Neighbors and More (High Rise Series)

by Mona Risk

  “Barely. He said, ‘What brought you back? We thought you left for good.’ He didn’t seem pleased to see me.”

  “How so?”

  “In the past, he used to be smiling and talkative, as if he wanted my friendship.”

  “You wrote on the information sheet you saw him at about 12:00 pm. Correct?”

  Dante nodded. “He got off at the fifth floor when I met him in the elevator.”

  “So he exited at the floor of the apartment he shared with Carter Morton, must have spent some time there, and then went up again to the twenty-first floor.” The detective looked at Alexa. “Why was he so intent on seeing you?”

  “I already told you. To share a drink and say goodbye.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Ladd asked with a sarcastic smile as he headed to the door.

  No, she didn’t believe it. But then, why had Steve come to see her?

  Her head spun with confusing and scary questions. Did he die because of the drinks? What if she had swallowed the Amaretto he’d served her? A cold chill snaked down her spine.

  “Earth to you,” Dante said, with a grin as he tickled her chin.

  “Let’s go out.” She returned his smile and smothered her creepy thoughts.

  After a late dinner, they walked hand-in-hand in the tourist avenue of Las Olas, paused and admired lit window-shops. By midnight, Dante yawned and suggested they hit the sack.

  With too many dreadful images twirling in her mind, Alexa knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight. “Malibu Bar has a late band. Come. I’m sure you’ll like it.” Dante obliged and they’d lingered out drinking and dancing, until the place closed.

  Silence hovered in the car as Dante drove home and later as they rode the elevator. No matter how hard Alexa tried to erase the images etched in her mind, she couldn’t forget today’s events. She opened the door of her apartment and froze in the hallway.

  “Do you want me to stay with you?” Dante asked after a big yawn.

  “You must be very tired.”

  “A bit sleepy, but that’s not a problem. I can keep you company for a while.” His sympathetic smile warmed her heart.

  “Would you mind, please?” An irrational fear twisted her insides. Maybe his presence would help her conquer her demons. “Make yourself comfortable in the office. I’ll be back in a minute. We can chat and watch a movie.”

  True to her word, she changed into decent pajamas and immediately returned. Dante peacefully slept, his head resting on the back of the couch, and his legs stretched on the cocktail table, while the TV projected an oldie from the eighties. She smiled at his peaceful, choirboy expression, and cuddled next to him.

  A tinge of guilt hit her. Poor Dante. He was exhausted and jet-lagged, and she’d submitted him to such a long night. “Sorry,” she whispered, laying her forehead against his chin. His arm automatically encircled her shoulders and a contented groan escaped from his parted lips. “Pleasant dreams, Dante.” She chuckled, and then sobered. “I hope my own are not too dramatic.”

  Chapter Five

  Alexa buried her head under the pillow, determined to slip back into a peaceful slumber. But the ringing continued, persistent and annoying, until she reached for the phone and squinted. Sunrays filtered through the shades and bathed her bedroom in a subtle glow.

  “Wake up, sleeping beauty. Did you have a good night? No nightmares?”

  “None.” Was there anything more delightful than to be awakened by Dante’s cheerful voice? “Boy, did I sleep well.” Better than she had in a year.

  But he wasn’t here now. “Uh...” She didn’t recognize her husky voice and cleared her throat. “When did you leave?”

  “Not sure. I woke up in the middle of the night to find you asleep in my arms in your office. I carried you to bed and went home to collapse.” Dante’s chuckle faded. “Alexa, the detective called me. He’ll be here soon.”

  “Damn it, can’t he leave us in peace. I told him everything I know.”

  “Still he has to come back. See you in a moment.”

  The hot spray of the shower relaxed Alexa’s sore muscles but did little to lighten her worries. Wrapping a bath towel around her like a toga, she fetched her clothes and quickly got dressed.

  After drying her hair, she applied her eyeliner and lipstick. Just as she was spraying a whiff of perfume on her neck and wrists, a soft knock alerted her and she opened the apartment door. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of a showered Dante, his hair wet and tousled. A delicious smell wafted from the covered skillet in his hands.

  His eyes skimmed over her, and he smiled broadly.

  “Do I pass inspection?”

  “Oh yes. You’re lovely as usual.” His gaze rested on her décolletage. “Good thing I have a healthy heart,” he added with a chuckle that made her blush to her ears. “Let’s eat. Yesterday, I picked up a few things on my way home from the airport.”

  Dante had cooked a delicious omelet with sausage, cheese, and tomato. His stomach rumbled. “Dio, I’m hungry.”

  “Why is the detective coming back?” Alexa asked as she brought plates, napkins, and silverware and set them on the kitchen table in front of the bay window, while Dante toasted the bread.

  “They finished the autopsy. He wants to discuss a few things.”

  Sitting in front of her plate, she played with her fork. “Why couldn’t he say it over the phone?”

  “Routine procedure. Eat your omelet. I guarantee it’s good.” He made a show of taking a big bite, sighed, and licked his lips. “Honestly, it’s a chef’s masterpiece. As good as the ones my nonna makes.”

  She didn’t smile, but worked a bite into her mouth and slowly chewed as if her stomach had knotted. Dante finished the food on his plate just as someone knocked. Alexa pushed back her chair and darted to the door.

  “Good morning. Come in, Mr. Ladd.”

  “Am I interrupting your breakfast?” He glanced at his watch, reminding them it was already 10:30 am.

  “We’re done.” With a wave of her hand, she invited him to sit in the living room. “So what did they find?”

  “The autopsy revealed that he passed out and drowned,” the detective announced as he dropped into a leather chair.

  “Really?” She frowned and crossed her hands in her lap.

  Dante chided himself. He should have warned her not to reveal her feelings so openly. He came to sit beside her on the sofa.

  “The autopsy also revealed a substantial level of alcohol and a high dose of an antidepressant drug. This combination and the high temperature of the hot tub must have made him drowsy.”

  “Which drug?” Dante asked as he extended his arm behind Alexa’s back, his fingers gently pressing against her side. The less she said now the better.

  “Valium, also called diazepam. Mrs. Partson, did you know if Bairey was taking Valium?”

  “He never said anything about it. Julia should know.”

  “She already told us neither she nor her husband had ever been prescribed this drug.”

  The blood drained from Alexa’s face, and she stiffened.

  The detective peered at her like a cat about to hypnotize a mouse. “Have you ever taken Valium? Would we find the drug in your personal pharmacy?”

  Alexa stared at him and turned to face Dante. She seemed unable to part her lips.

  “Tell him if you remember.” Dante understood her shock, but her facial expression could be mistaken for fear. Smiling at her, he nudged her in the side.

  “My doctor prescribed Valium two years ago when I was stressed because of the divorce, but I never took it. The pill bottle is in the bathroom, in the medicine cabinet.”

  “You never took any of it?”

  She shook her head. “Nope.”

  “Alexa is not the only person who has Valium in her pharmacy,” Dante hastened to point out.

  “Dianna mentioned she was given some,” Alexa agreed with him. “We have the same doctor.”

  “Yes, she admi
tted having a few pills left in a bottle,” Ladd concurred.

  “What now?” Dante asked. “Are we still required to stay home waiting for further interrogation?”

  “You are free to come and go as you please, but don’t leave town until this investigation is closed. I have your cell phone numbers. I’ll call you if I need you.” He stood to leave. “I’d like to take your bottle of Valium with me.”

  “Okay. I’ll get it for you.”

  They followed her to the master bathroom. The detective slipped his right hand into a latex glove. As soon as she took the bottle from the glass cabinet, he snatched it out of her hand. “Your doctor gave you a prescription for ten days. One tablet of 10 mg per day,” he read off the label. “You sure you never took any?”

  “Never. A friend told me it caused her dizziness. I didn’t need that on top of everything else.”

  Ladd spread a clean tissue on the dark granite counter, pushed the lid down, and opened the bottle, and then carefully spilled its content over the tissue.

  They counted seven pills. Chills coursed her arms and legs.

  “Three are missing,” Ladd said ominously. “I’ll be back soon.”

  ****

  Alexa’s knees buckled. “I don’t understand. Who took the three pills?”

  Steve’s death was turning into a nightmare for her. With the back of her hand, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

  “Alexa, are you sure you never took any? Think hard.”

  “I’m sure, Dante. I hate taking medicines. Besides, you saw the lid was still securely tightened as if it had never been opened.” She reached inside the cabinet and took out a few bottles. “Here, you can check these. Those I never used are still securely tightened. But the ones I used are easy to open. Once I open them, I don’t tighten them again.”

  He tried the lid of a few bottles to verify what she said, read the labels, and counted the pills inside each vial.

  “You can believe me. I know I didn’t open the Valium bottle.” So who took the three pills out of the bottle? “Do you think Steve helped himself to my medicines?”

  “Possible. Did he use your bathroom the last two times he visited?”

  Alexa shook her head, walked back to the living room, and paced its length several times. Her eyes fixed on the marble tiles of the floor.

  “Alexa, for heaven’s sake, stop. I know you’re stressed, but try to control your facial expressions, your tone of voice, your whole attitude. The detective was studying you.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you’re right,” she said, not paying attention. “Something is bothering me. But I can’t put my finger on it.” And then she swirled to face him. “Dante, yesterday Steve walked straight into my living room without knocking on my door. He had my key. He could have taken the pills anytime without my knowledge.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Maybe he was stressed because of his move to Atlanta? Maybe he didn’t want to let anyone know he was under a lot of pressure? He probably took the pills and swallowed one a day. But yesterday, he also drank. You heard the detective. Drugs and alcohol caused him drowsiness. He slept and slipped under water.”

  “It makes a lot of sense from a medical point of view.”

  “Doesn’t it?” She cleared their breakfast plates from the table, her heart lighter, now that she’d figured a plausible reason for Steve’s death. “I hope the detective would come to the same conclusion. Can we call him and explain this theory?”

  “No. The less you tell him the better. Let him do his job. And let me do the talking.”

  “Why? Because he wouldn’t believe me?”

  “Because I’m your lawyer. You hired me to defend you.”

  She cringed. “Defend me from what? Don’t talk like Julia.” Alexa raised her voice, suddenly upset. “And don’t act bossy like Greg.”

  “I would never act like Greg, Alexa.” His eyebrows gathered in a scowl and a shadow darkened his eyes. He came to her and held her hands in his. “Never. I despise him. And I respect you too much to treat you like a sex slave as he’s obviously done.”

  Her cheeks flamed. How had Dante guessed that was precisely what Greg did to her? That she had trouble trusting men because of the way Greg controlled her?

  Arrogant and autocratic, he’d slept and played with her whenever it suited him during their marriage. Shame prickled her eyes, yet she sealed her mouth on the awful details. Too young and inexperienced to leave and live on her own, she stayed with him, until she reached the brim of her cup.

  “I hate him. God, how I hate him. He’s so powerful. He controls my share of the company, my money, my investment. But I’m not eighteen anymore. I’ll leave the Blue Waves, and then I’ll find a way to regain control of my assets.” She hoped she’d be able to do it on her own. Except she didn’t feel that strong in spite of her resolutions. Once she’d settled away from this building, she’d consult with professionals.

  Dante’s strong and gentle hands squeezed her shoulders, imparting her with confidence. “Alexa, you’re doing the right thing by going away. This is a momentary crisis. Soon you’ll be able to follow your plans.”

  The little niggling of self-doubt filtered out of her stressed mind, but Dante’s close proximity created a new type of tension.

  “Things will get better eventually, cara mia.” He swiped a curl behind her ear, cupped his hands on each side of her head, and gazed deeply into her eyes. “Trust yourself. And trust me, please.” His breath and soothing voice brushed her face with warmth. Sudden tingles stirred in her belly.

  Drat, she needed him as a lawyer, not a lover.

  “I do, Dante. Thanks for the support.” Easing away, she shoved the past aside and regained her composure. The present brought enough problems without adding rotten memories. “I’m sorry I’m wasting your time. You must have piles of papers to go through.”

  “Work can wait for one more day. Besides, you’re my client now. A client who needs special care.” He tilted her chin with his fingertip. She looked into dark blue eyes twinkling with mischief. “I have an idea. Let’s go check on my boat and take it to the ocean. The day is gorgeous, and I missed my Little Sicily.”

  She laughed. It would be easy to let go and fall in love with Dante, but so wrong. Before giving up her heart, she’d better learn to be independent.

  “Yes, let’s go to the marina. I’ll pack a few things. Go get your stuff from your place,” she suggested. Eager to enjoy a fun day, she rushed to her bedroom, shoved her bikini, towels, toiletries, and a change of clothes into her oversized beach bag.

  In less than two minutes, Dante came back from his condo. “Give me the bag and let’s go down before more people delay us.”

  Rather than taking the elevator and risking a meeting with disagreeable neighbors, they raced to the fire exit and climbed down the twenty-one floors. After a fifteen-minute ride in Dante’s BMW, they arrived at the marina.

  A day with Dante in the middle of the ocean would be pure bliss, a gift from the gods she might not receive again, especially if the investigation got complicated.

  ****

  “I haven’t called Tom Dallen to put the boat into the water,” Dante said after he parked his shiny black sports car. “We have to stop by his office.” They strolled through the covered storage area housing racks of boats hanging on three levels. The office of the marina’s owner was at the end, hidden in a dark corner, where the engine noise and rattling of the boats forklifts wouldn’t disturb him.

  They went up the five steps leading to the door. Dante peeked through the little window into the dimly lit room and gasped. He ducked, pushing Alexa down with him. “I’ll be damned.”

  “Why? What did you see?” she whispered.

  “Tom, and guess who’s in his arms?”

  “Who?” she mouthed.

  “Your friend Julia,” he murmured into her ear.

  “No!” Alexa pulled back, her eyes huge in the semi-darkness.

  He clamped his hand
on her mouth. “Shh.”

  She eased his fingers away and kept holding them. “You sure?”

  “Oh yeah. Believe me, I can tell when a man is kissing a woman.”

  “On the mouth?”

  He snorted. “So far yes.”

  “What are we going to do now?”

  “Let’s go back out. I’ll call him as I should have in the first place.” He turned and tiptoed down the steps. “Damn it, Alexa, come here.”

  “I got it,” she proudly brandished her tiny camera—more like a piece of jewelry— and followed him.

  “It’d be too dark to be clear.”

  She chuckled as they hid behind the racks and proceeded to the door.

  “This little toy costs a fortune.” Like everything she owned. He shook his head. “Trust me, it’s good,” she added and patted her camera.

  “You caught them kissing?” Maybe the picture would come in handy if things got difficult.

  “Kissing and more. “

  Dante stopped in his tracks and bit his lip not to burst out laughing. “Yeah?”

  She leaned to his side and whispered. “He had a hand grasping her breast and the other clutching her butt.”

  “Mamma mia. Ladd should hire you as an assistant.”

  “Actually, Dante. I think we should do a little investigation on the side. Our detective doesn’t look too smart to me.”

  Dante arched his eyebrows. “Not a bad idea.” He’d been thinking the same.

  They reached the door, made a beeline for his car, and slid inside. Dante turned the key on and punched a programmed number on his cell phone. A few minutes passed before Tom answered. “Deep Waters Marina… Dallen speaking… How… how can I help you?” His voice was labored as if he struggled to recover his breath.

  “Hi Tom—”

  “Oof, stop it. Uh… excuse me. There’s uh… a… a fly bugging me. Who’s there?”

  Dante shook his hand and waggled his eyebrows for Alexa’s benefit.

  “Tom, this is Dante Cantari. I’m back from Sicily. Can I have my boat lowered to the water?”

  “Now?” The single word rang so loud that Alexa heard it and clamped both hands over her mouth while her shoulders shook.