Blended Bribes

by Jessica Beck

  “Are we actually using Gabby as bait?” Grace asked me after taking another bite.

  “I prefer to think of it as expediting our case,” I said. “Besides, with Bo and his friends watching over her, she’s in good hands.”

  “For now, anyway,” she answered.

  “Grace, I don’t like it any more than you do, but what choice do we have? Whether we like it or not, by tomorrow night, Gabby is going to be on her own.”

  “I know. I just wish there was a better way of doing this,” Grace allowed.

  “I do, too,” I said sympathetically. “Then again, if it were easy, anybody could do it.”

  By the time I was finished with my meal, there wasn’t enough left to even bother taking, but I had no idea how I was going to eat anything else that day, let alone lunch. Trish dropped off our checks, and we each took our own. Grace and I had recently had a discussion about her grabbing every bill we got eating out, and I’d finally gotten her to agree to letting each of us pay for our own meals, with one notable exception. We were free to, and even expected to, buy each other meals on our respective birthdays, but that was it.

  Once we paid Trish, we were walking out of the Boxcar when we nearly ran over one of our suspects hurrying inside.

  I hadn’t been sure where we should start our investigation, but fate had dropped someone right into our laps, and who were we to turn that down?

  “Were you looking for us, Mindy?” I asked as I sidestepped to get out of her way.

  “What? No. Why would I be looking for either one of you?”

  “We thought it might be about Gabby. She came out of her coma. Did you hear?”

  Mindy’s face went ashen, but she recovered. “That’s wonderful,” she said, doing her best to make us believe it. “What did she say about the fire?”

  “It’s coming back to her slowly,” Grace said. “By tonight she should know what happened at ReNEWed. In the meantime, the police are tracking down alibis for everyone involved from six to seven on the night of the fire. Have they spoken with you yet?”

  She looked surprised by the question. “Me? Why would they care about me?”

  “Come on, Mindy. You said it yourself. You and Gabby had an argument about Manny Wright not long before the fire. Why wouldn’t they want to speak with you?”

  “You do have an alibi, don’t you?” I asked her as sweetly as I could manage.

  “I don’t really know how to answer that question. I was home making dinner.”

  “Alone?” Grace asked.

  “If you must know, Manny was supposed to come over for a meal, but he cancelled on me at the last minute,” she admitted. “We were going to sort things out after what I found out about him and Gabby, but he stood me up yet again. It was the last straw for me. That’s when I texted him and told him I never wanted to see him again.”

  “Funny, but you left that part out before,” I pointed out.

  “I didn’t want to admit how weak I was,” she said softly.

  “So your answer is no, then. You don’t have an alibi,” Grace said flatly.

  I knew we were supposed to be pushing our suspects, but I felt a little bit of sympathy for Mindy. After all, she’d had a rough time of it after her husband had died, and Manny had taken advantage of her vulnerable state, as far as I was concerned. If that made me soft, then so be it. I knew the hard questions had to be asked, but I was just as happy to let Grace do it.

  “As a matter of fact, I suppose I do have someone who can vouch for me,” she said with a bit of hesitation in her voice.

  “Who would that be?” I asked her.

  “Jenny White,” she said.

  “Jenny is your alibi?” I asked her. Jenny White was one of my mother’s friends. In fact, the women had dinner together once a month and had been doing it for more years than I could remember. “How do you know Jenny?”

  “She’s my next-door neighbor. After I texted Manny and told him that it was over, I realized that I didn’t want to be alone, so I asked her to come over and have dinner with me,” Mindy said, and then she frowned. “I’m afraid that’s not going to help me with the police, though.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Didn’t you know? Jenny is on some kind of a retreat. It’s a spiritual thing, as far as I could tell. There are no phones there, no way to contact her at all for the next six weeks, so I guess I can’t prove it after all, at least not right away.”

  Mindy paused, and then she looked around. A few folks were watching us, curious about our conversation no doubt. It was fair game in April Springs, where gossip and rumor were never far from the daily activities.

  “Listen, I’m starving, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go in and have breakfast.” Almost as an afterthought, she added, “That’s great news about Gabby. Thanks for letting me know. As soon as I get the chance, I’m going to go apologize to her. Boy, I’m not looking forward to that particular conversation, as much as I need to have it.”

  “Do you believe her?” Grace asked me evenly after Mindy was gone.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “It all makes perfect sense, but it could also be just a little too convenient that Jenny is out of town for the foreseeable future. There’s no way to confirm or deny her alibi.”

  “In a way though, it lends some credence to her story, as far as I’m concerned,” Grace said.

  “What? Are you saying that you actually believe her?”

  “Suzanne, if you were going to come up with an alibi, would you make one up that couldn’t be confirmed for weeks and weeks? It would have almost been better if she hadn’t had one at all.”

  “Now who’s the one who’s going soft?” I asked her with a smile.

  “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with thinking the best of the people we live with in April Springs,” Grace admitted.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” I said as I reached for my cell phone. “I need to make a quick call.”

  “Are you calling Jake?” she asked me.

  “No, Momma.”

  “Hey, Momma, do you have a second?” I asked after she picked up.

  “I do, but not much more than that. Phillip is trying to take a nap, but I can’t imagine him being any more successful at it than he was sleeping last night. He just can’t seem to get comfortable.” In a lower voice, she added, “I’m considering crushing up a pain pill and lacing his ice cream with it.”

  “You’re letting him have ice cream?” I asked.

  “That’s what you took away from that? Yes, I’m letting him have whatever he wants, within reason, and no, I would never dose him without his consent.” She paused and then added, “At least not yet, anyway.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you,” I said as I started to hang up.

  “Suzanne, the truth is that I’d love a distraction right now. What’s going on?”

  “Did you happen to know anything about Jenny White’s retreat?”

  “Of course I do. She goes every year around this time. Why do you ask?”

  “Is there any way we can get in touch with her?” I asked. “Ordinarily I’d never ask, but Mindy Fulbright is using her as an alibi, and I’d really love to know if what she told us was true, that she and Jenny were having dinner when the fire started at ReNEWed.”

  “Let me see what I can do,” Momma said.

  “I really don’t want to be any trouble,” I told her. “You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.”

  “Nonsense. If I find anything out, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks. Love you,” I said.

  “Love you right back,” she replied.

  “Okay, at least for now, Mindy’s alibi is up in the air, so she has to stay on our list,” I said.

  “I agree. Should we go find out what Tyra has to say?”

  “I thought we were going to Union Square?” I asked her. “Not that I mind changing up our plans on the fly, but I’m curious.”

  “The way I see it, we’re her
e, and hopefully, so is Tyra,” Grace said with a shrug. “It just makes sense.”

  Tyra was reluctant to answer the door when we got to her place, and I had to lean on the doorbell for three minutes before she finally answered. When she did, I realized that we’d clearly woken her up. She had a robe wrapped tightly around her, and she was wearing slippers as well. “What’s going on, Suzanne? I was sound asleep,” she asked as she rubbed her eyes.

  I glanced at my watch and saw that it was barely past eight. I’d been getting up so early for so long that I’d forgotten that some people stayed in bed long after I was up and about.

  “We’re truly sorry about that,” I said, doing my best to sound sincere. “Since you’re up now though, we wanted to let you know that Gabby woke up yesterday.”

  “Gabby’s awake? That’s good news. How’s she doing?” she asked as she stifled a yawn.

  “Surprisingly well,” I answered, and I was very happy that particular statement happened to be true.

  “Then maybe she can tell you both that I didn’t have anything to do with that fire,” she said. “Now can I please for the love of all that’s pure and good go back to sleep?”

  “In a second,” Grace said. “The problem is that her memory’s still a bit hazy on what led up to the fire, but she should have it all back by this evening. In the meantime, the police are going around getting alibis for everyone who might have been involved. Have they contacted you yet?”

  “As a matter of fact, I spoke with the police chief last night,” Tyra said, surprising us both. We had been under the impression that Chief Grant wasn’t pursuing the case as a criminal investigation. Had something changed his mind after all?

  “Really? When was this?” I asked her.

  “I ran into him downtown last night,” she said. “We discussed the weather, but he never asked me for an alibi. Wouldn’t he have taken advantage of the situation while he had me there?”

  “This all just came up this morning,” I ad-libbed. “I’m sure he’ll ask you today. What are you going to tell him?”

  It was a bold question, but it was worth a shot.

  Her reply was preceded by a heavy sigh, and then she said, “Ladies, as much as I’d love to stand here in my robe and chat with the two of you, I don’t have time for this foolishness. I was up past midnight, and I need my sleep.”

  “What do you make of that?” Grace asked me once we were alone again.

  “We clearly woke her up, and she didn’t seem particularly upset when we told her that Gabby was awake and that she would soon get her memory back, but maybe Tyra was just too tired to process any of it,” I said. “I nearly lost it when she told us that she’d spoken with Stephen last night.”

  “You recovered nicely,” Grace said. “She didn’t even bother trying to lie to us by giving us an alibi, did she?”

  “No, but I’m not exactly sure we can hold that against her. After all, we did wake her up, and if the roles were reversed, I’m not so sure that I would have reacted any differently than she did, would you have?”

  “I guess if I’m being honest, I might not have been as polite as she was,” Grace admitted with a wry smile.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel a little guilty about setting Gabby up like this,” I said.

  “We agreed that it was the only way to put pressure on our suspects, given the short amount of time we have at our disposal,” Grace said.

  “I know that, but I still think we need to stop by the hospital and warn her what we’re up to. It’s on the way to Union Square, and we’re going there next anyway. What do you say?”

  “It sounds like a plan to me,” Grace said.

  There was just one problem, though.

  When we got to Gabby’s room, the chair out front was empty.

  It appeared that Bo had left his post, leaving Gabby vulnerable to whoever had attacked her before, and what was worse, we’d just given half our suspects a reason to want to finish the job they’d started earlier.

  Chapter 17

  My hand shook a little as I reached for the door and pushed it open.

  The room was empty, which turned out to be a good thing.

  “Are you looking for Gabby?” Penny asked as we nearly ran into her in the hallway. “What a silly question. Of course you are. She’s not here anymore.”

  “She’s not back in ICU, is she?” I asked, chilled by the thought that my friend had taken a turn for the worse.

  “That’s not it at all. One of the VIP suites upstairs opened up, and the big boss had her moved,” Penny said with a grin. “Sometimes it pays to have friends in high places.”

  “Hey, you have connections yourself. After all, you can get free donuts any time you want. That’s a perk not everyone gets,” I told her, relieved that Gabby was all right.

  “Believe me, I know it. Oh, I’ve been told to thank you for the donuts yesterday. They were a big hit around here.”

  “You are all most welcome,” I said. “You know what a fan I am when it comes to nurses and the work they do.”

  “I do, and on behalf of my brothers and sisters in the field, we thank you,” she said with a smile. “Come on, I’ll show you where she is now.”

  As we walked to the elevator, I asked, “Have you met her cousin Bo yet?”

  “Oh, Bo and I go way back,” Penny said. “In fact, once upon a time, we dated.” I couldn’t see the beauty and the beast together, and she must have read it in my face. “I had to break up with him, the poor dear.”

  “Why is that, if you don’t mind me asking?” Grace inquired.

  “I want to know, too,” I added.

  “He was just a little too sensitive for my taste,” Penny admitted.

  It was hard to imagine that big and burly man fitting the description. “In what way?”

  “A greeting card could make him cry, or even a sweet commercial on television,” she said. “I know what he looks like, but deep down, he’s really a gentle soul. Did you know he was a poet?”

  “As a matter of fact, we did,” I said. “Is he any good?”

  “He’s amazing,” she said with a hint of pride in her voice. “He’s had work published in some pretty prestigious magazines and journals over the years.”

  “It sounds as though you’re not completely over him,” I said softly as we rode up to Gabby’s floor.

  Penny hesitated, and then she admitted, “I thought I was, but I’ve dated some real jerks since we broke up. Maybe I was a bit hasty. Do you happen to know if he’s seeing anyone?”

  “I have no idea, but I’d be more than happy to find out,” I said with a grin.

  She looked at me for a moment as though she were about to take me up on my offer, but then she shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m sure he’s dating someone new by now. I had my chance, and I blew it.”

  “Penny. Hi!” Bo said enthusiastically as he stood upon our arrival. His face got flushed the moment he saw the nurse, and in his haste, he knocked over the chair he was sitting on as he stood up. “How are you?”

  “I’m good, Bo,” the nurse said, her face softening on seeing his reaction to her. “How are you?”

  “I’m fine. You look amazing,” he said softly.

  “That’s sweet of you to say,” she answered, ignoring, or perhaps entirely missing, the obvious care in his voice.

  “How’s Gabby this morning?” I asked, hating to break up the reunion but not having much choice. We were on a time crunch, and I needed to keep things moving if we were going to be able to solve the case before Gabby lost her protection.

  “She’s getting a little cranky, which is a good sign, if you ask me. When she was sweet to me yesterday, I almost didn’t recognize her,” he said with a grin. “You can all go on in.”

  I hesitated as Penny got a page. “Sorry. They need me back on the floor.”

  “It was good seeing you,” Bo said hopefully.

  “You, too,” she said as she hurried away.

 
Bo said softly, more to himself than to us, as she vanished into the elevator, “I miss you.”

  “She misses you, too, you know,” I said.

  He looked startled by my comment. “Why do you say that?”

  “Ask her out, Bo. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear her answer,” I said.

  He looked a little dejected at the suggestion. “I don’t think so. She was pretty clear about where things stood when she broke up with me the last time.”

  “Hey, it’s still worth a shot, isn’t it?” Grace asked him.

  “Maybe,” he said. “Anyway, you two should go on in.”

  I looked at Grace with one raised eyebrow. Usually I was the one who meddled in other people’s love lives. She just shrugged, ending the conversation. It was that way with us sometimes.

  There was no need for words between us, and a few looks were all that we required to communicate volumes.

  “What have you two been up to? Have you been able to find out who tried to get rid of me? And knowing why would be nice, too. Come on. Let’s hear it. I don’t have all day,” the patient demanded.

  It appeared that Bo had been right.

  If Gabby’s current attitude and demeanor were any indication of her general state of being, she was definitely getting better.

  “Listen, you’re probably not going to like this, but we didn’t see any other way to make things happen,” I said after taking a deep breath.

  “And you didn’t think to get my approval first?” she asked. “That’s so typical of you, Suzanne. What possessed you to do something you knew that I wouldn’t approve of?”

  I thought the criticism was patently unfair, and I was about to say so when Grace surprised us both by speaking up. “Gabby, you don’t even know what we did yet. Shouldn’t you wait to at least hear us out before you start slinging around blame?”

  Gabby looked shocked for a moment, and then, to my surprise as well as Grace’s, she backpedaled immediately. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  “Excuse me? What did you just say?” Grace asked her, clearly unsure as to what she’d just heard.

  Gabby grinned for a split second, and I knew that we were going to be all right. “You heard me the first time, so don’t expect me to repeat it.” She then turned to me and asked, “What exactly did you do that you need to ask forgiveness for instead of permission?”