My Private Detective. Rebecca Winters

ought to be interesting.”

      The light had returned to his son’s eyes. Thank God.

      AT ELEVEN ON SUNDAY NIGHT, Heidi finished correcting her students’ homework and reviewing her own and prepared for bed. While she was brushing her teeth, her phone rang.

      Hoping against hope, she rinsed her mouth, then dashed into the bedroom to answer it. Caller ID was blocked.

      “Hello?” she said anxiously.

      “Ms. Ellis? John Cobb here.”

      Filled with relief, she sank onto the edge of her bed.

      “Thanks for calling me back. I know you’ve been out of town and I hate to bother you at home, but I’m desperate to help Dana. She’s barely hanging on.”

      “I got your message earlier today and I’ve already made a call to her doctor and to the judge. We’ll get an order to the prison so the doctor there will give her the medication she needs.”

      “Oh, thank you,” Heidi breathed.

      “Let me assure you that I’m as eager as you are for some new evidence in this case so I can take it to the district attorney.”

      She gripped the phone more tightly. “That’s why I’m calling. I’m going to get that evidence!”

      There was a brief silence on his end. “It would have to be compelling. Ron Jenke, the prosecuting attorney, has a formidable reputation for winning cases. What he presented appeared to the jury to be an airtight case. Since you and I know Dana’s not guilty, that means we need a whole new approach to her case.

      “Unfortunately the private detective the Turners retained after the trial never came up with anything I could use. He’s given up.”

      “I know,” Heidi murmured. “When I visited Dana last Sunday, she told me there was no hope. But I told her she was wrong and promised that the next time she saw me, I’d have something good to report.” Visits to inmates had to be applied for weeks ahead. Even though Heidi knew there’d be Sundays when she couldn’t go, she’d already made application for six months’ worth of Sunday visits.

      “Ms. Ellis, I’m sure you’re aware that her case will require the best criminal investigator around. He needs to be someone who’ll look at it in a completely fresh way. Someone who won’t be intimidated by Jenke or persuaded by the evidence that put Dana behind bars in the first place.

      “There are investigators like that, but it’s hard to find them, let alone convince them to take a case that’s already been settled.”

      Since the class, Gideon Poletti’s image had never left her mind. “I-I’ve found someone who’s a detective’s detective. Given a little more time, I may be able to persuade him to take Dana’s case.”

      “Good for you! I’ll work with you any way I can. We’ll pray for a different outcome. Dana’s an innocent woman.”

      “She is. I won’t rest until she’s back home. Under the circumstances, my parents and I would like to formally retain you as our attorney to help Dana. We’ll let the Turners know what we’re doing. They’re so deep in despair right now, maybe this will give them some hope.”

      “They’re more fortunate than they know to have someone like you on their side.”

      “Dana and I grew up next door to each other, Mr. Cobb. I’m an only child and I couldn’t love a sister more than I love her. As for my parents, they love her like a daughter. No matter how long it takes, I’ll fight to get her out of prison.”

      “Be assured I’ll do everything in my power to help make that happen. Call me when you’re ready to meet.”

      “Thank you very much. Expect a retainer in the mail in the next few days.”

      “Let’s not worry about that right now, Ms. Ellis. Good luck. I’ll look forward to hearing from you soon.”

      Heidi hung up, more convinced than ever that a man with a reputation like Daniel Mcfarlane’s would’ve made sure he sent the best detective in the business to replace him.

      If Detective Poletti couldn’t come up with new evidence, no one could.

      But Mr. Cobb had hit on one major problem. Her teacher was a human being with a personal life and a career that might make it impossible for him to take on Dana’s case.

      As Heidi saw it, she’d have to make him care about her friend. The way to do that was to be certain her synopsis was the masterpiece he’d alluded to.

      “DAD, THERE’S MAX!” Kevin started waving.

      Gideon turned his head in time to see his closest friend walk through the crowded dining room of the Jolly Roger. Their friendship went back eighteen years or more. Gideon could honestly say he’d never seen Max this happy. Marriage had transformed him. The news that he was going to be a father soon kept a perpetual smile on his face.

      “Hey, Kev, how’s it going?” The tall, dark-haired man patted Kevin’s shoulder before sitting down in the booth next to him.

      “Great! Where’s Gaby?”

      “She had to attend a seminar after work.”

      “Heck,” Kevin muttered.

      Gideon grinned. “So, lonely old you took us up on our invitation. I guess we’re better than nothing.”

      Max grinned back. The guy was crazy in love with his wife, Gideon mused for the thousandth time.

      At twenty-two, Gideon had fallen for Fay. He’d thought she’d loved him, too. But the affair she’d had during their engagement, plus the other affair after their marriage, had destroyed that belief.

      He’d had several serious relationships with women since his divorce. But something had always prevented him from proposing. It wasn’t only the trust factor. Now that he’d turned thirty-seven, he realized he’d been waiting for his soul mate all along.

      Someone who spoke to him, body, mind and soul.

      Instantly an image of Heidi Ellis filled his head. She’d been making an appearance there more often than not since last Friday night. Just the prospect of seeing her in a little while practically doubled his pulse rate.

      “Did I tell you Gaby saw the doctor last week and we’re having quadruplets?” he teased.

      Gideon nodded.

      “Dad! Hey, Dad—”

      “What is it, son?”

      Both Max and Kevin broke into laughter. Gideon looked at the two of them. “What’s wrong?”

      Max turned to Kevin. “How long has your dad been like this?”

      “Since last Friday.”

      “What happened last Friday?”

      “Daniel Mcfarlane had to have an operation, so he asked Dad to teach his criminology class at Mesa Junior High. That’s where we’re going after we eat. It’s a bunch of mystery writers who signed up for adult education.”

      “Is that right?”

      “Yeah. He read me their stories. Most of them are pretty weird.”

      Gideon saw the gleam in Max’s eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking before he spoke.

      “Mystery writers, eh? My guess is, most of them are women.”

      “Two are men,” Kevin volunteered.

      “Interesting.”

      “I liked the one about the mummy that was discovered in the basement of this museum in New York. But it smelled, so they unwrapped it and found a corpse. The person had only been dead for about a week and—”

      “Kevin, let’s change the