by M. Z. Kelly
Early that evening, Joe and I found a little Italian restaurant a stone’s throw from the Connecticut River. We took seats on a covered outdoor patio that had a magnificent view of the river and the rolling countryside ablaze with hues of red, orange, and yellow.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a more beautiful setting,” I said, after sipping a cold glass of chardonnay.
“I could get used to this,” Joe agreed. “Maybe that idea about retirement isn’t so bad, after all.”
“Really?”
He smiled and shook his head. “I would miss all the fun of chasing guys like the Angel and his mother.”
“What are your thoughts on their next move?”
“He’s looking for a place to set up shop again, resume the killing spree.”
“And his mother?”
“I think she’s the key to everything. She raised crazy Alex in her school, probably twisted his mind around with drugs and insane beliefs. We find out what motivates her, and we’re a lot closer to solving our case and finding them both.”
“Are you going to be part of Greer’s working group that interviews former students at her school?”
“Unless something more exciting comes along, I’ll be playing school counselor with Eva and Kinnear for the next few days.” He tipped up his beer, set the glass down. “What are your plans?”
“Olivia and I go back to regular duties at Hollywood Station. We’ve got a new lieutenant and will be working with Bronson’s nephew.”
“A coincidence?”
“Hardly. I’m sure if we screw up, it will immediately be reported by Richard the Turd.”
Joe laughed, and I explained the reference. “Sounds like the perfect nickname for your new chief’s nephew.”
After Joe ordered another beer, and we placed our orders, he asked me about Olivia.
“I think she’s doing as well as can be expected. Her demotion was a big blow, especially since she worked her way up the ranks the hard way. She’s also got a lot of emotional baggage from some past trauma in her personal life.”
“At least you two have each other. From what I’ve seen, you work well together.”
I smiled. “I think we’ve bonded over our dysfunctional families.” I twisted my wineglass in my fingers. “Speaking of that, any word on the Rylands or Pearl?”
“Nothing.” His gaze moved off for a moment, making me wonder if there was something he wasn’t telling me. He looked back at me. “What about your brother, Daniel? Did Leo get a chance to talk to his mother?”
“He went by, but no one was home. I plan to try to find her when I get back.”
Our food arrived and the conversation became more casual as we ate. I’d learned over the years that Joe was easy to talk to, especially when it came to subjects other than work. Despite his sometimes gruff exterior, he was extremely intelligent, and well-versed in a variety of subjects.
I’d struggled with sorting out my feelings for him as we ate. After dinner, we took a walk along the river, and I realized something had shifted in the way I felt about him. Joe and I were far from the perfect match, but I felt a bond with him that I hadn’t had with anyone else in a long time. I decided it was time to express what I was feeling.
We stopped and watched the sun filtering through the trees and reflecting off the water. Maybe it was both the beautiful setting and the decision I’d made, but I found myself taking Joe’s hand. He turned to me, surprised by the gesture.
“I’ve been thinking about our relationship,” I said, meeting his eyes.
His brows went up, and he smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna make a move on you. I’ve accepted that we’re just friends.”
I took a step closer to him and kissed his cheek. “I think I want more than that.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’ve decided we’re a good fit, despite our crazy jobs.”
His smile was still there, but he broke eye contact and didn’t respond.
After a long moment, I said, “Is everything okay?”
He looked back at me. “What’s that old saying about everything is a matter of timing?” He sighed. “Given our history and friendship, it’s only fair that I tell you I’ve started seeing someone else. I wanted to have dinner tonight so I could tell you.”
“Oh.” I was so surprised and shocked by what he’d said that I couldn’t find the words to express what I was feeling. I released his hand and looked away, drawing in a heavy breath. It took every ounce of control I had to push down my emotions.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I found the composure to finally look into his pale blue eyes. “Is it...is she someone...?” My emotions took over, and I didn’t go on. I took another breath, my eyes shifting away from him again.
“It’s Eva.” I looked back at him as he continued. “We’ve become close since...since she joined the taskforce. I think she and I have a lot in common and are a pretty good match.”
I nodded, feeling like all the energy of my life had suddenly been drained away. “I’m happy for you.” I took a couple steps away from him and hugged my sides.
Joe came over to me and took my hand. “You okay, Buttercup?”
I nodded, my eyes becoming heavy. “No, I’m not okay, Joe. I think I was falling in love with you. When I finally sorted through my feelings and accepted that, you found someone else.”
Of course, I didn’t say any of that. I simply nodded and said, “I’m fine. I think it’s time for me to go.”
TWENTY-NINE
“You seem pretty down,” Olivia said, after we’d settled in for our long flight home. “I take it things didn’t go well with you and Joe.”
After dinner with Joe, I’d spent the rest of my evening in my room crying. My emotions were still on the surface as I said, “He’s seeing Eva Valdez.”
“You’re kidding!”
I shook my head. “I think they’re probably a good match. She’s a well-known profiler, and Joe’s one of the best agents I’ve ever known. It’s just that...”
When I didn’t go on, she said, “You decided you have feelings for him.”
“Yes.” I chuckled. “Joe said something about everything in life being a matter of timing. I think he’s right. And I have the world’s worst timing.”
Olivia was quiet for a moment. “Maybe you should just give it some time. Joe and Eva have just started seeing one another, and...” She took a moment. “...my guess is that neither of them are the easiest people to find lasting relationships. I also know that Eva’s on the rebound.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “She confided in me that she’d been dating a detective in Florida for the past year, and they recently went their separate ways.”
What she’d said didn’t change what I was feeling. “Whatever the circumstances, I’m happy for Joe and her. I hope it works out.”
Olivia reached over and took my hand. “Just remember, I’m here for you if you need to talk. As you probably know, I’m not having the best of luck with men either.”
I smiled. “I guess it’s another bond we share.”
I did my best to put Joe out of my mind and got a couple hours sleep on the flight home. Robin called when I landed and gave me an update on Mom. “She’s been going to physical therapy and seems to have a pretty good attitude.”
“That’s great. I’ll try to go by and see her later today.”
“She also mentioned Daniel again.”
“What did she say?”
“Just something about him being an actor at one time.”
“Did she say how she knew about that?”
“Not exactly, but I get the impression she knows more about him than she’s let on. You might want to have another conversation with her.”
“I’ll try, but we both know how that goes.”
After ending the call, I decided to go by Mom’s place on my way home. As I drove, I realized that I needed to go easy on her, given her medical condition, b
ut I was also determined to get to the bottom of what she knew about the brother I’d never met.
I remembered that Mom had recently put in an alarm system after Harlee Ryland had broken into her house, so I rang the bell instead of using my key to let myself inside her small home in North Hollywood. She came to the door using a walker, something that I wasn’t prepared for.
“Are you okay?” I asked, my emotions surfacing.
“I’m doing better.” She saw that I was looking at the walker. “I’m hoping to lose this in a day or two.” She turned toward the kitchen. “I’ve got some coffee on.” I followed her as she asked about Bernie.
“I’ve been doing some work for the feds, so he’s staying with Natalie and Mo for a few days.”
She turned back to me. “Oh, dear. Robin mentioned something about that case you’re working. Are you any closer to catching him?”
“No, unfortunately.”
After settling in at the kitchen table, I fielded a couple more questions about my case, and we chatted about Robin and her friends. I then brought over coffee and muffins from the counter and got to what was on my mind.
“Robin called me to give me an update on your condition. He also said something about you finding out that Daniel was an actor at one time.”
She nodded and fiddled with the buttons on her blouse, not looking at me. “I have a confession to make. I felt guilty about never mentioning him to you.” Her gray eyes lifted as she added, “I’m sorry.”
I decided to tell her exactly how I felt. “I just don’t understand you never saying anything about him. It feels wrong to me.”
“I know.” She massaged her neck and looked away again. “The truth is, I was jealous.”
“Of Daniel?”
“No. I mean, I think I was jealous of John...of your dad’s past, his involvement with Daniel’s mother, and your...your biological mother. I know it was wrong, and I’m so sorry.”
It wasn’t the first time that Mom had apologized about never telling me about my bio-mom, but it surprised me that she’d also been jealous about my adoptive father’s past relationship with Daniel’s mother. I decided to put those issues aside and focus on what she’d learned about my brother.
“What can you tell me about Daniel?”
“All I really know is that he was part of an actors’ workshop in Studio City a few years ago. He also auditioned for a part on a TV show, but didn’t get the role.”
It seemed strange to me that she’d found out details about Daniel’s life that Molly hadn’t. I remembered that she’d also gotten details about his mother. “What else can you tell me about him or his mother?”
“Just that she married some wealthy guy and changed her name. I think maybe she’s hiding out.”
“From who?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve been wondering if it has something to do with the Rylands.”
A similar thought had also crossed my mind, but Mom had several details about Daniel and his mother that I didn’t, and that Molly hadn’t found. “How did you find out about Daniel wanting to be an actor?”
She didn’t look at me. “There was something on the Internet.”
It was a lie that I couldn’t let stand, despite her condition. “I need the truth, Mom. You didn’t find out this information on the Internet, did you?”
She took a breath and finally looked at me. “No. I’ve felt so guilty about everything that I hired some private investigators to do some research.”
My eyes narrowed on her. “Who did you hire?”
She finally looked at me. “Natalie and Mo.”
***
I was furious as I left Mom’s place and drove home. My friends’ failure to tell me they’d been working for my mother was the ultimate betrayal. When I got home, I found them at the kitchen table, with Otto serving breakfast.
I dropped my bags and went over to them. “I understand you’ve been working for my mother behind my back,” I said, barely controlling my anger.
My friends exchanged sheepish looks.
“Sorry,” Mo said. “But Jimmy made us take an oath of confidentiality when we went to work for him.”
“Jimmy,” I fumed. “This isn’t about your boss or confidentiality. It’s about family and friendship. What you did was wrong.”
Natalie looked at Mo again. “Guess we’d better level with her.”
Mo nodded and brushed red wig hair out of her eyes. “The truth is, we was doing research ‘bout Daniel and his mother on our own, so we could find out what happened to him for you. We went by to see what your mom knew, and she gave us money for our expenses, asking that we let her know what we found out.”
“We needed the money,” Natalie said. “Since Jimmy went missin’, we haven’t been able to work.”
“And just when were you going to tell me about all this?”
“Soon as you got back in town,” Mo said. “We just wanted to make sure we had all our facts straight first.”
I released a breath and took a seat, my anger melting as Bernie came over for some attention. I realized they were trying to do the right thing by me and needed the work, and I’d overreacted to everything. Otto came over, offering coffee, which I accepted.
“We also found out why Daniel’s homeless,” Natalie said. “Since me and Mo are the world’s greatest sleuths.”
“Mom already told me he wanted to be an actor, but hasn’t found a job,” I said.
“We’re talking ‘bout the quid you had comin’ to you. Your brother cleaned out the offshore account and Harlee Ryland took every cent. We think he’s homeless ‘cause he’s been hidin’ out from her and her crazy granddaddy.”
“How did you find out about that?”
“Jimmy’s cousin knows a bloke who knows somebody who speaks Mandarin. He got ahold of that bank in Singapore where the account was located.”
“The Bank of Jurong.”
“If you say so. Anyway, he did some leanin’ on someone on the inside, and found out that Harlee was with Daniel the whole time he made arrangements to get the loot.”
Mo confirmed what she’d said, adding, “They said Harlee transferred the whole ten million to her own account.”
“And you think Harlee and her father want to kill Daniel, so he won’t talk?” I said.
“That’s our best guess.”
“Explains why he’s lyin’ low, hidin’ out,” Natalie agreed. “That, and the fact that he’s broke.”
I let what they’d said sink in for a moment. “If all that’s true, it’s all the more reason we need to find him.”
“Me and Mo are still workin’ on it,” Natalie said. “So, what’s the latest greatest with your Angel case? The word on the telly is that his mama was runnin’ some kinda crazy school.”
I gave them a brief summary of what we knew, leaving out most of the details. “We think he will kill again. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Maybe he’ll come back to this area,” Mo said. “I heard some more stuff on the streets ‘bout him hookin’ up with girls on the stroll.”
I doubted that he’d returned to Southern California, but told her, “Keep me in the loop if you hear anything.”
Natalie then asked me about Jimmy Sweets. “Did Leo ever find out anything ‘bout Jimmy and Lucky Scarfo? He’s still MIA. Me and Mo are startin’ to get worried he mighta gone tits up.”
“Not to mention, Jimmy’s wife,” Mo added. “Myrna’s still beatin’ the bushes, lookin’ for him and making threats ‘bout gettin’ Lucky.”
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Leo, but I expect to see him at work tomorrow. I’ll let you know.”
“So, how did things go with you and Joe while you were in Quantico?” Natalie asked, changing the subject. “Did you two finally play stuff the donut?”
“We’re history. Joe’s seeing someone else.”
“There are methods of dealing with a nonexistent sex life,” I heard a woman say.
I turned, seeing someone I�
�d never met before walking over to me. She was attractive, with long dark hair and luminous blue eyes.
The woman continued. “Perhaps you’re in need of some sexual therapy. I can recommend several certified specialists in this area.” She took a seat at the table next to me and smiled, but didn’t move, like she was frozen in place.
Natalie and Mo were looking at one another, giggling.
“All right, what’s going on?” I demanded.
“I’d like you to meet Dr. Doris,” Natalie’s boyfriend, Tex, said, coming over to us. He had a remote control in his hand, which he activated. “I decided to make a life-like version of her, using SMSEX software.”
“What’s that?”
“I call it Smart Sex. Dr. D is not only lifelike, she’s an expert on everything sexual.”
His sexual avatar sprang to life again and asked me, “Would you be interested in learning about multiple orgasms?”
“I’d like to hear all ‘bout it,” Natalie said, answering for me. She looked at Tex. “Maybe we should both spend a session with the doctor.”
Her nerdy boyfriend, who looked like Einstein’s crazy younger brother, smiled. “Are you suggesting a three way, my love?”
His avatar answered. “I can recommend a variety of sexual positions to be used with multiple partners that will enhance sexual pleasure.”
“I’d be interested in that,” a man said.
I groaned, seeing Mo’s uncle sauntering into the room.
“You can visit my website, or I’m available for a one-on-one private consultation at one thousand dollars per hour,” Dr. Doris said.
“A thousand dollars,” Uncle Fred scoffed. “I’d better get more than a robot for that amount of money.” He looked at Otto and snapped his fingers. “Coffee, black, two sugars.”
Otto rolled his eyes, but brought over the coffee pot.
Mo said to her uncle, “I heard you and Nana posted bail.”
“The charges are a sham,” Fred said, pulling up a chair. “I heard they already removed our star and footprints.”
“What happened?” I asked.
Natalie answered, “Uncle Fred and Nana dug up the bloody sidewalk at the Chinese Theater and put their own star and prints in the cement.” She looked at Fred. “I guess they’re givin’ out stars now for bein’ the world’s biggest pains in the ass.”
