“On top of that, Bancroft’s funeral is set for later this week, most of the staff wants to attend, its crazy around here. The only good news is that Brian Bancroft has been stabilized and returned home.”
“That is good news, but back up. What do you mean he was found at the bottom of a lake? How did he get there?”
“No clue, but the police have been combing the place again.”
William struggled to wrap his brain around this new development. “They think that someone at Keystone has something to do with it?”
“I don’t know what they think. I just know I’m on the edge of a heart attack trying to deal with all this. So, can you come in?”
“Today?” He moved from the counter and paced the linoleum floor.
“If not, at the very least tomorrow?”
“Umm...”
“I’m begging you, Will. Please do this for me.”
“All right,” he said, and then grinded his teeth in regret.
“Great. I need you to cover mid-shift. So I’ll see you around noon.”
William disconnected the call and cursed under his breath.
“Problem?” Josie asked. She was wrapped in a white robe and wore a wide smile as she leaned against the kitchen’s island.
“Hey, you.” The very sight of her lifted his spirits. He returned the cell phone to the charger, and then crossed over to her.
She slid willingly into his arms, and her lips landed warmly on his. Moaning, she glided her arms possessively around his neck and drew him closer.
When their lips at last parted, she remained locked in his embrace. “So who upset you on the phone?”
He hesitated. It suddenly occurred to William that he hadn’t told Josie about the other events that happened the night he’d taken her from Keystone. He hadn’t even told her how he’d orchestrated her kidnapping.
“We need to talk.” His arms fell away from her body. Maybe I should put on some coffee.”
“Okay.” She frowned and followed him over to the coffeemaker. “Something tells me I need to sit down.”
“That might be a good idea.”
“That bad?”
He retrieved a red can of Folgers from the cabinet. “Yeah.”
Suddenly cautious, Josie folded her arms and stepped back. “All right. Let me hear it.”
William glanced at her, drew in a breath, and started from the beginning.
She listened, pleased that he’d recognized her the moment he’d laid eyes on her. He recanted how he approached a Dr. Bancroft with his suspicions.
“She told you that she’d treated Michelle before?”
“Yep. It’s in Michelle’s chart, too, if you still want to take a look at it.”
Josie nodded, but urged him to continue.
“Well, I noticed one morning how the cleaning crew seemed to move about the institution without drawing anyone’s attention. It’s like they’re invisible to staff or something.” He finished preparing her coffee the way she liked it and handed it to her. “Anyway, one day I had to take my SUV in for some minor repairs. One of the doctors recommended a shop not too far from the institute. While I was there, I also noticed a few vans belonging to the same cleaning company that did our office. And just like that, I had an idea.”
Josie sipped her coffee as she listened to the rest of the story. But then her heart dropped when she heard about what happened to Dr. Bancroft. “Murdered?”
“Yeah.” He took the first sip of his coffee and exhaled. “I still can’t believe it.”
“It’s kind of an eerie coincidence, don’t you think?” She set down her cup and brushed down the tiny hairs of alarm on her arms. “And now another doctor is dead?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do you think that the deaths are connected?” she finally asked.
He hesitated again; he even entertained the thought of lying.
“I’m going to take that as a yes,” she answered for him. “It has to be Michelle, surely she knew it was just a matter of time before the doctor realized that I wasn’t her.”
“She seemed pretty convinced when I talked with her.”
“Michelle wouldn’t have known that.”
Suddenly the scars on her wrists itched. “Those guys at the cabin,” she said, meeting his eyes. We know they were sent by Michelle.”
“What is she going to do, systematically kill everyone that works at the institute? That’s crazy.”
“That’s what we’re dealing with.”
He released a hard laugh, but it failed to sound genuine.
Josie didn’t find it so funny. “Look what she’s already done.” She thrust out her wrists. “I’ll sure as hell never underestimate her again.”
The color drained from William’s face. He took her hands and caressed her scars. “So, it wasn’t a suicide attempt?”
“I might not have liked how my career had turned out, but I never been suicidal.” She pulled back her hands.
“Then that settles it,” William said, crossing his arms. “We’re going to the police.”
Chapter 26
Ming kissed her husband, grabbed some toast and a cup of coffee, and then raced out of the house. In her car, she dialed Tyrese and spilled the beans before he finished saying hello.
“Surveillance duty. You have to be kidding me?” Tyrese laughed.
“Afraid not.” She shifted gears and adjusted her cell phone simultaneously. “We need proof that Andrews is masquerading as Josephine. After our visit yesterday, she’s probably going to try to leave town. With Josephine’s money it won’t be too hard to do.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have exposed your hand,” he admonished. “I always said that women shouldn’t play poker.”
“No one likes a Monday morning quarterback,” she retorted. “I need you on her tail to make sure she doesn’t skip out.”
“And what will you be working on while I’m doing all the grunt work?”
“A little entrapment project.”
“Hey, hey. Careful with the E word,” he warned. “The lines on these things aren’t exactly secure, you know.”
“Good point.” Ming chuckled. “I have a few places I need to hit: Turner’s residence and Keystone.”
“Keystone again?”
“We need fingerprints,” she said.
“Did I miss something?”
Realizing she’d left out vital information, she laughed again, and then filled Tyrese in on her clever plan.
#
“The police?” Josie repeated, slowly thawing off her stiff movements. “Today?”
William nodded. “I don’t see where we have a choice. If Michelle is behind three murders…”
“Three?”
“Well, possibly three. Dr. Bancroft mentioned to me that the police wanted to question you…well, Michelle, regarding her boyfriend’s homicide. I’m only guessing, here. But I don’t think it’s too far out the realm of possibility.”
Josie swallowed her surprise. “The police?”
“Yeah, but I don’t know any details.”
She fought a wave of panic. “Won’t you get into a lot of trouble if we go to the authorities?”
“Initially...but I didn’t kill anyone. They’re not going to be able to pin Bancroft’s murder on me. I don’t even own a gun.”
“I’m not going to the police,” she said stubbornly. “Besides, how do I prove any of this?
William frowned.
“Let’s just wait until we receive my medical records,” Josie decided. “Better yet, my dental records.”
“Well, surely she’s not fluent in French or can play the piano…?”
“What if she can? We have to have concrete proof, or they’re going to think I’ve just pulled some con job on you. And then you’ll be locked up for kidnapping, and I’ll be headed back to Keystone in a straight jacket.
“C’mon, Josie. That’s just crazy talk. We both know who you are.”
“Then why weren’t
you able to convince that Dr. Bancroft?”
William stalled.
“I’ll tell you why. It’s because you had no proof. And you still don’t.” She drew a deep breath and moved closer to him. “I’m just asking that we wait until we can get hold of my medical records. That’s all.”
She held his gaze, while he struggled with his decision.
Josie turned to reclaim her coffee but was disturbed by the visible tremor in her hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She lowered the cup again and flashed him a weak smile. “I’m fine.”
William glanced at his watch. “It’s past time for your shot. I should go upstairs and get it.”
She cringed at the thought of another injection. “How much longer will I have to take that stuff?”
While he crossed his arms and thought it over, Josie had no trouble picturing him in a white, doctor’s coat with a stethoscope around his neck.
“Given the amount of drugs everyone had pumped into your system, I’m guessing anywhere from thirty to sixty days,” he said.
“That’s a lot of shots.”
He shrugged. You could try going cold turkey; but I have to warn you, the convulsions, nausea, and migraines are usually severe. What you’ve experienced the last couple of days will seem like a trip to Disneyland compared to going cold turkey.”
Josie’s eyes widened. “If you’re going to put it like that, then I’ll take the shots.”
“Good. I’ll go upstairs…”
“I’ll get it.” Her smile trembled at the corners. “You write down the address for this place so I can call my doctors again.”
William nodded. “All right.”
She flattered him with a quick kiss. “I’ll be right back.” With that, she turned, and strolled out of the kitchen. Once she was out of William’s line of vision, she dropped her calm façade and leaned warily against the staircase’s wooden rail. She had to do something fast. There was no way she was turning herself into the police.
#
“I need a forged passport,” Michelle informed her longtime buddy, D’Angelo. She moved farther into the cramped apartment and slid a hand lightly down his corded chest muscles.
He chuckled and blew a steady stream of cigar smoke into the air. “Is that all?”
“I’ll make it worth your wild.” She pressed a kiss against his dark chocolate skin. “Like old times.”
He fixed her with a hard glare. “Sort of how you did for old Danny boy?”
Michelle dropped her hand. “Danny was greedy.”
“Never met a thief that wasn’t.” He looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “That includes you, my beautiful pet.”
Her back grew stiff. “I assure you, I’m no man’s pet.”
“Is that right?” D’Angelo slid his free hand boldly down her back, cupped her firm butt, and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Maybe I can change all of that.” His eyes roamed over her best assets. “What can you offer for this passport?”
A smile returned to her tight lips. “Whatever you have in mind.”
D’Angelo returned the cigar to his mouth and pinched one of her breasts through her navy chenille sweater. “You can always take the girl out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out the girl, huh?”
Michelle wrinkled her nose at him but held on to her smile. “Whatever you say, baby.”
Their eyes locked and performed a seductive dance that blurred the line of who was conning whom.
Finally, D’Angelo shook his head and gave her a gruff laugh. “I have to be out of my mind to still be screwing around with you. Especially since your last two exes are six-feet under. How about we talk cash?”
She relaxed her smile and pried his hand from her butt. “How much?”
“Well, you know these things aren’t easy to get.”
Annoyed, Michelle brushed off the front of her sweater. “Just throw out a figure.”
He walked away from her and plopped down on a cheap leather couch. “Let’s go over your tab. I got my boys to help you dump Danny’s body.”
“Yeah, God forbid they actually toss him in the woods or something. They planted him in a public park.”
“What do you care? We got him out of that pool, didn’t we?”
Michelle held her tongue. What was the point in arguing with him?
“By the way, how did you get rid of your beloved Dr. Turner? Of course, I never knew what you saw in that white dude, no-how.”
Her eyes narrowed as she straightened her shoulders. “I never told you my history with Ambrose.”
D’Angelo blew her a kiss. “There’s a lot I know about you.” He winked. “And get it out of your head that you can take me out. I’m no punk.”
Tension replaced the air in the room as Michelle sized up her old friend. In the end, she decided they knew an equal amount of dirt on each other. Plus, she needed him.
“How much?” she asked again.
“A hundred Gs and a piece of that sweet ass you promised me.”
“What?”
“I think it’s a bargain.”
Given the circumstances, Michelle realized that she didn’t have room or time to negotiate. “How soon can you get the passport?”
“After I get a photo maybe I can swing something in, say, forty-eight hours?”
She thought about it. “I’ll need it under the name of Josephine Ferrell.”
He frowned.
“Don’t ask. How much more for a birth certificate?”
He corked a brow.
“I might need it in the future.”
When his gaze raked over her attire, Michelle could see his interest flare up again. “How about you give me a little sample now and I’ll just throw in the birth certificate,” he said, rubbing his hand down the front of his crotch.
Michelle smirked and settled her hands on her curvaceous hips. “Like what you see?”
“What can I say? Money looks good on you.”
“Yeah.” Slowly, she unbuttoned the front of her sweater and watched his eyes widened at the sight of her full, caramel covered breasts. “And I’m going to make sure I’ll always have it.”
#
William wondered what was taking Josie so long. He glanced at his watch. He would have to leave in the next two hours if he was going to make it to Keystone by noon. Never a man to stand still, he decided to go out and brag a few more logs of firewood. As he waltzed out of the back door and onto the wooden deck, his mind tangled with what he was going to tell the police. He wasn’t worried about a kidnapping charge so much as a murder charge.
It wasn’t going to look good that he waited so long to come forward, he reasoned, lifting the ax from the tree stump. Regardless, he would undoubtedly lose his job.
What was that?
His ears perked at a rumbling sound.
A few squirrels scattered about as if they were frightened. Was someone there?
William strained his ears again and swore he heard the crunch of gravel. A car?
With the ax his hand, he rushed back to the house. Surely, Larry and Sheila aren’t returning early, he thought. They aren’t due back until December.
William bolted through the back door and scrambled to the kitchen. Josie still hadn’t come down. He hurried to the front door and glanced out of the peephole, but his heart dropped at the sight of the two menacing goons on the other side of the door.
Chapter 27
Ming and her team of police officers were welcomed to the Turner residence by the red-eyed widow. It was near noon, but Trisha answered the door wrapped in a pink robe and a pair of matching fuzzy house shoes. Despite the woman’s swollen eyes and glowing nose, Ming thought the forty-something socialite was still a striking woman.
“Morning, Mrs. Turner.” Ming went through the formality of flashing her identification, but Trisha hardly spared it a glance.
“Come on in.” Trisha stepped back and allowed Ming and her four companions entry. “Pl
ease excuse the mess, but I haven’t had time to straighten up.”
Ming moved into the foyer and glanced around. What was the woman talking about? The place was immaculate. “I know this is a hard time for you. We appreciate your help in this case.”
Trisha shrugged, seemingly unaffected by the mini-speech, and then lead the way to a handsome office. Three of the four lengthy walls were decked floor-to-ceiling with cherry-wood bookcases. The shelves were packed tight with books bounded in expensive leather, and the polished floor showcased the most beautiful Oriental rug Ming had every seen.
“This is nice,” Ming said, easing into the room. “This is where your husband worked?”
Again, Trisha shrugged. “He always said that he worked better in here than he did at Keystone,” she said. “Fewer interruptions.”
Ming noted that the widow’s tag dripped with sarcasm. Moments like these were always difficult.
Ming’s small entourage slid on latex gloves and promptly dispersed throughout the room.
Deadly Double Page 16
