Jailhouse Glock (A Dead Sister Talking Mystery)

by Liz Lipperman

  At the mention of the necklace, Pirelli’s head shot up from the file he’d been reading. “Do you know if they found it there?”

  She shook her head. “They don’t keep me in the loop these days,” she said with more sarcasm than she intended.

  Pirelli glanced at his watch, then gathered the folders that were spread across the table and put them back into the box. “Thanks to you I’ve got more than enough to keep these two busy for a few days. On my way out of Vineyard, I’ll stop by the police station and have a chat with Sheriff Winslow to see what information he’s willing to give me.”

  “That’s a good idea. I’ll use my sources to find out anything I can, too.”

  He nodded toward the door as a signal to his associates to head that way. “I’ll give you a call on Monday to update you on our progress. In the meantime, sit tight. These things take a lot of time and patience if they’re done right. We don’t want to rush it and miss something vital.”

  Maddy followed them to the door and watched the assistants get into a compact car parked next to the curb. Pirelli walked to his red Cadillac Escalade in the driveway.

  You can tell the peons from the non-peons by their toys. Tessa said, moving in front of Maddy to get a better look at Pirelli’s backside. Umm umm umm! As fantastic as his ass looks in that silk suit that must have cost a small fortune, I’m wondering if the guy is as good as he says he is. Why’d he have to hear the story about Agostinelli from you?

  “This only happened yesterday, Tessa,” Maddy said.

  Tessa huffed. Seems like he and his ‘very good at what they do’ flunkies should have been all over that on their own. The guy might be smokin’ hot in the looks department, but I’m beginning to question his ability to save your skin.

  “Cut him some slack. After all, he does have a ninety percent success rate.”

  She smirked. Let’s hope you’re not gonna become part of that lower ten percent statistic.

  _____

  Anthony Pirelli couldn’t get out of his client’s house fast enough. When she’d dropped the bomb about the necklace, he knew he’d hit pay dirt. That information would score major points for him in New Jersey. He hoped she hadn’t noticed his initial surprise when she’d told him that Bernardi was actually Agostinelli. His boss wouldn’t be real happy when he heard that. They hadn’t counted on the hayseed cops figuring that out so soon.

  He reached for his cell phone, glad he’d insisted the two associates bring their own vehicle, and he dialed the number labeled NJ. When he heard the voice on the other end, he said, “They know about Agostinelli, and they think they’ve found your necklace.”

  twenty

  You can’t be serious, Kate. That old blouse will never make Danny Landers look up from his boring police reports. Tessa strolled over to Kate’s closet to check out a few other possibilities. Shaking her head, she motioned to Maddy to come over and help her choose something else. We need to do some serious improvising here, girl. From the looks of these clothes, it looks like our Kate has been shopping at the secondhand stores.

  Maddy grabbed Deena’s arm and propelled her toward the other side of the room where Tessa waited by the closet. “Tessa thinks we need to find Kate something a little sexier.” She bit back a smile. “She’s not really impressed with your wardrobe, Katie. Wants to know if you’ve been bargain hunting at Goodwill again?”

  Kate huffed. “Tell that smart ass I’m not as conniving as she was, nor did I marry a jerk-off just for his money.” She narrowed her eyes “Where is she, anyway?” After Maddy pointed to the empty spot beside her, Kate took several steps forward, her finger pointed. “And, sister dearest, need I remind you that I work eighteen hours a day in scrubs? My social life consists of catching up on my sleep and watching taped reality TV on my days off. There’s really no reason for fancy clothes that I can’t afford on my resident’s salary anyway.”

  Touché, little sis. I should have left you more money in my will. Tessa went through the closet piece by piece, finally settling on a silky red and aqua blouse. Hand her this one, Maddy.

  Maddy reached around her dead sister and pulled out the shirt. “Got any black skinny jeans to go with this?” She held it up for Kate to see.

  “Matter of fact, I do,” Kate said, grabbing the shirt and throwing it on the bed before rummaging through the bottom drawer of the dresser for her jeans. When she found the pair she wanted, she yanked the blouse she was wearing over her head.

  My God! The girl is twenty-seven years old and, surprisingly, has a nice rack. You’d think she’d at least have one or two Victoria’s Secret bras lying around somewhere. Doesn’t she dress provocatively for that neurosurgeon she’s been seeing? The guy looks at gray matter all day long for a living. Shouldn’t he be treated to a little skin at night?

  Maddy threw her arm out just as Kate prepared to slip the new blouse over her head. “Do you have a push-up bra, kiddo? Surely, you get dolled up for your doctor friend once in a while.” She winked at Tessa.

  Kate scrunched her nose. “I dumped him about a week ago. Thought I’d told you.”

  Oh boy, her relationships last about as long as mine did. Looks like she’s getting more and more like me every day.

  Deena, who was the most empathetic of the Garcia sisters, reached out and hugged Kate. “I’m sorry, dear. Are you okay?”

  Kate growled. “Glad to be rid of him, actually. He acted like I should bend over and kiss his ring because he was a brain surgeon.”

  Our girl broke up with the good doctor over religious differences. Tessa chuckled. He believed he was God, and she didn’t.

  Maddy smiled before turning back to Kate. “Sounds like you’re better off. It wouldn’t be such a hardship to have a little fun with Danny Landers, would it? God knows you need it after looking at the female anatomy all day long. Plus, he’s been eyeing you up ever since junior high.”

  “I know,” she said. “I just can’t picture him as a serious boyfriend. He’s so immature about everything.” She pursed her lips. “He does make me laugh, though.”

  “That’s not a bad thing. Lainey swears if Colt didn’t bring a smile to her face every now and then, he’d be out the door. Says he can be such a pain in the ass sometimes.” Maddy shrugged. “Her words, not mine.”

  “They can all be jerks in the right moment,” Deena chimed in before she lowered her eyes, a response not lost on either sister.

  Both Maddy and Kate were at her side in a flash. “Deena, is everything all right with you and Mike?” Kate asked.

  Deena shook her head and swiped at the lone tear escaping down her cheek. “I’m pretty sure he’s cheating on me again.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry,” Maddy said. “Have you talked to him about it?”

  This time she nodded. “I confronted him last week after I did the laundry and smelled perfume on his shirt. Although he denied it, I’m positive he’s up to his old tricks again.”

  “Maybe it was something innocent,” Maddy said, rubbing her younger sister’s back and hoping her voice didn’t betray her. Mike Hernandez was and probably always would be a womanizing snake, but she knew saying that out loud would only make Deena feel like she had to defend him.

  “After he fell asleep, I went through his wallet and found a receipt from a swanky hotel in downtown Dallas.” Deena sniffed back more tears. “The bastard wouldn’t even let me buy a new bedspread.”

  No words were necessary as Deena allowed her sisters to comfort her. Finally she looked up and attempted a smile. “I think it’s time to cut my losses and run. I’m sick of all the lying and cheating. Truth be told, I’ve suspected for a long time that all those late business meetings were bogus. Guess I just didn’t care enough to check it out.” A glint of mischief replaced the tears. “And it’s not like he was a fireball in bed, anyway.”

  “You know whatever you decide, we’ll be right beside you holding your hand, right?” Maddy said. “Hell, now that I’ve gotten a reputation as a cold-blooded ki
ller, maybe I can even scare him a little.”

  Deena laughed out loud. “That shouldn’t be funny, but it is.” She kissed both her sisters on the cheek. “Come on. We’re not here today to talk about my marital problems. We’ve got to get Kate all sexed up so she can squeeze Danny for the information.” Turning to Kate, she said, “Here. Let me help with this so you don’t mess up your hair too much.”

  “Wait.” Kate walked to the dresser and pulled out a black lace bra. “Just so you know, Maddy, I’ve turned a head or two with this in the past.” Quickly she peeled off the old bra and put on the push-up one.

  Big difference! That boy won’t be able to keep his eyes off her boobs, Tessa said.

  “Danny will be all over you like a big red rash,” Deena said, causing another round of laughter as she used the phrase made famous by their stepdad. “Maybe it’ll turn into something more than just a fishing expedition.”

  Kate sighed. “You are such a romantic, Deena. I have no time for dating, although it would be nice to be able to spend some of my off-duty time with someone who makes me laugh.”

  Now you’re really thinking like me, Tessa said. Keep a stud fully charged somewhere in an out-of-the-way place where you can get to him when you need him. She winked. Kinda like a Dustbuster.

  When Maddy repeated what Tessa had said, both Kate and Deena giggled. It was nice to see Deena with her mind off her dirtbag of a husband, at least for the time being. Maddy promised herself she’d sit down with her sister over coffee in the next day or so and let her talk it out.

  Secretly, she admitted to herself that she wouldn’t shed any tears if Deena decided to dump the loser and get on with her life. But she also knew that no matter the reason, divorce was hard on both parties, and her sister would need her best friend there for support.

  But all that would have to wait. Right now they were on a mission to find out the names of the men in those pictures with Chrissy. In order to do that, they’d have to make Kate irresistible enough to get Danny Landers to defy his boss’s explicit orders and talk.

  She took a step toward her younger sister and unbuttoned the top two buttons on the blouse, allowing a little of the cleavage to peek out. It was just enough to entice a horny deputy who had always had a thing for her baby sister into letting her have a look at a couple of reports.

  “I’m ready,” Kate said with a newfound confidence. “Take me to my prey.”

  “That’s my girl,” Maddy said. “Now go put on some makeup. You have a big job ahead of you.”

  _____

  As soon as Maddy opened the door and walked into the police station with Kate and Deena following close behind, her stomach began doing gymnastics. She’d known Colt Winslow all her life and hated that she was going behind his back. But her biggest concern was that because he did know her so well, he’d see right through her facade.

  They’d purposely left Lainey out of the plan to allow her some degree of deniability. After all, she was the one who would have to face Colt every night and listen to his reprimand. And there definitely would be hell to pay if he found out. No, the less he believed his wife knew, the better.

  On the drive over, they’d concentrated on getting their stories straight so as not to arouse suspicion. Maddy knew all her coworkers would be glad to see her without thinking she might have an ulterior motive. Not so with her brother-in-law. It was now or never for them to find out if she or her sisters could win an Academy Award with their performances.

  As expected, everyone rushed over and gave her a hug as soon as she walked in. She had to bite her lower lip to keep from smiling at Danny Landers’s reaction when he spotted Kate. She almost felt sorry for him.

  “Hi, Danny,” Kate said with a phony shy smile. “You’re looking good.”

  The poor boy couldn’t keep his eyes off her, and at one point Maddy thought he actually might have drooled. Over the past year, the only time he’d seen Kate was when she was in scrubs or an oversized T-shirt. Checking out her sexy skinny jeans and the low-cut blouse she was wearing, plus the fact that she had on makeup, the man looked like he was about to swoon.

  “What are you doing here, Maddy?” Colt asked, appearing out of nowhere with a stern look on his face.

  “Oh hi, Colt. The station is the first stop on a much-needed Garcia girls’ day out. We’re treating Kate to lunch at Ruby’s since it’s her first real day off in weeks.” She smiled as sweetly as she could, glad he couldn’t see her hands trembling. “Then we’re going to hit the spas—hair, nails, and toes. Maybe even that new body massage place off Main Street.” She paused as she watched his face, convinced he wasn’t buying her story. “No guys allowed,” she added for emphasis, worried it might be overkill.

  “Why isn’t Lainey going with you?”

  Crap! They hadn’t thought that far ahead to come up with an excuse. Of course he’d wonder why his wife wasn’t joining her sisters on their adventure.

  “She’s meeting us at Ruby’s,” Deena said, just moments before Maddy was about to fess up to the real reason they were at the station. “She had a few errands to run while we stopped by here.”

  I’ll be damned! I don’t think I’ve ever heard Deena tell a lie in her life.

  Maddy glanced over her shoulders and made eye contact with Tessa.

  Solidarity! Tessa said. Looks like the cat’s got Danny Landers’s tongue. She pointed to where the young cop stood staring at Kate, almost mesmerized. Probably a few more parts of his anatomy are stiff, too.

  “So why did you stop here first?” Colt asked. “I made it perfectly clear about you snooping around.”

  Maddy huffed. “Who says I’m snooping around? The station was on our way to Ruby’s, and we decided to stop by for a few minutes. That’s all.”

  His eyes burned into her. “Why?”

  Maddy blew out a slow breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Kate had managed to get Danny cornered by his desk and was chatting him up. She had to give her sister a little time to break through his police barriers or all the acting in the world wouldn’t get them what they needed.

  “We came by to pick up Deena’s lunch container.” When he looked confused, she added, “She brought me a turkey sandwich and her famous Pumpkin Pie Crunch Thursday night when—” She was interrupted when Jeannie Alexander walked over.

  “Colt, the mayor’s on the phone and needs to talk to you ASAP.”

  Maddy smiled at the girl who had replaced her when she’d gone off to the police academy. “Hey, Jeannie, how’s your baby girl?”

  “She’s doing much better, Maddy. The doctor said it was only a virus. We miss you—a lot,” she said before turning her attention back to Colt. “The mayor said it was really important.”

  Colt hesitated briefly as if trying to decide if keeping the mayor waiting was worth it to make sure Maddy didn’t ask questions about her case. Apparently, he decided the former was not in the best interest of his job security.

  “Tell the mayor I’ll be there in a minute,” he said to Jeannie, before nailing Maddy with his eyes once again. “Make it quick. Kate is causing quite a distraction to my young officers.” He did a one-eighty and headed back toward his office.

  Good call on the lunchbox, Maddy. Tessa said, following her and Deena to the other room.

  Maddy opened the door to the break room and took her time walking to the refrigerator. She was sure the sandwich would be long gone, but she prepared herself for the sight in case it wasn’t. Chances of that happening were slim to nil, though, as no food item was ever safe with the guys around. Unless, of course, it was celery sticks or a protein shake.

  Not seeing the container, Maddy checked the freezer. Not there, either. Slowly, she opened every cabinet, hoping to give her younger sister more time to work her thing with Landers. The container was nowhere to be found, which was strange. Food anywhere in the break room was considered fair game, but usually no one pilfered the containers, for no other reason than they didn’t want to clean them
.

  “Find what you’re looking for?”

  Maddy nearly shrieked at the sound of Colt’s voice. She shook her head.

  “Mike will have a fit if we don’t find it,” Deena said. “It’s one of those new insulated carriers that he bought to take cold food to his office, and he’s been asking about it.” She turned to Maddy. “Check again. He’ll kill me if I don’t come home with it.”

  That makes twice my sister has lied. Tessa tsked. What’s this world coming to?

  Maddy’s elation at having a reason to spend a little extra time searching was short-lived as Colt sat down in the chair by the door.

  “I’ll just wait here until you’re through,” he said with a grin.

  The man definitely knew they were up to something.

  After another check of every cabinet still didn’t turn up the missing lunch pail, Maddy shrugged. “Okay, then. Guess we’ll have to stop by Target on the way home and pick up another one for Mike.” She grabbed Deena’s elbow. “Come on. Let’s blow this honky-tonk and get some of Ruby’s famous chicken fried steak.” She smiled at Colt as she passed. “Too bad you’re a guy, or we’d invite you to go with us.”

  His raised eyebrows indicated he hadn’t bought the finding-Mike’s-lunch-box story. He was still deep in thought, probably trying to figure out the real reason for their trip. After waiting until they were completely out of the break room, he followed behind them and shut the door.

  “Kate, we don’t get to see enough of you around here,” he said loud enough to be heard across the room where his sister-in-law was now sitting on the edge of Danny’s desk, laughing at something the officer had said. “Of course, no one would get much work done if you came by more often,” he said, specifically for his young deputy’s benefit.

  Danny jumped up as if he’d been caught slowly stripping Kate’s clothes off with his hands instead of his eyes. “I was just telling her how we run an investigation, Colt.”

  “I hope you didn’t bore her with too many details.” Colt tried without success to make his remark sound flippant. The man was obviously more than a little worried.