Mystery on the Tramway Read online

  “Ok, you’ll pass El Paseo in Palm Desert on the way to and from the zoo. Go to The Dressing Room by Carlisle, it’s right on the corner of El Paseo and Highway one-eleven and ask for Erik. He’s the floor manager and an old friend. Tell him I sent you, he knows about you Henry, I talk about you all the time, anyway he’ll help you out.”

  “The Dressing Room by Carlisle, see Erik. Ok, thanks Charles, if we don’t see you this afternoon, then we’ll see you at the service.”

  “Ok, have a good time and stay cool.” Charles admonished them on the way out.

  “Charles seems to be in a better mood this morning.” Gloria told Henry as she got into the Mercury.

  “Yeah, Charles is basically a happy guy and he can’t stay in a funk for very long. I admire him for volunteering at the hospice, that disease is terminal and it must get depressing.”

  “But Charles doesn’t have… I mean he took care of his partner Jonathan, but is Charles…”

  “Charles is healthy, so he says. He’s had himself tested several times because he couldn’t believe it either, but he’s fine.” Henry started the car and let the air conditioner run. It was just past ten o’clock but the thermometer read one hundred.

  “It had to be difficult for Terrance Quinn and Robert Silverstein as well.” Gloria said pulling her shorts down so that her legs didn’t stick to the seat.

  “Hang on.” Henry said as he got out of the still open door and ran into the garage. He picked a clean towel up from the top of the clothes dryer and came back out and handed it to Gloria.

  “Thanks Henry, this is perfect. I love leather seats, but sometimes when I wear shorts, I don’t like how they feel.” Gloria lifted herself off the seat and put the towel under her in one smooth motion.

  “You’re right. You know, I bought this car because it is very similar to the patrol cars that I drove for years. It’s just more luxurious.” Henry closed the door and started backing out of the driveway.

  “How long have you had it?”

  “I bought it when I first moved to Palm Springs, so just over three years. It only has twenty-two thousand miles on it; the longest trip I ever took was to Tuolumne County, when I met you.” Henry made the right on Avenida Caballeros and a left on Tacheva where a developer was building a small cluster of expensive homes. The desert’s sand was all over the construction site and spilled onto the road, that would all change when the landscaping was put in, he thought.

  “Have you thought about getting a new car?” Gloria asked looking over at him.

  “Funny you should ask. On the way back from Sonora, I was thinking that this wasn’t the most comfortable car for long trips. You know, as a cop, I spent the whole day in these cars so I thought it would be comfortable and that’s why I bought it. Plus I know where all the buttons are and stuff.” Henry made a right turn on Sunrise Way to head back over to Highway one-eleven and go south towards Palm Desert.

  “So if you spent the whole day in them, why isn’t the car comfortable?” Gloria looked over at Henry.

  “Well, as a cop, you’re in and out of your car all day long. You don’t sit for hours driving a long distance. So when I spent eight hours behind the wheel going to Sonora, I found all of the problems in the car.”

  “Sort of like the princess and the pea.” Gloria smiled her big smile.

  “Yeah, exactly. No matter how many mattresses – in this case padding in the seat – I had, after a while I could not get comfortable.” Henry stopped at the light to make the left turn onto Palm Canyon. He pointed out the historic Smoke Tree Ranch on the other side of the street to her. He told her that’s where the movie stars used to stay and shop. The left arrow turned green and Henry turned onto Palm Canyon Drive and continued towards Palm Desert.

  “Over on the right is the Palapas Nursery.” Gloria said looking out the window.

  “That’s right; you’re getting to know your way around pretty well.” Henry nodded. Look up on the hill, see the grey round house up there?”

  “The one that looks like a flying saucer landed on the hilltop?”

  “Yep, that was Bob Hope’s house. While he was alive, the Hope’s actually lived in a modest little bungalow not too far from Mel Avenue. This place was used for fund raisers and stuff.”

  “That’s neat. We don’t have too many celebrities in Sonora. Well, there’s Vida Blue, he’s a former baseball pitcher and Robert Conrad lives up near Arnold. But nobody like Bob Hope. I miss his specials on television, I’m sorry he’s gone.”

  Gloria looked back at Henry. On his side of the street were a string of car dealerships. “Look Henry, all kinds of new car lots, let’s get you a new car. This one just doesn’t suit you.”

  Henry laughed. “What do you mean, it doesn’t suit me. I was a policeman for thirty-one years; this is basically a police car in civilian clothes. How could it not suit me?”

  “Henry, I heard that you said that your job is what you do, it’s not who you are. Maybe this car fit the old Henry, but you’re a lot different today than the Henry that I met at the restaurant in Sonora. You’re much less cop-like and more relaxed these days. There is no need for you to drive around in something that is not comfortable. Look, there’s a Toyota dealer, and a Ford dealer, and on this side of the street is a British Motor dealership. I love going car shopping.”

  “You know, maybe you’re right. Maybe I should get a new car. Let’s do some research on my computer when we get home, I’m not even sure what I want.”

  “Well, if you’re going to be driving up to Sonora a lot, maybe you could get one of those new hybrid cars that get good gas mileage. But maybe you won’t be driving up there that much, so I think you’d look good in a Volkswagen, or maybe even a small Lexus or perhaps a Jaguar. One of those new ones with the classic styling, you know the rounded fenders and all.”

  Henry laughed again. “A new car, a new woman in my life, I’m a happy man.”

  “I’m glad Henry, I’m happy too.”

  They parked the car at the Living Desert Zoo and Henry debated about leaving his weapon in the car. He didn’t like leaving it in the glove compartment; he usually locked the handguns in the trunk. He decided to just wear it, the holster was comfortable, the Glock was light and it really wasn’t very noticeable under his shirt.

  They put the sun shade in the windshield to try to keep the car cool, locked the doors and walked to the entrance. They decided not to ride the tram despite the heat and instead walked over to the zoo’s replica of an African Village and listened to the storyteller tell the tales of African folklore.

  “We started talking about Robert Silverstein and Terrance Quinn on our way out.” Gloria said as they walked along the path towards the Eagle Canyon.

  “You said it was difficult for them.” Henry reminded her.

  “It must have been. I guess Robert didn’t have health coverage and Terrance didn’t make enough money to pay for the drugs that Robert needed.” Gloria shook her head.

  “It’s a shame that Terrance’s job didn’t provide health coverage for Robert.” Henry said.

  “If it had, perhaps Robert would still be alive today.”

  “Maybe even Terrance would be alive today.”

  “What do you mean?” Gloria stopped in the shade of a Palo Verde tree. They were in front of the Bighorn Sheep Hill and she watched one of the animals walk nearly vertically up some rocks as though he was out for a morning stroll on a flat sidewalk.

  “I can’t get past the notion of Terrance Quinn committing suicide.” Henry watched the sheep as well.

  “I thought that was physically impossible.”

  “It is, but it’s the only theory that I have that fits.”

  “But if it’s physically impossible, then it can’t fit. We need to keep working at this Henry. Do you think Todd Gregory will show up at the funeral service tonight?”

  “I guess that could happen. I don’t know how he would find out about Robert’s death though. I’m sure Wayne will keep an eye
out for him.” Henry started walking again.

  “You’re right you know. Suicide doesn’t work. That leaves one of the Gregory’s and right now my money is on Cherie.”

  “You know, she was angry at Terrance for corrupting her child, as she put it. She might just have been angry enough to murder the man that she blamed for her son’s downfall.”

  “And she has the right kind of gun.” Henry was quiet and they walked slowly from shady spot to shady spot like children playing hopscotch to the Eagle Canyon display.

  They were sitting in the air conditioned breeze of the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant on El Paseo when they ordered lunch. Gloria spotted the eatery as they came down Highway 74 from the zoo; it was right on El Paseo, just a half block from the highway. They were lucky with parking and Henry pulled into a spot just as a blue haired lady in a large, convertible Cadillac pulled out. Gloria ordered an Oriental Chicken Salad, while Henry had the Thai Chicken Pizza. They both had iced tea and looked down along El Paseo to figure out if they could walk to the women’s clothing store Charles had recommended.

  They decided to ask the waiter if he knew where it was; he didn’t and he went off to ask the manager. The manager was a woman in her early forties who said that The Dressing Room was between San Luis Rey Avenue and Portola. Gloria asked her what kind of fashion they carried, she thought for a moment and said classic conservative. Gloria thanked her and was satisfied; she told Henry that she was sure she could find something there.

  Henry didn’t think that Charles would steer them wrong, knowing Charles he wouldn’t tell them to go to a store selling resort wear if she was looking for a funeral dress. Gloria said she just wasn’t used to a man getting it right when it came to women’s fashion, it was a refreshing change.

  They finished lunch and they drove to the other end of El Paseo. The street was wide with a grassy median with palm trees and outdoor sculptures in the middle. Both sides were lined with boutiques and art galleries and restaurants that spilled out onto the sidewalks. Gloria said the upscale types of stores made it look like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills; she’d been there many years ago on a shopping trip with a girlfriend while she still lived in San Diego. Parking spaces were at a premium, there were Porsches and Jaguars and even a Rolls, parked in the spaces along the sidewalk. This time they weren’t as lucky with finding a place as they were before lunch and they ended up parking the car in a spot around the corner from the shop on Prickly Pear Lane.

  “Gut Afffternoooon” They were greeted by a tall, impossibly thin blond man with wire rimmed reading glasses perched on the end of his nose. He was wearing an impeccable dark blue wool suit with a heavily starched shirt and burgundy red tie. In the casual atmosphere of the desert, his attire and accent were totally out of place, but here in this shop he seemed to belong.

  “Hi, we’re looking for Erik.” Henry said while Gloria started looking at racks of clothing along the wall.

  “Yah, I am Erik, at your service.” Erik said with a heavy accent on the “at” so that it sounded like the rest of the sentence was one word. Henry thought Erik clicked his heels when he said it, maybe he just imagined it.

  “My name is Henry Wright. Charles Knightly sent us and told us to ask for you. We’re looking for a black dress to wear to a funeral.”

  “Ah so, yah, Charles, he called and said you would be in. Good man Charles. Henry, you are his friend, no? He has told me much about you. You are very good to him. I think madam; you need a size eight, yah?”

  Gloria turned to Erik. “You’re good. Size eight is perfect, something in basic black so that I could wear it again.”

  “Of course.” Erik walked through the small shop and pulled several dresses off the racks along the walls and in the middle of the floor. He handed them to Gloria who handed two of them back and kept the other two.

  “I’d like to try these two on please.”

  “Of course. Please, come this way, yah?” Erik took the two dresses from her and walked towards the back of the shop. He pulled aside the curtain of the lone dressing room and hung the two dresses she selected on the hook. After she went inside and closed the curtain, Erik put the two dresses Gloria rejected back in their place on the racks along the wall and went to rejoin Henry. In a low voice he said. “Your wife has good taste, yah. She will look stunning in these dresses. She will be in very elegant appearance for the funeral, not vulgar, but very classy and at the same time sexy, yah?”

  “She’s not my…” Henry started to say as Gloria stepped out of the dressing room. “You’re right Erik, she does look stunning.” He said instead.

  She walked over to where they were standing and with her short dark hair, skin color and the black dress that fit her curves perfectly, she was indeed classically elegant. “I’m not even going to try the other one on, I really like this one. Henry, we’re going to have to get some shoes as well, I don’t feel comfortable wearing sneakers or sandals with this.”

  “There is a wonderful little shop around the corner. You will tell them I sent you. They will have the right shoes for you.” Erik said looking over the top of his glasses at Gloria.

  “Sounds good, is that ok with you Henry? Ring this up while I change back into my shorts.” Henry nodded and smiled as Gloria turned on her heel and headed back for the little dressing room.

  She insisted on paying for the dress even after Henry repeatedly offered. Erik gave them the shop’s friends and family discount and carefully put the dress in a garment bag. They went around the corner to the shoe store Erik recommended and within twenty minutes she had a pair of sling back heels picked out that matched the dress perfectly. They placed their purchases in the trunk of the Mercury and headed home to get ready for the funeral service.

  Chapter 13

  It was a quarter past five when they pulled into the parking lot of the Desert Synagogue on Palm Canyon Drive. Henry spotted Wayne’s Ford Crown Victoria and pulled in next to it. He got out of the car, reached into the back seat and put his black blazer on before opening Gloria’s door. He had worn the Glock again but since his shirt was tucked in and the holster and gun was visible he wanted to cover it quickly with the coat.

  Gloria suggested he wear his grey slacks, a white shirt and a pale yellow tie with the blazer. For the first time in weeks, he’d put on a pair of dress socks. Gloria had brushed her hair, freshened up her makeup and with her new dress and shoes; they made a very handsome couple.

  Charles left the house ahead of them; he stopped by the hospice to give a ride to some of Robert’s friends there who could no longer drive but wanted to attend the service. His Explorer was not in the parking lot yet. Gloria held Henry’s arm as they walked into the temple which was bright and almost cheery. As they entered the sanctuary, Henry picked up a yarmulke from a bowl which contained many and placed it on the back of his head.

  There weren’t very many people sitting on the benches, it didn’t look like Robert had any family that was here. Henry spotted Wayne in the back and wanted to sit next to him but Gloria suggested that they sit near the front out of respect for the deceased. Henry looked up as Charles and three elderly men came in. One of them pushed a walker and they walked slowly to one of the benches and sat down.

  There were no flowers, no casket and the service was conducted in English, and Hebrew. The final prayer was said in Aramaic and twenty minutes after entering the service was over and they were standing in the lobby of the temple where they met up with Wayne.

  “No sign of Todd Gregory?” Henry asked.

  “Nope. I have an unmarked car outside in the parking lot watching the temple and a black and white across the street and no sign of either of the Gregory’s.” Wayne replied.

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” Henry said.

  “Have you learned anything else?” Wayne asked.

  “No, not since I talked with you on the phone yesterday afternoon.”

  “Neither have we. I’ve checked with Cherie Gregory’s mother. She
still lives in Gallup, New Mexico. She said she hasn’t heard from her daughter in about a month. She claims that isn’t unusual though, sometimes several months go by where she doesn’t hear from her. I asked the local police to cruise by her house just to see if her car was parked there in case the mother was lying, but no sign of Cherie’s Camry.” Wayne took off his yarmulke and placed it back in the container by the door.

  “You know Wayne I think I want to take another look at the tramway. I just cannot figure out how this was done. Maybe I can get some answers by just poking around at the Valley Station. I think the murder was committed there after the tram arrived, not while the tram was underway.” Henry scratched his head. He was truly puzzled by this slaying.

  “Alright, head back up there, but the crime lab has been over that place and they can’t find anything. By the way, the two of you look very nice, I feel kind of underdressed.” Wayne was wearing a sport coat over his polo shirt. “You should take advantage of being dressed up and go out to a nice dinner somewhere.”

  Henry looked at Gloria, he did want to take her to dinner, and he wanted to have that special conversation with her, but tonight just wasn’t the night. He hoped that Gloria felt the same way. “Thanks for the compliment Wayne.” She said. “But we already have some shrimp in the refrigerator that we are going to put on the grill tonight. You’re welcome to come over and have some.”

  Henry looked at Gloria with renewed appreciation and put his arm around her. “Yeah, when you finish at the station, if you want to come by, we’ll have plenty of food.” Henry was wondering where they were going to get the shrimp that Gloria claimed were in the refrigerator. They’d better go straight from the synagogue to Jensen’s and buy some.