by Ann Roberts
Even without a college degree, Molly could do the math. A tie. She sensed she knew what was coming. “Who breaks the tie, Mr. Trainor?”
Felix smiled at her business acumen. “Exactly as you would expect, Detective Nelson. Whichever side Michael voted for won in the event of a tie.” Molly sighed, realizing that the suspects on her list were multiplying like hamsters. “So in answer to your initial question, would jealousy be enough to kill? Probably not. But fifty million dollars would.”
Chapter Fourteen
Wednesday, June 20
1:14 p.m.
At the sight of Ari, Bob’s face changed from shock to resignation quickly. He stepped away from the door and Ari walked to the middle of the spacious living area, gaining a view of the entire place. Clothes were strewn everywhere, pizza boxes littered the tables and bags of groceries lined the kitchen counters. Lying in the center of the bed was the day’s newspaper, open to an article about the Thorndike case. Molly was right. Someone was helping Bob, most likely his mistress, Kristen. Their eyes met and he looked away, embarrassed. His body dropped into the couch. He looked thinner, and his rumpled T-shirt and shorts hung loosely over his large frame.
“How did you find me?” The question left his mouth like a deflating tire.
“I did some checking,” Ari lied. Relaying the circumstances that led her there would not be advantageous.
He made a disgusted sound and the silence resumed. “Are you afraid of me, Ari? Do you think I did it?” She shook her head no, unable to form a response. “Now you know why I’m hiding.” Bob threw his hands up in the air for emphasis. “If one of my oldest friends, and my wife,” he added, motioning to the door, “think I’m a murderer, what will the cops believe?”
“How long were you planning on hiding?” Ari asked, seeing an opening for conversation.
“I don’t know. I was trying to figure things out.”
“You’ve made it worse by running. There’s been a manhunt for you since Sunday.”
Bob’s face reddened. “How much worse could it get?” He went to the bed and picked up the paper, assessing the details and damage from the news. “My name is scrawled on a wall, for God’s sake! How much worse can it get!” He crushed the paper and threw it across the room. The sudden violent outburst brought a sliver of doubt back into Ari’s brain.
“Bob, tell me again about that night. You were with Kristen, right?”
He shot her a warning look at the mention of his lover’s name before answering, “Yes, and she left around eight thirty.” Bob paced back and forth in front of the couch, his hands shoved in his pockets, much like a caged animal, Ari thought.
“Did any customers come into the store after Kristen left?”
“No, we close at eight. I was going over some paperwork.”
“Did anyone see you leave at ten?”
“I doubt it. On Saturday nights Mill Avenue is packed. I’m not that memorable.”
Ari pressed her hands to her temples, trying to will away her growing headache. She still sensed Bob wasn’t being truthful, but she didn’t want to push him too hard. Grasping at straws, she asked, “Did you stop anywhere? Like a convenience store, or a gas station?”
“I was alone!” Bob yelled, causing Ari to jump. He instantly softened. “I’m sorry, Ari. I shouldn’t be yelling at you. You’re only trying to help.”
There was a lot Ari didn’t like about the conversation, but Bob’s temper coupled with his inability to meet her gaze made her nervous and scared. She stepped in front of Bob and looked him squarely in the eye. “Bob, I’ve known you most of my life, and I’ve never lied to you. Now I’m asking you the same. Tell me you had nothing to do with Michael Thorndike’s death.”
His lips quivered as he barely held his composure. “I swear it. I could never lie to you.” Her face must have still held some doubt, because he took her face between his hands and added, “We’ve been through too much.” Knowing exactly what he meant, all of Ari’s doubt vanished forever, and she hugged him tightly.
“You need to turn yourself in,” she said softly. “If I can find you, I’m sure the police can follow the trail of bread crumbs. I won’t lie to you, Bob, the police will find you, because this isn’t a movie. And when they do, you’ve seriously jeopardized your chances for bail. I can guarantee you that if the cops bring you in, you’ll spend your time in the Madison Street Jail with some real winners.” Ari thought that would convince him. A man who couldn’t see himself in a cheap motel certainly couldn’t fathom a county cell.
Surprisingly, Bob shook his head adamantly and started pacing. “No, there’s no way.” He stared at her seriously. “There’s more to this than you know, including things I can’t tell you.”
“What things?” Ari asked, totally frustrated and baffled. Bob was not a stupid person, but he was on the verge of ruining his entire life by hiding from the police. She knew he understood this. “Are you protecting Kristen?”
At the mention of her name, his eyebrows furrowed and his face hardened. “Leave her out of this, Ari.”
His tone challenged her, and she was in no mood for it. She was here to help, and Bob was being too stubborn for his own good. “She’s the one who is helping you, right?”
Bob scowled. “Don’t give me that disapproving tone! You’re the last one to judge my girlfriend,” he retorted, his finger pointed at her.
Ari threw up her hands, ready to scream. The worst thing about fighting with best friends was that they knew your past, and Ari knew Bob was referring to Breanna, Ari’s third serious girlfriend who was barely eighteen when Ari seduced her. It was one of Ari’s greatest regrets, and it only angered her more that Bob was throwing it in her face. She went to the phone and picked up the receiver. Very calmly she said, “If you do not give me some honest answers right now, I’m turning you in.”
Bob looked at the phone, knowing she was serious. “Okay, here’s the whole truth. All of it.” He raised his right hand, as if swearing on a Bible. “Yes, Kristen and I are having an affair, and I’m in love with her.” He gauged Ari’s reaction, but she remained neutral.
“It started about four months ago. She’s a wonderful person, mature beyond her years. She’s actually more mature than Lily,” he added. “We spent a lot of time talking. We like the same authors, the same art. I started to find reasons to be at the Tempe store.” He looked up, wanting reassurance. Ari nodded and he continued. “She came on to me, because I don’t think I ever would have done anything about it. Then things progressed from there,” he said with a little laugh. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, but Kristen is very persuasive, and to be honest, I was flattered. A young, hot girl interested in me? It was really amazing.”
“Does Lily know?”
Bob shook his head. “No. She doesn’t have a clue.”
“Are you sure, Bob? Lily is very intelligent and observant. I’m having a lot of trouble believing she doesn’t know.”
He was still shaking his head. “Ari, the woman is talking about renewing our vows next year for our fifteenth wedding anniversary. There’s no way she knows and frankly, I don’t think she believes I’m the type to cheat.”
“Neither did I,” Ari said, instantly regretting the comment when Bob’s face darkened.
“I’m going to take care of this in my own way, and now you need to go and pretend you were never here,” he said in a hushed tone, and Ari knew there was nothing she could say that would change his mind.
She chewed her nail, debating what to do, the wheels of her mind constructing all the scenarios. She would always be a cop, and the daughter of a cop, someone who upheld the law. “And I suppose you’re going to ask me just to keep quiet and not say anything,” Ari commented, clearly perturbed. She looked away, unable to look him in the eye, angry as hell but waiting for the request.
Bob crooked his finger under her chin and turned her face until their eyes met. “I’m not asking, Ari. You owe me.” She stared at him, unable to speak. Have you e
ver owed a debt you could never repay?
Ari closed her eyes and sighed. It took twelve years, but Bob had finally called in his marker, the one hold he had over her and her sense of justice. What would she say to Molly? How could she face her?
“Fine,” she said, with a touch of anger, agreeing to be silent, agreeing to break her promise to Molly. She knew her love life was ruined, and her debt, the only real debt she had in her life, was paid in full.
Chapter Fifteen
Wednesday, June 20
7:22 p.m.
Perched on a rock at the top of Squaw Peak, the purples, blues and yellows of a desert sunset made living in Phoenix totally worthwhile, Molly thought. Of course, she would have to ignore the thick layer of smog that hung at the bottom of the picture and made her wish she possessed the world’s largest vacuum. Despite the brown cloud, the view from the valley’s tallest mountain was breathtaking. All of Phoenix rested below them in four different directions, the western sky exploding in color. She leaned back on the rock they were sharing and placed her hand against the small of Ari’s back. They were not alone, twenty other hikers making the grueling one-mile trek up the switchbacks as payment for the sunset. The afternoon monsoon proved to be a quick drenching that departed as fast as it had appeared. By seven thirty the trail had dried from the strong summer sun.
“It definitely makes me believe in God, or something,” Ari murmured, admiring the final moments of daylight.
Molly stared at her face, tanned and flushed with color from the hike. “Absolutely beautiful,” she replied.
Still looking out at the horizon, a smile crept on Ari’s lips. “Detective, are you watching the sunset?” Molly answered by surreptitiously stroking Ari’s thigh. She knew something was bothering Ari the moment she showed up at her door, but Ari told her it was just a little concern over being newly unemployed, a plausible explanation, but one Molly doubted. She let it go since it was their first date.
They made it back to the car in half the time it took to climb up, the beauty of gravity at work. “Now where?” Ari asked playfully.
“Tassoni’s?” Molly suggested.
Ari nodded her agreement at the mention of her favorite pizza place. Complete with outdated furniture and a politically incorrect policy that allowed smokers to light up where they pleased, Tassoni’s relied strictly on its strength: good food. Since it was a weekday, it wasn’t crowded, and one of the dark, leather booths was available. Smoke wafted through the air, mixing with the unmistakable odor of oregano. The older waitress scribbled their order, not batting an eye at the two women holding hands across the table. Tassoni’s shared a strip of property with After Hours, a lesbian bar, and the two places ensured each other’s livelihood.
They chatted about the typical topics that naturally filled a first date, setting ground rules that the name Michael Thorndike was off limits. Molly couldn’t believe she did most of the talking. Usually her dates had to pry information out of her like a bad interview on the Today show, but Ari asked all the right questions, and Molly found herself freely talking about her family. Her very protective brothers had no problem with her lesbianism and insisted on meeting her potential girlfriends, none of whom had ever remained in her life without their approval.
“So what would they think of me?” Ari asked.
Molly nibbled on her pizza crust and studied the beautiful woman across from her, an amused expression on her face. She could just picture all four of her brothers lapping the floor with their tongues over Ari.
“Why don’t we find out? Why don’t you come with me to dinner on Friday?” Ari blinked, clearly surprised. “Of course,” Molly backpedaled, “if you’re not ready for that, well then we could just wait a while. I mean it is only our first date, and you might find my family a little overwhelming.”
“Why?”
Molly cut two more slices of the pie and chose her words carefully. “It’s just that we’re loud and rowdy, and when we’re all together, it kind of looks like an obnoxious version of the Waltons.” She glanced at Ari who still looked puzzled. “I’m just concerned because you don’t have any siblings.”
Ari twirled her wine glass by the stem, intently studying the motion. After several revolutions, she said, “I had a brother.” More twirling. Back and forth. “He was shot during a convenience store holdup. He’d walked down to the corner convenience store to buy baseball cards. He didn’t even know what was going on until he got close to the counter and saw the gun. He yelled or called out or something, I don’t know. Later, the guy said Richie had surprised him. He thought he was alone in the store, but anyway, he turned and fired without even looking. When the police got there, it was too late. He was still holding his allowance and the baseball cards in his hand.”
Molly sighed deeply. “Is that why you became a cop?”
Ari nodded, her mind drifting to the crime photos she’d found on her father’s desk so many years ago. She’d snuck into his den and found the black-and-white blowups of her brother’s body. “Actually, that was only part of the reason. I guess I wanted to please my father. After Richie died, he channeled all of his energy toward me. And later, I knew I wanted to help prevent other people from suffering the way my family had.” A cynical expression covered her face. “At least that’s what my shrink told me.”
“So why did you quit?”
The answer to that question would take longer than eating a slice of pizza. The restaurant would have been dark for hours and any romantic fire would have been extinguished before she finished her story. “Too much pain and suffering,” she said simply.
Molly squeezed her hand and replied, “I know.” During the last ten years there were days Molly actually felt her heart harden at the sight of a murder victim or a molested child. It was a defense mechanism she switched on and off regularly, numbing her emotions in the process. She’d done the mental math long ago, adding the benefits of the job and subtracting the detrimental psychological effects. The sum total was a rationalization she’d learned to live with. Obviously, Ari had not.
Molly watched Ari drain her wineglass, her mind still lost on her family. Molly realized that she and Ari were both alone, but she was lucky to have her family. They couldn’t keep her warm at night, but their support kept her going.
“Hey,” Molly whispered.
Ari looked up from her glass, her face turning as red as the wine she’d finished. “I’m sorry. We should probably change the subject. What would you like to talk about?”
Molly cleared her throat. “Actually, there’s something I want to do with you.” Her eyes twinkled, and she smiled seductively.
“Oh?”
Molly threw some bills on the table and led Ari outside, turning toward the gay bar.
“Do you like to dance?” Molly asked, as a Bob Seger tune drifted into the parking lot.
Ari laughed and allowed Molly to lead her into the club and to the dance floor. Several women turned and glanced at them, the sole dancers.
“We’re not exactly dressed to kill,” Molly noted, their tall, sweaty bodies clad in shorts, tank tops and hiking boots.
Ari didn’t care. She and Molly gyrated and twirled, and Ari realized she hadn’t felt this free or uninhibited in a long time. The songs changed again and again, but Ari didn’t want to stop. She and Molly moved to the beat together, their bodies inches apart. Ari was totally aroused by not touching Molly. Two more songs played, and Ari realized she couldn’t stand it any longer. As a Madonna tune faded out, Ari grabbed Molly’s belt and planted a kiss on her mouth.
The effect was immediate. Molly took Ari in her arms, her lips and tongue on fire.
“Hey, let’s play one for the lovers on the dance floor,” the DJ announced. A slow kd lang tune wailed over the speakers and bounced around the tiny square footage.
Molly released Ari, and they slowly circled, Molly unsure of what do with her two left feet. She smiled at Ari, feeling like a big dumb oaf. Fast dancing was one thing, but this req
uired actual skill. Ari smiled back and pulled Molly against her, both conscious of their breasts and thighs colliding to the beat, gestures too sexual to be misunderstood. Ari’s hands wandered down Molly’s back, her fingers resting inside the waistband of Molly’s shorts.
Molly groaned and squeezed Ari’s buttocks, leaving no doubt about her growing wetness or her intentions. “We’d better get out of here,” she said, “before I have to arrest myself for lewd and lascivious conduct.”
Ari slammed the apartment door shut and shoved Molly against it. The detective had worked her hormones into a frenzy during the drive to Molly’s place, stroking her thigh and working closer to her crotch with every passing mile. She was in no mood for tenderness, and thankfully, Molly wasn’t either, both of them frantically working buttons and kicking off hiking boots.
“Yes,” Molly murmured, before Ari buried her tongue in the woman’s mouth and pressed against her, their bodies melding together perfectly, their hips finding an erotic rhythm. Ari drank in Molly’s scent—lust, sweat and a fleeting hint of the musky cologne Ari loved. They were back on the mountain, climbing higher and higher, Ari’s heart pounding in her chest, unable to breathe and feeling lightheaded from the rush. Her head lolled back and she whimpered. Higher and higher, closer and closer.
Molly’s eyes were riveted to Ari’s expression. Watching her face shift from pleasure to total abandon brought Molly to the edge of climax. “Come with me,” she whispered, cupping Ari’s buttocks, positioning Ari’s center squarely against her own. “Now,” Ari commanded, unable to prevent the rushing wave overtaking her body.
Molly thrust her pelvis against Ari one last time before she lost control and the orgasm rocked her body. Ari cried out at the same moment and every muscle tensed in response. Her fingernails dug deep into Molly’s back as she held on, her head filling with bright colors.
