Throw a Double for Spite

by Cherie Mitchell

  Riley laughed. “It was a disappointment, but not in the way you mean. He had to cancel. He had car trouble and no other way to get to the movie theater. We’re trying again on Wednesday night.”

  “Doesn’t he know how to use the subway?” Megan asked drily.

  “I think by that time it was too late. It was nearly seven when he texted me, and we’d arranged to meet for the movie at seven. I decided to have a drink at a nearby restaurant instead but unfortunately, that turned out to be the wrong move. A horrible man followed me when I went to get my car and we had an unpleasant altercation. He only left me alone when I threatened to call the police.”

  “Did you call the police anyway?”

  “No. He didn’t touch me or anything like that. He said some nasty things but that was as far as it went. It was probably my own fault for talking to him at the restaurant. He somehow formed the impression that I was interested in him.” She shuddered at the memory.

  “Be careful, Riley. We all have to be careful while that evil criminal is on the loose.”

  “I know that, and I am careful.”

  Megan’s mood had shifted again. She sat next to Riley on the sofa, taking her hand and looking at her earnestly as she spoke. “What about this guy Jack? What if he isn’t who he’s telling you he is? I don’t think you should meet him.”

  “We’re meeting in a public place and I’ll make sure to park my car under a street lamp. I want to meet him.” She grinned. “Maybe that will prove to everyone that I do like men.” She gave Megan’s hand a reassuring squeeze before dropping the folded birth certificate into her bag and rising to her feet. “Thanks for the wine. I’ll let you know all about Jack after our date on Wednesday.”

  Megan tilted her face up from where she sat on the sofa, her eyes dark and serious. “Just be careful. I don’t want anyone to start thinking they can take the best friend I’ve ever had away from me.”

  “And I don’t intend for that to happen. No, don’t get up. I’ll let myself out.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  “Have you seen the latest?” Paul dropped the morning paper down on Riley’s keyboard. “The case has taken another drastic turn.”

  Riley had seen him walk into the office ten minutes ago, arriving much later than his normal start time and looking rumpled and flustered. She looked up at him before taking any notice of the headlines on the front of the newspaper. “Are you ok? You look... disheveled.”

  “Yeah.” He dragged his hand through his hair and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “There’s been a few dramas at home.”

  “If you want to talk about it, I’m willing to listen.”

  “Maybe later.” He reached past her and stabbed a thin, gnarled finger at the leading headline on the page. A thick cloth bandage covered a large portion of his hand, the cloth wound several times around and fastened with a small silver hook clasp. “Look at this. Doesn’t your friend work on a construction site?”

  “Roses?”

  “What?” He frowned at her and she pointed at his hand. “The bandage. Did you hurt yourself trimming the rose bushes again?”

  He hurriedly shoved his bandaged hand into his trouser pocket. “Dratted thorns will be the death of me.”

  Riley finally turned her attention to the newspaper. BODY FOUND ON CONSTRUCTION SITE. HAS THE CONDO KILLER STRUCK AGAIN?

  Riley gasped and pressed her hand to her mouth. “Did it happen near here?”

  “Apparently. Just a few blocks away from what I can work out, although they haven’t given the exact address. The victim is another young woman in her twenties, a girl walking home alone. She was nearly at her apartment building when he struck.”

  “That’s terrible. I haven’t heard anything from Briar. I’ll call her now.” She went to grab for her phone, bending her nail painfully backwards when she opened the drawer. She bit back her cry of pain.

  “They don’t know for sure that it was him,” Paul said conversationally, perching his rump on the corner of her desk. “But the modus operandi was almost the same as for the girl he left in a coma. Mouth covered with duct tape, hands tied with cable ties...”

  Riley sucked on her injured finger and looked across to Colin’s office window as she waited for Briar to answer. He was speaking on the phone and paying no mind to what was going on out in the main office. She glanced at Angus’s office, empty and dark again, just as Briar’s voice came on the line. “Yeah?”

  “Oh, Briar! I’ve just seen the headlines. Was the body found on one of your sites?”

  “Yeah. It’s been a nightmare. There are cops and paparazzi everywhere.”

  “That’s horrible. Who found her? It wasn’t you, was it?”

  “One of the bulldozer drivers. A car full of suits has just arrived; I think one of them is the police commissioner. Hey, I gotta go. Everything is going nuts over here.”

  “Ok. Ring me when you get a chance.” She hung up and looked up at Paul, who was watching her expectantly. “It was on one of her sites. I’d hate to be in her shoes right now.”

  “You’re not wrong. I can think of better ways to spend a morning.” He eased himself off the edge of the desk. “I might take you up on the offer to talk after all. We can do it in Angus’s office.”

  “Is he not coming in again?” Riley took one last look at the news headline as she got up to follow him. Three needless deaths and still it seemed the police were no closer to finding the killer. It was sobering to think that a man like that was walking around somewhere out there, living a normal life while the women of the city cowered in fear.

  “I’ll explain in private.” Paul held Angus’s door open for her and shut it firmly as soon as he was inside. He pulled the blinds down, shutting out Heather’s inquisitive face as she craned her neck to see from behind her computer. “Angus won’t be back.”

  “What? Why? What happened?” Riley glanced at Angus’s desk. His laptop was gone, as were most of the files from his IN tray, leaving the desktop bare except for his pen and business card holder.

  “My father has decided to withdraw his physical involvement from the business and from now on will only act as a silent partner. I’ll be stepping into his role. It was always on the cards but it will be happening sooner than anticipated.” He puffed out his chest, but Riley wasn’t sure if he was aware he was doing it.

  “Did something happen to speed up his decision?”

  “My parents have decided to end their marriage.” His Adam’s apple jumped as he swallowed. “Angus never quite got over Marjory’s betrayal and it’s probably for the best. His departure has already led to a calmer environment at home, which is helpful when managing Jason’s condition.”

  “So he’s left the family home and business at the same time? That’s a huge move for anyone to make. Where is he now?”

  Paul looked uncomfortable, or perhaps shifty. “We’re not too sure.”

  “Don’t you find the situation odd?”

  “Adult relationships are complicated.” His eyes bored into hers.

  “I suppose he’s been through some challenging times. I can’t say I blame him for choosing to retreat.” Riley purposely pretended to misunderstand his meaning. She gazed around the office, noticing now that Angus’s filing cabinet was also gone. “When did he clear out his things?”

  “He came back to the office late last night. He was gone for hours and when he returned to the house, he and Mom had a shouting match. He left soon after and we haven’t seen him since.”

  “You told us that he’d been out of town for the past few days. Was he really out of town or was that an excuse?”

  Paul avoided the question. “I was following his instructions by informing the staff that he was out of town. I’ll be making an announcement to the other staff later today in regards to my new role in the business.” His eyes softened as he gazed at her. “I wanted to let you know ahead of the others. I’ll be taking them aside one by one over the course of the afternoon to inform them of the changes. I
think of you as a confidant as well as a friend, so it made sense to tell you first. You know how I feel about you, Riley.”

  “Thank you.” Riley placed her hand on the door handle, anxious to drag the conversation back to safer ground before returning to her desk. The room felt too small, too confined, and the feverish look in Paul’s eyes was making her self-conscious. It didn’t help that his gaze had now dropped to her breasts. “What does Colin think of this sudden change in circumstances? He must have some say in it.”

  “Colin.” Paul spat out the other man’s name, but at least she’d broken his fascination with her breasts by mentioning him. “Colin doesn’t have any say in the matter and that’s the way it’s going to stay. It’s out of his hands. He’s already shown me what kind of man he is. My goal is to gradually ease him out of the business and eventually buy his share. Gordon & Son has a more solid ring to it than Smith & Gordon, even if my father’s input is to be minimal from this point forward.”

  “Wow, those are big plans.”

  “I’ve been biding my time, Riley. I’ve been waiting for my moment and I think my time to shine has finally arrived. I’ve always known what I want and I’m not afraid to take it.” A speck of spittle flew from his mouth and landed on Riley’s cheek.

  She swiped furiously at the disgusting wet patch with the back of one hand while yanking open the door with the other. “I wish you well and I have no doubt that you’ll be successful. I should get back to my desk. I’m expecting a phone call from an important client.”

  “Who? Which client? I’m your boss now. I don’t want there to be any secrets between us.” He lifted his hand as if he was thinking of touching her arm.

  Riley opened the door wider, wide enough for Heather to see in if she leaned forward far enough. “John Jameson from Cattermole’s Stock Feed.” She was relieved when her desk phone began to ring. “That will be him now. Thanks again for taking me aside. I appreciate the insight.”

  He nodded and turned away to run his hand lovingly across the varnished surface of the desk while Riley gratefully made her escape.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  “Your friend is here to see you.” Lucy’s voice sang down the line when Riley picked up the desk phone. The morning had flown by and she scarcely knew what time it was. Since moving into Angus’s office yesterday afternoon, Paul had been impossible. He’d sent more work her way than she knew what to do with, he’d had several loud, public disagreements with Colin as both men stood on opposite sides of the office and shouted at each other, and he seemed to be doing whatever he could to make his employees’ lives a misery. Except for Lucy. For some reason, Lucy had escaped his wrath and she was currently teacher’s pet, which explained her cheerful demeanor. Paul appeared to have forgotten the speech he’d made to Riley about confidants and friends, and he’d done so in a remarkably short space of time.

  “My friend? I wasn’t expecting anyone.” Riley found she was talking to herself as the receptionist had already ended the call. Frowning, she exited the spreadsheet she’d been working on and walked through to the reception area. “Briar!”

  Briar gave her a tired smile. Dust clung to her usually shiny hair, her orange vest hung limply against her jeans-clad thighs, and her cheek and jaw bore a large smudge of clay-colored dirt. “Are you free for lunch? I wouldn’t mind having a friend to talk to after the morning I’ve suffered through.”

  “Of course! Let me get my bag and I’ll be right with you.”

  The two women left the office together, stepping outside into a smelly cloud of smoke from Colin’s cigarette. He glowered at them from beneath his brows but said nothing as they walked away. Colin’s cigarette breaks had increased considerably since Junior Foghorn took the company helm.

  Briar looked over her shoulder as they walked out to the street. “Who’s that?”

  “Colin. He’s a bit odd. I wouldn’t like to meet him in a dark alley but apparently a certain type of woman finds him appealing. It takes all sorts to make a world go around. Tell me about your morning.”

  “My morning was shit. Actually, my whole week has been shit.”

  “Starting with your car breakdown,” Riley said sympathetically. “It sounds as if everything went downhill from there.”

  “What?” Briar stopped outside the sandwich shop and stared at her.

  “Your car trouble,” Riley said, uncertain now. Briar looked so angry. Kennedy looked so angry. How could she bring up that she knew Briar’s real name and the name of her dead twin without letting on that she’d been poking her nose in where it wasn’t wanted? Not that she would do it when Briar was acting so volatile. What had she said to make her so angry?

  “How can you talk about something as inconsequential as car trouble when a dead body was found on my construction site just a day and a half ago?” Briar roared, for an instant sounding a lot like the new version of Paul.

  “Briar, keep your voice down.” Riley looked around nervously at the lunchtime crowd of hungry pedestrians who were currently sharing their patch of pavement, most of whom were openly and unashamedly gawking. “People are staring.”

  To Riley’s horror, the normally self-contained Briar’s eyes glimmered with tears. “I’m sorry. It’s been a rough few days. My emotions are all over the place. I feel... hunted.”

  “Oh, darling. I’m so sorry. Do you want to go and have lunch somewhere more private? I should have been more sensitive.”

  Briar pulled herself together with visible effort. “No, I only have a short amount of time before I have to get back to work. Let’s eat here. Actually, could you go in and get me a sandwich? I need to have a smoke.” She indicated a bench seat further along the street before wriggling her hand into the pocket of her slim fitting jeans. “Here, let me give you some money.”

  “No. I don’t need your money. What sort of sandwich do you want?”

  “Chicken. Or bacon. It doesn’t matter – anything without cucumber. I can’t stand the stuff. Thanks, doll.” She curved her full lips up into a smile, recovering quickly from her brief breakdown.

  When Riley walked out of the sandwich shop ten minutes later, she glanced down the street to see a man with his back to her talking to Briar on the bench. A group of loudly chattering office girls walked in front of her, momentarily blocking her view, and when the pavement cleared again the man was walking quickly away with his hands in the pocket of his long, black coat.

  “I ordered you a chicken, lettuce, and mayo.” Riley dropped the paper bag into Briar’s lap. “Who was that?”

  Briar held her cigarette out of the way and gave Riley a blank look as she sat on the bench beside her. “Who?”

  “The man you were talking to.”

  “Oh, him.” Briar bent to stub her cigarette out against the dirty pavement. “He wanted directions to the nearest Burger Town.” She unwrapped her sandwich and sank her teeth into the bread with hearty relish.

  Riley pulled away a piece of crust from her own sandwich and popped it into her mouth. “Has it been awful?” she asked carefully, afraid of saying anything that might set Briar off again.

  Briar nodded, finishing her mouthful before she spoke. “I’ve had better weeks. We were supposed to have finished the framing on that site today and now the entire site is covered in crime tape. It’s thrown the entire project off schedule.”

  “And the girl? They didn’t say a lot about her in the articles that I’ve read.”

  “She was walking home after a night out.” Briar sighed. “I just need to get through this afternoon and then I can go home, stand under a hot shower, and get ready for my even hotter date.”

  “Another hot date? Is this with the same person? The one you saw in the weekend? Are things getting serious?”

  “Maybe.” Briar used her thumb to brush a crumb from Riley’s lower lip, the gesture shockingly intimate in its unexpectedness. Riley was left with the faint taste of mortar dust on the tip of her tongue. “Your lunch is smeared all over your face,” Bri
ar said fondly.

  Riley said nothing, for the moment unable to find the right words. Briar’s moods today were unpredictable and faintly alarming.

  Briar sat her unfinished sandwich down on the bench and lit another cigarette. Riley pulled away, away from the stinging stench of tobacco smoke and Briar’s erratic mood swings.

  “That guy, that Condo Murderer...”

  “Condo Killer,” Riley corrected her automatically, without thinking. “What about him?”

  Briar narrowed her eyes into cat-like slits from behind the screen of smoke. “Condo Killer. You know what I meant. The detective who interviewed me yesterday afternoon said there was another attack, one that they’ve asked the media not to report on.”

  A chill scuttled up Riley’s spine. “Another attack aside from the one at the construction site? When?”

  “Sunday night.”

  Riley immediately thought of the altercation on the bridge with Oliver. “Where?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

  “He didn’t tell me where. The girl escaped but she managed to bite his hand before she ran off.”

  “Why don’t they want the media to report it?”

  “I don’t know. The cops seem to know what they’re doing.” Briar casually flicked her ash into the gutter and stretched her long legs out in front of her.

  “He’s not really the Condo Killer anymore is he? Not if he’s attacking women outside of their apartments.”

  Briar jerked her head around to stare at Riley, the sunlight catching her eyes and blanking her expression. The thin gold chain around her neck glinted, the necklace just visible beneath the collar of her polo shirt. “But what if there are two of them, two criminals acting independently of one another?”

  “Ugh, I hope not.”

  Briar nodded and sank back into her thoughts as Riley finished her sandwich. She crumpled the bag and took it over to a nearby trashcan before returning to the bench. She didn’t sit down again. “I’m supposed to be meeting Jack again tonight.”