Chapter Twenty Six
Grace had called Tal Harbord from Ashwood Refuse in San Diego, early in the morning while Sebastian made toast and coffee. He could hear Graces' voice as she tried to convince the man in San Diego that he needed to share information over the telephone. She started by giving him her name and badge number then Sebastian could hear her giving the telephone number at the Sherriff's office where he could check her credentials.
Sebastian opened a jar of peanut butter and continued to listen to the conversation. Grace tried to get dressed for work while balancing a cell phone on her shoulder.
"Yes. It will help a lot. It is rather urgent or I would come down there to see you."
There was a pause.
"Thank you. I appreciate what ever you can give us."
Then another pause and she said, "No you're not a suspect but we have only recently learned of your involvement with Mr. Vail before he died and anything you can share with us would help."
Then a very long pause and Grace said, "Of course I know Mr. Pezzo."
She hurried into the washroom which prevented Sebastian from hearing any more of the conversation.
There was snap and two slices of rye rocketed up from the toaster.
When Grace came out of the bedroom she found Sebastian sitting sipping coffee at the table and eating.
"Did he tell you anything?" Sebastian asked.
"He was invited to bid on the business by Paul about a month before Paul was killed. I guess Paul wanted a bidding war. Maybe that was around the time he found out Jessie was cheating and he wanted Pezzo to raise his offer.
He had some nasty comments about Pezzo. Obviously the Pezzo family is well known in the sanitation business and of course their reputation is not good.
He didn't say too much about the business transaction itself but he did say he has been in touch with Jessie recently and that it looks like he's beaten Pezzo to the ball.
Harbord is buying the business from Jessie. He wouldn't talk about numbers but he was sure the deal is done. They just need lawyers to sign it off.
He also said that he had been told by Paul that Jessie wanted to sell to Pezzo but that Paul wanted to seek a better offer. It was almost happening too fast for Harbord's liking. He said it was a good business but he was a little nervous that Paul was so determined to sell the business.
Then of course Paul was killed and Harbord said they stepped away from the situation. Until Jessie called two weeks ago and says she wants to hear what Harbord was offering. Now she's dropped Pezzo and is doing the deal with Harbord just like her husband tried to do.
I'm not sure what happens to Pezzo and his missing money now and I don't know what's going to happen to Starr. Maybe they'll let him stay on but it sounds to me like it's a done deal.
I guess if Pezzo came to town with two hundred and fifty thousand of the mob's money and if Paul Vail took some of it then I would think his widow, Jessie Vail has it now, unless Paul was hiding the money from everyone including his wife.
Sebastian refilled his coffee cup.
"I think that if Pezzo gave Vail some money to get the business he's not going be too happy that the widow is selling to someone else," Sebastian said.
"He's going to be very mad if he doesn't get his money back. I wonder what Pezzo and Jessie discussed at dinner the other night. Maybe Jessie told him she is selling to another bidder and if she did he must be asking for his money that went missing. If Jessie isn't careful she is going to end up just like her husband. She seems to be making the same mistake. Another member of the Vail family may turn up dead soon."
Grace was ready to leave for work.
"Maybe I'll have someone from the sheriff's office go over to her house and keep an eye on Jessie Vail," she said. "Then maybe we can both go see her this afternoon and see if she can confirm that she is selling the business to Tal Harbord and this Ashwood Company."
"We could also ask if she knows anything about the $140,000 that her husband was hiding in Mexico," Sebastian said.
Grace left and Sebastian showered and began to get dressed. He had planned to contact Kelly to report in and then drop by the All Starr Gym and see what Teddy or Cam had to say.
He was walking down the stairs from Grace's apartment when his phone rang.
"Mr. Tyrovitch?" The voice sounded distant.
"Who is this?" He asked.
"Mr. Tyrovitch." The voice was anxious. "My name is Corrine Lee I work for Cory Pezzo. Maybe you remember me."
She sounded terrified.
Sebastian stopped at the bottom of the stairs.
"I know who you are Corrine. What's the matter?"
"Can you come to the office? I just got to work and there is something wrong."
Sebastian arrived at Pezzo's place ten minutes later and found Corrine waiting outside. She was leaning against a red convertible sports car and speaking into her cell phone. Before he climbed out of the truck Sebastian reached into his glove compartment and pulled out his gun. Corinne's voice certainly sounded terrified but she could be a good actress and this could be a trap of some sort.
She smiled a little when she saw Sebastian. It was a reassuring smile but he could see that she was scared.
"The door is locked," She said. "When I come to work at this time it is always open and Cory is inside working. I don't even have a key. Cory gets here at seven and I usually come around nine."
She was trembling a little.
"I looked in the back window and there is something wrong. Cory is lying on the floor in his office."
Sebastian had Corrine wait out front as he walked around the back. It was exactly like she described. He could see into Cory Pezzo's office and Pezzo was lying on the floor in front of his desk. Sebastian walked back to his truck and grabbed a tire iron. As he worked on forcing the door he questioned Corrine.
"What time did you leave last night?"
"I left around six. That's when I always leave. Cory was here with his cousin Mr. Rappelo and a couple of other men."
"Peter Rappelo is in town?" Sebastian asked.
"I guess so," she said. "I only met him once before. He came here when the office first opened and Cory had just hired me. I don't think Mr. Rappelo liked me."
"What were they talking about?"
"Mr. Rappelo was angry," she said. "They had been arguing about the business."
The lock snapped and the door to Pezzo's office swung open.
"Wait here," Sebastian said and he held his gun in his hand as he slowly entered the office.
Pezzo lay motionless on the floor of the inner office. A piece of his alligator belt was buckled around his neck. Another piece of the belt was still hanging from the ceiling. His office chair was in front of his desk. It appeared that Cory Pezzo had hung himself at some point last night. It seemed likely that he had been hanging there for hours until the expensive leather belt gave out and he fell to the ground.
Pezzo's face was a sort of gray color but his hair was still neat. Even in death he was well groomed.
His body lay in that twisted unnatural state. There was an indignity to it. Sebastian felt that we seldom get the opportunity to prepare when death calls.
Sebastian knew enough not to touch anything. He was dialing Grace's cell number when he heard sobbing behind him.
Corrine was leaning against the door way and covering her face with her hands as she cried. Sebastian ignored her and finished the call to Grace and then helped her out the door.
Three local police cars arrived within fifteen minutes and found Sebastian leaning against Corrine's red sports car just as he had found her. His arm was around the young woman as he consoled her. She was still sobbing.
Sebastian recognized Grace's husband as he walked into the office with a young detective. Both detectives were tall and heavy. Grace's ex stood about six three and had dark hair. The other cop was about an inch shorter and about the same weight. He was Hispanic.
Grace interviewed Corinne and another detective spoke to Sebastian.
"Looks like he hung himself sometime this morning," the Hispanic cop said.
When she arrived, the cops led the county coroner into Pezzo's office while they gave her their opinion on Pezzo's death.
The coroner was a short heavy set, black woman. She was only in her early thirties.
Grace interviewed Corinne and another uniform policeman spoke to Sebastian.
"Appears to be suicide. The coroner says he definitely died from hanging. She already knows that. He has ugly marks on his neck from the belt. Looks like he hung there for a while until the belt snapped and dropped him to the floor at some point this morning."
Sebastian walked over to Grace.
"Could be he killed himself," Sebastian told her. "The secretary tells me his Uncle, Peter Rappelo was here last night and they were arguing. He had to be in trouble over this deal. The whole thing has gone bad for Rappelo and it makes sense he would be mad at his nephew Pezzo.
If Harbord gets the business then this has been a big waste of time for Pezzo and Rappelo and I'm sure Rappelo doesn't like it. And then of course there is the question of how much money he sank into his nephews business venture here."
"Maybe Pezzo killed himself after realizing he has screwed it all up," Grace suggested.
"Sure that's possible or else Rappelo and his friends have killed Pezzo and made it look like this," Sebastian said.
"The mob killed Pezzo's father maybe they killed the son.
Push the coroner for a full autopsy. I'm going to drive Corrine home and see if she knows anything else."