I leaned down to adjust my handbag on the floor and Nick put the car in gear. I smacked my head on the dash, and my purse fell over.
“Shit.” I swear he did it to be mean. I scooped my lipstick, tissues, cough drops and tampons off the floor before Nick could see all the crap I kept in my bag.
Nick looked over at me. “You okay?”
I was still hunched down with my head nearly under the dashboard. I mumbled, “Fine.”
“What are you doing down there?”
“Nothing. My purse tipped over.”
“Don’t leave any condoms on the floor; they might think I’m accepting favors from the girls on Soledad Street.” Nick laughed.
“Yeah, condoms, because I have the opportunity to use those.” I was only half joking.
“What do you think about this whole thing with Eugene?” Nick said as we turned the corner onto my street.
“I haven’t really met him. I don’t know what to think. But from the looks of his house, and that he’s able to travel at will, he isn’t dating Henry for his money.”
“Or maybe Henry is footing the bill. I mean, look at him, then look at Eugene. That guy could have anyone he wants, and he’s with Henry?”
I had to agree. Henry, in his forties with his slight build and comb-over, was such a contrast to Eugene’s athletic, thirtyish good looks. “Do we know for sure the house he lives in is his?”
“I’ll check with Santa Cruz City Hall tomorrow. But if Henry is paying out money to this guy, don’t you think Lauren would know about it?”
“I’m at a loss as to motive, but opportunity and the means are there. All of the evidence seems so iffy. I mean I don’t know what all you have, but I just don’t see enough to be able to arrest him.” Oh, God, I sounded like a cop.
“I’ll check on the test results of the wine, and the sword. But I’m willing to bet that the prints on that sword will belong to Henry. And if this is about the affair and Esme was about to spill the whole thing to Lauren, then Henry has motive, opportunity, and means. But why not just kill Lauren?”
“Kill the cash cow? She may have a nice life insurance policy, but keeping her alive was probably worth more.” Lauren would likely sell millions of dollars worth of books over the next decade.
“Divorce her then,” Nick said.
“Prenup?”
Exasperated, Nick said, “Do you have an answer for everything?”
I smiled, smug for the moment. “Not everything.”
Nick pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. “I’m going in with you this time.”
I didn’t argue. I just pulled my handbag up from the floor and got out of the car. I hadn’t done much other than file and sit in the car, but I was exhausted. It must have been trying to wrap my head around the idea that Henry would have Esme killed. But was it Henry? Did Eugene pull the murder off by himself?
As we walked to the front door, I said, “You know, the drugs could be an alibi for the murder. Henry says he didn’t see Esme after dinner, but suppose he did. Maybe he drugged himself to be sure he had an alibi.”
“Yeah, that’s been an itch in the back of my mind since we found him Monday night.” Nick scratched his head as he said it.
I stopped at the door. I wasn’t inviting him in for another chance at the humiliation of the other night. “Okay, well I’m pretty sure I’m good.”
Lola appeared at the door, lifting her lips in a smile.
“She doesn’t like me.” Nick took a step back.
I turned to look at Lola. “She’s smiling at you.”
“That’s a snarl, not a smile.”
“Lola doesn’t snarl.” I leaned to the side, patting her on the head. “But she’s not in the mood for company.”
“You sure you’re going to be okay? I could come in and check out the house.”
“I’m sure Lola and the cops outside would’ve run off any intruders.” I stepped back and pushed the door. “Good night. Great date, thanks.”
I closed the door and leaned against it. Lola tilted her head, looking at me like I was nuts. I was nuts.
I tried not to listen to Nick’s footsteps as he walked back to his car. I heard the car door slam. I turned to open the door and call him back. Grabbing the handle, I stopped myself before I opened the door.
The last thing I needed was a dysfunctional relationship with Nick. Everything in my life was dysfunctional. It was time to get started on finding a normal relationship.
I started to pull my arm through the sleeve of my shirt on the way to the bathroom, then remembered that police were watching the house. I pushed my arm back through and waited until I was in the bathroom to disrobe.
As the hot water ran over my body, I tried to replay the events of the last week in my mind, but the thought of Sebastian hitting on me kept coming back to my head. It was such strange behavior for a guy whose ex-girlfriend had just been murdered. And that thought brought me back to Nick. Creepy as it was, thinking about Nick reminded me of Esme’s head on the dining room table. Not very erotic. I’d never make it as a ghostwriter for Lauren.
I didn’t want to think about murder and vampires anymore. I jumped out of the shower, toweled myself off, and wrapped up my hair. A fresh, clean body needed some fresh, clean thoughts. I pulled on my nightshirt and went to my bookshelf for a good chick novel.
Before I settled in for the night, I wanted to set my alarm to be sure I got up in time to be at the cop shop for the interview with Henry and Eugene. Not that Nick would let me sit in, but I had a better chance if I was there and not here in bed.
I padded into the kitchen in my bare feet to grab my cell phone from my handbag. I reached into the side pocket, but it wasn’t there. I dug around in the main part of the bag, but couldn’t feel it. Dumping the contents on my kitchen counter didn’t help either. The phone just wasn’t there.
I stood with my hands on my hips, staring off into space, trying to retrace my steps. Ah, I dropped my bag in Nick’s car. I’d bet it was on the floor of his Crown Vic. I looked at my watch. He’d likely be home, or back at the office by now, so I decided to call his cell instead of mine.
I sifted through the contents I’d poured onto the counter. Where had I put Nick’s card? I unsnapped my wallet and looked through my card holder. No. I unzipped the side of my purse and shuffled through the business cards stashed there. No. Then with both hands I spread the crap across the counter. Ah, stuck to a bubblegum wrapper was Nick’s card.
I took the card into the bedroom, crawled under the covers, and put the phone on my lap. I dialed the number and waited. By the fifth ring, I knew he wasn’t picking up. Just as voice mail picked up I decided not to leave a message. Now I’d have an excuse to stop by the station in the morning.
The phone was nearly in the cradle when I changed my mind. “Hey, Nick. Sorry to bother you. My cell phone is probably on the floor of the passenger side of your car. Can you call me when you get this message?”
There, good enough. He probably wouldn’t get the message until morning, and then I could say I at least tried to call. I put the phone back on the nightstand and picked up my book.
I must have fallen asleep while reading. I woke up to a noise, and Lola growling. When I sat up, the book dropped to the floor, startling me. I listened. Nothing. My sudden movement must have stirred Lola, causing her to growl. I leaned over the side of the bed and picked my book up. I put it on the nightstand and watched Lola reposition herself on her bed.
Satisfied that she’d still be on alert if anything was wrong, I settled back in bed and switched off my reading lamp. I lay quietly, listening again. What was that? Again silence, except the light snoring from the watchdog.
What had me so spooked? There were cops parked outside the house, for God’s sake. I snuggled under the covers when I heard another sound. This time I was sure I heard something. I reached over to grab my handgun from the nightstand drawer, and Lola jumped from her bed, growling.
As I grabb
ed for the drawer handle, someone grabbed for me. I was shoved back against the bed, my head slamming into the headboard. Though it was dark, I saw flashes of light as the pain zinged over my scalp. I flailed with my arms and legs, trying to kick or punch at whoever stood over me. This guy was strong, and quick. I couldn’t land a single punch.
I should’ve been protecting my head because the intruder had grabbed my hair and slammed me back against the headboard again. Now my head was swimming, and I tried to focus my thoughts. Instead of reaching out to my attacker, I reached for the phone. As I did, the pillow was yanked out from under my head and shoved over my face. Oh God, I was going to die.
I couldn’t find the buttons on the phone to dial 911, so I just hit one button and held it, hoping it was the redial button. It was all happening so fast, and yet it was in slow motion. Just then I heard Lola’s deep bark, and then a scream. And then I heard nothing.
24
I awoke to whispering. Awoke may be a strong word since my eyes refused to open and the whispering was muffled, as if I had a pillow over my head. At the thought of a pillow, I gasped.
“Mimi,” my mom said. “Oh, Mimi, you’re awake.”
She scrambled to my side and grabbed my hand. “Oh, baby, can I get you anything?”
I still couldn’t open my eyes. “Mom? Mom, where are we?”
I’d thought I yelled, but Mom said, “What honey?”
I felt her breath as she leaned closer to me. “Where are we?”
“We are at the hospital, honey.” She rubbed my hand with her fingers.
“Hospital?”
“Nick brought you here last night. You were in really bad shape.” The concern in her voice was palpable.
A memory came to me, but I didn’t know if it was real or imagined. “Mom, is Lola okay?”
“She’s fine honey, why?”
“I think she may have saved my life.” The memories were coming faster. The noise, the fight. Lola barking.
“No, honey, Nick saved your life. You called him from the house and he found you.”
“Actually, Lola was the one who saved you.” It was Nick’s voice this time. “Lola’s barking alerted the officers outside the house and they came banging on the door. I must have gotten your call right before that because by the time I arrived, the ambulance was there and they had officers everywhere looking for the perp.”
I used every ounce of energy I had to open my eyes. What a sight. Nick stood beside my mom next to the bed. His hair was ruffled, and he still wore the clothes he’d been wearing last night.
“But Nick, she called you.” Mom admonished Nick.
“But Lola scared off the intruder.” Nick grinned. “Mimi, you’d have been so proud. She bit the shit out of whoever was in your house. When I arrived, the back door was open, and Lola was sitting in the doorway with something in her mouth.”
“The door was open, and she was still in the house?” Lola’s habit was to bolt past me out the door. She’d grab a toy from the yard and insist on playing fetch.
“She didn’t even growl or snarl at me when I walked up. Actually, she spit something out of her mouth when I walked in the door.”
Groggy, but coherent, I said, “She wanted to play fetch.”
Nick laughed. “No. She spit out a chunk of skin. Apparently she took a nice chunk out of the person who tried to kill you.”
My mom gasped. “Mimi, this private detective thing is done. You need to find another line of work. No more of this dawdling around with seedy types. One of those husbands you snitched on was bound to come after you.”
“Thanks, Nick. See what you started.” I wished I’d stayed unconscious a little longer. Ah, the peace.
“Lydia, can I talk to Mimi alone for a few minutes?” Nick turned on the charm and Mom was mesmerized.
“Okay, but please talk to her about getting into another line of work.” Mom sounded scared.
Nick placed his hand on my mom’s back and led her to out of the room. When he came back, he closed the privacy curtain, pulled up a chair, and leaned close.
“From the look of it, Lola tore your intruder up pretty good. As much as I hate to say it, this is a good thing. I’m sorry you were attacked, but now we’ll know who we’re looking for. Not only do we have a nasty bite that had to have been seen by an ER doc, we have the morsel of flesh that Lola saved for us.”
I sat up in the bed. “I really can’t believe she didn’t eat the skin she tore off. She usually sucks raw meat down without even chewing.”
“She did all of the chewing she needed to do.” Nick relaxed back into the chair. “Do you remember anything about last night?”
I scrunched up my face, thinking. “I remember hearing something, but when I was really still, the noise was gone.”
I told him about Lola growling, and about deciding it was nothing. Then I told him what I remembered about the attack.
“So he was strong?”
“I don’t know if it was a man or woman, but whoever it was, made me look like a weakling. I’m no slacker, and this person was getting the better of me.” I looked at myself in the hospital bed. “Fine, he or she got the better of me. Damn, that pisses me off.”
“It’s not like you were in a position to fight someone off. Lying on your back is a very bad position to be in when trying to defend yourself. Physics alone is against you, even if you are slightly stronger than the person on top of you.”
I blushed as I thought of Nick on top of me earlier in the week. But my sinful thoughts were interrupted by the nurse pulling back the curtain.
“How are you doing this morning, Mrs. Capurro?” She looked to be about my height, but with thick ankles. Maybe it was the white pantyhose, but I’d bet the skin on those ankles looked stretched to the limit when bare.
“I’m great. What do I need to do to get discharged from this place?” I sat up and my head sloshed like the water in a goldfish bowl. I tried to hide it, but I think the nurse saw it.
“Why don’t you lie back down? I’ll have the doctor in here to take a look at you and we’ll go from there.” She smiled an insincere smile and turned to leave. She didn’t close the privacy curtain.
“Look, if you can get out of here this morning, I have Henry and Eugene coming in for interviews around noon. I’m going to talk to them, and ask to see their legs. It has to be one of them who were after you.” Nick looked anxious as he stood to leave.
“What if they refuse to show you their legs?”
“That would make me believe they are guilty, and hiding something.” He patted his hip pocket on his pants. He reached in, pulled out what looked like a room key card, and handed it to me.
I flipped it over in my hand. “A visitor’s pass?”
“I thought if you felt better, you might want to listen in on the interviews. You know, see what you think since you’ve been around these people as much as I have.” Nick headed to the hospital room door.
I didn’t know what to say. Did he feel guilty because I’d been attacked? It was my own fault. I should’ve left police business to the police. It was bad enough I had foes from my regular investigations. Now I was attracting extra enemies.
“Nick?”
“Yeah?”
“How did my attacker get into the house?”
“Whoever it was must have been watching the house for a while. He waited for the shift change. The officers were distracted and right after that they heard Lola’s barking and howling. The perp must have fled as soon as he was bitten, because the officers went through the entire house, and canvassed the neighborhood. No one.”
“Oh.” This didn’t make me feel any better.
* * *
The doctor was happy to be rid of me after his follow-up exam, I made sure of it. Charles picked me up at the front of the hospital, and I went home to clean up.
I thought I’d be leery of entering my house, where I’d nearly been killed, but I wasn’t. I was relieved to be home. As I walked in the back doo
r, I realized someone had been here in my absence. I looked around. Everything was straightened and folded, and the chairs were positioned evenly around the breakfast table.
The message light was flashing on my machine. Three new messages. The first was from Charles early this morning.
“Nick just called. I’m on my way to the hospital.” It was short and sweet, and I wondered why he hadn’t come into my room.
The second was Jackie. “Hey, Charles just called to tell me you were in the hospital. He said you’d be out by the time I got around to calling. Call me, honey. I hope everything is alright.”
The last call was a dial tone. I deleted that one. But I saved the others to listen to later, to remind myself that Charles and Jackie were all the relationship I needed.
In the bedroom, the bed had been made and you could’ve bounced a quarter off the pressed sheets. The pillows were stacked, and the duvet pulled back to reveal the crisp white sheets and violet blanket. I looked around the floor and saw that Lola’s blankets had also been folded.
I just can’t say how much I love Charles. And I know it was Charles because I don’t know anyone else with OCD. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a good problem to have if it makes your life neat and clean, not so good if you develop rituals such as excessive hand cleaning or turning the key in the door 14 times before opening it.
I sometimes wished some of Charles would rub off on me. I guess we were the same in that we both liked men. But Charles had great relationship skills. He’d been with his partner for seven years. I couldn’t even stay married more than one. Not that it was my fault or anything. I looked at the photo of Dominic on the dresser. God, I missed him. Most days now it was just a fleeting thought, but some days it hurts my heart physically and I just wanted to flop down on my bed and sleep forever.
Ah, enough of the pity party. I needed to get showered and cleaned up so I could get to the police station in time for the interviews.
25
It was nearly one o’clock by the time I arrived at the Salinas Police Department. I parked on Lincoln Street and jaywalked across the street. I figured if I got a ticket, Nick could take care of it for me. I didn’t think I had the energy to walk all the way to the corner, cross at the crosswalk, and then walk another half a block past City Hall, to the cop shop.
Gotcha Detective Agency Mystery Box Set Page 20
