Neighbors and More (High Rise Series)

by Mona Risk

  “Yes, please. I’m sitting outside in my car. Would you like me to come to your office?” Dante asked sweetly.

  “No. No. I’m coming right away. I’ll call Juan to get your boat out to the water.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate it.” Dante clicked his phone shut. “I have the feeling we interrupted him in the middle of a serious, hum… job.”

  “Oh dear, I can imagine him talking to you, and trying to refrain from huffing and puffing while she works on him. That made up for the heartache she gave me. Too bad I don’t have a picture of that scene. We left his window a minute too early.”

  “Thank God. We’re not peeping toms. Here he comes. I see him in the rear window. Stay inside.”

  Dante jumped out of his car and walked toward Tom.

  “Welcome back, Dante. Good to see you. So how was the trip?” Tom pumped Dante’s hand, a jovial smile on his face. The walk across the boat storage area must have helped him recover.

  “Great. But it’s wonderful to be back. I missed my Little Sicily. How’s she doing?” He clapped Tom’s back while still shaking his hand.

  “Here she is, clean, shiny, and gorgeous,” Tom said as the forklift passed by carrying Dante’s boat. “You should have called earlier. I would have set some time to go out to the ocean with you. Today, I’m kind of busy.”

  Dante nodded with understanding. “Don’t worry. Another time.”

  “Yes. Of course. I better go finish the job I started.”

  “Go ahead. We should never neglect our work. See you some other time, Tom.” With effort, Dante managed to keep a straight face.

  Tom rushed back inside the boat storage area. Once he disappeared into his office, Dante opened the passenger door to let Alexa out of the car. “He couldn’t wait to go back to his work.”

  “I bet. Julia is not a patient woman. The little bitch had the guts to accuse me of taking her husband. To think the guy is not even buried yet.” Alexa patted her pocket. “Just let her open her mouth again. I have a great picture to shut it permanently.”

  Dante chuckled. “At least, this episode helped you unwind. Now let’s enjoy our day.”

  At the dock, Dante helped her climb down into his boat. “See how beautiful she looks.” He seriously missed the boat that gave him hours of relaxation.

  But Alexa wasn’t listening. Her eyebrows knitted, her eyes fixed on the dirty water of the canal.

  “Alexa?”

  “Dante,” she said without looking at him. “Think with me for a minute. Maybe Steve took the pills from my medicine cabinet. And maybe it was Julia who dissolved the Valium in his coffee. Maybe she wanted to get rid of him to be with Tom.”

  Chapter Six

  A breeze whisked off the ocean, tinged with the taste of sea and salt. “This is heaven.” Alexa reclined against the white leather pillow of the left side bench, drinking her beer straight from the can, while Dante focused on sailing his boat.

  With a similar concentration, Alexa studied his chiseled profile and strong neck. Black strands of hair curled, mussed by the soft wind. She stopped sipping her beer and licked her lips. Her gaze fell to his tanned shoulders and the brawny back rippling with muscles as he maneuvered the speed throttle. The boat glided over the smooth surface of the ocean, creating a white froth in its wake.

  From far away, the buildings looked almost alike, at least the ones painted white. She removed her sunglasses and squinted to locate their neighborhood. “I think we are in front of our building,” Alexa said, to attract his attention. Frankly, she’d had it with Dante flirting with his Little Sicily and ignoring his flesh and blood friend.

  “Uh… yeah. Did you hear that noise?” Dante stiffened, his back straight.

  “What noise?”

  “In the engine.” He tilted his head, listening. “No, it’s normal. For a moment I thought my Little Sicily was—”

  “Dante, did you hear me? I asked you if this is our building.”

  “No. We’re still too far north. We’ll pass the Blue Waves in three minutes,” he said, as he glanced at his watch.

  “Are you always so accurate?”

  “I have to be.” He chugged on his beer and set it in the bottle holder of the starboard side. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I made a mistake that sent an innocent person to the electric chair.” He bent his head and busied himself again, steering his boat. “She’s amazing, my Little Sicily. So smooth at high speed.”

  In spite of the burning sun of the early afternoon, Alexa shivered. “Dante, do you actually know cases where innocent people were unjustly condemned?” Good Lord, it wouldn’t do if over-confident Detective Ladd stupidly blamed her because Steve had taken her antidepressants.

  Steve drowned. That was all.

  Dante snorted while adjusting the speed, and then slowed the boat to idle. “The court archives abound with such cases.”

  Biting the inside of her cheek, Alexa lurched forward. So mistakes happened in court. Good God. She swallowed. “Dante...” she muttered, unable to express her fears.

  But Dante’s long fingers caressed the control board amorously. “Bellissima.”

  Traitor. He’d called her that last night. Now his boat was the bellissima.

  “Here is our magnificent Blue Waves,” he said with a chuckle. “To the left, you can hardly see the restaurants and boutiques of Las Olas, and…” He turned his head toward her, and gasped. “Alexa, what happened? Your lips? How did you hurt yourself?” He cut off the engine and came to kneel by her bench. He took her hand. “My goodness, you’re trembling. Are you all right?”

  She rubbed her fingers against the towel she’d laid over the bench. “It’s nothing. I only bit my cheek. Dante, I hope there will be no wrong verdict in Steve’s case.”

  “Stop torturing yourself.” Dante cupped her face and tilted it to capture her gaze. “Don’t forget you’re my client.” He gave her a smug smile that didn’t reassure her. “I won’t let them make mistakes.”

  “But it can happen. Right?”

  “Alexa, you said it yourself. Steve took your pills to alleviate his stress, felt drowsy, and slipped under water. It makes sense.”

  “Do you really believe that’s what happened?” She had a bad feeling about the whole drowning. A damn bad feeling.

  “Forget Steve. Forget Ladd. We’re here to enjoy the day.” He lowered his head, covering her lips with his mouth, robbing her thoughts away.

  The hell with Steve.

  Oh God no. She shouldn’t wish bad things again. She shouldn’t…shouldn’t…

  Dante tasted deliciously good.

  The boat’s gentle swing and Dante’s expert lips lulled her into relaxation. Give me more. Give me more. His lips, tongue, and hands listened to her order, playing a topsy-turvy dance on the flesh exposed by her skimpy bikini.

  Stop. He’s your lawyer. As if she cared right now. One night of passion with Dante would restore her joy in life for months. Alexa hooked her arms around his neck and pulled him down over her, delighting in their foreplay. She curled her fingers in the hair at his nape and nuzzled the lobe of his ear.

  Without taking his hands off her, Dante eased away. Darkened with desire, his blue eyes scanned the horizon. Alexa smiled, pleased their thoughts seemed so attuned.

  “What’s the verdict? Are we safe and private, here?”

  “Safe yes, but not private enough. My radar shows a boat heading straight toward us.” He stood and grabbed the nautical binoculars sitting next to his board. “I’ll be damned. It’s the Coast Guard’s boat.”

  “What’s so surprising about it? It’s good to know they survey the waters. For safety, you know.”

  “Yes, of course. But our friendly detective is with them.”

  “What now? Can’t he leave us in peace for a few hours?”

  Sure enough the Coast Guard cutter headed straight towards them, slowed, and stopped parallel to the Little Sicily.

  “Hi there,” one of the officers said. “Detective Bob
Ladd needs to talk to you. Come alongside,” he ordered.

  Dante threw a rope from his boat to the coast guard and caught the one the man threw him. They both pulled at the same time, getting the two boats as close as possible.

  Ladd jumped into the Little Sicily. “You can go. They’ll bring me back.”

  “How did you know where to find us?” Dante asked.

  “It’s my job to know everything,” Ladd said with an important smile.

  “You mean Julia called you?” Alexa asked sweetly.

  “Huh? How did you know?”

  “It’s my hobby to watch people.”

  Ladd frowned. “She was in her car and saw you turn into the marina.”

  “Really?” Interesting lie. Julia was certainly not in her car while entertaining Tom.

  The detective ignored her and addressed Dante. “I checked with Tom who said you took your boat out.” He settled on the bench across from Alexa. “I… uh… I…” He shifted on the bench, and his eyes crossed as his gaze darted to her breasts. “I mean…”

  With his button down shirt and his long dark pants that started to tent in his lap, he made her feel naked. Dirty old man.

  For a second, she enjoyed seeing him lose his composure. Detective or not, he was just a man with lascivious thoughts, like so many she’d met.

  She suppressed a sarcastic smile. “Why don’t I cover up and let you collect your thoughts.”

  “Sure.”

  She went down to the cabin, slipped on a halter and a pair of shorts, and emerged up on the deck. Ladd wiped his sweaty forehead.

  “So, you were saying?” She sat in her previous place.

  “I received the results from the lab. Steve Bairey’s drowning was caused by the mixture of Valium and alcohol, and the high temperature of the hot tub.” Dante’s gaze met hers and he nodded. So far so good.

  “But the only fingerprints found on the Valium bottle were yours.”

  “Hey.” She jerked forward. Was he accusing her by any chance?

  “There is more. There was no trace of Valium in the carafe of Amaretto.” Alexa released the breath she’d been holding. “But the glass Steve drank from contained traces of Valium.”

  “No way.” A lump grew in Alexa’s throat preventing her from saying more. There must be a logical explanation. He couldn’t be accusing her. Could he?

  Ladd rubbed his chin. “There’s no doubt about it in the coroner’s mind, and in mine, that we’re dealing with a crime. My job is to find who did it and why. Care to explain how your Valium pills ended up in Steve’s glass?”

  Darn, he was accusing her. She needed a logical explanation fast.

  Her brain froze. No explanation and not even a simple thought.

  Dante blinked once to signify she should let him handle the situation. He was her lawyer and she trusted him so much. “I assume you’re going to put that question to many other people.”

  “I’m going to, but so far the evidence we have points at ....” The detective hesitated while glancing at Alexa, who stared at her folded hands, unfolded them, and scratched the red polish on one of her nails.

  “Mr. Ladd, we both know it doesn’t mean anything,” Dante retorted, his gaze never wavering from Alexa. “Any one about to commit a crime would wear latex gloves and make sure he doesn’t leave fingerprints.” He wished he could take her into his arms to ease the blow caused by the detective’s accusation.

  “I’m going to interview every person who may have a reason or a motive. Let’s look at your motive, Mrs. Partson. Steve has been harassing you. You didn’t want to report him to the police to avoid gossip. Drugging him was an easy way to get rid of Bairey. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “No, you’re wrong.” Raising her head, Alexa straightened her shoulders. Her frown relaxed, and she studied the detective with speculative eyes as if he were the one on trial. He returned her look with more suspicion. “The glass he drank from was intended for me.”

  “This is what you want us to believe, Mrs. Partson.”

  “I told you everything I know,” she added. “Since I was so candidly honest, I’m surprised you suspect me. With your experience, you should realize it’s completely out of character for me to plot such a crazy thing.”

  Pleased to see that she had recovered from her initial shock, Dante nodded his approval. Whatever her internal turmoil, she had controlled herself in front of the detective.

  Ladd arched a brow. “You’d be surprised how many out-of-character things people do when pushed to their limits.”

  “But think about it. Why would I do something so stupid? He came to tell me he was leaving for Atlanta. He was going far anyway.”

  Dante stifled a proud smile, knowing she was seething inwardly and yet facing up to her problems.

  “So you said.” Detective Ladd didn’t seem convinced. “I’ll have to check Bairey’s decision to go to Atlanta, with his wife and his roommate. Cantari, can we go back to the marina? Meanwhile, Mrs. Partson, why don’t you tell me again everything you know about Steve Bairey?”

  ****

  Forty-five minutes later, they walked into their building’s lobby. The detective signed the guest registry book at the front desk. “You go ahead. I’ll stop and talk to Bairey’s roommate.”

  “Speak of the devil. Here’s Carter Morton saving you the trouble of looking for him.” Dante tilted his chin toward the plain man exiting the elevator with a newspaper in hand. Everything was average about Carter. His height, build, coloring, thinning brown hair, the squinting eyes hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, the thin lips pressed in a serious line—even his beige pants and white shirt.

  “How can he remain so pale, when it’s 90o out, and the sun is so bright?” Alexa whispered.

  “This man is an enigma. Have you ever seen him smile?”

  “No. I don’t know how Steve managed to live and work with him for two years.”

  Ladd went straight to the newcomer. “Mr. Morton, I’m Detective Bob Ladd. I have questions to ask you.”

  “Shoot,” Carter said. Not a line in his face shifted.

  “You were Steve Bairey’s business partner?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s your office?”

  “In Broward.”

  “Steve shared your apartment?”

  “He rented a bedroom and its bathroom. I asked him not to bring girlfriends to my place.” His gaze rested on Alexa.

  “Hey,” Alexa snapped. “Don’t look at me like that. I was never Steve’s girlfriend.”

  Not a muscle moved in Carter’s face as he kept staring at her.

  Poor Alexa. She crumpled the edge of her sexy halter-top. Now was not the time to argue with Carter, whether he was loyal to Steve or acting out of sheer selfishness to distract any suspicion away from him.

  “When are you moving your office to Atlanta, Mr. Morton?” Ladd asked.

  Carter slowly turned his head toward the detective. “Why would I move my office to Atlanta?”

  Ladd’s gaze shifted to Alexa and came back to Carter. “Weren’t you moving to Atlanta with your partner?”

  “No one was moving anywhere. Not me and not Steve. Why would we move a successful business?” Carter shrugged. “Where did you get that fable of Atlanta?”

  “But Steve told me…” Alexa started. Her voice faded, and her eyes widened in stunned disbelief as two pairs of eyes glared at her.

  Carter’s denial sounded so convincing, and Ladd certainly looked convinced that she’d lied.

  “Easy to throw it on Steve, now that you got rid of him.” With a brusque move, Carter opened the newspaper’s front page, displaying a few pictures that lashed disgust in Dante’s gut—a shot of Steve, another of the Blue Waves building, a third of Steve between Julia and Alexa. “You’ve brought shame and trouble upon our building with your antics and lies,” Carter continued with a scathing look.

  “Who’s been talking to the press? Who’s been spreading lies?” Dante roared.

  Carte
r shrugged. “Anyone here could have told them the juicy gossip about the former Mrs. Partson and her lover.”

  Dante raised a fist. Before he could punch Carter, the detective snatched his arm in his beefy hands. “Mr. Cantari, don’t complicate things. You wouldn’t want more gossip in the newspapers.”

  A deathly pale Alexa stared at the newspaper. Her lips parted, but she didn’t utter a sound.

  If the detective hadn’t stopped him, Dante would have smashed Carter to the ground and hammered his head with blows to teach him never to dirty Alexa’s good name again. He dredged up a deep breath to calm himself. No, it wouldn’t help to have his name in the tabloids, with a picture of him punching a man. Nonna would have a heart attack. He promised himself to control his temper.

  “Mr. Morton, I have more questions to ask you. Let’s sit in here for a moment.” The detective pointed to the library door. “And you two, wait for me in the lobby. I’m not finished with you yet,” he added, his tone sharp, his gaze decisive.

  “Take your time, we’ll be here.” Dante spat the words, before leading Alexa toward the luxurious lobby where antique tables, plush sofas, and gilded mirrors lent an aura of elegance to the modern lobby with marble floor and high ceilings. He sat next to her on the love seat at the farthest corner, out of earshot.

  “Dante, this is crazy.” She rubbed her throat with frantic strokes. “Why is Carter lying?”

  Dante scratched his forehead pensively. A stack of newspapers sat on the reception desk. He went to grab one. Alexa leaned to read with him. “Oh God, did you see this?” She pointed to the line mentioning that Steve Bairey had shared a drink at his fiancée’s condo just before drowning. “Disgusting. They labeled me as his fiancée. Now, it’s going to be all over town.”

  Exactly the type of scandal Dante would rather have avoided. He flexed his fingers and cracked his knuckles. “Someone told them that Steve was in your apartment for a drink, but there’s no mention in the paper of his moving to Atlanta. Are you sure you understood Steve right?”

  She jerked back, her hands fisting in her lap. “Of course, I did.”

  “Couldn’t Steve have meant he was just taking a trip to Atlanta?”