The Wages of Cin (Cin Fin-Lathen Mysteries Book 4)

by Alexie Aaron

  He opened the door and pointed. “The young lady needs you,” he said.

  I walked in to see Elijah sitting on the bed holding a shaking Mandy. I crawled in beside them, and Mandy transferred herself to me. I didn’t tell her everything was going to be okay; I just let her cry. I started to hum the strange little tune Manuel was working on, and it seemed to calm her. Soon she let herself fall asleep. I eased her down and covered her up.

  I didn’t leave the room. I walked into the attached bath and washed my filthy feet. I didn’t see any of Caroline’s blood on them, so I felt I was in the clear and wouldn’t be destroying any evidence. Memories of being covered in a bandmate’s blood flooded in, and I held onto the counter for a moment to calm my stomach.

  Elijah walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

  I was surprised but managed to keep my cool. Our eyes met in the mirror.

  “Thank you,” he said. “She seems to have bonded with you. Will you stick with us?”

  “I’ll do my best, considering that I’m a suspect. Are you sure you want me around your daughter?”

  “Mandy said she was with you before she went to find Caroline. You didn’t kill her. Mandy didn’t kill her. Who did?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sorry, Elijah. I know you had a complex relationship, but Caroline did love you.”

  “Maybe too much,” he said, breaking down.

  Against my better judgment, I walked over and put my arms around him. For the second time that night, I found myself in the arms of a Broadhurst. He cried silently. The tears fell and ran down his face onto my shoulder. After a while, I encouraged him to go back into the bedroom so Mandy didn’t wake up alone.

  I drew one of the two chairs closer to the bed. Elijah followed suit. We sat down and put our feet up on the bed and waited. Elijah reached over and squeezed my hand before putting it in his own and holding on as if I would somehow disappear.

  Buslowski walked in quietly. His face took in the scene. I stared at him, praying he wasn’t going to make a fuss and start Mandy screaming again. He walked over and said, “Mr. Broadhurst, I’m sorry to notify you that your wife has been murdered. My gut says it’s one of the guests of this party, but we can’t rule out an outsider because of where she was found. We are going to be interviewing everyone here before they can leave. I don’t want you or Mandy to leave Palm Beach County. Mrs. Richards has informed me that you can stay with them as long as needed. I understand that your daughter has been sedated, but I do need to talk to her soon. When she wakes, send the police officer outside the door to find me.”

  “Ms. Fin-Lathen, I would like to talk to you,” Buslowski said with an odd edge to his voice, “outside.”

  “Detective, my daughter has formed an attachment to Cin. I’m afraid of what she’ll do if Cin isn’t here when she wakes,” Elijah informed him.

  “We could talk in the bathroom,” I offered.

  Buslowski’s facial expression told me that wasn’t a solution. He looked at the girl on the bed and back at me. “How bad is she?”

  “She waffles between being in shock to being hysterical.”

  “Stay here then. But you will have to talk to me eventually. I put an officer on the door. Don’t hesitate to call for him if you need anything.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said. “Could you ask Harry to drive Sidney home when it’s allowed?”

  He made no promises and turned to leave but stopped and said sternly, “I don’t have to tell you that you went from the frying pan into the fire.”

  “I didn’t have much choice in the matter.”

  “Alex told me.”

  Mandy whimpered. I turned away from Buslowski’s scrutiny and went to put a comforting hand on her forehead. I heard him leave.

  Elijah looked over at me expectantly.

  “I’m staying,” I said.

  “Thank you,” he said, meaning it.

  I walked over and sat down. I don’t remember falling asleep, but I did feel the addition of a familiar-smelling jacket being draped over me.

  Chapter Nine

  The aroma of coffee tickled my nose. I opened my eyes. Where was I? I found myself in a chair facing a bed where a thin, young woman tossed and turned. The room was chilly, so I absently pulled on the jacket that was serving as a blanket, as I got up to see to the waif. As the fog cleared, the information of who, what and where flooded into my conscious mind. I turned to see Elijah Broadhurst staring at me.

  I stroked Mandy’s back for a while, humming Manuel’s tune. She settled down, and I motioned that I was going to the bathroom. I went in and used the toilet before anyone walked in on me. I washed my hands and looked at my reflection. Aside from the dark circles under my eyes, I didn’t look too horrible. Mandy’s makeup job was still doing fine. I mentally thanked her.

  I left the washroom. I started to take off Elijah’s jacket, but he shook his head. “You keep it. I’m kind of warm-blooded.”

  “The concert was amazing. I heard you dedicate it to Mandy before you went on. You’re a good dad.”

  “Gee, that’s a label I don’t mind having. Mandy is my life. Since the first time I held her in my arms, I was hooked. She was worth every minute of abuse Caroline gave me. I guess, in the beginning, I thought that Caroline was just high strung, but after a while, I suspected something else.”

  “I’m sorry. Life shouldn’t be this hard.”

  “All I wanted was to play my songs in front of an audience. I get so much from the feedback. It’s the kind of high that’s good for me.”

  “Caroline mentioned that she wanted you to tour. She said you were sinking.”

  “Talk about the pot…” he started and stopped, remembering Caroline’s fate. I watch the mixed emotions play on his face.

  “Why don’t you try to sleep?” I suggested.

  “No, I’m not shutting my eyes until Mandy is safe.”

  I walked towards the door. “I’ll see if I can get us some coffee.” I turned the knob and found it locked. I tapped on the door.

  The door was unlocked by a Palm Beach patrol officer.

  “Could I get some coffee for Mr. Broadhurst and myself?”

  “Right away, you must have smelled mine,” he said and shut the door.

  I put my ear to the door and heard him radio instructions. Much to my dismay, Ken wasn’t leaving his post.

  I walked over and pulled a drape aside, trying to determine what part of the house I was in. We were facing the front. I saw that all but a small amount of vehicles remained. I closed the drapes and returned to my chair.

  “You’re fascinating to watch.”

  “That’s because I’m the only thing around to watch.”

  “I’m not sorry I got you into this,” Elijah confessed. “This would have happened anyway, and I wouldn’t have you here to keep me and Mandy sane.”

  “Well, that’s one way of looking at this. Do you know, this is my first time staying in Palm Beach?” I said. “I always wondered what it was like beyond the hedges and gates. Now I know.”

  “Cin, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you and that cop seem well acquainted.”

  “We are. He lived in my house for a couple of months. I tend to attract strays. Alex’s friends, cops, priests, and an ex-husband,” I listed.

  “Are you all right with your ex living with you?”

  “I gave in after wife two tossed him out. Before that, I was barely civil. I agreed to let him use the pool house apartment for the children’s sake.”

  “Harry is an interesting addition to your family.”

  “Oh, interesting is one way of describing him,” I said. “How long have you known the Richardses?” I asked, changing the subject.

  “Since I was eighteen. Tom’s like an older, cooler father to me. He’s made a lot of money off of my band and, in turn, has become quite a friend. He’s the one that insisted that I save most of my money. He said there would come a day when my popularity would turn, and he was right.”
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br />   “Sometime, not now,” I said, looking over at Mandy before continuing, “I’d like to know what happened with Karen.”

  “Sure. That was one hell of a nightmare. Do you think that’s what the cop meant when he said you went from…”

  “The frying pan, he must mean he has some dirt on Sidney, and yes, you’re the fire.”

  “How did you meet the cop in the first place?”

  “I had become a suspect in the murder of one of my bandmates. So, dear man, you’re not alone in being suspected for something you didn’t do. Buslowski was called in, and then we kind of stayed in touch. He and I worked a terrorist case together. He ended up living with us when his wife kicked him out.”

  “Why did you ask him stay with you?”

  “Actually, Harry did. I have lost control of things since Harry moved in.”

  Elijah laughed.

  “My life has been out of control for a while now,” I admitted.

  “I don’t feel so bad now,” he said.

  There was a knock on the door, and I walked over to get what I hoped was coffee. It was better; it was my son Alex with a tray of coffee and sandwiches. I impulsively hugged him.

  “Hold on, Mom, I’m going to drop the tray,” he begged. He set the tray on the small table and then hugged me properly. “Buslowski is out of his mind.”

  “Um, why?”

  “He’s letting Harry call a lot of the shots.”

  “Really? You’d think that he would know Harry like we know Harry.”

  We both snickered.

  “What’s so funny?” Mandy asked from the bed.

  I rushed over. “How do you feel?”

  “Horrible, but I think I found my marbles. Hey, Alex.”

  “Hey, Mandy,” my son answered. “Sorry about your mom.”

  “Thanks, Alex, I’m still trying to put last night together in my mind. I remember being in the bathroom with Cin, and then it’s spotty. I keep seeing stuff that doesn’t fit.”

  “Take your time. The meds need to leave your system before you’ll be able to trust your memory,” I advised. “Would you like something to eat or drink?” I asked her.

  “That coffee smells good.”

  “I’ll get it,” Elijah said.

  Mandy looked around us. “My dad’s here?”

  “He’s been awake all night watching you,” I said. “He hasn’t left your side.”

  “Ah, Daddy, I love you,” she said.

  Mandy sounded so young, not the world-weary rocker baby I’d dealt with earlier.

  “Cin has been here too,” he told her.

  “That’s right, you were humming that strange tune. What is it?”

  “Okay, now, don’t judge me, but Manuel started writing this song on the patio while holding onto my ankle. The lyrics are rather rude, but the music was great.”

  “He was holding on to your ankle?” Alex asked, amazed.

  “Yes, so I couldn’t leave. Something about being a muse, or he was just looking up my dress. But there we were, him sitting on the ground holding onto my leg while composing a song.”

  Mandy, Alex and Elijah started laughing. I blushed. “Sidney came out and, instead of putting a stop to it, checked out the chords and made a few changes.”

  “Sounds like Sidney,” Elijah said. “He’s got great instincts. He coproduced our last album.”

  Mandy inched her way to the edge of the bed.

  “Hold on, let me help you,” I said.

  “Bathroom, quick,” she said.

  I half carried her there, but we made it. I turned around to give her privacy.

  “Do you think she suffered?”

  I didn’t have to ask who she was. I thought about softening the blow but knew she needed to hear the truth. “I think she was ambushed. She tried to save herself, but the injury was fatal.” I added, “She loved you, Mandy.”

  “Maybe too much,” she said, echoing her father’s sentiments. She got up and walked over and washed her hands. She was still kind of unsteady, so I stayed with her.

  She washed her face and stuck her tongue out. “Oh my god, I swallowed my tongue stud.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “I guess it’ll come out eventually,” she said.

  “Guess so,” I said. I opened the door and proceeded to guide her to the bed. I felt the atmosphere change before my eyes took in that Alex and Elijah were gone. They were replaced with Buslowski and a female officer.

  “Where’s my dad?” Mandy asked.

  “He’s outside. I need to take your statement separate from your father. I’m Lieutenant Dave Buslowski from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department.”

  I settled Mandy in the bed before I said, “Lieutenant, can I consult with you before you begin?”

  Buslowski sighed. He got up and walked into the bathroom with me.

  “She’s not in her right mind,” I hissed. “Very large pieces of her memory are missing.”

  He thought a moment. “She can always add more, but, Cin, I need to get the three of you on record so I can release the constables. They’ve been up all night.”

  “I guess you know best. Go easy, please.”

  “Have more faith, Cin.”

  “I’ll try.”

  He looked me over. “How are you bearing up?”

  “I’m okay. I got some sleep.”

  “That’s one of us,” he informed me before he opened the door. “Her father wants you to stay with her. That’s the only way I could get him to leave.”

  “Okay, I’ll stay.” I walked over and sat on the edge of the bed and felt my hand being grabbed by a very nervous Mandy. I moved further onto the bed so I could put my arm around her.

  “Please tell me about your evening prior to going in search of your mother,” Buslowski started.

  “I got here late, and after the valet took my car, I went in search of my dad. I found him having a tête-à-tête with Cin in the hallway. I decided I would mingle until they were finished talking. I was trying to have a conversation with Tom about my project when he kind of blew me off. I was mad, and I’m ashamed to say I took it out on the next victim I ran into. I was tearing Sidney Stoneridge a new one and was flogging him with his wounded ego when Cin showed up. She and I went into the library to talk, and we were together for about a half hour, and then I left to find my mother to apologize for something I’d said earlier in the day.”

  “What door did you leave the house from?”

  “There’s a cabana door in the main floor bathroom. It leads to the patio. I searched the patio and thought I saw someone lighting up down on the beach. It was getting dark fast, so I couldn’t quite tell who it was. But I suspected it was her. My mother is… was… a chain-smoker, so I headed in that direction. Then I lost the bouncing red ball.”

  “Bouncing red ball?” Buslowski asked.

  “The lit end of a cigarette in the dark reminds me of a tiny, bouncing red ball,” she explained.

  “Go on,” Buslowski instructed.

  “I lost track of the ball before I tripped over her legs. I said, ‘What the fuck, Mom!’ I thought she was sitting in the dark smoking. She didn’t answer, so I pinched her calf. That’s when I knew. I used my cell phone to shine some light on her, and that’s all I remember. Wait! I do remember Cin holding me, then my Dad carrying me up to the house, then Cin holding me again here in bed. I had some horrific dreams before I woke up here to the smell of coffee.”

  Buslowski asked a few more questions but pretty much was done with Mandy’s interview. He got up to leave. “Cin, can you stay with her until I finish with Elijah?”

  “No problem. I’ve got no car or shoes. I’m basically here until you say I can go.”

  Mandy waited until the policewoman left before she asked, “What happened to your shoes?”

  “I lost them running to you. You were screaming. At first it sounded like an electric guitar wailing, and then I realized what the sound was.”

  “Thank you for saving me,” s
he said.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “Yes, you did. You see, the bouncing ball was still there in the darkness.”

  “Is this the part that doesn’t fit?”

  “Yes, it couldn’t have been my mother because she was dead.”

  “Mandy, I think it may have been someone else.”

  “Why didn’t whoever it was help my mother?”

  “I have a bad feeling that it was the person who killed her.”

  “Oh my god, you’re right. I’ve got to tell the cop that.”

  I slid off the bed and went to the door and knocked on it.

  “We need Buslowski,” I told the patrolman.

  In minutes, Buslowski was back. Mandy explained about the ball.

  “Could you see beyond the ball?” he asked.

  “No, just the ball. It was high up. I think I dreamed it was my mother smoking her way to heaven. It was about five and a half feet in the air, bobbing around while I was losing my nut.”

  “Cin, did you see anything?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I was concentrating on Mandy and Caroline.”

  “I’m worried that the killer may think that you and/or Mandy saw him or her.”

  I was chilled by the thought. I slid my hands up and down my arms. That’s when I remembered I still had on Elijah’s coat. I took it off.

  “Cin, what happened to your arm?” Mandy asked, pointing to the circle of bruises.

  I whipped a look at Buslowski but thought better of accusing him of manhandling me. I said instead, “I must have run into something.”

  He looked at me, his eyes telling me he was sorry, and thanking me at the same time. That’s the first time Buslowski admitted he was wrong, even if it was silently.

  Chapter Ten

  Elijah came into the room. “Cin, the cop wants you downstairs. Before you go, I want to thank you for what you’ve done for us… Mandy and me.”

  “I think the three of us were all in the same boat. Thank you for your regard. It means a lot.” I looked over at Mandy and said, “Call me if you need anything or just to talk.”