by Gale Deitch
His words softened me. In my head, I knew I was being immature and unreasonable, but I couldn’t get rid of this anger, this feeling of abandonment. Looking up at him, I kept my tears in check. “Daniel, I want to be in your arms and only your arms, but lately you haven’t been there for me. Your father is escorting me around town while I am dodging charging vehicles and deadly fires. I’m scared to death to go out the door each morning. Someone is trying to kill me, and I have no idea who it is. I just want to go back to the way things were. I want us to be happy again.”
I felt a fat tear roll down my cheek.
The music stopped and we stood in place on the dance floor.
Daniel held my face between his hands and bent down to kiss my tear-stained cheek then wiped it gently with his thumb. “That’s all I want, too, Trudie. All I want.”
As we strolled back to the table hand-in-hand, Sherrie said, “Dan, can I bend your ear about a case I’m working on?”
Daniel squeezed my hand. “I’ll be glad to give you some time tomorrow at the office. Tonight I’m off-duty.” He sat down next to me and put his arm around the back of my chair then murmured into my ear, “Better?”
I glanced past Daniel at Sherrie, who was glowering into her wine glass and grinned. “Much, much better.”
Content to have my man at my side, when the entrée was served, I happily dug into the Chicken Kiev with wild rice and haricots verts, all surprisingly well-prepared for such a large gathering. When we’d finished eating, Daniel leaned into me and whispered, “Before it gets too late, why don’t you call May and tell her you won’t be home tonight?”
“Doesn’t the court expect me to be living at May’s every night?” I asked.
“I think the court would make an exception for one night if they knew how much you and I needed to be together,” he murmured, nuzzling into my neck. “Just the two of us alone together, without May or Stu in the next room.”
“Mmm,” I said. “But I don’t want to cause trouble for May. Maybe I should check with Alan first.”
He jerked back. “No way. You are not asking that lawyer leech if you and I can spend the night together. Everywhere I turn, that guy is insinuating himself into your life. Not this time.”
“That ‘lawyer leech,’ as you call him, saved your neck by keeping me company half the evening when you weren’t here for me. If it wasn’t for Alan, I’d have gone home long before you even got here.”
“All right. I’ll give him that point as long as he doesn’t try to make any moves on you.”
I shifted in my seat thinking about Alan’s remarks to me in the car and the way he’d pulled me close and whispered in my ear during the cocktail hour. If Daniel hadn’t arrived at that moment, I wasn’t sure what would have happened between Alan and me. I swallowed hard and decided to change the subject. “Okay, if we can’t ask May’s attorney about this, do you think the judge is here tonight?”
He laughed. “I’ll just mention it to Sherrie and…”
“She-cop Sherrie?” I hissed through clenched teeth. “You’ll do no such thing. She may be working on the case, but keep her out of our private life.”
He shook his head and grinned. “If that’s the way you feel, I’m taking the responsibility. You give May a call to let her know, and I’ll go to the front desk and get us a room. Okay?”
We stood and Daniel grabbed my hand to lead me out of the ballroom. “Back in a few,” he said over his shoulder to our table-mates.
We returned in time for a moving video memorializing the past year’s fallen officers and the fund set up to benefit their families. As we watched, my chair turned toward the screen, Daniel sat behind me lightly massaging my shoulders. Sitting in the darkened room, it struck me that a future with Daniel had its risks. In this job, every day he put himself in harm’s way. I wondered how I would handle the daily uncertainty of his safety. I supposed if we did ever marry and have a family, I would have to live with that doubt. Even as his girlfriend now, I was aware of the dangers but had brushed them aside like crumbs on a kitchen counter. He must have had the same thoughts because, as the bereaved families took the stage, he leaned forward, wrapped his arms around me and pressed his cheek against mine.
That night in our hotel room, I couldn’t believe how those missed nights had increased our appetite for each other. The warmth of his body against mine and the scent of his skin were a banquet to my senses, and we feasted as if we’d been starving. We clung to each other beneath the sheets with an urgency we’d never felt before, an urgency sparked by the realization that one of us could lose the other in an instant.
Chapter Seventeen
The next morning, dressed in my shimmering emerald green gown, I took the walk of shame through the lobby of the Mayflower Hotel and outside to the front entrance to wait with Daniel for the valet to retrieve his car.
He drove me home and, parked in front of May’s house, we said our goodbyes for the day, clinging to each other awkwardly across the center console.
“Hate to say this, but I’ve got to get home so I can shower and change and get down to the station,” he said.
“I know. I need to get to work, too.”
He got out of the car and walked around to open my door. As he helped me out, he pulled me close for another lingering kiss.
“Come over later, okay?” I asked.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
As I reached May’s front porch, I turned to gaze at Daniel once more. He leaned against the car waiting patiently until I’d safely entered the house. With his crumpled tuxedo shirt open at the collar and a lock of bangs hanging down over his forehead that made him look so sexy, I only wished I could rush back into his arms and go home with him.
When I closed the front door, May called to me from the kitchen to come have breakfast.
“Just going to change into something comfortable,” I answered. “Be right down.”
I put on a pair of stretchy yoga pants and a t-shirt and padded downstairs and into the kitchen barefoot. I felt more relaxed than I had in days.
“Had a good night, I hope?” May asked, turning to me with a plate piled with eggs, bacon and hash browns.
“Mmm,” I said, hugging myself. “A wonderful night. Thanks for understanding, May. I’m just hoping I didn’t get you into trouble.”
“Trouble? How’d you figure that?” She set a plate of thick homemade biscuits on the table and poured me some coffee and then a mug for herself.
I took a forkful of eggs and a sip of coffee then spoke. “According to the court ruling, I’m supposed to be living here every night. What if they find out I never came home last night?”
“Shuga, I’m not worried about that one bit. I don’t care if they lock me up and throw away the key. It would be worth it ‘cause you and your man had the chance to be alone togetha’ for a night.”
“Well, hopefully that won’t happen.” I buttered a biscuit and sunk my teeth into it, savoring the perfection of May’s creation, the texture hovering somewhere between dense and light.
“What ya’ got planned today?” she asked, taking a sip of coffee.
“Going into the office. Zach and I have to work out our schedule and make shopping lists. We have a busy weekend; a sweet sixteen party Friday night, a dinner party Saturday night, and a post-wedding brunch on Sunday. We’ll most likely be spending the day coordinating with the décor people and lining up a bartender and some extra people to serve and bus tables.”
“Woo-ee, girl. I guess business is good these days. Do you think you can set aside a couple hours tomorrow afternoon? I was hoping you and Katie might come out with me to scatter Micah’s ashes in the Potomac.”
“Sure,” I said, wondering how I’d fit it into my schedule but knowing I couldn’t let May down. “If you want me there, that’s where I’ll be.”
STU GOT ME to the office about ten o’clock. Zach hadn’t arrived yet, but another police cruiser was stationed outside in the parking l
ot.
“Be all right until Zach gets here?” Stu asked after he’d checked the office and warehouse for unwanted visitors.
“Sure. I’ll be fine.” I promised to call when I needed him to pick me up.
After Stu left, I picked up the phone to call Zach. “Where are you?” I asked when he picked up. “I thought you’d have been here two hours ago with everything we have to do.” Zach had always been the first one in to the office.
“Should be there in half an hour. I’ve been helping Ally set up her new restaurant POS system. You should see it, Trudie. It’s so cool the way you can manage all the restaurant operations, the food, supplies, menus, pricing. Does May have anything like this?”
“No, she doesn’t and neither do we. So please get here soon.” I kept my voice calm, but inside I seethed. After all, Zach and I had a business to run. Sure, between May and her restaurant, I’d been MIA myself the past week or so. But Zach had this pattern when it came to Ally. All she had to do was crook her little finger and he’d come running. She’d been using his expertise to help make plans for her new restaurant chain without any kind of payment, while she had the financial backing of Bob Lewis and could hire anyone she wanted. I didn’t know if I was angrier at Zach for shirking his work duties or at Ally for taking advantage of him.
To take my mind off of it I got busy, first making a list of what needed to be done for the Friday night sweet sixteen party. The girl’s family had already hired a DJ, and I’d been working with the décor company to coordinate the fifties diner theme. We’d be making milkshakes and root beer floats, a variety of sliders, French fries, and ice cream sundaes. Zach and I had originally planned to make cupcakes, but since I’d be stopping at Jennifer’s coffee shop later that afternoon with her contract, I decided to ask if she would make a special themed cake. As I worked on the schedule and shopping list for this event, Zach arrived.
By now, my anger had cooled, and I looked forward to spending the day with Zach. We were a good team, always feeding on each other’s enthusiasm and creative ideas. And with three events to plan, I knew he would keep me calm and focused.
“How are Ally’s plans going?” I asked, offering the olive branch in case Zach sensed my earlier anger.
He frowned and sat down across from me at the desk. “Opening a new restaurant is a lot of work. So many details involved and decisions to make. Luckily, Mr. Lewis is handling the space rental, the architect, the builder and permits. But Ally’s been creating recipes and menus and working with the designer on everything from the light fixtures to the flooring to the company logo.”
“When does she think she’ll open?”
“She’s planning a soft opening on November first so she’ll be up and running well before the holidays. I hope she makes it.”
“It sounds like she’s on target. And she’s lucky to have your expertise, too. I just hope she doesn’t take up too much of your time.”
He glanced away and then back at me. “Look, Trudie. Ally’s a good friend. I’ll give her all the help I can. Whatever she needs.”
“Anything going on with you two in the romance area?” I ventured.
Zach reddened. “We’re taking it slow. Just good friends for now learning to trust each other.”
I wondered if Ally was back to her old tricks of taking advantage of Zach’s feelings for her. “Was that your idea or hers?”
He lifted his head and smiled. “Actually, mine. Ally wanted to pursue this relationship head on, but we’ve had so many fits and starts. I told her I wanted us both to be sure. Until then, we’ve got each other’s backs. She balked about it at first, but I think she’s enjoying our friendship. No pressure on either of us. Much easier that way.”
I walked around the desk to Zach and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you and happy for you both. One request, though: When it does happen, swear I’ll be the first to know.”
He held up his hand in a pledge, “Swear.”
With the Friday night event planned, we moved on to the Saturday evening dinner party and then the Sunday post-wedding brunch. Even though Jennifer hadn’t yet signed the contract, we decided to ask for her help on these events too, possibly loaves of fresh-baked bread and dessert for the dinner party and croissants and pastries for the brunch. I hoped all these requests wouldn’t scare her off from working with us. We were excited about the possibilities Jennifer’s services provided to our catering business.
That afternoon, Stu dropped me off at the coffee shop. “I’ll find a parking space and have a cup of coffee while I wait for you.” he said.
“Take your time. Jennifer and I have some business to discuss.” I breezed through the entrance, waved to the cashier, and headed toward the kitchen, stopping short when I noticed, sitting in a corner booth, the three thugs who’d been harassing all the local business owners. At the same moment, they all noticed me, and the ring leader, the Albino named LeBlanc, tipped his hat, smiled and nodded.
Shaken, I hurried into the kitchen. “Jennifer, those men out there….”
Removing a pan from the oven, she had her back to me, and I could see her shoulders tense. “Don’t pay them any attention,” she said, her voice thick as lumpy gravy. “They’ll be gone soon.”
I strode over and put my hand on her back. “Tell me what’s been going on, hon.”
She turned to me. Her face was red and splotchy. “You’ve been helping May out for a while, Trudie. I’m sure you know how these guys operate.” Her voice was ragged.
“Yes, I know all too well. Have you been paying them off?”
Jennifer shrugged. “Of course I’ve been paying them off. What else could I do? I can’t afford damage to this place. A few days without business and I’d lose everything.”
“There’s got to be a way to get rid of those jerks,” I said. “May has absolutely refused to pay them and they left her alone for a while, until Micah….”
“Uh-huh, and look what happened to him. Look what happened to the restaurant and what almost happened to you and Katie.” She shook her head. “I can’t take that risk. Now change of subject, please.” She pulled a pan of unbaked rolls out of the refrigerator and slid them into the oven.
I opened my portfolio, its purple fabric engraved in orange with our company name, A Fine Fix. It always gave me chills to realize that I was the owner of a thriving business. Zach and I had worked very hard to get to this point, and I knew that Jennifer had done the same with her coffee shop. For her and others in this neighborhood to be plagued by these men was an outrage. Maybe May had sworn me to secrecy about them, but this time I was determined to get Daniel involved. These guys had gone too far. No more secrets from the police. There had to be a way to get them off the street, permanently.
I removed the contract for Jennifer and handed it to her. “Here’s hoping for a profitable relationship between us. Zach and I are so happy you’re coming on board.”
She smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, Trudie. Now tell me what you need for the weekend.”
When Jennifer and I were done talking business, I spotted Stu waiting for me, as promised, with his cup of coffee and a half-eaten blueberry scone. He was sitting at a table by the window facing the corner booth the three men had now vacated.
“Guess they didn’t want my company,” he said when he saw me glance at the empty booth. “Got up and left as soon as I sat down. Didn’t even pay their bill or leave a tip.”
I slid into the seat across from him. “Sure, why should they pay when Jennifer is feeding them protection money? This has gone too far. I’m going to speak to Daniel about them.”
“Not necessary,” Stu said putting his hand on mine. “He’s been working on that and the arson case all week. Thinks he’s close to an arrest.”
“Really?” I brightened. “But how? I didn’t think any of the business owners would talk to the police.”
“They won’t. But in investigating the fire at May’s, he has a witness who saw one of them running out of the a
lley laughing at about the same time you and Katie were inside May’s office.”
I puzzled about this. “So they may be arrested for arson but not for extortion?”
Stu shrugged. “Daniel’s got to bring them in for something. He’s a good interrogator. He’ll get one of them to crack sooner or later.”
A thought hit me like a shot of espresso. “So if they’re the ones who started the fire, does that mean they--?”
“—killed Micah? Maybe.”
“—and tried to kill me?” I shuddered thinking of the car that almost ran me down.
“Possible. We’ll see what Daniel and Sergeant Flowers can get out of them. They’re taking this slow and careful. Pulling together as much evidence as they can to put these guys away for a long time.”
“And in the meantime?” Goosebumps prickled up and down my arms. “We’re all sitting ducks just waiting for their next move.”
At my insistence, we stopped by Maybelline’s so I could see the damage. It was an eerie scene in the dining room with tables and chairs stacked to the sides, the bar area completely devoid of liquor bottles and glassware, and the carpeting removed revealing a bare concrete floor. Powerful exhaust fans sucked in the acrid air while a crew from the restoration company washed down the walls.
Although the fire had raged through the kitchen, except for the blackened walls at the end near May’s office, the room appeared very much the same as it did each morning before the prep food and utensils were brought out. Of course, all the big pots and pans that usually hung from hooks had been moved out, but the stainless shelving and appliances had held up well. And thank goodness May’s new Wolf range seemed no worse for wear. Here, too, the crew washed everything down as the fans sucked out the bad air.
The door to the office had been removed, and I ventured a peek inside. Here I noticed the most dramatic change. The room had been completely emptied. May’s desk, the chairs, the filing cabinets, the computer…all gone. The walls, which once sported photos and other memorabilia from New Orleans, were completely bare. Here, too, the walls were blackened.
