“Have you looked at the flash drive that Maria Tindal took?” McPherson asked.
“We’ve both watched it several times,” Toni said. “So far, we haven’t found a connection to the murder, although we both believe there is one.”
McPherson shook his head. “Is that the only lead we have to go on so far? There has to be a reason the victim took that flash drive.”
“And we intend to find the reason,” Drew said confidently, glancing over at Toni.
The lieutenant smiled. “Good. Then, I guess you two had better get back to work.”
• • •
Back at their desks, Drew and Toni discussed next steps. They had pulled down their own screen, a miniature version of the one in the Lieutenant’s office, to go over each person of interest again.
“I wonder who threw the party that night. The one Maria Tindal, Byron Nettles, and Fred Tatters all attended. That’s one connection—we know all three people were in the same place at the same time.”
There was only one way to find out...which led them back to Byron Nettles’s doorstep early that afternoon.
The man frowned upon opening the door. It was obvious that he wasn’t happy to see them. “What do you want now?”
“We have more questions for you,” Toni said.
“I don’t feel like answering any more of your questions.”
“Too bad,” Drew said in a curt tone. “We can do things here or we can have a squad car take you downtown. Your choice.”
The man released an angry breath, then, without saying a word, he moved aside to let them in.
“Ask your questions and then leave.”
Drew nodded. “We were wondering about the party that you, Maria Tindal, and Fred Tatters attended. Who hosted it?”
Nettles rubbed the back of his neck. “A woman named Lucy Busch.”
“The Lucy Busch who owns a slew of BMW dealerships across the country?” Drew asked.
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
“If I recall,” Drew said. “Lucy Busch’s parties tend to be rather extravagant. Big money people. High rollers.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“How did you wrangle an invitation to one of her parties?” Toni asked.
Nettles frowned. “You think I’m not good enough to mix with people with money, Detective Oliver?”
Toni met his glare. “Based on the annual income you presented on your last tax filing, I’d say, financially, no. But then, people don’t always report their total income to the IRS. It can be a problem. Maybe we should call...”
Drew could tell Toni’s statement hit a nerve. Nettles obviously hadn’t expected them to check him out so thoroughly. “I know Lucy through her late husband, Adam. We went to college together.”
“And where was that?” Andrew asked, although they already knew. Nettles would be surprised to learn just how much they knew about him.
“Ohio State University.”
“When did her husband die?” Toni asked.
“Two years ago.”
“What happened?”
“Drug overdose.”
Neither Toni nor Drew said anything for a moment, acknowledging the waste of a life. Then, Drew continued. “Is that how Tatters got invited to the party? Because you, Tatters and Lucy Busch’s late husband were college chums?”
“That’s right. Tatters and I have a standing invitation to all Lucy’s parties.”
“Do you have any idea how Maria Tindal managed to get invited to the party?” Drew then asked.
“I have no idea. That’s a question you need to ask Lucy.”
Drew gave Nettles a smile he knew didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We will.”
• • •
Toni adjusted her sunglasses as they got into the car. She glanced over at Drew. “He’s a little jumpy, don’t you think? I have a feeling he knows more than he’s saying.”
“I do, too. But right now, it’s time to pay Lucy Busch a visit.” Then, he smiled at her. “Do you know how much I enjoyed my weekend with you?”
She couldn’t help but return the smile. “I’m hoping it’s as much as I enjoyed mine with you.”
He started the car and chuckled. When she asked what was funny, he said, “I was just thinking.”
“About what?”
He looked over at her as he was about to back up the car. “Drew 1, Drew 2, Drew 3, and Drew 4.”
Toni rolled her eyes. “I think I’m going to regret telling you about them. Your head is swelling.”
“In both places, sweetheart.”
She gazed down at his crotch and shook her head. “Remember, we agreed to conduct ourselves in a professional manner.” The last thing she wanted was to have Joanie gossiping about them the way she did with others in the department. She knew people would find out about them soon enough, but she wanted the decision as to when and how to be theirs.
“Yeah, I know. But when I look at you, all I can think about is what you look like naked. It’s distracting.” He grinned.
Toni blushed. But this wasn’t the time...and it wasn’t solving Maria’s murder. They needed to get back to business. “So, what is the connection between Lucy Busch and Maria Tindal?”
“Maybe Maria came with someone who was invited. Or she might have crashed a party.”
“You met her. Did she seem like someone who would do that? Crash a party?”
Drew shrugged. “She was a little too friendly...but I would still have to say no.” He paused a minute. “Maybe now is a good time for me to let you in on something.”
She lifted a brow. “What?”
“I doubt if you’ve heard but the type of parties Lucy Busch throws are wild. Everything is legal—barely—and she’s within her rights to host them, but sometimes things go too far, in my book.”
“What kind of parties are they?”
“They’re geared toward swingers.”
“Really?”
Drew chuckled. “Why do you find that so hard to believe. You’re from Florida. Aren’t there several swinging hotbeds in your state? In senior citizens housing areas, in particular?”
She glanced over at him. “You seem to know a lot about it.”
“Only because I investigated one a few years back. There was a murder within the swingers’ community. That’s how I remember Lucy Busch’s name. It had come up then.”
“Sounds like she’s a popular lady.”
“So now I’m really wondering how Maria got invited,” Drew said.
“I thought a swingers’ party was where couples swapped partners. Why invite spares?” Toni asked.
“Lucy probably just wanted to make things interesting, or solicit new recruits. But then, we don’t know for certain that this particular party was a swingers’ party. But we’ll find out.”
• • •
Less than an hour later, they were at Lucy Busch’s home. Not surprisingly, she lived right off of Commodore Boulevard, just a few communities away from where Jamia Roundtree lived. And like the Roundtrees’ home, the woman’s house spoke of elegance and wealth.
Lucy Busch, who appeared to be in her mid-forties, swept into the room with all the elegance of a woman with money. After introductions were made and she offered them seats, Lucy Busch said, “I’m not sure how I can help in your murder investigation, detectives. It’s simply dreadful what happened to Maria.”
“Can you tell us how you knew Maria Tindal? We understand she attended one of your parties—the one you held on Saturday, January fifth.”
“I knew Maria through her stepfather. Morey and I were both in the car dealership business, and I was well acquainted with him and his first wife, Diane. We spent a lot of time with them, me and my third husband, Palmer.”
Her third husband? Toni wondered just how many husbands the woman had had in her lifetime. She was only in her forties, or at least, that’s the age she seemed. Obviously, Botox could work wonders.
“What about you and Morey Evans’ second wife, Consta
nce? Maria’s mother?”
A little frown settled on the woman’s face. “Morey broke ties with us after he married Constance. I understand she was the reason he stopped coming to our parties.” She sniffed. “I can’t say I liked Constance very much.”
“Yet you befriended Constance’s daughter?” Toni asked.”
“I ran into Maria at the mall. I hadn’t seen her since Morey and Constance’s deaths, and she looked like she could use a friend. I’d heard that her stepsister had cut Maria off financially, and that she was spreading rumors that Constance had arranged Morey’s death. Personally, I never believed her wild conspiracy theory, but it was a shame what she did to Maria.”
“Why didn’t you believe her?”
“Jennifer always had a wild imagination. Too wild, if you ask me. And although I didn’t like Constance much, it was quite obvious to me that she loved Morey and he loved her. There was no way I could see her plotting his death the way Jennifer claimed.”
“So why did you invite Maria Tindal to the party?” Toni asked.
“Like I said, I ran into her at the mall and thought it might do her good to get out. Maria is a pretty girl, and she is also extremely friendly. I had invited a number of single men to the party that night and thought Maria might meet someone who’d help take her mind off of her troubles.”
“What about Fred Tatters? Why was he invited to your party?” Drew asked, wanting to see if what she said would be different from what Nettles had told them.
“Like Byron, Fred and my late husband attended college together. They were good friends. Fred and Byron are usually invited to most of my parties.”
A short while later, after they’d thanked Lucy Busch for her cooperation, Toni and Drew returned to their cruiser.
“I don’t blame Constance for putting her foot down about Morey ending his days as a swinger. Good for her,” Toni said.
Drew chuckled. “Not into sharing, are you?”
“You know I’m not.”
“I’m not into sharing either. And speaking of sharing, how about a Friday date night at the Virginia Barn. They are the best place in town for BBQ ribs. The meat practically falls off the bones.”
Toni smiled. “Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
“YOU CERTAINLY SOUND LIKE you’ve adjusted to living in Virginia, Toni.”
Toni smiled into the phone. FaceTime was a wonderful thing. “Yes, Granddad, I have. Especially now that the days aren’t as cold. Still, there is a lot of rain.”
“Well, you know what they say—April showers bring May flowers. I know you’ve been busy, but do you think you’d be able to come home soon to visit? I’m planning my annual Memorial Day cookout, and you’ve never missed one.”
“I will check to see if I can get some time off.” She had agreed to go to a party with Drew that weekend in Charlottesville, which was less than a three-hour drive from Alexandria. If she could also get that Monday off, maybe they could pick up a rental car and drive to Charlottesville, then leave Charlottesville that Sunday and fly to Miami. She would talk to Drew about it tomorrow.
“And, Granddad?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve met someone.”
There was an extended pause, then Madison Bellamy asked, “Did I hear you right? You met someone?”
One day she would sit her grandparents down and tell them all about Drew, that he was someone she had fallen in love with nearly five years ago. But she needed to be in their presence when she had that conversation. Otherwise, they would be hurt that she’d dated Drew for ten months and they hadn’t known anything about it.
“Yes, sir. His name is Andrew Logan.”
“I’m glad to hear you met someone, but what do you know about him? And when can your grandmother and I meet him?”
Toni chuckled. “He’s a fellow detective.” No need to tell him Drew was her partner just yet. “A really nice guy. Hopefully, he will come home with me if I can swing getting Memorial Day off. I can’t wait for you and Nana to meet him.”
“We can’t wait either. I am so happy for you. I’ve been worried you would stay true to your word and be alone all your life…because of your mama and daddy. But it sounds like you’re getting past that.”
“I’m trying, Granddad. Like I said, Drew is a real nice guy.”
Moments later, Toni ended the call. She was glad she’d made her grandfather happy by telling him about Drew. Having him in her life again was taking some getting used to for her, too. But she was doing it, one day at a time.
She glanced around her apartment and sighed deeply, feeling content. It was hard to believe that three weeks had passed since the day Drew had come to help her with her boxes. Three weeks since they had become a couple again, with some limitations for now. But so far, things were working out in their favor.
March had turned into April. At work, they were consummate professionals, although she knew word was slowly getting out around the office that they were seeing each other. But that was okay. They weren’t really hiding anything, so it was inevitable that they’d be seen together sooner or later. When they’d gone to see the cherry blossoms blooming in D.C. last weekend, they’d run into a few people from work. Then, the other night, they’d seen a couple of guys from the department at a local bar and grill. And it was hard to deny there was nothing between them when they could barely keep their hands off each other.
This weekend, they were going to check out a boat show in Annapolis on Saturday, and a concert in the park on Sunday. Things were going great between them.
Now if only they had the same good fortune in solving their cases. There had been no new leads in the Tindal case, and she was getting frustrated. Toni was determined to bring Maria’s killer to justice, not only because the murder had been Toni’s first case in Alexandria, but also because of the tragic nature of it. Maria had been far too young to die. She’d had her whole life ahead of her, and the fact that she didn’t anymore just seemed like such a waste.
Toni and Drew had gone over the evidence several times. They also reviewed their list of people of interest almost every day. Something in the back of her mind gnawed at her, though. She couldn’t help thinking there was something they were overlooking. But what?
She was about to get up, take a shower and then go back over her notes before going to bed when her phone rang. Although she and Drew didn’t share a bed until the weekends, they’d talk every night. She enjoyed his nightly calls almost as much as the weekends she’d spend with him. But this call wasn’t from Drew. It was Joy.
“Joy? How are things going?”
“Fine. I’m just calling to see if you’re going to Shep’s birthday party with Drew next month.”
“Those are the plans. I talked to my grandparents tonight and I think I’ll pay them a visit for Memorial Day if I can get the time off. I’m hoping Drew will be able to come home with me. I told them about him.”
“What did they say?”
“They were happy. They’ve never met one of my boyfriends before.”
Joy chuckled. “Maybe because you’ve never had one before. How does it feel to belong to someone and have that person belong to you?”
Toni nibbled her lips. “That’s just it, Joy. I know how I feel about Drew, but I don’t know how he feels about me.”
“Give it time, Toni. He admitted to developing feelings for you before. I think he wants to make sure you won’t pull another vanishing act on him. Men are funny creatures. Once burned, they’re hesitant to play with fire again. You said he told you about his messed-up childhood. Other than Shep and the guys he considers as his close friends, there has never been anyone there for him.”
Joy paused. “From what Stonewall has told me, Drew has certainly never had a woman he could trust and depend on. You know, better than most, that falling in love is a lifetime commitment. Give him time, Toni.”
She thought about Joy’s words when she finally settled in bed that night. She had just stretched into a
comfortable position when her phone rang. She smiled. It was Drew. She’d given him a special ring tone. “Hello, Drew.”
“Hello, baby.”
She smiled. More often than not, when they were talking privately on the phone, he would call her baby or sweetheart. She loved it. “You’re in bed, too?”
“I’m in bed, too.”
“I talked to my grandparents today, Drew. I...I told them about you.”
“You did?”
“Yes, and they want to meet you. Granddad is a wiz on the grill, and he invited you to his annual Memorial Day cookout. I know we’ll be in Charlottesville that Saturday. But I thought that if we can get Monday off, maybe we can take a flight out of Charlottesville to Miami to see them. What do you think?”
“I don’t see why we couldn’t. I would love to meet them, as well. Getting time off should not be a problem. I’ll make sure two of the guys cover for us while we’re gone.”
“That would be great.” There was no need to mention it might appear strange for both of them to be gone at the same time, but she was so happy at the thought of him meeting her grandparents, she wasn’t going to worry about that now. Besides, by that time, even more people would have figured out that she and Drew were an item.
Now that talk of their upcoming travel plans were out of the way, their conversation took its usual route...one that led to naughty talk. And after he told her all the things that he planned to do with her the next weekend, she’d usually fall asleep, totally content.
• • •
Drew glanced over at Toni. “Tell me why we’re interviewing Maria’s roommate, Pamela Larkins, again?”
“Just to make sure there’s nothing we overlooked. I hope you don’t mind.”
He shrugged as he signaled to turn the corner. “I don’t mind, just as long as she doesn’t get hysterical again.”
“Hopefully, she won’t. I’m sure it was hard losing her best friend.”
ENTANGLED PURSUITS (MEN OF ACTION Book 1) Page 19
