turns out jack was like a rabbit with two dicks, jumpin’ on half the women in town.”

  “I see,” I said, trying to remain neutral. “I don’t suppose you got any names.”

  Natalie said she needed a moment, telling me that she had a list in her purse. When she came back on the line, she read off half a dozen names, including Claudette Maxwell and, surprisingly, Joan Clausen. When she was finished, I asked her how Mattie was doing.

  “She’s out in the vineyard somewhere. Mo and me think she’s hitting on one of the workers. I’d better go track her down, save the guy from her tryin’ to jump his bones.”

  After ending the call, I told Wade what she’d said. Most of the names on Natalie’s list were unfamiliar to him, except for Maxwell and Clausen.

  “Maybe that’s why Faith’s friendship with Joan Clausen ended,” he speculated. “Her husband took up with her best friend.”

  I agreed, adding, “And, maybe sleeping with Faith’s husband was Joan’s way of getting back at her, if she did, in fact, become involved with her boyfriend.”

  Wade smiled. “This case is sounding more and more like one of those soap operas.”

  “Let’s go see what the leading man has to say.”

  ***

  As it turned out, Jack Winslow was not at his restaurant and didn’t return our calls. After lunch, Wade and I decided to go by Claudette Maxwell’s office that was located in a row of historic homes turned into a business district. After waiting forty minutes, the attorney finally showed us into her wood-paneled office.

  “I don’t suppose this is a social call,” Maxwell said, her ruby lips turning up. The attorney was probably in her forties, slender, with dark hair. She was one of those women who appeared to be fighting approaching middle age with lots of makeup and maybe a little Botox.

  After introductions, Wade took the lead, telling Maxwell that we were aware she and Jack Winslow had been involved at one time.

  The attorney fixed her dark eyes on Wade. “Don’t tell me you think I’m a suspect in Ms. Winslow’s disappearance?”

  “Not at all,” Wade said. “We’re just looking into the background on the Winslows, trying to piece together anything that might be useful.”

  “I see.” She cut her eyes to me. “And, why is LAPD involved in this?”

  I explained my temporary reassignment was to help with a manpower issue, adding, “I’m here as a courtesy to Napa PD.”

  She nodded. “I think it’s more than that.”

  I regarded her. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

  She arched a brow. “Harlee Ryland.”

  I nodded, at the same time seeing Wade’s confusion. I said to Maxwell, “You’re very perceptive.”

  She smiled. “It’s my job.” She looked back at Wade. “I won’t deny that Jack and I were involved, but it’s been over for months.”

  Wade nodded. “Can you give us any insight into his relationship with his wife? It’s obvious there were some problems in the marriage.”

  Maxwell’s dark gaze moved off for a moment. “I think it was, or may I should say is, a marriage of convenience. They stayed together because of their children, and Jack thought Faith was driving a wedge between them because of their son’s issues.”

  “What kind of issues?” I asked, wanting to hear what Jack had told her.

  She shrugged. “All I know is that Faith thought the boy had some learning disabilities, maybe even autism. Jack didn’t agree with her.”

  Wade took a couple minutes, trying to get more information about the Winslow’s son, Owen, but not getting anything more.

  I then asked about Faith. “It’s our understanding that Mrs. Winslow may have also been involved with another man. Did Jack ever say anything about that?”

  “I think they were both unhappy, so it doesn’t surprise me. All I know is that Jack said he didn’t think Faith had ever gotten over her college sweetheart. I don’t remember his name.”

  “Darren Larsen.”

  She nodded. “Jack was convinced that he and Faith were still seeing one another behind his back.”

  THIRTY-SEVEN

  “You wanna tell me about this Harland woman?” Wade asked me as we left Claudette Maxwell’s office and drove to the bed and breakfast owned by Faith’s former best friend.

  I gave him a brief overview of our family history as it related to the Rylands, including Harlan ordering the murder of my adoptive dad, and Harlee stalking my brother, Daniel.

  “From what I know, Harlee’s in the Los Angeles area,” I said. “I was sent here to get me out of the way.”

  He glanced at me. “I guess I’m a little slow on the update. I know about the Rylands from all the TV coverage, but I never made the connection to you until now.”

  “I’ll be happy when Harlee is finally caught and I can go back to my quiet life as a homicide cop.” I moved the conversation in a different direction, mentioning what Claudette Maxwell had said about Darren Larsen. “If he and Faith were still seeing one another, I wonder why he denied it.”

  “Maybe he just thinks everything will eventually go away and we’ll forget about him.”

  “That’s not going to happen. Let’s do a DMV check, find out the license number for his car. Then, let’s see if we can access the CCTV cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge. He would likely have crossed the bridge to get to Napa.”

  “You think he might have left San Francisco on the day Faith went missing?”

  “If he did, I’d say he’s got a whole lot of ‘splaning to do,” I said, mimicking an old sit-com star.

  When Wade and I arrived at the Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast, we found Joan Clausen in the garden, tending to her roses.

  “I thought we were finished,” Clausen
said, looking over as we arrived.

  “Not yet.” I introduced Wade, then added, “We need to have a chat about your relationship with Jack Winslow.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “An affair that you conveniently didn’t tell me about.”

  Clausen sighed, her heavy jowls deflating. She motioned to a nearby bench and a couple of chairs that overlooked the river.

  “How did you find out?” Clausen asked after we all took seats.

  Wade answered. “Claudette Maxwell.”

  “That bitch.” Clausen took a couple breaths, using the time to either gather her thoughts or formulate a lie, I wasn’t sure which. “Jack and I did see one another a few times. He’s a handsome man and...I guess I just gave into his charms.”

  “As payback for Faith becoming involved with your boyfriend, Walter Donnelly,” I said.

  Her shoulders went up and came down. “Maybe that was part of it.”

  “Did Faith know?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so, but can’t be sure. Our friendship was already history when it happened.”

  “Did Jack ever talk about his family situation?” Wade asked.

  Clausen nodded. “They have a child, a boy, that Faith was convinced had special needs. Jack didn’t agree. I think that put a big strain on their marriage.”

  We did some more probing regarding what she knew about the Winslows, but didn’t get much that was helpful. I was convinced that her becoming involved with Jack had more to do with her being attracted to him, rather than as a payback for Faith.

  “Did Faith ever tell you about her feelings for Darren Larsen?” Wade asked.

  “Who?”

  “He was her college sweetheart.”

  She shook her head. “She never mentioned him.” Her eyes narrowed on Wade. “Was she having an affair with him?”

  “I can’t say.”

  Clausen shook her head, not looking at us. “Figures.”

  “Why do you say that?” I asked.

  “Faith was...” There was more heavy breathing. “...she was nothing but a big cheat.”

  “Were there other men she was involved with?”

  “Probably, but I can’t give you any names.”

  I gave her a moment, seeing that her emotions were surfacing, before asking, “How did your relationship with Jack end?”

  The was another heavy breath as she looked at me. “I think it was kismet.”

  “Come again?”

  “I think it was fate. Jack and I...” There was another sigh, making me wonder if she still had feelings for Faith Winslow’s husband. “...let’s just say, Jack had other options and he moved on.”

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  The board cracked. Faith had been working on it for hours after pulling a chair over to the trapdoor. It splintered and came loose, allowing her to begin working on a second board. That board was weathered, its splinters cutting into her hands. She didn’t care. Her freedom was all that mattered now.

  As she worked, Faith’s thoughts went to the figure she’d seen through the cracks in the door a day earlier. There was an instant when she’d seen her captor’s eye above her. She couldn’t be sure, but she thought it might have been a woman. That caused a cascade of other thoughts. Did this have something to do with the women Jack had been seeing. Their marriage had been hanging by a thread and she knew he was seeing other women, lots of women.

  Maybe this was really about Darren. She and her college sweetheart had gotten together when he’d come to Napa to tour some vineyards. She knew it was a mistake, but things with Jack had become so broken that she’d been vulnerable. When Darren had called and asked her to meet him for a drink, she’d accepted, promising herself that it would be like old friends sharing a couple of drinks and some memories. But, when she saw him, her old feelings were soon rekindled and they’d spent the night together.

  The next day, Jack had confronted her, telling her that a friend had seen her and Darren together. She’d admitted the affair, begging his forgiveness. It didn’t happen. After that, his cheating and his refusal to deal with Owen’s problems only worsened.

  Faith pulled hard on the second board, using all her weight to pull it down. It cracked and broke in half at the same time she lost her balance and fell off the chair. She looked up. One more board, she reasoned. If she could break loose another board, the opening might be enough for his to lift herself up and escape.

  As Faith positioned the chair again and worked on another board, her thoughts drifted to the women Jack had been seeing. She knew that he been seeing Joan for a few weeks. When she’d realized what had happened, she was livid, angry that her best friend in the world had taken up with her husband. After confronting her, Joan had laughed, telling her that it was payback for her cheating with her boyfriend, Walter Donnelly. The claim was ridiculous. It was true that Walter had met her when she’d left the gym one night and he’d tried to get her to have drinks with him. She’d refused, telling him that it wouldn’t be appropriate. After that, her friendship with Joan had completely fallen apart, and she wondered if Donnelly had said things to her that weren’t true.

  Faith’s thoughts then went to the other women Jack had been seeing. There was a lawyer, then a waitress who worked in his restaurant for a few weeks. There had been others, and she’d even wondered if he’d been involved with Owen’s school teacher. She was an attractive woman and remembered her commenting on Jack’s good looks when they’d last talked. His constant cheating sickened her. On the day she’d been taken, she was making plans to permanently leave him.

  Faith’s thoughts surfaced when the third board moved. She was overjoyed when it came loose from the frame and came out. She tossed the board away, looking up at the darkening sky above her. She had no idea where she was and knew it would be completely dark soon. If she did get free, she’d have to move fast. Maybe she could find a road and signal for help.

  Faith knew she was strong and in good shape from her workouts at her gym, but she was also weakened from her days in captivity. She tried to pull herself up through the opening several times, but her strength waned and she fell back.

  As she lay sprawled on the floor of her small prison, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She knew she had to find something to put her higher, closer to the trapdoor. She looked around the small room, her eyes focusing on the chemical toilet. She realized if she could move it beneath the opening, then put the chair on top of it, she might be high enough to escape.

  She worked quickly, moving things into place. It then took her a couple tries, but she managed to climb up, until she was high enough that she could reach through the opening. Freedom then came quickly. She squeezed through the opening and scrambled away from her prison.

  She lay back for a moment, exhausted by her ordeal and trying to catch her breath, she looked up at the darkening sky. Then, suddenly a face appeared in her field of vision. Her mouth came open and she said, “You!”

  In that instant when a board came crashing down on her and her consciousness began to fade, Faith Winslow was filled with anger and disbelief. She now knew who had held her prisoner.

  THIRTY-NINE

  It was almost dark by the time Wade and I finished up at the station. Wade had managed to get a hold of Walter Donnelly and put the call on speaker. I listened as he questioned Joan Clausen’s ex-boyfriend about his relationship with our victim. Donnelly eventually admitted that he was attracted to Faith and had asked her out for drinks, but she’d declined. He said he’d ended his relationship with Clausen because he found her controlling and difficult, something that seemed plausible, given my contacts with her.

  When I got home to our cottage that night, my friends were already engaged in happy hour on the vine-covered patio. As I pulled up a chair, I asked them about Mattie.

  “Fraid she did went full-Monty in the vineyard today, causing a mini-riot amongst the workers. Dave, the guy that owns the place, told us what was happenin’, s
o I went and got her and put her to bed.”

  “She’s got her SNAP on,” Mo added, “so I hope we better not hear anything out of her the rest of the night.”

  “I hope Dave wasn’t upset about what happened,” I said, as Natalie poured me a glass of chardonnay.

  “He didn’t seem too worked up.” Mo’s big eyes circled over to Natalie as she added, “And, he’s pretty easy on the eyes.”

  “The bloke is hotter than a heat wave in August,” Natalie said, “just maybe a little on the quiet side.”

  “According to Wade, my partner was the station, he suffered some trauma during the war. I’m not sure exactly what happened.”

  She smiled. “Maybe you should offer up some therapy, since you got your own form of trauma.”

  “You mean my family?”

  She nodded as Mo said, “Speakin’ of that, any word from Joe on Harley?”

  “I told Joe what Robin found out about her following Daniel. The taskforce is in LA, but I haven’t heard anything more.”

  “We got us some more dirt today on that Winslow case you been workin’, Natalie said.

  “I can’t have you two interfering with my case. I’m on loan to the police department and they wouldn’t be happy.”

  Mo looked at Natalie and shrugged. “Guess we’ll just keep it to ourselves.” She drained half her wine.”

  I sighed. “Tell me what you found out.”

  “According to rumors,” Natalie said. “That Jack guy was doin’ half the women in the city, including his son’s school teacher.”

  I remembered Jack Winslow telling me that he and Faith had a meeting with Owen’s teacher on the day Faith disappeared. If they were having an affair, maybe there a connection to Faith’s disappearance.

  “Did you get the teacher’s name?” I asked.

  Mo tugged on an earlobe as she picked up her wineglass again. “I think it’s Meg or Meghan. Not sure ‘bout the last name.”

  “We’ll check her out,” I said.

  Natalie then mentioned that she’d talked to Otto. “The bloke seems a little down. Mo and me are gonna work on finding him a new guy.”