by K. C. Turner
“Eew,” exclaimed Elizabeth as she slapped China’s arm. “I swear you are impossible. I promise I will fill you in first thing Monday morning.”
Making her way into her vehicle, China looked to the sun and bellowed, “Soo-ey!” Then she laughed deep from her belly and yelled out her window as she backed out of the driveway, “You know I love you, Liz!”
Shaking her head, Elizabeth turned away with a smile on her face and swatted her hand in the air towards her friend before heading into the house for a much needed beauty rest.
Chapter 2
Martinez and Elizabeth stood at the front door to Marta and Bill’s house. He took in a deep breath and looked at her with a bit of discomfort. Grabbing his hand she smiled and assured, “Don’t worry! They’re going to love you.”
“Well, at least you’re confident.”
Before Elizabeth could knock on the door, Marta opened it. “Liz!” Without hesitation, they hugged and exchanged a cheek kiss. “And this must be that Angel I’ve heard so much about.” Her southern accent was slight but still apparent and her short, semi-bobbed, white hair perfectly accentuated her strong jaw line and classy, but simplistic, style.
“Marta, I’d like you to meet Angel Martinez. Angel, this is my Aunt Marta.”
Martinez smiled and put out his right hand to greet her properly.
“It’s Marta, please.” Reminding Elizabeth not to call her ‘Aunt’. Though she was southern, she hated formalities. “And nonsense,” she said, swatting away his hand as she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders to hug him southern-style with a few pats on his back. Wanting to make a good first impression, he awkwardly reciprocated.
She backed up from him for a moment to get a good look at him. “Oh, my word! You are just as handsome as Liz described you to be. Come in, come in!” Marta gestured for them to enter. “Bill is out on the patio getting the grill started. I certainly hope you brought your appetite.” She led them through the hall and into the kitchen where two sliding glass doors gave way to the patio with an encompassing view of the lake.
“You have a beautiful home.” Martinez wasn’t much for small talk but he had to make an effort.
“Why thank you!” Marta said as she opened the patio door. “Red, dear, our guests are here!”
Elizabeth walked over to the grill where Bill was violently brushing away the charred debris from his previous masterpiece. Looking up at her, Bill became excited. “Hey, baby girl!” He greeted her by swinging his left arm around her shoulder and kissing her hard on the cheek. Her face crinkled with schoolgirl delight as his tobacco-tinged mustache whiskers tickled her skin.
Breaking from his embrace, Elizabeth said, “Hey, Uncle Bill, this is -”
“Angel Martinez.” His voice becoming more stern and crackling from years of cigarette smoke, he placed the grill brush to the side, wiped his hand on his apron, and forcefully shook Martinez’s hand as he glared into his eyes. “Nice grip. We’re off to a good start,” he said as he patted Martinez on the shoulder while mid-handshake.
“Pleasure, Sir.”
Appearing to inflate his already large chest, he advised, “Call me Bill. If I decide I like you later, you can call me Red.”
Smiling with a head nod, Martinez said, “Fair enough, Bill.”
“Have a seat. I just fired this bad boy up.” Bill grabbed the brush again to clean the remaining debris from the grill. “Marta, honey, get the kids a beer. Liz, why don’t you and your friend grab a seat? How do you take your steak, Martinez?”
“Oh, medium rare, please. Thank you.”
Marta brought out a cold beer for everyone, including herself, and sat at the table across from Elizabeth. Bill placed four T-bone steaks on the grill; the meat sizzled as soon as it hit the flames and the aroma of garlic and Worcestershire sauce wafted in the air. Grabbing his beer, Bill took the chair directly across from Martinez.
“So, Martinez, you’re a detective with SPD? Work any interesting cases lately?”
Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth said, “Uncle Bill, it’s Saturday. Do we really have to talk shop?”
“Oh, come on, Liz. I’ve been out of the loop for a while. Can’t you humor an old man?” He winked at her.
“Actually, I was just called out to a shooting last night, South of the casino. Guy was robbed at his house and shot in the chest. Survived surprisingly. Claims $3,000.00 cash was taken. We’re pretty sure it was drug related but we’re still investigating, of course.”
“Of course. So, how’s Liz’s case coming? You link that bastard that broke into her house to that asshole in prison?”
“Red!” yelled Marta. Elizabeth just shook her head and sighed.
“What? It’s a valid question. I should’ve taken my pistol to that bastard years ago,” he said as he took a swig of his beer.
“William Garret Redman!” yelled Marta as she smacked his arm. She turned to Martinez, “You will have to excuse him, dear. He doesn’t really mean that.”
“The hell I don’t,” he grunted. Marta smacked him again with a harsh look of disapproval.
Laughing, Martinez said, “Well, we did catch him a while back. Didn’t Liz tell you? That case is over. He took a plea deal. Not by my choice.”
“Damn city prosecutors. In the Corps, you couldn’t get away with that shit. They would throw your ass in the brig for the smallest infraction and you would stay there until you got your act together. Keep your shit up and you would be dishonorably discharged after serving out your time. And us judge’s advocates didn’t hand out ‘plea deals’ like candy. Ruined a lot of young men’s lives. Dumb Asses.”
“You were in the Corps?”
Still seated, he saluted Martinez. “Retired. Colonel William Garrett Redman. At your service.”
Instantly, Martinez pushed back his patio chair and stood at full attention, saluting Bill. “Corporal Angel Martinez. Sir!”
“As you were Corporal.” He smiled and raised his beer.
In unison they clanged their beers as they yelled, “Oo-Rah!”
Getting up from his chair, Bill said, “Come on over here, Son. I’ll show you how to make the meanest steak that ever crossed those lips of yours. And you can call me Red.”
Bill and Martinez hammed it up as they finished the steaks while Marta and Elizabeth set the table and brought out the side dishes. When they finally sat down to eat, in the middle of the table was a smorgasbord of homemade pasta salad, in season sweet corn, grilled asparagus and steak grilled to perfection.
They all feasted as the men shared stories of their time in the Corps, talked about war, and manning up while the women spoke of sweet memories of time gone past and Elizabeth’s favorite subject; her parents. Bill and Marta were special. They weren’t just neighbors and good friends of her family. They were family. The only family she had now.
After cleaning up, they all said their good byes. “Thank you so much for having us,” said Elizabeth as she hugged Marta tight.
“Martinez, you take care of her. I don’t wanna have to get my pistol out.” Bill winked. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other. Lot more stories to tell.”
“I have no doubt. Red, it’s been a pleasure,” he said as he shook Bill’s hand once more.
They walked the kids to the door and made them promise to come back soon. Elizabeth and Martinez waved one last time as they headed back toward her house down the wooded trail. Squeezing his hand, Elizabeth smiled. “Well, it seems you made quite an impression.”
“Hey, you get two Marines in a room together and it’s like a family reunion. They’re nice people. I had a really good time. I didn’t know you were related to them.”
“Not technically. They’re my Godparents. Bill and my dad went to law school together and remained friends ever since. Marta and my mom were practically inseparable. I’ve always called Bill my uncle. Marta has always wanted me to call her by her first name but she’s more like a second mom to me than an aunt. They took care of everything afte
r my parents died. I mean, they always consulted me but I left a lot to them. They’re also my Trustees, until my next birthday anyway.”
“Trustees? Sounds fancy. So you’re a trust fund baby, huh?”
Loosening her grip on his hand and shooting him an offended look, she shot back at his words, “It’s not as extravagant as it sounds.”
“Whoa, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.” He grabbed her hand and stopped them both in their tracks. Looking into her heavyhearted blue eyes he promised, “I’m sorry. Really. That was a stupid thing to say.”
Trying to brush off his insensitivity, she turned away from him and began walking again. “Don’t worry about it.”
He hesitated before asking, “So, can I ask what happened to your parents? If it’s an inappropriate question, just say so.”
Knowing the question was inevitable she was prepared for it. “Well, when I should have been starting my second year in college, I was going through a trial. It actually went much faster than I expected from his arrest to the jury selection. But my dad had to keep putting off work and taking time off to make sure the prosecutor did ‘her job correctly’.”
“Marilyn?”
She sighed. “Yeah. I mean I understood, I guess. He was an attorney. Hell, he would have tried the case himself if he could’ve. Anyway, Steve was convicted and sent away in September of that year. My dad had this huge business trip planned right before the holidays and his partners warned if he didn’t take care of things, they would begin the process of pushing him out.
I insisted he and my mom go. They both needed a break, you know? I did too. I mean, I had Marta and Bill here and I planned on going back to school the next semester. We all just needed a break. Plus, I didn’t want to see everything my dad worked for his entire life just disappear because of me. I had caused enough problems for everyone - ”
Martinez cut her off like a mad driver in morning traffic. Grabbing her shoulders, he squeezed her hard but lovingly. “Liz, none of that was your fault.”
Tears welled in her eyes and began to trickle down her cheeks. “If they hadn’t gone away... if I didn’t insist...” she sniffled, “they wouldn’t have been driving – I tried to make things better and they just got worse.” She was almost embarrassed for breaking down the way she did.
He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear yet again, “It wasn’t your fault, Liz.” He cupped her face in his hands, wiping away tears with his thumbs.
His brown eyes screamed safety and his lips parted invitingly. Elizabeth couldn’t resist a perfect moment to kiss him. Angel Martinez was by all accounts, heavenly. She pulled back and smiled, a tear hung in the corner of her eye before she swiped it with her forefinger.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself together. “Well then. Come on, our desert awaits.” Grabbing his hand again they walked until they reached her house. She led him down the embankment to the edge of the dock where two over sized pillows and a picnic basket awaited them. The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon giving the lake the most beautiful glow.
They sat down on the pillows and Elizabeth opened the chilled bottle of wine, pouring each of them a glass. Martinez looked back at the house, the screened in porch facing them. “Man, Liz. You have it made out here. Close neighbors but not too close. Lake view. Close enough to the city but again, not too close. It’s so peaceful here.”
“Yeah, it’s home.” She raised her glass, “Cheers,” she said with a smile. She turned her gaze to the setting sun. “I’ve always loved the water. The lake in the summer, the ocean in the winter. My parents used to take me to the beach and swim with me. It was our favorite past time. It’s the same comfort I feel while soaking in a warm bath. The water envelops you like a mother, lovingly swaddling her baby with a familiar blanket.”
“I think that is the most poetic thing I’ve ever heard, Elizabeth Strong.”
Giggling, she asked, “What do you know about poetry, Detective?”
“When you grow up in an orphanage, you find things to do. I read books. Every book I could find. Of course, that’s where my friend, Chico, and me you remember the one at the FBI that helped me out with the Gardner case? That’s when we first discovered Sherlock Holmes.” He laughed at the memories. “We would end up literally fighting about who was going to be Holmes and who would be Watson. Of course, they’re both fantastic characters.”
“In-deed!” she responded mockingly.
Smiling with a bit of embarrassment himself this time, he reminded her, “There is not a single person on this earth who hasn’t heard of Sherlock Holmes!”
“That couldn’t possibly be a logical assessment, my dear Watson.” She giggled again. “Okay, I’m done. I promise!” She couldn’t help herself. His smile was perfection and his laugh made her warm in all the right places. When his smile disappeared and his expression turned more serious, she knew what was coming next.
“I know you don’t want to talk about this...”
“Frankly, I don’t. China already put her two cents in today. Are the two of you texting each other or something?”
“Come on, Liz. You have to consider this.”
“No, Martinez, I don’t. There is no reason for me to go to that hearing other than allow him to get one more dig at me. I have faith that he has not done a single thing that would make them let him out two years early.”
Martinez became soft spoken, “Look, Liz, I need to tell you something and please don’t get angry with me.”
“Don’t you realize that ending a statement with ‘please don’t get angry with me’ is almost a guarantee that the person will get angry?” She pursed her lips flirtatiously.
“Can you just hear me out and try to keep an open mind?”
She sighed before sipping her wine. He’s not going to let it go, Liz. Just hear the man out. “Okay, you win.”
Looking down into his wine glass he began, “Back in June, after we arrested Johnnie Warren, I went to see Robinson.” He stopped to gauge her emotion. Although she looked uncomfortable, he had her attention, so he continued. “Steve Robinson is not a man you want getting out of prison early. As it stands right now, he is a perfect candidate for early release. I believe you have a chance to throw a wrench in that. I’ve seen it happen before. I’ve talked to a few people about this and everyone says the same thing: Victim testimony at a parole hearing has a greater affect on the board than a written statement.”
Elizabeth starred out at the horizon. The lake reflected the sun setting behind pink and lavender clouds on the pale blue sky. She knew he was right but she refused to give in. Sighing, she tried to convince him, “I know you mean well, but you don’t understand. I just want to live and let live, ya know? Steve Robinson ripped my life apart six years ago. I don’t want anything else to do with him. I don’t want to go to that hearing and give him the satisfaction of knowing that I even still consider the fact he is a breathing organism worthy of any more of my time.”
Martinez was growing frustrated. “He’s going to get out and when he does, he is coming straight for you. ‘Tell Lizzy, I’ll see her soon.’ His words, Liz.”
Goose bumps formed on her arms.
“For crying out loud, the asshole had the nerve to call you three months ago and ask you to put in a good word for him at the hearing! He knew what was going on with Johnnie Warren. I know he was responsible! He-is-a-psychopath, Liz.”
She met his glare. His eyes didn’t move. He didn’t blink. Grabbing her hand and interlocking his fingers with hers, he continued, “I have a plan. I just need your approval. I will drive you to the hearing and escort you. I’ll stay with you through the entire hearing, Liz. You don’t have to do this alone.
Investigator McMurphy has already approved everything; he’s just waiting for an official request and confirmation so he can have everything set up. You have to at least try. This doesn’t make you weak, this says to Robinson that you are truly done taking his shit and he can’t get away with
what he has done. We may not have had enough evidence to pin Johnnie Warren’s actions on him, but you have every right to make your fears and concerns and hypothesis known to the parole board.”
Taking a drink of her wine, she looked out to the sunset again. Before she could respond, her cell phone rang. Damn it all to hell!
“This is Elizabeth.” Martinez watched her face turn serious as she listened to the voice on the other end. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Give me about fifteen minutes,” she said before ending the call. “You know, I love that Marilyn brought in this new program for victims, but between the two of us being on call, I’m not sure this is working out so well!” She tilted her head flirtatiously and smiled when she met his gaze.
Smiling back at her, he assured her of his commitment. “Come on. I’ll drive you myself. Then we can come back here and hopefully finish off with a quiet evening.”
Chapter 3
Silverton, Ohio used to be a quiet little lake town, but between the ever-growing popularity of the amusement and water parks and the recently built casino, it was growing into quite the metropolis. Very different from the miles of cornfields, just upon the outskirts, with lingering scents of cow manure that Elizabeth used to know. Of course, some of those cornfields still existed, but they were few and far between.
They drove about ten minutes into town, to the new condos facing Lake Erie. It was a mile or so from Elizabeth’s old apartment building. The flashing lights lit up the night sky and memories of moments past flickered through her mind. Seriously? Elizabeth and Martinez met up with the officer standing next to his cruiser. Officer Lucas shook his head and greeted Martinez with dissonance. “Detective, I don’t believe we asked for assistance in this matter.”
“You did not, Lucas. Just giving the lady a ride. You did call in a request for an advocate, did you not?”
Shaking his head in disbelief, Lucas refused to question authority. “Yep, sure did.”
