The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1)

by Johansen, Rita

  “Shall we see what place Deanna thought she held in Jerald’s heart?”

  “Absolutely. I think good-cop, bad-cop is in order. Am I to play bad cop this time?”

  “That’s a real stretch, Amy.”

  “I suppose I’ll leave that part to you. It is such a snug fit.”

  “Thanks.”Ruby beamed.

  ✧

  “The cops may have already interviewed her,”Ruby said.“I didn’t see it in discovery, but they could have done so this morning. What’s your take?”

  “She’ll be reluctant to talk to us, initially,”Amy said.“We’re on Susan’s side. She’ll show loyalty to Jerald again. I might be able to reach her, make her feel she has an ally.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking. And she’ll be upset at losing Jerry, ready to slap at someone. I’ll offer my cheek.”Ruby pulled into the Connelly’s driveway.

  “A short sprint from Susan’s house.”Amy noted.

  “Yes. She made it, and found no help here. I’ll have to hide my disgust for this woman. At least at the get-go.”

  “If we’re right—”

  “We do have an excellent track record.”

  “True. And if we’re right, again, then we must remember she is another pawn. He twisted her love and logic as he did Susan’s.”

  “She’s not blameless like Susan. It’s hard to think of the other woman as a victim.”

  “She’s a woman who loved a man. We must understand her to connect with her.”

  “I knew I picked the right person for this.”

  They walked up to the front door and knocked. A curvy woman in a black dress answered. Her copious make-up failed to conceal the redness around her eyes and nose.“I already talked to the police,”Deanna said.“I told them everything I know.”

  “Mrs. Connelly, we’re not with the police. I’m Ruby Miller, and I represent your neighbor, Susan Combes.”

  Amy rushed forward quickly before Deanna could slam the door.“Hello, Deanna, I’m Amy Larson. I’m a psychologist. I’m so sorry for your loss.”She offered her hand and an understanding smile.

  Deanna took Amy’s hand.“Thank you. I can’t believe he’s gone.”She turned to Ruby.“And it’s all your client’s fault. That crazy bitch killed him. What else do you need to know?”

  “If that’s true,”Ruby said,“then Susan will be held accountable for her actions. I’m here to gather as much information as I can.”

  “We think you’re the person who knew him best, Mrs. Connelly,” said Amy.

  “You can call me Dede. You’re right, I knew Jer better than anyone.”

  “Are you willing to talk to us?”Amy asked.

  Deanna looked from one to the other.“I’ll tell you the truth about your client.”She spat the words at Ruby.“Jerry gave me an earful about her on the regular. Come in.”

  They walked into an explosion of pink and frills.

  “You have a very pretty home,”Amy said. “Do you live here with your husband, Dede?”

  “Yes, though he’s a deadbeat. It’s no secret. Not like Jer.”

  “How so?”

  “Jer was an angel. He went out of his way to do nice things for Psycho Susan. That’s what I called her. Jer loved that nickname,”she said with a faraway look.“He bought her an expensive kitchen knife she didn’t even appreciate. That’s the kind of guy he was—dependable, thoughtful. He took care of things around my house for me. He’d fix this. Tinker with that.”

  “He was handy with electronics?”

  “He was the best. Nobody appreciated how talented he was, especially his boss and that bitch he was stuck with.”

  “Tell me about Susan,”Amy said in a gentle tone.

  “She wanted to chain him down. You know how a man needs space to roam.”She fiddled with a lacy throw pillow.“Jer-Bear was strong, powerful, but he had a softer side. Yeah, he liked things his way. He knew his mind. And he was loyal.”She tossed the pillow aside.“He stayed with her even though she was out of control. She’d lose things, forget appointments. She asked me to drive her places, but Jer said it was important she take responsibility so I always said no. I wouldn’t have taken her anyways except as a favor to Jer.”

  Amy raised a brow at Ruby.“You’ve been very helpful. I want to get a sense of how well you knew him. How close were you two?”

  “As close as two people can get.”

  Amy put her hand on Deanna’s.“Did you love him, Dede?”

  “Yes, so much.”Tears dropped onto their joined hands.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss. Did you have plans to be together?”

  “He said someday. His wife was so messed up. Fragile, he said. He was worried if he left that’d push her over the edge. That was the last thing we talked about. If he ever tried to leave her, she’d snap. I think that’s what happened that night. He tried to leave, and she made sure that he’d never be with another woman.”Deanna’s eyes flashed.

  “Did Susan know you were fucking her husband?”Ruby asked.

  Deanna whipped her head to glare at Ruby.“That’s despicable.”

  “I agree,”Ruby said.

  Amy patted her hand. “I know, Dede. They were in a relationship, Ruby.”

  “Yeah, it wasn’t like that. Jerry could open up to me about stuff he couldn’t tell Susan.”

  “Likely story. You want the truth? He was stringing you along, Deanna. He was never going to leave his wife for you. He already had a Mrs. Combes, and he was never going to leave her. He was never going to let her leave him. She tried. She ran to you for help, Deanna, after he strangled her and fractured her wrist. You refused to help her get away from him.”

  “No, it wasn’t like that. He was going to leave her. She killed him before he had a chance.”

  “You wanted to be Mrs. Combes? Look what he did to his wife, Deanna.”Ruby held out her PSC and pulled up a bone scan.“See here? This is called a distal radius fracture.” She scrolled.“See these bruises around her neck? They’re consistent with strangulation. Do you see the damage he caused?”

  “No, she did that. All of it. She’s clumsy.”

  “It was her ninth fracture, Deanna. She’d only broken her pinky toe until she married Jerald. How would she strangle herself? It’s physically impossible. She ran from this, Deanna. She fled from his abuse, and you wouldn’t help her.”

  “No, no, get out of my house.”She grabbed the pillow, and sobbed into it.

  Amy laid a hand on her back.“We’re leaving, Dede. I’m sorry that Ruby upset you. Here’s my card. You don’t have to talk to her. You can call me any time.”

  Deanna held out her hand for the card without raising her head.“Thank you.”

  “We’ll show ourselves out.”

  “I hope your client rots in Mardova!”Deanna yelled as they crossed to the front door.

  “You’re not the only one,”Ruby said, and closed the door behind her.

  “Well?”Amy asked.

  “I don’t think she’s an accomplice.”

  “Neither do I. She’s genuinely in mourning.”

  “Yeah, she fell for everything Jer-Bear told her.”

  “And it goes against the profile to rely on a woman as part of the plan.”

  “Women are their pawns.”

  “Yes. They certainly didn’t factor us in,”Amy said.

  “Damn right, and it’s only a matter of time before they do. We’ll be ready. You agree that there are two killers?”

  “Yes. It fits.”

  “Thanks for coming. You were a superb good cop.”

  “I enjoy getting out and stretching my legs. Perhaps next time I can be bad cop.”

  “No one would buy it. Your halo is blinding.”

  ✧

  Ruby cruised into her office suite.“Where’s Martín?”

  “Flick’s old office.”Colin replied.

  Ruby did a double take.“Seriously? He could have had the meeting room, the conference room. Hell, he could have worked in my office.”
>
  “Why haven’t you offered me that arrangement?”He motioned to his area.

  “We need you front and center.”

  “Yes, I suppose you do. Emilio said something about liking the ambience in Flick’s.”

  “Ah, the e-man—an elusive breed. Try and figure them out.”

  “How did the interview go?”

  “As expected. Neighbor loved Batterer. Even when confronted with Wife’s broken bones, Neighbor’s blinded by denial.”

  “Why didn’t he beat his neighbor?”

  “In his mind, she was his plaything, not his property. And now she’s a wreck.”

  “Did Amy calm her down?”

  “Amy is a saint. She gave the woman her card.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you’re inclined to cut this woman any slack.”

  “No. Cheating is bad enough—not neighborly, to say the least. But to refuse help to a woman afraid for her life is a new level of sordid.”

  “Jerry left a lot of damage in his wake.”

  “Yes, and we’ve yet to discover it all. I hope Emilio has something for me.”

  “I heard victory whoops so that’s promising.”

  “He doesn’t seem the type to whoop.”

  “Not every professional is as stalwart as you, Ruby.”

  “I’m not stalwart, just—”

  “Reserved? Dignified? However you spin it, you could lighten up. Take a vacation.”

  “Nicely done. I didn’t catch you on the lead up that time. I thought you were merely insulting me. Tell Charles not to pack his golf clubs quite yet.”

  Arriving at Flick’s closed door, she knocked and waited.

  “Yes, yes, come in already.”

  “Why would you shut the door if you didn’t want entrants to knock?”Ruby asked, and stopped in her tracks.“Where am I?”

  “You took longer than half an hour. I moved on to the next task. I figured I could use a tech center in close proximity to the team.”

  “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

  “Immensely. This reminds me of my first office. Bits and pieces of electronics that I repurposed.”

  Ruby eyed the contraption holding hot tea.

  “You made your own tea maker.”

  “A FastFare, actually. Small yet mighty, much like our fearless leader.”He shot her a cheeky grin.

  Her scowl melted into a smile under his radiant enthusiasm.

  “Colin was kind enough to stock it.”

  “You’ve been here for two hours, and already you’re—”

  “All settled in. I told you I work fast. Impressed?”

  “Maybe if you let me take your drone for a spin . . .”

  “Done.”He sprang from his chair and grabbed his briefcase.

  “How are you so bouncy without caffeine?”

  “Adequate nutrition, Rubina.”

  “Rubina? Who spilled?”

  “My source prefers anonymity. He or she also told me adequate nutrition is something you could use more of.”

  “That doesn’t narrow down my suspect list.”

  “Good. Here, I’ve programmed this for you.”He dashed to the FastFare.“Jacques, prepare one Rubina Special, please.”When a plate and cup emerged, he said,“Go ahead, take it.”

  “What is it?”

  “What does it look like?”

  “Coffee and a cinnamon roll.”

  “Precisely. Try it.”

  Ruby eyed him warily over the rim as she sipped.“This is great coffee,”she admitted.

  “Yes, yes. Try the roll.”

  She took a tiny bite, and followed it with a large one as her taste buds danced in glee.“That is . . . Wow.”

  “Best roll you’ve ever had, no?”

  “Don’t tell Anton. Can I have another?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Wait a minute. Weren’t you harping on me for my eating habits? Now you’re offering me junk food. What’s the catch?”

  “They’re fortified. Coffee is the real deal, loaded with antioxidants. And I combined it with the latest in supplementation to rival the nutrition of a GreenPower smoothie.”

  Ruby started backing away, shaking her head.

  Emilio was too excited to notice.“Its patent is pending. And that isn’t an ordinary cinnamon roll. It’s made with a sweetener I had to hike through the rainforests in Jamaica to acquire. Has a zero glycemic impact on your body. The flour is from coconuts, but not just any coconuts.”

  “From the rare Kirkawack tree found on the island of Tikiluau.”

  He cocked his head.“No, don’t be silly. From the palms of Bora Bora.”

  “Stop the madness. Stop the madness right now.”Ruby forced herself to set the roll and coffee down.“I can’t believe it. I’m surrounded. I’ve gone and hired another one.”

  “Another what?”

  “Health freak. I’m outnumbered. It’s only a matter of time before I’m drinking glowing goo and talking about the benefits of some obscure berry.”

  “It wouldn’t be the worst thing, Rubina.”

  “Don’t mess with my caffeine and sugar.”

  “Would it help if I told you this was a cinnamon roll like any other?”He held it out as a peace offering.

  “Yes.”She accepted it, and repeated, “It’s just another cinnamon roll.”She finished it off.“A damn good one, I have to admit.”

  “How about a compromise? I won’t tell you when it’s fortified food.”

  “I’d rather not know. Deal. And if I can tell that you’ve tinkered with it, it’s not getting past these taste buds. They’re finely honed and difficult to trick.”

  “I’ve already made it past them once.”

  “Beginner’s luck. Get anything done besides make your freaky FastFare?”

  Emilio moved behind her at his desk and caressed her arm.

  She bolted up and skirted around the desk.

  “You could have asked me to give you your chair.”

  “I could have, yes.”His eyes glinted.

  “Stop looking at me that way.”

  “What way?”

  “Like you want to jump me on this desk.”

  “As you wish.”He turned his attention to his PSC.“Juan, display on-screen.”

  “You unearthed a working screen.”

  “Who said it worked?”

  “It appears one man’s e-graveyard is another man’s—”

  “Tech center. Yes, I told you.”He gestured to the screen.“I tracked down the transmission destination for the surveillance equipment found in Susan’s kitchen and bedroom.”

  “You do work fast.”

  “There’s more. I swept Susan’s phone, and found spyware encrypted and buried.”

  “So did Kottke.”

  “Yes, and he did well. Stalker applications are common, but hard to detect, particularly ones with this level of encryption. I tracked down the source.”

  “Now I’m impressed.”

  “My heart flutters at winning the favor of a worthy woman,”he said, exaggerating his accent.

  “Knock it off.”She bit her lip to hold back a laugh.

  “You’re not after me for my accent? Spanish is a romance language, Rubina.”

  “I’m not after you, period.”

  “I cannot say the same, Rubina.”He said, and turned his attention back to the screen.“The source device is a cell registered to one Jerald Combes.”

  “As we expected.”

  “Yes, I was as unsurprised by that as much as I was surprised by this. Ask me the last time the surveillance equipment was activated.”

  “When?”

  “Friday evening, at six-fifty-eight.”

  “That’s around the murder.”

  “What does it mean?”

  “It doesn’t in and of itself disprove the state’s theory. Wife takes Husband’s cell after the kill and finds out he’s been watching her. Where’s the cell?”

  “It’s still active. Signal triangulates to—”


  “Fifty-nine-oh-two Whittaker Road—the farm property. Yes!”Ruby exclaimed.“Now that not only disproves the state’s theory, but it supports mine. No way is Susan transmitting from jail. Excellent work, really.”

  Unable to resist the joy radiating from her green eyes, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss before releasing her.

  Confusion swirled in her eyes. Shaking her head to clear it, she stepped away. Her throat went dry. She broke his gaze.“Knock that off. We’re working.”

  “Colin received a celebratory kiss for his discovery. As any other team member, I’d like the same treatment.”

  “That’s not. That wasn’t . . .”She ran her hand through her hair and turned away.

  “You’re adorable when you’re flustered.”

  She whirled.“Call me adorable again and you’ll see my karate training in action.”

  “Ah, a wonderful contact sport. I enjoy sparring myself. You’d be a formidable partner, I imagine. Yes, I’d enjoy that immensely. I’m picturing it right now.”He reposed with his fist on his chin as if deep in thought.

  “You’re impossible to work with.”

  “We both know that had nothing to do with work. And before that, I’d say we made good progress. You and I have an efficient rhythm.”

  “Stop with your innuendos.”

  He raised an eyebrow.“That was purely for pleasure, Rubina. Do you have something against it?”He sent her a heated gaze.

  “There you go again.”

  “What, Rubina?”

  “Looking at me like you want to ravage me on your desk.”

  “There’s more to the emotional spectrum than lust. You’ve grabbed hold of me, Rubina. You haven’t meant to, you’ve made that clear. I’m no more comfortable with it than you are, but there’s the truth. You need only tell me you’re disinterested.”

  She remained silent.

  “I’m going to deploy Jaspyr. Would you like to give me a goodbye kiss?”He asked, wanting to goad the fear from her gaze as much as he wanted to discover its cause.

  “No, I’d like to give you a swift kick to your—”

  “Rubina, you really are—”

  “Don’t you dare say it.”

  “Delightful.” He smiled as her eyes flared and banished the shadows.

  “I can assure you I’m not that either. Stop smirking.”

  “I’m not. I’m smiling. I find you enchanting, Rubina.”

  “Stop that.”