"Why?”
"Because I find the world more interesting with you in it.”
I said nothing.
There was a long, awkward silence.
"I'm going to be at Pandemonium later tonight if you want to join me.”
"You think I'm dumb enough to walk into a trap like that?"
An exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "Why would I call and tell you about the hit, then ask you to meet me for drinks?”
I shrugged. "Maybe you think that by telling me that, you’d gain my trust, and I’d let my guard down.”
Catalina laughed. "I don’t expect you to ever let your guard down. That would be foolish, and I don’t think you are a fool.”
“Well, I got involved with you, didn’t I? That was pretty foolish.”
“Ouch. You know how to hurt a girl.”
“You know how to hurt a guy.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I’ve got to run, but I hope to see you tonight. Perhaps we can discuss this further.”
I said nothing.
Catalina ended the call.
JD asked, “What was that about?”
“She still misses me.”
We finished our meal and returned to theAvventura. I took Buddy out to stretch his legs.
Brenda called. “I’m not sure how you’re going to feel about this.”
“What is it?”
23
“There were high levels of calcium oxalate crystals in Liam’s kidneys,” Brenda said. “I ran some additional testing and found something that was missed on the initial tox screen.”
“I’m listening.”
"Liam was poisoned with ethylene glycol sometime earlier in the day, maybe the day before. Most likely, it would have felt like a bad hangover. It was a lethal amount. If he wasn't bludgeoned to death, he would have died anyway. You’re looking for two killers, and one of them is still out there.”
"Thanks for the heads up.” My mind raced as I tried to remember the crime scene. Images flashed in my head.
I caught Jack up to speed on the situation.
"That doesn't surprise me. Liam was a popular guy," Jack said. "In all the wrong ways. Not shocking that more than one person wanted him dead."
"There is a possibility that John Wescott poisoned him earlier and got frustrated because it wasn't working fast enough,” I said.
We took the van to the station, and I checked with the property department. “Did anyone log a thermos with the Prescott case?”
The clerk tapped the keys. Her eyes surveyed the screen, and she frowned. “No. Just a watch, keys, a wallet, a necklace, and a cell phone. No thermos. No drink bottle.”
