Chapter 17

Chapter XVII

Ralph had gone straight to the office from the plane.  Once there he  perused the out-of-date files in Diether’s section.  In his mind, he went over Warren Tate’s file several times.  He could recall no reference to any Campbell.  He wished Spacer hadn’t taken the file with him.

Ralph sat in the darkened room, eyes closed, trying to recall any good-old-days stories Dieter had told.

He jumped with a thought as though wakened.  He grabbed the phone and dialed.  When he heard the soft feminine drawl he said, “Christina, Ralph.  Honey, we got the guy that did Diether. … Yeah, I’d like to talk to you,” Ralph looked at his watch and said, “How ‘bout dinner at Adolpho’s?”

Christina was a policewoman.  She worked the graveyard shift, but she was on call; so Ralph offered to meet her there, knowing she always took her own car.  She and Ralph had cried in each other’s arms the night Diether died, showing a side neither had shown before.  They were stoic people on the surface, but Diether had reached both of them with his quiet unassuming manner.

Christina told Ralph that Spacer and Kurtis had a good reputation amongst their peers.  “Well, the honest men like them,” she had said.

She was waiting for him in the bar when he got to Adolpho’s.  It was more than luck that they got a table in the crowded resturant.  Christina, Ralph and Diether had dined there often.  Respect for the recent loss of their friend was shown.  A secluded table for two was set up for them.

After they had ordered and both had drinks, Christina asked, “What’s up?  You sounded as though you needed in-put on the phone.”

“Do.  Guy that shot Diether wasn’t bright enough on his own.  He talked about a buddy in prison – found Diether for him.  Sounded to us like this guy might have had his own reasons for wanting it to go down.  Need to find his name somewhere to tie it in."

“How could such a sweet guy make so many enemies?” Christina responded. “Does this buddy have a name?”

“Stoker Campbell.  Anything?” Ralph had hoped a name would pop out – something, but all she did was shake her head.  Ralph went on, “I’ve been hitting his files and I can’t find a Campbell.”

“Must have been checking him out for someone else.  You know I’ll help you go through his cases.  It would help if we knew when Campbell was sent up,” Christina said.

“How long have you known Diether?”

“About three years.  We were talking about moving in together.”

“He told me.  Said he spent more time at your place than his anyway,” Ralph replied.  “He never mentioned a letter from the Parole Board saying Tate was out?”

“He wouldn’t.  Afraid I’d worry.  But, I don’t remember Tate.”

Ralph filled her in on the case, as he knew it.  “… He hasn’t mentioned it much lately, but it used to bother him.  When we first met he talked about it a lot.  Never mentioned Campbell though.  You would think two men with the same grudge would be kept separate.”

“Maybe Campbell just hated PIs in general; or, it became a thing after listening to Tate through the years.”

“I need to find the details on Campbell.”

“I’ll help all I can.  What about Spacer and Kurtis, did they agree with this theory?”

“Yeah, but they’re on the Hope Styles murder and I think that’s priority now that they have Tate.”

“I’ll talk to them.  They aren’t the types to say one’s enough.  Are you going back to the office after dinner?”

“Yeah, I think that’s where all his old files are.”

“I’ll go with you,” Christina said.  “We won’t be allowed in his apartment for a while.”

Though they didn’t know it, Pete and Ruby were shown to the table that Ralph and Christina had just left.

“This is my favorite restaurant,” Ruby told Pete.

“Mine too,” Pete said. 

“It’s been a scary night,” Ruby said.  “We need a drink.”

As though he had heard her, the waiter appeared to take their drink order.  Pete laughed.

“Are we back on the treadmill?” He asked, when the waiter left.

They looked at the menu as they spoke.

“I don’t know why I’m looking.  I want the Vermicelli Alfredo.”

“I think I’ll have that too.  White sauce and red wine,” Pete said, as their drinks were served.

They ordered dinner.

Pete said.  “It’s late for us.  I’m starved.”

“If you hadn’t planned such an exciting evening we’d have eaten by now,” Ruby said.  “On the other hand, I’m tired of my cooking.”

“You deserve a break.”

Kurtis picked up a trail map from the information center on Outlook Point.  Al returned to the station with Kurtis and Spacer and was mapping routes Hope Styles had taken and the usual times she would have been on those trails.

“I used to go with her sometimes, but shortly before my accident she decided she didn’t want me.  Had a jealous friend,” Al said.  “Well, she said jealous I translated it to nervous.  Didn’t want to be mentioned.”

“Know who that was?” Spacer asked.

“She wouldn’t tell me anything, but I felt, I was out the back door, richer man entering; that’s why I bought the big house,” Al said.  “Didn’t really impress her.  She did the trails out of habit.  Her real thing seemed to be turning into a gym bunny.  She’d go two or three times a week.”

“This was a sudden thing?” Kurtis asked.

“She increased the schedule suddenly.  I thought that was Wilson’s doing.  He was working on a contract for the treadmills.”

“You think this mysterious rich man could have been Rocco Penz?” Spacer asked.

Al laughed out loud.  “You got to be kidding.  Meaning to be crude, because he is, if Rocco had a piece like Hope, you think he’d hide her out?  He’d flash that diamond like the paparazzi’s camera lights the hunt.”  Al shook his head. “She wasn’t just pretty.  I’m sure you’ve been to her apartment.”

“We figure a working lady is being helped by a working man,” Kurtis said.

“Yeah,” Al said.  “Her father.  Family has money.  They must have been here for the funeral.”

“They seemed to believe it was some sort of terrible accident,” Kurtis said.  He looked to Spacer and frowned, “They never asked what park she was found in.  Could they have known about the rifle range?”

Spacer took on a serious thoughtful expression.

Al answered, “Their daughter wouldn’t be running around Heg Park.  They assumed The Point, and I’ve only met them once, but I don’t think they would make waves, even with a belly-flop.”

“Why was she working for Fitness Opts if the money is that plentiful?” Spacer asked.

“Daddy owns stock in the company,” Al replied.  “He wanted his children independent.  He would only supplement – unless she move back home.”

“You seem to know her pretty well,” Spacer said.

“We were dating until the jealous man turned up.  Her work relationship is common knowledge.  I don’t know how much I heard from her and how much I heard as gossip.”

“We’ve tried so hard to tie this into the Diether’s case and your disappearance, we’ve overlooked a lot,” Spacer admitted.

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