“Ah yes, Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey and Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, not to mention the immortal Sherlock, the heroes of my youth. I believe that your father and I would have gotten along.”
Regina flashed an indulgent smile. “That’s enough about me, Mr. Chesterfield. You said you’ve been charged with two murders. Tell me what the police think you did.”
“Are you by any chance a member of the Westmont Country Club?”
“No.”
“Did you read about the secretary at the club who was poisoned?”
“I did, but I don’t usually pay much attention to a murder case when I’m not involved.”
“Busman’s holiday, eh?” Chesterfield said with a smile. Then he stopped smiling. “I moved to Oregon from London several years ago and began seeing Lily Dowd, who was a widow and a member of the Westmont. A gentleman named Arthur Gentry was also courting Lily. Mr. Gentry passed away quite suddenly. I married Lily soon after and became a member of the Westmont.
“Several months ago, Samuel Moser, the manager of the club, accused me of sexually harassing female members and staff, including his secretary, Sophie Randall. He also accused me of cheating at cards. There was no truth to these accusations, and I told him so. Mr. Moser continued to insult me, and I demanded that he be fired. When the board refused, my wife and I resigned.
“In December, someone sent Mr. Moser a box of chocolates. He gave the box to Mrs. Randall. She ate a few pieces and died. The papers reported that the chocolates contained cyanide. Now I’ve learned that the police believe that Mr. Gentry may have been poisoned.”
“Are you being accused of murdering both victims?” Regina asked.
Chesterfield nodded. “Do you know a prosecutor named Peter Ragland?”
“I do.”
“Have you had any cases against him?”
“I have.”
“How did you do?”
“Of the four cases I tried against Peter, three ended in not guilty verdicts. I lost one case, but I appealed, and the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed because Peter failed to tell me that his key witness had not identified my client at a lineup and a photo throwdown. When the case was sent back for a new trial, Peter’s boss told him to dismiss it. Is Peter the DA on your case?”
“Yes. He’s also a member of the Westmont and he seems to be having the time of his life harassing me with these ridiculous charges. Recently, Mr. Ragland drove to my house on the coast with Detectives Quinlan and Dillon and tried to interrogate me. When I realized what he was up to, I sent them packing. Then he showed up at my condominium tonight while I was entertaining a young woman and dragged me downtown. If it hadn’t been for Detective Quinlan, I’m sure he would have perp-walked me out of my building in the nude.”
“Did they tell you why you’re a suspect?”
“It has to be because of the argument I had with Moser. Ragland asked me about it. And, of course, if Arthur Gentry and I were both courting Lily and he was also poisoned…” Chesterfield shrugged.
“If you decide to retain me, I’ll contact Peter and get discovery. Then we’ll know the state’s evidence.”
“I understand that there’s no bail in a murder case.”
“There’s no automatic bail, but I can get bail for you by asking for a bail hearing and convincing the judge that the DA doesn’t have a strong case. That doesn’t always work. Judges are reluctant to release defendants charged with murder.”
“How much will you want as a retainer if I hire you today?”
“We’re talking six figures if you’re charged with murder and high six figures if you’re facing the death penalty. There could be further expenses for expert witnesses and investigators.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. My wife is quite wealthy.”
“Didn’t you just tell me that you were in bed with a young woman when Ragland arrested you? Won’t your wife be angry?”
Chesterfield smiled. “Lily is very understanding. Give her a call and tell her I’m in jail, and I’m sure she’ll come to the rescue. But I trust you’ll treat the circumstances of my arrest as an attorney-client confidence.”
* * *
After Regina left the jail, she caught a few hours of sleep before going to her office. When she got there, Regina called the number Chesterfield had given her for his wife.
“Am I speaking to Lily Dowd?” Regina asked when a woman answered the phone.
“Yes?”
“My name is Regina Barrister. I’m a criminal defense attorney in Portland, and I have some disturbing news for you. Your husband has been arrested. I talked to him at the jail last night.”
“Bobby is in jail?” Dowd asked as if she had not heard Regina correctly.
“I’m afraid so.”
“What are the charges?”
“They’re very serious. I think it would be better if we discussed them in person.”
“I’m not a child, Miss Barrister. Tell what’s going on.”
“The district attorney is accusing him of poisoning a woman named Sophie Randall, attempting to poison Samuel Moser, and poisoning another man named Arthur Gentry.”
“Arthur!” Dowd gasped. Then there was silence on Dowd’s end of the phone.
“Mrs. Dowd, are you all right?”
“Yes. This is just a shock. And it can’t be true. Bobby would never do anything like that.”
“He’s told me that he’s innocent.”
“Of course, he is.”
“I’m sure you understand that it is very expensive to defend a murder case. One of the reasons I’m calling is because your husband wants to retain me. He told me to call you to make the financial arrangements so I can represent him.”
“What amount are we talking about?”
Regina quoted a figure and explained why it was high. Dowd was silent again for a moment.
“That’s a lot of money. I’d like to talk to you in person before I write a check.”
“Of course. Can you come to Portland, or would you rather I go to you?”
“Will they let me see Bobby?”
“Yes. There are visiting hours.”
“Very well. I’ll come to Portland. Can I see Bobby this afternoon?”
“I’ll try to set up a visit. We can talk after you see your husband.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Regina was standing at the front door of the Justice Center when a black Mercedes limousine stopped at the base of the steps. A light rain was falling. A chauffeur opened the rear door and held an umbrella over Lily Dowd, who was wearing a dull gray overcoat and sensible shoes. If it weren’t for the limo and the chauffeur, Regina would not have known that Dowd was one of the wealthiest women in Oregon.
“Mrs. Dowd,” Regina said as she walked down the steps.
Dowd and the chauffeur met Regina halfway.
“Let’s get inside,” Regina said.
“I’ll be all right now, Greg,” Dowd said. “I’ll call you when I’m ready to go.”
The chauffeur shielded Dowd until she was out of the rain. Then he walked back to the car and drove off. Dowd opened her coat when she was inside. Her dress was as drab as her coat.