The Edge of Murder (A Hank Reed Mystery, Book 3)

by Fred Lichtenberg

  Christ!

  I didn’t want to worry him, but I was freaked out. JR had only mentioned that Nick received two disturbing calls. Perhaps if he’d gone into detail, it might have scared me away. Hell, if I’d known, I would have drawn up a game plan, which, by the way, I didn’t have.

  Instead, I nodded calmly and suggested, “Let’s have a look inside.”

  Nick owned a modest two-bedroom condo unit. His small living room was furnished with a mid-century leather sofa, two modern chairs and a rustic coffee table, on which a ten-inch bust of Sigmund Freud sat. Great conversation piece.

  “I keep a copy of my patients’ files there.” He pointed to a metal cabinet in what appeared to be his second bedroom converted to an office. “I review an upcoming patient’s therapy sessions, so it’s convenient. I rent a small office in town for therapy sessions.”

  “So, your patients never come here?”

  At first, Nick must have thought I had an ulterior motive for the question, and said, “You mean, do I have relations with my patients? I don’t, never have. I hope that’s cleared up.” He frowned.

  A sore spot. “I wasn’t implying anything, so please don’t take offense. I’ve been an investigator long enough to know all questions are on the table.”

  “Sorry, no offense. It’s just…” He sputtered to a stop.

  I’d hold that hesitation for later. “Let’s go over the timeline again, starting with you leaving your unit and ending with Elizabeth’s disappearance.”

  Nick closed his eyes momentarily and then brought me up to speed.

  At least he was consistent. “Okay, let’s stop a moment.” I gazed inside his bedroom, which looked as though only one side had been slept in. I had noticed a sofa with a pillow and blanket lying on top in the living room. “You’ve been sleeping in there?” I thumbed to the room.

  He turned and nodded. “I couldn’t sleep in my bed. Plus, I was hoping there’d be evidence that Elizabeth was here. DNA, that sort of stuff.” He looked in the bedroom and shook his head. “I mean, if there was foul play, you would notice immediately, right?”

  Considering Nick was gone about an hour that morning, I would think so. But what if Elizabeth, after hearing a knock on the door, thinking Nick had forgotten his key, opened it, only to discover it wasn’t him? She could have been snatched out, hence, no forced entry or signs of violence.

  “Good thinking. I brought some tools of the trade with me,” I said, holding up a hand and showing my carry-on. “Though, I can always get other stuff if needed.”

  “JR told me you were good, that you’ve worked together.”

  I smiled. “Don’t tell your cousin, but he’s a better detective than I am.”

  Nick sighed. “I wish we were closer. You know we’re both only children. I moved to Fort Lauderdale years ago, and JR stayed in New York. Seems we never found time for each other. Strange, how we connected through…”

  A possible crime? I nodded.

  “I haven’t reserved a hotel room for you yet, but we can do that now. The Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Boulevard is only a few blocks from here.”

  “I’m good here.” I thumbed to the second bedroom/office. “If that’s okay with you.”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  My reason had more to do with logistics than comfort. I wanted to be around twenty-four-seven.

  “You can use my car anytime you need it.”

  “Thanks.” I surveyed the living room. “Has anyone been here since Elizabeth left?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t want to taint the apartment just in case.”

  I nodded, then removed a pair of latex gloves from my carry-on and entered the bedroom. Standing at the foot of the bed, I noticed one side of the bed was smoothed out as though it hadn’t been slept in. That confirmed what I had observed earlier. The other side, I presumed, was where Nick had slept.

  Nick said, “I left it the way I found it when I returned from the deli.”

  A pillow on his side leaned upright against the headboard, as though he’d been sitting up.

  “The pillow’s position looks like you might have been reading.” I glanced over and shrugged.

  Nick thought a moment. “That night, after we were together, and Elizabeth had fallen asleep, I sat up and watched her lie there. She was so relaxed, the rhythm of her breathing, I could almost detect a smile. Her hair draped over one eye. I was smitten. Still am. Is that weird? I mean, watching her while she slept?”

  I thought about my past life with Susan. In the beginning of our marriage, I enjoyed watching her sleep. “Like you said, you were smitten.”

  “She was real, Hank. I wasn’t imagining or dreaming. I sense JR and my mother suspect Elizabeth was probably an illusion, and I’ll admit, in the past few months, I’ve had dreams and nightmares. But I was always able to tell the difference afterward between reality and illusion.”

  Until now, maybe. “That’s why I’m here. If Elizabeth was here, we’ll soon find out.” Off the top of my head, I rattled off a few sources to pursue.

  My assurances seemed to put him at ease, and he nodded with a smile. “Thanks.”

  I pulled back on Elizabeth’s side of the bed. The pillow and sheets looked fresh, no wrinkles. I sniffed around, which I don’t get a kick out of, and smelled fresh-scented sheets, as though they just came out of the dryer. I looked up at Nick. “Don’t ask.”

  On Nick’s side, the same fragrance was present. I held off telling him it appeared no one had slept in the bed. “How many sets of white sheets do you have?”

  “Huh?”

  “Just curious.”

  He walked into his closet and then stuck his head out. “Three, two are in here.”

  “Interesting.”

  “What?”

  “Sniff the sheets. Tell me what you smell.” I watched him whiff both sides and when he finished, he glanced over at me. “Fresh. That’s impossible. I mean, even if I slept alone, you’d get my scent. Right?”

  He had me. “True.” I looked inside his living room and took in the blanket and pillow again. Maybe not. “Where do you do laundry?”

  He pointed to a closet. “In there. Stackable.”

  I walked over and surveyed inside. Nick had a few soiled garments in a plastic laundry basket. I still had my latex gloves on and fingered the items. No sheets. That meant either he was confused about this Elizabeth or she carried around her own set of sheets.

  Unlikely.

  I wanted to believe my client, but so far, everything pointed to Elizabeth being a no-show.

  I popped my head out. “No sheets. You said she arrived by car and parked out front.”

  “Right, across the street. You don’t think she went into her car and brought back sheets, do you? I mean, why?”

  Exactly. Why? I walked over to the window. A few cars were parked against the curb. “Tell me again: how long were you gone that morning?” I asked, watching the street.

  “I don’t know, around an hour.”

  Again, consistent. Enough time to exchange sheets. But why?

  I turned to Nick. “And those sheets inside are definitely yours?”

  He shrugged. “How could they not be?” He started for the bed then stopped. “Should I check without gloves?”

  Smart thinking. “Here, let me.” I pulled up the corners, looking for a label. There weren’t any. The sheets were white, cotton and queen-sized. I then went back to his closet and examined one of the other sets. Same, no label.

  Nick paced the room, then stopped in front of me. His lips tremored slightly. “You don’t believe me.”

  It wasn’t a question. “Look, Nick, I want to. Let’s go over this timeline one more time.”

  He shook his head and closed his eyes. “Not again.”

  “Humor me.”

  He glanced down at the bed, then to me. “Like I told you, I met Elizabeth at Courtney’s Saturday night. We had a few drinks. She had the house cabernet. I drank whisky neat. We talked ab
out life for a few hours…”

  I held up a hand. “Okay, good. Did you go back to Courtney’s and ask the bartender if he remembers seeing you with a woman Saturday night?”

  It looked like a lightbulb went off. “No. I guess I should have.”

  “Not a problem. We can do that later.”

  He closed his eyes momentarily. “The place was packed. Elizabeth needed to use the ladies’ room, so I met her outside. She then followed me here in a red Mustang. And no, I didn’t get a license plate number.”

  He was obviously frustrated by my questioning.

  I continued anyway. “She parked out front?”

  “Right.”

  “Okay. You also saw a few friends at Courtney’s. You waved and they waved back.”

  “Correct.”

  “Did you call them afterward and ask if you were with a woman?”

  He huffed. “No.”

  Nick was batting .200 in my book, not enough to prove she’d been in his condo. “We need to connect your trip from the bar back to your place. And like you said, none of the neighbors saw you with Elizabeth.”

  “It was late.”

  “Still.”

  “Maybe I should go to the police.”

  “Is that what you want, Nick? It’s your choice.”

  He licked his dry lips. “I just want answers, and JR promised you’d get them.”

  My buddy had put too much faith in me. I had asked JR to run a check of crimes near Nick’s area between Saturday night through Monday. He hadn’t found any that would fit my suspicions. A few robberies and an assault. I wanted to tell Nick for the third time that Elizabeth probably got cold feet and left, but what bothered me were the threatening phone calls.

  And the sheets? I doubted anyone had slept in the bed. I sat down on a small wooden chair facing the bed and pondered. My eyes drifted from the bed to the dark bamboo floor. I blinked, my eyes holding steady on a small dark spot just outside the bed frame. I got on my knees and approached it. I looked down and, with my right gloved hand, rubbed a dry spot.

  Blood stain?

  Seven

  My cell phone came alive, and I told Nick I needed to take the call. I walked into the living room and recognized the familiar number, my former boss, Jimmy Stanton.

  “Please tell me you have the kidnappers in custody,” I pleaded, my voice racing.

  “Hello to you, too, Hank. Yes, the reason for my call. I felt I owed you, given your quick response and success. Though, next time, if there is one, call the Feds before getting directly involved.”

  I smiled to myself. Stanton’s way of complimenting me.

  “Anyway, it wasn’t difficult. When we arrived at Mervin Scott’s mother’s house, he and his fiancée were counting their ransom money on the living room floor and celebrating with chips and beer.” He chortled. “They never had a chance to spend a dime.”

  “Oh, they’ll be spending time for sure. Nice job,” I quipped, upbeat that Stanton had the kidnappers in custody.

  After a pause, Stanton said, “I owe you one, Hank, but don’t use your gift card too quickly. You just started your PI business.”

  “I’ll remember that, Boss. And the kid, how’s he doing?”

  “Better, now that he’s home with his family, and the perps are in jail. Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks.”

  Relieved, I dropped into a deep black leather armchair facing the afternoon sun, the warmth soothing my pale face. I wondered whether I’d have time to enjoy some.

  “This damn cold weather is killing me,” Stanton complained, frustration breaking through.

  I blinked into the sun. “Not here in Fort Lauderdale.”

  “You bastard! Another case?”

  I glanced back at Nick, who was on his computer. “Missing person, I think.”

  “You think?”

  I lowered my voice. “I’m hoping it’s not foul play.”

  After hanging up with Stanton, I thought about the dark stain on Nick’s bedroom floor. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. For all I knew, it could be wine, which would make sense had I seen wine glasses nearby.

  Nick popped his head inside the room. “Everything okay?” he asked, interrupting my thoughts. “I mean with the call.”

  I nodded. “It was about a case I just finished.”

  He stepped in front of me, blocking out the sun. “How did it turn out, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “We nabbed the couple, so I’d say it was a very good day for justice.” I smiled with satisfaction.

  He returned the smile. “Sounds like you might have a good track record.” His body appeared to slacken.

  Nick must think I was a miracle worker.

  Keeping eye contact, I said, “Before Elizabeth, when was the last time you entertained a woman in your apartment? I mean, besides your mom.”

  He was quick to answer. “Never. Quite honestly, after all that’s happened to me, I wasn’t ready to date.”

  “Until now.”

  He tightened his lips and nodded. “Meeting Elizabeth was really a coincidence. If she hadn’t gone to Courtney’s that night…” He shrugged. “She’s special. I hadn’t felt alive like I did that night in a very long time. That’s why I have to find her.” He paused, looked as though he was about to cry. “I know what you must be thinking. Crazy shrink. But I’m telling you, Hank: Elizabeth was no mirage.”

  I really wanted to believe him and would continue supporting his insistence, unless my investigation suggested otherwise. If she was real, her disappearance meant she either wasn’t into Nick, or, if she was, someone else wasn’t about to let that relationship continue.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “About three months. Soon after my wife died. We were living in an apartment, but after the accident, I had to move. Too many memories.” He sighed.

  JR never mentioned an accident.

  Nick must have noticed confusion on my face.

  “My wife died in a car accident. We were going to get a divorce…”

  As I waited for Nick to continue, I could see rage in his eyes. “She’d been cheating on me for…I don’t know how long, with my best friend.” He wiped his mouth, tightened a fist. “The bastards.”

  Where did that come from?

  Since meeting Nick, I hadn’t seen him this openly hostile, so his sudden outburst was raw, and made me concerned. I could tell he wasn’t over her by a long shot.

  “Sorry,” he apologized, wiping an eye. “Every time I think about them, I get a little crazy.”

  I waved a hand. “I get it, believe me.”

  “It happened to you?” Nick almost sounded relieved, as though he wasn’t the only schmuck humiliated.

  I wasn’t about to compare war stories. “Long story.”

  He fidgeted with his hands, then got up and left the room. He returned with two bottles of Peroni beer, which I loved. Handing me one, he lifted his beer bottle.

  “To finding Elizabeth.”

  We clicked bottles. I took a much-needed gulp, then watched him chug his down.

  Nick looked bewildered, perhaps wondering whether his wife’s infidelity and Elizabeth missing were somehow connected, as though he was responsible. A long shot, maybe. He was the shrink, not me. But his animosity toward his ex may have set off his urgency to find Elizabeth, bring her back, and make everything great again. Assuming there was an Elizabeth.

  I polished off my beer, and with no coaster in sight, kept the bottle in my hand. After a few moments, I said, “While examining the bedroom, I noticed a dark stain on the floor.”

  His head shot up. “Stain? Where?”

  “Left side of the bed near the metal leg. It’s small, but…”

  Nick leaped out of his chair, dropped the beer bottle on the coffee table, and dashed for the bedroom. I left mine next to his, and when I joined him, Nick was already on his knees giving the stain a good rub with his hand. After a few more rubs, he gave up. “I’ve never seen this before,” he
said, glancing up at me.

  He sounded sincere.

  “Think it’s blood? I mean, it could be anything.”

  “Were you drinking wine in here recently?”

  “No.”

  “Not last night,” I pushed.

  “No,” he repeated.

  “Okay, it needs to be determined. And even if it is blood, there might be a legitimate explanation. You said Elizabeth was sleeping on this side, right?”

  Nick scowled. “I hope you’re not suggesting anything on my part. It can’t be hers. I mean, how would it get there?”

  Innocently or through an act of violence. I shrugged. “We need to find out.”

  A slight twinge came from one side of his face. Still on his knees, he said, “If you think we should.”

  I most certainly did.

  “Do we call the police?” he asked, his voice flat.

  “I have someone else in mind.”

  Eight

  JR answered on the first ring.

  “Don’t tell me you already found Elizabeth.” He chortled.

  I stood outside Nick’s building warmed by the afternoon sun and wished I had changed into my shorts and T-shirt.

  “Afraid there’s more. I found what looks like blood on the floor near the guest side of Nick’s bed. Not a lot. Actually, not much at all.”

  JR didn’t respond.

  “I need to get it analyzed, along with fingerprints, and quick. Look, I can’t say what happened here, and for all I know, it may be nothing. We can’t rule out blood until we do tests.”

  “How did Nick react when you discovered it?” He sounded subdued.

  I watched a late model Infinity drive by, then turned back to the building. “Kind of numb, but given the circumstances, I’d probably feel the same. Unless, it was one of those ‘oh shit, you got me,’ moments.”

  “Let’s hope not. Okay, I know someone who should be able to help. He retired from the force a few years back. Good guy. Lives in Miami, and he’s very…resourceful.” JR paused. “I hope Nick didn’t open up a can of worms.”