Deadly Charade

by Virna DePaul

  But before Tony could finish his sentence, the other man hung up.

  * * *

  After Tony left to meet with his cop contact, Linda called Neil and told him she’d be stopping by the D.A.’s office. “But I won’t be reporting for work,” she said. “I just need to get a file. The one you have on that woman who burned herself and her husband. Molly Snow. Would you get it for me?”

  “What for, damn it? If you’re not coming back to work, what the hell are you going to be doing?”

  “I just need to look into a few things, Neil. Please. Will you get me the file?”

  Several seconds passed and Linda held her breath.

  “Fine,” Neil said. “I’ll get you a copy, but I have to leave for court. Call Allie when you pull into the parking lot. I’ll have her bring the file out to you. But then I’m done, Linda. Things have gone too far. Your friend Tony’s trial has been set for next Monday. If he doesn’t show up, I’m going to ask that the court issue a bench warrant for his arrest, just as I would any other defendant.”

  “I understand, Neil. And thank you.”

  When Linda pulled into the D.A.’s parking lot, she called Allie. Less than two minutes later Allie came out with a file.

  The younger woman looked concerned. “Hey, Linda. Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, Allie. I just have some personal things I’m taking care of.” Her gaze dropped to the file in Allie’s hand. “I’m going to look into a few things when I can though. Catch up on work.”

  “Sure.” Allie bit her lip. “I heard about what happened outside the courthouse. And that Tony Cooper pushed you out of the way. Have you seen him? Where is he now?”

  Linda stiffened. Had she seen him? Why would Allie ask her that? And why would she assume Linda knew where Tony was? She stared at Allie, but the other woman’s eyes appeared free of guile. “I don’t know where he is. Thanks for getting me this, Allie. I appreciate it.”

  “No worries, Linda. Take care.” With a wave and a smile, Allie went back inside.

  Linda stared after her for a second, then flipped through the file.

  When she was done, she phoned the investigating officer whose number was listed on the police report.

  According to Detective Leon, the officer in charge of the case, Molly Snow wasn’t near ready to be interviewed, but the woman might be able to lead them to the supplier they were looking for.

  Linda drove to the hospital where Molly Snow was being treated. After inquiring at the nurse’s desk and flashing her credentials, a nurse escorted her to the appropriate room.

  A patrol officer stood guard outside. Linda wasn’t surprised. Despite her tragic circumstances, Snow was both victim and suspect. Until they knew whether the District Attorney was going to charge her with a crime, the police needed to insure she stuck around. Linda showed the young officer her identification and stepped inside the room.

  Snow was the only person there. She was swathed in bandages. Her eyes were closed, her breathing loud. Linda stood next to her and listened to the repetitive beeping of one of the many machines connected to Snow.

  She’d prosecuted a couple of murder-by-fire cases before. She knew that victims who suffered from smoke inhalation were in effect seared from the inside and outside at the same time. God. Linda wondered if Snow even knew her husband was dead.

  “Who are you?” The unexpected female voice came from behind her, causing Linda to jolt. At the same time Snow’s eyes fluttered open to stare foggily up at her. Snow let out a small moan despite the fact she’d been intubated.

  Linda turned to see a middle-aged brunette in a red sweater and jeans rush in. “It’s okay, Mol. I’m here. Shhh. Shhh.” The woman reached for Molly Snow and rested her hand on a bandaged limb. That’s when Linda noticed how short the limb was. She averted her eyes. The doctors had had to amputate Snow’s arm.

  Snow seemed to calm down at the woman’s touch, nodding just the slightest bit before closing her eyes and apparently dozing off again. The woman turned to Linda, saying in a softer voice, “Who are you?”

  Linda kept her own voice soft. “My name is Linda Delaney. I’m a deputy district attorney.”

  The woman’s lips tightened. “Are you here to charge her with a crime? Because look at my sister. She’s suffering. How can you be so heartless? She’s a good person. She would never hurt anyone. Not herself. Not her husband. It was those damn drugs—” Snow’s sister sobbed and Linda fought the threat of tears prompted by the other woman’s helplessness. How many times had she felt her own helplessness as she’d watched her father destroying his life? And the lives of others, including her own?

  “I’m not here to charge Molly with anything. I can’t say that won’t happen later, but right now...right now I just want to find the person who’s really responsible for this. The person who sold her the bath-salt drugs. We don’t have much to go on. You are...?”

  “I’m Diana Wilson. Molly’s younger sister.”

  Linda nodded in greeting. “Diana, do you know where Molly was getting her drugs?”

  “No, no, not at all. I already told the police. They’re wonderful. Everyone loved them.” The words didn’t make sense given Linda’s question. Her voice broke on the last word, and she clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs. She glanced worriedly at Snow.

  Linda knew she should leave. The woman didn’t need an audience to her grief. Linda turned away, but then hesitated. Turned back. “Diana, do you know if your sister ever mentioned the name Mark Guapo?”

  Diana Wilson’s reaction was palpable. Her head whipped toward Linda and her eyes widened in shock. Her complexion took on a pasty tone before she shook her head.

  “No.”

  “Diana, please...”

  Diana faced her, like a lioness protecting her cub. “You need to leave. You need to leave now.”

  Linda glanced at Molly Snow, who had begun to stir. “Okay.” She walked toward the door, took out one of her business cards and placed it on a small table on her way out. She then turned to Diana.

  “I want to help. Call me if you think of anything. Please.”

  Diana Wilson didn’t respond. But she looked down at Linda’s card and stared at it for several long seconds before she turned back to her. “Goodbye, Ms. Delaney.”

  * * *

  Tony tried calling the Rapture supplier after the guy had hung up on him but the phone just kept ringing. The man had probably switched cell phones anyway.

  A week, he thought. It wasn’t ideal, but like the guy had said, at least he was still willing to meet with him.

  As he’d done several times since returning to Sacramento, Tony called Justine’s cell. Again he got no answer. He thought about driving to the house on Tortuga Boulevard, but he suspected that once he showed his face there again, he’d be delayed far longer than he wanted to be. He’d have to go back eventually. Tomorrow even.

  But right now? Right now he wanted to get back to Linda and make sure she was okay. And since he’d already made contact with the Rapture supplier, he felt perfectly justified doing so.

  Then again he’d always been particularly good at justifying things when he needed to.

  By the time Tony got back to the hotel, Linda was asleep. Exhausted himself, he watched the rise and fall of her breasts as she slept, curled in a tight ball on the corner of the mattress. He’d asked for a suite when they’d checked in, but the best the hotel could do was a room with two double beds. Linda had claimed one, which meant he’d be sleeping in the other.

  Alone.

  He whispered her name, but Linda remained still. She was dead to the world. Good for her. She needed her sleep.

  Tony brought his phone into the bathroom and tried once again to get a hold of Justine. When she didn’t pick up he left her yet another message, telling her h
e was back in town and asking her to call him. He pressed the button to terminate the call and quietly entered the bedroom again. He sat on his bed and looked at Linda.

  He looked at her for what seemed like hours.

  Then he lay down and went to asleep in his cold bed.

  And dreamed about holding her in his arms once more.

  Chapter 26

  The next morning Linda woke to find Tony had come and gone. He’d left a note, saying he had something important to do and promised to call soon. After eating breakfast, she used her laptop to run a background check on Molly and Toby Snow. Neither of them had had trouble with the law until six months ago, when they’d been cited twice for disorderly conduct outside a local nightclub. She next ran a background check on Molly Snow’s sister, Diana Wilson, the woman she’d met at the hospital. Unlike her sister, Diana did have an arrest record. She’d been arrested twice for possession of methamphetamine. What was interesting was that she’d been arrested for driving under the influence of a controlled substance after she’d left Club Matrix, the same nightclub where the Snows had gotten their citations.

  It was as good a place to start as any.

  Linda put in a call to Tony, but only got his voice mail. She left a message telling him she had a lead and asked him to call her back. He called her in less than fifteen minutes.

  “Tell me about this lead you’re talking about.”

  “There’s a place called Club Matrix. Do you know of it?”

  “Yeah,” Tony said. “It’s an odd place—caters to an eclectic mix of clientele. Straights, gays, professionals looking for a little excitement by being in a dive. Sometimes even bikers go there, but not often.”

  “I have reason to believe Rapture deals go down at the club. I think we should go there tonight, Tony. Pose as a couple out for a good time and see what we can ferret out.”

  Silence filled the air. Linda waited, knowing what Tony was thinking. He wanted to protect her. Keep her safe. But her reputation was on the line. And so was Tony’s life. Even if he wasn’t in physical danger, his ability to move on and get on with his life was at stake. She wanted to help him get past that.

  Finally Tony spoke. “There’s no need for you to do that, Linda. First, the Rapture supplier contacted me. We’re going to set up a meeting next week.”

  “A week’s a long time,” she said. “We might be able to find out something useful tonight.”

  He sighed. “You’re right. I’ve been running around all day trying to find Justine but I’m having no luck. I’m going to check a few more places and then I’ll check out the club myself.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t want you anywhere near that place, Linda. If drug deals go down there, it’s too dangerous. I’ll go there tonight. You’ll stay in the hotel room. That’s the deal we made, remember? You stick to making phone calls and sending emails while I take care of the rest.”

  “You take on too much, Tony. You need to trust others to help you.”

  He almost smiled at her scolding. “I trust you more than anyone, Linda.”

  “Good,” she said quietly.

  “I’ll see you soon,” he said before ending the call. Only later did he realize Linda had hung up without agreeing to stay away from Club Matrix.

  * * *

  Several hours later Tony walked into Club Matrix and immediately spotted Linda on the dance floor. Dressed in a tight lace skirt made to look as if it were bare underneath, a bustier and heavy makeup she’d never be seen wearing in court. She looked nothing like herself—not the prosecutor and not even the free-flowing woman who liked to wear T-shirts and jeans when she was at home—which had probably been the point. Now she looked like sex itself.

  Of course that image was enhanced by the fact that she was dancing quite provocatively with another woman, a slender blonde. The sight of them together would immediately have men thinking of threesomes, but Tony’s attention was focused solely on Linda. And the inevitable hardening of his body as he watched her.

  Until a dark-haired man moved behind Linda and put his hands on her hips.

  Tony clenched his fists and immediately wanted to rip the guy’s head off. He wondered if Linda would... She didn’t. Instead she turned, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tipped her mouth to his ear, whispering.

  Tony started toward them then forced himself to stop. Chances were, if the man knew anything about Rapture, Linda would be able to gather more information with a few well-timed whispers than Tony ever could.

  He’d give her exactly three minutes, he thought. After five had passed, Tony caught her eye. She tipped her head toward the man she still had her arms around and waggled her eyebrows up and down. What did that mean? That she’d gotten some good information? Great. Only did she have to keep dancing with the man?

  She should be dancing with him.

  Linda had liked to go dancing at clubs when they’d been together but they’d never frequented a place as hard-core and raunchy as this one. Still, she actually seemed comfortable with the club’s alternative crowd. The slender blonde she’d been dancing with had her gaze fastened on Linda and occasionally Linda would catch her eye and smile.

  Linda was playing a dangerous game tonight. And the game wasn’t just for show. He could tell by her bright eyes and wide smile that she was actually enjoying herself. For some reason she felt safe teasing the crowd—teasing him. As fascinating as it was to once again see the more adventurous side of Linda, he wasn’t sure he liked it. Right now her behavior smacked of self-destructiveness. They needed to get out of here.

  He motioned for her to join him. She shook her head and mouthed the words, “Not yet.”

  No way. No way would he stand by while another man groped Linda.

  He was just about to get up and bodily remove her from the dance floor when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Before he could stop her, a woman dropped into his lap and tried to kiss him. Tony caught her chin and stopped her. She pouted.

  “What? You need a group to get it up?” She wiggled, almost causing his eyes to cross. Tony glanced at Linda and saw her scowling at them. Interesting, he thought. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who was possessive.

  Possessive didn’t begin to describe how he felt when the dark-haired man leaned down, kissed Linda’s neck and palmed her breast. Rage filled him like mercury speeding its way to the top of a thermometer, rising so quickly and so intensely that he felt like his head was going to explode. He stood up, dumped the woman off him and stalked over to Linda, coming close enough to catch an earful of the conversation.

  “So, is life really more fun as a blonde?” The man stroked his hand over Linda’s long hair. He pulled her hips up tighter against his. Linda stepped in time with his rhythm but leaned back.

  “So, back to Rapture. Do you have any?” Linda asked.

  Damn. She wasn’t tiptoeing around things, now was she?

  The guy tore his gaze from her cleavage and gave her a suspicious look. Tony inwardly swore. They had to get out of here.

  She was about to repeat her question when Tony interrupted her. “There you are, baby. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  She stiffened at the sound of Tony’s voice.

  So did the guy she was dancing with. “Hey, man. Buzz off.” Linda’s partner pulled her closer.

  Tony walked calmly up to him and whispered in his ear. The guy gave her a rueful look, dropped his hands and quickly walked away.

  Linda’s eyebrows snapped together and she crossed her arms over her breasts. “What did you say to him?”

  “The truth. That I’d castrate him if he didn’t take his filthy hands off you.” Tony took her arm and led her off the dance floor. At least he tried to. “Let’s go.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not ready to go yet. I’m lear
ning a lot here. Give me a few more minutes.”

  She was getting answers to her questions? He didn’t care. Not now.

  “Don’t push me, Linda. Do I need to remind you you’re running to be a judge. You get seen here and that’s over. Let’s go.”

  Again she shook her head. “Who’s going to see me here? You can go if you need to. I’ll be fine.”

  She looked like she actually expected him to obey and leave her here.

  The other blonde walked up to them, put her hand on his chest and shouted, “Come on, baby, we can all have a little fun.”

  Tony studied the blonde, who upon closer inspection looked overly made-up. World-weary. He stepped away from her touch and directed his attention back to Linda. “We’re leaving. Now.”

  Linda narrowed her eyes, clearly pissed at his continued insistence. On some level Tony knew he was being unreasonable, but he just couldn’t forget the sight of the man’s hands on Linda. The longer they stayed on the dance floor, the more the flashing lights, loud music and bumping bodies grated on the raw feeling of jealousy threatening to suffocate him.

  Linda’s next words acted like an accelerant to his already-inflamed emotions.

  “Stop acting like a caveman and let me go, Tony. I’ll leave when I’m ready to leave.”

  Tony lost it. “Caveman, huh? All right, if that’s what you think...” He spun her around and picked her up over his shoulder. She squawked in surprise and then started struggling.

  “What the...! Are you crazy? Put me down!”

  The blonde and the dark-haired man watched them leave with a regretful shrug.

  Tony headed for an unoccupied corner of the room and then slipped into a shadowed corridor that clearly led to the restrooms. Looking for more privacy, he found a side corridor with two doors. Neither opened, but at least now they were out of view of the crowd. One of her knees connected with his stomach, and Tony slipped, almost dropping her. He set her on her feet with a jarring thud. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Me?” she yelled. “Since when do you have the right to manhandle me?”