Bake Me a Murder (2 page)

From the information I could find, Coco had lived with Federico Carreras, Rico for short. Until he went away to serve three of a five year prison sentence for possession of drugs with intent to sell. That had been two years ago. He’d been out on parole for ten months.

Coco’s first Cleveland area address was a duplex in the Ohio City area. I wondered if she’d started a new life but returned to her former one when Rico got out of prison.

Not much else in the way of background on Coco or Rico. Any further information could only be gained by pavement pounding. First on my list was her brother, Tony Sanchez. A private investigator can get people to open up, or shut up. I hoped my being a PI got Tony talking.

I left the office rehearsing my questions, but Ed’s call interrupted me. “Hey, kiddo. Merle says he hired you, so I called to remind you my services are free with this case. Since it’s family and all. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t collect your fees from him. He’s got a good job. Excavation.”

Ed served as my protector and muscle. I stifled a groan, hoping there would be no need for his help. My nerves needed a break after the Corozza job so I wanted to believe Coco’s disappearance and call revolved around her abandoning one lover for another and then having second thoughts. Resolved with tears, but no violence.

“Thanks, Ed. I’ll keep your offer in mind.”

He sounded surprised, even disappointed. “If you’re sure. What’re you up to now?”

“Going over to the West City Lounge on West 32
^nd
and Lorain.”

“I hope it’s not to spice up your dating life. That place caters to people even bums look down on.”

“Go ahead, yuk it up. Coco’s brother, Tony, works there.”

“Why didn’t you say so? I’ll meet you there. Bye.” He hadn’t given me a chance to refuse.

I locked up and got into my car, which I had christened Bob when he was shiny and only a little used. He had died on me a while ago and I’d hoped to bury him. After looking at even the most bare-boned used cars, I decided to overhaul Bob. So far he’d been on his best behavior. Good thing, because I’d had to borrow the fix-it money from my dad. He’d insisted the money was a gift, but I insisted it be a loan. Now, on top of rent and food, I had the payment to Dad. Thoughts of my increasing debts overwhelmed me; I pushed them to the back of my mind. Right now Coco’s whereabouts had to be my main concern.

When I pulled up to the West City Lounge, three guys huddled in its doorway, smoking. They wore that aura of boredom and desperation men who have no place better to go often have. I was tempted to wait until Ed showed up to go past them, but I persuaded myself I had nothing to fear.

I planned on looking straight ahead and rushing past them like I had a mission. Good idea, except one of them stopped me. His beer and cigarette breath almost knocked me over.

“Claire! Claire DeNardo! It’s Eric Allesio from high school. Remember me?”

I glanced over and did a double take. “Eric! Of course I remember you!” I recalled the cute, dark-haired, dark-eyed football player
e
very girl had a crush on. Not this downtrodden, shabby-looking man. “I just didn’t recognize you.” I bit my lip. He looked like life had knocked his feet out from under him and rolled him in gravel.

He gave me a wry smile and rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Yeah, lost my job, marriage fell apart. You know how it goes. But look at you! Still slim and trim. With that dark hair, you’re no older-looking at all. How’re you doing?”

I hate to be impolite even when it’s less than convenient for me. “Thanks for saying that. I’m doing fine.” I shifted my weight. “Nice to see you, Eric…” To my relief, Ed pulled up. “My friend’s here.”

Eric held up his hand. “No need to explain. Good to see you.”

I hustled to Ed’s car and opened his door for him. He smirked. “Doing valet parking now or are you just a greeter?”

From the side of my mouth, I said, “Don’t ask.”

Walking toward the lounge, I briefed Ed on what I hoped to learn from Tony. I nodded to Eric but didn’t stop. Outside the sun shone, a delight after days of rain, but that brightness made it harder to adjust to the lounge’s dimness as we went through the door.

One customer sat on a barstool and another couple, hands all over each other, semi-reclined in a booth. The bartender looked up from his phone. “What can I get you guys?”

I pulled up a stool but wanted to put a napkin over it before I sat. “Are you Tony Sanchez?”

His eyes narrowed. “Who wants to know?”

I pulled out my business card and handed it to him. “Claire DeNardo, private investigator. This is my assistant, Ed. I’ve been hired to find your sister, Coco.”

Tony sniffed as if an elephant did its business right in front of him. “Merle hired you?” Without waiting for an answer he said, “I don’t know where my sister is, but maybe she doesn’t want Merle to find her.”

A sliver of light appeared and I spotted Eric sliding into a distant booth. I lowered my voice. “Mr. Sanchez, you don’t sound that concerned about your sister missing.”

He grabbed a dishcloth and began wiping the bar. “Look, Coco’s done whatever she wanted since she was twelve. I tried to give her advice more than once. Never listened. She came crying to me about that creep, Rico. Pretty sure my sister met Merle later. First decent guy she ever got involved with. But she blew that.” He ran the cloth over the same spot.

Ed whispered from the corner of his mouth. “I can feel the devotion.”

Tony shot Ed a dirty look then picked up my card. “I love my sister, but I can’t help her if she won’t let me. She hasn’t come to me since that we argued about Rico.”

I stepped back to the bar for my closing remarks. “Thanks for your time. If you
do
hear from your sister, could you please call me?”

With the card between his two fingers he saluted me. “Yeah, sure.”

Outside the bar’s door Ed shook his head. “So much for a brother’s love. No wonder the guy hasn’t heard from his sister. If I were her I wouldn’t go to him even if he had the last bottle of water in the Sahara.”

He pulled out a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth. “If you ask me, Coco doesn’t want to be found. Merle ought to start looking for another lady friend.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You want him to give up on Coco? Do you have someone in mind for him?”

He shifted the toothpick around. “Maybe Angie, Lena’s friend.”

I chuckled until I realized he was serious. “Isn’t Merle a little young for Angie? I mean, he doesn’t look more than 35, 40 at the most.”

He waved my concern away. “Like they say, age is just a number. Angie’s a good-looking woman. Not in the same class as Lena, but not bad. She’s lonely and she’s a great cook. Anyway, I’m just saying. ” He pulled out his car keys. “Unless you need me, I gotta go pick up a suit from the tailor.” He patted his bump of a stomach. “Not complaining, but Lena’s desserts are putting extra meat around my waist.”

“I’m going back to my office. See you later and thanks.”

Ed took off and I was about to do the same, but Eric approached my car and I rolled down the window.

“I heard you asking about Tony’s sister, Coco.” Eric’s eyes darted everywhere. “Sorry. I eavesdropped.” His bloodshot, droopy eyes at last settled on me. “Coco stopped at the lounge last night to see Tony but he wasn’t here. On her way out, she asked me for a smoke. We talked outside until she finished.”

“Tony never found out she came here?”

Eric shook his head. “She asked the bartender and me not to tell him. Said it was just as well he wasn’t here, but she looked real sad. She finished her cigarette and told me she was going to find her old boyfriend, Earl, or something like that, and make up. Said she regretted ending with him. Then she left.”

Eric’s statement could point to Merle’s involvement with Coco’s disappearance. “Thanks for letting me know. Would you be willing to repeat that?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Eric waved and I put the car in reverse when an unmarked vehicle pulled up to the lounge. I threw mine in park and rubbernecked out my window. Detective Corrigan stepped out of the other car and strolled over to me. “Don’t tell me. You’re here on a case.”

I smiled in spite of my concern over Corrigan’s presence. “Yeah. And you?”

His manner shifted to cop-on-duty mode. “Police work.” He kept moving and I had to scramble after him toward the lounge.

“You can’t listen in, Claire.”

I gave him my pretty smile. “Just tell me. Is it about Coco Sanchez? Where is she?”

Corrigan halted and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I shouldn’t tell you anything.” He released a breath. “Okay, but keep it to yourself until next of kin is notified.” He twisted his mouth. “Promise you’ll leave after I tell you.”

“Depends.” The set of his jaw told me leaving would be the prudent thing for me to do. “Yes. I promise.”

He lowered his voice. “Her body was found at Rocky River Reservation about six this morning. Strangled.”

Chapter Two

M
y hand flew to my mouth. “Are you sure it was Coco Sanchez?”
Poor Merle.

A grim certainty flickered in his eyes. “Yes.”

He stepped around me and disappeared inside the bar. I was still a bit shocked and didn’t follow him. I remembered Gino’s rule number ten, “Don’t deliver bad news in a bar unless you’re the only one with a gun.”

Now that this case had turned from missing person to murder victim, I decided I’d resign. Let the police take over. Better for solving the murder, safer for me.

Still, I wanted to do right by Merle and get him as much information as possible. I cracked open the lounge’s door and peeked inside. A woman, looking more like a customer than a bartender, had replaced Tony. Gone to identify the body? No Corrigan either, so I went inside.

Eric was talking and Corrigan was writing it down in his notepad. I wondered if Eric embellished on what he’d already told me. I sidled up to the men, expecting Corrigan to warn me away.

When he didn’t, I used my professional voice in addressing both men. “I see you’re providing Detective Corrigan with the same information you gave me.” Corrigan clicked his pen a couple times.

Eric chose that moment to recall his conversation with Coco. “I remember the boyfriend’s name. It was Merle, not Earl.”

Any lingering optimism I had for this case drained away like overturned barrels of moonshine.

Corrigan put his pen to paper again. “You sure about that?”

Eric glanced at me and nodded. “Yeah, I am.”

I tried to deflect the implication. “So she was killed on her way to see Merle.”

“Does this Merle have a last name?” Corrigan glared at me. “Claire, you must know him since you’re hell bent on protecting…Oh, I get it. Merle is your client, isn’t he?”

I looked at him with fake innocence. “I have someplace else I need to be.”

Corrigan said, “Once you give me Merle’s last name and address if you have it, you can scamper off.”

He was so much more appealing when he wasn’t playing ‘cop’.
“Fine. It’s Pokov and I’m leaving.”

Merle needed to know about Coco’s death and Eric’s statement. I wondered if he had a lawyer. With my hand on the door, I turned my head. “Oh, by the way and of course it doesn’t make a difference, but, Merle is Ed’s cousin.” Without sticking around to see Corrigan’s reaction I walked outside and called Merle before I got to my car.

“Merle, this is Claire. We need to talk right away. Can you meet me at the Breen Center across from St. Ignatius in fifteen minutes? Park in the back by Keene Court. It’s very important.” I held my breath, hoping he’d agree.

“Is Coco okay? Did you find her?”

I pressed my lips together. “Let’s talk in person.”

When I arrived at the Breen Center, Merle was already there. His clothes were covered in dark grey muck. Clay or something. He looked down at his shirt and ran his hand over it. “I was at work. What did you find?”

An anticipatory empathetic tear trickled down. “Coco’s dead. The police suspect foul play. I’m so sorry.”

Merle sat on the curb and dropped his head into his hands. I joined him and waited. After a moment he straightened and stared off into the street. “Do they know who,” his voice cracked, “killed her?”

“Not yet. They’re still investigating.”

He stared down at his hands. “I was named after Merle Haggard. Great singer, lots of sad songs about love.” He turned and faced me. “I want to see her.”

“That may not be possible.”

His eyes had a faraway look in them. “I redialed the number she called from. Got nothing.” He paused. “I went to where she used to work. No one had seen her. I gave up then. I shouldn’t have. Maybe she’d still be alive.” Merle pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face. “Stay on the case. Please.”

“You hired me to find Coco. It’s a matter for the police now.” I hoped he saw my point. I didn’t want to admit the real reason I wanted off the case. I was allergic to danger; one whiff of it and I broke out in fear.

He picked up a piece of gravel and tossed it across the almost empty parking lot. “The cops have lots of cases to work. You’d be more focused. Please. I have to know what happened.”

This conversation reminded me of an earlier case on which I’d been persuaded to stay. Remembering how that turned out, I shook my head. “My report will include Coco’s cause of death and so forth, but that’s the end of it. I’m sorry. Of course, you’ll get a full refund.”

He stood and wiped his hands on his pants. “Forget the refund. I’m asking you, reconsider.”

I rose too. “I don’t think—” My phone interrupted me. Corrigan. “I need to take this, Merle. Hello?”

“Claire. It’s Brian. Is Merle Pokov with you?”

I frowned. “Yes. Why?”

“Where are you?”

After I answered, Corrigan said, “Make sure he stays put. I’ll be right there.”

I started to tell Merle what Corrigan said, but he stopped me. “I heard.” He glanced at his watch. “Better call my crew and let them know I’ll be delayed.”

I nodded. Who knew which way this would spin?